The Short List - October 10, 2011

International

• Egypt's Tahrir Square erupted into violence last night.  What started as a Coptic Christian protest became a protest of what many feel is a stolen revolution by the country's military.  Egypt's PM has promised an investigation will take place.  60 Minutes did a story last night of the revolution that was in Egypt and the potential revolution to follow.


• In Lybia, the NTC continues there push into Sirte facing heavy resistance.


• Former president of Cape Verde, Pires, won Mo Ibrahim's prize for governance.  He is the first recipient of the award since 2008 as no suitable candidate has been identified.


• Over the weekend, Ben broke down Charlie Savage's piece outlining why the Justice Department thinks they can legally kill a U.S. citizen without trial.

Domestic

• As Occupy Wall Street continues and attracts new participants, the movement ponders how to move from protest to policy power.  Meanwhile, the GOP presidential candidates are short of detailed ideas to do something different from Obama to get the economy moving.  Meanwhile, Nancy Pelosi reminds Eric Cantor that just because you don't like what they're protesting it doesn't mean the protests are dumb.


• Subpoenas are likely on the way as the House investigates the botched "Fast and Furious" ATF operation.


• NPR chronicles the first majority Hispanic town in Iowa.


• Speaking of Iowa, after closing her Old Town campaign headquarters, Michele Bachmann's campaign HQ is in Des Moines, though you editor thinks she should have moved the HQ to Waterloo for dramatic effect.  Meanwhile, Bachmann refused to call Romney a Christian, as did "Flavor of the Week" Herman Cain.

Legal Justifications for Killing Anwar al-Aulaqi

Charlie Savage has a tantalizing report in the NewYork Times describing, based on sources familiar with the document, the contents of the Justice Department’s memorandum analyzing and authorizing the targeted killing of Anwar al-Aulaqi. Without access to the memorandum itself, it is impossible to provide a detailed analysis of its reasoning. However, some of the New York Times report hint at some interesting developments.

First, Savage reports that

[t]he legal analysis, in essence, concluded that Mr. Awlaki could be legally killed, if it was not feasible to capture him, because intelligence agencies said he was taking part in the war between the United States and Al Qaeda and posed a significant threat to Americans, as well as because Yemeni authorities were unable or unwilling to stop him.

Here, we see the continuing mixing of self-defense and armed conflict. The requirements of self-defense are apparent in that al-Aulaqi “posed a significant threat to Americans, as well as because Yemeni authorities were unable or unwilling to stop him.” This would seem to address the necessity requirement of self-defense. Further, we see that the memo, according to Savage’s sources, asserted the existence of war—let us presume it actually said “armed conflict”—and that al-Aulaqi was targetable because “he was taking part in the war”; that is, he was a civilian directly participating in hostilities.

Second, Savage reports that

[o]ther assertions about Mr. Awlaki included that he was a leader of the group, which had become a “cobelligerent” with Al Qaeda, and he was pushing it to focus on trying to attack the United States again. The lawyers were also told that capturing him alive among hostile armed allies might not be feasible if and when he were located.

Here, we have the first suggestion that the United States recognizes AQAP as a cobelligerent of Al Qaeda. This is fascinating for two reasons: 1. it indicates that the U.S. recognizes that AQ and AQAP are distinct organizations and that the Al Qaeda “franchise” is not monolithic; 2. more interestingly, it suggests that the United States is taking the position that cobelligerency, a status found historically only in international armed conflict (armed conflicts between states) can now occur in non-international armed conflicts (armed conflicts between states and non-state actors, or among non-state actors). Both myself and Jack Goldsmith have made arguments that this cross-pollination should occur.

Finally, Savage reports this:

would it comply with the laws of war if the drone operator who fired the missile was a Central Intelligence Agency official, who, unlike a soldier, wore no uniform? The memorandum concluded that such a case would not be a war crime, although the operator might be in theoretical jeopardy of being prosecuted in a Yemeni court for violating Yemen’s domestic laws against murder, a highly unlikely possibility.

