Could Defence Cuts Result With Britain Losing The Falkland Islands

Defence Cuts Mean Britain Could Lose The Falkland Islands, Warns Thinktank -- Daily Mail

Crippling defence cuts have left the Falkland Islands vulnerable to attack by Argentina, military grandees warned yesterday.

In a bleak assessment, ex-top brass said Britain’s dwindling military budget left the South Atlantic territory a ‘plum ripe for picking’ if Buenos Aires, backed by ally China, invaded.

The damning report urged ministers to pour billions of pounds into the MoD budget - boosting military spending from 2 to 3 per cent of GDP.

Read more ....

My Comment: Argentina does not have there sources and means to successful invade and occupy the Falklands. If the Chinese help .... probably. But the idea of China getting involved in a conflict in the South Atlantic is a bit of a stretch.

The World Economy Is Heading Towards A Black Hole

The World Economy: Be Afraid -- Economist

Unless politicians act more boldly, the world economy will keep heading towards a black hole.

IN DARK days, people naturally seek glimmers of hope. So it was that financial markets, long battered by the ever-worsening euro crisis, rallied early this week amid speculation that Europe’s leaders had been bullied by the rest of the world into at last putting together a “big plan” to save the single currency. Investors ventured out from safe-haven bonds into riskier assets. Stock prices jumped: those of embattled French banks soared by almost 20% in just two days.

Read more ....

My Comment: A sobering assessment on where we are. Read it all.

After It's Fallout With Pakistan, The U.S. Is Looking For New Allies

US Finds New Friend In Uzbekistan After Pakistan Fallout -- The Telegraph

President Obama has asked Uzbekistan to expand its role in resupplying troops in Afghanistan as Washington tries to reduce its dependence on Pakistan.

The past fortnight has seen relations between Islamabad and Washington sink to new lows over allegations that Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency was working with the Haqqani network to direct attacks on American targets in Afghanistan.

The crisis, the latest in a turbulent year, has seen both countries scrambling to build up alternative regional alliances.

However, more than a third of supplies to Nato forces in Afghanistan pass through Pakistan, giving Islamabad a strong bargaining position.

Read more ....

My Comment: Going to the Devil that you do not know rather than the Devil that you know .... sighhhh .... there are no good options for the U.S. in this region.

U.S. Army General Martin Dempsey Becomes The Newest Chairman Of The Joint Chiefs of Staff

TOP LEADERS
Left to right, Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta, Vice President Joe Biden, President Barack Obama and Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, outgoing chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, observe the passing of the honor guard at the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff change of responsibility ceremony on Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Va., Sept. 30, 2011. Dempsey succeeded Mullen, who is is retiring after 43 years of service. DOD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley

Veteran US Army General Becomes New Joint Chiefs Chairman -- Voice of America

Retiring Navy Admiral Mike Mullen, leaving his post as chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, has said he believes Pakistan is critical to a solution in the region.

Mullen spoke at a ceremony outside Washington where his successor, U.S. Army General Martin Dempsey, was sworn in as the nation's top military officer.

The outgoing chairman urged Dempsey to try to do a better job than he did with the “vexing and yet vital relationship” with Pakistan. He said there is no solution in the region without Pakistan, and no “stable future” in the region without a partnership with Pakistan.

Read more ....

More News On U.S. Army General Martin Dempsey Becoming The Newest Chairman Of The Joint Chiefs of Staff

Obama Praises Mullen, Welcomes Dempsey as Chairman -- US Department of Defense
Obama welcomes new military chief replacing Mullen -- CBS News/AP
Obama praises Mullen, welcomes Dempsey -- UPI
Veteran US Army General Becomes New Joint Chiefs Chairman -- Voice of America
Ceremony honors old, new Joint Chiefs chairmen -- CNN
Dempsey Vows to Maintain, Strengthen U.S. Military -- US Department of Defense
New U.S. Military Chief Experienced in Middle East -- Voice of America
New U.S. Military Chief Differs With Mullen Over National Security Threat Posed by Debt -- FOX News/AP
Mullen Offers Advice to Dempsey on Chairman Job -- US Department of Defense

Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- September 30, 2011

Anwar al-Awlaki Dead: What It Means For US, Yemen -- Dan Murphy, Christian Science Monitor

The assassination of Anwar al-Awlaki, a US citizen and Al Qaeda recruiter in Yemen, will be heralded as a major triumph in the US today. But it has very little to do with Yemen's own problems.

Anwar al-Awlaki, a Yemeni-American preacher who has emerged in recent years as a recruiter for Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, was killed at around 10:00 local time in Yemen this morning, according to Yemen and unnamed US officials.

Read more ....

Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials

Was Anwar al-Awlaki still a U.S. citizen? -- Joshua Keating, Passport/Foreign Policy

Analysis: Awlaki's death is a boost for the West -- Adrian Blomfield, The Telegraph

Land without peace: Why Abbas went to the U.N. -- Charles Krauthammer, Washington Post

A win-win strategy for the Palestinians -- Barbara F. Walter and Andrew Kydd, L.A. Times

Tony Blair: a liability in Britain and the Middle East? -- Peter Oborne, The Telegraph

Iran: live free – and die -- The Guardian

Arms sales to repressive Bahrain misplaced -- Washington Post editorial

Vladimir Putin 3.0 -- Fyodor Lukyanov, Russia In Global Affairs

Sex and the single drone -- Tom Engelhardt, Asia Times

Model plane bomb plot tests US antiterrorism strategy at home -- Brad Knickerbocker, Christian Science Monitor

More of the Same Won’t Save Europe -- New York Times editorial

Why Europe’s crisis matters to U.S. -- Michael Gerson, Washington Post

World News Briefs -- September 30, 2011 (Evening Edition)

Same US Military Unit That Got Osama Bin Laden Killed Anwar al-Awlaki -- The Telegraph

Anwar al-Awlaki, a US-born al-Qaeda leader linked to terrorist plots in the UK and US, has been killed in a drone strike in central Yemen, the country’s military has announced.

Awlaki was killed in a strike on his convoy directed by the CIA and carried out with the U.S. Joint Special Operations Command's firepower, according to a counterterrorism official.

Yemen's Defence Ministry said another American militant, Samir Khan, who produced 'Inspire', an English-language al-Qaeda Web magazine, died in the same strike.

Read more ....

MIDDLE EAST

Syria conflict: 'Soldiers and police killed' in Rastan.

U.S. ambassador to Syria accosted by pro-Assad mob in Damascus. Clinton outraged as Syrians target US envoy.

Iran’s hosting of Taliban reflects desire for greater role.

Iraq's Maliki warns over Syrian sectarian turmoil.

Bomb kills 18 at Shi'ite funeral in Iraq: police.

Bahrain jails 20 doctors for up to 15 years 'for treating protestors'.

Iran looks east to bypass western sanctions.

ASIA

North Korea wants to sell south unused fuel rods: Sources.

Telangana: India new state protest enters 18th day.

Coalition data show drop in violence in Afghanistan; U.N. report says otherwise.

U.S. freezes funding to Vietnam for recovery of war remains.

Sri Lanka releases 1,800 former Tamil rebels.

Fitch, S&P downgrade New Zealand's credit rating.

AFRICA

Libyan forces clash in Sirte, US lawmakers visit NTC. Exclusive: Concern grows over militant activity in Libya.

U.N. court acquits two ex Rwandan ministers of genocide.

Thousands of Egyptians protest Mubarak-era laws.

Egypt warns U.S. on attaching conditions to military aid.

Pirates attack, rob ship off West African coast.

Tainted African ruler may get UN prize in his name.

EUROPE

Ukraine's Yulia Tymoshenko denounces 'lynching' trial.

EU: talks on association deal with Kiev on track.

Russia's Medvedev defends Putin swap plan.

In European crisis, experts see little hope for a quick fix.

Spain nationalizes 3 banks after cash injections.

Greek PM presses EU leaders for new bailout tranche.

AMERICAS

Brazil judge halts work on Belo Monte Amazon dam.

School threats spread to northern Mexico.

Hugo Chavez denies media reports of health emergency.

Ecuador's Correa says opposition, US groups behind last year's coup attempt.

Fatal accident puts focus on U.S. deportation program.

TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR

Gadhafi collapse raises concerns over arms for Africa al-Qaida.

U.S. slaps sanctions on Haqqani commander, but not group.

Could model airplanes become a terrorist weapon?

ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS

Debt crisis: live

China tech stocks dive on threat of US fraud probe.

China 'cracks down on fake iPhones'.

IBM beats Microsoft in tech giants ranking.

Google joins Apple in push for tax holiday.

Unrest In Syria -- News Updates September 30, 2011

Defecting Syria Soldiers Join Ranks With Protesters -- Christian Science Monitor

Syria's uprising has taken a violent turn as soldiers have abandoned Bashar al-Assad's regime and joined antigovernment protesters.

A string of defections from the Syrian Army has given protesters armed forces of their own who clashed with government forces Friday in the town of Rastan, signaling the end of the protesters' insistence that the uprising remain totally unarmed.

Read more ....

