TPMDC Pakistan
2012
Rick Perry Meets Pervez Musharraf
Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX)
Ahead of a possible presidential run, Texas Governor Rick Perry played up his foreign policy bonafides on Tuesday by meeting with former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: 2012, 2012 Presidential Primaries, 2012 elections, Pakistan, Rick Perry
Roundup
TPMDC Morning Roundup
Obama Set For Outreach To Skeptical Arab World
Reuters reports: "President Barack Obama will lay out a new U.S. strategy toward a skeptical Arab world on Thursday, offering fresh aid to promote democratic change as he seeks to shape the outcome of popular uprisings threatening both friends and foes. In his much-anticipated 'Arab spring' speech, Obama will try to reset relations with the Middle East, but his outreach could falter amid Arab frustration over an uneven U.S. response to the region's revolts and his failure to advance Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking."
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will receive his daily briefing at 10:30 a.m. ET, and meet at 11 a.m. ET with senior advisers. At 11:40 a.m. ET, he will deliver a speech on the events in the Middle East and North Africa, and U.S. policy in the region. At 2:55 p.m. ET, he will be interviewed by the BBC. He will meet at 3:30 p.m. ET with Treasury Secetary Tim Geithner. At 7 p.m. Et, he will deliver remarks at the Women's Leadership Forum. At 8 p.m. ET, he will deliver remarks at a DNC event.
Topics: 2012 elections, Barack Obama, Gang of Six, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Osama Bin Laden, Pakistan, Pres '12, Robert Gates, Roundup, Tom Coburn
Roundup
TPMDC Morning Roundup
Kerry: Pakistan Boosting Cooperation With U.S.
AFP reports: "Pakistan, under renewed US pressure since the death of Osama bin Laden, is stepping up its efforts to battle extremists and help stabilize Afghanistan, senior US Senator John Kerry said Tuesday. 'Some of them are important things that are very important to us strategically, but they are not appropriate to discuss publicly,' said the Democratic lawmaker, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Kerry, newly returned from a whirlwind visit to both countries, said he had heard 'frustration' from top Pakistani officials about the US raid that killed the Al-Qaeda leader, but had made clear Washington expects more from its ally."
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will depart form the White House at 8:30 a.m. ET, and depart from Andrews Air Force Base at 8:50 a.m. ET, arriving at 10 a.m. ET in New London, Connecticut. At 11:30 a.m. ET, he will deliver the commencement address at the United States Coast Guard Academy. He will depart from new London at 4:10 p.m. ET, arriving at 4:45 p.m. ET in Boston, Massachusetts. He will deliver remarks at a DNC event at 6:15 p.m. ET, and at another DNC event at 8:25 p.m. ET. He will depart from Boston at 9:55 p.m. ET, arriving at Andrews Air Force Base at 11:15 p.m. ET, and arriving back at the White House at 11:30 p.m. ET.
Topics: Barack Obama, Joe Biden, John Kerry, John McCain, Lindsey Graham, Osama Bin Laden, Pakistan, Roundup, Taxes, Timothy Geithner
Pakistan
Kerry: Pakistan And U.S. Are At A Critical Crossroads
Sen. John Kerry (D-MA)
Sen. John Kerry (D-MA), fresh from a trip to Pakistan aimed at repairing deeply frayed relations with the United States, said Tuesday the two nations are at a critical crossroads and cautioned against either side taking precipitous action.
Kerry spent the weekend meeting with Pakistani officials and trying to determine steps that would assuage the deep distrust between the two nations after the discovery of Osama bin Laden inside Pakistan and his subsequent killing in a covert operation by a Navy SEALs team.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Al Qaeda, Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, Osama Bin Laden, Pakistan, Senate Foreign Relations Committee, State Department, Taliban
Roundup
TPMDC Morning Roundup
Without Dem Help, GOP Must Pass Spending Bills On Its Own
The Hill reports: "House Republican leaders face a daunting task in the weeks and months ahead: passing a dozen spending bills opposed by Democrats. Clearing the bills through the lower chamber will be a test for Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and his whip team, which stumbled earlier this year."
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will receive his daily briefing at 10:30 a.m. ET. He will meet at 11:15 a.m. ET with King Abdullah II of Jordan, and the two will deliver statements to the press at 12:05 p.m. ET. Obama will meet with Vice President Biden for lunch at 12:30 p.m. ET. Obama will host a White House reception at 2:50 p.m. ET, in honor of Jewish American Heritage Month. At 4:30 p.m. ET, Obama and Biden will meet with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.
