The Day After North Korea Collapses

This satellite image shows North Korea in pitch-black darkness. Image credits: Planet Observer / Science Photo Library

The Day After -- Bill Keller, New York Times

THE one thing everyone knows about North Korea is that we know very little about North Korea, except that it is miserable, totalitarian, nuclear and erratic. It is the hermit kingdom, the dark side of the moon.

But thanks to many thousands of refugees who have reached freedom by way of a long underground railroad through China, we know a lot more now about the grim reality. We understand better how the government sustains its dreadful power, and where that power could be faltering. Among people who follow the country closely, there is fresh discussion of whether this most durable of monster-states could be nearing its end days, and what we should do about it.

Read more ....

My Comment: North Korea collapsing .... afster please.

Islamic Honor Killings Return To Chechnya

Chechen Women In Mortal Fear As President Backs Islamic Honor Killings -- Washington Times

ACHXOY-MARTAN, Chechnya — Chechnya's government is openly approving of families that kill female relatives who violate their sense of honor, as this Russian republic embraces a fundamentalist interpretation of Islam after decades of religious suppression under Soviet rule.

In the past five years, the bodies of dozens of young Chechen women have been found dumped in woods, abandoned in alleys and left along roads in the capital, Grozny, and neighboring villages.

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My Comment: These crimes were unfathomable when Chechnya was a part of the former Soviet Union .... and now .... with strong political and military support from Moscow .... this horrid crime is returning.

Chavez Returns To Cuba For More Cancer Treatment

Cuba's President Raul Castro (L) and Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez talk at the Jose Marti airport in Havana March 25, 2012. Photograph by: Handout , Reuters

Venezuela's Chávez Seeks Permission To Return To Cuba For Treatment -- NPR

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez may be once again headed to Cuba for cancer treatment.

The country's National Assembly said it is set to vote today on whether to grant the president permission to leave the country for more than five days. Bloomberg reports there is very little detail about the Chávez's health, but since he announced that he had a recurrence of cancer in February, he has been in Cuba more than he has in Venezuela. As we've noted before, this is especially important because Chávez is facing reelection in October.

Read more ....

Update #1: Venezuela's Chavez To Head Back To Cuba For More Cancer Treatment -- CNN
Update #2: Chavez back to Cuba for more cancer treatment -- AFP

My Comment: This does not look good for him. Cancer is an insidious disease, and one that I am sure is giving Hugo Chavez a fight for his life.

The Growing Philippine Role In America's Aisan Strategy

Philippines Role May Expand as U.S. Adjusts Asia Strategy -- New York Times

FORT MAGSAYSAY, the Philippines — The squad from the United States Army’s 196th Infantry Brigade was moving quietly through the hills of Luzon Island when the staccato bursts of machine gun fire sent them into action.

About a dozen soldiers fired into the surrounding mountains, while a small contingent broke away to make a direct assault on the hidden gunmen. After a brief, intense gun battle, the squad cleared the area.

The firefight was part of joint military exercises whose message, at least in part, appeared to be clear despite proclamations to the contrary. The exercises included mock beach invasions along coastlines facing China, whose military buildup and territorial claims in the South China Sea have alarmed some of its neighbors and jumpstarted the United States’ military “pivot” to the region.

Read more ....

Update: U.S.-Philippine Leaders to Discuss Alliance Future -- Defpro

My Comment: The U.S. and the Philippines have a long history .... I expect this relationship to continue as China seeks to assert their claims to areas that the Philippines have always traditionally assumed was theirs.

Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- April 30, 2012

Al Qaeda Is Far From Defeated -- Seth Jones, Wall Street Journal

While the U.S. prepares a strategic shift toward the Far East, evidence mounts that the terrorist organization is resurgent in the Muslim world.

A year after U.S. forces killed Osama bin Laden, most policy makers and pundits believe al Qaeda is near collapse. "Another nail in the coffin," one senior U.S. official told me after the death of an al Qaeda operative in Pakistan last month from a U.S. drone strike. In testimony before the Senate in February, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said the core al Qaeda is likely becoming of "symbolic importance."

Read more ....

Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials

Drive to bomb Iran fizzles out -- Gulf News editorial

Khamenei Preparing for a Deal? -- Zachary Keck, The Diplomat

Our Man in Baghdad: Don't look now, but the greatest threat to Middle East stability might just be the "democracy" we created in Iraq. -- James Traub, Foreign Policy

History has a lesson for Assad: the Hama model leads to war -- Faisal Al Yafai, The National

Return of medievalism in Middle East -- Gokhan Bacik, Today's Zaman

In Tunisia after Arab Spring, Islamists’ new freedoms create new Muslim divide -- Marc Fisher, Washington Post

What's At Stake In Sudanese Border Battle -- NPR (Audio)

