Today's Headlines and Commentary

Iraqi lawmakers have broken political deadlock and elected Sunni lawmaker Salim al-Jubouria as the new speaker of parliament, the Associated Press reports. The election is a first step to forming a new government, which is widely seen as necessary to confront militants who have seized much of the country. The New York Times quotes Abbas al Bayati, a Shiite lawmaker, as saying, “We shortened the time compared to the last – this is evidence that Iraqi democracy is on the right track.” The election comes as the Iraqi army launched an assault on the rebel-held city of Tikrit. Al Jazeera writes that Iraqi security officials are “very confident” that they are in “complete control” of the area, but such claims could not be independently verified. Only a day before, the Hill reported that U.S. military advisers in Iraq are still assessing the situation and have yet to offer advice to the Iraqi security forces. Yesterday, Egypt offered terms for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas. According to the Washington Post, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet met this morning and approved the deal. But Hamas refused, calling the proposed agreement “unacceptable.” Gaza continued to fire rockets and Israel resumed airstrikes. The Times has more details. The Post shares that Israel’s successful Iron Dome has changed the way the country responds to Palestinian hostilities. Meanwhile, Hamas is now claiming that it has drones. The Times reports. From The Hill:  Senator James Inhofe (R-OK), Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, praised the Afghanistan election deal brokered by Secretary of State John Kerry, calling it “a positive step in a process that is absolutely essential to a peaceful transition of power in Afghanistan.” The Post Editorial Board also expressed its support for the deal. Today, a car bomb in eastern Afghanistan killed 89 people and wounded at least 42 others. The Times indicates that this marked one of the “deadliest” assaults since 2001, when America invaded Afghanistan. Meanwhile, the Post examines the potential vulnerability of Afghan forces in the Panjwai district to future insurgents. Yesterday, Jane caught us up on the ongoing nuclear negotiations with Iran in Vienna. Today, the Times tells us that Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator has announced that the country could accept a deal that essentially freezes its capacity to produce nuclear fuel at current levels for several years. The proposal is seen as an extension of the same limited concessions Iran made last November. However, American officials suggested that the proposal does not address the most central of America’s concerns: the plan, it seems, would leave most of Iran’s centrifuges spinning. The Times also points out that negotiations are occurring on a domestic political level in the United States, as well.  And Reuters reports that Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) have circulated a letter to their Senate colleagues, demanding that Iran accept tough conditions in the nuclear talks before Congress agrees to ease any sanctions. Yesterday, the U.N. Security Council approved humanitarian access to Syria, despite the lack of consent from the country’s government. Reuters has details. Meanwhile, McClatchy updates us on ISIS matters:  yesterday the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham gained took control of Deir el Zour, a town in eastern Syria. According to Reuters, Secretary Kerry called Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Khaled al-Khalifa, regarding the expulsion of U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Tom Malinowski from Manama. From the Times we learn that yesterday, a Ukrainian AN-26 cargo plane containing food and water took fire and collapsed near Davydo-Nikolskyoe, a town close to the Russian border. According to the Guardian, President Petro Poroshenko accused Russia of conducting the attack. Yesterday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry declared that the U.S. should essentially play no role in the dispute over the South China Sea.  China would have the regional powers work the situation out amongst themselves. Reuters has more. A new video from Boko Haram shows the leader of Nigeria’s Islamic extremist group claiming responsibility for two recent “victories,” including two explosions at a fuel depot in Lagos. The group’s leader, Abubakar Shekau, also reiterated his demand that the government release detained militants in exchange for the more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped three months ago. The Wall Street Journal has more. In an op-ed in the Post, Dana Milbank considers White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest’s statement yesterday that President Obama’s foreign policy has “substantially improved the... tranquility of the... global community.” The Wall Street Journal reports that having finished the reintegration process, Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl will now resume active duty service in the U.S. Army. According to Pentagon spokesperson Col. Steve Warren, “he will essentially be doing a desk job.” On Friday, Texas Governor Rick Perry published an op-ed in the Post, arguing against American isolationism. Yesterday, in Politico, Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) responded to Perry’s ideas. Both predictably claimed fidelity to President Ronald Reagan’s legacy. Having that in mind, in a piece over at the Atlantic, Peter Beinhart considers how Reagan really would respond to current foreign affairs. Walter Pincus of the Post examines a July 2 Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board report regarding surveillance conducted under Section 702 of FISA. Defense News reports that the U.S. and Qatar have reached an $11 billion arms deal. Relatedly, the Daily Beast explains why the United States is no longer the world’s premiere purveyor of military technology. Apropos of arms sales, the Journal reports that U.S. may be about to relax some of its strict export controls on armed military drones. Its a timely development, considering events elsewhere: at the Farnborough International Airshow, Britain and France are expected to announce their own agreement to produce an advanced armed drone. Meanwhile, scientists at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency are developing “experimental .50-caliber ammunition that can adjust flight paths after being fired from a weapon.” The Post covers the story. According to a Global Attitudes poll conducted by the Pew Research Center, drones are widely unpopular in most of the world, although the majority of Americans approve of them. The Post and USA Today consider the stark findings. According to documents made public pursuant to a FOIA request, CIA employees have many complaints regarding Langley’s cafeteria. See the Post for more key details on, among other things, CIA's allegedly unsatisfactory menu offerings. 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.