This is incredibly interesting—both to me because of other work I’ve done—and in light of the fact that the United States is currently charging Guantanamo detainees, categorized as unprivileged belligerents, with “murder in violation of the laws of war.” At least in so far as the Military Commission prosecutions are concerned, the United States seems to take the position that a civilian who directly participates in hostilities, and kills even a lawful target, commits murder in violation of the laws of war. Putting aside the fact that there is no support for this position in international law, the Justice Department seems to be taking the opposite position!

All in all, Savage’s article is a trove of information but should serve merely to underscore the necessity of the United States releasing its legal reasoning undergirding the targeted killing of Anwar al-Aulaqi, and others.

The Short List - October 7, 2011

International

• Three women, two from Liberia and one from Yemen, share the Nobel Peace Prize this year.


• Commanders in Afghanistan make tough choices on where to send the limited number of troops they have, and the goals have shifted from the ambitious, to the attainable.


• Slovakia holds up the EU rescue plan as the speaker of parliament there degrades the plan.


• The Pakistani commission investigating the Bin Laden's presence and eventual assassination in Pakistan are suggesting the Pakistani doctor that helped the CIA run a vaccination program be tried for high treason.


• As the U.S. blocks funds intended for Palestine over their efforts to gain statehood, the bite comes down.


• An Iranian student, who had been studying in the U.S., returned to his home country to see family, was promptly arrested and accused of espionage.

Domestic

• At a news conference yesterday, President Obama, defending his jobs bill, said, "It's fair to say that I've gone out of my way in every instance - sometimes at my own political peril and to the frustration of Democrats - to work with Republicans to find common ground to move this country forward."  He then proceeded to note how Republicans have met these overtures with "games-playing."  **Editorial note: Yes, yes, a thousand times yes.  I'm thrilled the president actually recognizes that and acknowledges he has rushed to compromise as an opening bid of negotiation.  Now stop doing that please, Mr. President.**


• The unemployment rate remains steady at 9.1% as just over 100,000 jobs were added in September.  An army of long-term uemployed, people out of work for two years or more, still searches for opportunity and jobs.  Meanwhile, the former chief economist of the IMF, Kenneth Rogoff, believes the U.S. needs a little more inflation.  It sounds counter-intuitive, but a growth in inflation could be an effective way to get the economy moving again.


• The Occupy movements begin a 4-day (permitted) rally in DC.


• The commissioner of Alabama's Department of Argiculture says not to worry about the migrant workers that have fled the state in the way of new immigration laws.  For those farmers that need help in their fields, there are plenty of inmates to go around.  A similar program didn't pan out in Georgia.

What Kind Of Day Has It Been

International

• The Washington Post reports that the NTC is having difficulty bringing its manifold militia under a unified command. Also, the NTC is having trouble bringing Sirte and Bani Wald under its control.
• The Economist reflects on ten years of war in Afghanistan. It amazes this Editor that it has been that long--he can remember having conversation seven and six years ago about how there was no way to do a proper job in Afghanistan because we would never stay the decade or more necessary for counter-insurgency. Unfortunately, we have stayed long enough but still not done the job necessary or well enough. 
• Syria: Still a Nightmare.

Domestic

• Matt Bai is an idiot. Apple is an institution. Not only that, it is a remarkably authoritarian institution. And, despite the fact that it makes slick looking products, and despite the fact that Microsoft is the big evil corporation of the internet, Apple guards its hardware and its software jealously, stifling user customization and third-party development.
• Just when DCExile was about to have to take down the message discipline counter, the White House steps in.
• No one could have predicted . . . . 

The Short List - October 6, 2011

International

• On the eve of the 10 year anniversary since U.S.-led forces ousted the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, protesters took to the streets of Kabul demanding the U.S. leave the country.


• Qaddafi, deposed and in-hiding, still holds support from many within Libya, even if that support is only whispered.


• Even after the collective victory of killing al-Awlaki, Yemen and the U.S. remained divided on what's the threat moving forward.


• The BBC will announce how it plans to cut 20% from its budget in a deal negotiated with the Cameron government.  Elsewhere in the UK, the Bank of England will continue to purchase bonds(NYT) to deal with a slowing British economy.


