Canadians Killed In A U.S. Missile Strike In Pakistan

(Click The Image To Enlarge)

Five Killed In Al Qaeda Safe House Strike
In South Waziristan -- Long War Journal

The US targeted another al Qaeda safe house in South Waziristan on Aug. 30, according to reports from Pakistan.

At least five al Qaeda operatives were reported killed in the attack, which appears to have been launched by unmanned Predator aircraft hovering over the area. "Two Canadians of Arab origin" were among those killed. Two Punjabis were reported wounded.

The strike was targeted at the home of Noor Khan Wazir in the Korzai region near Wana. The home was recently rented to "foreigners."

The region is controlled by Mullah Nazir, a rival of Taliban commander Baitullah Mehsud. Nazir is often described as a "pro-government" Taliban leader as he does not advocate overthrowing the Pakistani government and ejected Uzbeks from the al Qaeda-allied Islamic Jihad Union from the Wana region in 2007.

Read more ....

Iraqi Politics On Full Display

Shiite Muslims march in Najaf on Aug. 21 to denounce the presence of U.S. troops and talks with Washington.

Agreement On U.S. Withdrawal From Iraq Said To Be In Peril As Maliki Ousts Negotiators -- L.A. Times

The Times is told that the prime minister has replaced the team with loyalists at the 'make-or-break' stage of talks. The two sides reportedly remain deadlocked on key issues.

BAGHDAD -- At the "make-or-break" stage of talks with the U.S. on the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq, Prime Minister Nouri Maliki has swept aside his negotiating team and replaced it with three of his closest aides, a reshuffle that some Iraqi officials warn risks sabotaging the agreement.

The decision on the team negotiating the pact, which the Americans have described as the basis of a long-term strategic alliance between the United States and Iraq, remains so sensitive that it has not been announced. In disclosing the switch to the Los Angeles Times this weekend, a senior Iraqi official close to Maliki also suggested that the two sides remained deadlocked on key issues.

Read more ....

My Comment: This must be a cultural thing for Arabs, and something that I have learned from personal experience on a number of occasions. When it comes to making the hard decisions ... they try their best not to. A security agreement is important for both Iraq and the U.S., but not that important so that a decision has to be made now. Ipso facto .... the decision is delayed.

The only thing that the Americans can do is be patient, and let the different Arab sects sort themselves out in Iraq.

Another Analysis That Examines The Iraq Surge

American soldiers conducting a patrol in the Kadhimiya neighborhood of Baghdad in April 2007. (Michael Kamber for The New York Times )

Months Of Intense Debate Preceded Iraq Surge
-- International Herald Tribune

WASHINGTON: As President George W. Bush's term draws to a close and the Republican Party focuses on his successor and the impact of the Bush legacy on the future of the party, the president and his allies are expected to tout the surge of forces in Iraq among his proudest achievements. But that decision, one of his most consequential as commander in chief, was made only after months of tumultuous debate within the administration, according to still-secret memorandums and interviews with a broad range of current and former officials.

In January 2007, when the situation in Iraq appeared at its bleakest, Bush chose a bold option that was at odds with what many of his civilian and military advisers, including his field commander, initially recommended. Bush's dispatch of more than 20,000 troops to carry out a new strategy has helped to reverse the spiral of sectarian killings in Iraq.

Read more ....

U.S. Troop Cuts In Iraq

The top U.S. Commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, talks to Iraqi police and army commanders during a patrol with the Second Stryker Cavalry Regiment in Muqdadiyah, in the Diyala province July 26, 2008. Sunni Islamist al Qaeda has sought to stoke tensions in Iraq's ethnically and religiously mixed northern cities, such as Diyala and Mosul, after military campaigns pushed its militants out of former strongholds in western Anbar province and Baghdad.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Source: Petraeus Submitted Report On Troop Cuts -- Yahoo News/AP

WASHINGTON - The top U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, has given his military superiors and Defense Secretary Robert Gates his initial recommendation on when to resume a U.S. troop withdrawal and at what pace, a senior military officer close to the process said Friday.

The officer, who spoke to The Associated Press only on condition that he not be identified, said Petraeus was still analyzing the situation and had not yet submitted a final set of recommendations. That is expected to happen within the next week or so, but there is no firm deadline.

The officer would not provide any specifics of Petraeus' initial recommendation. He was granted anonymity because of the sensitivity of Petraeus' deliberations and because they are not completed.

Read more ....

More News On U.S. Troop Cuts In Iraq

Petraeus Submitted Preliminary Iraq Report, Military Officer Says -- FOX News
Petraeus submits plan to withdraw troops from Iraq -- China View
Petraeus submits Iraq pullout plan -- Press TV

My Comment: This is just an initial report, and a leaked one at that. We should wait for the final report when it is released next month.

To Walk In General Petraeus's Shoes

Petraeus tours a market in Yusufiya, a town near Baghdad. “The idea is to stay away from the whole optimism-pessimism thing,” he says. Photograph by Franco Pagetti.

The General’s Dilemma -- The New Yorker

Early in 2007, when David Petraeus became Commanding General of United States and international forces in Iraq, he had in mind a strategy to manage the political pressures he would face because of the unpopularity of the war, then four years old, and of its author, George W. Bush. He pledged to be responsive to “both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue”—to his Commander-in-Chief in the White House, of course, but also to antiwar Democrats on Capitol Hill. Petraeus earned a doctoral degree at Princeton University in 1987; the title of his dissertation was “The American Military and the Lessons of Vietnam.” In thinking about how to cope with political divisions in the United States over Iraq, he was influenced, he told me recently, by Samuel Huntington’s 1957 book “The Soldier and the State,” which argues that civilian control over the military can best be achieved when uniformed officers regard themselves as impartial professionals. Petraeus is registered to vote as a Republican in New Hampshire—he once described himself to a friend as a northeastern Republican, in the tradition of Nelson Rockefeller—but he said that around 2002, after he became a two-star general, he stopped voting. As he departed for Baghdad, to oversee a “surge” deployment of additional American troops to Iraq, he sought, as he recalled it, “to try to avoid being pulled in one direction or another, to be in a sense used by one side or the other.” He added, “That’s very hard to do, because you become at some point sort of the face of the war, the face of the surge. So be it. You just have to deal with that.”

