Iran’s navy chief says his forces will hold war games in international waters:What We're Reading Now
Dec 22, 2011

IRAN
Israel's Barak boosts Obama amid U.S. threats on Iran
Dan Williams, Reuters -- December 22, 2011
Israel's defense minister extolled what he called Barack Obama's resolve and risk-taking on Thursday, remarks likely to help the president's re-election bid after the Pentagon beefed up warnings to Iran over its nuclear program.

Iran’s navy chief says his forces will hold war games in international waters
The Washington Post -- December 22, 2011
Iran’s navy chief said Thursday his forces plan to hold a 10-day drill in international waters beyond the strategic Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, an exercise that could bring Iranian ships into proximity with U.S. Navy vessels.

NORTH KOREA
South Korea Will Allow Citizens to Send Condolences to North
Jason Strother, Voice of America -- December 22, 2011
The South Korean government has not offered North Korea official condolences about the death of ruler Kim Jong Il, but it is allowing private citizens and organizations to express their sympathy by granting rare cross-border contact.  The decision does not sit well with some activist groups who say no one should feel sorry about the loss of a dictator.

Thousands gather in snow to mourn Kim Jong Il
CBS News -- December 21, 2011
ens of thousands of mourners packed Pyongyang's snowy main square Wednesday to pay respects to late leader Kim Jong Il as North Korea tightened security in cities and won loyalty pledges from top generals for Kim's son and anointed heir.

House advances Defense authorization bill: What We're Reading Now
Dec 15, 2011

IRAN
U.S. Concerned Iran on Verge of Underground Nuclear Enrichment
A.R. Lakshmanan, The San Francisco Chronicle -- December 15, 2011
The Obama administration is concerned Iran is on the verge of being able to enrich uranium at a facility deep underground near the Muslim holy city of Qom, which may strengthen those advocating tougher action to stop Iran's suspected atomic weapons program.

Iran ready to start nuclear work in bunker: sources
Fredrik Dahl, Reuters -- December 15, 2011
Iran could soon begin sensitive atomic activities in an underground facility deep inside a mountain, diplomatic sources said on Wednesday, a move that would up the ante in a stand-off with big powers demanding Tehran curb such work.

NORTH KOREA
US says food aid to North Korea could resume pending outcome of talks in Beijing
The Washington Post -- December 15, 2011
U.S. officials say food aid to North Korea could resume depending on whether Pyongyang can provide the necessary monitoring assurances in talks between the sides that began Thursday in Beijing.

UPDATE 1-US House votes sanctions on Iran, North Korea, Syria
Susan Cornwell, Reuters Africa -- December 15, 2011
The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation on Wednesday that would expand sanctions on Iran, cracking down on a wider range of energy issues and closing some loopholes in existing energy and financial sanctions.

Key Amendments in the Senate to the Fiscal Year 2012 Defense Authorization Bill
Nov 21, 2011

Note: Over 275 amendments have been submitted to the bill, only a very few of which were considered before the Senate recessed for the Thanksgiving holiday. When the Senate returns on November 28, it will resume consideration of the bill.  

This list is divided into:
WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION
DEFENSE ISSUES
FOREIGN POLICY ISSUES
OTHER AMENDMENTS
AMENDMENTS ALREADY CONSIDERED

Amendments pending or submitted

WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION

Iran sanctions: Kirk (R-IL), Manchin (D-WV), Blunt (R-MO), Tester (D-MT) and others amendment No. 1084 to require the President to impose sanctions  on foreign institutions that conduct transactions with Iran’s central bank. Menendez (D-NJ) amendment No. 1292 is similar.

Nuclear weapons triad: Sessions (R-AL) amendment No. 1183 to require the maintenance of all three legs of the nuclear weapons triad, those on land, at sea and in the air. Hoeven (R-ND) , Tester (D-MT), Blunt (R-MO, Enzi (R-WY) and Vitter (R-LA) have a similar amendment No. 1279 supporting the triad and endorsing all three legs of the triad.

Urge the Senate to End Afghanistan War
Nov 18, 2011

October 21, 2011 is a day to be remembered.  It was on that day that President Obama announced that all U.S. troops will be withdrawn from Iraq by the end of the year.

While we celebrate this victory, we must recognize that there is much work left to be done.  Now that the war in Iraq is ending, it is time to end the war in Afghanistan.

There is now bipartisan legislation in the Senate sponsored by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) calling for President Obama to bring our troops home from Afghanistan.

Please tell your Senators to co-sponsor and support the Merkley resolution to end the war.

Opinion: Iraq invasion, not withdrawal, was gift to Iran: What We're Reading Now
Oct 28, 2011

IRAN
Demands Grow for Action Against Alleged Iranian Plot
Sara Sorcher, Global Security Newswire -- October 27, 2011
As Republicans on the House Homeland Security Committee demanded that the Obama administration take more serious action against Iran for its alleged role in the purported plot to assassinate the Saudi Arabian ambassador and bomb embassies in Washington, witnesses testifying before two key subcommittees on Wednesday called for everything from killing senior members of Iran’s elite Quds Force to limited cyberattacks within Iran.

Iraq invasion, not withdrawal, was gift to Iran
Tony Karon, TIME/CNN -- October 27, 2011
Outlandish posturing on foreign policy matters is par for the course in a U.S. electoral season, but the claim that President Barack Obama will deliver Iraq on a plate to Iran by honoring the U.S. treaty obligation to withdraw American troops by New Year's Day is worth closer scrutiny.

