Today's Headlines and Commentary

We begin with Israel. The Associated Press reports that its military has “dramatically escalated its aerial assault targeting hundreds of Hamas sites in the Gaza Strip.” Per Al Jazeera, the death toll now stands at 102. According to Politico, during a call with Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu, President Obama offered “to negotiate a cease-fire.” Meanwhile, Real Clear Defense argues that “Israel must destroy Hamas.” The New York Times reports on new U.S. sanctions against a Lebanese company charged with aiding Hezbollah. Apparently, "the firm was used to buy equipment for surveillance drones flown over Syria and Israel.” Speaking of Syria, in a Washington Post op-ed, Fareed Zakaria criticizes President Obama’s decision to request $500 million to train and arm Syrian rebels. Today, Secretary of State John Kerry met with opposing candidates Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, in a bid to help broker a deal over Afghanistan's contested presidential election. The Post shares details of Secretary Kerry’s visit. Shortly before Kerry's arrival, Afghan President Hamid Karzai had announced his support for a U.N. plan to audit 3.5 million ballots for election fraud. According to the Guardian, a government spokesperson stated, “From the beginning, the president’s position was that this should be a purely Afghan process, but we are not in an ideal situation.” This Times  report suggests that the U.N. investigation will not work. Yesterday, Kurdish leaders said they would no longer participate in Iraq’s national government after Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki accused Kurds of hosting Sunni rebels in Erbil. Al Jazeera describes ministries that will be affected by the move. The AP shares news that early this morning, Kurdish security forces took control of two major oil fields outside Kirkuk. A recent Gallup poll indicates that 72 percent of Muslim Americans approve of President Obama. Politico has more. Officials from Iran and the P5+1 group continue their effort to conclude a long-term nuclear agreement. Secretary Kerry and high-level diplomats from Great Britain, France, and Germany are tentatively set to arrive in Vienna this weekend to join the negotiators. The AP has the story. From Reuters, we learn that on Wednesday, a coalition of Republican and Democratic House lawmakers sent a letter to President Obama, requesting that Congress play a role in the talks with Iran. 344 of the House’s 435 members signed the letter. Yesterday, we shared news that Chinese hackers had gained access to sensitive databases belonging to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. The Post indicates that it is still unclear whether the Chinese government was behind the intrusion. Some clarity on that score would be nice, of course, if only to help resolution of some larger issues: during their so-called "Strategic and Economic Dialogue," U.S. and Chinese officials appeared to disagree strongly about---surprise---cyber-espionage and theft. The Post has the story. Foreign Policy considers how China’s neighbors are responding to its actions. The Miami Herald  reports that Army Col. James Pohl, the judge in the Guantanamo case of U.S. v. Al Nashiri, has removed himself due to scheduling conflicts in proceedings related to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Air Force Col. Vance H. Spath will replace Col. Pohl. Wells also shares the news here. Following Germany’s request that the top American spy in Berlin leave the country, Secretary Kerry will travel this weekend to meet with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier. The AP has more. Apropos, the Daily Beast examines the history of American intelligence operations in Germany. More on unwelcome U.S. officials: after expelling U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy Human Rights and Labor Tom Malinowski, for sitting down with members of Al-Wefaq, an opposition group, Bahrain now has brought charges against opposition leaders who participated in the meeting. Reuters fills us in. The Times editorial board considers---pans---Bahrain’s handling of the episode. The Hill reports that during his Senate confirmation hearing, President Obama’s nominee to head the U.S. Special Operations Command, Army Lt. Gen. Joseph Votel, said U.S. special forces have been “operationally active for a long time” and, therefore, could be “fraying.” However, he noted that U.S. troops “remain very effective” nevertheless. Following accusations by Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) that CIA officers spied on her committee’s staffers, the Department of Justice announced yesterday that there is insufficient evidence to warrant a criminal investigation. Politico has more. Yesterday brought news that former NSA contractor Edward Snowden had applied to extend his temporary asylum in Russia. Today, the Wall Street Journal reports that the extension is likely to be granted. Meanwhile, President Obama has chosen career foreign service officer John Tefft to serve as the next U.S. ambassador to Russia. The AP has more on the nomination to a quite difficult post. After the Ukrainian military took hold of the rebel-controlled town of Siversk in the eastern part of the country, separatist leaders came together for a joint public appearance in the regional capital of Donetsk---which they said they would defend vigorously. The Wall Street Journal reports. Recently released interviews of nine military leaders by the House Armed Services and Oversight and Government Reform committees show wide agreement within the military over how the U.S. reacted to attacks on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi.  The AP has coverage. On Wednesday, a Taliban “sympathizer” posted a photo of a smiling Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl standing with one of his Taliban captors. A Defense Department spokesperson called the picture “100 percent propaganda.” USA Today has the story. British Prime Minister David Cameron has introduced legislation that would require communications companies to maintain records of customers’ calls and Internet activity. The Post has more. In a lawsuit filed yesterday in San Francisco, civil liberties groups began a challenge to the U.S. Suspicious Activities Reporting Program. You'll find more detail in the Post. 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.