• Palestine received initial approval to join UNESCO(NYT), one step on the path to full membership status at the UN.  If Palestine is granted full membership into UNESCO, then the United States would cease to fund the organization.  Currently, the U.S. contributes 22% of the UNESCO budget.

Domestic

• Steve Jobs has passed away at 56.


• The Occupy Wall Street protests persist, get more organized, and a rally is set for today in DC.


• Not surprisingly, conservatives and liberals disagree about the millionaire surtax, but perhaps disappointingly there is bipartisan support for a Chinese tariff bill.


• Sarah Palin won't run for president.  In other GOP primary news, Nevada will hold its caucus on January 14th.  This could mean that the Iowa caucuses take place on Christmas Eve, when many in the GOP will be wondering if Santa will bring them a better candidate.


• Even with Whitey Bulger captured, a legal battle continues between the families of those he killed and the FBI who let him operate so he could be an informant.

What Kind Of Day Has It Been?

It's been the kind of day that calls for a Rise Against song.

International

• Turkey isn't getting along with its neighbors today as it pledges to move forward with sanctions against Syria, despite the failure of the UN resolution.  Meanwhile, Prime Minister in Erdogan said that Israel is a regional threat because it posses a nuclear bomb.


• In Bahrain, medics that had been convicted in a special security court following the protests may now get a proper civilian trial after the previous verdict was thrown out.


• Tunsia's Prime Minister tells the West something it should already know, but may ignore.  He says, "All Islamist parties are not the same."


• Germany tries to get some support for a re-capitalization plan for European banks.

Domestic

• The Occupy Wall Street protests are gaining momentum according to The Washington Post, and the protests are moving beyond NYC.  Jonathan Capehart on what the Occupy Wall Street protesters should learn from the Tea Party.


• Senate Democrats have offered up a 5% surtax on millionaires to pay for President Obama's job plan.


• Rick Perry is making it rain.

The Short List

International

• As if one Security Council veto wasn't enough, Russia and China both vetoed a resolution that would have condemned Syria for the violent crackdown the government has leveled against its own citizens following largely peaceful protests.  As Syrians cross the border into Lebanon, as many army defectors have, they remain concerned that Syrian forces or intelligence services will find them.


• Saudi Arabia is claiming "a foreign country" is behind the protests in the largely Shia city of Qatif.  They did not elaborate on which foreign country.


• Public and private sector workers have joined in a general strike in Greece to protest planned additional austerity measures.


• Yemeni government forces have shelled the town of Taiz, leaving 7 killed.

Domestic

• As the Occupy Wall Street protests continue to build momentum, many unions have endorsed and will join the spreading protests.  Your editor has come around to think there are some worthy things being said in these protests.  If you haven't seen We Are The 99 Percent, I would suggest you check it out and Ezra Klein breaks down who they are a bit more and Sarah Kliff discusses how some of these stories come into focus.  Of note, Occupy Wall Street doesn't appear on the front pages of The Washington Post and The New York Times.


• President Obama was in Texas yesterday and called out Rep. Eric Cantor, obstructionist extraordinaire, and many Democrats are liking this more combative version of Obama.  Meanwhile, Rep. Cantor and his colleagues in Congress have the lowest approval of any Congress in two decades.  Only 14% of those polled approve of the job Congress is doing, while 62% strongly disapprove.


• Ben Bernanke to Congress: Get your s*** together.  The Fed chairman was on the Hill yesterday asking Congress to get serious about fixing the government financial situation and end the brinkmanship.


• Democrat Earl Ray Tomblin won the West Virginia governorship in a special election last night.


• Hank Williams Jr. apologizes, sort of, for comparing President Obama to Hitler.  No word from ESPN if that song will return as the theme of Monday Night Football.  Your editor could have done without that song long before Hank Williams Jr. played the Hitler card.

What Kind Of Day Has It Been

International

• Shiite unrest in Saudi Arabia, leading to the death of 11 members of the security services, has raised the Kingdom's ire.
• Robert Ford, on the verge of being PNGed, is finally confirmed by the Senate. That only took 19 months.
• Henry Siegman says the U.S. veto threat for Palestinian statehood lifts the veil on U.S. influence and import to Middle East peace. He also thinks it presents an opportunity for others to lead the peace process -- this Editor finds that doubtful.
• Stewart Patrick highlights the progress the AU has made and highlights some of the challenges that remain. This Editor would like to point out that, though the AU has taken the peace keeping lead in Somalia, it has singularly failed to address the question of Somaliland. 

Domestic

• Chris Christie says, "Thanks but no thanks." Mitt Romney says, "Yipee!"
• While much attention has been placed on earthquake damage to the Washington Monument, the National Cathedral will require $15 million worth of repairs.
• Occupy Wall Street has Tea Party potential?
• Oh for God's sake.

Declaration of Occupy Wall Street

Occupy Wall Street's first official statement is reprinted below. This reproduction does not imply an endorsement on the part of DCExile nor of its Editors.

Official Statement from Occupy Wall Street - this statement was voted on and approved by the general assembly of protesters at Liberty Square: Declaration of the Occupation of New York City
As we gather together in solidarity to express a feeling of mass injustice, we must not lose sight of what brought us together. We write so that all people who feel wronged by the corporate forces of the world can know that we are your allies.
As one people, united, we acknowledge the reality: that the future of the human race requires the cooperation of its members; that our system must protect our rights, and upon corruption of that system, it is up to the individuals to protect their own rights, and those of their neighbors; that a democratic government derives its just power from the people, but corporations do not seek consent to extract wealth from the people and the Earth; and that no true democracy is attainable when the process is determined by economic power. We come to you at a time when corporations, which place profit over people, self-interest over justice, and oppression over equality, run our governments. We have peaceably assembled here, as is our right, to let these facts be known.
They have taken our houses through an illegal foreclosure process, despite not having the original mortgage.
They have taken bailouts from taxpayers with impunity, and continue to give Executives exorbitant bonuses.
They have perpetuated inequality and discrimination in the workplace based on age, the color of one’s skin, sex, gender identity and sexual orientation.
They have poisoned the food supply through negligence, and undermined the farming system through monopolization.
They have profited off of the torture, confinement, and cruel treatment of countless nonhuman animals, and actively hide these practices.
They have continuously sought to strip employees of the right to negotiate for better pay and safer working conditions.
They have held students hostage with tens of thousands of dollars of debt on education, which is itself a human right.
They have consistently outsourced labor and used that outsourcing as leverage to cut workers’ healthcare and pay.
They have influenced the courts to achieve the same rights as people, with none of the culpability or responsibility.
They have spent millions of dollars on legal teams that look for ways to get them out of contracts in regards to health insurance.
They have sold our privacy as a commodity.
They have used the military and police force to prevent freedom of the press.
They have deliberately declined to recall faulty products endangering lives in pursuit of profit.
They determine economic policy, despite the catastrophic failures their policies have produced and continue to produce.
They have donated large sums of money to politicians supposed to be regulating them.
They continue to block alternate forms of energy to keep us dependent on oil.
They continue to block generic forms of medicine that could save people’s lives in order to protect investments that have already turned a substantive profit.
They have purposely covered up oil spills, accidents, faulty bookkeeping, and inactive ingredients in pursuit of profit.
They purposefully keep people misinformed and fearful through their control of the media.
They have accepted private contracts to murder prisoners even when presented with serious doubts about their guilt.
They have perpetuated colonialism at home and abroad.
They have participated in the torture and murder of innocent civilians overseas.
They continue to create weapons of mass destruction in order to receive government contracts.*
To the people of the world,
We, the New York City General Assembly occupying Wall Street in Liberty Square, urge you to assert your power.
Exercise your right to peaceably assemble; occupy public space; create a process to address the problems we face, and generate solutions accessible to everyone.
To all communities that take action and form groups in the spirit of direct democracy, we offer support, documentation, and all of the resources at our disposal.
Join us and make your voices heard!

The Short List - October 4, 2011

International

• Al-Shabab detonated a truck bomb outside the Ministry of Education in Mogadishu today, killing 70.


