World News Briefs -- November 20, 2009 (Evening Edition)

Pakistan Worries Over New U.S. Afghan Strategy -- Reuters

SLAMABAD, Nov 20 (Reuters) - As the United States ponders its Afghan strategy, Pakistan is waiting nervously, worried that a U.S. troops surge would widen the war but also keen to see a robust U.S. commitment that would convince the Taliban to talk.

U.S. President Barack Obama pledged on Wednesday to end the Afghan war before he leaves office.

He said he would announce the results of his long-awaited review soon and it would include an exit strategy to avoid "a multi-year occupation that won't serve the interests of the United States".

Read more ....

MIDDLE EAST

Iraq election official: Even if Kurdish boycott averted, January deadline impossible.

Israeli air strikes target Gaza 'smuggling tunnels'.

UN watchdog presses Iran over nuclear deadlock. 6 world powers meet about Iran nuclear issue.

Palestinians say Israeli move could kill peace process. Israel arrests 5 PA intelligence officers.

Iraq refugees face dwindling UN funds, creating concerns of unrest.

ASIA

India PM heads to US in test of ties with Obama.

Korea says no to US trade talks.

Suicide bomber kills 16 in western Afghanistan.

China 'threatens U.S. influence on S.Korea'.

Japan, China agree to improve military, political exchanges.

Pakistan: 8 militants killed in reported US strike.

Afghanistan is world's worst place to be born: U.N.

AFRICA

Sudan cattle clashes kill dozens.

North Africa's escalating soccer war.

African leaders left disappointed at end of UN Food Summit.

China helps the powerful in Namibia.

Clashes outside Algerian embassy in Cairo.

EUROPE

Ireland hopes dashed as Fifa says no to replay with France.

Putin seals Russia-Ukraine gas deal, boosting EU energy security.

Ukraine reports 354 flu deaths since start of October.

Mixed response as top EU figures named.

The modern Iron Curtain is made of gas pipelines.

Britain hit by floods after record rainfall.

AMERICAS

Argentina forces dirty war orphans to provide DNA.

Guatemala slowly confronts widespread rape of women.

Honduran President to briefly step down during national elections.

Colombia says will not be provoked by Venezuela. Colombia says Venezuelan soldiers blew up 2 border bridges.

Canada rules out possible Afghan torture probe.

TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR

Arrests in Chicago drive home global nature of terrorism threat.

Fox News poll: Mixed views on calling Ft. Hood shooting act of terrorism.

Inside Barack Obama's plan to close Guantanamo.

Lithuanian probe alleged CIA prison.

Army lacks guide on jihadists in ranks.

ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS

U.S. Congress attacks Fed, Treasury.

What's Obama's trade policy? So far, there isn't much of one.

Goldman's chief executive apologizes for part in fiscal crisis.

Record 9.6 percent of homeowners are behind on their mortgages.

Sending Extra Troops To Afghanistan Will Be No Easy Task

MEETING MISSION - U.S. and Afghan soldiers walk from Combat Outpost Munoz towards the district center to attend a meeting with local leaders to address regional concerns in Paktika province, Afghanistan, Nov. 13, 2009. The U.S. soldiers are assigned to Company B, 3rd Battalion, 509th Infantry Regiment. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Andrew Smith

Afghanistan Troop Surge Could Be A Slow Rollout -- Christian Science Monitor

Any surge of US troops to Afghanistan is likely to be tougher than it was in Iraq, because of the dearth of good roads and airfields, say defense officials.

Washington - When it comes to deploying additional forces to Afghanistan, the Pentagon confronts an infrastructural problem summed up by one senior military official: "Iraq is stuck in 1950, Afghanistan is stuck in 1310."

President Obama's decision on deploying more troops to Afghanistan is still a week or so away. But operating under the assumption that more forces may be headed there in the coming months, Pentagon planners have been trying to figure out how fast they can get troops and equipment on the ground.

Read more ....

More News On What Will An American Surge
Into Afghanistan Will Look Like

Gates: Expect a Slow-Mo ‘Surge’ to Afghanistan -- The Danger Room
Gates says Afghan surge could happen swiftly -- AP
Afghanistan deployments set to slow -- The Hill
Gates Says Afghan Surge Could Happen Swiftly -- FOX News

U.S. Military Puts Limits On Sarah Palin's Book Tour On Bases

Fort Bragg Puts Limits On Palin Visit -- New Observer

Sarah Palin kicked off her book tour in Michigan this week, and thousands gathered outside a Barnes & Noble chanting her name, giving the event the feel of a political pep rally. The Army wants Palin's appearance at Fort Bragg on Monday to be much quieter.

The base has asked Palin not to make a speech at a public book-signing at the base exchange; she also will not write personal notes, pose for photographs or sign anything besides her new memoir, "Going Rogue: An American Life."

Read more ....

More News On Sarah Palin's Book Tour On U.S. Military Bases

'Sarah Rules' Aren't Uniform at U.S. Military Bases -- FOX News
Rules Differ for Palin at Military Bases -- CBS News
Army limits media access at Palin event at NC base -- My Way News
Army limits media access for Palin event at Bragg -- Chicago Tribune
US Army restricts media at Palin event -- AFP
Army Tried To Ban Press From Palin's Visit To Base -- Law Review
Media banned from Palin event at Fort Bragg -- American Chronicle
Fort Bragg officials will restrict media access at Sarah Palin event -- RCFP
Army fears anti-Obama politics at Palin event -- AP
Fearing Obama-bashing, Army limits media access to Palin event at Fort Bragg -- Hot Air
Sarah Palin to visit Fort Bragg on Monday -- Digital Journal

India Steps Up Its Fight Against Naxalites

(Image from The Scholar's Stage)

From Time Magazine:

Late-night digging along the back roads of Bastar, a dense jungle region in India's northern state of Chhattisgarh, can only mean one thing if there's nothing to show for it the next day: Maoist rebel activity. So when a group of villagers in the state's Kanker district, the gateway to Bastar, were kept awake for nights on end last month by repeated chinking from metal striking rock on a nearby road, they knew something was up.

Read more ....

My Comment: The Scholar's Stage has an excellent summary on this conflict in India. The link is here.

A Third Lebanon War Could Be Much Worse Than The Second -- A Commentary

Israel - Hezbollah War 2006. Photo from The L.A. Times

From Commentary Magazine:

Hezbollah's Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah recently announced that he could hit any and every place in Israel with long-range missiles. That would mean that, unlike in 2006, Hezbollah could strike not only the northern cities of Kiryat Shmona and Haifa but also Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Ben-Gurion International Airport, and the Dimona nuclear-power plant.

I dismissed his claim as a wild boast last week, but Israeli army commander Major General Gabi Ashkenazi confirmed it this week. So while we've all been worried about Iran's nuclear-weapons program, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been quietly arming his chief terrorist proxy with more advanced conventional weapons.

Read more ....

My Comment: Michael Totten has become one the best writers on the Middle East in the past few years. This post on Lebanon does not disappoint.

Debate Shifts to Afghan Exit Plan

Brown and Obama: The speech comes after Mr Brown held talks with President Barack Obama at the White House Photo: EPA

From The Wall Street Journal:

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown have turned the focus of Afghan war planning toward an exit strategy, publicly declaring that the U.S. and its allies can't send additional troops without a plan for getting them out.

