Today's Headlines and Commentary

The conflict between Israelis and Palestinians continues. Members of the U.N. Security Council meet today to discuss the ongoing situation. Reuters has details. Yesterday, Hamas began launching newer, more capable missiles that reached deep into northern Israel. The Washington Post reports that “it was the first time that rockets from the crowded seaside enclave had flown that far.” In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Palestinian fighters will “pay a heavy price.” BBC News has details on his reaction.  According to the Post, Israel is using drones to target specific militants. The New York Times notes that overnight Israel attacked 320 Hamas sites, bringing the total to 750 targets hit since Tuesday. Indeed, Reuters reports that at least 74 Palestinians have died as a result of the violence. However, most of them appear to be civilians. The Guardian shares more. The Times notes that the Israeli government is taking some international criticism for its assault on the Gaza Strip. Haaretz shares live updates of the ongoing situation. The Post editorial board argues, “What’s needed is not another diplomatic blitz but a more patient, incremental, and sustainable effort to restore trust between Israelis and Palestinians.” Violence also continues in Iraq. The Hill reports that Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel said Wednesday the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) poses an “imminent” threat to the United States and to “every stabilized country on Earth.” Along similar lines, The Wall Street Journal informs us that Saudi Arabia has stopped advising Sunni tribes to undermine Iraq’s central government; now, the Saudis privately have encouraged allied tribes in Iraq to turn against the Sunni extremist insurgency. Yet, ethnic and sectarian tensions continue to rise, and on Wednesday Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki accused Kurds of harboring Sunni militants. Al-Maliki provided no evidence to support his statement; the Associated Press tells us that the unsubstantiated claim is likely to worsen the Iraqi government’s relationships with the Kurds, who have been fighting insurgents over the last month. Meanwhile, the Associated Press reports that 50 bodies were found in a predominantly Shiite village. The dead were all men between the ages of 25 and 40, with most having suffered bullet wounds to the head or the chest. Alissa Rubin in the Times has more on the new fractured reality in Iraq, while in Politico, Douglas A. Ollivant tells us why Iraq is more stable than one might think. The Daily Beast explores the theological debate behind ISIS' newly proclaimed caliphate. Yesterday we learned that Iraq had lost control of nuclear material to armed terrorist groups. Today,  the International Atomic Energy Agency said it believed that the material was “low grade” and did not pose a significant security risk. Reuters has more. According to CNN, the Pentagon is considering how to target the leader of ISIS, Abu Bakr al-Baghdidi, in a drone strike. Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby has suggested that the U.S. military is currently flying around 50 reconnaissance missions a day over Iraq. A U.S. drone strike killed six in northwest Pakistan, officials said, as the Pakistani military announced that it has taken control of 80 percent of Miranshah, a key city in North Waziristan. Reuters has more on the assault. The Washington Post describes the broader impact of the campaign, reporting that, since its inception, some 787,000 residents have left the region, according to estimates by the United Nations. The Pakistani paper Dawn published an op-ed yesterday that asks, “Where is the cost-benefit analysis?” of U.S. drone policy in the region. Apropos of that debate, Medea Benjamin of Codepink has an op-ed in Time on how to fix the drone PR problem. Meanwhile, France hopes to limit the number of Western jihadists joining the fight in Syria. The Times reports on proposed legislation which would “block suspected proponents of Islamic terrorism from leaving France.” Yesterday, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed new sanctions on companies aiding the Syrian government. FOX News has details. The AP shares news that Italian-Swedish diplomat Staffan de Mistura has been selected to be the next U.N. envoy to Syria. According to Reuters, Secretary of State John Kerry will arrive in Afghanistan Friday, in an attempt to help resolve a continuing dispute over the country’s presidential election results. Meanwhile, the Post considers some troubling implications of a recently released Afghan civilian casualty report. From the Wall Street Journal:   questions about the NSA's policies towards tolerance and diversity followed yesterday's publication, in an Intercept article on U.S. surveillance of Muslim citizens, of a classified document containing a racial slur. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Congressman Keith Ellison (D-MN) both expressed their concern. Apropos of the Intercept piece, Glenn Greenwald has promised that he has more to report on other non-Muslim Americans targeted by the NSA. National Journal has more. In a Time op-ed, Nihad Awad, Executive Director and co-founder of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, responded to news that he was targeted for domestic surveillance by U.S. security services. The Times indicates that former NSA contractor Edward Snowden has submitted a request to extend his asylum in Russia. Research conducted by the Pew Global Attitudes Project indicates that global public opinion toward Russia has become increasingly negative. The Times has more. As Reuters shares news on the continued violence in Ukraine, the AP reports that the EU has approved sanctions on eleven more people who have aided the insurgency there. Meanwhile, in a hearing yesterday, members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee berated Obama administration officials for the White House's inaction. The Post has more on the senators’ remarks. The Wall Street Journal notes that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s inconsistency with regard to Ukraine reflects an attempt “to blunt any push in the West for stronger economic sanctions against Russia.” The Times shares troubling news that in March, Chinese hackers penetrated databases belonging to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Apparently, the hackers sought access to information regarding individuals who had applied for top-secret security clearances. An official from the Department of Homeland Security confirmed that the attack had taken place, but said “personally identifiable information” does not seem to have been taken. The Post also has the story. Meanwhile, during the ongoing Strategic and Economic Dialogue in Beijing, Secretary Kerry spoke with his Chinese counterparts on cybersecurity and theft. The Wall Street Journal shares more on their “frank exchange.” The Times reports that Chinese and American officials also discussed maritime law and the current situation in the South and East China Seas. In an interview with USA Today, Taiwan’s economic and cultural ambassador to the U.S. stated that confrontation between China and Japan in the East China Sea “could trigger a major incident.” As Reuters reports the story of another suspected U.S. spy working in the German government---this time in the defense ministry---the Post tells us that Germany has asked “the representative of the U.S. intelligence services at the United States embassy... to leave” the country. Members of the House Select Committee on Benghazi received a classified briefing on Wednesday on Abu Khatalla, the alleged mastermind of the 2012 terrorist attacks in Libya. Politico has the story. Meanwhile, the AP  has newly released testimony from the House Armed Services Committee wherein top military commanders involved in the U.S. response to the Benghazi attacks made this interesting suggestion: the perpetrators of a second assault against the CIA compound in Benghazi, were different from those who attacked the U.S. diplomatic mission the evening before. The Times reports that the U.S. will broaden sanctions on groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in order to more easily target those who are trying to instigate violence and disrupt peacekeeping missions in the country. In today’s recommended long read, Alex Perry covers Boko Haram: Terror’s New Insidious Face. We close with the news that Matt Olsen will resign his post as Director of National Counterterrorism Center. President Obama’s thanked him for his distinguished service that has “left our nation more secure and even better prepared to meet the threats of our time.” Email the Roundup Team noteworthy law and security-related articles to include, and follow us on Twitter and Facebook for additional commentary on these issues. Sign up to receive Lawfare in your inbox. Visit our Events Calendar to learn about upcoming national security events, and check out relevant job openings on our Job Board.