How the Chen Guangcheng Case Will Test U.S.-China Relations -- John Lee, Time

Four Shocks That Could Change China -- Paul Roderick Gregory, Forbes

Nothing has changed in Israel since 1948 -- Gideon Levy, Haaretz

From Russia with Love (of Oil and Gas) -- Jeffrey Folks, American Thinker

French Presidential Election: Vive la France -- Adam Gopnik, New Yorker

A housing crisis of global proportions -- Doug Saunders, Globe and Mail

Barack Obama's politicisation of the bin Laden raid looks desperate -- Niles Gardiner, The Telegraph

Obama Hardly a Hawkish Warrior-in-Chief -- Max Boot, Commentary

World News Briefs -- April 30, 2012 (Evening Edition)

Diplomatic Silence Shrouds Chinese Dissident Chen's Situation -- L.A. Times

U.S. and Chinese officials maintained silence Monday on the location and fate of Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng as both sides sought to avert a diplomatic crisis during Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's coming visit to Beijing.

Read more ....

MIDDLE EAST

Syria: deadly bombings kill more than 20 in Idlib.

Israel starts building wall along Lebanese border.

Palestinian prisoners' hunger strike swells.

Bahrain: Family of activist Abdulhadi al-Khawaja 'sad' at retrial. Jailed dissidents in Bahrain granted new trials.

Baghdad violence leaves six dead.

Israel's Netanyahu would win early election: poll.
Netanyahu explores early Israeli elections.


Iran hopes for "successful" nuclear talks with U.N.

Bin Laden widows welcomed in Saudi Arabia as 'not suspicious'.

ASIA

US not reporting all Afghan attacks.

Pakistanis dead; got 'blood money' in CIA killing.

Assam boat tragedy: 103 killed, over 100 missing. 200 dead or missing after India ferry sinks.

U.S. drone strikes resume in Pakistan; action may complicate vital negotiations.

Obama wants to strike ‘appropriate balance’ on Chinese dissident, official says.

China's Bo Xilai affair: where the case stands.

Aung San Suu Kyi to take Burmese parliamentary oath.

Japan's PM Yoshihiko Noda visiting the US to boost ties.

AFRICA

Mali soldiers fight to reverse coup in capital.

Mali coup leader rejects ECOWAS transition decree.

Leading candidate in Egypt presidential race calls Israel peace accord 'dead and buried'.

Chad calls for regional force to battle Boko Haram.

21 killed in north Nigeria church service attacks. Gunmen kill 16 at Nigerian church services.

Ecowas imposes sanctions on Guinea-Bissau junta leaders.

Clash between Egypt's Islamists, military grows.

Egypt’s military pledges to secure Saudi diplomatic missions in attempt to heal rift.

Libya former oil minister found dead in the Danube.

EUROPE

Eurozone crisis live: Spanish crisis deepens as recession confirmed.

Sarkozy to sue over Gaddafi claim.

Analysis: French will resist reform till things get worse.

Czech leader cancels Ukraine visit over Tymoshenko.

Angela Merkel plans Euro 2012 boycott if Yulia Tymoshenko kept in jail.

AMERICAS

World Trade Center is back on top in NYC as it breaks above Empire State Building.

Fidel Castro accuses U.S. of “promoting” Hugo Chavez ouster.

Occupy Wall Street plans global disruption of status quo May 1.

In Mexico, 3 gangs battle for control of Pacific state.

For 22 murder victims, LA Riots leave legacy of justice eluded.

Concerns about NATO summit violence leave Chicago guessing about security.

TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR

Depressed Bin Laden thought about ‘al-Qaida' name change, White House says.

Pakistan's spy agency seeks some credit for bin Laden's death.

White House says no known terror plot year after raid.

Weaker al-Qaida still plots payback for US raid.

Jury to get subway bomb plot case.

Al-Qaeda 'will free British hostage' if Abu Qatada can go where he wants.

The day President Obama said: 'Go get bin Laden'.

ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS

For businesses in China, a minefield of bribery risks.

Mexico regulators to vote on $1 billion fine vs tycoon Slim.

Australian billionaire plans to build Titanic II.

Global unemployment outlook gloomy, warns ILO.

Is Israel Alone?

Go-It-Alone Outlook Now Shapes Israel's Security Policy -- L.A. Times

Its get-tough approach with the Palestinians, and now with Iran, is lauded by some. Others warn that Israel's foreign policy will come back to haunt it.

JERUSALEM — The traditional Passover retelling of Exodus was barely underway in 2002 when Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer got a note with news of the latest in a string of Palestinian suicide attacks that had terrorized Israel for two years.

He dashed to an emergency meeting of military commanders, all dressed in civilian clothes because they'd left their own Seder dinner tables upon hearing that 30 Israelis had been killed in the attack on the Park Hotel.

