Tuesday, May 31, 2016
Will U.S. Special Forces And Kurdish Peshmerga Lead The Fight Into Mosul?
Soldiers from the U.S.-led coalition are seen with Kurdish Peshmerga forces in a village east of Mosul, Iraq, May 29, 2016. Azad Lashkari/Reuters
Florain Neuhof, Daily Beast: Elite U.S. Soldiers and Kurdish Troops Moving on ISIS Near Mosul
With help from U.S. forces, the Kurdish offensive against ISIS in Iraq continues to make gains. But how far will the Kurds go? And with what consequences?
MUFTI, Iraq — The pickup trucks on their way to this village in northern Iraq on Sunday kicked up the dry earth on the dirt track, clouding the air and limiting the visibility for the drivers approaching the hamlet just wrested from the so-called Islamic State with the help of elite American soldiers operating now in both Iraq and Syria.
Engines roared as the cars accelerated to avoid getting stuck in the loose earth, drowning out the drone of coalition warplanes circling above in the gradually building offensive to retake Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest city, conquered by ISIS two years ago.
Then, without warning, a sharp explosion tore through the air, and a column of smoke billowed upwards. The fighters milling around a school building at the edge of the village barely took note—this was one of nine suicide attacks the Kurds had to fend off during the day’s fighting. Previous engagements had set the arid fields on fire, and pillars of smoke reached for the sky all around Mufti.
Read more ....
WNU editor: The liberation of Mosul will be an Iraqi affair .... but to get there they will need support, and it looks like the Kurds have a high price attached to that support.
Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- May 31, 2016
Michal Addady, Fortune: Global Slavery Is Still Staggeringly High
A measure of enslaved people has increased by almost 30% since 2014.
Australian human rights group Walk Free Foundation measured the prevalence of slavery in the 167 most populous countries for its 2016 Global Slavery Index.
The index found instances of slavery in every one of the countries looked at, with 45.8 million people enslaved overall—that’s up from 35.8 million in 2014. The forms of slavery included were sex trafficking, debt bondage, and forced labor. This estimate is more than double that of the United Nation’s International Labor Organization, though the U.N. doesn’t consider all forms of slavery.
Read more ....
Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- May 31, 2016
Evasive Victory: Why Baghdad's Future Depends on Retaking Fallujah -- Sputnik
Iraq may retake Falluja – but to defeat Isis it must win back hearts and minds -- Ranj Alaaldin, The Guardian
Will Israel move from occupation to annexation? -- Uri Savir, Al-Monitor
South Korea, THAAD, and the China Problem -- Phillip Schrank, Diplomat
Abe's Next Step in Japan's Economic Recovery -- Japan editorial
Niger Delta crisis escalates -- Mark Caldwell, DW
America gives Egypt free armored vehicles. Egypt gives America a slap in the face. -- Jackson Diehl, Washington Post
The long road to justice for Chad's Hissene Habre -- Salil Shetty, Al Jazeera
The African surge into Europe -- Margarent Wente, The Globe and Mail
The Resolve Behind Russia Sanctions Is Weakening -- Leonid Bershidsky, Bloomberg
Violent strikes against labour reforms are causing chaos in France -- The Economist
How the British Army Cooperated with the Murderous Guatemalan Regime -- Phil Miller, VICE
In Venezuela the stage is set for a chaotic exit -- Daniel Lansberg-Rodriguez, Financial Times
Scarcity, riots and drought: Venezuela is in trouble -- Bruce Konviser, DW
Can the US combat its enemies in the digital age? -- Mark Pomerleau, The Hill
4 reasons disease outbreaks are erupting around the world -- Julia Belluz, VOX
World News Briefs -- May 31, 2016 (Evening Edition)
L.A. Times: Iraqi forces press on in Fallouja as concerns rise over 'human catastrophe'
As Iraqi forces pressed an offensive Tuesday to dislodge Islamic State militants from Fallouja, conditions are worsening for tens of thousands of civilians trapped in the city, and a leading aid group raised alarm over an unfolding “human catastrophe.”
Islamic State fighters launched a fierce counterattack on the southern edge of the city, slowing the progress of the elite Iraqi counterterrorism troops, and the militants reportedly corralled civilians into a single neighborhood for use as human shields.
Read more ....
MIDDLE EAST
Iraqi forces intensify assault against ISIL in Fallujah. Islamic State group hits back as Iraqi army moves into Falluja. Heavy clashes as Iraqi forces push into IS-held Fallujah.
