Topic: White House National Security Council

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SEAL Team Six: 10 questions on the operation that killed Osama bin Laden

‘SEAL Team Six,’ as operatives are commonly known, conducted a raid and killed Osama bin Laden. Here are nine questions and answers about the operation.
10 ways to prevent cyberconflict

From establishing cyberwar limitation treaties to banning the 'first use' of cyberweapons, experts offer ways to head off a future major conflict in cyberspace.
Did Saddam Hussein target Donald Rumsfeld's kids? Five surprises from memoir.

Donald Rumsfeld has a new book out, 'Known and Unknown.' Here are five revelations from the memoir and/or Donald Rumsfeld interviews about the book.
Gallery: Notable women in US politics

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Chen Guangcheng: What's ahead for Chinese dissident now in the US?

Now that Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng has reached the United States, both Beijing and Washington are hoping to put what could have been a tense diplomatic situation behind them.
House adopts hard line on Iran. Would stance move US closer to war?

A House resolution approved Thursday talks of preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapons 'capability.' It's a murkier but redder line than obtaining weapons, and critics say it lowers the threshold for military action.
Why Romney's choice for vice president could determine America's future

Marco Rubio? Nikki Haley? Chris Christie? Mitt Romney's VP choice is not just about ticket-balancing, which the evidence does not show as affecting election outcomes. Historical patterns show that with his pick for 'veep,' Romney will anoint a future presidential front-runner.
Is lull in US-Iran tensions just calm before the storm? Talks will tell.

A better-than-expected first round of talks on Iran's nuclear program is the key reason for the lull. But some experts say any optimism may be just wishful thinking, and a lot can go wrong with Round 2.
Will Obama's new atrocities board lead to more Libya-style operations?

President Obama Monday announced the creation of the Atrocities Prevention Board – an advisory panel dealing with potential genocides. The board is seen as a victory for the White House's 'interventionist' wing.
Assad's actions in Syria spur US to consider intervening

The ongoing violence in Syria, despite the regime's lip service to the Annan peace plan, has pushed the Obama administration to weigh stronger steps.
North Korea's rocket launch draws anger, wounds pride (+video)

In a rare move, Pyongyang admitted that the rocket did not deliver a satellite, but it also pressed ahead with grandiose propaganda in praise of the ruling Kim family.
Keep Calm
Good Reads: Weighing the tactics in battles over drones, hackers, and abortion rights

A roundup of some of the week's most insightful articles from around the Internet.
G8 summit moved to Camp David last-minute

The G8 summit, planned for Chicago, will instead be hosted at Camp David. The White House says the change was not in response to the possibility of protests.
A cold-war chill? US-Russia relations falter over Libya and Syria.

Stormy days lie ahead for US-Russia relations, many say. Progress on issues like missile defense and NATO-Russia relations could suffer serious setbacks if the Syria and Iran crises deteriorate further.
How serious is the bombast from North Korea?

North Korea issued more heated rhetoric denouncing the annual US-South Korea military drills that started today.
Terrorism & Security
Israel says Bangkok, Delhi, and Tbilisi attacks all linked – to Iran

The Israeli ambassador to Thailand said that the bombs used in all three countries had similarities implying a common source. Two suspects were arrested carrying Iranian passports.
Xi Jinping, future Chinese president, faces test on first White House visit (+video)

Xi Jinping, China's president-in-waiting, will be greeted with friendly words of cooperation in his first White House visit. But the underlying US-China tensions will be hard to hide.
Backchannels
Despite $1.5 billion in US aid, Egypt threatens prosecution of Americans

Egypt said yesterday it will prosecute a large number of people, including 19 Americans, involved in democracy promotion in the country, putting the country's US aid in extreme jeopardy.
Why Britain and Argentina are tussling, again, over the Falklands

Britain's decision to send a new, more powerful warship to the Falkland Islands has ignited a long-simmering territorial dispute that came to war decades ago.
Ex-CIA spy: History of failed negotiations shows Iran won't deal

President Obama errs in pushing nuclear negotiation, writes this ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard. Four US presidents tried and failed. The problem lies in Iran's fanatic ideology. Biting sanctions and US overt support for the Iranian people will bring real change.
Anti-nuclear movement growing in Asia

Though nuclear power still has a strong foothold in Asia, anti-nuclear sentiment and protest are growing from Mongolia to South Korea to Taiwan and even - in modest ways - in China.
Is Obama weak on Iran? GOP sees hot issue in crisis over nuclear program.

The growing international crisis over Iran's nuclear program and Americans' preference that US military action be avoided if possible presents an extra challenge to Obama's reelection efforts.
North Korea's Kim Jong-un not really in control, says brother

Kim Jong-un's brother reportedly wonders how long North Korea's Kim Jong-un can last – or how much say he will have over his own destiny, let alone that of his people.
Obama's Iran policy shifted from outreach to pressure and sanctions

Obama intended to go the extra mile on engagement, his aides said, so if the gambit failed, allies and adversaries alike could not point the finger at the United States as the 'bad guy.' Instead, they would rally behind the effort to pressure Iran.
Stock market: Fears ease over North Korea

Stock market futures in US edge up as tensions ease over Kim Jong Il's passing. Asia markets close lower, but stock market in Germany, Britain, and France recover.
How the Iraq war has changed America

A conflict that was supposed to be a quick in-and-out operation lasted nearly nine years – and has left a deep imprint on the policy of American intervention.
Saudi crown prince dies, leaving succession uncertain

The younger brother of King Abdullah was in his 80s, and there is no formal method to name a replacement from the sprawling royal family.
Mitt Romney's hawkish foreign policy plan: A substitute for experience?

In a speech at The Citadel military college in South Carolina Friday, Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney outlined a muscular foreign policy and national security plan.
Lessons for US in Libya's transition: Avoid mistakes of Iraq, Afghanistan

In Libya's transition from dictator to democracy, the international community should learn from its experience in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Bosnia. The West should watch out for picking favorite leaders and should use leverage to push Libya toward inclusive politics and a viable oil industry.