War On Terror

Obama Would Veto Defense Bill Over Detainee Provisions

Susan Crabtree | May 24, 2011, 6:35PM

President Barack Obama

The White House is threatening to veto the annual must-pass House Defense Authorization bill over language limiting his ability to transfer detainees overseas or try them in civilian court, among other issues.

In addition, the White House is taking strong exception to language dramatically expanding the president's power to wage the war on terror indefinitely, among other provisions.

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War On Terror

Congress Poised To Give President Power To Continue GWOT Indefinitely

Brian Beutler | May 11, 2011, 1:23PM

House progressives are trying to draw attention to language Republicans have included in an annual must-pass defense bill, which they say will dramatically expand Presidential power in the war on terrorism. The pushback comes just over a week after U.S. forces killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, and reignites one of the most controversial disputes the country's faced over the past decade. At stake is the question of whether Congress will allow the war on terrorism to continue indefinitely, or let it slowly dissipate as the years since September 11, 2001 pass.

The origin of the language in the defense bill dates back to March, when President Obama signed an executive order -- derided by some of his closest allies -- that effectively formalized an indefinite detention system at Guantanamo.

In response, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Buck McKeon (R-CA) and his colleagues unveiled legislation intended to codify the intent of that executive order, and update the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force -- the legal underpinning off the war on terrorism.

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Sarah Palin

Palin: Obama 'Pussy-Footing' By Not Releasing Photo Of Dead Bin Laden

Brian Beutler | May 4, 2011, 2:47PM

Sarah Palin

Just three days after the world learned President Obama ordered a daring special operations mission resulting in the death of Osama bin Laden, Sarah Palin has come around to claim he's "pussy-footing around" -- specifically by not immediately releasing photos of the deceased al Qaeda leader. To underscore the irony, Palin claims the pictures should be released "as warning to others seeking America's destruction" -- one day after numerous reports had her moving in a more pragmatic direction on foreign policy.

Palin took to Twitter, one of her go-to modes of communications, moments after news broke that Obama would not release the bin Laden photos.

"Show photo as warning to others seeking America's destruction. No pussy-footing around, no politicking, no drama;it's part of the mission," she said.

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Afghanistan

Poll: After Bin Laden's Death, Americans More Positive On Afghan War

Jon Terbush | May 3, 2011, 12:02PM

Following President Obama's announcement that Osama bin Laden had been killed, Americans' attitudes toward the Afghan war -- and the war on terror in general -- have undergone a sharp turnaround, according to a new poll.

In a Survey USA poll conducted on Monday, a plurality of Americans now say the Afghan war has been worth fighting. That reverses months of rising opposition to the war, when polls showed that record-low levels of Americans thought the war had not been worth it in the long run. The new survey also found that, with bin Laden's death, six in ten Americans now think America is winning the broader war on terror.

TPM SLIDESHOW: Osama Bin Laden Killed: The Nation Reacts

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