Inspectors Try To Pierce Iran's Nuclear Program

Inspectors Pierce Iran’s Cloak of Nuclear Secrecy -- New York Times

The International Atomic Energy Agency last week presented a report to its board that laid out new information on what it calls “possible military dimensions” of Iran’s nuclear program, clarifying the central issue in the long clash between Tehran and the West over nuclear technology.

The nine-page report raised questions about whether Iran has sought to investigate seven different kinds of technology ranging from atomic triggers and detonators to uranium fuel. Together, the technologies could make a type of atom bomb known as an implosion device, which is what senior staff members of the I.A.E.A. have warned that Iran is able to build.

Read more ....

My Comment: Taking 5% of the information that you have .... and trying to figure out the other 95% .... that is in essence what the job as a nuclear inspector is like when it comes to Iran.

Mexico's Drug Wars Is Now On Guatemala's Border

Mexico's Southern Border Awash In Crime And Violence -- Miami Herald/McClatchy News

ALONG THE USUMACINTA RIVER, Mexico -- If the border that separates the United States and Mexico is fairly easy to penetrate, then Mexico's other border - the southern one, abutting Guatemala - is virtually a sieve.

For a few pesos, boatmen along this jade-hued jungle river will take people or cargo across, no questions asked. On one recent day, rustlers could be seen driving long-horned cattle from trucks at river's edge onto waiting boats.

Read more ....

My Comment: Central America is already awash with crime and violence .... throwing in Mexico's drug war is not the recipe for better times.

There's "Dissent And Dislike" For The President At The CIA

Ex-Intel Chairman Hoekstra Says There's "Dissent And Dislike" For Pres At CIA -- Human Events

The former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee said last week that there is an undercurrent of “dissent and dislike” for President Obama among the rank-and-file of the Central Intelligence Agency. This hostility, former Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-Mich.) told HUMAN EVENTS, is the result of the continuing investigations of CIA agents regarding enhanced interrogation techniques of suspected terrorists—investigations, he emphasized, “of which the President and [U.S. Attorney General] Eric Holder should say, ‘These proceedings are closed.’”

Read more ....

My Comment: The CIA is not the only organization that has a dislike for President Obama .... but even with this "dislike", I doubt that the intelligence services will actively disobey and/or disrupt White House policies and objectives.

Syrian President Issues Amnesty To His Opponents

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. © RIA Novosti. Sergei Guneev

Syria's Assad Offers Amnesty To Political Prisoners -- Christian Science Monitor

Assad's conciliatory gesture is unlikely to halt the momentum of Syria's opposition, which is meeting in Turkey to discuss a transition to democracy.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, in a clear conciliatory gesture to anti-regime protesters following weeks of brutal suppression by his security forces, announced Tuesday a general amnesty for all “crimes” committed before May 31.

According to Syrian TV, the amnesty will apply to all political prisoners as well as to the banned Muslim Brotherhood. More than 1,000 people have died and 10,000 people have been arrested in recent weeks as part of a crackdown by the Syrian authorities to stamp out an unprecedented uprising that has shaken Mr. Assad’s 11-year hold on power. There was no immediate word on when the detainees would begin to be released.

Read more ....

More News On Syria's Amnesty Offer To Its Political Prisoners

Syrian president issues amnesty -- Al Jazeera
Syrian president declares general amnesty -- RIA Novosti
Syrian Leader Bids for Calm With Amnesty -- New York Times
Syrian President Offers Opponents General Amnesty -- Voice of America
Assad Orders Release of Political Detainees, Syrian State Television Says -- Bloomberg
Syria decrees general amnesty, opposition says too little -- AFP
Syria: Bashar al-Assad 'grants general amnesty' -- BBC

My Comment: This offer of amnesty is not going to fly .... especially when stories like this one are being circulated.

Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- May 31, 2011

Ratko Mladic's Arrival At Hague Bolsters Promise Of International Courts -- Robert Marquand, Christian science Monitor

Ratko Mladic's extradition to The Hague Tuesday to face 11 counts of war crimes in Bosnia reflects a growing acceptance of seeking justice in global courts instead of the battlefield.

Bosnian Serb Gen. Ratko Mladic was placed on a Hague-bound airplane Tuesday after losing his appeal not to be sent there on 11 counts of war crimes in Bosnia. His arrival the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), set up in 1993, further legitimizes global efforts to establish laws and courts to prosecute crimes that for most of human history took place with impunity and were usually resolved by wars, treaties, time, and forgetting.

Read more ....

Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials

How to Track China’s Navy Ambitions -- James R. Holmes, The Diplomat

Iran sees threat to its clout amid Arab Spring -- Scott Peterson, Christian Science Monitor

Syrians are tired of Assad's 'reforms' -- Fadwa al-Hatem, The Guardian

The endgame for Syria's bloody junta -- Burhan Ghalioun, The Guardian

Egypt Rushes Toward Sharia and War -- Robert Spencer, Human Events

The Real Endgame In Greece That European Leaders Are Privately Praying For -- Gregory White, Business Insider

Is it too late for Serbia to join the EU? -- Joshua Keating, The Cable/Foreign Policy

The U.S. could get on the right side of history in Burma -- Fred Hiatt, Washington Post

Was Salvador Allende Assassinated? -- FOX News

The Numbers Are Grim -- New York Times editorial

Bush II goes to war whether Congress likes it or not -- Gene Healy, Washington Examiner

State secrets privilege: Time for Congress to end the rubber stamp -- Washington Post editorial

World News Briefs -- May 31, 2011 (Evening Edition)

Yemen Unrest Deepens, Downward Spiral Spreads -- Voice of America

Yemeni government troops in Sana'a are again fighting members of the Hashid tribe, just one of several forces, including militants and anti-government protesters, seeking to oust President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

The street battles followed a brief truce between the government and forces loyal to Sheikh Sadek al-Ahmar, and threatened once again to push Yemen toward civil war.

Read more ....

MIDDLE EAST

U.S. yanks diplomat from Bahrain after he's threatened.

Hamas opens memorial to dead flotilla activists.

Yemeni military battles opponents on several fronts. Yemen truce ends with blasts, stokes civil war worries. Yemen unrest: UN says 50 killed in Taiz since Sunday.

Gunfire, explosions hit Syrian town: activist.

Activists vow new aid flotilla to Gaza.

Israel Minister: Strike on Iran could be necessary.

West Bank site holy to Jews emerges as flashpoint.

Majority of both Palestinians and Israeli expect new intifada.

ASIA

US senator: Decision soon on Marine base in Japan.

Pakistani jets kill 18 in attacks on militants.

Karzai: NATO risks being seen as 'occupying force'.

India, Pakistan fail to make progress on glacier.

China says foreigners stir Inner Mongolia unrest.

The United States and Pakistan: Partnership in risis.

Japan recovery takes hold, but debt downgrade looms.

AFRICA

Libya's Gaddafi: I will not leave my country. Zuma says Gaddafi refuses to leave Libya.
Gaddafi appears on Libyan state television with South Africa leader Zuma who says tyrant is open to a truce. UN: Food, medicine dwindling in Gadhafi-held Libya.

ICC rejects Kenya bid to halt election violence probe.

Police violence reaching new levels in Morocco with Sunday beatings.

Somalia surge in child casualties, says UN.

North, South Sudan agree demilitarized zone: AU. North and south Sudan agree to border talks over disputed region. Sudanese army appoints military governor for Abyei.

Kampala warns Khartoum over military invasion of oil-rich state.

Egypt's Mubarak unfit for prison move: prosecutor.

Egypt’s Christians fear violence as changes embolden Islamists.

EUROPE

Mladic extradited to UN court in The Hague. Serbia judges reject Ratko Mladic extradition appeal.

More blows to Berlusconi coalition.

Germany furious after Iran delays Merkel's plane.

European food contamination kills 16, sickens 1150. Killer bacteria claims victims in Germany, Sweden.

Europe weighs options for new Greek package.

AMERICAS

Spanish court indicts 20 Salvadoran military officials.

Memorial Day marked by parades, flyovers, flags.

Bananas, Colombian death squads and a billion dollar lawsuit.

Brazil federal leaders discuss Amazon conflict.

Report questions official Haiti quake death toll.

TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR

Supreme Court tosses out lawsuit accusing John Ashcroft of misusing his power.

Report: Over 400 al-Qaida terrorists now in Sinai.

ISAF targets Taliban leader of al Qaeda cell based in Quetta.

North Caucasus the next terror battlefield for al Qaeda?

ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS

US home price double dip erases post-crisis gains.

Eurozone crisis risks 'systemic' fallout, says Draghi.

'Perfect storm' looms for world's food supplies. Food prices set to double by 2030, aid group says.

U.S. March home prices suffer double-dip setback.

