The Short List - April 25, 2011

• NATO has bombed Qaddafi's compound in Tripoli.  Senators McCain and Graham believe the U.S. should take a stronger leadership roll in the Libyan conflict.


• Violent repression continues in Syria, as security forces there have gone on the offensive to stymie the protests in Daraa.


• The Taliban dug a 1,000 foot tunnel and freed more then 450 prisoners from a jail outside Khandahar.  The jail break was another black eye to US-Afghan efforts to enforce rule of law.


• A new study by the British Defense Ministry questions the use of drones in combat on several front, including asking if the ability to use drones will make war or state-based violence more frequent.  The study also questioned the consequences if drones were able to fire on targets based on programming, not specific human commands.


• Even after Gbagbo, governance is tenuous(NYT) in the Ivory Coast.


• Nigeria held elections last week, and Goodluck Jonathan is the likely winner, however protests broke out in northern Nigeria.  The Economist reminds us what true polarization looks like.


• The Economist discusses the rise of Singapore.