Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- July 14, 2011

ANGER MEMBERS - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta meets with Medal of Honor recipient Army Sgt. 1st Class Leroy Petry, center, and the 75th Ranger Regiment members with whom he served in Afghanistan in the secretary's Pentagon office, July 13, 2011. Panetta thanked the troops for their service and presented coins to each individual. DOD photo by U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jacob N. Bailey

Panetta: Tripping On Verbal Landmines -- Boston Globe Editorial

“This damn country has a hell of a lot of resources,’’ Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta exulted while addressing US troops at Camp Victory in Baghdad on Monday. But Panetta’s irreverent enthusiasm masked an unfortunate fact: His first trip abroad as head of the Pentagon has not gone smoothly. And while it’s easy to chuckle at his missteps, they’re coming at a pivotal time for the United States’ international presence and reputation.

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MILITARY AND INTELLIGENCE NEWS BRIEFS

Muslims call for imams in the German military -- The Local

BND intelligence agency loses HQ blueprints -- The Local

Ekonom.cz: US Lockheed Martin interested in tender for fighter planes to the Czech Republic-- Prague Monitor

Three Middle East nations considering F-16 orders -- Star Telegram

First Afghan female military pilots arrive in U.S. for training -- Reuters

British politicians demand extra powers to hold spies to account -- The Telegraph

Super destroyer HMS Diamond enters service -- British Forces News

Russia's Medvedev urges army to import weapons -- Reuters

Lavrov: Missile defense remains the biggest irritant in US-Russian relations -- Washington Post

Mullen visits China to mend military ties, but South China Sea disputes steal spotlight -- Christian Science Monitor

Fire Scout Fail: some of the background -- CDR Salamander

CIA aiding Somali government -- UPI

New Sub Passes Sea Trials; Old Sub Retired -- Aviation Week

Rep. Forbes: Navy may nix one aircraft carrier and delay another -- The Hill

Over a Fifth of Navy Ships Aren’t Ready to Fight -- Danger Room

The Navy’s Readiness Woes -- Defense Tech

U.S. Senators Question LCS Certifications -- Defense News

Dogfighting on Twitter Over the F-35 -- Wall Street Journal

US Navy considers moving aircraft training from Iwo Jima -- The Telegraph

ATF loses track of 1,400 guns in criticized probe -- CNN

Feds Eye CIA Officer in Abu Ghraib Prisoner Death -- FOX News/AP

GAO continues criticism of Pentagon center for PTSD, TBI -- Stars and Stripes

File Under WTF: Did the CIA Fake a Vaccination Campaign? -- Maryn McKenna, Wired

Longer Wars, Fewer Medals of Honor -- Rebekah Sanderlin, New York Times

Why to Sell F-16s to Taiwan -- Matt Anderson, The Diplomat

U.S. Status as World's Superpower Challenged by Rise of China -- Pew Research