India's economy grows at slowest pace in over a year.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Gates Goes To Asia To Reassure Allies On U.S. Commitment To The Region

GATES' WAVE - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates waves to the crowd gathered to mark Rolling Thunder at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., May 29, 2011, saying it will be his last Memorial Day address before he retires in June. Rolling Thunder is an annual event in which thousands of veterans ride motorcycles through the city to call attention to prisoners of war and those missing in action. DOD photo by Fred W. Baker III

Gates Travels To Asia With Message Of Continuity -- Reuters

Defense Secretary Robert Gates heads to Asia for a final time as Pentagon chief on Tuesday, looking to reassure allies the United States is committed to regional security despite tightening defense budgets and his own imminent departure.

Gates, who leaves office at the end of June, will meet his counterparts from Australia, China and other countries at the Shangri-La security dialogue in Singapore before traveling to Brussels for meetings with officials of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Read more ....

More News On Secretary Gates And His Last Trip Abroad As "Pentagon Chief"

US role in Asia on agenda for Gates' final trip -- Seattle PI/AP
Gates to Reaffirm U.S. Commitments to Asia -- U.S. Department of Defense
On his last trip abroad, Gates to argue that tighter budgets won’t cut US role in Asia -- Washington Post
Gates to Display U.S. Military Staying Power on Final Trip to Asia -- Bloomberg
Gates to reassure Asian allies on US military ties -- AFP
Gates heads to Singapore on last trip as Pentagon boss -- CTV news

The New Age Of Warfare Will Use Mini-Weapons

Raytheon is developing a 13-pound GPS-guided "smart bomb" intended to be dropped from a drone. (Jim Muntz/Raytheon Co. / May 31, 2011)

Pentagon Seeks Mini-Weapons For New Age Of Warfare -- L.A. Times

In an effort to cut costs and avoid civilian casualties, manufacturers are developing small 'smart bombs,' drones that resemble model planes and microscopic crystals to tag enemy targets.

Under mounting pressure to keep its massive budget in check, the Pentagon is looking to cheaper, smaller weapons to wage war in the 21st century.

A new generation of weaponry is being readied in clandestine laboratories across the nation that puts a priority on pintsized technology that would be more precise in warfare and less likely to cause civilian casualties. Increasingly, the Pentagon is being forced to discard expensive, hulking, Cold War-era armaments that exact a heavy toll on property and human lives.

Read more ....

My Comment: Warfare is rapidly becoming a conflict of economics .... the use of expensive jet planes and pricey bombs do not make sense in today's conflicts .... especially when a low cost drone with a small missile can do the same job.

'Food Prices Will Double In 20 Years Causing Mass World Hunger'

Food Prices Will Double By 2030, Says Oxfam -- The Daily Mail

* Demand for food will rise 70 per cent by 2050

The prices of some staple foods will more than double by 2030 unless world leaders reform the global food system, Oxfam has warned.

The aid charity warned that millions more people could suffer food shortages in two decades due to a 'perfect storm' of ecological and sociological factors.

Read more ....

More News On Oxfam's Report That Food Prices Are Set To Double by 2030

Food prices could double within 20 years, warns Oxfam -- The Telegraph
Food prices to double by 2030, Oxfam warns -- The Guardian
Oxfam Urges Reform Of 'Broken Food System' -- Radio Free Europe
Food crisis will create millions more hungry: Oxfam -- CBC
Rising food prices increase squeeze on poor - Oxfam -- BBC
Hunger crisis worsens, food system broken: Oxfam -- Reuters
Oxfam: 'Broken' food system leaving millions hungry -- CNN
‘Number of hungry people in India rose by 65 mn between 1990-2005’ -- The Hindu

President Obama's National Security Team Is Now In Place

President Obama, followed by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Gen. Martin E. Dempsey at the White House on Monday. Philip Scott Andrews/The New York Times

Obama Wraps Up Reshaping of National Security Team -- New York Times

WASHINGTON — In announcing Monday that he would nominate Gen. Martin E. Dempsey to be chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, President Obama concluded a broad reshuffling of his national security team just as the administration is heading into a new debate over bringing American troops home from Afghanistan.

General Dempsey, who if confirmed by the Senate would take over from Adm. Mike Mullen as the nation’s highest ranking military officer, has not taken a public position on how many troops should be withdrawn starting in July, the date set by the president for beginning to reduce the United States military presence in Afghanistan.

Read more ....

My Comment: It is going to take me a while to get around the idea that General Petraeus now runs the CIA and General Odierno will head the U.S. Army .... but in general .... this reshaping of the National Security team holds no surprises.

Civil War In Libya -- News Updates May 31, 2011

Defections, Protests Hit Libyan Regime -- Washington Post

TRIPOLI — South African President Jacob Zuma met Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi Monday but appeared to make no breakthrough in his attempt to broker a peace deal, as the regime was hit by a wave of high-level defections and the reemergence of protests in the capital.