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My Comment: As long as I can remember .... Israel has always seen themselves alone .... even when they have received (and are receiving) continuous and considerable support from Western allies. A mindset that probably explains why the decision to do this was met with little opposition within Israel .... but a considerable amount outside.

Drone Strikes Are Back After Pakistan Refuses To Open NATO Supply Routes

Latest US Drone Attack On Pakistan Torpedoes Reopening Of Nato Supply Route -- Times of India

WASHINGTON: Undeterred by Islamabad's shrill protests about breach of its sovereignty by American Drone strikes culminating in a parliamentary resolution calling for a halt to such unmanned attacks, the US conducted yet another such operation over the weekend. The attack has virtually torpedoed Pakistan's participation in Nato's 25th summit in President Obama's hometown in Chicago on May 20-21 where far reaching decision are expected on the transition in Afghanistan and beyond.

Read more ....

More News On The U.S. And Pakistan Differences On Drone Strikes And Re-Opening NATO Supply Lines

Drone strike kills four suspected militants in Pakistan -- Reuters
Pakistani officials: Suspected U.S. drone strike kills militants hiding in high school -- CNN
Pakistan condemns US strike after drone ban -- AP
Drone strikes are back: US and Pakistan fighting over extrajudicial murders -- RT
Protests as drones return over Pakistan -- The Hindu
U.S. drone strike riles Pakistani politicians -- CBS
U.S. Drone Strike Underlines Clash of Interests in Pakistan -- New York Times
US Drone Attacks In Pakistan Could Well Be Doing More Harm Than Good -- Sanya Khetani, Business Insider

Civil War In Syria -- News Updates April 30, 2012

20 Deaths Reported After Explosions Rock Syrian City -- CNN

(CNN) -- A third explosion rocked the northwestern Syrian city of Idlib on Monday, hours after twin car bomb blasts killed at least 20 people, opposition activists said.

About 100 people -- mostly civilians -- were injured in the earlier car bomb blasts, state media said. Most of those killed were members of the security forces, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, citing medical sources.

Read more ....

More News On Syria's Civil War

Syria: Overview -- Yahoo News
Live Updates: Syria, Bahrain and Middle East - Monday 30 April -- The Guardian
Syria Live Blog -- Al Jazeera

Syrian city hit by two suicide bombings -- The Guardian
Sucide blasts in Syria reportedly kill at least 20, wound nearly 100 -- FOX News/AP
Multiple Blasts Rock Northern Syrian Town -- Voice of America
Fresh attacks target symbols of Syrian state power -- AJC/AP
Blasts Hit Syrian Government Targets as UN Agreement Falters -- Bloomberg
Triple bomb attack threatens fragile Syria ceasefire -- Euronews
Violence said to continue in Syria, flouting peace plan [Video] -- L.A. Times

Outgunned Syria rebels make shift to bombs -- Reuters
Syrian uprising shifts toward suicide bombings. Al Qaeda's handiwork? -- Christian Science Monitor
Syria derides UN chief as peace plan in crisis -- AP

Syria: U.N. mission leader seeks end to fighting -- SFGate/AP
Top UN Truce Monitor in Syria Urges Halt to Killings -- Voice of America
Head of U.N. mission arrives in Syria, urges an end to violence -- CNN
Top U.N. truce monitor in Syria, attack on Central Bank -- Reuters
UN mission head Robert Mood: Only Syrians can end violence -- BBC

How Waiting for Godot offers Syrians hope -- Ian Pannell, BBC
How many Syrians will die? -- Jennifer Rubin, Washington Post
Indispensable but invisible in the Syrian crisis -- Jackson Diehl, Washington Post
The plague of war in Syria -- Tarak Barkawi, Al Jazeera

Ex-CIA Head Defends Post-9/11 Tactics

Hard Measures: Ex-CIA Head Defends Post-9/11 Tactics -- CBS 60 Minutes

Jose Rodriguez has no regrets about the CIA using "enhanced interrogation techniques" -- methods that some consider torture - on suspected al Qaeda members detained and questioned after 9/11. Lesley Stahl interviews the former head of the CIA's Clandestine Service about waterboarding and other methods he says were essential to getting information from suspected terrorists, and he denies claims that these harsh measures caused detainees to provide false or unreliable information that misled the CIA. In fact, Rodriguez says that high-level detainees Khalid Sheik Mohammed and Abu Zubaydah provided their best information only after harsh treatment, a claim that the CIA's own investigator general has challenged.

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My Comment: Jose Rodriguez makes Lesley Stahl from 60 minutes looks naive and stupid in this report. Her comments to Jose Rodriguez's remarks on ensure/diet manipulation are classic. Jose Rodriguez is a hero .... and he shines in this video.

Petro Dollars Are Now Staying In The Middle East

Gulf States Keep Oil Dollars Home -- Wall Street Journal

Booming oil prices are flooding Arab countries with money, but where the lion's share of that wealth would once have been pumped into the world's financial markets, much of it is now being spent at home.

Gulf states are embarking on their biggest spending spree on record as they lavish funds on domestic projects—from new housing and hospitals to mosque restoration and job creation—largely as a defensive response to the Arab Spring uprisings that toppled other Middle East governments last year. Government outlays in the region are set to reach $488.6 billion this year, according to recent Institute of International Finance estimates, up 35% from 2009's figure.

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My Comment: I guess the Arab spring has put the fear in many of these oil-rich governments .... now preferring to spend money on their citizens than elsewhere.

Calls Rise For A Boycott Of The 2012 Euro Football Championships

Euro 2012 Faces Diplomatic Crisis Over Ukraine's Jailed Opposition Leader -- The Guardian

Germany leads west European and EU states threatening to boycott football tournament unless Yulia Tymoshenko is released.

The 2012 European Championships were heading towards a diplomatic fiasco on Monday after more EU leaders said they would join Germany in a boycott of the event next month unless Ukraine freed the opposition leader, Yulia Tymoshenko.

On Sunday, Angela Merkel said that she and her cabinet would not attend any games played in Ukraine, which is co-hosting the tournament with Poland, unless the human rights situation under President Viktor Yanukovych improved.

Read more ....

More News On Calls For A Boycott Of The 2012 European Football Championships

Ukraine under growing pressure over treatment of Yulia Tymoshenko -- The Telegraph
EU leaders shun Ukraine over Tymoshenko case -- AFP
Germany threatens boycott of Euro championships over health of former Ukraine PM Tymoshenko -- Daily Mail
Angela Merkel plans Euro 2012 boycott if Yulia Tymoshenko kept in jail -- The Guardian
Euro 2012 turning into nightmare for Ukraine after boycott threat -- National Post/AFP
Tymoshenko's condition worsening, daughter say -- Reuters
Ukraine attacks soccer boycott as Cold War tactic -- Reuters
Ukraine Calls Boycotts of Euro Football Tournament ‘Cold War Tactic’ -- Voice of America

Why Did President Obama Get The Nobel Peace Prize?

Warrior In Chief -- Peter L. Bergen, New York Times

THE president who won the Nobel Peace Prize less than nine months after his inauguration has turned out to be one of the most militarily aggressive American leaders in decades.

Liberals helped to elect Barack Obama in part because of his opposition to the Iraq war, and probably don’t celebrate all of the president’s many military accomplishments. But they are sizable.

Mr. Obama decimated Al Qaeda’s leadership. He overthrew the Libyan dictator. He ramped up drone attacks in Pakistan, waged effective covert wars in Yemen and Somalia and authorized a threefold increase in the number of American troops in Afghanistan. He became the first president to authorize the assassination of a United States citizen, Anwar al-Awlaki, who was born in New Mexico and played an operational role in Al Qaeda, and was killed in an American drone strike in Yemen. And, of course, Mr. Obama ordered and oversaw the Navy SEAL raid that killed Osama bin Laden.

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My Comment: Ouch!

Fierce Fighting Reported In Eastern Congo

Bosco 'Terminator' Ntaganda Takes Over DR Congo Towns -- BBC

Troops loyal to Bosco Ntaganda, wanted by the International Criminal Court, have taken two towns in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

A BBC reporter in the area says thousands of people are fleeing the fierce fighting towards nearby Goma.

Hundreds of heavily armed soldiers loyal to Gen Ntaganda recently defected from the Congolese army.

Known locally as the Terminator, Gen Ntaganda has denied the ICC accusation that he recruited child soldiers.

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Update: Bosco 'Terminator' Ntaganda troops take over DR Congo towns -- Global Post

My Comment: What Africa does not need right now .... another warlord who enjoys terrorizing and killing people. A profile on Gen Ntaganda can be read here.

The 5 Most Wanted Al Qaeda Leaders

Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri.

The 5 al-Qaida Leaders Most Wanted By US -- Seattle PI/AP

On May 2, 2011, Navy SEALs shot and killed al-Qaida leader and Sept. 11 mastermind Osama bin Laden in his home in Abbottabad, Pakistan. It was a raid made especially daring by the fact that there was only a 50-50 chance the terrorist leader was there. After his death, these are five of the top al-Qaida leaders who pose a clear and continuing threat of an attack within the U.S., according to U.S. intelligence and counterterrorist officials.

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My Comment: One day their time will be up.

Osama Bin Laden's Home Being Sold Off Brick By Brick

Self-obsessed: The Muslim extremist indulged his vane side despite living in this fortified and undecorated compound

Osama bin Laden's Abbottabad Home Being Sold Off Brick By Brick -- The Telegraph

Osama bin Laden's last home is being sold off brick-by-brick after his secret Pakistani hideaway was demolished.

Two baths and a homemade TV aerial have also been put on sale by the enterprising contractor who bulldozed the three-storey home in February.

While Pakistan's political and military leaders are keen to obliterate any memory of how the world's most wanted man evaded capture for so long, Shakeel Ahmed said his salvage yard in Abbottabad had become a tourist attraction for visitors looking for a souvenir.

"These bricks can be used by people to build new houses," he said, pointing to a heap of some of the 180,000 bricks he collected from the site. "Some come here looking for just one as so they can have them as a gift."

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My Comment: Expect some of these items on eBay for sale very soon. Hmmmm .... a brick from Bin Laden's home on my desk table .... used as a paper weight or something ..... what a unique novelty item.

Bin Laden Documents Reveal His Involvement In Launching Attacks On NATO Soldiers In Afghanistan (Update)

Revealed: Secret Documents Show Bin Laden Helped Taliban Launch Attacks On Western Soldiers In Afghanistan -- Daily Mail

Osama bin Laden worked directly with the Taliban from exile to plan attacks against NATO troops in Afghanistan, as well as raids on the Afghan government and terrorist plots around the world, it was revealed on Sunday.

Documents discovered in the compound where bin Laden was killed last spring show similar ideology between Taliban leader Mullah Omar and the al-Qaida leader, according to reports.

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More News On Bin laden Documents Revealing His Assistance To The Afghan Taliban

Osama bin Laden files 'reveal close ties between al-Qaeda and Taliban' -- The Telegraph
Documents reveal Bin Laden kept up links to Taliban -- Sydney Morning Herald
Bin Laden Files Show al-Qaida And Taliban Leaders In Close Contact -- The Guardian
Bin Laden worked directly with Taliban from exile, secret documents reveal -- Al Arabiya
Mullah Omar and Osama bin Laden: like minds -- The Guardian editorial

Afghanistan War News Updates -- April 30, 2012

Gen. John Allen, the U.S. commander in Afghanistan, and Under Secretary of Defense Jim Miller (left) testified …

U.S. Commander John Allen Says Afghanistan Transition Plan Is ‘On Track’ -- Yahoo News/The Envoy

Marine Gen. John Allen, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, told sometimes skeptical lawmakers Tuesday that the United States is "on track" to achieve its goals for stabilizing Afghanistan and preventing it from becoming a haven for terrorism. International forces are still planning to withdraw over the next two years, despite numerous high profile setbacks that have rattled confidence in the mission these past few weeks.

Read more ....

More News On Afghanistan

ISAF Joint Command morning operational update - April 30, 2012 -- ISAF
NATO Soldier Killed In Afghanistan -- RTT News
NATO reports death of service member in Afghanistan -- Khaama Press
2 ISAF soldiers fall prey to IED strikes -- Frontier Post
Two Afghan bodyguards and two suicide attackers killed in fierce gun battle -- Natinal Post/AFP
Taliban attacks: Militant group claims responsibility for embassy assault in Kabul, prison raid in Pakistan -- The Envoy
Afghan Taliban deny new talks with US -- AFP
Germany struggles with homecoming of Afghanistan veterans -- Washington Post
Fighting season - for animals - peaks in Afghanistan -- AFP
NATO’s lies on Afghanistan continue -- Haroon Siddiqui,Ttoronto Star
An Exit Strategy For Afghanistan – OpEd -- Jim Cason, Eurasia Review

World News Briefs -- April 30, 2012

Burnt newspaper copies are seen in the rubble of a destroyed This Day newspaper building in Abuja April 28. Suicide car bombers targeted the offices of Nigerian newspaper 'This Day' in the capital Abuja and northern city of Kaduna on Thursday, killing at least four people in apparently coordinated strikes. Afolabi Sotunde/REUTERS

Killing The Messenger: Islamist Insurgency Widens In Nigeria

A suicide bombing at a venerable newspaper suggests that journalists could now become routinely targeted by Boko Haram, says guest blogger G. Pascal Zachary.

Now the terror bombings in Nigeria are targeting the messenger: the offices of the venerable This Day newspaper.

“The suicide bomber came in a jeep and rammed a vehicle into the gate,” said Olusogen Adeniyi, chairman of the This Day editorial board. “Two of our security men died, and obviously the suicide bomber died too.”

Read more ....

MIDDLE EAST

Syria: deadly bombings kill more than 20 in Idlib.

Baghdad violence leaves six dead.

Israel's Netanyahu would win early election: poll.

Iran hopes for "successful" nuclear talks with U.N.

Bin Laden widows welcomed in Saudi Arabia as 'not suspicious'.

ASIA

U.S. drone strikes resume in Pakistan; action may complicate vital negotiations.

Obama wants to strike ‘appropriate balance’ on Chinese dissident, official says.

China's Bo Xilai affair: where the case stands.

Aung San Suu Kyi to take Burmese parliamentary oath.

