Wikileaks Founder Assange Pledges To Hide In Ecuador's Embassy For As Long As It Takes For Sweden To Drop Case Against Him

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange speaking from a balcony at The Ecuador Embassy in London, Aug. 19, 2012. Thomas Campean / London News Pictures / ZUMA PRESS

'I'll Stay For A YEAR!' Assange Pledges To Hide In Ecuador's Embassy For As Long As It Takes For Sweden To Drop Case Against Him

* The WikiLeaks founder told a TV station that he still believes he will be able to walk out of the building a free man
* His situation 'will be solved through diplomacy' he said, adding Sweden dropping the case was the 'most likely scenario'

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange could remain holed up inside Ecuador’s embassy in London for a year as he believes the case against him in Sweden will be dropped.

The 41-year-old Australian, who faces arrest and extradition over alleged sexual offences if he sets foot outside the building in Knightsbridge, insisted that he believes that he will walk out a free man.

In a TV interview broadcast in Ecuador, Assange said he believed it would take between 'six and 12 months' for the issue to be resolved.

Read more ....

My Comment: It's going to be along year.

Is The Haqqani Network A Terrorist Group

Jalaluddin Haqqani, right, the Taliban's minister for tribal affairs, points to a map of Afghanistan during a visit to Islamabad, Pakistan, on Oct. 19, 2001, while his son Naziruddin looks on. With their wide-ranging influence, support from Pakistan, and propensity for destabilizing violence, the Haqqanis could by themselves scuttle American aims for a peaceful exit from Afghanistan. (Photo: Reuters)

Obama Administration Divided Over Designating Haqqani Network As Terrorist Group -- Washington Post

Just days before a congressional deadline, the Obama administration is deeply divided over whether to designate the Pakistan-based Haqqani network as a terrorist group, with some officials worried that doing so could complicate efforts to restart peace talks with the Taliban and undermine already-fraught relations with Pakistan.

Early this month, Congress gave Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton 30 days to determine whether the Haqqani group, considered the most lethal opponent of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, meets the criteria for designation — a foreign organization engaging in terrorist activity that threatens U.S. citizens or national security.

Read more ....

My Comment: The White house may debate designating Haqqani network as terrorist group, but this is not stopping them from killing their commanders .... and in one case last week .... the son of the founder of the Haqqani network.

Is The White House Choosing To Ignore The IAEA's Report On Iran's Nuclear Program?

Image: Veterans Today

Obama Doesn’t Care He’s Been Proven Wrong About Iran -- Jonathan Tobin, Commentary

The release yesterday of a new report on Iran’s nuclear program by the International Atomic Energy Agency effectively vindicates everything Israel’s leaders have been saying in recent months. The report says Iran has doubled the number of centrifuges it could use to make the core of nuclear warheads at its underground bunker at Fordow. It has also effectively shut down the IAEA investigation of their work at Parchin, where the Islamist regime has been conducting work on nuclear weapons development.

Read more ....

My Comment: I would like to believe that Jonathan Tobin is wrong .... that the Obama administration does care .... and are in fact well aware of of the IAEA's report on Iran's nuclear program. My guess is that with the Presidential election only a few weeks away, their focus is on winning the election and not starting a new Middle East war by bombing Iran's nuclear enrichment facilities. After the election .... all options will then be on the table.

A PDF copy of the IAEA’s report is here.

Update: The Israelis are not amused .... Israel accuses Obama administration of sending 'mixed messages' to Iran.

IAEA: Iran's Nuclear Program Continues To Expand (Updated)

Inspectors Confirm New Work by Iran at Secure Nuclear Site -- New York Times

WASHINGTON — Iran has installed three-quarters of the nuclear centrifuges it needs to complete a site deep underground for the production of nuclear fuel, international inspectors reported Thursday, a finding that led the White House to warn that “the window that is open now to resolve this diplomatically will not remain open indefinitely.”

The report by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the last to be issued before the American presidential election, lays out in detail how Iran over the summer has doubled the number of centrifuges installed deep under a mountain near Qum. Iran has also, the report said, cleansed another site where the agency has said it suspects that the country has conducted explosive experiments that could be relevant to the production of a nuclear weapon.

Read more ....

More News On The IAEA's Report On Iran's Nuclear Program

IAEA report: Iran blocking access as it doubles number of centrifuges at Fordo, covers Parchin -- CBS/AP
IAEA reports Iran has doubled enrichment capacity -- Foreign Policy
Iran rejects IAEA nuclear report as "political move" -- Reuters
Iran rejects IAEA report as 'political move,' France calls for more sanctions -- Haaretz
Iran rejects IAEA charges over Parchin military base -- AFP

My Comment: The IAEA's report is here.(pdf)

Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- August 31, 2012

Syrian men walk through damaged shops in the old souk of Homs in the northern city of Syria August 30, 2012. (photo by REUTERS/Yazan Homsy)

Syria's Disintegration: How Far Will it Spread? -- Mohammad Yaghi, Al-Monitor

It no longer matters whether what is happening in Syria is a revolution or a conspiracy that preempted a potential revolution — or even a conspiracy targeting the “non-aligned” countries. The substance of the matter is: Is it possible to save Syria from imminent disintegration?