UN: 'Islamic State' using human shields in Fallujah.
Jets bomb Syrian rebel group Ahrar al Sham's main camp, large numbers killed: monitor.
Syria civil war: Russia denies conducting Idlib raids. Air strikes pummel rebel-held city of Idlib.
Turkey counts cost of conflict as Kurdish militant battle rages on.
New Yemen clashes kill 38 rebels, loyalists.
Saudi says intercepts and destroys ballistic missile from Yemen.
Gaza Strip: Hamas executes three as death penalty resumes.
Israel's settlement drive is becoming irreversible, diplomats fear.
ASIA
U.S. urges North Korea to curb actions that raise tensions in northeast Asia.
As North Korean missile launch fails, Pyongyang official visits Beijing.
Philippines president-elect says won't rely on United States.
Taliban overrun Afghan police checkpoints in Helmand Province. Taliban kill 9, abduct 35 in Afghan bus attacks.
Hopes for peace dim with new Taliban leader.
Number of Afghans fleeing war doubles to 1.2 mn, says Amnesty.
New Taiwan leadership takes tough stance on disputed South China Sea.
Malaysia immigration: Officials accused of sabotage are fired.
Multiple deaths in Indian army ammunition fire.
AFRICA
Algerian president fires central bank governor: government sources.
Ivory Coast ex-first lady goes on trial for war crimes.
UN envoy: Libyan forces should fight IS, not each other.
Libyan forces advance in push on Islamic State strongholds.
Roadside bombs kills 6 soldiers in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.
Distress signal from EgyptAir flight 804 confirmed by authorities in Cairo and US.
Nigeria: Security forces kill oil militants, separatists. Buhari's crackdown in Nigeria fails to stamp out Boko Haram.
Power struggles stall South Sudan’s recovery from war.
Kenya announces Dadaab refugee camp will close by November.
Kenya covers up military massacre.
Leader of Western Sahara separatist movement dies after illness.
EUROPE
UK voters shift toward 'Out' as EU referendum nears.
Mediterranean death toll has reached more than 2,500 this year, says UN.
Dalai Lama says 'too many' refugees in Europe.
NATO chief says Warsaw summit comes at 'critical time'.
Russia sanctions: Still not clear what EU will decide, German FM says.
Moscow has no plans of recognizing Ukraine's self-proclaimed republics — Lavrov.
Freed pilot Savchenko sworn in as Ukrainian lawmaker.
Survey: Merkel's 'grand coalition' dips under 50 percent.
France labour dispute: Hollande digs in as rail strike looms. French Labor unions call for new strikes ahead of Euro 2016.
AMERICAS
OAS chief calls for emergency meeting to evaluate Venezuela. Maduro calls 'rebellion,' tells OAS to 'shove it'.
Canada PM Trudeau will not be punished for elbowing legislator.
Combative Trump details millions in aid for veterans, attacks media.
Clinton and allies step up California efforts as primary draws near.
Secret Service jump on stage at Bernie Sanders rally amid commotion.
Second minister in new Brazil government quits. Lava Jato: Brazilian anti-corruption minister quits over secret recording.
Haiti election: Commission recommends rerunning election from scratch.
Second airline suspends flights to Venezuela.
Kidnapped Mexican striker Pulido escaped by punching captor: official.
TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR
U.S. men made persistent efforts to join Islamic State: prosecutor.
Islamic State urges Muslims to destroy satellite TV sets.
Military contemplates aging Guantánamo detainees.
Euro 2016 in France could be extremist target, US warns.
ISIS reportedly uses hundreds of families as human shields to protect Fallujah.
ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS
Almost 46 million people trapped in slavery with North Korea, India key offenders: global index.
Internet Ad-blocking software use for mobile surges: study.
VW profit tumbles 20% in wake of emissions scandal.
Tech giants back EU hate speech rules.
There Are 46 Million Slaves Living In The World Today
Reuters: Almost 46 million people trapped in slavery with North Korea, India key offenders: global index
LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Almost 46 million people are living as slaves globally with the greatest number in India but the highest prevalence in North Korea, according to the third Global Slavery Index launched on Tuesday with Australian actor Russell Crowe.
The index, by Australia-based human rights group Walk Free Foundation, increased its estimate of people born into servitude, trafficked for sex work, or trapped in debt bondage or forced labor to 45.8 million from 35.8 million in 2014.
Andrew Forrest, founder of Walk Free, said the rise of nearly 30 percent was due to better data collection, although he feared the situation was getting worse with global displacement and migration increasing vulnerability to all forms of slavery.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: The Global Slavery Index is here.