Topics: 2012 Presidential Primaries, 2012 elections, Barack Obama, John Kerry, Jordan, Osama Bin Laden, Pakistan, Pres '12, Roundup
Roundup
TPMDC Morning Roundup
GOP's Big Medicare Gamble
The Hill reports: "Republicans on Capitol Hill may be in the process of learning a hard lesson: Meddling with Medicare, whatever the nation's fiscal circumstances, just isn't popular. They are feeling the heat now because of House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan's (R-Wis.) controversial plan to turn Medicare into a type of voucher system. Presented as a serious attempt to fix the program's projected shortfalls, the proposal instead appears to have turned the political tide back toward the congressional Democrats, who were on the ropes after last November's midterms."
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will depart from the White House at 8:45 a.m. ET, and depart from Andrews Air Force Base at 9 a.m. ET, arriving at 11 a.m. ET in Memphis, Tennessee. At 11:30 a.m. ET, he will meet with families impacted by the flooding, state and local officials, first responders and volunteers. At 1 p.m. ET, he will deliver the commencement address at Booker T. Washington High School, the winner of the 2011 Race to the Top Commencement Challenge. He will depart from Memphis at 3:25 p.m. ET, arriving at Andrews Air Force Base at 5:15 p.m. ET, and arriving back at the White House at 5:30 p.m. ET.
Topics: 2012 Presidential Primaries, 2012 elections, Afghanistan, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, John Kerry, Medicare, Newt Gingrich, Osama Bin Laden, Pakistan, Paul Ryan, Pres '12, Robert Gates, Roundup
Roundup
TPMDC Saturday Roundup
Obama Announces Plans For Increased Oil Production
In this weekend's Presidential YouTube address, President Obama announced that his administration was opening up increased oil drilling, as part of an effort to deal with high gas prices.
"Last year, America's oil production reached its highest level since 2003. But I believe that we should expand oil production in America - even as we increase safety and environmental standards," said Obama.
"To do this, I am directing the Department of Interior to conduct annual lease sales in Alaska's National Petroleum Reserve, while respecting sensitive areas, and to speed up the evaluation of oil and gas resources in the mid and south Atlantic. We plan to lease new areas in the Gulf of Mexico as well, and work to create new incentives for industry to develop their unused leases both on and offshore."
Topics: 2012 Presidential Primaries, 2012 elections, Barack Obama, Budget, John Kerry, Martha Roby, Medicare, Osama Bin Laden, Pakistan, Paul Ryan, Pres '12, Roundup
Osama Bin Laden
U.S. Officials Interviewed OBL's Wives, White House Confirms
Osama Bin Laden
The White House confirmed Friday that Pakistan has allowed U.S. officials to interview three of Osama bin Laden's wives, all of whom were living with him at his Abbottabad compound before a Navy SEAL team stormed it and killed bin Laden nearly two weeks ago.
In the aftermath of the U.S. raid on the hideaway, U.S. lawmakers and officials have accused at least some elements of the Pakistani government of helping harbor bin Laden and have been watching Pakistan's reaction to his killing closely. The wives, one of whom was injured during the raid, were taken into custody by Pakistani security forces after the SEALs left the compound.
White House spokesman Jay Carney was tight-lipped about the interrogation aside from confirming that it had occurred. He would not say who questioned the women or whether they cooperated.
"I can't characterize the interaction except to say that we have had access," Carney said, "And we obviously appreciate the cooperation we've received from the Pakistani government."
The White House and the Pentagon have not said exactly when this week U.S. officials questioned the wives. The Pakistani Taliban on Friday took credit for twin suicide bombings that killed at least 80 people outside a paramilitary training center in Shabqadar, Pakistan earlier in the day. A Taliban spokesman said the explosions were in retaliation for the killing of bin Laden.
Carney said the U.S. government remains in a "state of high vigilance" since the raid.
"We take very seriously the fact that while al Qaeda is weakened, it is not dead," Carney said.
President Obama plans to deliver a major speech on the events in the Middle East and North Africa and U.S. Policy in the region Thursday at the State Department.
From Carney's descriptions, the speech will be "fairly sweeping and comprehensive" focused on the democratic uprisings in the region that have taken place since January and how the U.S. has responded to the upheaval.
"[The President] has always viewed the future of the region through the prism of democratization and the yearning of the people...in the region for greater political freedom, participation in their government, desire for responsive governments that address their grievances," Carney said. "I'm sure he will call as he has in the past on the governments in the region to respond to those demands through peaceful political dialogue."
Obama plans to focus on the irony he sees in some leaders' violent crackdowns in the name of stability when those brutal actions are only leading to great instability in the country and the region, Carney told reporters.
At one point during the press briefing, Carney was asked whether he had information about Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi's whereabouts and reports that he was no longer in Tripoli and is likely injured.