Today, there are 6,000 jihadist combatants from all across the Arab and Islamic worlds — even from Chechnya — taking part in the revolution. Last week in the Jordanian city of Maan, Salafi jihadist groups broadcast a video of one of their members blowing himself up at Syrian checkpoint. The Salafist movement declared that 100 of its jihadists are stationed in Syria.

Read more ....

Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials

Syria's War Spills Into Lebanon -- Michael J. Totten, World Affairs

Tehran slapdown: Mursi shocks the mullahs -- Amir Taheri, New York Post

The Silver Lining on Iran’s Nukes -- Eli Lake, Daily Beast

Iran at the brink -- Washington Post editorial

Yemen's water woes -- Peter Salisbury, Foreign Policy

Viewpoint: South Africa shoots itself in the foot -- Ralph Mathekga, BBC

Modern China: A tale of luxury villas and displaced villagers -- Tom Lasseter, McClatchy Newspapers

East Asia's Free for All -- Frank Ching, Real Clear World

The centrifuge that is Bosnia -- Michael Haltzel, Washington Post

Obama's justice department grants final immunity to Bush's CIA torturers -- Glenn Greenwald, The Guardian

What the Boris Berezovsky and Roman Abramovich verdict means for Russian Oligarchs -- Professor Richard Sakwa, The Independent

World News Briefs -- August 31, 2012 (Evening Edition)

Rebels transport explosives in Aleppo today Photo: REUTERS

Syrian Rebels Still Hold Key Strategic Neighbourhoods In Aleppo -- The Telegraph

Three fifths of Aleppo is still under rebel control, according to a local commander, despite the Syrian army pushing them back.

On Friday, a local rebel commander said anti-government militia still control 60 per cent of Aleppo, Syria’s biggest city, after a month of fighting and aerial bombardment, and that the military stalemate was playing into the hands of President Bashar al-Assad’s opponents.

Read more ....

MIDDLE EAST

Syrian rebels attack Aleppo security compounds.

U.N. all talk on Syria aid as West mulls military action.

Syrian diplomacy 'on verge of collapse'.

Syria humanitarian position worsens, tens of thousands flee: ICRC.

Iraq Kurds ready for talks over crisis, oil: deputy PM.

Israelis say UN report strengthens Iran warnings.

Iran boosts enriched uranium production, says UN's IAEA. U.N.: Iran speeding up uranium enrichment at underground plant.

Israeli attack on Iran 'would not stop nuclear programme'.

ASIA

China’s coming leadership change met with a shrug. Exclusive: China's Hu seeks clean power handover with ally's promotion - sources.

Car bomb targets northwestern Pakistani city.

North Korea makes "significant" nuclear reactor progress: IAEA.

7.6 quake hits off Philippines. Quake of 7.9 magnitude strikes off Philippines: USGS.

Insurgents launch rare multiple attacks in Thai south.

Clinton begins Asia tour amid Chinese protests.

Indian Hindu nationalist lawmaker gets 28 years for 2002 massacre.

Christian girl accused of burning Koran remanded in prison.

AFRICA

Mabior Garang, son of South Sudan’s founder, blasts country’s leadership.

Ivory Coast using attacks as pretext for crackdown: opposition.

Tunisia democratic activists fear a tilt toward militant Islam.

Dakar rights activists rally against Gambian executions.

ICC team in Mali to investigate potential war crimes.

South Africa shocked by move to charge miners with massacre.

Angola poll opens amid fraud claims.

Nigeria introduces new currencies.

EUROPE

Russia's Putin calls for Stalin-style "leap forward".

Insight: Brutality, anger fuel Jihad in Russia's Caucasus.

Thousands evacuated as wildfire threatens Spanish coast.

Struggling Romanians yearn for communism.

Russian killer wrote name of convicted punk rock band on wall to mislead police.

Julian Assange: I'm going to be in the Ecuadorean embassy for a year.

Lufthansa cancels flights as cabin crews strike.

AMERICAS

Cuba reports mixed results of labor reform.

Argentine tax agents to track all credit card buys.

Romney makes appeal to voters disappointed in Obama: ‘The time has come to turn the page’.

Isaac leaves lots of water and power outages in its wake.

Analysts: Financial impacts after Venezuela blast.

Venezuela to investigate report that Brazilian miners massacred Indian village. Amazonian community wiped out by illegal goldminers.

Amazon forest threat is greater outside Brazil.

Mexico court rejects Lopez Obrador election appeal.

TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR

U.S. drone strike kills 8 suspected militants: Yemeni officials.

'Mastermind' behind Sri Lanka cricket team attack arrested.

US adds 8 Lashkar-e-Taiba members to terrorism list.

Apple again rejects app that tracks US drone attacks.

ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS

Japan rules for Samsung in Apple battle.

Abramovich wins biggest private court case in history.

Coca-Cola 'cracks' North Korea.

iPhone 5 release date rumours mount.

'Drink less, work more', billionaire tells non-rich.

World Bank: Droughts pushing food prices sharply higher.

Is Syria's President Assad "Disconnected From Reality"?

U.S.: Assad "Disconnected From Reality" -- CNN

Bashar al-Assad is "increasingly disconnected from reality," according to a senior Obama administration official in dismissing assertions by the Syrian president that the situation in his violence-torn country is improving.