More News On Global Slavery
More than 45 million men, women and children are living as slaves around the world - up 28% on two years ago -- AFP
Modern Slavery Estimated to Trap 45 Million People Worldwide -- NYT
North Korea, India worst offenders in Global Slavery Index report -- UPI
Report: Nearly 46 Million People Are Living in Slavery Worldwide -- Time
Report: Global slavery skyrocketed in 2015 -- SKY News
The world has over 45 million slaves - including 1.2 million in Europe - finds new study -- Telegraph
Study: Nearly 46 million people in modern slavery -- DW
Over 1 Million Russians Are Modern Slaves — Report -- Moscow Times
There are 6,500 slaves in Canada, nearly 46 million worldwide: charity -- Global News
Report: Mauritania is no longer the world's slavery capital -- CNN
Forced Cotton-Picking Earns Uzbekistan Shameful Spot In ‘Slavery Index’ -- RFE
With the most slaves globally, India improves response to the scourge: study -- Reuters
India has 18 million modern slaves—at least five times more than any other country in the world -- Quartz
Global Slavery Is Still Staggeringly High -- Fortune
Where the World’s Slaves Live -- The Atlantic
U.S. - Pakistan Relations Are Now At A New Low
* U.S. more willing to upset Pakistan as it pursues the Taliban
* Congress weighs new restrictions on aid to Pakistan military
The U.S. drone strike that killed the Taliban's top leader as he traveled through Pakistan reflects just how much the United States is willing to disregard an ally it increasingly sees as an obstacle to securing peace in Afghanistan.
The May 21 killing of Mullah Akhtar Mansour was an embarrassment to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's government because it highlighted how -- five years after commandos killed Osama Bin Laden near an elite military academy -- a top threat to the U.S. was able to enter and leave the country with impunity. It was also a departure for U.S. strategy because it occurred in Baluchistan province, beyond the tribal areas where drones typically operate.
The strike, which both sides said was carried out without Pakistan's knowledge, was the latest signal by the U.S. of just how much mistrust has deepened as a result of Pakistan's continued, if tacit, support for the Taliban. It also shows how difficult it will be for the U.S. to reach a true end to its longest war.
Read more ....
Update: US urges Pakistan to go after Afghan Taliban leaders (DAWN).
WNU Editor: I have been saying for years that Pakistan has been playing both sides of the fence .... but it looks like that policy is now catching up to them.
Afghanistan War News Updates -- May 31, 2016
VICE/Reuters: Taliban Attacks Have Killed Dozens of Police and Civilians Across Afghanistan in Past Three Days
The Taliban killed nine people and abducted 35 more in a series of bus attacks in the northeastern province of Kunduz on the same day that a leading humanitarian organization released a report revealing that the number of afghans internally displaced has doubled in the last three years to 1.2 million because of fighting and attacks.
Province officials said the gunmen, wearing Afghan army uniforms, forced passengers from several busses that were traveling en route to Kabul to disembark from the vehicles in Aliabad district before killing some and abducting others. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks, but the Aliabad district chief and a spokesman for Kunduz's governor blamed the attacks on Taliban militants, who have been responsible for multiple kidnappings across the country, according to the Associated Press.
Read more ....
WNU editor: No kidding .... Hopes for peace dim with new Taliban leader. (AP)
Afghanistan War News Updates -- May 31, 2016
Taliban overrun Afghan police checkpoints in Helmand Province -- NYT
More than 50 Afghan police killed in Helmand fighting -- Reuters
Afghanistan: More than 50 police killed in Helmand -- Al Jazeera
Afghan Taliban kill nine, kidnap 20 bus passengers, army rescues 140 others -- Reuters
Taliban Said to Kill 16 in Worst Attack Since Leader Named -- Bloomberg
Taliban Gunmen Kill 10 Bus Passengers, Kidnap Dozens -- WSJ
Taliban kills 17 after abducting about 200 at fake Afghan checkpoint -- UPI
People internally displaced by conflict in Afghanistan doubled to 1.2 million in just three years -- Amnesty International
Afghans Displaced by War Doubles to 1.2 Million, Amnesty Says -- Bloomberg
Number of Afghans fleeing war doubles to 1.2 mn, says Amnesty. -- AFP
Number of displaced in Afghanistan doubled since 2013 to 1.2 million, report says -- Washington Post
Taliban chief’s body handed over to heirs in Afghanistan -- Hindustan Times
Al Qaeda branches eulogize Taliban leader Mullah Mansour -- Long War Journal
Analysts: Chances of Taliban's Entering Peace Negotiations Remain Dim -- VOA
In Afghanistan, the Taliban isn’t the only group battling for land -- Washington Post
U.S. Issues Terror Alert For Travellers To Europe This Summer
Time: U.S Warns of Possible Terrorist Attack in Europe
The alert asks U.S. citizens to "exercise vigilance" in public.