Japan's PM Yoshihiko Noda visiting the US to boost ties.

AFRICA

21 killed in north Nigeria church service attacks. Gunmen kill 16 at Nigerian church services.

Ecowas imposes sanctions on Guinea-Bissau junta leaders.

Mali coup leader rejects ECOWAS transition decree.

Clash between Egypt's Islamists, military grows.

Egypt’s military pledges to secure Saudi diplomatic missions in attempt to heal rift.

Libya former oil minister found dead in the Danube.

EUROPE

Eurozone crisis live: Spanish crisis deepens as recession confirmed.

Sarkozy to sue over Gaddafi claim.

Analysis: French will resist reform till things get worse.

Czech leader cancels Ukraine visit over Tymoshenko.

Angela Merkel plans Euro 2012 boycott if Yulia Tymoshenko kept in jail.

AMERICAS

Occupy Wall Street plans global disruption of status quo May 1.

In Mexico, 3 gangs battle for control of Pacific state.

For 22 murder victims, LA Riots leave legacy of justice eluded.

Concerns about NATO summit violence leave Chicago guessing about security.

TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR

White House says no known terror plot year after raid.

Weaker al-Qaida still plots payback for US raid.

Jury to get subway bomb plot case.

Al-Qaeda 'will free British hostage' if Abu Qatada can go where he wants.

The day President Obama said: 'Go get bin Laden'.

ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS

For businesses in China, a minefield of bribery risks.

Mexico regulators to vote on $1 billion fine vs tycoon Slim.

Australian billionaire plans to build Titanic II.

Global unemployment outlook gloomy, warns ILO.

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- April 30, 2012

UK Puts Missiles On London Rooftop To Guard Olympics -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Britain's military has told residents of an upscale apartment development near the Olympic Park in east London it is installing a missile battery on top of a tower within their housing complex to defend the 2012 Games this summer.

The site is one of a number around the capital the army is considering as bases for surface-to-air missiles to protect the London games from an aerial attack, the Ministry of Defence said.

Read more ....

MILITARY AND INTELLIGENCE NEWS BRIEFS

Missiles could be deployed at six sites during Olympics, MOD confirm -- The Telegraph

MI6 spy Gareth Williams 'probably died from poisoning or asphyxiation' -- The Telegraph

North Korea nuclear test 'could take place this week' -- The Telegraph

Submarines: The Mysterious Iranian Threat -- Strategy Page

U.S. will consider selling new jet fighters to Taiwan: White House -- Focus Taiwan

IAF's Mirage-2000 fighter aircraft restarts operational sorties -- Economic Times

Iraq to get first F-16 jets in early 2014-official -- Alert Net

Another Saudi air force plane crashes in Tabuk -- Arab News

Russia Orders More S-300 SAM Missiles -- RIA novosti

U.S. Attaches Strings to Israeli Iron Dome Funds -- Defense News

Australian submarines decision not due until 2013 -- 9News

Canadian military hits reset button on $2B Close Combat Vehicle -- Otawa Citizen

Afghan Mission May Change U.S. Army Modernization Plans -- Defense News

Cost concerns over F-22 Raptor modernization plan -- Examiner

US Navy launches official Request for Information (RFI) for F/A-XX strike fighter -- Navy Recognition

USN’s LCS Still Getting Its Sea Legs -- Defense News

Testing complete, new missile defense technology to be loaded on Navy ships -- Stars and Stripes

Navy nears power deal to help avoid Cal blackouts -- FOX News/AP

CU-Boulder, American colleges brace for flood of veterans -- Daily Camera

Brennan says no Secret Service security breach -- Stars and Stripes/AP

This Week at War: NIMBYs in the South China Sea -- Foreign Policy

Military to show Guantanamo proceedings at 4 U.S. bases -- McClatchy News

Our all-volunteer military should stay that way -- Elliot J. Feldman, Washington Post

Military Secrets Leak From U.S. Universities With Rules Flouted -- SFGate/Bloomberg

The C.I.A.’s Misuse of Secrecy -- Jameel Jaffer and Nathan Wessler, New York Times

U.S. Military Policies On Prostitution Facing Greater Scrutiny

U.S. Military Faces Scrutiny Over Its Prostitution Policies In Wake Of Colombian Sex Scandal -- National Post

No one talks tougher against prostitution than the U.S. military.

Even in countries where prostitution is legal, military personnel violating a seven-year-old Department of Defense policy against paying for sex face up to a year in jail and dishonorable discharge if caught.

Officers and troops are taught about the links between human trafficking and prostitution. They also face country-specific instructions at bases like the U.S. installation in South Korea, where the policy describes prostitution as “cruel and demeaning.”

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My Comment: Having a policy is one thing .... not enforcing it is another. After the recent U.S. Secret Service prostitution scandal .... I expect this enforcement to be increased .... at least for the short term.

