Iran
U.S. imposes new sanctions on Iran
Joby Warrick, Washington Post – July 31, 2012
he Obama administration and Congress moved separately Tuesday to tighten the economic screws on Iran, betting that additional pressure from sanctions will force Iranian officials to accept a compromise to curb their nuclear activities.
Panetta: US Force an Option Against Iran Nukes
Robert Burns, AP – July 31, 2012
U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Wednesday that Iran must either negotiate acceptable limits on its nuclear program or face the possibility of U.S. military action to stop it from getting the bomb.
Defense Spending
Potential defense cuts would skip personnel
Donna Cassata, AP – August 1, 2012
President Barack Obama would exempt military personnel from any automatic defense spending cuts, the White House says amid the congressional clamor for specifics on how the administration would implement the looming across-the-board reductions.
The Truth About Military Cuts
New York Times – July 31, 2012
Republican lawmakers started a fire last year when they created a debt-ceiling crisis to force cuts in spending. Now that it is beginning to damage their most treasured military programs, they are blaming President Obama for not putting it out.
GOP says White House is hiding defense job losses
Donna Cassata, AP – August 1, 2012
Republicans accused President Obama of trying to keep middle-class Americans in the dark about whether they will lose their jobs from impending defense cuts as a Labor Department memo cautioning contractors about layoff notices set off political recriminations.
Presidential Campaign
Romney gaffes contrast with Obama in ’08
Robert H. Reid, AP – August 1, 2012
The British were offended, the Palestinians accused him of racism and even in friendlier Poland, Mitt Romney’s union policies drew criticism from the current leaders of the movement that toppled Communism.
