The Dutch Are In: After much discussion and dithering, the Dutch parliament has agreed that the Netherlands will send up to 1,700 troops to Afghanistan under the NATO banner. According to the Washington Post, the parliament handily defeated a motion to not send Dutch troops as part of the NATO 6,000-member force that plans to take over from US and coalition troops in southern Afghanistan this summer. Getting the Dutch signed on was a high priority for NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheff.
The use of a military counter-drone laser on the southwest border this week—which prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to abruptly close the airspace over El Paso, Texas—will be a “case study” on the complex web of authorities needed to employ such weapons near civilian areas and the consequences of agencies…
