In another dispatch from a war we’re not fighting, the U.S. is gearing up for a major counterterrorism push in North Africa: The government is considering additional deployments of Predator or Reaper drones to supplement those already in the region. While the pilotless aircraft carry missiles, current talks under way revolve around their utility as […]

What a surprise: The Greek economy yet again is going to be in “worse than expected” shape, shrinking almost 4 percent next year instead of staying flat like all those highly qualified, well trained economists at the IMF thought. The WSJ has the story: Greece’s economy will contract more than projected in 2013, its sixth […]

Could Azerbaijan be the key to Israel’s strategy for successfully attacking Iran’s nuclear program? A report from Reuters suggests that talks are afoot between the two unlikely allies: [Azerbaijan’s support] is a far cry from the massive firepower and diplomatic cover that Netanyahu wants from Washington. But, by addressing key weaknesses in any Israeli war […]

Usually the mainstream media is kind to President Obama, especially on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, but is that starting to change? Consider: The New York Times and the Washington Post are both thoroughly alarmed by the state of the region after 9/11/12 and the reporters if not the editorial pages have moved on from the “Blame Bush” […]

The New York Times has an interesting partial profile of ascendant Chinese leader Xi Jinping, who is slated to take over the leadership of China’s Communist Party at the upcoming party congress. The article outlines Mr. Xi’s decision as a young man to do a stint in a rural precinct as a deputy party secretary. Smart […]

Jesus warned his followers against double standards in morality. “Take the log out of your own eye first,” he said, “then worry about the splinter in your neighbor’s.”That advice has never seemed more apposite. In the last couple of weeks we’ve seen mobs burning and killing to demonstrate their righteous wrath over a sacrilegious video […]

Evidence is growing that the death of four American officials in Benghazi, including a charismatic and talented ambassador, came at a time when appropriate security procedures and precautions were not being taken. That at least is the burden of this story in the Washington Post, a story that few in the White House will enjoy […]

Georgia’s upcoming parliamentary elections, scheduled for October 1, may result in violence. Mikhail Saakashvili’s United National Movement, which currently holds almost 80% of the seats in parliament, is facing stiff opposition by an coalition of parties called Georgian Dream.At the head of the coalition is Bidzina Ivanishvili, a billionaire businessman who made his fortune in Russia, […]

Reuters reports some disturbing news from Egypt: Most Christians living near Egypt’s border with Israel are fleeing their homes after Islamist militants made death threats and gunmen attacked a Coptic-owned shop, a priest said on Friday.The departure of nine families that made up the small Christian community in the border area of Egypt’s Sinai peninsula […]

Technologist Brad Templeton has a few thoughts on how driverless cars might revolutionize modern transportation (h/t Alexis Madrigal). Think on-demand robo-taxis which are much more fine-tuned for the task they’re used for. The key insight: If one can hire a cheap specialized “robotaxi” (or whistlecar) on demand when one has a special automotive need, car users […]