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January 23, 2012 | | EXCLUSIVE Was the killing of al Qaeda leader Anwar al-Awlaki a summary execution or a lawful act of war? After months of internal debate, the Obama administration is planning to reveal publicly the legal reasoning behind its decision to take out the American-born Yemen operative in a CIA drone strike. In this week’s Newsweek, Daniel Klaidman reports exclusively on the upcoming speech that Attorney General Eric Holder will use to defend the administration’s national-security record. Momentum It looks like Newt Gingrich has a lot of momentum coming into Florida. A new Insider Advantage poll gives him an 8-point lead over Mitt Romney. Romney, meanwhile, is stepping up his attacks on Gingrich, telling an audience in Florida that “We’re not choosing a talk show host, we’re choosing a leader,” and that Gingrich was a “failed leader who “had to resign in disgrace.” Romney also lashed out at some protesters who started chanting, “We are the people,” saying, “No, actually, these are the people,” Romney shouted back. “These are the people; you’re the interrupters. We believe in the Constitution. We believe in the right to speech. And you believe in interrupting. Take a hike.” Isolation In the latest attempt to step up pressure on Iran, the European Union adopted an oil embargo against Iran and froze the assets of the country's central bank. Diplomats say all new oil contracts will be embargoed while existing contracts will be allowed to run until July. British Foreign Secretary William Hague called the embargo, designed to stop Iran's nuclear program, part of "an unprecedented set of sanctions.” On Sunday, a U.S. aircraft carrier sailed through the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran had threatened to close. Bully Pulpit If President Obama's third State of the Union address sets the tone for his campaign, expect to hear a lot more about jobs, class struggle, and equality. “We can go in two directions,” Obama says in a preview of the speech. “One is toward less opportunity and less fairness. Or we can fight for where I think we need to go: building an economy that works for everyone, not just a wealthy few.” Democratic sources tell CNN that Obama will lay out a “blueprint” for the economy that focuses on “insourcing”—bringing jobs back from overseas—and reviving American manufacturing. Politico notes that the preview was released by Obama's campaign, not the White House, and points out that Obama will immediately travel to five battleground states. DENIED That was fast. Sunday, the Arab League called on Syria’s President Assad to peacefully resign and hold elections for a national unity government. Syria immediately rejected the plan. Syrian state television reports that the transition resolution was a “conspiracy” that violates that nation’s sovereignty. In the resolution, Assad would give power to the vice president, in an agreement similar to Yemen’s. It also called for Syria to begin a dialogue with the opposition in the next two weeks. The Arab League mission has been extended in the nation, though the League is against foreign intervention in Syria. | | 
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