Zuma, who also visited Tripoli in April, reiterated that Gaddafi had accepted an African Union peace plan calling for a cease-fire and dialogue, a plan explicitly rejected by rebels and implicitly by NATO, who maintain Gaddafi has to leave before any cease-fire can take effect.

Read more ....

More News On The Civil War In Libya

FACTBOX-Latest military activity in Libya -- Reuters

Fresh NATO Libya Raids As Rebels Reject New Truce Offer -- Radio Free Europe
INTERVIEW-Top Libyan defector says end near for Gaddafi's rule -- Reuters
Kadhafi 'finished,' Italy says amid stalemate -- Yahoo News/AFP
Italy pledges money, fuel for Libyan rebels -- Seattle PI/AP
Italy offers financial help to Libya rebels -- Financial Times
Italy Pledges Oil, Cash to Libyan Rebels -- Wall Street Journal

Kadhafi not prepared to leave Libya: S. Africa -- AFP
Libya's Gaddafi: I will not leave my country -- Reuters
Zuma’s Office Says Qaddafi Intent on Staying in Libya -- New York Times
Libya: Zuma says Gaddafi will not quit -- BBC
Gaddafi not prepared to leave his country, says Zuma -- Vanguard

African peace effort appears a no-go in Libya -- L.A. Times
S.African law firm 'may defend Kadhafi' -- AFP
Gaddafi must accept reality and leave -- Gulf News editorial
TIMELINE-Libya's uprising against Muammar Gaddafi -- Reuters

Serbia Extradites Former Bosnian General Ratko Mladic To The Hague

Serbia Extradites Ratko Mladic To The Hague -- BBC

Ratko Mladic is being flown from Belgrade to a UN tribunal in The Hague, after a Serbian court rejected an appeal against his transfer.

Serbia's justice minister said she had signed the extradition order. After the hearing, the former Bosnian Serb army chief was taken to the airport.

He faces genocide charges over the Bosnian conflict in the 1990s.

Read more ....

More News On Ratko Mladic Being Extradited To The Hague

Mladic on way to Hague to face war crimes charges -- Yahoo News/AP
Serbia says Mladic on flight to war crimes tribunal -- Yahoo News/Reuters
Serbia rejects appeal against Mladic transfer to UN court -- Yahoo News/AFP
Ratko Mladic to be extradited to The Hague after appeal rejected -- The Telegraph
Judges reject Mladic's appeal against extradition -- MSNBC
Serbia rejects appeal, extradites Mladic to The Hague -- Globe And Mail
Thousands of Mladic supporters in Bosnia protest their hero's arrest -- Canadian Press

So Much For Talking. North Korea Threatens To Cut Hotline To The South

North Korea has said it will never deal with the current South Korean government (AFP/File, Jung Yeon-Je)

North Korea Threatens to Close Hotline With South -- New York Times

SEOUL — With relations between North and South Korea still tense and limited, the North threatened Monday to abandon a military hot line with the South and close a jointly operated office where officials from both Koreas interact.

The North also said it would never again deal with President Lee Myung-bak of South Korea, calling him a “traitor,” although the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-il, said only last month that he was willing to participate in a summit meeting with Mr. Lee.

Read more ....

More News On The Tensions Between North And South Korea

NKorea threatens to cut off hotline with SKorea -- Stars and Stripes/AP
Kim Jong-il Severs Communication with S.Korea -- Chosun Ilbo
North Korea pledges not to talk with South -- Korea Times
N. Korea won't deal with S. Korea govt: statement -- AFP
South Korea regrets the North cutting ties -- CNN

My Comment: While this severing of ties is a disappointment .... it should not be a surprised. What is a surprise is a secret visit by Director of National Intelligence James Clapper to South Korea .... not surprising .... no one wants to talk about it.

North - South Sudan Crisis -- News Updates May 31, 2011

North-South Sudan Agree On Demilitarized Zone Along Border -- Voice of America

North and south Sudan have agreed to set up a joint security mechanism to manage tensions along their disputed frontier once the country splits into two in July. The deal establishes a demilitarized zone to be jointly monitored under international supervision. Ethiopia is offering to send peacekeepers to act as a buffer between opposing forces.

Senior northern and southern military commanders signed the accord late Monday after three days of talks at an Addis Ababa hotel.

Read more ....

