Obama Begins Selling Afghanistan Withdrawal Plan -- L.A. Times
The Obama administration on Thursday began a full-court press to sell its Afghanistan policy to a somewhat skeptical American people and Congress, arguing that a withdrawal of troops was made possible by the success of the surge.
“We have broken the Taliban’s momentum,” Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “We do begin this drawdown from a position of strength.”
Read more ....
MIDDLE EAST
Syrians flee to Turkey as troops amass on border. Syrian troops near Turkey border as refugees flee.
Syrians pour into Turkey as tanks enter border zone.
Ahmadinejad: Iran not afraid to make nuke weapon.
Yemen's dilemma: Caught between Saleh and Al-Qaeda. Yemeni president not returning home soon.
Bahrain sentences activists to life in prison.
WikiLeaks: Saudi crackdown on Shiites has echoes in Bahrain.
US warns Americans against joining Gaza aid flotilla.
Gilad Shalit: Red Cross demands proof Israeli is alive.
ASIA
Chinese warships cross high seas off Japan island.
Pakistan detains senior officer for alleged ties to militants.
Analysis: A debate over autonomy in Thailand's restive south.
Quake rattles northeast Japan.
AFRICA
Factbox: Latest developments in Libyan conflict. Defiant Gadhafi denounces NATO as 'murderers'. Libyan campaign suffers biggest fracture to date.
NATO chief tries to repair cracks over Libya.
Zimbabwe prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai 'a security threat'.
Oil interests tie China to Sudan leader Bashir, even as he faces genocide charges.
China pushing for end to renewed violence in Sudan.
EUROPE
Papandreou budget hole threatens to swallow Europe, defies debt-crisis fix.
Some Greeks fear government is selling nation.
Dutch court acquits freedom party leader Geert Wilders of defaming muslims. Geert Wilders cleared of hate charges by Netherlands court.
Belfast flashpoint largely quiet after day of talks.
Belarus police crack down on Minsk protest. Belarus cracks down on growing protests.
Nuclear experts killed in Russia plane crash helped design Iran facility.
AMERICAS
U.S. deficit talks in danger as Eric Cantor bails.
Americans most confident in military, least in Congress.
Chavez may return to Venezuela within 12 days.
Census shows whites lose US majority among babies.
Central America drugs war: Clinton pledges more funds.
TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR
Dozens of Islamist militants tunnel out of Yemeni prison. Dozens of al-Qaida militants flee prison in Yemen.
Obama: Info from bin Laden shows al-Qaida strain.
ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS
Rising world food prices: Can a G20 'action plan' prevent a crisis?
Oil drops as international reserves are tapped.
Bernanke: Economic head winds 'may be stronger than we thought'.
US to lose second place in world trade to India: Citi
Bipartisan U.S. debt talks grow more contentious.
Ruling awaited in Kodak patent battle with Apple.
Airbus soars on record $72bn show sales. Airbus trounces Boeing with another record order.
Google notches one billion unique visitors per month.