Obama
The Future of Nuclear (Counter-)Proliferation (Maybe)
Outgoing Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Eric Edelman says that counter-proliferation is “becoming a bipartisan consensus,” with a special urgency on countries like Iran, and that vigorous negotiations are necessary to stop emerging nuclear capabilities. He reiterates that Iran is on the rise in the Middle East — how’d that happen? — and rejects the [...]
Bill Perry On Eliminating Nuclear Weapons In An Obama Administration
Former Secretary of Defense Bill Perry, a Democratic national-security eminence certain to have the new administration’s ear, kicks off a panel on counter-nuclear proliferation that includes possible incoming State Dept. official Wendy Sherman.
Perry’s part of an effort, once considered taboo, where former State and Pentagon chiefs “pal around with nuclear abolitionists,” as he joshes. Without [...]
Brennan Will Be White House Counterterrorism Czar
One thing that’s not conference-related: The New York Times reports that John Brennan, the controversial ex-CIA official who abruptly withdrew as Barack Obama’s CIA director in November, will become White House director of counterterrorism. Brennan came under fire from Salon’s Glenn Greenwald for statements that took a soft line on rendering terrorism detainees to the [...]
Live From A Huge Foreign-Policy Confab
I’m in one of the two massive ballrooms of the Washington Convention Center, where in a few minutes, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is going to present a tour of the foreign-policy horizon. That’ll kick off a day-long event sponsored by the U.S. Institute of Peace called “Passing The Baton,” outlining the national-security and foreign-policy [...]
Feinstein on Panetta
Beef officially squashed. Here’s what Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said about CIA director-(quasi-)designate Leon Panetta to reporters outside the Senate floor this afternoon:
“I’ve known Leon for 20 years. He is smart, he is credible, and he is truthful. And I believe he will surround himself with very qualified intelligence professionals in the top positions, and [...]
Amazing What A Phone Call Can Accomplish
Personally, I hate using the phone and look forward to the day when text-based communications replace phone calls as a matter of course. But last night aspiring CIA director Leon Panetta called Sen. Dianne Feinstein — she called him back, so there was a bit of phone tag — and secured the support of the [...]
Feinstein Backs Down On Panetta
The sailing is suddenly much smoother for Leon Panetta’s reported nomination to head the CIA, as California senator and prior Panetta critic Diane Feinstein — who is also the incoming chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee — has just announced that the beef is squashed, The Associated Press reports. But why? She made a big [...]
Blago’s Got Tickets for the Big Day, Do You?
Are you bummed because you want to attend President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration, but you can’t score tickets? Well, this should make you feel worse. Apparently, disgraced Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, whom you may remember was arrested last month for allegedly scheming to “sell” Obama’s vacated Senate seat, has a pair of the coveted passes.
From The [...]
Obama Announces New Government Efficiency Post
President-elect Barack Obama today announced the creation of a new position to work in conjunction with the Office of Management and Budget to increase the “efficiency, transparency and accountability” of federal agencies.
During a news conference at the Obama-Biden transition office in Washington, Obama named Nancy Killefer, a former Treasury official in the Clinton administration, to [...]
Don’t Be So Sure About Haass, Holbrooke and Ross
Marc Ambinder reported this morning that three top diplomats — Richard Haass, Richard Holbrooke and Dennis Ross — will be President-elect Barack Obama’s envoys to various global hellholes: Iran, Israel/Palestine, and Afghanistan/Pakistan/India. He says it’s “confirmed,” but I’ve heard otherwise.
It appears, particularly with Haass, the chairman of the Council on Foreign Relations, that this is [...]