The shift has unnerved some U.S. and foreign officials, who say that planning a pullout now -- with or without a specific timetable -- encourages the Taliban to wait out foreign forces and exacerbates fears in the region that the U.S. isn't fully committed to their security.

Read more ....

My Comment: You must never tell the enemy the exact details of your plan .... but this type of thinking is not shared by President Obama or U.K. PM Brown. One is then left with two perceptions of both men .... (1) they have no understanding or sensitivity on what their comments may do on the Afghan battlefield .... demoralizing our allies and emboldening our enemies. Or (2) this is done deliberately to confuse and obfuscate the enemy.

I tend to side with option #1.

Colombian - Venezuelan Tensions Increase After Venezuela Blows Up Bridges That Connect The Two Countries

Colombians walk next to a bridge that crosses into Colombia which was blown up by Venezuelan soldiers Photograph: Stringer/colombia/Reuters

Venezuela Blows Up Border Bridges With Colombia -- The Guardian

Tensions raised between two countries as troops dynamite rural walkways Venezuela claims are used by smugglers and militia.

Venezuela has blown up two pedestrian bridges on its border with Colombia in the latest sign of deteriorating relations between the Andean neighbours.

Soldiers destroyed the walkways because they were being used by illegal militia and drug traffickers, said Eusebio Aguero, an army general based in the border state of Táchira.

Read more ....

More News On The Tensions Between Colombia And Venezuela

Venezuela Dynamites Colombia Bridges as Strain Mounts -- Bloomberg
Border bridges blown up as row worsens -- News.com.au
Colombia-Venezuela divide widens -- Al Jazeera
Colombia accuses Venezuela of blowing up border bridges -- BBC
Colombia says Venezuela blows up two border bridges -- Reuters
Venezuela's Chavez ramps up rhetoric in dispute with Colombia and U.S. -- Vancouver Sun
Chavez's threats of war against Colombia should raise alarm bells -- L.A. Times

Taliban Chief Hides Among Pakistan Populace

Photo: Mullah Omar

From The Washington Times:

Pakistani intelligence aids Mullah Omar's move to Karachi.Mullah Mohammed Omar, the one-eyed leader of the Afghan Taliban, has fled a Pakistani city on the border with Afghanistan and found refuge from potential U.S. attacks in the teeming Pakistani port city of Karachi with the assistance of Pakistan's intelligence service, three current and former U.S. intelligence officials said.

Mullah Omar, who hosted Osama bin Laden and other al Qaeda leaders when they plotted the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, had been residing in Quetta, where the Afghan Taliban shura -- or council -- had moved from Kandahar after the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.

Read more ....

My Comment: Reading stories like this one do not surprise me .... but still .... when one realizes that we give Pakistan's ISI hundreds of millions in aid each year .... it is both depressing and concerning that if these are our allies, we are definitely in trouble.

We should also be concerned about the following .... if they should conduct themselves in this manner, what else are they doing that they are not telling us. In a country that has a stockpile of nuclear weapons and nuclear materials .... this is a question that should always be on our minds when we do business with these people. But something is telling me that we do not .... and if anything .... it appers that we are in denial with what is happening in this region.

Is The U.S. Military About To Suffer The Same Fate?

U.S. Losing Its Lead In Space, Experts Warn Congress -- McClatchy News

WASHINGTON — America's once clear dominance in space is eroding as other nations, including China, Iran and North Korea, step up their activities, a panel of experts told the House subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics Thursday.

"Others are catching up fast,'' said Marty Hauser, vice president for Washington operations at the Space Foundation, an advocacy organization headquarters in Colorado Springs. "Of particular note over the past decade is the emergence of China's human spaceflight capabilities.''

Read more ....

My Comment: The real competitor is China. The Chinese political and societal will to succeed in their Space Program and the willingness to spend the resources necessary to succeed far outstrips what motivates Congress and the White House when it comes to America's own space program.

The same can now be said about each countries military. The political energy and the motivation to succeed to be the #1 military in the world exists in the mindset of China's political leaders. I cannot say the same about Congress and President Obama.

The military .... like any other institution .... derives its energy from the top. The contrasts between China and America's military is striking, and one cannot help but feel that in 10-20 years this will be translated into a growing and robust Chinese military to a declining U.S. military footprint.

Afghanistan War News Updates -- November 20, 2009

Worst Place For The World's Children: Afghanistan -- Foreign Policy

Where is the worst place for children to be born in 2009, especially girls? Surprise! Afghanistan. Today, UNICEF published a special report titled State of the World's Children; Daniel Toole, UNICEF regional director for South Asia, told a news briefing in Geneva earlier today:

Afghanistan today is without a doubt the most dangerous place to be born.

After eight years since the U.S. invasion, this is just one more incentive to encouarge the Obama administration to make a decision on its role in the region.

Read more ....

More News On Afghanistan

Afghanistan is world's worst place to be born: U.N. -- Reuters
Eight Years Later: 'Most Dangerous Place To Be Born' -- ABC News

Karzai Sworn In for Second Term as President -- New York Times
Karzai Has Plenty of Promises for the West -- Wall Street Journal
Karzai Sets Key Goals in Inaugural Address -- Washington Post
US Aims to Hold Afghanistan's Karzai to His Pledges of Reform -- L.A. Times

Obama Won't Make Afghan Decision Before Thanksgiving, Aides Say -- FOX News
White House Aides: No Afghan Decision Before Thanksgiving -- Washington Post
Gates says Afghan surge could happen swiftly -- AP

Brown Vows to Continue War Effort in Afghanistan -- New York Times
Brown Gets Ahead of the U.S. on Afghanistan Policy -- Wall Street Journal
British Support for Afghan War Fades -- Time Magazine

Germany remains commited to NATO mission in Afghanistan -- Deutsche Welle
Germany to reassess Afghan troop levels next year -- Reuters

US Defense Secretary Urges Against Afghan Withdrawal Timeline -- Voice of America
Improvements in Afghan Governance Will Take Time, Gates Says -- U.S. Department of Defense
Mullen: Talks Favor Broad Afghanistan Solution -- U.S. Department of Defense

Taliban Chief Hides Among Pakistan Populace -- Washington Times
Suicide bomber kills 16 in western Afghanistan -- Yahoo News/AP

Commentaries And Analysis

To Succeed in Afghanistan, We Must Fail -- Gerard Russell, Los Angeles Times
Opinion: How to finance the war in Afghanistan? -- C.M. Sennot, Global Post
Obama the Undecider -- Michael Gerson, Washington Post opinion
Afghans Want Obama to Hold Karzai's Feet to the Fire -- Pashtoon Atif, Los Angeles Times

World News Briefs -- November 20, 2009

U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Sean Cain, with Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, performs a radio check during a security patrol in the Nawa district of the Helmand province, Afghanistan, on Nov. 9, 2009. The 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment is a ground combat element deployed with Regimental Combat Team 7, which conducts counterinsurgency operations in partnership with Afghan National Security Forces in southern Afghanistan. DoD photo by Lance Cpl. Jeremy Harris, U.S. Marine Corps. (Released)

White House Aides: No Afghan Decision Before Thanksgiving -- Washington Post

SEOUL -- President Obama will not announce his decision on sending more troops to Afghanistan before the Thanksgiving holiday, senior aides said Thursday.

