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Now is the time to heed that timeless advice from Teddy Roosevelt: speak softly, but carry a big stick.
President Barack Obama • Speaking before the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the day before he is scheduled to meet with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Although he was quick to condemn what he believed to be “too much loose talk of war”, President Obama pleased many in attendance when he confirmed he would not support “containment” of a nuclear-armed Iran. When asked about the possibility of military intervention, the President replied, “I will not hesitate to use force when it is necessary to defend the United States and its interests.”source

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03 Mar 2012 15:20

One day of protests, and an act of arson, were all it took to take down an unpopular Azerbaijan governor. What began with an appointed governor’s taunts of his own people, ended with the same governor’s resignation according to the Azerbaijan government. In a statement released on Friday, President Ilham Aliyev’s office confirmed that Quban Governor Rauf Gabibov had been removed from his post, after civil unrest on Thursday ended with Gabibov’s mansion in flames and protesters clashing with police. (photo via CNN iReport) source

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I don’t think I have the qualities to be a good European Commission or European Council President.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy • Responding to a reporter’s question about his political future at an EU summit in Brussels, Belgium. The French president’s future came into question because, with elections next month and polls showing him in second, it’s possible this could be his last appearance at an EU summit. Sarkozy also voiced his support for recently re-elected European Council president Herman Van Rompuy, saying “I am sure I would do it less well than him.” source

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With a lead fit for his legend, martial artist Chuck Norris is five weeks away from having a bridge named after him. Online voting doesn’t end until February but, with 74% of votes cast for Norris (who currently hawks Era laundry detergent in the U.S.), it’s hard to imagine another challenger taking the lead. While the final decision will be left to a regional committee, regional governor Pavol Freso said the committee will honor the wishes of the people represented in the poll. “The same way as we have so far been building it in full sight of the public, we will seek that the name is accepted by the public as well,” he said, all but dashing the hopes of second-place “Maria Theresa Bridge”. Then again, five weeks is more than enough time for someone like Stephen Colbert to jump in the race. (Or why stop there? The ShortFormBlog Bridge has a good ring to it! Get to it, internet! Make us structurally sound! — Ed.) source

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After five days of intense protesting across Afghanistan, NATO has recalled all personnel working in its Kabul ministries. The move comes on the heels of reports that two U.S. officials — allegedly one colonel and one major — were shot and killed at the Afghan Interior Ministry building this morning. A NATO spokeswoman would not confirm the rankings of the two servicemen, but did confirm that they were killed by someone who turned a weapon on them. She declined to comment when asked if the killer was a member of the Afghan military or police force. In an emailed statement to the press, the Afghan Taliban claimed credit for the killings, saying they were in retaliation for the burning of Korans at Bagram Air Base earlier this week. (image courtesy of Reuters/Ahmad Masood) source

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