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February 21, 2012 | | TENSIONS While security experts from both the U.S. and Israel speak out against attacking Iran over its nuclear program, GOP candidates are loudly declaring their openness to war—and President Obama is unwilling even to echo the skepticism of his own advisers. The Daily Beast’s Peter Beinart on the scary prospect that the Iraq war hawks could win the debate again. New Normal As the Republican primary candidates go for broke, they’re increasingly dependent on super-PAC help. Expenditure reports filed yesterday reveal that Mitt Romney’s campaign spent almost $19 million in January, three times more than he raised. Gingrich spent close to $6 million, while raising only $5.6 million. But the super PAC supporting Romney spent close to $14 million the same month, mostly attacking Gingrich, while Gingrich spent almost $11 million returning fire. Overall the super PACs supporting the four main GOP candidates raised $22.1 million in January and finished the month with $19.4 million in the bank, $5 million more than the candidates had. The influx of super-PAC money may be responsible for the increase in negative ads. Four years ago, just 6 percent of campaign ads in the GOP primaries attacked other Republicans. This year, more than 50 percent do so. Seventy-two percent of PAC ads are negative. Unrelenting Ignoring Red Cross pleas for a ceasefire, Syrian forces bombarded a rebel-held neighborhood of Homs with heavy artillery, killing at least 16 people and wounding about 340 others, according to activists. The Red Cross is trying to negotiate a pause in the fighting to bring aid to civilians in Homs, who have been under siege for 18 days. In the capital of Damascus, soldiers fired on demonstrators, wounding at least four. The Friends of Syria contact group, consisting of Western powers and the Arab League, meets on Friday to discuss the situation. China and Russia say they would rather back Bashar al-Assad’s promised reforms. Offended Thousands of Afghans protested outside the Bagram airfield in Afghanistan over reports that a Quran had been burned inside the base. Gen. John Allen, commander of the International Security Assistance Force, apologized profusely and said the incident was being investigated. “We are thoroughly investigating the incident and we are taking steps to ensure this does not ever happen again. I assure you ... I promise you ... this was NOT intentional in any way," wrote Allen in a statement. Last April, three days of protests left 20 dead—including seven U.N. workers—after a U.S. pastor burned a Quran in Florida. Handover Yemeni voters go to the polls today, though their options are limited: Vice President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi is the only candidate on the ballot. Nevertheless, the BBC reports that Yemenis in the capital are excited at the prospect of ending President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s 33-year reign. Saleh, for his part, urged people to vote for Hadi to ensure “a peaceful transition of power.” Nevertheless, violence did break out in the south, where separatists are calling for a voter boycott. At least six people were killed at southern polling stations. | | 
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