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  February 28, 2012, 6:24 pm

Sen. Levin: Afghan protests will spark greater public push for withdrawal

By Jeremy Herb

Senate Armed Services Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.) said Tuesday that the anti-American protests of the Quran burnings in Afghanistan would likely lead to greater public support for a quicker drawdown of U.S. troops there.

Levin said that he also expects lawmakers on Capitol Hill will not want any delays in troop withdrawals after the surge forces pullout from Afghanistan in the fall.

“I think the American people generally are concerned and probably instinctively would want to see a faster drawdown,” Levin told reporters.

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  February 28, 2012, 1:16 pm

Rep. King: Afghan violence marks 'turning point' for US mission

By Geneva Sands

The House Homeland chairman warned the United States would "re-assess" its position if the protests continued.

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  February 28, 2012, 12:33 pm

Dempsey defends his remarks on Israel

By Jeremy Herb

It's the first time the general has discussed his controversial remarks about a possible Israeli strike on Iran.

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  February 28, 2012, 10:38 am

Another GOP member proposes fix to detainee language in defense law

By Pete Kasperowicz

Rep. Chris Gibson (R-N.Y.) on Monday introduced legislation that would fix controversial language in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that many believe could allow the U.S. government to detain Americans suspected of working with terrorists.

Gibson's bill, H.R. 4092, would add language to the NDAA that says, "Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the writ of habeas corpus shall remain available to any individual detained within the United States and no American citizen or lawful resident may be detained without all the rights of due process." Due process is defined as the right to a public trial, the right to be informed of the government's accusations and other procedural norms.

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  February 28, 2012, 9:53 am

Report: Israel won’t warn US if it strikes Iran

By Jeremy Herb

Israeli officials will not warn the United States ahead of a pre-emptive strike on Iran to stop its nuclear program, The Associated Press reported, citing an unnamed U.S. intelligence official.

Israeli officials would not inform U.S. officials in order to decrease the chances that the United States is held responsible for the attack, the AP said, a message that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has delivered to U.S. officials in Israel in recent weeks.

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  February 27, 2012, 9:27 pm

Violence will not shift US Afghan policy

By Amie Parnes and Jeremy Herb

The Obama administration is sending a clear message that it will not change its strategy of withdrawing troops from Afghanistan.

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  February 27, 2012, 5:32 pm

Pentagon: 'Fully committed' to military strategy in Afghanistan

By Jeremy Herb

Pentagon officials said Monday that the U.S. military is not planning to change its strategy in the wake of violence over the burning of Qurans last week that has left more than 30 Afghans dead and seen four U.S. troops killed.

Pentagon press secretary George Little acknowledged that the situation in Afghanistan is tense, but said that the “fundamentals of our strategy remain sound."

“We're not going to let the events of the past week, which are regrettable and unfortunate and tragic, influence the long-horizon view that we're taking,” Little said in a Pentagon briefing Monday.

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  February 27, 2012, 4:48 pm

McKeon bill would block contractors from securing US bases in Afghanistan

By Jeremy Herb

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Buck McKeon (R-Calif.) is planning to introduce a bill this week that would bar private contractors and Afghans in a new private security force from guarding U.S. bases in Afghanistan.

The bill would make it more difficult for U.S. troops to withdraw from Afghanistan, as many bases in Afghanistan often use contractors for security.

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  February 27, 2012, 3:09 pm

Amb. Rice says Afghan violence won’t alter timeline for US withdrawal

By Jeremy Herb

The ambassador to the U.N. said the violence in Afghanistan would not "curtail a vital mission."

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  February 27, 2012, 1:40 pm

Hoyer seeks deficit deal before election despite odds

By Erik Wasson

House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said Monday that he and other House centrists are working to put together a “concrete” deficit-reduction compromise before the November elections.

The effort faces long odds and most deficit hawks assume that the next window of opportunity for a deficit deal would come in the lame-duck session.

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