The White House added that Assad's comments only showed "how delusional" the embattled leader has become.

"Only if 'better' means more Syrian people - innocent Syrian people – are dying at the hands of his soldiers; only 'better' if it means that his thugs are moving through the streets of various cities and rounding people up," presidential spokesman Jay Carney told reporters.

Read more ....

My Comment: I suspect that he knows that the situation is very dire, and to win has adopted the same strategy that the Algerian government successfully applied in it's civil war against Islamic militants in the 1990s. But while the Algerian government did have broad support in it's war, Assad's support is becoming increasingly limited to his Alawite community .... a community that (I predict) will soon be overwhelmed by the greater numbers within the Syrian rebel movement. When that moment is reached .... that is when I predict that the Assad family and his allies will then flee to the Alawite dominated areas of north-western Syria to make their last stand .... and from there .... who knows what will happen next.

Syria's Refugess And Civilians Are Now Being Targeted By Syria's Air Force

Threat To Syrian Civilians Is Growing, Officials Say -- New York Times

BEIRUT, Lebanon — Human rights workers and diplomats said Thursday that Syria’s military was increasingly relying on indiscriminate air power to crush the insurgency, as top United Nations officials attending a special Security Council session reported alarming new data on the severity of the crisis, including a doubling in the number of civilians who need emergency aid.

“The cohesion of Syria’s diverse society is in danger,” Jan Eliasson, the deputy secretary general, told the Council members in a meeting convened by France, which holds the rotating presidency. Mr. Eliasson also said the emergency United Nations relief operations marshaled for Syria were already under financial strain, and “as the conflict intensifies, the number of people in need clearly exceeds our capacity to assist.”

Read more ....

Update: Syria Civil War: Citizens In Constant Flight Amid Conflict -- Huffington Post/AP

My Comment: The above video is very disturbing, but reveals the Syrian military's shift in tactics to that of terrorizing civilian populations that support the rebels.

Civil War In Syria -- News Updates August 31, 2012

Free Syrian Army fighters run for cover after Syrian forces fired a mortar in the El Amreeyeh neighbourhood of Syria's northwestern city of Aleppo. Photograph: Youssef Boudlal/Reuters

UN Despairs As Syrian Air Strikes Worsen Refugee Crisis -- Sydney Morning Herald

BEIRUT: Syria's military is increasingly relying on brute air power to crush insurgents and intimidate their sympathisers, and top United Nations officials attending a special Security Council session have reported alarming new data on the severity of the crisis.

''The cohesion of Syria's diverse society is in danger,'' the UN's Deputy Secretary-General, Jan Eliasson, told the council members in a meeting convened by France, which holds the rotating presidency. The emergency UN relief operations marshalled for Syria were already straining, and ''as the conflict intensifies, the number of people in need clearly exceeds our capacity to assist'', Mr Eliasson said.

Read more ....

More News On Syria's Civil War

What you need to know about Syria today -- CNN
Syria crisis: Turkey calls for 'safe haven' – Friday 31 August 2012 -- The Guardian
Syria Live Blog -- Al Jazeera

Syrian Rebels Attack Aleppo Security Compounds -- Voice of America
Syrian Rebels Launch New Operation in Aleppo -- ABC News/AP
Syrian rebels still hold key strategic neighbourhoods in Aleppo -- The Telegraph
Rebels say hold half of Aleppo despite air strikes -- Reuters
Fierce fighting in Aleppo as Syrian rebels adopt new tactics -- Haaretz/DPA
Troops killed in Aleppo clashes -- Irish Times
Heavy clashes in northern Syrian city -- The Australian
Syria clashes rage as safe havens plea fails -- AFP
2nd warplane shot down, activists say -- Detroit Free Press
Syria Crisis: Rebels Claim They Shot Down Another Warplane -- Huffington Post/AP
‘No surrender,’ vow Syrian protesters -- Khaleej Times/AFP
Syria opposition to expand, improve organization, leader says -- Reuters

Relentless Attacks Send Syrians Fleeing For Relief -- NPR
'Difficult' demand for refugee camps in Syria vexes UN -- BBC
Threat to Syrian Civilians Is Growing, Officials Say -- New York Times
Turkey calls for Syria safe zones, U.N. Security Council remains unmoved -- CBS/AP
Syria’s Neighbors Seek UN Help for Refugees -- Voice of America

France to help Syria 'safe zones' -- Irish Times
French plan to help Syria safe zones seen falling short -- Reuters
France, Britain say Syria military intervention on table -- Reuters
Britain, France issue warning to Assad -- UPI

Missing reporter likely in Syrian custody, father says -- FOX News/AP
U.S. journalist reportedly in Syrian custody -- Washington Post

Analysis: Syrian Kurds sense freedom, power struggle awaits -- Euronews/Reuters
Syria: An agenda for action -- Irwin Cotler, Jerusalem Post
The “Free Syrian Army” are hardly paragons of virtue in this dirty war -- Emanuel Stoakes, The Independent
Condoleezza Rice: Syria opposition must be armed -- CNN
Syria faces societal fissures -- Stephen Starr, Special to CNN

Odds Of War With Iran Increasing

Odds Of War With Iran Increase To 40% -- Dominic Tierney, The Atlantic

Our expert panel gauges the odds that the United States or Israel will strike the Islamic Republic in the next year.