• The Syrian government has reportedly detained 3,000 in Rastan as the government continues to try to quell protests that have persisted for over two months now.


• In what passes for good news in European markets these days, a senior EU official has said the coalition of countries will not allow Greece to default on its loan obligations.  Meanwhile, young Greeks face record levels of unemployment, austerity measures, and a sense that they are to be the forgotten generation in their own country.


• Hamid Karzai, president of Afghanistan, is in India today looking to forge better ties with its not so distant neighbor.  The move could have some damaging impact on Afghanistan's relationship with Pakistan.


• Three U.S. born scientists won the Nobel prize in physics for their study of exploding stars.

Domestic

• As the Occupy Wall Street protests begin to coalesce around a central message, two new studies indicate CEO compensation packages aren't driven by performance, but by peer group benchmarking.  According to BLS, median pay for executives at the largest corporations has quadrupled, while non-supervisory wages have dropped 10%.  **Editorial note: Medical benefits have gotten more expensive, but since the per worker cost would be the same whether someone is an executive or a worker, the disparity of the wage gap is the story.**


• The trial of the underwear bomber is set to begin today, less then a week after the mastermind of the attack was killed by a drone strike(NYT) in Yemen.  Roger Simon says Obama can kill you, but Mr. Simon is okay with that.  Your editor is not.  For a more thought out analysis, go here.


• Hank Williams Jr. is not ready for some football, after ESPN dropped him for comparing Obama to Hitler.


• Romney may be tacking too far right on immigration, the one issue he could outflank Perry on, but where he could also lose support in the Hispanic community.


• Tea Party House freshmen, challenged to govern and (God forbid) compromise, may face primary challenges from other more tea party-ish tea party-ers.

What Kind Of Day Has It Been

International

• After a two-day truce, NTC forces have renewed their assault on Sirte. 
• Greek failure to control debt and public spending sent markets into a tailspin. 
• The Washington Post takes a look at my former classmate who remains locked in an Egyptian prison under suspicion of espionage some four months after his initial detention.
• Syria: Nightmare. 

Domestic

• Occupy Wall Street is spreading and gaining momentum after a weekend in which nearly 1000 protesters were arrested--one of the largest mass arrests in American history. 
• White House emails are getting the administration in trouble with both anti-stimulus zealots and anti-pipeline zealots. Proving once again that the White House pleases no one. 

The Short List - October 3, 2011

International

• World markets have again slumped as the specter of Greek default returns and fears that default would tip a shaky global economy back into a recession.  Meanwhile, NPR reports on China's efforts to lower their yearly GDP growth and engineer a soft landing.


• In Lybia, the residents of Sirte are fleeing the city after the NTC gave a 48 hour suspension in fighting, before they restart their offensive to take Qaddafi's hometown.


• In Bahrain, where a popular uprising was swiftly and violently put down with help from Saudi Arabia, the fallout continues as thirty six people have been given sentences between 15 and 25 years.


• In Istanbul, some Syrian dissidents announced the creation of a formal opposition council to coordinate activities against the Syrian government.


• U.S.-Pakistan relations, where do we go from here?  And is that someplace we haven't been before?

Domestic

• There are reports that changes to the tax code may be a bridge too far for the deficit supercommittee, while there are reports that Congress is looking at undoing the trigger they put in place to make the supercommittee's work meaningful.


• File under obvious: Congressional budget dithering hurts the economy.


• The professional Tea Party raises stacks of cash, while local chapters struggle, potentially turning the Tea Party into that which they despise.


• A new Supreme Court session opens and divisive issues fill the docket.


• I'm no Rick Perry fan, but I have an issue when more column inches is spent covering the name of his family's hunting camp instead of his tacit support to send U.S. Marines into Mexico to stop drug trafficking.

The Short List - September 30, 2011

We don't believe in filler baby, even on a Friday.


