R&D: Taliban in Talks with Afghan Government, The Impact of Prop. 19, and Intelligence Sharing in a Post-9/11 World

Here is your R&D for October 6th:

Taliban in talks with Karzai government from the Washington Post
Reports indicate that Afghan President Hamid Karzai is meeting with Taliban representatives to negotiate an end to the war in the country.  These talks build on failed ones held by Saudi Arabia last year.

Could California’s Prop. 19 Lead to Pot Legalization Across the U.S.? from Time
This November, California will vote on Proposition 19, which would make the recreational use of marijuana legal and allow California cities to tax it.  Since the measure has a decent chance of passing it could lead to the legalization of marijuana across the U.S.

Faisal Shahzad, French terror arrests, and drone strikes: evidence of a working strategy? from the Christian Science Monitor
There have been many recent successes by intelligence services in thwarting terror plots.  Is this a sign that policing and inteligence-sharing have greatly improved since 9/11?

The Widening Turnout Gap from The Hill (courtesy of RealClearPolitics)
In this op-ed, former Clinton campaign manager Dick Morris discusses how turnout will impact the midterm elections.

Tehran alarm grows at Russia’s defection from the Asia Times
Diplomatic indicators show that Russia is now in the U.S. camp when it comes to dealing with Iran’s nuclear program.  What does this mean for Iran’s foreign policy moving forward?

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