More News On The Unrest In Syria

Bloodshed shows no signs of ebbing in Syria -- CNN
Syria's stubborn rising enters danger zone -- Space War
Syrian troops battle hundreds of renegade soldiers -- CBS News/AP
Anti-Government Protests Swell in Syria -- Voice of America
Syrian troops battle hundreds of renegade soldiers -- Seattle PI/AP
Report: Deserters have killed 80 Syria military personnel -- Haaretz
As troops defect, Syria risks civil war -- Reuters
Syria slips towards civil war as sanctions bid fails -- Independent
Syrian toll mounts as US summons Damascus envoy -- AFP
Syria regime supporters pelt US ambassador with eggs, US condemns intimidation campaign -- Washington Post
Syrian crowd stones U.S. envoy's convoy -- Reuters
U.S. ambassador safe after Syria attack -- CNN
Syria tensions rise as mob turns on US ambassador -- Sydney Morning Herald
U.S. Ambassador to Syria Describes Attack on Convoy -- The Lede/New York Times
US reads 'riot act' to Syria over attack on envoy -- AP
UN Commission to Investigate Crimes in Syria -- Voice of America

More Details On The D.C. Drone Bomb Plot

Latest Details On D.C. Drone Bomb Plot -- CBS News/AP

A 26-year-old Massachusetts man charged with planning aerial bombings of the Pentagon and the U.S. Capitol using remote-controlled airplanes filled with explosives Ferdaus said he wanted to deal a psychological blow to the "enemies of Allah," according to a federal affidavit.

The planes, guided by GPS and capable of speeds greater than 100 mph, would hit the Pentagon and blow the Capitol dome to "smithereens," according to the plan detailed in the affidavit.

Read more ....

More News On The Latest Terror Plot Against the Pentagon/Capital Building

‘The idea of this thing blowing up the Pentagon is a joke’: Experts dismiss threat of model planes being used as bombs -- Daily Mail
U.S. drone plot highlights domestic threat -- UPI
US citizen plotted aerial 'drone' strikes on Pentagon and Capitol -- Long War Journal
Timeline of alleged terror plot -- Boston.com
Arrest in Massachusetts: Could model airplanes become a terrorist weapon? -- Washington Post/AP
Could model airplanes become a terrorist weapon? -- CBS/AP
Analysis: Model planes as weapons of terror -- Paul Cruickshank and Tim Lister, CNN
The Science Behind The Drone Terrorism Attack -- Fast Company
Aircraft hobbyists could suffer following terror arrest -- New Scientist

Russia Scraps Cold War-Era Typhoon Submarine

Russian submarine infographic

Red October No More: Russia Scraps Cold War-Era Typhoon Submarine -- The Telegraph

Russia is to definitively scrap its legendary typhoon class nuclear-powered submarine, the deadly Soviet-era vessel that inspired the Hollywood blockbuster The Hunt for Red October.

The decision, which was disclosed by military sources in the daily Izvestia newspaper, marks the end of an era that will see the three remaining Typhoon class submarines that remain in service in Russia's Northern Fleet cut up and turned into scrap metal by 2014.

The giant Typhoon-class submarine was a fixture of the Cold War and at 562 feet long and 80 foot wide was the biggest submarine ever built.

Read more ....

More News On Russia Scrapping It's Typhoon Submarine Fleet

No plans to retire Typhoon class subs soon - Russian military -- RIA Novosti
Russia's gigantic Typhoon submarines to be scrapped -- Pravda
Last three Typhoons to be scrapped in 2014 -- Barents Observer
Russia's Typhoon: facts and figures -- The Telegraph
Russia scraps Typhoon nuclear submarines: timeline of a Cold War Symbol -- The Telegraph
Submarine: The Great Russian Fade -- Strategy Page

Marine Corps Getting F-22s?

Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor (Source: Lockheed Martin)

F-22s For The Marine Corps? -- DoD Buzz

Yes, you read it correctly, Marines flying F-22s. One Marine is making the case for just that.

Writing in this month’s Marine Corps Gazette, Maj. Chrisopher Cannon, argues that it’s time the Corps begins looking at a plan B for the short take-off and vertical landing B-model– which has suffered numerous cost and schedule delays and was placed on a two year probation by former Defense Secretary Robert Gates last spring. Keep in mind that the plane is making considerable flight test progress and that just yesterday, the Marines’ top aviation officer reiterated the Corps long-held stance that there is no plan B for the Bravo.

Read more ....

My Comment: The Marine Corps is dreaming.

Cartoon Pic For Today

(Click on Image to Enlarge)

Will Budget Cuts Result In The British Navy Losing Their Carrier Skills Forever?

Royal Navy Sackings 'Will Lose Aircraft Carriers Skills Forever' -- The Telegraph

One of the Royal Navy's most senior officers has expressed serious concerns over the loss of skilled aircraft carrier crew following redundancies.

The officer, who plays a key role in maintaining the Fleet, has also told colleagues that there are substantial doubts over whether the Navy will have enough sailors to man its ships after it will lose one in seven sailors in defence cuts.

The lack of adequately training personnel could delay the carrier coming into service by another three or four years, the Navy commander has said.

Another officer has told The Telegraph that the loss of carrier deck handling skills could prove "disastrous" with fatal accidents caused by inexperienced ratings.

Read more ....

