SUB SNOW - Falling snow covers the Virginia-class attack submarine USS New Hampshire on Naval Submarine Base New London, Groton, Conn., Jan. 12, 2011. U.S. Navy photo by Seaman Michael HendersonCut Defense, Ask Questions Later -- Jennifer Rubin, Washington Post
Last week, Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced substantial defense cuts. This week, two of the premises for these cuts dissolved.
On the troop reduction, we are supposed to believe that we will be out of Afghanistan and Iraq by 2014. Vice President Joe Biden said this week that's not necessarily true. So how are we going to absorb the troop reductions? Just extend the deployments? I don't think it is good politics or good policy to put the burden on those fighting for our country.
On the cancellation of the F-22, we were told there was no need to worry about China. Oops, now we know China has a stealth fighter.
Read more ....
Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials
Tunisia Pushes Out Its Strongman: Could Other Arab Countries Follow? -- Bruce Crumley, Time Magazine
Stay Tuned to Tunisia -- Max Boot, Commentary Magazine
Talking to North Korea -- New York Times
Hezbollah Vs. Lebanon -- IBDeditorials
Mideast threats that can't be ignored -- Jackson Diehl, Washington Post
Around the world, freedom is in decline -- Washington Post editorial
Al-Qaeda Training New Wave of Western Terrorists -- Alana Goodman, Commentary Magazine
Al Qaeda's tentacles -- Bruce Riedel, L.A. Times
Hezbollah's Power Play -- Shibley Telhami, National Interest
On the Brink: Will Lebanon fall into civil war again? -- Michael J. Totten, City Journal
Haiti Without Tears -- IBD Editorials
Euro crisis: The only way to save the euro is the destruction of its members -- Peter Oborne, The Telegraph
America Is Losing the Resource Race -- Jeffrey Folks, American Thinker
A trade deal snub to Latin America -- Bernard Aronson, Washington Post
Could Britain be heading for a crash? -- Simon Heffer, The Telegraph
Did China's economy overtake the U.S. in 2010? -- Joshua Keating, Foreign Policy
The Case for Giving Gen. Petraeus a Fifth Star -- Daniel Halper, Weekly Standard