More News On The Conflict Between Birth And South Sudan

Sudan agrees demilitirised zone for north-south border -- BBC
Sudan's north and south agree to demilitarised border zone -- The Guardian
North, south Sudan agree on demilitarised zone -- AFP
North, South Sudan agree demilitarised zone - AU -- Reuters
Sudan, Southern Sudan agree to border talks over disputed region -- CNN
North, south Sudan discuss Abyei as tension simmers -- Reuters
North Sudan demands South withdraws troops from border states -- Irish Times
Sudan Says Southern Troops in North Will Be 'Legitimate Targets' -- SFGate/Bloomberg
Sudan Border Strategy May Bring in Ethiopian Peacekeepers -- New York Times
Thousands flee Sudanese bombing amid food and fuel shortages -- Washington Post
Fresh Crisis as South Sudan Inches to Independence -- Alert Net
Abyei occupation makes it harder to avoid war -- Katrina Manson, Financial Times
Sudan’s Peaceful Partition, at Risk -- Douglas H. Johnson, New York Times
Massive Humanitarian Tragedy in Abyei (And How to Prevent it from Getting Worse) -- Mark Goldberg, UN Dispatch
Why Kenya, Uganda should shiver over Sudan’s Abyei crisis -- Charles Onyango-Obbo, The East African
TIMELINE-Sudan's disputed Abyei region -- Reuters

Unrest In Yemen -- News Updates May 312, 2011

Cease-Fire in Yemen Capital Breaks Down -- New York Times

SANA, Yemen — The field of battle expanded again in Yemen on Tuesday as a cease-fire between government forces and opposition tribesmen in the capital broke down, renewing fears that the country’s continuing political stalemate could drag it into civil war.

The fighting came a day after the government pounded a major coastal city with airstrikes to dislodge Islamic militants and, to the west, smashed the country’s largest antigovernment demonstration in clashes that killed at least 20 protesters.

Read more ....

More News On The Unrest And Violence In Yemen

Yemen security official: Islamists kill 5 soldiers -- Yahoo News/AP
Deadly clashes in Yemen capital as troops kill 7 in Taez -- Yahoo News/AFP
Dozens Die in Yemen Protests -- Wall Street Journal
Continuing fierce battles erupt in Yemen's capital, breaking truce deal -- Xinhuanet
Yemen Fighting Intensifies on More Fronts, At Least 20 Killed -- Voice of America
Yemen truce ends in blasts, stokes civil war worries -- Swiss Info/Reuters
Yemen unrest: UN says 50 killed in Taiz since Sunday -- BBC
Yemen: 'Over 50 Killed By Govt Troops' -- SKY news
UN: 50 Dead in Taiz Crackdown -- Voice of America
More than 50 killed in Yemen city of Taiz: U.N. -- Reuters
20 feared dead as Yemeni security forces storm protest camp -- Washington Post

Yemen security official: Islamists kill 5 soldiers -- Seattle PI/AP
Eight Yemen soldiers dead from ‘Qaeda’ clashes -- Khaleej Times/AFP
Al-Qa'ida fighters kill Yemeni troops -- The Australian
YEMEN: Civilians flee violence in the south -- IRIN
UN rights chief deplores ‘reprehensible’ violence against Yemeni civilians -- UN News Centre
Foreign Office urges Britons to leave Yemen while they can -- The Independent

Yemen's Saleh cedes Al Qaeda hotbed to militants. Why? -- Christian Science Monitor
The implosion in Yemen -- Khaleej Times editorial
Jihadists Threaten to Seize Yemem -- Max Boot, Commentary

Major Cyber Attacks Will Now Be Viewed As An Act Of War

Cyber Combat: Act of War -- Wall Street Journal

Pentagon Sets Stage for U.S. to Respond to Computer Sabotage With Military Force

WASHINGTON—The Pentagon has concluded that computer sabotage coming from another country can constitute an act of war, a finding that for the first time opens the door for the U.S. to respond using traditional military force.

The Pentagon's first formal cyber strategy, unclassified portions of which are expected to become public next month, represents an early attempt to grapple with a changing world in which a hacker could pose as significant a threat to U.S. nuclear reactors, subways or pipelines as a hostile country's military.

Read more ....

More News On How The U.S. And U.K. Will Respond To A Major Cyber Attack

DoD: Cyber attack is act of war -- DoD Buzz
Pentagon: Cyber Attacks Can Qualify as Acts of War -- Newser
Pentagon says computer hack is act of war -- Tech Eye
US 'to view major cyber attacks as acts of war' -- Physorg.com

The U.K. Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), above, is taking a lead role in developing cbyer-weapons programme. Photograph: Reuters

Cyber weapons 'now integral part of Britain's armoury' -- The Telegraph
UK developing cyber-weapons programme to counter cyber war threat -- The Guardian
Government plans cyber weapons programme -- The Guardian
Stuxnet attack forced Britain to rethink the cyber war -- The Guardian
Cyber weapons are integral part of the UK’s armoury, says defence minister -- Computerworld UK
Cyber warfare: Britain developing 'virtual weapons' to combat hacker threat -- Daily Mail

U.S., U.K. see cyberwar as facet of regular war -- CNET
21st century warfare -- Rick Moran, American Thinker

Afghanistan War News Updates -- May 31, 2011

Afghan President Warns NATO Against Airstrikes -- Voice of America

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has warned NATO that launching airstrikes on houses while targeting militants will not be allowed, as he continued to press U.S. and NATO forces about civilian casualties.

