While Sanford was weeping, some other things passed through the information key hole.
Elliott Abrams speaks, tagging Hillary as “wrong on settlements.” A rule of thumb I always use on Mr. Abrams is the more emphatic he is about something the more skeptical we should all be of it. This goes double on settlements. Read Marc Lynch, who is recently back from Israel with some interesting news. As for Hillary, Abrams is the one who is wrong.
On another front, if the Leveretts go any further they’ll have to eat their way out of the corner they’re in. This headline is likely the silliest I’ve read in recent memory: Will Iran be President Obama’s Iraq? I’m assuming the Leveretts, both of whom are very smart people, realize we’re not going to invade. After the event at New America Foundation, where Flynt Leverett was described as the “crack cocaine of realists” by Steve Clemons, to say they’re a little defensive in this piece is an understatement. That they still give no credit to the dynamics and courage of the protesters is stunningly callous in my view, as well as not very good analysis.
Obama to North Korea (yesterday), via the White House:
CONTINUATION OF THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY WITH RESPECT TO NORTH KOREA
On June 26, 2008, by Executive Order 13466, the President declared a national emergency pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701-1706) to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States constituted by the current existence and risk of the proliferation of weapons-usable fissile material on the Korean Peninsula. The President also found that it was necessary to maintain certain restrictions with respect to North Korea that would otherwise have been lifted pursuant to Proclamation 8271 of June 26, 2008, which terminated the exercise of authorities under the Trading With the Enemy Act (50 U.S.C. App. 1-44) with respect to North Korea.
Because the existence and risk of the proliferation of weapons-usable fissile material on the Korean Peninsula continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States, the national emergency declared on June 26, 2008, and the measures adopted on that date to deal with that emergency, must continue in effect beyond June 26, 2009. Therefore, in accordance with section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)), I am continuing for 1 year the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13466.
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