Today's Headlines and Commentary

President Obama is preparing a plan that would withdraw all American troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2014. The plan, according to the National Journal, is a contingency---and meant to account for Afghan President Karzai’s continuing refusal to sign the bilateral security agreement with the United States. If concluded, the deal would keep American troops in Afghanistan to assist with training the Afghan army, and continuing to pursue the presence of Al-Qaeda in the country. According to a Wall Street Journal report, the Obama administration has been presented with four wide-ranging options for reforming the NSA’s telephony metadata program.  One would put the practice of collecting data into the hands of private telecommunications companies. But, as Ritika and Yishai pointed out yesterday, this option will have a difficult time clearing the House Intelligence Committee. Another proposal is to put the data in the hands of another federal agency---the FBI, for example. The Verge also covers the story. The Georgetown University Law Center hosted George Ellard, the NSA’s Inspector General, at a panel discussion event yesterday evening. Ellard slammed Edward Snowden for not coming directly to him and following correct whistleblower protocol. Politico has more on the story. The Wall Street Journal has a story on criminal defendants challenging arrests and convictions based on information obtained through surveillance under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The National Journal reports the struggle to find the appropriate place in the United States government and military for the American drone program. Although plans are underway to fully shift the program from the CIA to the Pentagon, the Journal suggests that the CIA might be better at launching drone killings than the military. An important bill tackling veterans’ benefits is making progress on the Hill, the AP reports. The Senate legislation, sponsored by Democrats, expands health, education and other benefits for veterans. The proposal is expected to face heavy Republican opposition on the Senate floor. The New York Times Editorial Board presents a defense of Chuck Hagel’s proposed 2015 military budget. The Ed Board applauds Hagel for a practical budget that offers much needed reform to an otherwise antiquated approach to the military. Al Jazeera reports that the United States has expelled three Venezuelan diplomats from the country. The move comes as a response to the expulsion of three American consular officials from Caracas last week. The Americans were thrown out after Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro accused them of supporting opposition plots to oust him. Venezuela has been plagued by violence for weeks now, but CNN reports that there may be peace on the horizon. The Ukrainian Parliament has voted to send president Viktor Yanukovich---whose whereabouts are currently unknown---to the International Criminal Court. The Parliament is accusing Yanukovich of ordering police violence against opposition protestors.  This resulted in the death of over 100 Ukrainian civilians. Russia ordered a “surprise” military troop exercise near the Ukraine-Russia border, according to the Times. The move was intended to display Russia’s capabilities and readiness, and directed (among others) at the United States---which Russia has accused of meddling in Ukrainian affairs. Email the Roundup Team noteworthy law and security-related articles to include, and follow us onTwitter 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.