Today's Headlines and Commentary

In the aftermath of Wednesday’s tragic shooting at Fort Hood, we begin to consider how this could have happened. The New York Times explains that Wednesday’s deadly shooting is eerily reminiscent of a shooting at Fort Hood in 2009. The article points to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel’s commitment to further secure military installations; but it is clear that that commitment has not yet resulted in stronger security measures. The Washington Post has an important, but equally startling, timeline of the history of shootings at U.S. military facilities. As expected, the Senate Intelligence Committee voted to declassify parts of the committee’s report on CIA interrogation tactics. The Times explains that the report’s executive summary and conclusions will be made public, pending President Obama’s approval. The report still has to be reviewed to ensure that no “sensitive national security disclosures” are revealed, but that process is expected to be expedited. Here’s the statement that Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), released after the vote. A group of civil and human rights group has formed to issue a joint statement in support of The Targeted Lethal Force Transparency Act, which is coming through the House. The bipartisan bill would require the Obama administration to release an annual report detailing all drone warfare casualties. The standoff between Russia and NATO is far from over. Reuters reports that President Putin recalled General Valery Yevnevich, Russia’s top NATO representative, to Russia---a form of diplomatic protest. Putin is not pleased with NATO’s announcement that it will amp up its military presence in Eastern Europe, in order to assuage the worries of nervous countries there. The National Journal covers a recent Senate Armed Services subcommittee hearing.  Per witnesses from the Department of Defense and National Nuclear Security Administration, among others, the Obama administration is not worried that the situation in Ukraine will effect global nuclear security efforts. But the recent crisis in Ukraine does have the United States worried about China. Reuters explains: the fear is that China will look to Russia’s actions in the Crimean peninsula as motivation to swallow up contested islands in the South China Sea. Chinese diplomats are not happy that the two situations have been conflated, and a Chinese Foreign Ministry representative said as much. Two AP reporters were shot in eastern Afghanistan yesterday, Euronews reports. Anja Niedringhaus was killed, while Kathy Gannon was wounded and is now in stable condition. The gunman was disguised as a policeman. The deadly shooting is but one example of the violence that the Taliban is wreaking in the lead up to the Afghan elections tomorrow.  You'll find stories on those subjects at CNN and the BBC, respectively. The Times takes a look at how current Afghan President Karzai intends to keep some---indeed, lots---of influence in Afghan politics even after a new president is sworn in. From the Wall Street Journal we learn that the Twitter ban was lifted in Turkey yesterday as a result of a court ruling.  But that doesn’t mean that the Turkish government has stayed quiet. According to Reuters, Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan spoke out against the ban's dissolution---but also said he and his government will comply with the court order nevertheless. Meanwhile, talks between Israel and Palestine are on the brink of collapse. Public Radio International highlights Secretary of State John Kerry’s increasing impatience with representatives from both sides; he has lambasted the parties’ refusal to compromise. All this comes as a result of Israel cancelling the planned release of a number of Palestinian prisoners---a move which the Israeli government blamed on the Palestinians, for not keeping up their end of the bargain of a deal brokered by the U.S. last summer. The Post considers how Kerry will react to the current situation. 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.