Read more ....

My Comment: This is the best profile story of General Petraeus that I have ever read. It is a long piece .... 13 pages long .... but a must read piece for those who either serve under him or for those who have a vested interest in the success of Iraq and Afghanistan.

What Is The Russian Definition For "Aggresion"?

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev attends a wreath-laying ceremony at the National Unity and Revival monument in Dushanbe August 29, 2008. REUTERS/RIA Novosti/Pool

Russia Warns It Will Respond To "Aggression" -- Reuters

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia does not want confrontation with the West but will hit back if attacked, Kremlin leader Dmitry Medvedev said on Sunday, a day before EU leaders meet to draft a response to Moscow's actions in Georgia.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he would press fellow European Union leaders to review ties with Russia in retaliation for Moscow's decision to send troops to Georgia and recognize two Georgian breakaway regions.

But underlining the differences in approach inside the 27-member EU, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier took a softer line, saying isolating Russia would harm the interests of the bloc.

A senior U.S. diplomat said Washington hoped the EU would express concrete support for Georgia's territorial integrity, and urged Europe to reduce its dependence on Russian energy.

Medvedev faces growing condemnation from the West, which accuses Russia of occupying parts of Georgia, while the Kremlin said it acted to prevent what it called genocide against the separatist regions.

Read more ....

My Comment: The Russian Government has been threatening the West that they will respond to aggression ..... but what is their definition for aggression. What are the conditions that must be met in order for the Russian Government to state that their survival is at stake .... and this is the reason why they must then respond "aggressively" in kind.

The Russian conditions that must exist in order to insure the survival of the Russian Government and its people are the following (from the Russian point of view and from what I have been able to extrapolate):

(1) Border states of the former Soviet Union must be compliant to Moscow's desires. If Georgia does not permit the independence of its breakaway provinces, it must be shown otherwise. If the leader of Chechnya is a tyrant who systematically brutalizes the population .... but obeys the Moscow line .... he is OK. If Ukraine expels the Russian Black Sea Fleet from the Port of Sevastopol, this is then a declaration of war.

(2) Treatment of Russian minorities in the border states. Discrimination and mistreatment of Russian families living in former Soviet Republics is becoming a sore wound for many in Russia proper. The Baltic states are the most publicized, but countries like the Ukraine, Georgia, in the Far East in Muslim Republics are now guilty of this conduct.

(3) The placement of weapon systems near their borders. The Polish And U.S. agreement for the installation of an anti-missile defense system on Polish soil is regarded as an offensive move by Russia against them. Even though this system can be completely overwhelmed by a Russian military attack, and that its operations would only be focused on a rogue state firing one or at most .... two missiles .... in Russia's eyes this is a weapon system. Period.

(4) Russia's financial lifeline is its energy exports. It is in Russia's interest to keep oil prices high in order for it to earn the revenues needed for its expenditures. To keep the people in line, to rebuild its military, and to establish a proper infrastructure .... the oil must flow and its price must be high. If the price of oil collapses because of energy conservation, new supplies, and the use of new technologies .... this becomes a mortal threat to the Russian Government and its stability. Any change in this status quo will be regarded with hostility from the Russian Government.

(5) Providing military material to former Soviet Republics. Russia has made it very clear that if the U.S. should rearm Georgia .... they would respond in kind.

(WNU Editor): This list was developed over time through many conversations with the many Russians that I know, and through the literature and Russian news websites/blogs that I always read.

More Threats From Russia Against Europe

Central to Vladimir Putin's nationalistic policy is a conviction that the power of the West
is on the wane Photo: REUTERS

Vladimir Putin Threatens Europe Over Energy Supply
-- The Telegraph

Vladimir Putin has warned Europe that Russia's energy reserves will flow to the Far East if the continent's leaders seek to punish his country for invading Georgia.

The Russian prime minister travelled to Siberia to demand that work on a new pipeline to supply oil to Asia is speeded up.

In an echo of the photographs released last year that showed the bare-chested leader in a series of macho hunting poses, Mr Putin posed with a rifle for the cameras as scientists tranquilised a tiger at the Ussuri reserve.

The announcement on the eve of an emergency European Union summit in Brussels on Russia's occupation of Georgia put EU states on notice that Moscow is developing an alternative client base in the Far East.

Read more ....

My Comment: Prime Minister Putin knows that he cannot threaten nor intimidate Europe through military posturing. The Russian Army is too weak and fractured to be a significant threat to Europe. The only real weapon that they have are their energy supplies.

This dependence on Siberian gas and Russian oil and its consequences were foretold during President Reagan's administration. To stop the project, President Reagan's administration imposed sanctions on the companies that were involved with the Trans Siberian Gas Pipeline project. The Europeans and their American critics disagreed with President Reagan's assessment .... and still went ahead with the project.

If President Reagan were alive today he would be telling the Europeans that "I told you so". I find it ironic. When he was President he was despised by a majority of Western Europeans .... but history has proven him right (again).

Tehran Stock Market -- Best Performing Bourse In The Persian Gulf

Tehran Stock Exchange

Analysts Term Tehran's Bourse Lucrative Market for Foreign Investors -- Fars News Agency

TEHRAN (FNA)- Tehran's bourse, the best-performing market in the Persian Gulf, has provided a fruitful and luring ground for foreign investors as it needs significant share purchases by foreign capital holders in order to prosper in the longer term.

Investors have pushed up the value of shares on the Tehran Stock Exchange as more of Iran's state-owned companies have floated stakes. The market's main index, the Tedpix, has grown by 41 per cent since the start of the year, while markets in the rest of the Persian Gulf have lost value.

The MSCI PGCC index, which measures the performance of seven major Persian Gulf markets, has lost 17 per cent of its value since the beginning of 2008. Emerging markets as a whole have fallen by 21 per cent.

So far, the Tedpix has been driven by domestic investors, including wealthy Iranians, public sector pension funds and the investment arms of state-owned banks.