"Nothing I can share," Carney replied.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Al Qaeda, Barack Obama, CIA, Libya, Middle East, Muammar Qaddafi, Osama Bin Laden, Pakistan, democratic reforms
Roundup
TPMDC Morning Roundup
In Campaign Appearance, Obama Highlights Bin Laden Capture
The Washington Post reports: "In his first 2012 campaign appearance in almost two weeks, President Obama added a new item to a long list of what he views as major accomplishments of his tenure: killing Osama bin Laden. 'Because of the extraordinary bravery of the men and women who wear this nation's uniform and the outstanding work of our intelligence agencies, Osama bin Laden will never again threaten the United States of America,' he said to loud applause at a fundraising event in the Moody Theatre in Austin, Texas, on Tuesday night. 'We couldn't be prouder of them.'"
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will receive the presidential daily briefing at 11 a.m. ET, and meet at 12 p.m. ET with senior advisers. At 2 p.m. ET, he will participate in a CBS News Townhall Meeting on the Economy. At 4:20 p.m. ET, he will meet with the Senate Democratic Caucus. At 7:10 p.m. ET, the President and the First Lady will host a celebration of American poetry and prose.
Topics: 2012 Presidential Primaries, 2012 elections, Barack Obama, Health Care, Health care lawsuits, House '12, John Kerry, NRCC, Newt Gingrich, Osama Bin Laden, Pakistan, Pres '12, Roundup
Pakistan
Feinstein Wants Answers About What Pakistani Officials Knew About OBL
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) isn't relying on U.S. intelligence officials alone to find out whether the Pakistani government was helping harbor Osama bin Laden.
Feinstein, who chairs the Senate intelligence committee, told TPM she has "her own people looking into it" and will hold closed-door classified hearings on the increasingly frayed relationship between the U.S. and Pakistan soon.
Despite her deep concerns about what the Pakistani government knew about bin Laden's compound before a U.S. assault team raided it and killed the notorious al Qaeda leader, Feinstein tempered remarks Monday in which she questioned continuing to send billions of dollars in humanitarian and military aid to the country and said the relationship between the U.S. and Pakistan "makes less and less sense."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Dianne Feinstein, Dick Lugar, Intelligence community, Osama Bin Laden, Pakistan, Ron Wyden, Senate intelligence committee
Pakistan
White House to Pakistan: 'No Apologies' for OBL Raid
White House spokesman Jay Carney said President Obama stands by his decision to order a covert assault-team raid to cross into a Pakistani city and kill Osama bin Laden without telling Pakistani officials.
"We obviously take statements and concerns of the Pakistani government very seriously," Carney told reporters at a briefing. "We also do not apologize for the actions that we took. [The President] said back in the [2008] campaign...if this is the only way we can do it, to do it unilaterally, he would take that chance and we did it. It is beyond a doubt in his mind, that he had the right and the imperative to do it."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Barack Obama, Jay Carney, Military, Navy Seals, Osama Bin Laden, Pakistan, White House
60 Minutes
Obama: Bin Laden Had A 'Support Network' Inside Pakistan (VIDEO)
Osama bin Laden had assistance from a support network established within Pakistan, President Obama said in an in-depth interview with CBS 60 Minutes on Sunday raising questions about the trustworthiness of one of America's key anti-terror allies in the region.
In a more than 30 minute interview, Obama said the conspicuousness of bin Laden's Pakistan safe house raised questions about how much was known, and by whom, within Pakistan. And, Obama said, both the U.S. and Pakistan had some investigating to do to root out the source.
"We think that there had to be some sort of support network for bin Laden inside of Pakistan," Obama said. "But we don't know who or what that support network was."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: 60 Minutes, Afghanistan, Barack Obama, Osama Bin Laden, Pakistan
Roundup
TPMDC Morning Roundup
Obama Presses Pakistan On Bin Laden
AFP reports: "US President Barack Obama has pressed Pakistan to probe how Osama bin Laden managed to live for years under the nose of its military, saying he must have been supported by locals. Obama stopped short of saying the Pakistani government was involved, but the White House called on Islamabad to help counter growing mistrust by granting US investigators access to three of bin Laden's widows who are in Pakistani custody and could have vital information on Al-Qaeda."
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will receive the presidential daily briefing at 9:45 a.m. ET, and meet with senior advisers at 10:15 a.m. ET. He will meet at 3:20 p.m. ET with the crew of Discovery Space Shuttle. He will meet at 4:35 p.m. ET with Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano. At 6 p.m. ET, the President and Vice President will met with the co-chairs of the U.S. and China Strategic and Economic Dialogue.
Topics: 2012 Presidential Primaries, 2012 elections, Barack Obama, China, DNC, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, Joe Biden, Osama Bin Laden, Pakistan, Pres '12, Roundup
Sunday Shows
TPMDC Sunday Roundup
Donilon: Obama Ordered Bin Laden Raid Based On '50-50 Chance'
Appearing on State of the Union, National Security Adviser Tom Donilon said that President Obama ordered the raid on Osama bin Laden's compound based on "what was probably a 50-50 chance that Osama bin Laden was there." Donilon also added: "It was a circumstantial case ... But what he had 100 percent confidence in was the ability of our special forces to execute the mission."
Kerry: 'Shut Up And Move On' About Circumstances Of Bin Laden Killing
Appearing on Face The Nation, Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) rebutted those who might question the decision of the Navy Seals to shoot an unarmed Osama bin Laden, rather then capture him. "They had no idea whether Osama bin Laden was lunging for a button that would blow up the entire building. There were weapons in the room. He was reaching for them. What we do know is he was not surrendering. It was the dead of night," said Kerry. He also added: "We need to shut up and move on about, you know, the realities of what happened in that building."
Topics: Barack Obama, Dick Cheney, Hussain Haqqani, John Kerry, Osama Bin Laden, Pakistan, Roundup, Sunday Shows, Tom Donilon, Torture, Waterboarding
Osama Bin Laden
Obama Thanks SEAL Team Who Killed OBL For 'Job Well Done'
President Barack Obama at Fort Campbell, Ky.
President Obama flew to Fort Campbell, Ky., Friday to personally congratulate the special operations team responsible for the killing of Osama bin Laden, telling them and the rest of the troops on the base "job well done."
Vice President Joe Biden joined Obama in privately thanking the Navy SEAL team just hours after bin Laden's terror network al Qaeda confirmed the death of their leader and vowed to avenge it and retaliate against Americans.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: 'Mission Accomplished', 'Obama's Wars', Afghanistan, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Osama Bin Laden, Pakistan
Pakistan
Sen. Carl Levin: Pakistan Had To Know Osama Bin Laden Was There
Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI)
Politicians across the political spectrum have been taking digs at Pakistan in the wake of Osama bin Laden's death in that country, but Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) offered up perhaps the toughest assessment yet from a senior lawmaker on Thursday.
In an interview with ABC News, Levin, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he was opening up an investigation into whether elements of Pakistan's government had foreknowledge of bin Laden's location.
"I think at high levels, high levels being the intelligence service, at high levels they knew it," Levin said. "I can't prove it. I just think it's counterintuitive not to."
The Senator tied the issue to a review of billions of dollar in economic and military aid to Pakistan.
"Some of it is in our interest. Some of it seems to be, is not clearly in our interest, and that's why the questions that we are asking the Pakistan government to answer need to be answered," Levin said.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Carl Levin, Osama Bin Laden, Pakistan
Roundup
TPMDC Morning Roundup
Obama To Meet SEAL Team Involved In Bin Laden Operation
CNN reports: "President Barack Obama will meet Friday with members of the U.S. Navy SEAL team involved in the assault on Osama bin Laden's compound in Pakistan, a senior administration official told CNN...'The president met with Adm. McRaven at the White House yesterday to thank him personally in the Oval Office and will have the opportunity to privately thank some of the special operators involved in the operation tomorrow at Fort Campbell' in Kentucky, the official said."
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will depart form the white House at 9:30 a.m. ET, and depart from Andrews Air Force Base at 9:45 a.m. ET, arriving at 11:20 a.m. ET in Indianapolis, Indiana. At 11:55 a.m. ET, he will tour Allison Transmission Headquarters, and deliver remarks to workers there at 12:15 p.m. ET. He will depart from Indianapolis at 1:30 p.m. ET, arriving at 2:25 p.m. ET at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. At 3:55 p.m. ET, he will deliver remarks to service members who have recently returned from deployment. He will depart form Fort Campbell at 4:40 p.m. ET, arriving at Andrews Air Force Base at 6:15 p.m. ET, and arriving back at the White House at 6:30 p.m. ET.
Topics: Barack Obama, Budget, China, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Debt, Osama Bin Laden, Pakistan, Roundup
Roundup
TPMDC Morning Roundup
Hillary Clinton Says The U.S. Will Stand By Pakistan
Reuters reports: "The United States said on Thursday it would stand by its ally Pakistan despite the strains in the relationship exposed by the discovery and killing of Osama bin Laden by U.S. troops close to the Pakistani capital. 'It is not always an easy relationship, you know that,' Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on a visit to Rome. 'But, on the other hand, it is a productive one for both our countries and we are going to continue to cooperate between our governments, our militaries, our law-enforcement agencies, but most importantly between the American and Pakistani people.'"
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will depart form the White House at 9:30 a.m. ET, and depart from Andrews Air Force Base at 9:45 a.m. ET, arriving at 10:35 a.m. ET in New York City. At 1:25 p.m. ET, he will participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at the National September 11th Memorial, and meet at 1:45 p.m. ET with 9/11 family members. He will depart from New York at 3:10 p.m. ET, arriving at Andrews Air Force Base at 4 p.m. ET, and arriving back at the White House at 4:15 p.m. ET. Then at 6 p.m. ET, the President and the First Lady will host a Cinco de Mayo reception.
Topics: 2012 Presidential Primaries, 2012 elections, Barack Obama, Budget, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Pakistan, Pres '12, Roundup
Osama Bin Laden
With Pakistan Under Fire Over Bin Laden Hideout, Officials Urge Patience
As elite opinion rapidly sours on Pakistani's government following the revelation that Osama bin Laden was hiding in an elaborate compound outside a major city there, key officials and regional experts are counseling patience with what they admit is a tense and difficult alliance.
While lawmakers on the relevant House and Senate committees acknowledged that bin Laden's discovery raised new questions about whether elements of Pakistan's government and military are tied to terrorism, many also warned that there are few alternative options when it comes to engaging the government. In doing so, they pushed back against growing calls from some lawmakers to review America's aid and ties to the country.
"Pakistan," Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said at a press briefing Tuesday. "You can't trust them and you can't abandon them."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Jackie Speier, John Kerry, Lindsey Graham, Osama Bin Laden, Pakistan, Peter King
Roundup
TPMDC Morning Roundup
Democrats Put On Combat Boots
The Hill reports: "Welcome to Bizarro Washington, where Republicans are trusted to lead on the economy and President Obama is the man with the big stick who killed Osama bin Laden. For decades, the roles of the two major parties were clearly defined by voters: Republicans were strong on national security, and Democrats, the mommy party, were the anti-war crowd whose strength was the economy. Now that Obama can claim the scalp of bin Laden, voters, especially those under 30 years old, might be forced to reevaluate those traditional views."
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama and Vice President Biden will receive the presidential daily briefing at 9:30 a.m. ET, and Obama will meet at 10:30 a.m. ET with senior advisers. At 3:15 p.m. ET, Obama will welcome the Wounded Warrior Project's Soldier Ride. Then at 4:30 p.m. ET, Obama will meet with Prince Charles.
Topics: 2012 Presidential Primaries, 2012 elections, Barack Obama, Debt Ceiling, Gang of Six, John Boehner, Kent Conrad, Osama Bin Laden, Pakistan, Pres '12, Prince Charles, Roundup
Osama Bin Laden
FLASHBACK 2008: McCain, Clinton Slam Obama For Saying He'd Go Get Bin Laden In Pakistan (VIDEO)
Remember back during the 2008 election when John McCain -- and Hillary Clinton -- pummeled Barack Obama for saying he would go into Pakistan to get Osama bin Laden if the Pakistani government wouldn't?
We do...
Topics: 2008 campaign, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, John McCain, Osama Bin Laden, Pakistan
John Kerry
Kerry Cautions Colleagues About Cutting Off Pakistan After Osama Bin Laden Capture
Sen. John Kerry (D-MA)
Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) cautioned his fellow senators to take a deep breath before they go calling on the United States to cut off aide to Pakistan in the wake of the discovery of Osama bin Laden in the country.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: John Kerry, Osama Bin Laden, Pakistan
Osama Bin Laden
Pakistan Under Harsh Scrutiny In Wake Of Raid On Bin Laden Compound
A successful attack on Osama Bin Laden may mark a satisfying end to one chapter of America's War on Terror, but the circumstances of the operation raise disturbing new questions about the nation's already troubled relationship with Pakistan. On Monday, high-ranking lawmakers and officials openly aired their suspicions that forces within the crucial ally's government deliberately withheld information on the terrorist leader's location.
"They've got a lot of explaining to do," Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI), chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, told reporters Monday.
TPM SLIDESHOW: Osama Bin Laden: 9/11 Mastermind, Longtime U.S. Enemy Killed In Pakistan
Intelligence officials have long suspected that Pakistan's weak and fractured government may be host to rogue elements either disinterested in catching -- or actively sympathetic to -- anti-Western terrorists. But the presence of Bin Laden's heavily fortified compound in a garrison town near Islamabad magnified concerns that Al Qaeda had help from the inside in concealing its leader's location.
"It's very difficult for me to understand how this huge compound could be built in a city just an hour north of the capital of Pakistan in a city that contained military installations, including the Pakistani military academy, and that it did not arouse tremendous suspicion," Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), ranking member of the Homeland Security Committee, said at a press conference on Monday.