The news came as the president greeted 1,500 troops at Osan Air Base in South Korea, just before boarding Air Force One and heading back to Washington after an eight-day trip to Asia.

Read more ....

MIDDLE EAST

UN watchdog presses Iran over nuclear deadlock. 6 world powers meet about Iran nuclear issue.

Palestinians say Israeli move could kill peace process. Israel arrests 5 PA intelligence officers.

Iraq refugees face dwindling UN funds, creating concerns of unrest.

ASIA

Suicide bomber kills 16 in western Afghanistan.

China 'threatens U.S. influence on S.Korea'.

Japan, China agree to improve military, political exchanges.

Pakistan: 8 militants killed in reported US strike.

Afghanistan is world's worst place to be born: U.N.

AFRICA

African leaders left disappointed at end of UN Food Summit.

China helps the powerful in Namibia.

Clashes outside Algerian embassy in Cairo.

EUROPE

Mixed response as top EU figures named.

The modern Iron Curtain is made of gas pipelines.

Britain hit by floods after record rainfall.

AMERICAS

Honduran President to briefly step down during national elections.

Colombia says Venezuelan soldiers blew up 2 border bridges.

Canada rules out possible Afghan torture probe.

TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR

Inside Barack Obama's plan to close Guantanamo.

Lithuanian probe alleged CIA prison.

Army lacks guide on jihadists in ranks.

ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS

U.S. Congress attacks Fed, Treasury.

What's Obama's trade policy? So far, there isn't much of one.

Goldman's chief executive apologizes for part in fiscal crisis.

Record 9.6 percent of homeowners are behind on their mortgages.

Are The CIA - DNI Wars Finished?

The Real Intelligence Wars: Oversight And Access -- The Atlantic

For months, the CIA director, Leon Panetta, and the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), Adm. Dennis Blair (ret.), fought an intense and acrimonious turf battle over covert action oversight and access to White House officials. Last week, the two men agreed to a truce when they signed a classified memorandum brokered by the National Security Adviser, James Jones.

Through intermediaries, Panetta and Blair crossed swords over who should appoint senior intelligence representatives in foreign countries. Now, through interviews, new details are emerging about other, more sensitive conflicts between the two men and their agencies, including which agency is responsible for oversight of the CIA's controversial and classified Predator drone program.

Read more ....

My Comment: After 9/11 the nation's Intelligence Agencies were unified and dedicated in the destruction of Al Qaeda, the successful invasion of Afghanistan, and the bringing to justice those terrorists who brought upon us this disaster. In short .... the priority was the protection of the United States, and to bring to justice those who conceptualized and delivered this catastrophe.

Today .... the men and women of our intelligence agencies are now threatened with legal sanctions for conduct that is now frowned upon and disallowed by our political leaders. The war in Afghanistan now favors the Taliban and their Al Qaeda allies. Iraq is still precarious .... with no guarantee that violence will return. Uncertainty about Iran's nuclear program continues, with little if any credible intelligence to assist us in knowing what are their intentions and goals. North Korea is still a mystery. China has initiated massive espionage operations against us. And Bin Laden is still on the loose.

And what do the heads of the CIA and DNI do .... fight amongst themselves for power and influence and to make sure that they have face time with President Obama.

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- November 20, 2009

In Nod to Global Warming, Navy Preps for ‘Ice Free’ Arctic -- The Danger Room

The dwindling Arctic ice cap has launched an international race for control of northern waters: Russia, Canada, Denmark, and even China are hustling to expand their military presence, plant flags and eye those 90 billion barrels of natural gas under the cap. Now the U.S. Navy’s getting ready for the thaw, with a strategic plan to maximize the U.S. stake up north.

Read more ....

MILITARY AND INTELLIGENCE NEWS BRIEFS

Rare Aviation Feat Accomplished Twice On Ike -- Navy.mil

Robot Forklift Heralds Progress for Unmanned Logistics -- War Is Boring

Accidental Civilian Deaths on the Rise -- Information Dissemination

F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF)–Not ready -- ELP Defens(c)e Blog

Allies quietly urging Canada to deploy CF-18s to Afghanistan -- The Montreal Gazette

The Air Force’s Tug-of-War -- The D-Ring

China’s New Missile May Create a ‘No-Go Zone’ for U.S. Fleet -- Bloomberg

China Copies C-17 and C-130J -- Strategy Page

Intelligence Ops Greatest Chinese Threat to U.S. -- Defense News

US Cyber Defenses Full of Holes -- DoD Buzz

U.S. Panel Sees No Need for A-Bomb Upgrade -- New York Times

Aircraft Carrier News -- November 19, 2009

The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force helicopter destroyer JS Hyuga (DDH 181) leads a formation of U.S. Navy and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ships during Annual Exercise (ANNUALEX 21G).

Carrier Alternative Weekly -- New Wars

Calcutta’s Carrier Conundrum

It’s official now. None of the 2 new British aircraft carriers will be going to India as earlier reported. Still, it seemed like a good idea, so much that we “scooped” the plan last week while working on the draft for this week’s post. I kept the proposal in, because next year’s UK Defence Review might still hold some surprises!

We have posted on this story before, of India’s continous attempts to replace aging warships and create a modern naval air arm. In so doing, they find themselves in an amazing predicament, in no wise unique, according to the Times of India:

Read more ....

More News On Aircraft Carriers

Keel laid for newest Navy aircraft carrier -- Navy Times
Shipyard lays keel of carrier in solemn tribute to Gerald R. Ford -- Daily Press
Gerald R. Ford keel laying kicks off construction on massive aircraft carrier -- MLive.com
Heavy metal: Shipbreaker gets biggest project to date with Navy carrier's arrival -- Brownsville Herald
India's sole aircraft carrier turns 50 Wednesday -- Sify News
Navy chief to wish 50th 'happy birthday' to Viraat -- Times Of India
Russia, India agree to sign new deal on aircraft carrier overhaul -- RIA Novosti
Russia, India close to resolving Adm. Gorshkov impasse -- domain-b
Royal Navy Invests £55M In New Aircraft Carriers -- The Gov Monitor
China’s New Missile May Create a ‘No-Go Zone’ for U.S. Fleet -- Bloomberg
Chinese missile threatens US Navy’s Pacific fleet -- The First Post
China to build anti-ship BMs -- Global Times
Inside one of America’s largest warships -- MSNBC
Chinese Aircraft Carrier Program -- ISN
Can Killer Drones Land on Carriers Like Human Top Guns? -- The Danger Room
Vought schedules carrier-landing taster for F-35C test aircraft -- Flight Global

A Glimpse At How The Israeli Air Force Trains Its PilotsTo Confront Its Enemies

Virtual Reality, Psych Prep Help IAF -- The Jerusalem Post

In the face of a growing anti-aircraft and ballistic missile threat against Israel, the IAF plans to conduct special seminars to prepare pilots and ground crews for future conflicts, The Jerusalem Post has learned.

