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June 2012 Archives
President Obama congratulated the Muslim Brotherhood's Mohammed Morsi on winning the country's first democratic presidential elections. Are you optimistic for the future of U.S. relations with Morsi in charge? How can Washington play a constructive role? With the military council effectively stripping most of the president's powers, should the U.S. adjust its aid or relationship with its security partner?
4 responses: Wayne White, Col. W. Patrick Lang, Paul Sullivan, Michael Brenner
The Obama administration has accused Russia of shipping refurbished attack helicopters to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and National Journal reported this week that tiny Belarus is helping Assad improve the accuracy of its surface-to-surface missiles. That support has allowed Assad's armed forces to retain a massive military advantage over the ragtag and poorly-organized Free Syrian Army. On the diplomatic front, Russia continues to back Assad and shield him from meaningful sanctions. With the violence there continuing to escalate, is Assad likely to be forced from power in the foreseeable future? Should the U.S. provide arms and training assistance to the Free Syrian Army in the hopes that it will evolve into a force capable of taking on Assad's forces? Do you expect Washington and its allies to eventually choose to intervene militarily in Syria despite the risks of doing so?
3 responses: Lori Handrahan, Wayne White, Col. W. Patrick Lang
A series of newspaper articles, including one detailing the Obama administration's use of drones and another outing Washington's cyber attack on Iran's nuclear sites, sparked an outcry on Capitol Hill. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are working to craft new laws to regulate access to and disclosure of classified information. The top Intelligence committee leaders in both the House and Senate also said they want to ensure criminal and administrative measures are taken each time sensitive information is improperly disclosed. Would new laws fix the problem? Do you think the Obama administration should launch an investigation or create a special counsel to investigate the leaks? How big of a problem does the disclosure of such highly-classified problems pose for U.S. foreign policy?
4 responses: Michael Brenner, Joseph J. Collins, Wayne White, Paul Sullivan
Yemeni military officers captured by al-Qaida fighters complained in a recent PBS Frontline report that they were outgunned and out-supplied by the terrorist organization. The U.S. is increasingly active across a spectrum counterterrorism operations in Yemen, and has provided its military more than $300 million worth of aid. But the U.S. provided small arms, pickup trucks, and helicopter spare parts, in addition to "non-lethal" aid. No arms have come from Washington since last year. The Senate has approved the Pentagon's request to restart $75 million in aid, but that may not be approved until the end of the year. Should the U.S. consider doing more to arm Yemen's military sooner? Is the drone and secretive counterterrorism campaign good enough?
4 responses: Col. W. Patrick Lang, Wayne White, Michael Brenner, Col. W. Patrick Lang
