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Monday, March 21, 2011
The Morning Scoop - Libyan Airstrikes Pummel Gaddafi Compound
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Are the air strikes on Libya working? The Pentagon thinks so: "We believe [Gaddafi's] forces are under significant stress and suffering from both isolation and a good deal of confusion," Navy Vice Adm. William E. Gortney said Sunday. Western jets struck at Gaddafi's forces near Ajdabiyah early Monday—a town that the rebels lost last week and which they are now fighting to retake. Western forces also lobbed a cruise missile at Gaddafi's compound in Tripoli, destroying an administrative building—but U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates insists the U.S. is not trying to kill Gaddafi. Many are wondering why the U.S. is bombing Libya when we're nearly broke and already fighting two wars. Peter Beinart on Obama's endgame in Libya—and how the difficult lessons of Bosnia shape the campaign against Gaddafi.
Japan has restored electricity to three of the damaged nuclear reactors at the Fukishima Daaichi plant, but it's still not in the clear: Smoke was billowing once again from the No. 3 reactor, and the plant had to evacuate workers as it assessed the situation. At another reactor, workers discovered that crucial machinery needs repair—a process that could take two to three days. Meanwhile, iodine and cesium has turned up in Tokyo's tap water, and the government has advised residents of a village 20 miles from the plant to quit drinking tap water after it was found to contain high levels of iodine. The government has halted shipments of spinach and milk in another part of the country due to large traces of iodine.
People in the Middle East might have something new to protest: Der Spiegel has published three photographs showing U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan posing with the corpses of their alleged victims. The photos were taken by a U.S. unit that called itself a "kill team"; twelve of the men are being charged in relation to the murders of three Afghan civilians. The U.S. military had fought to keep the photos from the public, and called the images "repugnant to us as human beings and contrary to the standards and values of the United States."
Google and China are at odds once again: The Web giant says the Chinese government is blocking its Gmail service after users reported difficulty gaining access. There is no issue on our side; we have checked extensively," Google said in a statement released Sunday. "This is a government blockage, carefully designed to look like the problem is with Gmail." The government has been especially strict with censorship since protests broke out in the Middle East. Last year, Google moved its Chinese language Internet server from China to Hong Kong.
Libya may be getting most of the attention, but keep an eye on Yemen: Three army commanders, including a top general, have defected to the opposition as the government. The general, Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, was close to Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh. "We announce we support and protect the youths who are protesting at University Square in Sanaa," al-Ahmar said in a statement. Saleh responded to al-Ahmar's announcement by deploying tanks in Sana. On Sunday, Saleh sacked his entire cabinet. Several Yemeni officials have also resigned since the government killed 45 protesters Friday.
AT&T's $39 billion T-Mobile purchase was quickly denounced by consumer advocates. Zachary Karabell on why the blockbuster deal may instead finally deliver the U.S. first-rate cell service.
The Tiger Mom's SAT Surprise by Amy Chua Amy Chua, known for her super-strict parenting and ban on sleepovers, comes out in favor of a new SAT question about reality TV—and not because she's a secret fan of Snooki. Plus, the college board chief defends the SAT question and why TV may not be so bad for kids after all.
How Dumb Are We? by Andrew Romano NEWSWEEK gave 1,000 Americans the U.S. Citizenship Test—38 percent failed. The country's future is imperiled by our ignorance. In this week's issue, Andrew Romano looks at the risks involved in America's ignorance.
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