President Karzai said Tuesday the Afghan people can no longer tolerate the attacks, and that the U.S.-led coalition risks being seen as an "occupying force" if the bombings continue.

Read more ....

More News On Afghanistan

Afghan leader warns NATO not to become "occupying force" -- Reuters
Hamid Karzai warns Nato not to act as occupier in Afghanistan -- The Telegraph
Karzai orders NATO to stop airstrikes in Afghanistan -- Washington Post
Karzai: Afghans 'Can No Longer Tolerate' NATO Strikes That Hit Civilians -- NPR
Karzai Warns NATO Against Air Attacks on Afghan Homes -- New York Times
Karzai demands that NATO cease airstrikes on houses -- L.A. Times
Karzai says no more airstrikes on homes -- UPI
Afghan president warns NATO against airstrikes that kill civilians -- CNN
Afghan leader Karzai issues 'last warning' to Nato -- BBC

NATO: Hits on Afghan houses to continue -- Yahoo News/AP

ISAF Joint Command morning operational update -- Dvids
Factbox: Security developments in Afghanistan -- Reuters
U.S. soldiers brace for big fight in Afghanistan -- CBS news
Taliban insurgents hit NATO base, downtown Herat in coordinated attacks -- L.A. Times
Taliban Attack in Herat, Far From Their Usual Areas -- New York Times
Insurgents attack Afghan NATO base, downtown Herat blast kills at least 4 -- Washington Post
Afghan Soldier Fatally Shoots Australian Mentor -- New York Times/AP

Obama team turns focus to Afghanistan withdrawal -- USA Today
Cost of war in Afghanistan will be major factor in troop-reduction talks -- Washington Post
Violence Clouds U.S. Pullout Plans in Afghanistan -- Wall Street Journal
Retreat from Afghanistan must be on the West's terms -- Herald Sun

UK General Warns Against Afghanistan Pullout -- New York Times/AP
Afghanistan no longer source of terrorism: Canada PM -- Yahoo News/AFP
Canada’s Harper Makes Afghanistan Stop to Mark End of Military Mission -- Bloomberg
Afghan Central Bank Defends Itself After Critical Report -- New York Times
Specialist’s sacrifice spurs soldiers to reach out to Afghan villagers -- Stars and Stripes
Opinion: Deadly attacks in Afghanistan mark pivotal point -- Deutsche Welle

World News Briefs -- May 31, 2011

Zuma: Gadhafi Not Ready To Leave -- Voice of America

South African President Jacob Zuma says Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi is not ready to leave his country.

Zuma made the comment Tuesday after returning home from meeting with Gadhafi in Tripoli Monday. Zuma was trying to broker a peace deal between the Libyan government and rebel fighters.

Read more ....

MIDDLE EAST

Yemeni military battles opponents on several fronts. Yemen truce ends with blasts, stokes civil war worries. Yemen unrest: UN says 50 killed in Taiz since Sunday.

Gunfire, explosions hit Syrian town: activist.

Activists vow new aid flotilla to Gaza.

Israel Minister: Strike on Iran could be necessary.

West Bank site holy to Jews emerges as flashpoint.

Majority of both Palestinians and Israeli expect new intifada.

ASIA

Karzai: NATO risks being seen as 'occupying force'.

India, Pakistan fail to make progress on glacier.

China says foreigners stir Inner Mongolia unrest.

The United States and Pakistan: Partnership in risis.

Japan recovery takes hold, but debt downgrade looms.

AFRICA

Libya's Gaddafi: I will not leave my country. Zuma says Gaddafi refuses to leave Libya.
Gaddafi appears on Libyan state television with South Africa leader Zuma who says tyrant is open to a truce. UN: Food, medicine dwindling in Gadhafi-held Libya.

North and south Sudan agree to border talks over disputed region. Sudanese army appoints military governor for Abyei.

Kampala warns Khartoum over military invasion of oil-rich state.

Egypt's Mubarak unfit for prison move: prosecutor.

Egypt’s Christians fear violence as changes embolden Islamists.

