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Friday, June 10, 2011
The Morning Scoop - Peter J. Boyer on How Newt Imploded
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The former speaker's top aides bolted en masse Thursday, leaving his campaign in tatters. The Daily Beast's Peter J. Boyer on staffers' complaints about Gingrich's rogue inclinations, the Greek cruise with wife Callista that was the final straw—and whether the candidate has any chance of recovering.
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates sure knows how to make an exit. In his final policy speech as Pentagon chief, he criticized NATO countries for not spending enough on their militaries and for being politically weak-willed. The U.S. is losing patience with having to fight Europe's wars, he said, and unless something changes the alliance faces a "dim, if not dismal" future. Citing Libya as an example, Gates said, "The mightiest military alliance in history is only 11 weeks into an operation against a poorly armed regime in a sparsely populated country, yet many allies are beginning to run short of munitions, requiring the U.S., once more, to make up the difference." Gates steps down on June 30, to be replaced by Leon Panetta.
The Syrian army is moving into the town of Jisr al-Shughour, where the government says 120 security personnel were killed. The impending military action has prompted a new flood of refugees to cross into Turkey. According to Turkey, more than 1,200 Syrians have crossed the border in anticipation of the crackdown. The Syrian government says armed gangs killed the security forces, but others say it was a mutiny sparked by deserting soldiers, and that loyal troops then massacred civilians.
The end may be near for Gaddafi. At least that's what the nations intervening in Libya are thinking as they pledge $1 billion to the rebels in an attempt to prepare them to fill the power vacuum. Senior NATO officials meeting in Abu Dhabi acknowledged reports that Gaddafi's son Seif al-Islam is seeking a negotiated transfer of power, and said that repeated entreaties from the regime show the government is becoming increasingly desperate. Italy, France, Turkey, Australia, and other countries pledged a combined $1 billion to aid the rebels, while the U.S. joined the rebels as the legitimate representatives of the country.
Is time almost up for stubborn Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi? A senior NATO official told CNN on Thursday that the coalition is purposefully targeting him in their airstrikes—not just his military forces. The strategy is justified by a U.N. resolution that approved "all necessary measures" to protect Libya's citizens, the official said. NATO has been ramping up its bombings in the besieged nation lately, and on Wednesday NATO's secretary general confidently declared that Gaddafi's "reign of terror is coming to an end."
With the initial objective of vanquishing al Qaeda largely achieved, and the latest goal of luring the Taliban into a power-sharing deal out of reach, the main reason the U.S. is still at war in Afghanistan is inertia—not logic, says Peter Beinart.
Will Weiner's Mentor Abandon Him? by Lloyd Grove Democratic powerhouse Sen. Chuck Schumer helped pave Anthony Weiner's path to power. Lloyd Grove reports on why he's standing silent as his protégé's career goes up in flames.
Neil Patrick Harris Hosts the Tonys by Kevin Sessums He's only 38, but he has one of the most diverse careers in the business. As he prepares to host the Tonys on Sunday, Harris talks to Kevin Sessums about musicals, coming out, and fatherhood.
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