The seminar will first be held for pilots who, in a future conflict with Hamas, Hizbullah, Syria or Iran, are expected to have to deal with an unprecedented number of surface-to-air missiles, most of them Russian-made.

Read more ....

My Comment: The part of the article that I found interesting was the following ....

The Heron TP is the largest Israeli UAV, with a 26-meter long wingspan, the same length as a Boeing 737. It weighs 4,650 kilograms and can fly at an altitude of up to 45,000 feet.

The Heron TP is capable of reaching Iran and, according to Defense News, is capable of carrying more than a ton of weapons as well as specialized sensors, electronic warfare and targeting gear in its forward section, its principal payload bay and on each tail of its twin boom.

For a suicide mission, this would be the perfect UAV. I knew that the Israelis were advanced in UAV technology, but it is only now that I understand why many countries are interested in purchasing this tech .... on paper it is impressive.

The U.S. Defense Budget Will Decline Steadily In The Years To Come

Pentagon Budget Drop Anticipated -- The Hill

Congressional budget experts predict defense spending will decline steadily as a share of the U.S. gross domestic product, dipping below 3 percent by 2028.

The projection comes as senior defense authorizers from both parties raise concerns about budget constraints shaping Pentagon spending in fiscal 2011 and several years beyond.

“The picture is not a pretty one,” Rep. Ike Skelton (D-Mo.), the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said in his opening statement Wednesday at a hearing on future defense budgets.

Read more ....

My Comment: Bottom line .... the Pentagon is going to get less in the years to come.

Inside A CIA Secret "Torture" Prison

A photo taken on November 19, 2009 shows a training center of the Lithuanian State Security Department, the country's domestic intelligence agency, in Antavilis near Vilnius Photo: AFP/GETTY

EXCLUSIVE: CIA Secret 'Torture' Prison Found at Fancy Horseback Riding Academy -- ABC News

ABC News Finds the Location of a "Black Site" for Alleged Terrorists in Lithuania

The CIA built one of its secret European prisons inside an exclusive riding academy outside Vilnius, Lithuania, a current Lithuanian government official and a former U.S. intelligence official told ABC News this week.

Where affluent Lithuanians once rode show horses and sipped coffee at a café, the CIA installed a concrete structure where it could use harsh tactics to interrogate up to eight suspected al-Qaeda terrorists at a time.

Read more ....

My Comment: After 9/11 almost every political leader in the world was not only dedicated in helping the U.S. to prevent another attack, but they were also dedicated to the destruction of Al Qaeda as an effective terrorism organization.

Today .... every politician wants to wash their hands from what had to be done to prevent another 9/11 attack, and to what also had to be done to bring to justice those who had perpetuated such a horrible act.

After 91 Years The End Of An Era For The RAF

The flight marks the end of the RAF using Northern Ireland as a base

From the BBC:

The last RAF squadron based in Northern Ireland has left Aldergrove, the Ministry of Defence has said.

On Tuesday morning 230 "Tiger" Squadron took off in a helicopter diamond formation from Aldergrove for their new base at RAF Benson in Oxfordshire.

The flight of the Pumas marked the end of the RAF's 91-year history of flying from Northern Ireland.

Wing Commander Rich Maddison said an "important chapter in the RAF's history" had closed.

Read more ....

My Comment: After so many years of fighting, bitterness, war and civil strife .... it all ends with a whimper.

An On The Ground Action Report From Afghanistan

US Apache helicopter (Photo from The Daily Mail)

Taliban Biker Militia: Anatomy Of A Failed Afghanistan Ambush -- Christian Science Monitor

The Taliban rode Honda motorcycles, but US and Afghanistan troops didn't fall for trap set by hardened, battle-ready insurgents.

Forward Operating Base Nawbahar, Afghanistan - The Taliban had set a trap for the tiny company of Afghan soldiers here, its handful of US mentors and the American helicopters that they expected would rush in to help.

Firing mortars to lure the Americans and Afghans out of their mud-straw base, the motorcycle-borne Taliban headed toward a nearby ravine. Dozens of insurgents with light machine guns, a recoilless rifle and four trucks bearing three anti-aircraft guns and a heavy machine gun were set up in a classic ambush from high ground.

Read more ....

My Comment: Some days they get you, other days you get them. In this battle, U.S./Afghan forces got them.

Do The Chinese Have A 5th Generation Jet Fighter In The Pipeline?

Lt Col Wade Tolliver, 27 FS director of operations, delivers the second permanent F/A-22 at Langley AFB on 8 June 2005 photo by TSgt Ben Bloker

DIA On China's New fighter -- The Washington Times

The Defense Intelligence Agency is sticking by its estimates of when China will deploy a fifth-generation jet fighter after recent remarks by a Chinese general that Beijing's most advanced jet could be fielded by 2017 - years earlier than U.S. intelligence projections.

"We believe that first flight of a Chinese fifth-generation fighter will occur in the next few years; however, we also believe it will take about 10 years before the [People's Liberation Army] begins to operationally deploy a fifth-generation fighter in meaningful numbers," DIA spokesman Donald Black told Inside the Ring.

Read more ....

My Comment: I have trouble seeing the Chinese being able to develop a 5th Generation aircraft in such a short period of time. The only way this is possible is if they have been successful in stealing the blue prints for the F-22, and that they have a complete understanding on what each of the hundreds of thousands components on the plane are capable of doing.

I know that the Chinese are good at copying technology, and they are also good at manufacturing .... but to be able to do this at the same sophisticated level of U.S. jet manufacturers .... nope. I am sure that the Chinese will eventually develop a fifth generation aircraft .... but not in the next 5-10 years.

Cuba's Raúl Castro As Ruthless As Fidel

The Castro Brothers

From Miami Herald:

A report by Human Rights Watch paints Raúl Castro's regime in Cuba as little more than a continuation of his brother's `abusive laws and institutions.'

Cuba's government remains as repressive under Raúl Castro as it was under his brother Fidel, according to the first in-depth report on the island's human rights since the younger Castro took power.

Titled ``New Castro, Same Cuba,'' the report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) details a skein of cruel pressures on dissidents, relatives and friends that belie initial hopes Raúl Castro would be different.

Read more ....

My Comment: Fidel had many of his opponents executed or thrown in prison, and the rest (about 3 million) kicked out .... and his brother is worse?!?!?!

I Guess President Obama's Trip To China Did Not Impress The Chinese Leadership

A guard of honor is covered by his flag at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing in 2008. China is sharply stepping up espionage against the United States as the rising Asian power grows more sophisticated in cyber warfare and spy recruitment, a report to Congress warned Thursday. (AFP/File/Teh Eng Koon)

China Ramps Up Espionage Against US: Study -- Yahoo News/AFP

WASHINGTON (AFP) – China is sharply stepping up espionage against the United States as the rising Asian power grows more sophisticated in cyber warfare and spy recruitment, a report to Congress warned Thursday.

"China is changing the way that espionage is being done," said Carolyn Bartholomew, the chair of the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission.

Read more ....

My Comment: And they are just starting. China is not going to stop, and from what little we know they are pouring even more money into recruiting spies and developing the infrastructure to support them.

Their motivations are simple, as big as the CIA and NSA are for the U.S. .... China's goal will be to not only match what these organizations are doing, but to surpass them. They are learning from the best, and like most students they want to surpass their teacher (i.e. us).

Give them 10-20 more years .... and I expect them to be doing just that.

How Debt Can Lead To Global Collapse .... With Wars Usually Following

Explosion of debt: Japan's public debt could reach as much as 270pc of GDP in the next two years. A bullet train is pictured speeding past Mount Fuji in Fuji city, west of Tokyo Photo: Reuters

Société Générale Tells Clients How To Prepare For Potential 'Global Collapse' -- The Telegraph

Société Générale has advised clients to be ready for a possible "global economic collapse" over the next two years, mapping a strategy of defensive investments to avoid wealth destruction.

In a report entitled "Worst-case debt scenario", the bank's asset team said state rescue packages over the last year have merely transferred private liabilities onto sagging sovereign shoulders, creating a fresh set of problems.

Overall debt is still far too high in almost all rich economies as a share of GDP (350pc in the US), whether public or private. It must be reduced by the hard slog of "deleveraging", for years.

Read more ....

My Comment: Some of my more devoted friends and readers have always squinted their eyes when I posted stories on the financial crisis in this blog .... a blog that is 98% dedicated to military/intelligence/international affairs/war news.

But this should not be a surprise .... history has shown that economic growth and development has always been instrumental in maintaining peace and stability between countries. If this stability in growth should stop, the subsequent political turmoil has always translated into internal conflicts followed by wars and conflicts between neighboring states.

I will never forget a paper that I read which described the Weimer Republic in Germany during the early 1930s and what they went through when they experienced hyper inflation.

Paraphrasing ..... debt lead to a collapse in the value of money that resulted in a period of hyper inflation .... an economic tsunami that impacted everyone in Germany. The buildings still stood untouched. No windows were broken. There was no rioting in the streets The trains ran on time. But there were millions of victims. Two years later in a national election these same victims gave a mandate to Adolf Hitler to save them from their economic malaise.

So yeah .... I do pay attention to economic trends and their impact on nations. And articles like the above do get my attention, because they are usually a harbinger of things to come.

Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- November 19, 2009

The site is normally crawling with tourists, but was
shut down for the US leader's visit Photo: EPA

Circling Sharks Smell American Blood -- Victor Davis Hanson

On his recent trip to Asia, President Obama found China, Japan and South Korea - like many nations these days - in no mood to hear more American lectures.

Beijing is worried about owning so much American debt. Tokyo is tiring of an American military base in Okinawa, and wants to redefine its relationship with us. Seoul is starting to doubt American commitment to keep it safe from North Korea.

Why all the sudden pushback to our charismatic president?

Read more ....

Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials

Afghans want Obama to hold Karzai's feet to the fire -- Pashtoon Atif, LAT

Hamid Karzai said all the right things, but he does not have the power to deliver -- Con Coughlin, The Telegraph

To Win Afghanistan, We Must Lose -- Gerard Russell, Los Angeles Times

Crunch time for a botched mission -- David Davis, The Independent

O's China kowtow -- Peter Brookes, New York Post

Obama's Beijing balancing act points to the new challenge for the west -- Timothy G. Ash, The Guardian

Overestimating Chinese Power, And The State Of Sino-American Relations -- Pejman Yousefzadeh, The New Ledger

How to Reinvent China's Growth -- John Gapper, Financial Times

ASEAN and the Cambodia-Thailand Row -- Huala Adolf, Jakarta Post

Irish demand World Cup replay -- Times Online

World News Briefs -- November 19, 2009 (Evening Edition)

Diplomats said Belgium's Prime Minister Herman van Rompuy
has been named the EU's first president. Reuters

Belgian Premier Van Rompuy Named First EU President -- Wall Street Journal

BRUSSELS -- European Union leaders picked the low-key prime minister of Belgium and a British trade representative who's never held elective office as the bloc's first president and foreign minister.

There were weeks of complex back-and-forth, but the heads of the 27 EU nations settled quickly on Herman Van Rompuy and Catherine Ashton over dinner here Thursday after former British Prime Minister Tony Blair -- hoping for a political resurrection -- lost the backing of his government.

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MIDDLE EAST

Report: Abbas says Israel secretly talking with Hamas.

Syria suspected of concealing nuclear activity.

Iran rejects deal on sending uranium abroad.

Iran points to Saudi terrorism in Yemen.

Iraq January election on hold.

Israeli air strikes wound three in Gaza.

Obama: Israeli settlement construction could be 'dangerous'. Palestinians say Israeli move could kill peace process. Israel brushes off Obama criticism over Jerusalem.

ASIA

Standoff with Sri Lankan asylum seekers ends.

$30m bribe claim sours west’s hope that Karzai can show he is fit to lead.

Obama, S.Korea's Lee want North to end nuclear plans.

Obama wraps up 4-nation tour of Asia.

Pakistan: Suicide bomber kills 30 outside Peshawar court.

India PM heads to U.S. in test of ties with Obama.

AFRICA

Violence in Chad drives aid away.

Qatar launches Darfur talks without warring parties.

Activist probing Guinea massacre denied entry.

Ethiopian court convicts 26 in alleged coup plot.

African leaders left disappointed at end of UN food summit.

EUROPE

Ukraine raises fees on Russian Gas. Ukraine PM seeks to calm fears of new gas war.

EU, Russia agree to cooperate in climate, energy fields.

Leaders set to pick EU president. Europe haggles over filling Presidential and foreign policy posts.

AMERICAS

Mexico anti-abortion fight moves to Federal level .

Talk of Plan B -- a power plant-only climate bill -- emerges in U.A. Senate.

Court: Army Corps of Engineers liable for Katrina flooding.

Sides gear up for fight over US ban on travel to Cuba.

Former hostages of Colombian paramilitary group suing former captors.

TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR

Terrorists inside U.S. increase attacks, panel hears.

TV ad seeks to recruit Arab-Americans to CIA.

Holder defends decision to use U.S. court for 9/11 trial.

Guantanamo likely to miss closure deadline, Obama says.

Behind missed Gitmo deadline: Detainees unwanted.

Lithuania investigates facility that may have been CIA 'black site'.

ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS

Société Générale tells clients how to prepare for potential 'global collapse'.

Wall Street tax must be international: Pelosi.

Recovery in developed economies gathering pace.

World economies rebound but China set for best growth.

Sharks off the British coast: Oil tankers refuse to unload until prices rise... keeping YOUR fuel costs soaring.

Flying In A U-2 Spy Plane

Watch CBS News Videos Online

From CBS News:

(CBS) All this week on "The Early Show", weather anchor and features reporter Dave Price is training in the "Edge of the Earth" series to go up in a U-2 spy plane for what is called "a high flight." Dave will come as close to space as humanly possible without actually entering it.

"It's going to be an remarkable journey," Dave said Tuesday. "I can't tell you how excited I am. This is like a childhood dream, and for a pilot it doesn't get better."

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My Comment: The entire series on his adventure is here. It is worth the time to look and read each story.

Is The White House Deliberately Appointing "Devout" Muslims To Sensitive Homeland Security Posts?

Obama ‘Reaches Out’ by Naming ‘Devout’ Muslims to Security Posts -- Arutz Sheva

U.S. President Barack Obama continues to “reach out to Muslims” by appointing them to key security posts amid charges he wrongly ignored internal Muslim terror. One recent appointee was harshly criticized for appearing on a British-based television station whose host is a member of a radical Muslim group.

His “reaching out Muslims” speech in Cairo last June has been followed by action, the latest being this past week's swearing-in of a Muslim rights advocate to the Homeland Security Advisory Council, shortly after the Fort Hood massacre. HSAC members are involved in expertise on national security.

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My Comment: President Obama can appoint anyone that he wants. What irks me is that there should be accountability for one's appointment, and the best way to do that is for the media to report and/or expose the type of people who are being appointed. Why must I read about this particular news story in an Israeli publication when it should be front page on every American newspaper .... especially after the Fort Hood massacre.

Media bias you say .... duh.

Gates to Unveil Pentagon-Wide Probe of Fort Hood Shootings

The American flag on Fort Hood, Texas, rests at half-staff on Nov. 10, 2009, during a memorial ceremony honoring the victims of the Nov. 5, shooting rampage that left 13 dead and 38 wounded. DoD photo by Cherie Cullen

Robert Gates To Announce Pentagon Probe Of Ft. Hood Shooting Rampage -- L.A. Times

The investigation will look at events leading up to the Nov. 5 shootings at the Texas Army base. Military psychiatrist Nadal Malik Hasan is accused of killing 13.

Reporting from Washington - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates this afternoon will announce the start of a sweeping Pentagon review of events leading up to the Ft. Hood rampage, a probe that will examine whether military officials could have taken more aggressive preemptive action against the accused killer and, if so, why they didn't, officials said today.

Gates will appoint a retired Defense official to lead the probe, a Pentagon official said. The accused shooter, Maj. Nadal Malik Hasan, received repeated warnings about his poor work at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where he was a psychiatrist. He also was admonished for proselytizing after pressing others to accept his view of Islam.

Read more ....

More News On Fort Hood

Gates to Unveil Pentagon-Wide Probe of Fort Hood Shootings -- Wall Street Journal
Gates picks leader of Ft. Hood probe -- Philadelphia Inquirer
The Pentagon’s Own Fort Hood Probe -- Washington Independent

US lawmakers seek clues to Fort Hood shooting -- AFP
Senators press Obama on Fort Hood probes -- Washington Post
Fort Hood Senate hearings risk politicizing Hasan investigation -- Christian Science Monitor

Suspected Fort Hood gunman Nidal Malik Hasan was in Army superior's sights as a problem in 2007: report -- New York Daily News
2007 memo criticizes Fort Hood suspect's judgment, professionalism -- CNN
Hasan's Supervisor Warned Army In 2007 -- NPR
Who promoted Hasan? -- Washington Post
CNN poll: Majority think Fort Hood shooting was preventable -- CNN
Lawmakers Seek to Award Casualty Benefits to Fort Hood Victims -- FOX News
Purple Hearts proposed for Fort Hood victims -- CNN
Major Hasan reintroduces 'Terror and Consent' -- Robert Haddick, Small Wars Journal

Yemen Civil War News Updates -- November 19, 2009

Iran Sends Warships To Yemeni Waters -- UPI

SANAA, Yemen, Nov. 18 (UPI) -- Iran has sent warships to the Gulf of Aden, ostensibly to combat Somali pirates preying on major shipping lanes.

But the deployment, announced Saturday in Tehran, could bring closer the prospect of a confrontation with Saudi Arabia, its regional rival, amid rising tension in the Gulf and Red Sea regions, both vital oil arteries.

The Iranian move coincides with a Saudi naval blockade in the Red Sea to intercept arms shipments allegedly sent by Iran and Eritrea to Shiite rebels fighting Saudi forces in northern Yemen.

Read more ....

More News On Yemen

Yemen troops 'kill Houthi rebel leader' -- BBC
Yemeni forces kill rebel leader, take town--govt -- Reuters
Yemen says has killed two rebel leaders in clash -- Reuters
Saudi soldier killed in clashes in Yemen: report -- AFP
Yemeni says kills rebel leader, Saudis comb border -- Reuters
Houthis destroy Saudi tanks, Humvees -- Press TV
Saudi Arabia and Iran fighting proxy war in northern Yemen -- World Focus
Top Iranian General Warns of 'State Wahabi Terrorism' -- Hamsayeh.net

President Obama Is Focusing On Iran's And North Korea's Nuclear Programs

President Obama and President Lee Myung-bak of South Korea fielded questions during a press conference at the Blue House in Seoul on Thursday. Stephen Crowley/The New York Times

Obama Takes Stern Tone on North Korea and Iran -- New York Times

SEOUL, South Korea — President Obama delivered a stern message on Thursday to North Korea and Iran that they risk further sanctions and isolation if they do not rein in their nuclear ambitions.

Appearing at a joint press conference with President Lee Myung-bak of South Korea, Mr. Obama singled out Iran, where leaders have apparently rejected an offer from the West to take Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium to another country to turn it into fuel rods, which would buy time for diplomatic negotiations.

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More News On Iran

US Begins Talks on Iran Nuclear Proposal with International Partners -- Voice of America
Obama: U.S., allies discussing steps against Iran -- CNN
World leaders to meet on Iran's failure to halt nuclear program -- Washington Post
Major powers to hold Iran nuclear talks on Nov 20 -- AFP
Big powers to meet on Iran on Friday -- AP
US considers response to Iran nuclear snub -- BBC
France rejects Iran's nuclear fuel proposal -- Press TV (Iran)
Russia says no final answer from Iran on fuel deal -- Reuters
Iranian minister dashes nuke deal hopes -- UPI
Iran Imperils Western Nuclear Deal -- Wall Street Journal
Iran Rejects Notion It Has Not Responded to Nuclear Plan -- Voice of America

More News On North Korea

Obama and Lee Urge North Korean Talks -- Times Online
Obama, Lee to seek 'grand bargain' with NKorea -- AP
Obama, S. Korea Agree on New Approach to North -- Washington Post
Barack Obama calls on North Korea to end nuclear provocation -- The Guardian
On last day in Asia, Obama sets date for N.Korea talks -- AFP
N.Korea nuke talks top Obama agenda in Seoul -- AFP
SNAP ANALYSIS-Obama prods North Korea back to nuclear talks -- Reuters
N.Korea unlikely to give up nuclear weapons: US expert -- AFP
This Time, Promises Alone May Not Feed North Korea -- Washington Post

Deterrent Cannot Be Guaranteed With Three Subs, Says U.S. Navy Chief

A Royal Navy Trident nuclear submarine. Photograph: Corbis

From Times Online:

The Royal Navy will only be able to “guarantee” continuous deterrent patrols with Trident ballistic-missile submarines if the Government agrees to keep four boats, the head of the Royal Navy told The Times yesterday.

It would be possible to get by with three submarines, provided the Government was prepared to risk breaking the 24-hour, 365-day patrol cycle that had been maintained for 41 years. Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope said that Gordon Brown had posed a perfectly legitimate question when, in planning for Trident’s replacement, he asked the Navy to study whether the nuclear deterrent patrols could be fulfilled with three boats.

