OVERNIGHT DEFENSE: Syria sanctions fall flat at UN, again

By Carlo Munoz and Jeremy Herb - 07/19/12 06:32 PM ET

The Topline: With the death of his top military commanders on Wednesday, many are speculating that the end is near for embattled Syrian President Bashar Assad. But that was not enough for members of the United Nations Security Council to approve sanctions against the Assad regime.

China and Russia once again blocked the measures during a council vote in New York on Thursday. American diplomats were quick to condemn the move, saying Chinese and Russian delegates were “preventing a credible [Security Council] response to the conflict.” Reaction from Capitol Hill was just as swift and scathing.

But Republican lawmakers' vitriol was aimed more at the White House than at Beijing and Moscow.

“UN Security Council vote on Syria shows that the need for US leadership is more urgent than ever,” Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), oft cited as a potential candidate for the vice presidential slot on the GOP 2012 presidential ticket, wrote in a tweet. “Now is not the time to lead from behind," he said.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) a staunch supporter of U.S. military action in Syria, tweeted “And the President watches the massacre continue...” shortly after the resolution's defeat.

Russia in particular has been a major roadblock to U.N. efforts to oust the Assad regime, because Syria is Moscow's most important Mideast ally. The situation has grown more tense as reports surface that Assad has begun to mobilize Syria's vast chemical weapons arsenal as anti-government rebels take the fight into Damascus.

Bulgaria bomber released from Gitmo?: The Pentagon on Thursday could neither confirm nor deny whether the suicide bomber who attacked a busload of Israeli tourists in Bulgaria on Wednesday was a former terror detainee at the U.S. prison in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. News reports coming out of Bulgaria on Thursday identified the bomber as 36-year-old Medhi Ghazali, a Swedish citizen who was detained by U.S. authorities at Guantánamo from 2002-2004.

"I cannot confirm ... reports that this individual in media reports is, in fact, a former Guantánamo detainee," DOD spokesman George Little told reporters on Thursday. "I can't rule it out, either. I'm simply saying we don't know at this stage."

The attack killed five Israeli nationals and the bus driver. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed the bombing on the Iranian-backed terror group Hezbollah.

Appropriations bill heads to the finish: The House is expected to finish up the $608 billion defense appropriations bill a day early, with a vote on final passage anticipated Thursday evening. So far, the House has considered more than 50 amendments to the bill.

Among the more notable votes thus far, the House narrowly backed an attempt to continue military sports sponsorships such as those to NASCAR, cut Pakistan aid by $650 million, rejected efforts to cut Iraq and Afghanistan funding, and prevented President Obama from sharing missile defense data with Russia.

Follow the conclusion of the appropriations bill on The Hill’s Floor Action blog.

A different leaks outlook: Rep. Buck McKeon (R-Calif.) did not sound like most Republicans on intelligence leaks at a press conference after meeting with Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey. At a press conference after the closed-door hearing, McKeon praised the Pentagon for its response to the recent spate of leaks and said he thought the administration’s record was “pretty good,” considering how many people have access to classified information. He also said he did not think the leaks were coming from Pentagon officials.

Like lawmakers in both parties, McKeon was outraged at the leaks in the immediate aftermath of a story detailing a U.S. cyberattack on Iran. But his softened stance Thursday could indicate the fact that leaks have always occurred in Washington, and there’s only so much officials like Panetta and Dempsey can do to try and stop them.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

— DOD defends Navy shooting in Persian Gulf

— McKeon says security leaks aren't coming from DOD

— Former SEAL starts anti-Obama super-PAC

— House cuts aid to Pakistan

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