EUROPE

Serbia judges reject Ratko Mladic extradition appeal.

Germany furious after Iran delays Merkel's plane.

Killer bacteria claims victims in Germany, Sweden.

Europe weighs options for new Greek package.

AMERICAS

Memorial Day marked by parades, flyovers, flags.

Bananas, Colombian death squads and a billion dollar lawsuit.

Brazil federal leaders discuss Amazon conflict.

Report questions official Haiti quake death toll.

TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR

Report: Over 400 al-Qaida terrorists now in Sinai.

ISAF targets Taliban leader of al Qaeda cell based in Quetta.

North Caucasus the next terror battlefield for al Qaeda?

ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS

Eurozone crisis risks 'systemic' fallout, says Draghi.

'Perfect storm' looms for world's food supplies. Food prices set to double by 2030, aid group says.

U.S. March home prices suffer double-dip setback.

India's economy grows at slowest pace in over a year.

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- May 31, 2011

GATES ADDRESS - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates delivers one of his final public addresses during his final days in office at the Memorial Day commemoration ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., May 30, 2011. DOD photo by R.D. Ward

On His Last Trip Abroad, Gates To Argue That Tighter Budgets Won’t Cut US Role In Asia-- Washington Post/AP

WASHINGTON — On his final overseas trip as secretary of defense, Robert Gates will make the case to a gathering of Asian defense chiefs in Singapore that expected budget-slashing in Washington will not weaken America’s commitment to Asia.

Gates will be in Singapore, after a stopover Tuesday in Hawaii, to attend the annual Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s most prominent security conference. Its agenda includes discussion about the challenge of Afghanistan, the implications of China’s military buildup and the dangers of North Korea’s nuclear ambitions.

Read more ....

MILITARY AND INTELLIGENCE NEWS BRIEFS

Gates to Display U.S. Military Staying Power on Final Trip to Asia -- Bloomberg

Cost of war in Afghanistan will be major factor in troop-reduction talks -- Washington Post

Afghanistan withdrawal: no significant pull out, says senior British general -- The Telegraph

India upset over Russia calling off naval exercise -- Times of India

Egyptian military defends virginity checks -- UPI

Libya: Will Bunk Busters Make the Difference? -- Ares/Aviation Week

South Korean soldiers use Kim Jong-Il pictures for target practice -- The Telegraph

ICAO to co-operate to stop North Korean GPS jamming -- Flight Global

Sea Transportation: The Shipbuilding Behemoths Of the East -- Strategy Page

Obama picks warrior-scholar Dempsey for top military job -- Yahoo News/Reuters

What will the Dempsey era bring? -- DoD Buzz

Obama Wraps Up Reshaping of National Security Team -- New York Times

Cyber Combat: Act of War -- Wall Street Journal

U.S., U.K. see cyberwar as facet of regular war -- CNET

Military has small UAS competition -- UPI

‘Insourcing’ effort still under fire despite Pentagon’s gradual retreat from plan -- Washington Post

First THAAD Missiles Delivered to the U.S. Army -- Defense Update

F-22 Getting New Brain. Open Avionics Architecture To Ease Upgrades -- Defense News

Warner asks Army for update on Arlington National Cemetery fixes -- Washington Post

Navy roommates shared their lives, now lie together at Arlington -- Baltimore Sun

Study: Secondary PTSD Overdiagnosed -- Military.com

One Brain, Hundreds of Eyes: Darpa Plots Manhunt Master Controller -- The Danger Room

What Must America Defend? -- Patrick J. Buchanan, American Conservative (a commentary)

Britain Embraces The Use Of Cyber Weapons

The Cabinet Office and the Cyber Security Operations Centre at GCHQ (above) have taken the lead on cyber weapons Photo: PA

Cyber Weapons 'Now Integral Part Of Britain's Armoury' -- The Telegraph

Cyber weapons are being developed by the Government to counter the growing number of internet-based threats to national security, ministers have disclosed.

A "toolbox" of offensive cyber weapons is being assembled to fight hackers targeting military facilities, secret databases, critical emergency services and Whitehall departments.

Nick Harvey, the Armed Forces minister, acknowledged the existence of the programme and admitted that cyber weapons were "an integral part of the country's armoury" in an interview with the Guardian newspaper.

He said: "Action in cyberspace will form part of the future battlefield. We need a toolbox of capabilities and that's what we are currently developing.

Read more ....

My Comment: Like most stories that expose government efforts to developing cyber weapons .... this one does not go into specifics. Unfortunately .... I suspect that if they do go into specifics and details .... this information will be ultimately used against us.