More News On Cutbacks In The British Navy

Navy redundancies: Military cut to 'dangerously low' capabilities -- The Telegraph
Royal Navy Axes 1,020 Jobs in First Cuts, 350 Staff Forced Out -- Bloomberg Businessweek
UK News: Around 350 sailors to be forced out of Navy -- Scotsman
Navy redundancies 'are difficult for everyone' -- The Telegraph
Navy cuts 'may do long-term damage to morale' -- The Telegraph
Row as 350 Navy redundancies announced -- The Independent
Navy issuing first 1,000 redundancy notices -- BBC
Sailors sacked in savage cuts. 1,000 axed from Royal Navy -- The Sun
Lord West: Navy cuts are worrying -- Defence Management

Who Is To Blame For Britain's Defense Cutbacks

Defence Secretary Liam Fox has been accused of undermining the military covenant after scrapping a £1.5bn programme to upgrade decaying barracks. The Telegraph

Fox Says Ex-MoD Chiefs Partly To Blame As Job Cuts Loom -- BBC

The defence secretary says former senior military and MoD figures are partly to blame for £5bn budget cuts leading to defence force job losses.

Some 1,020 Royal Navy personnel have been hearing they are being made redundant as cuts continue.

Liam Fox told the Guardian the MoD had "consistently dug a hole for itself".

Former navy chief Admiral Lord West said the military had been cut to a "dangerously low capability" but it was "no good blaming things in the past".

Shadow defence secretary Jim Murphy said Mr Fox had to take responsibility for his actions.

Read more ....

Update #1: Liam Fox in row with military brass over financial problems -- The Telegraph
Update #2: Liam Fox says MoD has to accept share of blame for depth of cuts -- The Guardian

My Comment: Opponents to Liam Fox do not agree.


Update: The Guardian editorializes on this issue.

The Debate On U.S. Defense Cuts Continues

U.S. soldiers fire at an enemy hiding position during Operation Tofan 2 in Suri Khel, Afghanistan, Sept. 16, 2011. Soldiers worked to clear insurgents from the town and prevent their return. The soldiers are assigned to 6th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Joseph Watson

Budget Cuts Would Hollow Military -- Washington Times

A new congressional report spells out in detail how the military would become “hollow” if Congress‘ supercommittee fails to agree on deficit reductions, triggering $1.2 trillion in automatic spending cuts.

The Army and Marine Corps would lose 200,000 troops, bringing active strength “well below” pre-Sept. 11, 2001, levels, and the armed forces would not be able to carry out its essential mission, says a 14-page analysis by the Republican majority staff of the House Armed Services Committee.

The report also says the cuts would deplete weapon systems, further degrading the fighting capabilities of the armed forces.

Read more ....

More News On The Debate On Impending U.S. Defense Cuts

White House seeks more Pentagon budget cuts -- Reuters
Some fear cuts may hurt US defense industry base -- Reuters
Analysts assess impact of defense cuts on US jobs -- Reuters
Shocking reality of a shrinking military -- Simon Mann, Sydney Morning Herald
Cohen: Cuts Need Not Hobble U.S. Military -- Defense News
Analysts Call for More 'Honesty' in Defense Budget Debate -- National Defense
Elites Are Wrong; Deep Cuts Won't Damage Military -- Winslow Wheeler, Aol Defense

Where Some Of Our Foreign Aid Money Goes

Embarrassing Moment Playboy Son Of A African Dictator Has £5Million In Supercars Seized From Outside His Home -- Daily Mail

Eleven supercars worth up to £5 million pounds have been seized from outside an African dictator’s Paris mansion as part of a foreign aid money-laundering investigation.

The vehicles, which included two Bugatti Veyrons, a Ferrari 599 GTO and a Maserati MC12 are all registered to Teodoro Obiang Nguema, the president of Equatorial Guinea.

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My Comment: Unbelievable .... but not surprising.

Afghanistan War News Updates -- September 30, 2011

U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Gary Volesky. center, talks to troops during a short break while out on patrol near Wanat Village in the Waygul Valley, Afghanistan, Sept. 22, 2011. U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Zackary Root

Coalition Data Show Drop In Violence In Afghanistan; U.N. Report Says Otherwise -- Washington Post

KABUL — Let the battle of the war stats begin.

The U.S.-led coalition on Thursday released estimates of the violence in Afghanistan that painted a picture of improving security this summer, particularly in areas of the south where NATO has concentrated the bulk of its troops. The number of “enemy-initiated attacks” dropped 17 percent across the country from June to August compared with the same period last year, according to the NATO figures.

Read more ....

More News On Afghanistan

UN, NATO At Odds Over Afghan Security -- Voice of America
Coalition: Afghan Insurgent Attacks Drop -- Time/AP
NATO says Afghan security situation improving -- Reuters
Afghan insurgent attacks falling, says US-led coalition -- DAWN
NATO says U.N. tally of Afghan violence uses different metrics -- CNN
UN: Violence Up About 40 Percent in Afghanistan -- Voice of America
Violent Clashes, Suicide Bombings Up 39 Percent in Afghanistan -- FOX News/AP

8 NATO troops die in Afghanistan during past 2 days -- CNN
NATO helicopter lands under fire in Afghanistan -- Stars and Stripes/AP
Combined Force Captures Two Taliban Leaders -- US Department of Defense
4 ISAF armymen killed in Afghanistan: news release -- Xinhuanet

Afghans Drop Three-Way Peace Bid -- Wall Street Journal
Afghanistan’s Leaders Sour on Pakistan and Peace Talks -- New York Times
Afghan elite questions future of peace talks -- Reuters

Iran’s hosting of Taliban reflects desire for greater role -- Washington Post
West stresses need to back Afghan government -- AFP

Afghanistan Has ‘World-Class’ Mineral Resources, U.S. Agency Says -- Bloomberg
Afghanistan Holds Enormous Bounty of Rare Earths, Minerals -- Scientific American
Afghanistan's Treasure Trove -- Discovery News

Hope for Afghanistan – with its new generation of law students -- Daniel Lewis, Christian Science Monitor
A decade on, hopes for Afghanistan peace are at rock bottom -- Ben Doherty, Sydney Morning Herald
Why the Haqqani Network needs the Afghan War to survive -- Michael Semple, CNN
10 myths about Afghanistan -- Jonathan Steele, The Guardian

World News Briefs -- September 30, 2011

U.S.-Born Cleric Anwar al Awlaki Killed In Yemen -- McClathcy News

SANAA, Yemen — Anwar al Awlaki, an American-born Muslim preacher who became among the world's most wanted terrorist leaders, was killed in Yemen, the Yemeni Defense Ministry announced Friday.

In a statement, the government said Awlaki was "targeted and killed" about 90 miles east of Sanaa, the Yemeni capital. The "operation" was launched at around 9:55 a.m. local time, the statement said. It provided no other details, and it was uncertain whether Yemeni or American forces carried out the attack, which the Defense Ministry said also killed several of Awlaki's body guards.

A senior official in Washington confirmed the death.

Read more ....

MIDDLE EAST

Syria conflict: 'Soldiers and police killed' in Rastan.

U.S. ambassador to Syria accosted by pro-Assad mob in Damascus. Clinton outraged as Syrians target US envoy.

Iraq's Maliki warns over Syrian sectarian turmoil.

Bomb kills 18 at Shi'ite funeral in Iraq: police.

Bahrain jails 20 doctors for up to 15 years 'for treating protestors'.

Iran looks east to bypass western sanctions.

ASIA

Coalition data show drop in violence in Afghanistan; U.N. report says otherwise.

U.S. freezes funding to Vietnam for recovery of war remains.

Sri Lanka releases 1,800 former Tamil rebels.

Fitch, S&P downgrade New Zealand's credit rating.

AFRICA

Libyan forces clash in Sirte, US lawmakers visit NTC. Exclusive: Concern grows over militant activity in Libya.

Thousands of Egyptians protest Mubarak-era laws.

Egypt warns U.S. on attaching conditions to military aid.

Pirates attack, rob ship off West African coast.

Tainted African ruler may get UN prize in his name.

EUROPE

Ukraine's Yulia Tymoshenko denounces 'lynching' trial.

EU: talks on association deal with Kiev on track.

Russia's Medvedev defends Putin swap plan.

In European crisis, experts see little hope for a quick fix.

Spain nationalizes 3 banks after cash injections.

Greek PM presses EU leaders for new bailout tranche.

AMERICAS

School threats spread to northern Mexico.

Hugo Chavez denies media reports of health emergency.

Ecuador's Correa says opposition, US groups behind last year's coup attempt.

Fatal accident puts focus on U.S. deportation program.

TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR

Gadhafi collapse raises concerns over arms for Africa al-Qaida.

U.S. slaps sanctions on Haqqani commander, but not group.

Could model airplanes become a terrorist weapon?

ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS

China tech stocks dive on threat of US fraud probe.

China 'cracks down on fake iPhones'.

IBM beats Microsoft in tech giants ranking.

Google joins Apple in push for tax holiday.

Editor's Note

My main computer (that I use for blogging) has just died. Sighhh .... off to get a new one. Regular blogging should be back in a few hours.

Update: Have my new "blogging" computer. Was surprised on how cheap it was. (Bought an Acer at Best Buy).

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- September 30, 2011

The change caps both the takeover and the transformation of America’s military. | AP Photos

Mike Mullen To Martin Dempsey: A Generational Shift At JCS -- Politico

Adm. Mike Mullen and the man who replaces him Friday as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff are just five years apart in age but their experiences are different in ways that represent a dramatic shift at the top of the nation’s armed forces.

Mullen, 64, the last of six chairmen whose careers were first defined in combat in southeast Asia, spent time as a young ensign off the coast of Vietnam on the destroyer USS Collett in 1968, firing 5-inch guns with such intensity that the barrels melted from the heat.

Read more ....

