Is Petraeus Headed for the CIA? (and Other Questions of the Day)
Is Yemen the new Afghanistan?
U.S.-backed counter-terrorism operations are on hold in the midst of a popular uprising, giving Al Qaeda’s Yemeni branch to operate more freely and increase plotting for possible attacks against Europe and America, say intelligence sources. [NYT]
Is… Brazil!?
More than 20 Islamic Qaeda-linked extremists are using Brazil as a base to hide, raise money or plan attacks, according to leaked documents obtained by a Brazilian weekly. [Telegraph]
Is “You figure it out!” the new “Yes, we can!”?
In a video kicking off Obama’s reelection campaign yesterday, a woman identified as Alice from Michigan says, “We’re paying him to do a job so we can’t say, ‘Hey could you just take some time off and come up here and get us all energized?’ So we better figure it out.” [ABC News]
Is David Petraeus (to be) the new CIA chief?
Government sources tell NPR that the general is being seriously considered for CIA director, and would take the job if offered. [NPR]
Is the 2011 govt. shutdown the new 1995 one?
A poll out Monday says Americans would blame Republicans more than Democrats — just like 16 years ago — if Washington grinds to a halt this week. But not by much. [The Hill]