Bin Laden Was Planning A "Grand Coalition" Of Terror Groups When He Died

Osama bin Laden Tried To Establish 'Grand Coalition' Of Militant Groups -- The Guardian

Al-Qaida leader spent final weeks trying to strengthen links with Afghan and Pakistani insurgent groups in bid to 'stay relevant'.

Osama bin Laden spent much of his last weeks alive planning a new attempt to bring the disparate factions among insurgents and militants fighting in Pakistan and Afghanistan together under the umbrella of al-Qaida.

The terrorist leader, who had made repeated efforts to unify militant groups, was even considering risking leaving his safe house in Abbottabad, the northern Pakistani garrison town, to try to build a fresh alliance through face-to-face meetings, sources in Pakistan, Afghanistan and America have told the Guardian.

Read more ....

My Comment: Call me skeptical .... but I very much doubt that he would have been successful. His ability to move around and meet people was severely limited. He was running out of money .... and .... more importantly .... even if was successful to organize such a "grand coalition", being able to manage such an undertaking would have been impossible with all the attention that was focused on him from U.S. and other military/intelligence services.

Mystery Endures Over Fate Of USS Grunion

(Click on Image to Enlarge)

After 70 Years, Mystery Endures Over Fate Of USS Grunion -- McClatchy News

ANCHORAGE — On July 30, 1942, the USS Grunion, a 312-foot-long submarine prowling off the Aleutian Islands, contacted Navy officials in Dutch Harbor. It had sunk two Japanese sub chasers and damaged a third. It was down to its last 10 torpedoes. The Navy ordered it to return to base.

It never arrived and was never heard from again.

For nearly 70 years its fate remained unknown -- a nagging mystery for the families of the men who vanished with it.

Read more ....

My Comment: More news on the mysterious disappearance of the USS Grunion can be read here.

War Veteran Dog Adoptions Rising

War Veteran Dog Adoptions Rising But They Are Still Not Officially Recognized -- ABC News

As Americans across the country celebrate this Memorial Day by celebrating the men and women who have served in our armed services, another group of dedicated warriors goes unrecognized.

Officially, dogs that serve with U.S. soldiers are labeled "surplus equipment," but they are so much more to the soldiers they help on the battlefield.

Read more ....

My Comment: MSNBC did their own report on war dogs .... that link is here.

Sri Lanka Accused Of War Crimes Against The Tamils

Handout screen grab taken off video provided by Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka and shot in January 2009 (AFP/Journalists For Democracy)

UN Investigator Accuses Sri Lanka of Crimes Against Tamils -- Voice of America

A U.N. special investigator is accusing the Sri Lankan government of serious crimes against Tamil civilians in the last phase of the country's civil war that ended in 2009. The investigator has presented his report to the U.N. Human Rights Council.

Special Investigator on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions Christof Heyns said a video broadcast last year of the final stages of the civil war in Sri Lanka presents credible evidence of crimes committed by the government against the Tamil people.

Read more ....

More News On The UN Investigator Accusing Sri Lanka Of War Crimes

Sri Lanka war atrocities video credible: U.N. envoy -- Reuters
UN envoy concludes Sri Lanka execution video authentic -- AFP
UN Expert Says Video Shows Sri Lanka War Crimes -- Voice of America
UN human rights expert says new footage shows proof of Sri Lanka war crimes -- Newser

My Comment: this blog covered the last year of the civil war in Sri Lanka. I saw the video in question .... and there is no doubt in my mind that it is real.

President Obama Gets Low Marks From U.S. Military Personnel And Veterans

U.S. Military Personnel, Veterans Give Obama Lower Marks -- Gallop

Younger, active-duty military less likely to have an opinion on Obama either way.

PRINCETON, NJ -- U.S. military veterans and those currently on active military duty are less likely to approve of President Obama's job performance than are Americans of comparable ages who are not in the military.

These results are based on an analysis of more than 238,000 interviews conducted as part of Gallup Daily tracking from January 2010 through April 2011. Respondents were classified as veterans/active-duty military based on responses to a series of questions probing whether any member of the household had served in the U.S. military, and whether the respondent himself or herself had served and, if so, whether the respondent was currently on active duty. Americans currently serving in the military overseas or on ships at sea would not be included in this national cell and landline telephone sample.

Read more ....

My Comment: This is a large sample .... taken over a long period of time. By this time next year .... the results could be something entirely different.

Picture Of The Day

A MOTHER'S TEARS - Deborah Mullen, right, wife of Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, consoles Kelly Hugo, who was visiting her son Sean's grave at Section 60 Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., on Memorial Day, May 30, 2011. Hugo's son was killed in Afghanistan in December 2010. DOD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley