Today's Headlines and Commentary

Yesterday, Jane caught us up on the tensions between Israel and Palestine, in the wake of the brutal killing of a Palestinian teenager. Today, the New York Times reports that Israel "began an intensive aerial offensive in Gaza" early this morning. The Israeli defense minister defended the action---codenamed Operation Protective Edge---as necessary to contain Hamas. The Washington Post also reports on the escalating violence. The Times highlights growing unease in areas of Jordan, a country which has maintained a reputation as “pro-American bastion of stability.” Jordanians in the north have been taking note of the violence waged by Sunni militants affiliated with ISIS abroad; some worry that before too long, the group will gain support and traction within Jordan. Politico covers remarks made by Navy Admiral Michelle Howard, who said in an interview with CNN on Sunday that U.S. forces “need to be in Iraq” to help steer the country back towards a path to democracy. From the Washington Post: addressing Norwegian officials, Attorney General Eric Holder has asked European governments to act early, in order to stop foreign terrorists in Syria from returning to their homelands. Reuters takes a look at a notebook that once belonged to an al-Qaeda militant. It was found in the mountains of southern Yemen, and describes guiding principles for an attack (“surprise, firepower, a sacrificial spirit, quick performance”) as well as al-Qaeda’s ultimate goal of “establishing an Islamic state that rules by Islamic Sharia law.” In May, Reuters reporters retrieved the item---which also contains details on many al-Qaeda operations---near an abandoned al-Qaeda leadership camp. As we noted yesterday, Ashraf Ghani was declared the winner of Afghanistan's presidential run-off. Unsurprisingly, Ghani’s opponent and former Afghan foreign minister, Abdullah Abdullah, has called the results illegitimate and proclaimed himself to be the true victor. Reuters has the story on the developing situation---which could spark a political crisis in the country. The government of Bahrain has ordered a senior U.S. diplomat to leave the country immediately. The Post informs us that officials accused Tom Malinowski of intervening “flagrantly in Bahrain’s internal affairs,” after he met with a representative of a Shiite opposition party. At first glance, the link between the Supreme Court’s recent Hobby Lobby decision and national security might seem tenuous. Apparently not: Al Jazeera explains that lawyers representing two Guantanamo Bay detainees have filed motions to prevent officials from preventing GTMO inmates from praying together during the holy month of Ramadan. According to the motions, SCOTUS’ consequential ruling regarding a closely-held corporation's statutory rights “makes clear that all persons – human and corporate, citizen and foreigner, resident and alien – enjoy the special religious free exercise protections of the [Religious Freedom Restoration Act].” Walter Pincus of the Post has penned an opinion piece. In it, he wonders if the high price paid to purchase mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles---$45 billion---has been worth it for the American military. The controversy that never ends: The Hill tells us that House Republicans are prepared to spend as much as $3.3 million on a House Select Committee that will investigate the 2012 Benghazi attacks.  As is well known, other congressional committees and the executive branch have looked into the matter already. Clemens Wergin argues in a Times op-ed that President Obama’s foreign policy is “too European.” Which is to say that the president is all talk and not much walk, when it comes to foreign intervention. Whoa: Senator Bob Menendez (D-Fl.), a strong critic of the Castro regime, has asked the Justice Department to look into an apparent Cuban government plot to spread falsehoods about him in the American press. "According to a former U.S. official with firsthand knowledge of government intelligence, the CIA had obtained credible evidence, including Internet protocol addresses, linking Cuban agents to the prostitution claims and to efforts to plant the story in U.S. and Latin American media." The Post has more. 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.