Policy & Strategy

President Obama's controversial nominee for ambassador to Iraq sailed through his confirmation hearing relatively unscathed on Wednesday despite reservations about his lack of experience heading an embassy.

Republicans held their punches during the sparsely attended Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, mostly limiting their questions for Brett McGurk to his credentials for running the world's largest embassy. McGurk's chief critic, Senate Armed Services Committee ranking member John McCain (R-Ariz.), could still place a hold on McGurk when his nomination hits the Senate floor.

“I don't think anyone can question your knowledge and understanding of what's happened in Iraq,” said Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho). “You've had an incredible amount of experience there and in fact I would be hard-pressed I would think to find someone who would have a resume like you.”

McGurk, a 39-year-old lawyer by training, told lawmakers that he's served with all five U.S. ambassadors since the fall of Saddam Hussein and has been working with Iraqi leaders at the highest levels since 2004. He also worked with the National Security Council under both Presidents George W. Bush and Obama, and said he's built relations with embassy staff in Baghdad as well as with federal government officials in multiple agencies throughout Washington.

A recently completed Pentagon inquiry into the accidental burnings of Qurans could result in disciplinary action against U.S. troops.

Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta confirmed Wednesday that he pressed Indian leaders to beef up their involvement in Afghanistan during his visit to New Delhi despite the risk of further inflaming tensions with India's arch-rival Pakistan.

“I urged India’s leaders to continue with additional support to Afghanistan through trade and investment, reconstruction and help for Afghanistan’s security forces,” Panetta said in a speech dubbed "The U.S. and India: Partners in the 21st Century."

The remarks to India's Institute for Defense Studies and Analyses come one day after the department's spokesman played down earlier news reports that said Panetta had urged a beefed-up presence during his meeting Tuesday with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and National Security Adviser Shiv Shankar Menon.

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner called on Wednesday for the global community to level tough economic sanctions against  Syria to quell the continued violence ravaging the country. 

Geithner called for increased international cooperation on sanctions, especially from countries that have not yet gotten involved, to maximize financial pressure on the regime of President Bashar al-Assad while examining any additional actions that would help deprive the Syrian regime of the resources it needs to survive while ensuring that it cannot evade international sanctions.

"We, the United States, hope that all responsible countries will soon join in taking appropriate economic actions against the Syrian regime, including, if necessary, Chapter 7 action in the U.N. Security Council, as called for by the Arab League last weekend," Geithner said in remarks to the Friends of the Syrian People International Working Group on Sanctions at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in Washington. 

“There’s no question that this kind of thing hurts our country," Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said.

The Senate Armed Services Committee will hold congressional hearings about national security leaks from the Obama administration, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said Tuesday.

McCain and Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) also called for a special counsel to investigate the leaks, as The Wall Street Journal reported that the FBI was opening a probe.

The United States will continue to pursue negotiations with Islamabad over key supply routes into Afghanistan, despite NATO plans to begin using other routes outside Pakistan, a Defense Department official said on Tuesday. 

The decision comes after the U.S. and several other countries expelled Syrian diplomats in response to the massacre of civilians.

Sen. Jon Kyl said Congress should pass legislation codifying parts of the law that the United States is comfortable with.

The Topline: After a much-needed week of R&R, Senate members are back inside the beltway and ready to get down to work. If you thought that defense and national security lawmakers were taking it easy now that the defense budget bill is headed to conference, you'd be half right: members of the Senate Armed Services are taking it easy this week, with no hearings scheduled. Their counterparts on the Senate Select Intelligence Committee are keeping busy, holding two hearings this week on ... well, that's classified. But fear not, DEFCON readers, we'll get you up to speed on what's coming down the pike on Capitol Hill — which, as our readers know during this time of the year, isn't a whole lot. Let's start with what could be one of the most random hearings of the year...