MILITARY AND INTELLIGENCE NEWS BRIEFS

Dempsey Takes Over as Top US Military Officer -- Voice of America

New U.S. military chief seeks balance in US power -- Yahoo News/AP

Fox says ex-MoD chiefs partly to blame as job cuts loom -- BBC

$60b Indian Naval power expansion -- Pakistan Observer

Iran's new Anti-Ship Missile -- Information Dissemination

France Eyes Public-Private Lease for Tanker -- Defense News

France Raises Defense Budget 1.6 Percent -- Defense News

Russia test-fired new submarine missile -- Barents Observer

Cruiser Adm Kuznetsov to leave for Mediterranean in Nov -- Itar Tass

Giant Russian state weapons order misses another deadline -- RT

Iraq's F-16 buy is unlikely to be its last -- McClatchy News

U.S. Military Hands Millions of Dollars of Equipment Over to Iraqis -- FOX News

Saudi Boeing F-15 Deal Delayed -- CBS

Drone Helos the Only Choppers on Display at MDM ’11 -- Defense Tech

Navy to Commission New Guided Missile Destroyer -- Military.com

F-35B set for sea trials next week -- Marine Times

Lockheed Martin showcases new fighter jet -- Nashua Telegraph

U.S. Caps Humvee-Upgrade Cost at $180K -- Defense News

Darpa Underwear Will ‘Harvest’ Soldiers’ Energy, Give Them Killer Abs -- Danger Room

Court Tosses Challenge to Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell -- Wall Street Journal

Panetta: DIA ‘Quiet Heroes’ Mark 50th Anniversary -- US Department of Defense

Should Donald Rumsfeld be accountable? -- Washington Post editorial

Brain Trauma Or Post-Traumatic Stress Injuries Will Be Felt For Decades

Image DOD

Invisible Injuries Of War To Be Felt For Decades -- Stars and Stripes

Sixty-six percent of the most seriously wounded soldiers returning from Afghanistan and Iraq have “invisible” injuries of brain trauma or post-traumatic stress, which their families and society will be dealing with at great cost for decades, said Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli, the Army’s vice chief of staff.

“The truth is, because we don’t see these injuries…they don’t receive the same level of attention as amputations, burns, shrapnel injuries,” Chiarelli said. “There is simply a bias – and I really mean that -- there is a bias either conscious or subconscious toward invisible wounds and injuries…It exists everywhere including in the medical community.”

Read more ....

My Comment: I completely concur. My father and his World War II buddies suffered with these injuries until they past away. Bottom line .... severe brain trauma and injuries last forever, and we should be prepared for that.

Pirate-Fighting Mercs Arrested in Africa for Carrying Guns -- Danger Room

In two years of operations, a Virginia-based maritime security company has escorted commercial vessels through pirate-infested East African waters 300 times without incident. Nexus Consulting Group of Alexandria’s impressive record is the latest evidence of a surprising turn in the five-year-old international war on Somali pirates. More and more, for-profit security guards are taking over from the world’s navies on the maritime front lines.

Read more ....

My Comment: The piracy business is huge in the Horn of Africa .... a situation that I am sure also involves numerous government officials who work in these countries. Since these private security companies have obviously been very effective .... and a direct threat to the pirates and their enablers .... life for them and their clients will be made as difficult as possible.

Outgoing Russian President Medvedev Admits Putin Is More Popular Than I Am

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev (left) and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. Radio Free Europe

Dmitry Medvedev: 'Putin Is More Popular Than I Am' -- The Guardian

Outgoing Russian president denies political rivalry with current prime minister, claiming he was happy to step aside.

Russia's outgoing president, Dmitry Medvedev, agreed to step down because he believes Vladimir Putin is more popular, he said.

"I note that prime minister Putin, without a doubt, is currently the most authoritative politician in our country," Medvedev said in an interview to the country's three state-run television stations. "His rating is slightly higher."

Medvedev has been the target of ridicule in Russia since Putin announced he would return to the presidency next year. The interview is to be aired on Friday but a transcript was pre-released by the Kremlin. Putin has said he will make Medvedev his prime minister.

"My main ambition is to be of use to my country and my people," Medvedev said.

Read more ....

More News On Russian President Medvedev's Reasons For Not Running For The Presidency

Medvedev Defends Plan to Trade Places With Putin -- New York Times
Medvedev said he cedes presidency bid to Putin because he is more popular -- CNN
Russia's Medvedev defends Putin swap plan -- Reuters
Russia's Medvedev Says Putin Is More Popular -- Radio Free Europe
Vladimir Putin is more popular than me, says Medvedev -- BBC
Medvedev turns to TV to shore up authority -- Financial Times
Russia's Medvedev: Putin Is More Popular -- NPR/AP
Medvedev Loses Temper After Giving Up Kremlin -- Wall Street Journal

American Born Al Qaeda Leader al-Awlaki Killed In Strike By US Jets, Drones

Anwar al-Awlaki Killed: Officials in Yemen Confirm Al Qaeda Cleric Dead -- ABC News

The American-born radical cleric al-Qaeda Anwar al-Awlaki, a major jihadist figure who U.S. officials say inspired several terror plots against the U.S., was killed overnight in Yemen, U.S. and Yemeni officials told ABC News.