Global Demonstrations Planned For May 1

Protesters with the Occupy movement block one of the entrances to the Port of Oakland in California.

Occupy Wall Street Plans Global Disruption of Status Quo May 1 -- Bloomberg

Occupy Wall Street demonstrators, whose anti-greed message spread worldwide during an eight-week encampment in Lower Manhattan last year, plan marches across the globe tomorrow calling attention to what they say are abuses of power and wealth.

Organizers say they hope the coordinated events will mark a spring resurgence of the movement after a quiet winter. Calls for a general strike with no work, no school, no banking and no shopping have sprung up on websites in Toronto, Barcelona, London, Kuala Lumpur and Sydney, among hundreds of cities in North America, Europe and Asia.

Read more ....

My Comment: This is going to be a long hot summer.

Editor's Note

A bit behind in my blogging this morning. That is what happens when you take a day off. I should be caught up with my posts by midday.

Picture Of The Day

U.S. sailors prepare an E-2C Hawkeye air craft for launch on the flight deck aboard the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson under way in the Indian Ocean, April 6, 2012. The sailors are assigned to Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 125. The Carl Vinson and Carrier Air Wing 17 are deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class James R. Evans

Is Sudan Backing Joseph Kony's LRA?

Ugandan Army Says Sudan Is Backing Joseph Kony's LRA -- BBC

The Ugandan army says the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) led by Joseph Kony is being supported and supplied by the Sudanese government.

The LRA is accused of rape, mutilation, murder and the recruitment of child soldiers.

A Ugandan army colonel told the BBC they had captured a member of the LRA who was wearing a Sudanese uniform, and carried its weapons and ammunition.

The US has sent special forces to help in the hunt for Mr Kony.

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My Comment: I have some doubts that the Sudanese government is assisting the LRA. The Sudan government has enough on it's plate, and getting involved in another war ..... especially against forces backed by the U.S. .... does not strike me as a wise and thoughtful move on their part..

U.S. Special Forces Aid In The Hunt Of African Warlord Joseph Kony

In Vast Jungle, U.S. Troops Aid In Search For Kony -- New York Times

OBO, Central African Republic — It has got to be one of the oddest matchups in United States military history.

One hundred of America’s elite Special Operations troops, aided by night vision scopes and satellite imagery, are helping African forces find a wig-wearing, gibberish-speaking fugitive rebel commander named Joseph Kony who has been hiding out in the jungle for years with a band of child soldiers and a harem of dozens of child brides.

No one knows exactly where Mr. Kony is, but here in Obo, at a remote forward operating post in the Central African Republic, Green Berets pore over maps and interview villagers, hopeful for a clue.

Read more ....

More News On The U.S. Assisting In The Search For LRA Leader Kony

US special forces help in hunt for warlord Kony -- FOX News/AP
U.S. lends support in hunt for notorious African warlord -- CNN
Video: U.S. special forces search for LRA leader Joseph Kony -- Digital Journal
US special forces continue aiding Kony search -- Al Jazera
US soldiers play part in hunt for Joseph Kony -- BBC
Rebel chief Kony 'in Sudan-S.Sudan border areas' -- AFP
Kony hunt: US forces combine tech with nomad intelligence -- First Post
Support from locals seen as key to capturing Kony -- AP
Joseph Kony hunt is proving difficult for U.S. troops -- Washington Post
How US special forces help in the hunt for Joseph Kony -- Christian Science Monitor

Sudan-South Sudan War -- News Updates April 30, 2012

Sudan Declares State of Emergency As Clashes Continue -- New York Times

KHARTOUM, Sudan — Sudan declared a state of emergency on Sunday along much of its border with South Sudan as the momentum toward all-out war continues to build after weeks of clashes over disputed areas and oil.

President Omar Hassan al-Bashir’s decree gives authorities in the border areas wide powers to make arrests and set up special courts. It was issued a day after Sudan detained three foreigners and a South Sudanese near the border and accused them of spying for South Sudan, a charge the South denies.

Read more ....

More News On The Sudan - South Sudan War

Sudan declares state of emergency on South border -- AFP
Sudan president declares state of emergency along southern border -- CNN
Sudan declares state of emergency near border to South -- Deutsche Welle
Sudan declares emergency on South border -- Sydney Morning Herald
Sudan Declares State of Emergency Along Southern Border -- Voice of America
Sudanese warplanes bomb South, clashes rage -- Daily Nation
Sudan defends use of air strikes in South Sudan conflict -- Reuters
South Sudan blamed as it gears up for war -- BBC
War Fears As South Sudan Troops Defend Border -- SKY News
In Sudan and South Sudan, questions of nationality -- Reuters
Sudan’s Use of Chinese Arms Shows Beijing’s Balancing Act -- Bloomberg
Sudan Ready for Peace Talks with South Sudan – Lavrov -- RIA Novosti

The Start Of "Late Great Depression"?