"It was not like a normal house in New Jersey, I can tell you that," Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), who has called for a new review of military and economic aid to Pakistan in light of the Bin Laden raid, told TPM.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Carl Levin, Dianne Feinstein, Joe Lieberman, John Brennan, John McCain, Osama Bin Laden, Pakistan
Andy Card
GOP's Tortured Logic: How We Got Osama Bin Laden
Former Vice President Dick Cheney and Former President George W. Bush.
Like so many memes that persist in politics, this one started on the Internet. The morning after President Obama announced that Osama bin Laden had been killed in Pakistan, conservatives started crowing that credit should be given to President George W. Bush -- specifically, for having the foresight and courage to torture the people who provided the initial scraps of intel that ultimately led the CIA to a giant compound just north of Islamabad.
The most prominent of these conservatives was Rep. Steve King (R-IA), who took to Twitter to ask sardonically, "Wonder what President Obama thinks of water boarding now?
About two hours later, the Associated Press published a brief story claiming that the CIA obtained the initial intelligence it needed to find bin Laden from Khalid Sheikh Mohammed -- the so-called mastermind of 9/11 -- and his successor, Abu Faraj al-Libi at CIA black sites in Poland and Romania.
Those secret prisons, which the Obama administration contends to have abandoned, were the facilities where Mohammed and al-Libi were waterboarded. There, the detainees supposedly identified by nom de guerre a courier who would years later be located by American intelligence officials, and lead them to bin Laden's compound.
"The news is sure to reignite debate over whether the now-closed interrogation and detention program was successful," the AP wrote. "Former president George W. Bush authorized the CIA to use the harshest interrogation tactics in U.S. history. President Barack Obama closed the prison system."
There's just one problem. The key bit of intel wasn't acquired via torture, according to a more fleshed out version of the same report.
But the myth provided a brief opening. Thus have Republicans constructed a version of events by which they -- and Bush in particular -- deserve some of credit for bin Laden's death. Not all of it. Indeed they have by and large acknowledged Obama's role, and congratulated him on it. And most have not been as brazen as King or the Tea Party Express in attributing the success of the mission to Bush's interrogation policies. But Bush, they argue, played a big part as well, akin to the husband who loosens the lid to a Mason jar only to watch his wife open it effortlessly.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Afghanistan, Andy Card, Barack Obama, CIA, Carl Levin, Donald Rumsfeld, George W. Bush, Kevin McCarthy, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Osama Bin Laden, Pakistan, Torture, Waterboarding, White House
Afghanistan
Levin: Bin Laden's Death Paves Way For Swifter Troop Drawdown In Afghanistan
Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI)
Given that President Obama's not going to bring the war in Afghanistan to an early end as the result of Osama bin Laden's death, a key question is whether his administration will green light a robust troop drawdown starting in July, or whether the withdrawal will happen more slowly, as some in his administration would like.
That's the pivot, and there will be increasing pressure on Obama from Democrats to use bin Laden's death in Pakistan to make the case for a swifter reduction.
TPM SLIDESHOW: Osama Bin Laden: 9/11 Mastermind, Longtime U.S. Enemy Killed In Pakistan
"I think there's going to be a lot of strong feeling on the part of most Democrats and many, I think many independents, and even some Republicans that the decision of the President to reduce the number of troops in Afghanistan should be a robust reduction," Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-MI) told reporters on a conference call with reporters Monday afternoon. "I don't think that's going to change, and I don't expect the decision of the President -- his instinct to have a reduction, and I believe a robust reduction following conversations with him -- that that instinct would be reinforced."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Afghanistan, Al Qaeda, Barack Obama, Carl Levin, Osama Bin Laden, Pakistan, Terrorism, White House
Osama Bin Laden
Levin: Pakistani Intel and Military Have 'A Lot Of Explaining To Do' For Sheltering Bin Laden
Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI)
The Democrats' top armed services expert on Capitol Hill says Pakistan's military and intelligence have grave questions to answer after Osama Bin Laden was killed in an elaborate compound, deep inside Pakistan, near a top Pakistani military facility.
"I think that the Pakistani army and intelligence have a lot of questions to answer, given the location, the length of time, and the apparent fact that this facility was built for bin Laden, and its closeness to the central location to the Pakistani army," said Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI), who chairs the Senate Armed Services committee, in a Capitol briefing with reporters Monday morning.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Afghanistan, Carl Levin, Osama Bin Laden, Pakistan, Terrorism
Afghanistan
Reid: Obama Has No Plans To Change Afghanistan Strategy In Wake Of Bin Laden Killing
Harry Reid (D-NV)
President Obama has communicated to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid that he plans to stick with the current timetable for withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan -- this despite the fact that Osama bin Laden was found and killed in Pakistan, and that Afghan leaders view this as proof that allied actions in their country are misguided.
"The President has a timetable to begin withdrawal of Afghanistan," Reid told reporters in a Capitol briefing Monday morning. "He's indicated he's going to stick with that. I think that's appropriate."