Read more ....

My Comment: I guess no one in Tehran got the memo about sanctions, impending attack on their nuclear facilities, and the economic slump that has been the normal state of affairs for the past few years.

When I read more into the story, one quickly learns that much of this investment came from wealthy individuals (i.e. corrupt government leaders), Government agencies, pension funds, and the investment arms of state-owned banks.

Share purchases are also limited to only a few select stocks, and there is little if any foreign participation. Even though the Tehran Bourse is open to foreigners, I doubt that there is a stampede to invest right now.

Feeding The Islamic War Machine To Spread Jihad

Pakistan Madrass

WNU Editor: Because of Pakistan's failed public education system, many poor Pakistani parents send their children to Islamic Madrassas to receive a basic education. Unfortunately, Islamic extremists have been using these schools to recruit soldiers and suicide bombers for the purpose of spreading jihad.

In the past, these schools have been in the Frontier Regions of Pakistan. But they are now in the heartland of Pakistan. Terrorwonk examines this development, and his comments and observations are worth remembering. (Hat Tip to Counter Terrorism Blog for this story).

Madrassas Extending Into Pakistani Heartlands
-- The Terror Wonk

This short analysis from the invaluable Middle East Media Research Institute is well worth a read. It discusses the controversy Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader, Asif Zardari set off when, while delivering the keynote address at the 23rd Internationalist Socialist Congress, he described madrassas as propagating Islamist extremism.

Unsurprisingly, Pakistan’s religious leaders condemned him. But reading the report, and these notes from MEMRI’s Urdu-Pashto Blog also indicates that the madrassas have spread from the Northwest Frontier Province into the rest of the country – including the Punjabi heartland. Although Islam is central to Pakistan’s national identity, the traditional practice of Islam was relatively moderate. In fact there have been skirmishes between different factions within the Sunni community (not to mention the bloody Shia-Sunni violence within Pakistan) – particularly in Karachi.

Read more ....

The Last Person Of An Era

Gladys Powers, believed to be the last surviving female veteran of the First World War in the world, had her funeral Friday in Abbotsford, B.C. Above, she dances with Marcelo Santos at a party for her 106th birthday in 2005 at her residence. Photograph by : Peter Battistoni/Vancouver Sun

World's Last Female First World War Veteran
Dies, Aged 109 -- Canada.com

Lied about age when she enlisted at 15

ABBOTSFORD, B.C. - The funeral for a B.C. resident believed to be the world's last female First World War veteran was held on Friday in Abbotsford.

Gladys Powers, who died on Aug. 15 at age 109, lied about her age to enlist in the British Women's Army Auxiliary Corps when she was 15.

"She was right in it. She was in the underground tunnels when the bombs were dropping," said her daughter-in-law Pat Powers.

"It's something you don't forget and it's something that affects your life forever."

Powers, who was living in a seniors' home in this city 65 kilometres east of Vancouver, was admitted to hospital on Aug. 14 after breaking her hip.

She died in her sleep at 2 a.m. the following morning.

Read more ....

My Comment: Stories like this remind me of my father. He served in the Soviet Army in the Second World War, and was a source of military information, experience, and education to me for years. When he past away three years ago I did not only lose my father but also my teacher and the most reliable person in my life.

I know that the last of these great veterans will be lost to us very soon .... but their legacy will live with us forever.

International Relations With Russia After The Gerogian War

Honour guards carry the national flag of Russian Federation (L) and a replica of the Victory Banner (R) during a military parade at the Dvortsovaya Square celebrating Victory Day in St.Petersburg, 09 May 2008 as Russia celebrated the 63rd anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany. EPA/ANATOLY MALTSEV

The Third Cold War Has Begun, Karaganov Says -- Georgian Daily

Most commentators who talk about a new cold war emerging after the events in Georgia are referring only to the geopolitical contest between the Soviet bloc and the Western alliance after World War II, but one of Moscow's most interesting commentators says that any new cold war will not be the second but the third the two sides have engaged in.

By pointing out that there were two earlier such competitions – one prior to the second world war which the USSR ultimately won in the course of that military conflict and the second, better-known one, which Moscow lost decisively, Sergei Karaganov provides some important insights into what the new conflict is likely to look like from Moscow's perspective.

In a lengthy article in "Rossiiskaya gazeta," the head of Moscow's Council on Foreign and Defense Policy says that he is convinced that the world is once again being divided between "ours and theirs," in which "ours" will be defended regardless of what they do and "theirs" will be condemned no matter how they act.

Read more ....

More News On Russian International Relations

Britain pushes for review of EU-Russia relations -- Reuters
The week that buried the new world order -- Guardian
This Isn’t the Return of History -- Newsweek
The New Energy Cold War: The Warsaw-Tehran Connection -- Seeking Alpha
West mulls few options in Georgia-Russia crisis -- Christian Science Monitor
Where’s next in Vladimir Putin’s sights? -- Times Online
West faces stark choice over Georgia -- AP
Target the Kremlin Pocketbooks -- Washington Post
How To Squeeze The Bear -- Newsweek
Realism about Russia -- Guardian
For those too young to remember the Cold War... -- BBC
Russia Is Brazen, Europe Weak -- Wall Street Journal

My Comment: I am one of those who is deeply skeptical of a return to the cold war. Today's Russia is not the Soviet Union with the Warsaw Pact of the past. It is a poor country with 150 million citizens that are trying their best to rise from the disaster that was Communism. Their infrastructure is in shambles, pensions are being paid but only so much, the economy is totally dependent on an oil and energy boom, the military is a fraction of what it once was, and the people themselves are facing a demographic collapse.

Russian nationalists are playing the cold war bluff .... but the reality of Russia today is quite different. Mother Russia has a lot on its hands .... and to be preoccupied with poking the West is on the bottom of its list.

