Morning Joe: Iran as a Game Changer
Stories we're following today:
Iran Uprising as a Game Changer
Theocracy and its Discontents - Fareed Zakaria in Newsweek [link]
- We are watching the fall of Islamic theocracy in Iran. I don't mean by this that the Iranian regime is about to collapse. It may - I certainly hope it will - but repressive regimes can stick around for a long time. We are watching the failure of the ideology that lay at the basis of the Iranian government.
The June 12 Revolution - Reuel Marc Gerecht in the Weekly Standard [link]
- The modern Middle East has had numerous "game-changing" moments, when history turned.
- The Iranian presidential election of June 12 may soon rank with these history-making events.
News
Report Criticizes Nuclear Detectors - Washington Post [link]
- The Department of Homeland Security spent three years pushing for a costly nuclear detection system that does not work as billed, while neglecting to upgrade existing equipment that could have helped improve security, according to a new U.S. Government Accountability Office review and an interview with one of the authors.
- Read the full GAO report here.
Hawaii Unfazed by Missile Threat - Wall Street Journal [link]
- Reports that North Korea is planning to test-fire a missile with a 4,000-mile range toward Hawaii around July 4 have prompted U.S. officials to beef up defenses around the islands, a sign of the escalating tensions between the U.S. and North Korea over Pyongyang's recent moves to restart its nuclear-weapon program. But on Hawaii, many residents are indifferent, going about their daily lives and expressing more concern about issues such as the state's weak economy.
Confirmation logjam breaks? - Foreign Policy's "The Cable" [link]
- A blanket hold placed late last week by Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) on all State Department nominees appears to have been lifted on Saturday, administration sources tell The Cable. Kyl's only remaining hold, The Cable was told, is on Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-CA), President Obama's nominee to be under secretary of state for arms control and international security.
Mid-East Arms Market Bucks Recession: Tensions over Iran Propel Regional Weapons Sales - David Axe post on "War is Boring"[link]
- The imbalance between Iranian forces and those of its rivals has created a spiral effect that has only accelerated the militarization of the Middle East.
History
Cold War 'War Book' Released