A senior U.S. official told ABC News the U.S. had been tracking al-Awlaki for some time and had just been waiting for the perfect moment to strike. A Yemeni official said al-Awlaki was killed along with an unknown number of al Qaeda confederates, possibly in an airstrike.

Read more ....

More News On The Death Of Anwar al-Awlaki

Prominent US-born al-Qaida cleric killed in Yemen -- Yahoo News/AP
U.S.-born al Qaeda cleric killed in Yemen: officials -- Yahoo News/Reuters
Top Al Qaeda Figure Killed -- Wall Street Journal
Anwar al-Aulaqi, U.S.-born cleric linked to al-Qaeda, reported killed in Yemen -- Washington Post
Radical US-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki 'killed' -- The Telegraph
Anwar al-Awlaki killed in Yemen -- CBS
Yemen defense ministry: Radical American cleric Anwar al-Awlaki killed -- MSNBC
US backs Yemen claims of al-Qaeda leader’s death -- Financial Times
Radical US-Born Cleric Killed in Yemen -- Voice of America
Terror plots linked to Anwar al-Awlaki -- The Telegraph (Photo Gallery)

The killing of Anwar al-Awlaki is a major blow for al-Qaeda -- Con Coughlin, The Telegraph
Anwar al-Awlaki's death is a blow to al-Qaida, but his message is still alive - -Jason Burke, The Guardian
A look at the life of US-born al-Qaida cleric Anwar al-Awlaki -- Washington Post
US-born al-Awlaki was a gifted preacher, Internet maestro, and CIA’s first American target -- Washington Post
Al-Awlaki: From voice for jihad to al-Qaida figure -- AJC/AP
Anwar al-Awlaki: pictures of his life -- BBC

Royal Navy Rear Admiral Morisetti: Climate Change Is A Threat to Global Security

Photo: Royal Navy Rear Adm. Neil Morisetti

Climate Change Compounds Global Security Threat, British Admiral Says -- CNN

Stresses from global climate change are increasing the threat of wars around the world, a British admiral saidhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif Wednesday.

Royal Navy Rear Adm. Neil Morisetti told students and faculty at Georgia Institute of Technology that global climate change threats to food, water, land and energy will present substantive security challenges in regions of the world where there are already stresses.

"Those climate stress multipliers are increasing the threat of armed conflict around the world," Morisetti said.

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My Comment: Rear Adm. Neil Morisetti has been pushing the thesis of climate change and its impact on security issues for a long time. For more info on his work, check this link.

Top 10 Most Expensive U.S. Military Planes (Photo Gallery)

B-2 Spirit: $2.4 billion
The B-2 bomber was so costly that Congress cut its initial 1987 purchase order from 132 to 21. (A 2008 crash leaves the current number at 20.) The B-2 is hard to detect via infrared, acoustic, electromagnetic, visual or radar signals. This stealth capability makes it able to attack enemy targets with less fear of retaliation. In use since 1993, the B-2 has been deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan.

Top 10 Most Expensive Military Planes -- Time

As the Senate votes to cut military spending on the $350 million F-22 fighter, here's a look at the military aircraft with the biggest price tags

WNU Editor: The photo gallery starts here.

Picture Of The Day

U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Joel Beaulieu watches as a CH-47 Chinook helicopter arrives with members of the provincial government and the provincial reconstruction team to attend a shura with local elders in the Purchaman district of Afghanistan's Farah province, Sept. 26, 2011. Beaulieu is assigned to Company C, 1st Battalion, 182nd Infantry Regiment. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airmen Alexandra Hoachlander

The Secret Stealth Helicopter Used In The Bin Laden Raid (Video)

WNU Editor: This video is a bit dated .... but still interesting to watch.

Relations Between The US And Pakistan Have Reached A Breaking Point

Pakistan Rebuffs US Demands To Increase Cooperation In War On Terror -- The Telegraph

Pakistan's political and military leadership closed ranks yesterday, shrugging off intense American pressure to do more to combat militant groups and accusing the United States of using the country as a scapegoat for Nato failures in Afghanistan.

The prime minister, Yousuf Raza Gilani, held crisis talks with opposition leaders and military officers to formulate a response to American accusations that its security services were working hand in hand with the deadly Haqqani network.

Hours earlier, Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, had ramped up the pressure by repeating her threat to declare the Haqqani network a terrorist organisation, a move that would almost certainly see economic sanctions imposed on Islamabad.

Yesterday Mr Gilani said he would not give in to threats and called for an end to the "blame game".