Somali Islamic Insurgents Are Smelling Victory

Ethiopia's military commitment to Somalia is not open-ended, and it has to balance its responsibilities in Mogadishu with domestic political priorities, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi (seen here in June) said in an interview published Thursday. (AFP/File/Cris Bouroncle)

Somali Insurgents Welcome Ethiopia's Hint To Withdraw
Troops From Somalia -- Somali.net

(SomaliNet) Spokesman for Somali insurgents said on Friday that the Somali group welcomed Ethiopia's hint that it will withdraw its troops from Somalia even before the current Somali interim government is stable and effective.

Abdurahim Isse Adow, spokesman for the Union of Islamic Courts, told Xinhua by phone that: "We welcome Ethiopian Prime Minister's admission that he cannot rule Somalia and we will continue fighting his troops until the last soldier leaves Somali border."

On Thursday, Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi suggested in an interview with the Financial Times that Ethiopia would withdraw its forces from Somalia, saying Ethiopia's military commitment to the war-torn Horn of Africa country was "not open-ended".

In late 2006, Ethiopia sent thousands of its troops to Somalia to oust the Union of Islamic Courts that it deemed a threat to its national security and to help the Somali transitional government establish in the capital.

Read more ....

My Comment: Somalia's Islamic and pro Al Qaeda militants are sensing victory. This is a bad omen for all in the region, and will produce a safe haven for Al Qaeda in Africa.

Pakistan Suspends Military Operations In Its Frontier Regions

Supporters of Jamiat Ulama Islam (JUI) attend a protest rally against operation in the tribal area at the Pakistan-Afghan border town of Chaman, August 29, 2008. (Saeed Ali Achakzai/Reuters)

Pakistan Halts Fighting For Ramadan -- Al Jazeera

Pakistan has announced a suspension of military operations against fighters in the tribal regions during the month of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting.

But a senior official said on Saturday that security forces would respond if attacked.

Rehman Malik, an interior ministry official, said that security forces would suspend operations from Sunday night for the month of Ramadan, which ends at the beginning of October.

Read more ....

More News On Pakistan's Suspension Of Military Operations

Pakistan to suspend military strikes for Ramadan -- Yahoo News/AP
Pakistan halts military operations in northwest -- Yahoo News/AFP
Pakistan suspends offensive for Ramadan -- CNN
Pakistani Government Suspends Military Operations for Ramadan -- Voice Of America

My Comments: This gives the Taliban and their allies to regroup and to plan for the next offensive. This suspension of military operations because of religious reasons will only create more conflict and suffering next month.

Black Ops In Iraq

SAS troopers pictured in Iraq.

SAS Kills Hundreds Of Terrorists In 'Secret War' Against
al-Qaeda In Iraq -- The Telegraph

From The Telegraph:

Hundreds of terrorists have been killed by the SAS waging a "secret war" against al-Qaeda in Iraq, The Sunday Telegraph can disclose.

More than 3,500 insurgents have been "taken off the streets of Baghdad" by the elite British force in a series of audacious "Black Ops" over the past two years.

It is understood that while the majority of the terrorists were captured, several hundred, who were mainly members of the organisation known as "al-Qa'eda in Iraq" have been killed by the SAS.

The SAS is part of a highly secretive unit called "Task Force Black" which also includes Delta Force, the US equivalent of the SAS.

The prime targets have been those intent on joining the wave of suicide car bombers that claimed around 3,000 lives a month in Baghdad at the height of the terrorist campaign in 2006.

Using intelligence gleaned from spies and informers, Task Force Black has nearly broken the back of the terrorist network and reduced bombings in Baghdad from about 150 a month to just two.

Read more ....

My Comment: I take issue with the title that this was a "Secret War" against Al Qaeda. The war against Al Qaeda in Iraq was very public and very noticeable. The carnage on the civilian population from car bombs and suicide attacks alone was horrific.

When I contemplate on how many civilians could have been killed by these butchers if they were not stopped, I Thank God that these people were taken out by the SAS and Delta Force.

Life In Iran

Members of Iran's Assembly of Experts, a powerful clerical panel charged with choosing or dismissing Iran's supreme leader, attend their session, in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2008. The Assembly of Experts is an elected body of 86 clerics given role of overseeing the supreme leader's performance, but their main job is to select a successor after his death. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Few Things Are As They Seem In Tehran -- Yahoo News/AP

TEHRAN, Iran - They file in slowly, patiently submitting to body searches, men in one line, black-clad, head-scarved women in another. Most are poor, old or very young, and most are ready for some America-bashing.

It's Friday, the Muslim holy day, and thousands of Iran's faithful are again gathering at Tehran University's main campus for what has become a weekly ritual; the men under a sprawling blue metal canopy that shelters up to 7,000, the women close by but set apart.

The heat is searing and the mood placid. But suddenly, the diminutive mullah leading the prayers is gone — and in an instant the atmosphere turns as confrontational as the new message being hurled into the microphone by his belligerent black-bearded replacement.

Read more ....

My Comment: Many of us in the west view Iran as a monolithic Islamic state with clear objectives and goals .... many of which are a clear and present danger to us. The reality is quite different.

On one hand their objectives and support for terrorism makes them a target for us. But on the other hand many of them do not only want to be like us, but have made it clear that they do not brace the ideology and intolerance of their religious leaders.

The direction of Iran is for Iranians to decide .... but their support for terrorism and their advocation for the destruction of other states puts them down a slippery slope that has consequences. This is something that they should be aware of .... and now.