International

• Anwar al-Aulaqi, the U.S. citizen and radical cleric responsible for inspiring the Fort Hood shooting and for planning the attempted Christmas underwear bombing has reportedly been killed in an airstrike.  At this time, it is uncertain if al-Aulaqi was killed by a drone or ceonventional airstrike.  In April 2010, the Obama administration authorized the killing of this U.S. citizen.  DCExile editor, Ben, has written about the legality of the continuous targeting of a U.S. citizen by his government.  Rep. Peter King had a rare word of praise for President Obama following the announcement of al-Aulaqi's death.  While your editor believes that al-Aulaqi was a consistent threat to U.S. security, I am unsure if the man was an immediate threat and I'm concerned about the legal precedent set by the targeted killing of a U.S. citizen.


• The Pakistani street seems to think the U.S. is gearing up to attack the country in light of Admiral Mullen's comments about Pakistani government support for the Huqqani network.  The Pakistani government has passed a resolution calles Adm. Mullen's statements "baseless."  Admiral Mullen will step down from his position as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs today.


• Afghan ethnic groups are jockeying for position in what they see as the coming civil war once U.S and NATO ground forces withdraw.


• In Libya, the NTC is investigating reports of the capture of Qaddafi spokesman, Mussa Ibrahim.  News outlets claim to have video of him detained, dressed as a woman.


• Friend of DCExile, @kangnick, was on CNBC talking the DOJ investigation of Chinese firms.

Domestic

• Gov. Chris Christie continues to mull a run for president and considers how to scale up to be competitive.  The malaise among the GOP over the current slate of candidates is remarkable and unwarranted in your editor's eyes.


• Glenn Beck, out to indoctrinate the children of America, to prevent the indoctrination of the children of America.  Course you have to pay the subscription fee for his online only TV channel.


• Bank of America, so thankful for the $45 billion it received in TARP funding, will start charging customers a $5 monthly fee to use their debit cards.  Worth noting in Q2 of 2011, Bank of America's Global Card Services reported $2 billion in earnings, up by $1.2 billion year to year.

Rolling Back the TTP

Sean Mann at FP considers the turning tide in Pakistan's war against Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan -- the unified front of Pakistani militant organizations, separate from (though sometimes aligned with) the Afghan Taliban. 

By mid-2008, the local branches of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) had forced out Pakistani security forces and taken power in large portions of Mohmand and Bajaur, the northernmost of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). For three years the militant group exercised open territorial control, levying taxes and administering its own brand of justice in the mountainous areas along the Afghan border. Pakistani military operations aimed at destroying the TTP insurgency came in regular cycles, yet each declaration of success was followed by the swift resurgence of militant power. Hundreds of thousands of civilians fled the violence to reside in Internally Displaced Person (IDP) camps or with family members elsewhere in Pakistan.

Recently, however, the tide in Mohmand and Bajaur has turned decisively in the Pakistani military's favor. For the first time in four years, militants have lost the territory they once openly controlled. Whether the tide turns back, or whether these tribal areas even matter given the larger challenges Pakistan faces, is another question entirely.

The TTP figured prominently in an article I coauthored last year discussing the legal implications of U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan.

What Kind Of Day Has It Been

International

• Typhoon Nesat pounded the Philippines.
• As if to make the Palestinian's point, Israel has approved the construction of an additional 1,100 settler homes in East Jerusalem, the eventual capital of Palestinian state.
• Egypt has finally set a date for its first post-Mubarak election: November 28, 2011.
• The White House is working closely with the NTC to secure weapons leftover from the Qaddafi era. But ABC News is reporting that 20,000 surface to air missiles have gone missing.

Domestic

• The White House stays on message in Denver -- the ole DCExile On-Message Counter tells us it's been nearly 20 days of message discipline for BHO.
• It's as if, because they did everything in secret, Republicans can't accept there was no secret-White-House-healthcare conspiracy.
• You know, it would be nice if people that purport to have a direct pipeline to the deepest, secret thoughts of the Founding Fathers (if not the Holy Father) could actually tell their stories accurately. Fortunately, we have the many layers of irony embedded in Perry's inability to recall the facts of the Boston Tea Party to keep us warm through the looming winter. 
• Unemployed Millionaires for Tax Increases. 

