Pakistan. Enemy images (Michael Krepon, South Asia Monitor)

Members of Congress have embarrassed themselves, this time by a joint subcommittee hearing on whether Pakistan is a friend or foe. Framing a congressional hearing in this binary way reflects the sad state of political discourse on Capitol Hill, where complex issues are boiled down to ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answers. Members of Congress dress themselves in righteous indignation and confuse leadership with generating headlines.

http://southasiamonitor.org/detail.php?type=n&nid=18418

Let Russia’s Planes Keep Flying Over US, Just Like Ike Wanted (Michael Krepon, Stimson Center)

President Dwight D. Eisenhower had a decision to make after the Soviet Union launched Sputnik. He could accept the Kremlin’s right to traverse space above the United States or resolve to deny this form of intelligence gathering through military means. Ike chose to accept increased transparency rather than place future leaders of both countries on a collision course toward warfare in space.

http://www.stimson.org/content/let-russias-planes-keep-flying-over-us-just-ike-wanted