The probability of conflict with Iran is now at 40 percent, according to The Atlantic's Iran War Dial.

We've assembled a high profile team of experts from the policy world, academia, and journalism to periodically predict the chances that Israel or the United States will strike Iran in the next year. For more on the Iran War Dial and the panelists, visit our FAQ page.

Peace remains more likely than war. But the chances of conflict have ticked upward for the second month in a row, from 36 percent in June, to 38 percent in July, and now 40 percent in August.

Read more ....

My Comment: I have always ridiculed this metric used by The Atlantic in the past .... the odds of war are either zero or 100 percent .... it's like .... you are pregnant or you are not. In regards to what are the odds of war with Iran .... for now I say that it is zero.

Another U.S. Drone Strike In Yemen

U.S. Drone Strike Kills 8 Suspected Militants: Yemeni Officials -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Eight Islamist militants were killed by a U.S. drone strike on Friday in a remote part of Hadramout, a Yemeni official said, the third such strike in the eastern Yemeni province this week.

Yemen's defense ministry said on its website that eight al Qaeda members were killed in an air strike on their vehicle in the isolated, desert district of Hawra. The local official, who declined to be named, said it was a drone strike.

The men were heavily armed, carrying machine-guns and explosives, the ministry said. The local official said the men were thought to have been on the way to carry out an attack.

Read more ....

Update: Officials say 8 suspected militants killed in apparent US drone strike in east Yemen -- Washington Post/AP

Apple Rejects An App That Tracks U.S. Drone Strikes

Information about drone strikes was used both in an article in the Guardian’s app, left, and in an app created by a graduate student at New York University. New York Times

Apple Rejects App That Tracks U.S. Drone Strikes -- Danger Room

It seemed like a simple enough idea for an iPhone app: Send users a pop-up notice whenever a flying robots kills someone in one of America’s many undeclared wars. But Apple keeps blocking the Drones+ program from its App Store — and therefore, from iPhones everywhere. The Cupertino company says the content is “objectionable and crude,” according to Apple’s latest rejection letter.

Read more ....

More News On Apple Rejecting An App That Tracks U.S. Drone Strikes

Apple rejects Drones+, app to track U.S. drone strikes -- Washington Post
Apple Rejects App Tracking Drone Strikes -- New York Times
Apple again rejects app that tracks U.S. drone attacks -- L.A. Times
Apple blocks 'objectionable' app that reports deaths from US drone strikes -- The Guardian
Apple rejects app for tracking U.S. drone strikes -- CNet
Apple App Store Turns Down Controversial App That Tracks US Drone Strikes (VIDEO) -- IBTimes
Apple repeatedly rejects 'drone strike tracking' app from the App Store -- Examiner
Apple bans drone-awareness iPhone app -- RT
Apple Rejected the Drone Tracker App Because it Could -- Atlantic Wire

What Is The Connection Between The New York Times And The CIA?

Photo from The Free Republic

Correspondence And Collusion Between The New York Times And The CIA -- Glenn Greenwald, The Guardian

Mark Mazzetti's emails with the CIA expose the degradation of journalism that has lost the imperative to be a check to power

The rightwing transparency group, Judicial Watch, released Tuesday a new batch of documents showing how eagerly the Obama administration shoveled information to Hollywood film-makers about the Bin Laden raid. Obama officials did so to enable the production of a politically beneficial pre-election film about that "heroic" killing, even as administration lawyers insisted to federal courts and media outlets that no disclosure was permissible because the raid was classified.

Read more ....

More News On The New York Times Giving The CIA A Heads-Up On One Of Their Articles

Times Reporter Shared Maureen Dowd Column With C.I.A. Before Publication -- New York Times
New York Times Reporter Shared Unpublished Maureen Dowd Column With CIA [Updated] -- New York Magazine
NYT reporter leaked advance copy of Maureen Dowd column to CIA -- Politico
New York Times Reporter Ran a Maureen Dowd Column by the CIA -- The Atlantic
New York Times reporter leaked colleague's column to the CIA -- RT
New York Times Reporter Gave CIA Flack a Sneak Peak at Maureen Dowd’s Column -- Gawker
Mark Mazzetti: 'I Made A Mistake' Passing Maureen Dowd Column To CIA -- Huffington Post
What Mark Mazzetti's Maureen Dowd CIA tipoff means for the New York Times -- Doug Gillmor, The Guardian

My Comment: It makes you wonder what else has been shared (or leaked) over the years between these two organizations.

Tense Confrontation Between Netanyahu And U.S. Ambassador Over Obama’s Iran Policy Results In A 'Shouting Match'

Yediot Ahronot's Friday Headline: "The Confrontation"

Israeli Paper Details Alleged Tense Confrontation Between Netanyahu And U.S. Ambassador Over Obama’s Iran Policy: ‘Lightning and Sparks Flew’ -- The Blaze

Two new signs point to the deepening rift between the Obama administration and the Israeli government over how to stop Iran’s nuclear weapons efforts: a reported confrontation between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the U.S. ambassador to Israel and a statement by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey that he doesn’t want to be “complicit” in an Israeli strike on Iran.

Read more ....

Update: PM tells US 'time has run out' on Iran diplomacy -- Jerusalem Post

My Comment: The Israelis may now launch a strike (which I doubt) .... or wait and hope that there will be a change in the White House after November's elections. My money is on them waiting and praying that President Obama will be defeated in November, and a new foreign policy team takes over in the new year that will be more amicable to Israeli opinion. But even with a "new team", I doubt that a "Romney" administration will change America's Iran policy of relying on diplomacy and sanctions that quickly .... and time is something that Israel believes they no longer have.

The Growing Economic Crisis In China

China’s Growing Economic Crisis -- William Pesek, Bloomberg

Policy makers around the world have long envied China’s ability to get big things done. A huge 4 trillion-yuan ($630 billion) stimulus plan as the global economy cratered in 2008? No problem. Marshaling banks to lend trillions more? Check. Enacting sweeping regulatory changes at a moment’s notice? You bet.

Ahhh, the good old days. Now, a once-in-a-decade leadership shift is getting in the way of the stimulus-happy policies to which investors became accustomed. The nimbleness that helped China steer around the worst of the global crisis is confronting political paralysis of the kind more often seen in Japan, Europe and the U.S. The upshot is that China’s 7.6 percent growth rate may fall more in the next 12 months than anyone expects.

Read more ....

Update: Everything You Think You Know About China Is Wrong -- Minxin Pei, Foreign Policy

My Comment: All good things come to an end one day .... and for China the signs have been there for the past year. Bottom line .... China needs export markets to grow, but with everyone now mired in deep debt and/or experiencing a recession .... exports are not happening. I still expect China to come out of this economic crisis stronger and more resilient than ever .... but they are going to have a bumpy ride.

Uzbekistan To Ban Foreign Military Bases

Uzbekistan, Key To Afghan War Draw-Down, To Ban Foreign Military Bases -- Christian Science Monitor

Uzbekistan, which is seeking closer ties to the US, may have made the move in a bid to ease concerns of China and Russia, which are both dominant actors in Central Asia.

Today, Uzbekistan’s upper house of parliament approved a new bill banning any foreign military bases on its territory in what appears to be an effort to appease regional power Moscow.

The bill still has to be signed by Uzbekistan’s president. But it appears to quash growing rumors that Tashkent may allow the US to open a military base in Uzbekistan to replace the major air base in neighboring Kyrgyzstan, which is due to close in 2014. It also raises questions about Uzbekistan’s support of the NATO-led operation in Afghanistan.

Read more ....

My Comment: Another monkey-wrench thrown into U.S./NATO post-2014 Afghan plans.

Afghanistan War News Updates -- August 31, 2012

U.S. paratroopers fire at insurgent forces during a firefight on the outskirts of Spedar village in southern Afghanistan's Ghazni province, June 15, 2012. This was the first of several firefights U.S. and Afghan soldiers encountered during their daylong partnered patrol. The soldiers are assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division's Company D, 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Michael J. MacLeod

Afghan Minister Accused Of Abuses To Become New Intelligence Chief -- McClatchy News

KABUL, Afghanistan — An Afghan Cabinet minister dogged by torture allegations is slated to become the new chief of Afghanistan’s notorious intelligence service, the National Directorate of Security.

The appointment of Asadullah Khalid, the minister of border and tribal affairs, will be announced within days by Afghan President Hamid Karzai, said a man who knows Khalid. A former senior government official who’s close to Karzai told McClatchy that “Khalid’s appointment has been confirmed.”

Read more ....

More News On Afghanistan

ISAF Joint Command morning operational update, Aug. 31 -- ISAF
Afghan intelligence thwarts terror plots in Kabul, Logar, and Parwan -- Long War Journal
Two Afghan children beheaded in separate incidents -- Reuters
2 Children Beheaded in Afghanistan -- Voice of America
General Allen's Pakistan visit postponed -- Yahoo News/ANI

U.S. facing growing ‘green-on-blue’ challenge -- CNN
Insider attacks on the increase -- The Australian
Green-on-blue blues: Afghan soldiers increasingly turn on their NATO colleagues -- The Economist

Australian death toll rises in Afghanistan -- UPI
A nation mourns for 'fine' men lost -- The Australian
Afghanistan chopper crash took two of our very best -- Herald Sun
Australia renews commitment to Afghanistan -- The Telegraph

COIN's Failure in Afghanistan -- Oleg Svet, National Interest
Cultural sensitivity key to U.S. role in Afghanistan -- Javid Ahmad, Special CNN

World News Briefs -- August 31, 2012

UN Crisis Meeting On Syria: No Safe Havens, No Agreement To Act -- Christian Science Monitor

A Turkish appeal for the establishment of safe zones in Syria got little support in a divided Security Council. France and Britain touted an international effort to raise humanitarian-aid funds.

A deeply divided UN Security Council went through the motions of a meeting on Syria Thursday, but the inability to address even the deteriorating humanitarian crisis suggests the international community remains far away from any role in ending Syria’s intensifying civil war.

Read more ....

MIDDLE EAST

Syrian rebels attack Aleppo security compounds.

U.N. all talk on Syria aid as West mulls military action.

Syrian diplomacy 'on verge of collapse'.

Syria humanitarian position worsens, tens of thousands flee: ICRC.

Iran boosts enriched uranium production, says UN's IAEA. U.N.: Iran speeding up uranium enrichment at underground plant.

Israeli attack on Iran 'would not stop nuclear programme'.

ASIA

7.6 quake hits off Philippines. Quake of 7.9 magnitude strikes off Philippines: USGS.

Insurgents launch rare multiple attacks in Thai south.

Exclusive: China's Hu seeks clean power handover with ally's promotion - sources.

Clinton begins Asia tour amid Chinese protests.

Indian Hindu nationalist lawmaker gets 28 years for 2002 massacre.

Christian girl accused of burning Koran remanded in prison.

AFRICA

Dakar rights activists rally against Gambian executions.

ICC team in Mali to investigate potential war crimes.

South Africa shocked by move to charge miners with massacre.

Angola poll opens amid fraud claims.

Nigeria introduces new currencies.

EUROPE

Insight: Brutality, anger fuel Jihad in Russia's Caucasus.

Thousands evacuated as wildfire threatens Spanish coast.

Struggling Romanians yearn for communism.

Russian killer wrote name of convicted punk rock band on wall to mislead police.

Julian Assange: I'm going to be in the Ecuadorean embassy for a year.

Lufthansa cancels flights as cabin crews strike.

AMERICAS

Romney makes appeal to voters disappointed in Obama: ‘The time has come to turn the page’.

Isaac leaves lots of water and power outages in its wake.

Analysts: Financial impacts after Venezuela blast.

Venezuela to investigate report that Brazilian miners massacred Indian village. Amazonian community wiped out by illegal goldminers.

Amazon forest threat is greater outside Brazil.

Mexico court rejects Lopez Obrador election appeal.

TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR

U.S. drone strike kills 8 suspected militants: Yemeni officials.

'Mastermind' behind Sri Lanka cricket team attack arrested.

US adds 8 Lashkar-e-Taiba members to terrorism list.

Apple again rejects app that tracks US drone attacks.

ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS

Abramovich wins biggest private court case in history.

Coca-Cola 'cracks' North Korea.

iPhone 5 release date rumours mount.

'Drink less, work more', billionaire tells non-rich.

World Bank: Droughts pushing food prices sharply higher.

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- August 31, 2012

U.S. Army Lt. Col. Praxitelis Vamvakias, right, discusses combined operations with Lt. Abdul Roulf, Qara Bagh district police chief, lower left, and Afghan army Col. Mosafer, center, during a security meeting at the Qara Bagh district's center in Afghanistan's Ghazni province, July 16, 2012. Vamvakias commands the 82nd Airborne Division's 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Michael J. MacLeod

Insider Attacks Now Biggest Killer of NATO Troops -- David Axe, Danger Room

Rogue Afghan soldiers and police turning their weapons on their allies are now the leading cause of death for NATO troops. On Aug. 28 a man wearing an Afghan army uniform opened fire on Australian soldiers in the southern province of Uruzgan, killing three and wounding two.

That attack brought to 15 the total number of NATO personnel killed in so-called “green-on-blue” assaults in August — and raises serious doubts about the alliance’s war strategy, which calls for close cooperation between foreign and Afghan troops as the Afghans gradually assume responsibility for their own security.

Read more ....

MILITARY AND INTELLIGENCE NEWS BRIEFS

Afghan minister accused of abuses to become new intelligence chief -- McClatchy News

US Troops Build 'Alamos' Against Insider Attacks -- Military.com

Australia Says Killings Will Not Speed Up Afghan Exit -- Defense News/AFP

Asian collective military spending about to overtake Europe for the first time in modern history -- Next Big Future

State-Sponsored Cyber Espionage Projects Now Prevalent, Say Experts -- Business Insider

German air force calls on Berlin to buy missile-armed drones for future conflicts -- Haaretz/DPA

South Korean military convicts army officer for tweeting offensive remarks about president -- Washington Post/AP

Boeing: Libya Has Interest in Used U.S. Army Chinooks -- Defense News

Former Israeli commandos dominate politics -- Washington Times/AP

U.S. top general Dempsey opposes unilateral Israeli action against Iran -- Al Arabiya

US Marines Patrol Guatemala’s Western Coast in Anti-Drug Effort -- FOX News

US defense sec'y to visit China soon amid disputes -- Stars and Stripes/AP

Software Meant to Fight Crime Is Used to Spy on Dissidents -- New York Times

U.S. commander: F-22 planes "100 percent" safe -- CBS/AP

Budget impasse clouds F-35's future -- Las Vegas Review Journal

Pentagon plans 2018 F-16 upgrades -- Defense Tech

Futuristic Ships Anchor US Navy Surface Plans -- Defense Tech

AFSOC Crash Report Faults Understanding Of Osprey Rotor Wake -- Aol Defense

Army Doubles Down on ‘Garbled, Ineffective’ Next-Gen Radios -- Danger Room

Spectrum, Mobility, Security Remain Top Issues For DOD Networks -- Aol Defense

Military Technology: Improving Soldiers’ Lives…And Deaths -- Time

Procurement: Buy American If You Want To Live -- Strategy Page

Destroyer CO fired in wake of tanker collision -- Navy Times

Georgia prosecutor seeks death penalty for 3 soldiers -- Stars and Stripes/AP

Accused Fort Hood shooter makes first statement in court -- CNN

Army private charged in WikiLeaks case set to stand trial in February, judge says -- Washington Post/AP

CNN Fact Check: Trimming the Pentagon -- CNN

September Will Be Decision Time For The Euro

September Is The Cruelest Month -- Foreign Policy

Welcome back from summer holiday, Europeans! Get ready for 30 days that will determine the fate of your continent.

