At The Week, Daniel Larison makes a case for the disbandment of NATO, saying that it is now being used as cover to expand American interests into the Middle East and Africa (emph. mine):

The Alliance is not only outdated for America’s European allies, who increasingly see no reason to participate in “out-of-area” missions, but also functions as a potential enabler of American involvement in parts of Asia and Africa where no vital American interests are at stake. By keeping NATO in existence, Washington leaves itself open to the temptation to meddle in far-flung parts of the globe, even as it provides the superficial “multilateral” cover to make U.S. military intervention overseas more politically palatable.| MORE ›

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is not happy with a new law pardoning mostly Sunni prisoners. Al-Maliki himself is, of course, a Shiite:

Iraq’s Shi’ite leader vowed on Saturday to amend a law meant to foster sectarian reconciliation by pardoning mostly Sunni prisoners, saying it had led to the release of “terrorists” and corruption suspects.| MORE ›

Politico reports:

House Democrats unveiled a $94.2 billion wartime spending bill Monday that adds $9.3 billion to White House requests but also reflects serious doubts about the long-term viability of U.S. commitments to Afghanistan and its neighbor Pakistan.| MORE ›

Sunday, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates would get on a plane to the Middle East, where he would visit Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

Gates and officials in both countries “are likely to discuss the regional security situation, Iraq and Afghanistan, the Middle East peace process,” as well as Iran’s role in the region, a US defense official told reporters, AFP reports.| MORE ›

I sincerely hope that the U.S. will indeed no abandon Iraq. I fear the worst, though.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton assured Iraqis on Saturday that the Obama administration would not abandon their country even as it presses ahead with plans to withdraw American troops amid a recent surge in violence.| MORE ›

The Iraqi government has moved to shut down an Arab newspaper and a TV station operating from Baghdad. The AP reports that Al-Maliki et al.| MORE ›

“And there I was, former president of the United States of America, with a plastic bag on my hand,” former President George W. Bush told a group of graduating high school students in New Mexico on Thursday about one of his first experiences after he left the White House and moved (back) to Dallas, where his dog Barney immediately stopped in a neighbor’s yard for relief.| MORE ›

An Iraqi living in Denmark may have recruited suicide bombers for terrorist organizations in Iraq:

Danish intelligence agency PET suspects a 42-year-old Iraqi man living in Denmark of being the chief Northern European recruiter for suicide bombers for Iraq, Danish newspaper Politiken said Sunday.| MORE ›

Whether or not you agree with Steve Schippert’s take on President Obama’s announcement that he will release photos of terrorist suspects after and while they were interrogated by American forces, the angry tone of the post could be a clear sign of things to come and of how at least some will interpret Obama’s decision:

The assault is relentless.| MORE ›

‘The Department of Defense — on the heels of the firestorm over the release of Bush-era memos on CIA interrogation techniques — said Thursday it plans to make public at least 44 photos depicting potentially abusive treatment of detainees at prisons in Iraq and Afghanistan,’ Fox News reports.| MORE ›

The top US army commander in Iraq said Sunday, General Ray Odierno, told CNN on Sunday that ‘violence in Iraq “remains at 2003 lows” and a 2011 deadline for a US troop exit will be met.’

“Overall violence remains at 2003 lows” with March combat fatalities “the lowest they’ve been since the beginning of the war,” he said.| MORE ›