Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- January 14, 2011

SUB SNOW - Falling snow covers the Virginia-class attack submarine USS New Hampshire on Naval Submarine Base New London, Groton, Conn., Jan. 12, 2011. U.S. Navy photo by Seaman Michael Henderson

Cut Defense, Ask Questions Later -- Jennifer Rubin, Washington Post

Last week, Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced substantial defense cuts. This week, two of the premises for these cuts dissolved.

On the troop reduction, we are supposed to believe that we will be out of Afghanistan and Iraq by 2014. Vice President Joe Biden said this week that's not necessarily true. So how are we going to absorb the troop reductions? Just extend the deployments? I don't think it is good politics or good policy to put the burden on those fighting for our country.

On the cancellation of the F-22, we were told there was no need to worry about China. Oops, now we know China has a stealth fighter.

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Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials

Tunisia Pushes Out Its Strongman: Could Other Arab Countries Follow? -- Bruce Crumley, Time Magazine

Stay Tuned to Tunisia -- Max Boot, Commentary Magazine

Talking to North Korea -- New York Times

Hezbollah Vs. Lebanon -- IBDeditorials

Mideast threats that can't be ignored -- Jackson Diehl, Washington Post

Around the world, freedom is in decline -- Washington Post editorial

Al-Qaeda Training New Wave of Western Terrorists -- Alana Goodman, Commentary Magazine

Al Qaeda's tentacles -- Bruce Riedel, L.A. Times

Hezbollah's Power Play -- Shibley Telhami, National Interest

On the Brink: Will Lebanon fall into civil war again? -- Michael J. Totten, City Journal

Haiti Without Tears -- IBD Editorials

Euro crisis: The only way to save the euro is the destruction of its members -- Peter Oborne, The Telegraph

America Is Losing the Resource Race -- Jeffrey Folks, American Thinker

A trade deal snub to Latin America -- Bernard Aronson, Washington Post

Could Britain be heading for a crash? -- Simon Heffer, The Telegraph

Did China's economy overtake the U.S. in 2010? -- Joshua Keating, Foreign Policy

The Case for Giving Gen. Petraeus a Fifth Star -- Daniel Halper, Weekly Standard