Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- August 19, 2014

Iraq War Effort 'Is Going To Take Time,' Obama Warns, After Pentagon Announces It Has Already Conducted 68 Airstrikes Against ISIS -- Daily Mail

* Asked about a timetable, Obama said 'I don't think ... at this point, that I'm prepared to provide a blanket answer'
* Pentagon said Monday that US forces have conducted 68 airstrikes in Iraq since August 8 but sources tell MailOnline the number stands at 72
* Obama emphasized an 'international coalition' aimed at supporting an 'inclusive government'
* Catering to Sunnis along with Shias and Kurds, he said, will give Sunni tribesmen a reason to turn their backs on ISIS terrorists
* 'We've made significant progress on that front, but we're not there yet'

President Barack Obama warned on Monday that the U.S. military's missions in Iraq, while limited, will remain an open-ended campaign at least until newly minted Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has established an 'inclusive government' that can appeal to his nation's warring religious and ethnic sects.

Asked if he worried about 'mission creep' growing out of an offensive that has seen 68 airstrikes to date, Obama replied that he refuses to be pinned down to a timetable.

'I don't think ... at this point, that I'm prepared to provide a blanket answer to that,' he told reporters at the White House. 'A lot of it depends on how effectively the Iraqi government comes together.'

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Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- August 19, 2014

Britain is dragged deeper into the Iraq conflict: 150 more special forces are on the way as minister says the mission will take MONTHS -- Daily Mail

Afghan special forces brace for exit of US elite troops -- USA Today

Despite sanctions relief, Iran aids Hamas with missile technology -- Washington Times

Fishing Vessels in China Serve as Proxy Enforcers -- Defense News

India and China Develop Military-to-Military Ties Along Disputed Border -- The Diplomat

Russian Troops Gather in China Ahead of SCO Peace Mission 2014 Drills -- RIA Novosti

Support: Ukraine Derails Major Russian Army Upgrade -- Strategy Page

Moscow eyes joint development of weapons within BRICS -- Russia and India Report

Battle Robots to Guard Russian Missile Silos by 2020 -- Moscow Times

Surface Forces: Japan Increases Defenses Against Chinese Missiles -- Strategy Page

Japan Military Holds Drill as Its Role Expands -- AP

Turkey courts France in $3.4 bln missile project -- Today's Zaman

U.S. ship finishes neutralizing Syria's worst chemical arms: Pentagon -- Reuters

Canada’s second thoughts on F-35 Lightning show concerns about plane’s high cost -- Washington Post

Poland says to speed up attack helicopter purchase due to Ukraine crisis -- Euronews/Reuters

Pentagon Deploys Fighter Jets to Eastern Europe -- Military.com

Pentagon researches 'more mobile' hi-tech tank -- BBC

Why the Military Is Pinning Its Hopes on Google's Modular Phone -- Gizmodo

Space plane tech could power hypersonic aircraft​ for U.S. military -- CBS/Space.com

Listening In: The Navy Is Tracking Ocean Sounds Collected by Scientists -- The Atlantic

Obama wants review of Pentagon program that put $4.3 BILLION worth of equipment in the hands of American police forces – including grenade launchers and armored vehicles -- Daily Mail

Pentagon drawn into Ferguson police militarization debate -- CNN

Hungry Heroes: 25 Percent of U.S. Military Families Seek Food Aid -- NBC

First airman to receive Air Force-designed Medal of Honor dies -- Military Times

How The Air Force Wants To Transform Itself Over The Next Three Decades -- Allan Smith, Business Insider

U.S. Intelligence Can't Stop the Next Snowden for Years -- Kimberly Dozier, Daily Beast

Is Nuclear Arms Control Dead? -- Will Hobart. National Interest

Sunk, Scrapped or Saved: The Fate of America’s Aircraft Carriers -- Cid Standifer, USNI

Why Can’t the Pentagon Stop Smoking? -- Bloomberg editorial

High-Profile Cyber-Attacks, 2000-2014 -- RIA Novosti