TicTacs #8: Como decimos ayer

Fittingly, somehow, we return to fore with another round of TicTacs. Not so much because these are tiny sweet bits of info, but because that's where we left off.

• McCain elaborates on the 100-year remark on Iraq. You have to admire his frankness - even though I'd think the base issue has not been bilateraly resolved.
• Danish aerospace expert Karsten Marrup reads into the shooting down of the satellite over the Pacific a wish to demonstrate that the missile defense does actually work. Danish centre-left daily Politiken.
• The air tanker deal is nearing an end according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Same story from AFP. Last time around Darleen Druyun got a bit too personally involved in the process, but thanks to people including McCain the scandal broke. According to the Economist the Airbus KC30 is the more capable aircraft - but common sense dictates the American domestic choice.
• A host of new CRS reports from FAS Secrecy News by the indomitable Stephen Aftergood, including "Instances of Use of United States Armed Forces Abroad, 1798-2007," updated January 14, 2008 - oh, and the cost of the GWOT.