A.M. Links: No US Troops in Iraq Again, Yet, White House Defends Joe Biden From Bob Gates Criticism, American Military Helicopter Crashes in England

General Ray Odierno, the army chief of staff,
says the U.S. ought to take a “wait
and see” approach to sending troops into Iraq, though the time
was “certainly” not now. The U.S. and Iran both
denied cooperating on the fight against Al Qaeda in Iraq.
Meanwhile in Syria, rebel commanders
warned Al Qaed- linked jihadists that they ought to surrender
or face “massacre,” giving them 48 hours to make a decision, and
non Al Qaeda-affiliated Islamist fighters have reportedly
seized an Al Qaeda headquarters in Aleppo.
Former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates’ new memoirs call into

question the competence of several members of the Obama
administration, including the president. The White House has

responded to Gates’ characterization of Vice President Joe
Biden—Gates called him a man of integrity who was nevertheless
“wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security
issue over the past four decades”—by claiming Biden is, in fact,
competent, and that Obama relies on his counsel every day.
An American military helicopter
crashed off the coast of North Norfolk in England, killing
four.
The FAA
says hobbyists can fly remote controlled aircraft, but when a
journalist used a drone to capture footage he wanted, the FAA says
that was commercial activity and therefore illegal.
The “polar vortex” sending cold air across North America can be

felt as far south as Atlanta. It’s colder than a summer’s day
on Mars.
The mayor of Durham, North Carolina
announced a report on the November death of a teenager in
police custody will be out before Friday. Cops say the teen shot
himself in the head while handcuffed in the back of a police
cruiser.
Sony says it’s sold more than 4.2 million Playstation 4 units
since the console’s November release,
more than 1 million more units than Microsoft said it’s
sold.