Robert Shiller - World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2012 (Wikipedia)

We Are In Age Of ‘Late Great Depression’: Shiller -- CNBC

The world is in a state of “late Great Depression,” well-known economist and author Robert Shiller told CNBC Monday.

The Yale economics professor, who helped devise the Case-Shiller index for housing market trends, and famously called the dotcom bubble of the early 2000s and the housing market bubble later in the decade, told “Squawk Box Europe” that the world is in a “new age of austerity.”

“Our whole economy has been affected by variations in confidence. Central banks are sort of trusted, but the actions they have often affect people’s confidence by appearance rather than substance. We’re not in the most trusting mood now,” Shiller said.

Read more ....

My Comment: He has a track record of being right .... and he is probably right on this prediction.

Decline In U.S. Air Power?

Two F-22 Raptors fly over the Pacific Ocean after a refueling mission, March 9, 2009. The Raptors are deployed from Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, to the 90th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron on Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Kevin J. Gruenwald

Flying Not Quite As High -- Michael Auslin, Weekly Standard

Our threatened airpower.

The release of the Obama administration’s defense budget in January makes clear just how the president intends to reshape the U.S. military. For starters, the Army will shrink 14 percent by 2017, the Marines will decrease by 20,000, six Air Force fighter squadrons will be deactivated, and the Navy will make do with fewer ships. Putting skin on this skeleton is the Defense Strategic Guidance, released in January at the Pentagon. Most significantly, the document calls for a shift of resources to Asia and promises that America will “maintain its ability to project power in areas in which our access and freedom to operate are challenged” by states like China and Iran. Yet in Secretary of Defense Panetta’s own words, U.S. forces will have to do this while facing “profound challenges” and relying on “low-cost and small-footprint approaches” to achieving national security objectives.

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My Comment: Writing such an article 20 years would have been inconceivable .... but it appears to be standard today (this is the third article that I have read in the past week on declining U.S. air power). What's my take .... U.S. air power is still dominant in the world today, but as problems with the F-35 program continues .... and other countries continue to develop and expand their air force programs .... the day of U.S. dominance .... a position that the U.S. has held since the end of the Second World War .... is probably coming to an end.

Playing Politics With The Bin Laden Killing

GOP Says Obama Playing Politics With Bin Laden Anniversary -- CNN

Washington (CNN) -- Days before the one-year anniversary of the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, top surrogates for President Barack Obama and presumptive Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney took to the national stage to argue the politics of the attack.

Senior Obama campaign adviser Robert Gibbs defended the campaign's use of the event in a recent Web video and in a speech from Vice President Joe Biden. Meanwhile, senior Romney adviser Ed Gillespie characterized the political steps surrounding the death as a "bridge too far."

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Update: Obama not politicizing bin Laden anniversary: White House -- AFP

My Comment: I expect this type of politics .... it is after-all an election year. But what I find amusing is how the media is now covering this .... as I recall they were very harsh when President Bush used the "war on terror" to his political advantage .... but as to this President .... this media "criticism" has become non-existent.

Obama, Clinton Talk About Picture In Situation Room During Bin Laden Raid

(Click on Image to Enlarge)

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From Real Clear Politics:

Nearly a year after Osama bin Laden was killed by U.S. forces, President Barack Obama described the tense moments spent watching the raid from the White House Situation Room.

In an exclusive interview with Rock Center Anchor and Managing Editor Brian Williams, the president recalled the moment when one of the helicopters used by Seal Team Six and special forces encountered problems.

“There’s silence at this point inside the room,” the president told Williams in an interview airing on NBC's Rock Center, “Inside the Situation Room,” on Wednesday, May 2 at 9pm/8 c.

Bin Laden's Killing Taints Pakistan-US Ties

Year Later, Bin Laden Killing Still Colors Pakistan-US Ties -- Voice of America

One year ago, one of the most expensive manhunts in history ended when U.S. forces killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan. The secret U.S. raid and the exposure of bin Laden’s hideout near Pakistan’s premier military academy jolted relations between Washington and Islamabad. Ayaz Gul reports from the Pakistani capital on how the countries are still struggling to move on.

Osama bin Laden’s last abode in the heart of the garrison town of Abbottabad now lies in ruins.

Read more ....

My Comment: One year after the death of the Al Qaeda leader there still has been no explanation or investigation from Pakistan on how was Bin Laden able to live and hide in Pakistan for so long. This total lack of follow-up and investigation is raising many red flags .... the chief one being who is being protected in Pakistan by this lack of interest in getting to the bottom of this story. As a result .... I am sure that the U.S. is now convinced that there are major supporters of Al Qaeda within Pakistan's political/ military/intelligence community .... and as long as these supporters are not exposed and routed out, long term U.S.-Pakistan relations will remain in the "toilet".