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My Comment: I can sympathize with the Admiral. He is trying his best to educate his political masters on what it takes to maintain a submarine fleet .... but they are not listening.

Is There Hope For Middle East Peace?

A boy in Beit Furik, in the West Bank, amid portraits of President Mahmoud Abbas, who has hinted he may quit. Jaafar Ashtiyeh/Agence France-Presse - Getty Images

Does Sinking Mideast Peace Process Hold Any Hope? -- Reuters

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Efforts to rescue the sinking Middle East peace process are losing support.

Influential U.S. pundits have lost faith. Those Israelis who never did believe in it are saying: we told you so.

Some Palestinians believe it is as good as dead, strangled by Israel. They talk gloomily of a moment of truth.

Middle East veterans say they have seen such hopeless spells before, and seen them lead to outbreaks of violence.

Read more ....

More News On The Israeli - Palestinian Conflict

Israeli air strikes target Gaza 'smuggling tunnels' -- BBC
Israel, Egypt squeeze Gaza tunnel business -- Reuters
Israeli rockets hit Gaza tunnels -- Al Jazeera
Israeli planes strike targets in Gaza -- AFP
Israeli warplanes target Rafah tunnels -- Press T (Iran)

EU chides Israel on planned construction -- UPI
Palestinians Say Israeli Move Could Kill Peace Process -- Voice of America
Obama: Israeli Settlement Construction Could be 'Dangerous' -- Voice of America
Obama warns Israel on settlements -- BBC

Mideast Peace Talks Hang in Balance Over Abbas -- New York Times
Abbas: Mideast peace deal won't happen with me -- Haaretz
Let down by Obama, Palestinians see few options -- Reuters

UDI won't mean Palestinian statehood -- Victor Kattan, The Guardian
Ramallah's Road Map to Statehood -- David Ignatius, Washington Post

Somalia's Civil War Is About To Spread To Neighboring States

Somalia's Islamist Militants Spill Into Neighboring Countries -- Christian Science Monitor

Somalia's Islamist militant group Al Shabab now controls much of the country, and it has made viable threats against neighbors Uganda, Burundi, Ethiopia, and Kenya.

Kampala, Uganda; and Johannesburg, South AFrica - When he fled his native Somalia for Uganda 18 months ago, Ali Yasin thought he had escaped the death threats for good.

The aspiring TV journalist had seen members of the militant Islamist group Al Shabab kill some of his closest colleagues.

Now, though two countries away, Al Shabab has pledged to turn even Mr. Yasin's adopted home into a new front line in its battle for Somalia.

Read more ....

More News On The Spread Of Somalia's Civil War To Neighboring States

Somalia's neighbors face war threats -- UPI
Kenya recruits Somali refugees to fight Islamists back home in Somalia -- Relief Web
Kenyans recruited to fight in Somalia -- AP
Youths enlisted for Somalia -- Daily Nation
Kenya: Citizens Kicked Out of Somali Training -- All Africa
Influx of Somali refugees headache for Kenya -- Daily Nation

Afghanistan War News Updates -- November 19, 2009

Karzai Sworn In For 2nd Term, Vows To Combat Corruption -- Washington Post

KABUL--President Hamid Karzai was sworn in for a second term on Thursday morning in a ceremony in which he made peace and reconciliation his top priority and said he wanted Afghans to assume control of their own security by the end of his five-year term.

In a 30-minute acceptance speech in the presidential palace, Karzai hit many of the same notes that he had during the election. He invited insurgent fighters to lay down their arms and said he would convene a grand council to promote reconciliation.

Read more ....

More News On Afghanistan

Excerpts: Afghan President Karzai's inauguration speech -- BBC
Karzai Sworn In for Second Term as Afghan President -- New York Times
Karzai Sworn in for Second Term as Afghan President -- Voice of America
Karzai Sworn in as Afghanistan President -- L.A. Times
Hamid Karzai sets Afghan security target in inauguration speech -- The Guardian
Hamid Karzai sworn in for second term as Afghanistan president -- The Telegraph
Karzai Sworn In, Offers Few Specifics on Corruption -- Washington Times
Reporters barred from Afghan leader's inauguration -- Reuters
Hamid Karzai shows stubborn streak amid the appeasement -- The Guardian
Afghanistan's Karzai faces critical test -- Reuters

TIMELINE: Karzai sworn in for second full term -- Reuters
FACTBOX: Key rulers of Afghanistan -- Reuters

Clinton: Afghanistan Faces Critical Moment With Karzai's Second Term -- Voice of America
Clinton Presses Karzai on Eve of Inauguration -- New York Times
US Demands Clear Results From Afghan Reforms -- Voice of America
Afghan Corruption Concerns US Policy Planners -- Voice of America

Afghan official said to take bribe for copper deal -- AP
Afghan minister accused of major bribery: report -- AFP
$30m Bribe Claim Sours West’s Hope that Karzai Can Show He is Fit to Lead -- Times Online

Debate Shifts to Afghan Exit Plan -- Wall Street Journal
Hamid Karzai: foreign troops out of Afghanistan in five years -- Times Online
Obama: Afghanistan Decision Due in Next Several Weeks -- Voice of America
Decisions Will Pave Path to End War, Obama Says -- U.S. Department of Defense
Debate Shifts to Afghan Exit Plan -- Wall Street Journal
Obama searches for Afghan 'endgame' -- The Australian
Obama seeks Afghanistan 'glide path' -- The Age
Obama signals an endgame in Afghan war -- Sydney Morning Herald

Two US Soldiers Killed In Afghan Blast As Karzai Sworn In - NATO -- New York Times
British Support for Afghan War Fades -- Time Magazine
Germany to extend Afghanistan mission another year -- AP
NATO delays talks on new forces for Afghanistan -- AP

US military deaths in Afghanistan region at 841 -- AP

Commentaries And Analysis

U.S. headed for Vietnam War-like disaster in Afghanistan, two experts warn -- Canadian Press
The price of failure in Afghanistan -- Reuters
What would victory look like in Afghanistan? -- The Telegraph
Editorial: Obama's excessive ruminations -- Dallas News
Mr. Obama’s Task -- New York Times editorial
Editorial: Obama's long, drawn-out policy review -- Scripps news

World News Briefs -- November 19, 2009

Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai arrives at his inauguration ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Kabul on Thursday. Moises Saman for The New York Times

Karzai Sworn In for Second Term as Afghan President -- New York Times

KABUL, Afghanistan — Tainted by a flawed election and allegations of high-level corruption in his regime, President Hamid Karzai was inaugurated Thursday for a second term, saying the Afghan Army should assume full control of the country’s security within five years.

Read more ....

MIDDLE EAST

Iran points to Saudi terrorism in Yemen.

Iraq January election on hold.

Israeli air strikes wound three in Gaza.

Obama: Israeli settlement construction could be 'dangerous'. Palestinians say Israeli move could kill peace process.

ASIA

$30m bribe claim sours west’s hope that Karzai can show he is fit to lead.

Obama, S.Korea's Lee want North to end nuclear plans.

