Huntsman Blasts Obama, Romney and Gingrich

At the National Press Club on Thursday, GOP presidential candidate Jon Huntsman criticized President Obama and fellow GOP presidential candidates Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich for their lack of trust.

“America suffers from a deficit of dollars and jobs. We also suffer from a deficit of trust  ­‑ trust in our institutions of power, from Washington to Wall Street,” Huntsman declared.

“The president came to office with a mandate to restore trust in Washington,” Huntsman continued, “yet his inexperience and failure to lead have left us worse off.”

Huntsman continued to criticize President Obama for wasting “an entire year jamming through a health care plan the American people didn’t ask for and can’t afford,” rather than focusing on developing a plan to improve the economy.

“My opponents offer no better,” Huntsman added in reproach of Romney and Gingrich.

Huntsman categorized Romney as a candidate who “will say anything to earn the voter’s trust” and Gingrich as a product of that same Washington, who participated in the excesses of our broken and polarized political system.”

“We have a choice in this race between a panderer-in-chief, a lobbyist-in-chief and a commander-in-chief,” Huntsman stated as he noted that he was the commander-in-chief.

Huntsman then laid out a seven-fold plan to revive the American economy and restore trust in Washington:

1.     Reform tax code – eliminate loopholes and subsidies to lower rates across the board for individuals and businesses

2.     Cut spending throughout government – reform entitlement programs based on the Ryan plan, while maintaining commitments to those already in retirement

3.     “Make sure no financial entity is too big to fall” – break up big banks on Wall Street

4.     Adopt comprehensive energy strategy that frees the US from foreign oil and eliminates all energy subsidies

5.     Systematically streamline regulations to make free, fair and competitive marketplace

6.     Bring troops home from Afghanistan while leaving an effective counterterrorism presence

7.     Amend constitution such that there are term limits for Congress – six two-year terms for House members and two six-year terms for senators. 

“You may not agree with me on every single issue,” Huntsman concluded, “but you’ll always know exactly where I stand, and I will never waver from my conservative convictions.”

Pakistan In Need Of Fundamental Change, Says Former DNI

By Janie Amaya

Former U.S. National Intelligence Director Ret. Adm. Dennis Blair told reporters Monday that Pakistan requires fundamental change if it is to be a member of the international community.

After NATO’s deadly siege killed 24 Pakistani soldiers last weekend, tensions between the U.S.-Pakistan have increased.

During an event in downtown Washington today, Blair told reporters the U.S. must abandon its short-term relationship goal with Pakistan, allowing it to take action on its side of the border with Afghanistan.

“If our short-term goal is not being achieved, then I think we have to look longer term and we have to go back to a relationship with Afghanistan that makes more sense over the long term,” Blair said.

He added that the U.S. must also deal with the government in Pakistan by helping them put the Army and the Inter-Services Intelligence where they belong. 

“We have to work on long-term things, like trying to change Pakistani education,” Blair said. “I think we have to accept the fact the Pakistan is not going to be a great deal of help to us in the near term with our goals in Afghanistan,” he added.

Blair argued the complex relationship between the U.S. and Pakistan gives the Pakistani people reason for anger, both against their own government and the U.S.

He said in order to get this relationship back on track the U.S. must find ways to operate in both interests.

Kissinger Critiques Obama's Afghan Strategy

By Lisa Kellman

The man who played a quintessential role in shaping Cold War policy, opening China for trade and ending the war in Vietnam shared deep hesitation Tuesday with America’s strategy to effectively leave Afghanistan by 2014.

During a panel discussion at the Woodrow Wilson Center Tuesday, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger argued that the U.S. should attempt to negotiate with Afghanistan’s neighbors before delving into talks with the Taliban.

“For the purposes of ending the war, the first negotiation ought to…be with surrounding countries because the Taliban of all the possible negotiating partners has the greatest interest in getting us out and the least interest in maintaining the subsequent agreement,” said Kissinger.

Surrounding countries will be affected the most by America’s withdrawal, and thus America’s fundamental principle should be to create a framework for Afghanistan that can be sustained by countries that have an interest in conserving it, Kissinger explained.

The issue America now faces with Afghanistan is no different than any other modern American war in history, Kissinger added, including Vietnam. Kissinger said that in Vietnam, Korea, and Afghanistan, America selected objectives that were e too difficult to achieve in the allotted time.

Seven Anti-War Demonstrators Arrested At House Hearing

Seven anti-war protesters were arrested by Capitol Police Thursday after repeatedly interrupting the testimony of Defense officials at a House Armed Services hearing.

The anti-war demonstrators, who have been identified as part of the Occupy DC movement in Freedom Plaza, teamed up with Code Pink and shuffled their way into the crowded hearing room that was expected to hear testimony from Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Martin Dempsey.

According to a statement released by October2011.org, an advocate website for the Occupy DC movement, one of the demonstrators arrested was 21-year-old veteran Michael Patterson, who was deployed to Iraq as an interrogator at the age of 18.

Patterson interrupted the testimony of Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and was eventually arrested and escorted from the hearing room by two Capitol Police officers.

“You are murdering people,” Patterson shouted. “I saw what you do to people in Iraq.”

Demonstrators who failed to infiltrate the hearing room continued to shout, “We are the 99 percent and we don’t support these wars,” throughout the hallways of Rayburn House Office Building.

The seven demonstrators were arrested and charged with disruption of Congress.

Top Afghan Leader Assassinated

By Gabrielle Pffaflin

In Kabul, Tuesday, Former Afghanistan President, Burhanuddin Rabbani died after a suspected Taliban suicide bomber insisted on a face-to-face meeting to broker peace between the Afghan Government and the insurgents.

According to the Associate Press, the bomber claimed to be a top Taliban official and pursued a direct meeting with Rabbani for several days. On Tuesday, the head of the High Peace Council consented to a face-to-face meeting in his home to discuss the possibility of peace with Taliban insurgents.

The bomber, identified as Esmutullah detonated a bomb hidden in his turban when he bowed his head toward Rabbani’s chest during introductions.

Kabul Police Chief, General Mohammad Ayub Salangi suspects the Taliban organized the assassination, however Taliban Spokeman, Zabiullah Mujahid refused to comment.

Mujahid posted on the Taliban website Wednesday, “We are still gathering information on this. Right now our position is that we cannot say anything about this incident.”

U.S. led security forces said another attacker may have been involved, according to the Associated Press. This could not be confirmed by Afghan officials, however the assassin’s driver remains in custody.

Recent chaos, coupled with the diplomat’s death encourages international doubt whether the Afghan Government can secure the country and make peace with the insurgents.