When German travelers return from their hallowed August vacations this week, they will find that the euro is gone -- at least as far as Frankfurt airport is concerned. Without much fanfare, the massive euro sculpture, a fixture at Germany's largest airport since 2001, was unceremoniously dispatched in the dead of night to make room for an inter-terminal railway.

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My Comment: I cannot see the Euro surviving. Too much debt, and an unwillingness among those who own it to pay it .... and those who are owed an unwillingness to give more.

How Osama bin Laden's Dead Body Was Identified

Speaking out: Former Navy SEAL Matt Bissonnette appeared on US TV show 60 Minutes this week to discuss his book. CBS said they disguised his appearance for his safety

Osama bin Laden's Dead Body Was Identified By Young Girl Hiding Out With The al-Qaeda Leader When Navy SEALS Raided His Compound -- Daily Mail

* MailOnline obtains copy of explosive account of bin Laden's assassination
* Author, identified as ex-SEAL Matt Bissonnette, 36, describes the moment he released he'd killed the 'most wanted man in the world'
* Bin Laden was hiding out with two wives and three children
* Girl who identified terrorist leader likely to be one of his 20 plus offspring

The dead body of Osama bin Laden was positively identified by a child who was in the room with him when he died, according to a former U.S. Navy SEAL's account of his assassination.

In his explosive book about the operation, titled No Easy Day, 36-year-old Matt Bissonnette - writing under the pseudonym Mark Owen - describes the moment his team discovered the terrorist leader was dead.

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Update: Excerpts from SEAL's book about Osama bin Laden killing -- CNN

My Comment: This is riveting reading.

Pentagon: Ex-SEAL Will Face Legal Action Over Bin Laden Book

Pentagon Threatens Legal Action Over Bin Laden Book -- Reuters

(Reuters) - The Pentagon warned on Thursday that it was considering legal action against a former U.S. Navy SEAL for material breach of non-disclosure agreements with his first-hand account of the raid that killed Osama bin Laden.

In a letter obtained by Reuters, and subsequently released by the Pentagon, the Pentagon's top attorney said the Department of Defense was also considering legal action against anyone "acting in concert" with the author. It hinted that the book's royalties might be subject to government claims.

The letter, addressed to "Mark Owen," the pseudonym under which the book was written, identified two separate non-disclosure agreements he signed with the Navy that legally committed him to never divulge classified information, which is a crime.

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Update #1: Pentagon to consider legal action against ex-SEAL author of bin Laden raid book -- FOX News/AP
Update #2: Author of book on bin Laden raid could face legal action -- Washington Post

My Comment: Matt Bissonnette has destroyed the careful narrative that the Pentagon and White House pushed after the killing of Bin Laden. In short .... he has made a number of people very upset. The fact that he has also probably violated confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements will mean that he will be punished to the full extent of the law .... and (I predict) will become the poster-child of what happens to soldiers who violate non-disclosure agreements with the military.

But a question still needs to be asked .... he was behind the point man who shot Bin Laden .... and Matt Bissonnette was the man who finished Bin Laden off by shooting him in the chest .... as well as wiping the blood off Bin Laden's face and taking the pictures that proved that Bin Laden was dead .... he is in every way a great American hero .... but should he now be treated harshly and condemned for publishing this book as some are doing now?

Sighhhh .... I am glad that I am not in the military chain of command nor the prosecutor who must now make a decision that (I am sure) cannot .... and will not .... satisfy everyone.

Mexicans Have No Confidence In Their Police Forces

Mexicans See A Losing Battle In The War On Crooked Police -- L.A. Times

President Calderon vowed to create a trustworthy federal police force. Now as he apologizes for a police shooting of a U.S. Embassy vehicle, citizens scoff at the very notion.

MEXICO CITY — In the midst of a violent drug war, President Felipe Calderon fired crooked cops by the hundreds, and hired new ones — rigorously vetted and college educated — by the thousands. Salaries were doubled, new standards imposed and officers were subjected to extensive background checks.

A trustworthy federal police force was to be one of the most important legacies of Calderon's six-year term. And yet, just months before he is to leave office in December, the president found himself apologizing "profoundly" this week for an incident in which federal police allegedly opened fire on an SUV with diplomatic plates, injuring two Americans.

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My Comment: There is always going to be bad apples in any barrel .... unfortunately for Mexico .... their police force has a long history of corruption and failing in their duties.

Is China's Navy A 'Paper-Tiger'?

China’s Real Blue Water Navy -- Andrew Erickson and Gabe Collins, The Diplomat

China is building a two-layered navy with a high-end Near Seas component and a limited, low-end capability beyond. It is not poised to speed across the Pacific to threaten America.