Obama wraps up 4-nation tour of Asia.

Pakistan: Suicide bomber kills 30 outside Peshawar court.

India PM heads to U.S. in test of ties with Obama.

AFRICA

Activist probing Guinea massacre denied entry.

Ethiopian court convicts 26 in alleged coup plot.

African leaders left disappointed at end of UN food summit.

EUROPE

Ukraine raises fees on Russian Gas. Ukraine PM seeks to calm fears of new gas war.

EU, Russia agree to cooperate in climate, energy fields.

Leaders set to pick EU president. Europe haggles over filling Presidential and foreign policy posts.

AMERICAS

Court: Army Corps of Engineers liable for Katrina flooding.

Sides gear up for fight over US ban on travel to Cuba.

Former hostages of Colombian paramilitary group suing former captors.

TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR

Holder defends decision to use U.S. court for 9/11 trial.

Guantanamo likely to miss closure deadline, Obama says.

Behind missed Gitmo deadline: Detainees unwanted.

Lithuania investigates facility that may have been CIA 'black site'.

ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS

Recovery in developed economies gathering pace.

World economies rebound but China set for best growth.

Sharks off the British coast: Oil tankers refuse to unload until prices rise... keeping YOUR fuel costs soaring.

The Surge: The Untold Story

Understanding the Surge from ISW on Vimeo.

From The Small Wars Journal:

The Surge: the Untold Story is a 34 minute documentary produced by the Institute for the Study of War. This video documents the Iraq Surge as part of a population-centric counterinsurgency approach and features many of the top commanders and others responsible for its implementation - including GEN Jack Keane (Ret.), GEN David Petraeus, Amb. Ryan Crocker, GEN Raymond Odierno, GEN Nasier Abadi (Iraq), COL Peter Mansoor (Ret.), COL J.B. Burton, COL Ricky Gibbs, COL Bryan Roberts, COL Sean MacFarland, COL James Hickey, COL David Sutherland, COL Steven Townsend, LTC James Crider, and LT James Danly (Ret.).

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My Comment: A very impressive video with an impressive lineup. A must see video.

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- November 19, 2009

MILITARY AND INTELLIGENCE NEWS BRIEFS

Russia to float out first frigate for Indian Navy Nov. 27 -- RIA Novosti

LCS Alternative Weekly -- New Wars

V-22 Osprey, stealth jumpjet 'need refrigerated landing pads': Hover-ships' hot exhaust melting decks of US warships -- The Register

Darpa’s ‘Liquid Laser’ Gunship Program Pushes Ahead -- The Danger Room

Northrop Invests Own Money In Fire Scout -- Defense Tech

U.S. F-22s, F-16s Deploy to UAE -- Defense News

China, U.S. Remove Each Other From Nuclear Crosshairs -- Global Security Newswire

Barak: IDF to up Arrow interceptor production -- Jerusalem Post

Poland, Lithuania and Ukraine to set up "joint army" -- Ria Novosti

The U.S. Sailors Lament -- Strategy Page

Russian Women in Uniform -- RIA Novosti (WNU Editor: A break from the regular monotony)

Boeing's Latest Mobile Laser Weapon Tracks And Shoots Down Drone

Laser Defense: Boeing's MATRIX high-energy directed weapon knocks a UAV out of the sky. U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory

From Popular Science:

Boeing has just announced it successfully tracked and shot down an unmanned aerial vehicle with a laser weapon. Actually, it shot down five UAVs at various ranges with the trailer-mounted Mobile Active Targeting Resource for Integrated eXperiments (MATRIX).

Developed at the request of the Air Force Research Laboratory, MATRIX integrates with standard test-range radar, focusing a single energy beam on moving aerial vehicles and blasting them out of the sky. It's the future of aerial seek and destroy, defending against always-orbiting unmanned craft.

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My Comment: Interesting .... but we are probably years (if not decades) before we have a workable prototype that can be put into a battlefield situation.

A Day In The Life Of An Army Chopper, Lifeline For U.S. Troops

A Chinook helicopter picks up Canadian soldiers during heavy fighting against insurgents in the Taliban stronghold of Zhari district in Kandahar province, southern Afghanistan, March 20, 2009. Photograph by: Stefano Rellandini/Reuters

From McClatchy News:

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan — The morning air at Kandahar Airfield in southern Afghanistan was crisp and clear, with a chill to it, and Sgt. Jeffrey Sherwood was excited.

Sherwood, the crew chief of the Army's workhorse CH-47F Chinook helicopter, wasn't excited about the day's mission. He was excited about his new thermos.

"Look at this thing," he said to anyone standing around who'd listen. "It's guaranteed to keep stuff hot or cold for 24 hours."

Today would be a good test for Sherwood's new thermos. The five-man crew of Flipper 12 had a long day ahead of them resupplying American troops along what's optimistically called the "Ring Road" from Kandahar through Zabul province.

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My Comment: These men (and women) are true heroes.

The Military Is Looking For A 25-Year Battery

Photo: Nuclear power: The package inside this prototype betavoltaic battery contains layers of silicon carbide and metal foil embedded with the radioactive isotope tritium. When high-energy electrons emitted by the decay of tritium hit the silicon carbide, it produces an electrical current that exits the cell through the metal pins. Such batteries are designed to last 25 years. Credit: Widetronix

From Technology Review:

Long-lived nuclear batteries powered by hydrogen isotopes are in testing for military applications.

Batteries that harvest energy from the nuclear decay of isotopes can produce very low levels of current and last for decades without needing to be replaced. A new version of the batteries, called betavoltaics, is being developed by an Ithaca, NY-based company and tested by Lockheed Martin. The batteries could potentially power electrical circuits that protect military planes and missiles from tampering by destroying information stored in the systems, or by sending out a warning signal to a military center. The batteries are expected to last for 25 years. The company, called Widetronix, is also working with medical-device makers to develop batteries that could last decades for implantable medical devices.

Read more ....

Senate Panel: 80 Percent of Cyber Attacks Preventable

From Threat Level:

If network administrators simply instituted proper configuration policies and conducted good network monitoring, about 80 percent of commonly known cyber attacks could be prevented, a Senate committee heard Tuesday.

The remark was made by Richard Schaeffer, the NSA’s information assurance director, who added that simply adhering to already known best practices would sufficiently raise the security bar so that attackers would have to take more risks to breach a network, “thereby raising [their] risk of detection.”

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My Comment: There is a lot of meat in this story .... read it all.

PICTURES: The Hunt For Lost WWII 'Samurai Subs'

In this image, the I-401 submarine is shown. The I-401 aircraft-carrying submarine could travel one and a half times around the world without refueling. (Wild Life Productions, National Geographic Channel)

From ABC News:

National Geographic Channel Program Documents Undersea Search for Japanese Super-Submarines.

With more time, military experts say, a fleet of revolutionary Japanese super-submarines could have changed the course of World War II.

Some were designed to launch bombers on kamikaze missions against New York City, Washington, D.C., and the Panama Canal. Others were thought to be twice as fast any other submarine used in the war.

None had the chance to execute their stealth missions against the U.S. mainland or critical targets in the Pacific during the war.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: For background information, see History of Submarine Aircraft Carriers -- New Wars