Today’s Headlines and Commentary

While we’re not talking about Gen. David Petraeus’s dalliances in Headlines and Commentary, we will start with his testimony on Capitol Hill on Friday. Spencer Ackerman of Wired’s Danger Room talks about how the general switched up his story, Gregory Wallace of CNN.com says that Republican lawmakers remain unsatisfied, and Brian Knowlton of The New York Times reports that Sen. Dianne Feinstein, chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, plans to investigate the discrepancy between what the CIA knew about the Benghazi attack and what U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice publically said. Reuters also reports that Republicans are calling for Rice to testify next, in a showdown that is sure to be ugly---though good theater. Adis Medunjanin, a Queens gentleman convicted of plotting to blow up NYC subways, was sentenced to life in prison on Friday. His co-conspirators, Najibullah Zazi and Zarein Ahmedzay, pleaded guilty, but have yet to be sentenced, says Mosi Secret of the Times. The latest from Israel and Palestine looks pretty grim: Nidal al-Mughrabi and Jeffrey Heller of Reuters report that Israel is prepared for a major ground operation in Gaza, but prefers a diplomatic solution. Ernesto Londoño and Abigail Hauslohner of the Washington Post put the death toll in Gaza at 91 and give us an update on a possible peace deal. Michael Martinez of CNN.com talks Israel’s Iron Dome, and the Wall Street Journal also has the latest on the now sixth day of the conflict. U.S. ambassador to Pakistan, Cameron Munter, asked the White House for help handling the public relations nightmare stemming from U.S. drone strikes in the region---but was trounced by the CIA, reports James Traub of Foreign Policy. From the Department of Frenemy Drones: Sebastian Abbot of the Associated Press has the major news that Pakistan is, slowly but surely, developing its own armed drones---with help from China. Great. According to the AP, Afghan President Hamid Karzai has accused the United States of violating the detainee transfer pact by continuing to arrest and hold Afghans. He also “ordered Afghan forces to take control of the Parwan detention facility,” says Rod Nordland of the Times. Afghan officials announced that more Taliban prisoners may be released by Pakistani authorities in an effort to advance the reconciliation talks with the insurgents. Nine prisoners were released last week. Rod Nordland of the Times has the story. Jeremy White, an economic analyst at ANSER Inc., deconstructs and traces the evolution of Al Qaeda’s media strategy for Small Wars Journal. And, from ABC News, comes an email blunder from the Taliban---who turn out, just like us, to have trouble with the difference between “cc” and “bcc”: it’s Today’s Moment of Zen. For more interesting law and security-related articles, follow us on Twitter, visit the Georgetown Center on National Security and the Law’s Security Law Brief, Syracuse’s Institute for National Security & Counterterrorism’s newsroll, and Fordham Law’s Center on National Security’s Morning Brief and Cyber Brief. Email Raffaela Wakeman and Ritika Singh noteworthy articles to include, visit the Lawfare Events Calendar for upcoming national security events, and check out relevant job openings at the Lawfare Job Board.