Iran pulls out of diplomatic event
ESPN -- October 27, 2011
North and South Korea and India and Pakistan are among 10 nations competing in the latest version of pingpong diplomacy, but Iran backed out of a chance to compete alongside American players.

NORTH KOREA
Panetta Voices Skepticism on North Korea Talks
Elisabeth Bumiller, The New York Times -- October 27, 2011
Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta cast doubt on Thursday on talks aimed at persuading North Korea to abandon its nuclear program despite more positive public comments from negotiators for both countries earlier this week.

North Korea bans citizens working in Libya from returning home
Julian Ryall, The Telegraph -- October 27, 2011
North Korea has banned its own citizens working in Libya from returning home, apparently out of fear that they will reveal the extent - and final outcomes - of the revolutions that have shaken the Arab world.

Council for a Livable World alert on Iraq
Oct 21, 2011

It’s finally over.  The President has just announced that all American troops will be coming out from Iraq by the end of 2011.

We can finally declare “Mission Accomplished” in our collective efforts to end nearly a decade of war.

The pressure from you, our supporters, and from peace activists around the country helped make this decision final despite pressure from the Pentagon to keep a large number of troops in Iraq.

Thank you all so much for your voices and your activism on the issue.
With this success, we will have another reason to celebrate over the holidays.

But there are still 100,000 American troops in Afghanistan.

Over 6,200 American soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan and Iraq in the last decade plus more than 45,000 wounded, with about the same number evacuated with injuries or disease.

The total cost for a decade of wars in Afghanistan and Iraq exceeds $4 trillion, including the long-term care for thousands of veterans who will badly need it.

We now will have to work even harder to bring all U.S. troops home from Afghanistan as well as Iraq so that we can put these misadventures behind us.

Let’s take the time to celebrate this important victory, but not lose sight of the important work left to do.

What the Alleged Iran Assassination Plot Means for 2012: What We're Reading Now
Oct 17, 2011

IRAN
Analysis - Iran-U.S. tension rising ahead of elections
Fredrik Dahl, Reuters - October 17, 2011
A U.S. push to isolate Iran looks unlikely to make Tehran back down over its nuclear programme and other disputes, setting the scene for sharpening rhetoric and rising tension at a time when the two foes are preparing for elections.

Significant Holes in U.S. Legal Case Against Alleged Iran Plotter
Marcy Wheeler, Reuters - October 17, 2011
In the wake of the Obama Administration's announcement that an Iranian-American used car salesman had set up a plot to kill the Saudi Ambassador to the U.S., a number of Iran and intelligence experts have raised questions about the plausibility of the alleged Iranian plot.

Iran says happy to examine US plot allegations
Reuters - October 17, 2011
Iran said on Monday it would examine "seriously and patiently" U.S. allegations it planned to assassinate a Saudi ambassador and called on Washington to send evidence of the plot it has dismissed as baseless propaganda.

NORTH KOREA
N.Korea, US to hold nuclear talks next week: report
AFP - October 17, 2011
North Korea and the United States will hold a second meeting next week in Geneva to discuss ways to restart stalled six-nation talks on the North's nuclear disarmament, a report said Monday.

Endless War in Iraq
Sep 12, 2011

Here we go again.

The military is lobbying to keep U.S. troops in Iraq beyond the December 31, 2011 treaty deadline and the Obama Administration may acquiesce.

The New York Times reported recently that the Pentagon is pressing to have 3,000 – 5,000 troops stay beyond the cut-off date agreed to by the Bush Administration – or more if they can get away with it.

The American military involvement in the Iraq War that started in 2003 has caused almost 4,500 American deaths and over 33,000 wounded -- and hundreds of thousands of Iraqi casualties.

What We’re Reading Now
Aug 16, 2011

UNITED STATES
Stop Coddling the Super-Rich
Warren Buffet, New York Times- August 14, 2011
Our leaders have asked for “shared sacrifice.” But when they did the asking, they spared me. I checked with my mega-rich friends to learn what pain they were expecting. They, too, were left untouched.

For Cuts, Pentagon must choose among weapons, personnel
David Alexander, Reuters- August 15, 2011
A decision to cut $350 billion in security spending over the next decade will force the Pentagon to make difficult trade-offs that could lead to layoffs, canceled weapons systems or a smaller nuclear arsenal.

IRAQ
Dozens of attacks in Iraq's deadliest day of year
Michael Schmidt, New York Times- August 15, 2011
A chilling series of fatal attacks across Iraq on Monday sent a disheartening message to the Iraqi and American governments: After hundreds of billions of dollars spent since the United States invasion in 2003, and tens of thousands of lives lost, insurgents remain a potent and perhaps resurging threat to Iraqis and the American troops still in the country.

Essay: The End of Interventionism
Aug 08, 2011

Written by John Isaacs, appears in ADA Today:

United States involvement in the Libyan war may turn out to be the straw that broke the political and philosophical back of the military interventionists.

Most of the country having long turned against George W. Bush’s war of choice in Iraq, President Obama has been continuing the process of withdrawal from that (at least tenuously) pacified country. Disaffection with the Iraq war hurt the Republicans at the polls in 2006 and 2008.

As for the Afghan war, many on the left and right were willing to reserve judgment on President Obama’s actions early in his administration because he had inherited a weak position from his predecessor.  Besides, Afghanistan—in contrast to Iraq—was the “good” war, one directly related to the terrorist attacks of 9/11.

But the effort to oust long-time Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi means the United States is engaged in three military conflicts at the same time, to say nothing of predator drone strikes in other countries. While liberals are split on the Libyan conflict, the expanding wars are widely perceived to be military interventionism run amuck.