This got buried during the holidays, but Muqtedar Khan wrote an interesting op-ed on a new group of American Muslim scholars, activists, and community leaders, who are launching the Muslim Group on Policy Planning. Needless to say, seeking out Muslim input here at home is a crucial part of any broader Muslim engagement policy.

Oh, and this piece, about why Washington should embrace the European Union, deserves a look. Especially: "A successful EU will not mean the emergence of a military competitor: it requires an amazing feat of imagination to conceive of issues or areas in which the EU might act against U.S. interests."

Um, yep. Not a whole lot to say...