War News, Blogs, Opinions, And Wire Service Roundup -- August 31, 2008

SSN 750 Newport News

WAR/TERRORISM NEWS SUMMARIES AROUND THE WORLD

United States Central Command
Global Security Briefs -- In Homeland Security
Complete Roundup Of World Trouble Spots -- Small Wars Journal
International, War, and Terrorism Headlines -- Rantburg
Morning Brief -- Foreign Policy
Global Incident Map
Global News -- Inform
Spotlight on Military News and International Affairs -- Canadian Perspective
Summary Of Wars & Conflicts: Right Hand Side Of Page -- Counter Terrorism Blog
Global Security News Roundup -- Global Security.org
Threatswatch
Latest News -- Strategy Page
Institute For War And Peace Reporting
Intelligence News Roundup -- Intelligence Online
Analysis And Commentaries -- International Relations And Security Network
Alertnet From Reuters -- Use Their Search Filter
Emerging Threats -- United Press International
International Forecasting And News -- Stratfor

IRAQ
Iraq News -- E I N News
Conflict In Iraq -- Full Coverage From Yahoo News
War In Iraq -- MSNBC
Iraq News Online -- Times Online
Iraq News -- Inform
Iraq Status Report
Iraq Weekly Status Report -- U.S. State Department
Iraq Updates
Iraq War News
Iraq Coalition Casualty Count

AFGHANISTAN
Afghanistan -- Full Coverage From Yahoo News
Afghanistan Conflict Monitor
Afghanistan Update: April 1-30, 2008 -- Center For Defense Information
Operations In Afghanistan -- U.K. Ministry Of Defense

MIDDLE EAST
Mideast Conflicts -- Full Coverage From Yahoo News
Middle East Coverage -- Memri

SECURITY AND TERRORISM
Security -- MSNBC
Terrorism -- Full Coverage From Yahoo News
Terrorism -- MSNBC
Terror News Briefs
National Terror Alert Response Center

U.S. MILITARY NEWS
U.S. Department Of Defense News
News in The Military -- Military News
Stars And Stripes
U.S. Armed Forces News -- Full Coverage From Yahoo News
Index Of Military Blogs: Stories Updated Daily -- Military.com
Milblogging: Stories Updated Daily -- Index Of Military Blogs
Directory Of Intelligence Sites -- Strategic Intelligence Complete

Pogrom Of Christians In India -- Many Are Feared Dead, Thousands Are In Hiding

Christians return for shelter after spending days in hiding in a forest at Naugram village in the eastern Indian state of Orissa August 30, 2008. Thousands of people, most of them Christians, have sought shelter in makeshift government camps in eastern India, driven from their homes by religious violence which has killed at least 13 people this week. REUTERS/Parth Sanyal (INDIA)

Christians Hide In Forests As Hindu Mobs
Ransack Villages -- Guardian

As death toll rises, Prime Minister denounces 'national shame' in state of Orissa where 60 churches were burned down

Thousands of terrified Indian Christians are hiding in the forests of the volatile Indian state of Orissa after a wave of religious 'cleansing' forced them from their burnt-out homes with no immediate prospect of return.

A mob of Hindu fundamentalists rampaged through villages last week, killing those too slow to get out of their way, burning churches and an orphanage, and targeting the homes of Christians. Up to 20 people were reported dead, with at least two deliberately set alight, after the murder of a Hindu leader last Saturday provoked the violence.

In some districts, entire villages lay deserted, abandoned by Christian populations who would rather shelter in the forests than return to face the risk of death. Some villagers attempted to return to their homes yesterday despite threats of further violence.

Read more ....

More News On The Continuing Violence In India

'Eastern India violence kills over 50' -- Press TV
No let up in communal violence against Christians in Orissa state -- Associated Press Of Pakistan
Orissa converts into battlefield -- Howrah News Service
Indian government quells religious violence in Orissa -- Radio Australia
INDIA As Orissa Death Toll Rises, Prime Minister Intervenes -- Union Of Catholic Asian News
Pope condemns violence in India and stands by Christian victims -- Winston-Salem Journal
Indian state erupts in violence after Hindu shot -- CNN
ACHR claims over 50, mainly Christians killed in India's Orissa -- Islamic Republic News Agency
India: Up to 50,000 Catholics seek refuge from violence, says bishop -- AKI-Adnkronos
Christians closed 45,000 schools protesting violence -- Indian Catholic
Christians protest atrocities in Orissa -- Times Of India

My Comment: India has always had a history of religious warfare between Hindus and Muslims .... but violence against the Indian Christian community has always been isolated and
not as widespread. What is happening in Eastern India represents the changing and evolving situation that is happening in India today. India is a country made up of numerous and different ethnic, religious, and social groups. Keeping the peace between all of them is sometimes an impossible task.

Another War That May Come To An End In Africa

A Malian soldier displays his weapon in the northeastern Malian town of Kidal in 2006. Malian officials and Tuareg rebels agreed Friday in Algiers to begin implementing a recently-signed peace accord and to resume peace talks in early September, APS said. (AFP/File/Kambou Sia)

Mali Officials And Tuareg Rebels Hold Talks In Algiers:
Report -- Yahoo News/AFP

ALGIERS (AFP) - Malian officials and Tuareg rebels agreed Friday in Algiers to begin implementing a recently-signed peace accord and to resume peace talks in early September, APS said.

Diplomatic sources said "a consensus" was reached between Bamako and the Tuaregs on ways to "reestablish confidence and create favourable conditions for resuming dialogue in the near future on substantial questions," the Algerian news agency reported.

The meeting, which took place Thursday and Friday, focussed on consolidating a July 21 peace agreement that Algeria brokered between Bamako and the Tuaregs. That agreement aims to put into effect the 2006 Algiers peace accord to end hostilities between the parties.

Read more ....

Canadian And U.S. Forces Working Together In Afghanistan

Afghan police officers and Canadian soldiers inspect the site of an explosion in Kandahar, Afghanistan. (Allauddin Khan/The Associated Press)

American Troops Join Canadian Forces In
Kandahar Province -- CBC News

About 800 American troops will be helping Canadian forces in the fight against Taliban insurgents in Kandahar province, military officials announced Saturday.

The new troops come from the 2nd Infantry Battalion, based at Fort Hood, Tex.

The battalion, better known as the Ramrods or the 2-2s, arrived in Kandahar in early July and are setting up a base in Maywand district, which is northwest of Kandahar city and borders on Helmand province.

U.S. Lt.-Col. Dan Hurlbut said the Americans have been scoping out the area for a few weeks. Maywand is considered a dangerous place, overrun by the Taliban, and NATO troops haven't spent much time in the area.

Read more ....

My Comment: Expect more news in the next few months on cooperation between U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan.

China's Nuclear Bomb History -- A Review

(Click To Enlarge)

Locations of early nuclear facilities in China. Atom symbols mark research and production facilities.
The test site is marked with a mushroom cloud.