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More News On U.S. - Pakistan Relations

America loses patience with Pakistan. Relations between the US and Pakistan have reached a breaking point. -- The Telegraph
Pakistan refuses US demands to do more on terror -- AFP
In show of unity, top Pakistanis meet and denounce U.S. charges -- L.A. Times
Pakistani Politicians Reject Mullen’s Charges -- New York Times
Partnership between Pakistan-US difficult to revive: Mullen -- DAWN
Mullen Stands by His Pakistan Comments -- ABC News
Pakistan intelligence chief warns on US ties -- Financial Times
Pakistan warns against U.S. attack on militants -- Reuters
The admiral, the terror network and a crisis in US-Pakistan relations -- Andrew Buncombe and Omar Waraich, Independent
Why the U.S. needs to make nice with Pakistan -- Vali Nasr, Washington Post
What’s behind the U.S.-Pakistan rift -- David Ignatius, Washington Post

Chairman Of The U.S. Joint Chiefs Adm. Mullen To Retire Today

MEMORIAL WREATH
In his final full day as the 17th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen and his wife, Deborah, lay a memorial wreath at Arlington National Cemetery's Section 60, Sept. 29, 2011. Mullen will retire after serving more than 40 years in uniform, handing the reins to Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey during a ceremony on Fort Meyer, Va. DOD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley

Mullen's Exit -- Matthew Kaminski, Wall Street Journal

When Admiral Mike Mullen hands over the most senior military job Friday, the changing of the guard at the Pentagon will be complete.

When Admiral Mike Mullen hands over the most senior military job Friday, the changing of the guard at the Pentagon will be complete. Robert Gates left the defense secretary's post in July. General David Petraeus, who oversaw the surge of troops into Iraq and Afghanistan, hung up his military uniform in August to run the Central Intelligence Agency. Adm. Mullen, who has chaired the Joint Chiefs of Staff since 2007, was the last senior holdover on the security team from the Bush years. He was less visible than either Secretary Gates or Gen. Petraeus, yet he helped shape a critical era for the military.

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More News And Commentary On Admiral Mullen's Retirement From The U.S. Military

Military Bids farewell To Navy Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman Joint Chiefs Of Staff -- US Department of Defense
Admiral Michael Mullen: Farewell and thank you -- Micah Zenko, CNN
Mullen Highlights Troop Families Needs Before Retirement Friday -- Executive Gov.
‘Team Mullen’ Highlights Troops’ Service, Sacrifices -- US Department of Defense
Mullen's legacy as chairman defined by two bold moments -- Kevin Baron, Stars and Stripes
Adm. Mike Mullen’s legacy -- David Ignatius, Washington Post

Massive Drug Arrests At Boeing Military Aircraft Plant

US Nabs Boeing Workers On Drug Charges At Military Aircraft Plant -- Wall Street Journal

PHILADELPHIA (Dow Jones)--Federal prosecutors charged about three dozen current and former employees of a Boeing Co. (BA) military-aircraft plant with selling or buying prescription drugs that workers allegedly abused on the job.

Federal agents raided the Ridley Park, Pa., plant Thursday morning and arrested a majority of those charged. Prosecutors said 36 of the people were either current or former Boeing employees, while one person charged was neither.

The Ridley Park plant, which employs about 6,000 workers, produces the CH-47 Chinook helicopter and V-22 Osprey aircraft, a hybrid of a helicopter and airplane. Both products are used by the U.S. military. Most of the people arrested Thursday worked in the production area of the plant.

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More News On Today's Drug Arrests At A Boeing Military Aircraft Plant

Boeing military aircraft workers face drug charges -- AFP
Dozens arrested in drug raid at Boeing plant -- CBS News
Feds Arrest Dozens in Drug Bust at Boeing Plant -- FOX News/AP
Dozens of Boeing workers charged in drug bust -- CNN
Boeing workers busted in drug sweep at plant -- Reuters
About 3 dozen arrested in prescription drug raid at Boeing military helicopter plant in Pa. -- Washington Post
FBI Arrests Boeing Plant Workers in Prescription Drug Sting -- ABC News

Can China And Japan Peacefully Co-Exist?

The Bleak Future of Sino-Japanese Relations -- Michael Auslin, National Interest

For all the attention paid to America’s complex relationship with China, stability and economic growth in Asia depends just as much, if not more, on the fraught relationship between China and Japan. Not only are these countries the world’s second- and third- largest economies, they also are major military powers that represent two very different political and social systems. Although increasingly interdependent economically, they oscillate between political engagement and outright competition over influence in Asia, territorial issues and military capabilities. The inability of these two countries to find a balance in their ties shapes Asian politics and economics and also complicates Washington’s efforts to find a stable Asian policy. Japan’s new government—its sixth in five years—has indicated that it now wants to improve relations with Beijing.

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My Comment: The history of Japanese - Chinese relations has been one of open hostility, invasion and war, occupation, and downright hostility. Like Europe's English - French history of hostility and conflict, Japan and China will probably have to go through a similar period of time (i.e. a century or two) before this deep cultural and societal hostility dissipates.