Though lawmakers and administration officials have consistently said that bin Laden's death doesn't indicate an end to hostilities in the Global War on Terror, some experts and advocates have argued that the Obama administration should use Sunday night's development to pivot toward a hastier resolution of hostilities in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Doesn't look like that's in the works, though.
Topics: Afghanistan, Al Qaeda, Barack Obama, Harry Reid, Osama Bin Laden, Pakistan, Terrorism
Afghanistan
Karzai: Bin Laden Death In Pakistan Proves Attacks On Afghanistan Are Wrong
Afghan President Hamid Karzai
Osama bin Laden's death in Pakistan is already causing significant disruptions to the United States' foreign policy status quo. Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai reacted to the news by claiming bin Laden's sanctuary near Islamabad vindicates his critique of allied actions inside Afghanistan.
"Again and again, for years and every day we have said that the war on terror is not in Afghan villages, not in Afghan houses of the poor and oppressed," Mr Karzai said. "The war against terrorism is in its sources, in its financial sources, its sanctuaries, in its training bases, not in Afghanistan," Karzai said, according to The Daily Telegraph. "The war against terrorism is in its sources, in its financial sources, its sanctuaries, in its training bases, not in Afghanistan.... It was proved that we were right."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Afghanistan, Barack Obama, Hamid Karzai, Osama Bin Laden, Pakistan
Osama Bin Laden
U.S. Authorities Homed In On Osama For Last Nine Months
Osama bin Laden
It was the best kept and most closely guarded secret for the last nine months: a select handful of U.S. national security and administration officials tracked a high-value courier for Osama bin Laden to a dusty dirt road leading to a compound 35 miles north of Islamabad, Pakistan's capital.
After months of intelligence gathering and meetings at the highest levels of the U.S. government, a small team of Navy Seals Sunday raided the compound, engaged in a firefight and ultimately killed bin Laden, the notorious leader of al Qaeda who had evaded capture and death since masterminding the 9/11 attacks that killed almost 3,000 people.
TPM SLIDESHOW: Osama Bin Laden: 9/11 Mastermind, Longtime U.S. Enemy Killed In Pakistan
The CIA pinpointed the compound in August and first informed President Obama about the intelligence in September of last year. As evidence mounted in mid-February that bin Laden and his family were living in the compound, the President and the National Security Council began holding a series of "intensive" meetings about a covert military strike aimed at killing him, according to administration officials.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: 9/11, Al Qaeda, Barack Obama, CIA, Islam, Military, Osama Bin Laden, Pakistan, Terrorism
Tech diplomacy
State Department Technology Adviser: 'Connectedness' Is Key In Efforts Abroad
Alec J. Ross, State Department Senior Adviser for Innovation.
As I wrote earlier, the Obama administration has been using social networking technology to spread his foreign policy message abroad.
The State Department has been at the forefront of the technology push, coordinating with the private sector abroad with a focus on connectivity.
Alec Ross, senior adviser for innovation at State, told TPMDC about several projects being done in Afghanistan and Pakistan to help bridge those communities in ways diplomats thing will help forge peace.
"The premise is that connectedness is a net positive," Ross said.
"The more voices there are, the more points of view," the better it gets, said Ross, who ran technology media and the telecommunications policy for the Obama campaign, including the text message rollout of Joe Biden as the Democratic vice presidential pick.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (2)Topics: Afghanistan, Pakistan, State Department, Tech diplomacy, White House
Roundup
TPMDC Morning Roundup
Hillary Criticizes Pakistan On Terrorism Fight
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton criticized Pakistan's performance in fighting terrorists, telling a group of Pakistani journalists that she thought it was "hard to believe that nobody in your government knows where they are and couldn't get them if they really wanted to."
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will sign at 11:50 a.m. ET the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act of 2009. At 1:30 p.m. ET, he will meet with the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Topics: Afghanistan, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Jeb Bush, John Murtha, Pakistan, Roundup, Socialism, Tom Coburn
Roundup
TPMDC Morning Roundup
Obama Seeks Additional Study On Afghanistan Situation
The Washington Post reports that President Obama has asked for a province-by-province analysis of the situation in Afghanistan, on the performance of local leaders and the different needs for additional help. Said a U.S. official who request anonymity: "How do you separate those who have taken up arms because they oppose the presence of foreigners in their area, because they're getting paid to fight us because we're there, from those who want to restore a Taliban government? How many of the people who we're fighting actually share al-Qaeda's ideology?"
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama last night visited the remains of fallen Americans, returning home from Afghanistan. Today, Obama will deliver remarks at 11:50 a.m. ET, on the administration's plans to help small businesses. He will meet at 1:45 p.m. ET with Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore. He will meet at 2:40 p.m. ET with Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT). At 3:15 p.m. ET, he will sign the Girl Scouts USA Centennial Commemorative Coin Act. He will meet at 3:45 p.m. ET with senior advisers. and at 5:05 p.m. ET with representatives of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Congressional Black Caucus, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.
Topics: Afghanistan, Barack Obama, DNC, Fundraising, GOP, Health Care, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Jon Kyl, Karl Rove, Pakistan, Roundup, Senate, Stimulus
Roundup
TPMDC Morning Roundup
Kyl Prefers Opt-In Over Opt-Out; Thune Condemns Any Public Plan
The Hill reports Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-AZ) said he would much prefer an "opt-in" public option for state, over the opt-out model being offered by Democrats. Sen. John Thune (R-SD) expressed surprise at this, as it implies acceptance of a public option at all. "I'd be really surprised if Sen. Kyl votes for anything that includes a government plan," said Thune. "[Democrats] have to come up with a way for this to not look like what it is, but at the end of the day it still is what it is, which is a government plan."
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will deliver remarks at an 11 a.m. ET Congressional Gold Medal ceremony, honoring former Sen. Edward Brooke (R-MA), the first black Senator since Reconstruction. Obama will have lunch with Vice President Biden at 12 p.m. ET, and the two of them will host a 1:20 p.m. ET meeting with the co-chairmen of the President's Intelligence Advisory Board and the senior leadership of the intelligence community. At 2:30 p.m. ET, Obama will sign the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010. Obama and Biden will meet at 3:10 p.m. ET with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. Obama will attend a commemorative tree planting at 5:30 p.m. ET, and he will deliver remarks at a 6:05 p.m. ET reception, commemorating the enactment of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.
Topics: Bailout, Barack Obama, Health Care, Hillary Clinton, Jill Biden, Joe Biden, John Thune, Jon Kyl, Michelle Obama, Pakistan, Public Option, Roundup, Timothy Geithner
Roundup
TPMDC Morning Roundup
Hillary Clinton Calls For Political Freedom In Russia
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke at Moscow State University, calling for human rights and political freedom in Russia. "In an innovative society, people must be free to take unpopular positions, disagree with conventional wisdom, know they are safe to challenge abuses of authority," said Clinton. "That's why attacks on journalists and human rights defenders here in Russia is such a great concern: because it is a threat to progress."
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will meet at 9:45 a.m. ET with his national security team on Afghanistan and Pakistan. At 2:05 p.m. ET, he will join Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to tour the Fairfax County Parkway Extension construction site, and he will speak at 2:20 p.m. ET. AT 3:50 p.m. ET, he will sign an executive order restoring the White House Advisory Commission and Interagency Working Group, concerning the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. He will also observe the holiday of Diwali. At 7:10 p.m. ET, he will deliver remarks at an event celebrating the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate.
Topics: Afghanistan, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Immigration, Joe Biden, Pakistan, Robert Wexler, Roundup
Dick Cheney
The Sunday Show Line-Ups
Here are the line-ups for the Sunday talk shows this weekend:
• ABC, This Week: Gen. David Petraeus, Commander of CENTCOM; Sen. John McCain (R-AZ).
• CBS, Face The Nation: Former Vice President Dick Cheney.
• CNN, State Of The Union: Gen. David Petraeus, Commander of CENTCOM.
• Fox News Sunday: Gen. David Petraeus, Commander of CENTCOM; former Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA).
• NBC, Meet The Press: Hamid Karzai, President of Afghanistan; Asif Ali Zardari, President of Pakistan.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (2)Topics: Afghanistan, Dick Cheney, John McCain, Newt Gingrich, Pakistan
Afghanistan
TPMDC Morning Roundup
Specter Loses Seniority On Committees
The Senate Democratic Conference voted unanimously last night to deny seniority to Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA), putting him near or at the very bottom of the Democratic rankings in each of his five committees during this Congress. He will be the last Senator to ask questions during the upcoming Supreme Court confirmation hearings. This matter could potentially be revisited after the 2010 elections.
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will meet with Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) at 11:30 a.m. ET. Obama and Vice President Biden will then meet at 12 p.m. ET with Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) and Ranking Member Chuck Grassley (R-MT). At 2 p.m. ET, Obama and Biden will meet with President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan, and then at 2:40 p.m. ET with President Asif Ali Zardari of Pakistan, followed by a 3:30 p.m. trilateral meeting with both Karzai and Zardari. Obama will then deliver public remarks at 4:15 p.m. ET.
Topics: Afghanistan, Arlen Specter, Bailout, Barack Obama, Guantanamo Bay, Joe Biden, John McCain, Pakistan, Supreme Court, Tom Coburn
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