The Chinese Nuclear Tests, 1964–1996 -- Physics Today

A combination of intellectual rigor, technical sophistication, hard work, and intelligence gathering brought China into the world's nuclear club in record-shattering time.

The visitors from China seemed innocuous enough. The five of them had flown in from Beijing to attend the 1989 American Physical Society Conference on Shock Waves in Condensed Matter in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Danny Stillman, director of the technical intelligence division at Los Alamos National Laboratory, met the visitors' plane, took care of their transportation and food needs, and escorted them through the National Atomic Museum in Albuquerque. All five visitors seemed to be jolly academic tourists, but appearances can be—and in this case were—deceptive. In the next year or two, all five were revealed to be top scientists in the Chinese Academy of Engineering Physics, the equivalent of the combined US nuclear weapons laboratories at Los Alamos, Livermore, and Sandia. Those visitors from China were scouting the American turf.

Read more ....

Update: China gave Pakistan the blueprint for an atomic bomb, testing the finished product in 1990 -- USA Today

My Comment: The reason why China helped their ally Pakistan during this time was to target their mutual enemy .... India.

As for the article from Physics Today, it is a good summary of China's nuclear bomb program. What strikes me is that they were able to complete their H-bomb tests during the Cultural Revolution, a time in which all scientists were targeted for punishment.

The Taliban Are Going After NATO's Lifeline In Afghanistan

Paramilitary soldiers patrol during an operation near Bara, a town in the Khyber tribal region near the Afghan border June 29, 2008. Security forces have secured an area in Pakistan's Khyber region, through which a main supply route passes into Afghanistan, a day after launching an offensive to push back militants threatening Peshawar.

Taliban Ambushes Threaten Nato's Vital Logistics
Route Into Afghanistan -- Telegraph

Taliban fighters are trying to strangle Nato's mission in Afghanistan by stepping up attacks on convoys in the Khyber Pass, the perilous mountain trail that carries most supplies into the country.

Using age-old guerrilla tactics, they hijack or destroy the ponderous lorries creeping up the narrow road and sell the contents in local bazaars to finance new raids.

A prominent, independent tribesman from the Khyber region, who cannot be named for his own safety, told The Sunday Telegraph that the Pakistani army was close to losing control of the pass.

"You see vehicles destroyed by rockets on the side of the road," he said. "The wreckage isn't there for long, the army soon removes it to make it look as if they are still in control of the road. But they are on the verge of losing it."

Read more ....

My Comment: As the war between the Taliban and the Pakistani Army increases, supply lines become fair game. Nato and Afghanistan are going to lose these supply routes very soon (if not already) as Pakistan becomes more unstable and unreliable. I guess it is now time to think of alternatives .... if there are any.

Pakistan Airforce Is Now Being Used To Kill Taliban Soldiers

Pakistani F-16

Taliban Commander Believed Dead In Airstrike -- CNN

(CNN) -- An airstrike by Pakistani fighter jets killed more than 30 Taliban fighters, including an alleged high-ranking Taliban commander, a government spokesman said Saturday.

The military called in the fighter jets Friday to support Pakistani army ground troops in the violence-plagued northwest after they were caught in a clash with Taliban fighters, the spokesman said.

The U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan said Saturday that coalition airstrikes had killed several militants in an Afghan province north of the capital, Kabul.

It happened Friday in Kapisa province, when coalition forces tried to search a compound for a Taliban commander suspected of smuggling weapons into Afghanistan and of conducting attacks on coalition and NATO forces with improvised explosive devices, the coalition said.

Coalition forces came under heavy fire from AK-47s and rocket-propelled grenades and told the militants to come out peacefully.

"Several women and children exited the compound and were moved to a safe area at which time coalition forces again came under AK-47 and RPG fire," a coalition statement said. "Coalition forces responded with precision airstrikes, killing several militants."

My Comment: U.S. military aid to Pakistan is now finally being used. This is also testament to how dangerous the Taliban have become in fighting Pakistani forces. The fact that the Pakistan Airforce must now be used to support Pakistani soldiers means that the Taliban are a force to be reckoned with in the Tribal regions.

Hole In One

Sgt. 1st Class Keith Barkley takes a practice golf swing as Golf professional Jill McGill looks on at Camp Taji, Aug. 27, 2008. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Brent Hunt, Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division Public Affairs.

WNU Editor: This picture typifies how much Iraq has changed in the past year. If soldiers have time to practice a few swings with a pro .... the times are a changing. (Hat Tip to Prairie Pundit)

Mexico's Drug Wars

Drug War Bodies Are Piling Up In Mexico -- L.A. Times

The heap of 11 decapitated bodies found in Yucatan shows that the battle to control the multibillion-dollar drug trade knows no boundaries.

MEXICO CITY -- The sickening discovery this week of 11 headless bodies heaped like broken dolls near the colonial city of Merida underscored a bitter lesson for Mexico: The battle to control the multibillion-dollar drug trade knows no boundaries.

The bodies are piling up nationwide, even in normally tranquil and touristy spots such as Merida, not far from the Maya ruins of Chichen Itza.

During a seven-day period ended Friday, more than 130 people died violently throughout the country. Headless bodies turned up in four states, including Baja California.

The Yucatan peninsula, strategically close to smuggling routes through Central America, tallied 12, after another decapitated body was found a few hours later Thursday about 80 miles east of the carnage near Merida.

Read more ....

More News On Mexico's Drug Wars

Drug war terror spreads in Mexico as bodies are dumped in tourist areas -- Times Online
Twelve men decapitated in Mexico -- Telegraph
Mexico crime: 11 headless corpses found in field -- The Guardian
Drug trade's grisly violence claims new territory in Mexico -- Statesman
Gunmen kill police investigator, 8 others in Mexico attacks -- Yahoo News/AFP
Mexican drug cartel war could cross border, intelligence center report warns -- El Paso Times
Mexico prepares for mass protests against insecurity -- AFP
Mexicans to hold mass anti-crime protests -- Washington Times
Almost 1,000 deaths this year in Mexico border city -- Newsinfo Inquirer
8 US citizens among Mexico border city deaths this month: consul -- AFP
U.S.-Mexico border tightened over drug wars -- MSNBC
Mexican Generals Propose a Militarized National Police Force -- Narcosphere

My Comment: This war is getting bloodier and widespread. What is worse is that no one is predicting when this anarchy will come to an end. From my point of view .... it is when the U.S. changes its policies towards drugs that the narco war will finally be over.

