It is a help that the South's new president has long held constructive views on reunification, in contrast to the outgoing government's sterile position that North Korea would just collapse if everyone waited long enough.

CNN: A year of Living Dangerously

Indeed, Olmert and his deputy and successor as leader of the Kadima party outgoing Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni never developed any coherent position on Iran at all.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Remembering Olmert's true record

But it should not be from the vantage point of chairman of the relevant appropriations subcommittee, a position of responsibility that - as the outgoing chair of the House Veterans Affairs Committee recently learned the hard way - is not entrusted by the leadership to those with their own agenda.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Hobson's choices (cont.)

The outgoing US Defence Secretary Robert Gates is in that privileged position, and he's let rip about some of America's allies in Nato.

BBC: Robert Gates on Nato's dim future

The outgoing officer's first assistant can automatically fill the position for 120 days, at which point (or before) the President must put forth a nominee, or the President can appoint any other officer previously confirmed by the Senate.

FORBES: Fact and Comment

Even if his PML-N does not have an outright majority, its projected margin of victory suggests it will be in a much stronger position than the PPP was at the head of the outgoing coalition.

BBC: Pakistan vote: Nawaz Sharif in talks on new government

He does not want to be over-dependent on the mood among deputies: although TIM held 120 of the seats in the outgoing assembly, there is no guarantee that it will maintain such a dominant position in the new house.

ECONOMIST: Madagascar's government calls an early election

Outgoing Italian Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi last week said Italy has "a very solid position" on the marines' case.

WSJ: India Extends Ban on Italian Envoy