The Short List - September 27, 2011

In a West Coast state of mind, so we're posting a bit late.

International

• NPR discusses the growing use of drones outside of the tribal areas of Pakistan, and how their usage may, to paraphrase Mao, create more water for the fish to swim in.  In Pakistan itself, people blame U.S. policies and the Pakistani government's half-hearted acquiescence to those policies for the exponential growth in suicide bomb attacks since 2001.  I say half-hearted because today there are allegations that in 2007, after a formal meeting with Pakistanis, U.S. troops were attacked by the same Pakistanis they had been meeting with.


• In Syria, the government has sent tanks into Rastan in it's continuing efforts to put down protesters and activists.  The government claimed they have a bevy of democratic reforms they want to enact, but that foreign inspired religious fanatics and other groups have delayed the implementation of the reforms.


• The Greek prime minister is making direct overtures to Germany and German business leaders as he seeks a fresh injection of cash to help sustain his debt ridden country.

Domestic

• The Senate has reached a compromise on the budget that will likely keep the federal government open until November 18th.  Likely because even though Speaker Boehner supports it, his caucus may not.  The compromise does not meet the FEMA funding levels Democrats wanted, but also doesn't reach the level of spending cuts Republicans wanted.  And so the can appears to be kicked further down the road.


• The Justice Department will not appeal a lower court ruling on the individual mandate of the healthcare law and instead the matter will likely head to the Supreme Court within the next year.


• The Washington Monument remains closed indefinitelyhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/local/washington-monuments-elevator-damaged-in-earthquake/2011/09/26/gIQA55wazK_story.html after last month's earthquake, as the damage may be more extensive then previously thought.  However the structure is sound according to the park service.

What Kind Of Day Has It Been

International

• NTC forces closed in on Sirte. Meanwhile, the Syrian Spring looks to be entering an armed phase. And Simon Henderson considers Bahrain after its spring was crushed.
• Putin gets to be President again--I, for one, am shocked (SHOCKED!) that there's gambling in the casino. 
• Wangari Maathai, founder of the Green Belt Movement and Nobel Laureate, has died.
• And Saudi women will get the franchise.

Domestic

• This is just ridiculous--it's the damn Federal Emergency Management Agency, stop holding its budget hostage.
• Judson Phillips of Tea Party Nation has endorsed Newt. I shared a plane (and coach class) with the former Speaker, his wife, and some staffers on my way to Chicago over Labor Day weekend. Ole Newt did not look super upbeat. Phillips, by the way, believes that property ownership as a prerequisite for voting "makes a lot of sense."
• Nate Silver makes the case that Perry is a good bet -- at least for an Intrade buy.
• The inventor of Doritos has died and will be buried with his chips.

The Short List - September 23, 2011

International

• Yemeni president, Ali Saleh,  has returned to his country after three months in Saudi Arabia where he was recovering form wounds suffered in connection with an attack.  It is unclear what this will mean for Yemen in the immediate as fighting continues.
• On the heels of Admiral Mullen's stinging indictment of the Pakistan's ISI, Pakistan's foriegn minister says the U.S. risks losing an ally.  I asked a while back, with friends like these, who needs enemies?  Speaking of our friends, our man in Afghanistan vows to continue the peace process at the funeral for a peace broker that may have been killed by a Taliban emissary.
• The Syrian government is reporting five troops were killed in an ambush staged by terrorists, though it is more likely the protests and the government instigated violence in response to said protests has come around on Syrian forces.
• Abbas, ever in the shadow of his predecessor, has a critical moment in his leadership today as he takes the podium at the United Nations.
• The NTC forces have taken control of a few southern desert towns, but is an insurgency forming in Libya?

Domestic

• The stock market continues to refuse to keep the gains it makes week to week, amid continued economic fears.
• The federal government lurches toward shut down again.
• The GOP debate last night was as full with pandering as Ben suggested in WKODHIB yesterday.  The Fix scores the winners and loser.  Fact Checker has a field day.  And Politico makes the case that Perry isn't ready for primetime.  If you're unfamiliar with former Gov. Gary Johnson, I suggest you read this.