Aftermath Of The Russian / Georgian War

A man walks past a destroyed building in Khetagurovo in Georgia on August 29. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has urged the European Union to ignore calls to punish Moscow over the Georgia conflict as Tbilisi appealed for targeted punishment of the Russian leadership. (AFP/Viktor Drachev)

Russia Reaches Out To EU As Georgia Calls
For Sanctions -- Yahoo News/AFP

MOSCOW (AFP) - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin urged the European Union to ignore calls to punish Moscow over the Georgia conflict as Tbilisi appealed Saturday for targeted punishment of the Russian leadership.

The former Kremlin leader also renewed accusations of US involvement in the fighting this month between Russian and Georgian forces over the breakaway region of South Ossetia.

Putin spoke after Georgia broke off diplomatic relations with Russia and Moscow hit back at the West for condemning its decision to recognise the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia from Georgia.

EU leaders are holding an emergency summit on Monday to increase pressure on Russia but the French EU presidency has made clear they will not opt for sanctions.

Read more ....

More News On The Aftermath Of the Russian / Georgia War

Fears of isolation as investors flee Russia -- AP
Kremlin announces that South Ossetia will join 'one united Russian state' -- Times Online
Putin in fresh attack on US over Georgia -- Yahoo News/AFP
Georgian Crisis 'Decisive Moment' in Russia-West Ties -- Voice Of America
Georgia says Russia troops blocking refugee return -- Reuters
Moscow appeals to EU ahead of Georgia talks -- Irish Times
US 'not surprised' by Georgia-Russia break -- AFP
Georgia and Russia Cut Diplomatic Ties -- New York Times
In Georgia, Watching a Young Democracy's Spirits Flag -- Washington Post
OSCE report points finger at Georgia for S. Ossetia crisis -- RIA Novosti
U.S. Ally Proves Volatile Amid Dispute With Russia -- Wall Street Journal

My Comment: Sanctions will stop Russian economic growth and development .... a situation that is not in the best interests of Russia. But fortunately for Russia, Europe has no appetite to pursue such a course at the present time.

Al Qaeda Supporters/Members Arrested In Morocco

Morocco: Police 'Dismantle Terrorist Network' -- AKI-Adnkronos

Rabat, 29 August (AKI) - Police on Friday dismantled a "dangerous terrorist network" allegedly linked to Al-Qaeda and arrested 15 suspects who were planning attacks in the country, the Moroccan news agency MAP reported, quoting police sources.

The 15-member terrorist network called 'Fath Al Andalus' was in possession of chemicals and electronic equipment used to make explosives, police sources said, cited by MAP.

The alleged terrorist network was planning attacks in Morocco and had "established operational links with foreign extremists of the Al-Qaeda organisation," MAP quoted the sources as saying.

The network was present in several Moroccan cities, MAP reported, citing police.

Three months ago, Moroccan security services broke up another 11-member terrorist network in the northern city of Fez and in Nador in the northeast.

The network is believed to have links with groups sending volunteers to Iraq and to training camps run by Al-Qaeda's branch in North Africa.

My Comment: Moroccan security and intelligence services have been very successful in stopping terrorist attacks. Chalk up another successful bust.

Future U.S. Troop Levels In Iraq

General David Petraeus And President George Bush

WASHINGTON - The top U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, has given his military superiors and Defense Secretary Robert Gates his initial recommendation on when to resume a U.S. troop withdrawal and at what pace, a senior military officer close to the process said Friday.

The officer, who spoke to The Associated Press only on condition that he not be identified, said Petraeus was still analyzing the situation and had not yet submitted a final set of recommendations. That is expected to happen within the next week or so, but there is no firm deadline.

The officer would not provide any specifics of Petraeus' initial recommendation. He was granted anonymity because of the sensitivity of Petraeus' deliberations and because they are not completed.

Read more ....

My Comment: Everything now has a timetable. General Petraeus's troop recommendations will be a validation of the improving security situation in Iraq.

U.S. Plans On Attacking Iran's Nuclear Infrastructure

The Natanz uranium enrichment complex in Natanz is pictured in this January 2, 2006 satellite image.

US Prepares Military Blitz Against Iran’s N-Sites -- Daily News

* UK paper says prospect of military action could put Washington at odds with Britain
* Pentagon planners believe raids can hold back Iran’s nuclear programme

LAHORE: Strategists at the Pentagon are drawing up plans for devastating bombing raids backed by submarine-launched ballistic missile attacks against Iran’s nuclear sites as a “last resort” to block Tehran’s efforts to develop an atomic bomb, the Sunday Telegraph reported on Friday.

The British newspaper reported that US Central Command and Strategic Command planners had been identifying targets, assessing weapon-loads and working on logistics for an operation. “This is more than just the standard military contingency assessment,” the newspapers quoted a senior Pentagon adviser as saying. “This has taken on much greater urgency in recent months.”

Read more ....

My Comment: Nothing new in the above news story. I believe that plans to attack Iran's nuclear facilities were drawn up a long time ago .... and are being revised constantly. The big question is political. Will the U.S. administration give the green light to destroy Iran's nuclear facilities?

We will find probably find out very soon on what that answer is.

Preparing The Next U.S. Administration's War Policy

Bush Seeks to Affirm a Continuing War
on Terror -- New York Times

WASHINGTON — Tucked deep into a recent proposal from the Bush administration is a provision that has received almost no public attention, yet in many ways captures one of President Bush’s defining legacies: an affirmation that the United States is still at war with Al Qaeda.

Seven years after the Sept. 11 attacks, Mr. Bush’s advisers assert that many Americans may have forgotten that. So they want Congress to say so and “acknowledge again and explicitly that this nation remains engaged in an armed conflict with Al Qaeda, the Taliban, and associated organizations, who have already proclaimed themselves at war with us and who are dedicated to the slaughter of Americans.”