China’s navy is not poised to speed across the Pacific to threaten America the way the Soviet Union once did, if not worse. This despite Peter Navarro and Greg Autry’s over-the-top polemic, Death by China: Confronting the Dragon—A Global Call to Action, in which they claim that “[T]he People’s Republic is moving forward at Manhattan Project speed to develop a blue water navy capable of challenging the U.S. Navy.”

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My comment: China's Navy may appear insignificant when compared to the U.S. Navy .... but their goal is to have a blue navy that will be able to project Chinese power and influence far from it's shores. Their planning spans decades, and I suspect that when this question is asked 30-40 years from now, the answer may surprise us.

Is America's Missile Defense Deployment In Asia A Conspiracy?

(Click on Image to Enlarge)

Inside China: Missile Defense Conspiracy? -- Miles Yu, The Washington Times

Rear Adm. Yin Zhuo, a leading Chinese navy official, told his nation Aug. 24 that plans to boost U.S. missile defenses in Asia are a strategic conspiracy to trick other nations in the region into investing vast resources to develop nuclear and ballistic weapons.

Adm. Yin told the People’s Daily’s flagship online discussion portal “Strong China Forum” that the objective of the U.S. defense effort is to force nations to deplete military budgets that should be used to develop conventional weapons.

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My Comment: I am sure that the Chinese military is taking U.S. missile defense deployment in Asia seriously. But unlike the Russians .... they appear to have doubts on its effectiveness.

Picture Of The Day

NIGHT FLIGHT
U.S. Navy flight deck personnel taxi an AV-8B Harrier jet aircraft assigned to Marine Attack Squadron 542 across the flight deck during night flight operations aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard under way in the Philippine Sea, Aug. 29, 2012. The Bonhomme Richard is the lead ship of the only forward-deployed amphibious assault group. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Russell

US Justice Department Not Filing Charges Against Two CIA Officers

Justice Department Won't Prosecute CIA Interrogators In Two Prisoner Deaths -- CNN

WASHINGTON (CNN) - The Justice Department on Thursday closed its criminal investigation of the deaths of two prisoners in CIA custody, ending a controversial investigation that Attorney General Eric Holder had approved more than a year ago.

The investigation, conducted by veteran Justice prosecutor John Durham, examined alleged CIA interrogation abuses in connection with prisoner deaths at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq in 2003 and at a secret prison in Afghanistan in 2002.

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More News On The US Justice Department Not Filing Charges Against Two CIA Officers

No Charges in Probe of Detainee Deaths, Holder Says -- Wall Street Journal
Justice closes CIA probe without charges -- Washington Post
DOJ closes CIA interrogation probes without charges -- Politico
No Charges Filed on Harsh Tactics Used by the C.I.A. -- New York Times
CIA interrogation probe ends without any charges -- BBC
Justice Department Closes Investigation Into Deaths Of Two Detainees -- NPR
DOJ: No Charges in CIA Detainee Death Investigations -- ABC News
US ends investigation of terror detainees' deaths without charges -- NBC
Rights groups decry DOJ decision -- Politico

All Quiet On The Cold War Front

The abandoned Soviet era Cold War listening post and base near Sary-Tash, Kyrgyzstan

All Quiet On The Cold War Front: Former Communist Listening Post On Russian/Chinese Border Stands Eerily Abandoned -- Daily Mail

Surrounded by picturesque mountains and huddled in the middle of a deserted plain sits an abandoned soviet-era listening station near a remote village in Kyrgyzstan.

Not far from the border with China, Sary-Tash is a tiny remote village that sits on an important road junction in the land-locked former Soviet-block state.

Close to the village, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, is a collection of bubble shaped buildings that sprout from the land with a huge antenna looming over them.

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My Comment: The former Soviet Union is littered with many of these installations. When visiting my relatives in Russia I tend to stay away from these places .... you can never know for sure if these abandoned installations are contaminated with dangerous chemicals .... or not.

Can We Win In Afghanistan?

U.S. Army Capt. Joseph Driskell, standing, and others engage insurgents with small-arms fire and mortars during a route-clearance operation along Highway 1 in Afghanistan's Ghazni province, July 23, 2012. Driskell commands the 82nd Airborne Division’s Company A, 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team. U.S. Army photo by Capt. Thomas Cieslak

We Will Win In Afghanistan -- James Stavridis, The Guardian

Despite setbacks, the international effort to bring lasting peace and stability to Afghanistan is working

Much has been written in the past week regarding Nato's ongoing efforts to bring peace and stability to Afghanistan. It is clear to me that the coalition of 50 nations with troops in Afghanistan today will face formidable challenges over the next few years. However, there has been measurable and substantial progress in three specific areas.

First and foremost, Afghanistan is no longer a safe haven for terrorists, which was a primary goal of Nato member states. Second, Nato forces in Afghanistan have been training and operating alongside Afghan national security forces (ANSF) for many years now, and these efforts are delivering tangible results. Three-quarters of Afghan citizens now live in areas increasingly protected by Afghan army and police – who number today close to 350,000.

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My Comment: In the end .... the Afghans must sort out their problems and differences themselves. But in a country that is deeply divided along religious/sectarian/tribal lines .... I am not optimistic that some form of reconciliation can be found.