In Tehran, ‘Death to America’ still rings 34 years later
Jason Rezaian / The Washington Post
Despite recent signs of a thaw in relations between Washington and Tehran, Iran is going ahead with a 34-year-old November ritual: anti-U.S. demonstrations to commemorate the takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.
Kerry’s Cairo visit underlines differences between U.S., Egypt
Laura King / Los Angeles Times
Secretary of State John F. Kerry paid a brief visit to Egypt on Sunday that was meant to smooth over recent rifts, but laid bare the two countries’ differences over authoritarian practices of the military-backed government that supplanted the country’s first democratically elected leader.
North Korea reveals warship sinking
BBC News
North Korea has revealed that one of its warships sank last month, killing a number of sailors, in a rare admission of military failure. Reports in South Korean media, citing unidentified sources, suggested age could have been a factor in the sinking.
Congolese Rebel Group Says It Is Laying Down Arms
Nicholas Kulish / The New York Times
Following a string of recent victories on the battlefield by the Congolese Army operating with U.N. support, the M23 rebel group in the Democratic Republic of Congo announced that it was laying down its arms immediately, in a major development that held out hope of a new era of peace and stability in the violence-wracked region.
The Afghan Air War is Down 82 Percent
Dan Lamothe / Foreign Policy
According to new statistics released by the U.S. Air Force, U.S. airstrikes in Afghanistan last month were down 82 percent when compared to the same time period in 2010. It’s a stark reminder of the way the war there has shifted since the U.S. began its rapid drawdown in forces.
EU Nations Urged to Overhaul Energy Markets State Support
Ewa Krukowska / Bloomberg
The European Union presented a set of recommendations for governments to improve their state-aid mechanisms in energy markets, including support programs for renewable enrgy.
On Our Flashpoint Blog
Gauging the Iranian Public
Matthew Wallin
The fact that Rouhani is currently president, whether elected by the Iranian people or merely “permitted” by Supreme Leader Khamenei, is not an insignificant step. That there is so much opposition within Iran is indicative of divisive political winds that could tear down the scaffolding currently helping to maintain the diplomatic process.
Death of the Early Bird
Matthew Wallin
The recent government shut down has apparently sealed the fate of the Pentagon’s “Early Bird,” a daily early-morning collection of news stories circulated to the defense community. If you haven’t already, try signing up for our “In Case You Missed it” daily newsletter, which includes many of the day’s top national security news stories.
B61-12 Nuclear Bomb Goes to Capitol Hill
Joshua Miller
The B61-12 nuclear bomb program was pushed by officials at last Wednesday’s hearing. There are reasons to believe the program is not relevant to meeting 21st century threats and will be extremely costly in both strategic and monetary terms.
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