The language, part of a proposal for hearing legal appeals from detainees at the United States naval base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, goes beyond political symbolism. Echoing a measure that Congress passed just days after the Sept. 11 attacks, it carries significant legal and public policy implications for Mr. Bush, and potentially his successor, to claim the imprimatur of Congress to use the tools of war, including detention, interrogation and surveillance, against the enemy, legal and political analysts say.

Read more ....

My Comment: I predict that the Democratic Congress will not acknowledge the President's goals via through legislation from Congress. They prefer the next administration .... one in which they hope that it is from the Democratic Party .... that will decide on what should be the policy direction when it comes to the war on terror.

War News, Blogs, Opinions, And Wire Service Roundup -- August 30, 2008

RELIEF EFFORTS - A pallet of humanitarian assistance supplies is offloaded from the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Dallas, Batumi, Georgia, Aug. 27, 2008. Dallas arrived with more than 76,000 pounds of humanitarian supplies to be given to the people of Georgia. The supplies are in response to the request of the government of Georgia. Dallas is part of Combined Task Force 367, the maritime element of the U.S. humanitarian assistance mission to Georgia. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Eddie Harrison

WAR/TERRORISM NEWS SUMMARIES AROUND THE WORLD

United States Central Command
Global Security Briefs -- In Homeland Security
Complete Roundup Of World Trouble Spots -- Small Wars Journal
International, War, and Terrorism Headlines -- Rantburg
Morning Brief -- Foreign Policy
Global Incident Map
Global News -- Inform
Spotlight on Military News and International Affairs -- Canadian Perspective
Summary Of Wars & Conflicts: Right Hand Side Of Page -- Counter Terrorism Blog
Global Security News Roundup -- Global Security.org
Threatswatch
Latest News -- Strategy Page
Institute For War And Peace Reporting
Intelligence News Roundup -- Intelligence Online
Analysis And Commentaries -- International Relations And Security Network
Alertnet From Reuters -- Use Their Search Filter
Emerging Threats -- United Press International
International Forecasting And News -- Stratfor

IRAQ
Iraq News -- E I N News
Conflict In Iraq -- Full Coverage From Yahoo News
War In Iraq -- MSNBC
Iraq News Online -- Times Online
Iraq News -- Inform
Iraq Status Report
Iraq Weekly Status Report -- U.S. State Department
Iraq Updates
Iraq War News
Iraq Coalition Casualty Count

AFGHANISTAN
Afghanistan -- Full Coverage From Yahoo News
Afghanistan Conflict Monitor
Afghanistan Update: April 1-30, 2008 -- Center For Defense Information
Operations In Afghanistan -- U.K. Ministry Of Defense

MIDDLE EAST
Mideast Conflicts -- Full Coverage From Yahoo News
Middle East Coverage -- Memri

SECURITY AND TERRORISM
Security -- MSNBC
Terrorism -- Full Coverage From Yahoo News
Terrorism -- MSNBC
Terror News Briefs
National Terror Alert Response Center

U.S. MILITARY NEWS
U.S. Department Of Defense News
News in The Military -- Military News
Stars And Stripes
U.S. Armed Forces News -- Full Coverage From Yahoo News
Index Of Military Blogs: Stories Updated Daily -- Military.com
Milblogging: Stories Updated Daily -- Index Of Military Blogs
Directory Of Intelligence Sites -- Strategic Intelligence Complete

Unrest And Rumors Of A Coup In Thailand

Thai monk join a rally outside Government house in Bangkok ,Thailand, Friday, Aug. 29, 2008. Thai police muscled into crowds of anti-government protesters occupying the prime minister's office compound Friday to deliver a court order demanding they leave. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

Thailand Sinks Into Crisis As Demonstrators Close
Airports And Railways -- Times Online

Thailand sank deeper into political chaos yesterday as anti-government demonstrators forced the closure of airports and railway lines, stranding foreign and domestic passengers and increasing fears of yet another military coup.

In the capital, Bangkok, a crowd of 2,000 people faced a barrage of teargas as they attempted to take over police headquarters. In other parts of the country, members of the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Samak Sundaraveg shut down airports in Hat Yai and the tourist resorts of Phuket and Krabi.

“This is embarrassing in front of the world,” Mr Samak said, three days after being forced out of his office by demonstrators. “I have several tools at my disposal, but I am not using any of them because I want to keep things calm. I will not quit. If you want me out, do it by law, not by force.”

Read more ....

More News On Thailand

Thailand's political crisis deepens amid protests -- Market Watch
Pressure mounts on Thailand's PM -- BBC
Thai protests spread to disrupt rail and air links -- Independent
Thai rioters attack police station -- Al Jazeera
Thai Protests Spread, Shut Airports -- Wall Street Journal
Protesters shut down Thailand airports -- UPI
Never-ending coup (opinion) -- Guardian
Emergency on cards if Thai rioting worsens -- The Statesman
US asks Thailand to end crisis through democratic means -- Yahoo News/AFP
TIMELINE-Unrest spreads in Thailand as coup anniversary nears -- Yahoo News/Reuters

My Comment: Emergency rule may soon be followed by martial law which soon may be followed by a coup by the military. A worse case scenario that no one is exploring now.

Afghan Civilian Death Claims Bogus

Civilian Casualties In Afghanistan

Pentagon Reports U.S. Airstrike Killed 5 Afghan
Civilians, Not 90 -- Washington Post

A U.S. military review of an airstrike last week in western Afghanistan maintains that only five civilians were killed, Pentagon officials said yesterday, a finding that starkly contradicts reports by the United Nations and Afghan officials that the civilian death toll from the bombing was at least 90.

The completed review corroborates an initial assessment by the military of the operation Friday by U.S. and Afghan forces in a village in Herat province. The review determined that 25 militants, including a Taliban commander, and five civilians had been killed, the officials said.

Read more ....

My Comment: This is not the first time that inaccurate casualty figures were publicized .... nor will it be the last.