Following several terrorist attacks on the continent, the U.S. State Department issued a travel alert for Europe on Tuesday warning Americans of the possibility of a terrorist attack in the summer months.
The grim warning says targets could include restaurants, commercial centers, tourist sites, transportation and major events. It also singled out big events happening in Europe this summer: the European Soccer Championship, the Tour de France and Catholic Church’s World Youth Day in Poland.
Read more ....
U.S. Issues Terror Alert For Travellers To Europe This Summer
U.S. warns of possible Europe attacks, no specific threat -- Reuters
State Department issues alert for Americans traveling to Europe this summer -- CBS
Euro 2016 in France could be extremist target, US warns -- BBC
US Issues Travel Warning for Europe -- VOA
U.S. Issues Travel Alert for Terrorism Risks in Europe This Summer -- WSJ
US issues summer travel alert for Europe warning of 'greater targets for terrorists' -- The Guardian
First U.S. Soldier Injured In Syria. Another U.S. Soldier Injured In Iraq.
U.S. Soldiers with 4th Iraqi Army Division Stabilized Transition Team's security element teach the Iraqi Intelligence Surveillance Recon branch proper procedures when clearing a room in the ISR compound in Tikrit, Iraq, June 10, 2010. DOD
FOX News: Pentagon reports 1st American wounded in Syria campaign
The Pentagon announced Tuesday that for the first time since the U.S. sent special operations forces into Syria last year, an Islamic State attack wounded an American service member there.
The attack unfolded north of Raqqa, ISIS’ de-facto capital in Syria, Pentagon spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis said. He added that a separate explosion near Irbil in northern Iraq also wounded one U.S. service member. Both were special operations fighters.
In both cases, Davis said the service members were hit by “indirect fire.” There also were reports that one of the attacks was an ISIS car bomb.
Read more ....
More News On Two U.S. Servicemen Injured Over Memorial Weekend In Syria And Iraq
U.S. troops wounded in Iraq and Syria over Memorial Day weekend -- Washington Post
Two U.S. service members injured in Iraq, Syria: Pentagon -- Reuters
2 U.S. service members wounded in Iraq, Syria -- CNN
Two troops injured in Iraq and Syria during holiday weekend -- Military Times
Two US Service Members Injured in Non-Combat Operations in Iraq, Syria -- Sputnik
Islamic State Halts The Iraqi Army At The Gates Of Falluja
Reuters: Fear for civilians as Islamic State halts Iraqi army at gates of Falluja
Islamic State fighters halted an Iraqi army assault on the city of Falluja with a counter-attack at its southern gates on Tuesday, while the United Nations warned of peril for civilians trapped in the city and used by militants as human shields.
The Iraqi army's assault on Falluja has begun what is expected to be one of the biggest battles ever fought against Islamic State, with the government backed by world powers including the United States and Iran, and determined to win back the first major Iraqi city that fell to the group in 2014.
Read more ....
More News On The Battle For The Iraqi City Of Fallujah
Islamic State group hits back as Iraqi army moves into Falluja -- BBC
Fallujah: Iraqi forces face tough ISIL resistance -- Al Jazeera
Iraqi Forces in Fallujah Face Islamic State Counterattacks -- WSJ
Heavy Clashes as Iraqi Forces Push Into IS-Held Fallujah -- AP
Iraqi forces intensify assault against ISIL in Fallujah -- Al Jazeera
Report: Iraqi forces in Fallujah repel ISIL attack -- USA Today
Iraqi Army Advances Against Daesh Despite Suicide Bombers' Attacks -- Sputnik
Isis in Fallujah: 'Human catastrophe' unfolding in city as civilians used as human shields for Iraqi assault -- Independent
ISIS ‘using civilians as human shields’ in Fallujah -- Al Arabiya
Some 3,700 Civilians Flee Fallujah Amid Iraqi Army Operation Against Daesh -- Sputnik
Residents fleeing Fallujah tell of 'horrific' ISIL rule -- Al Jazeera
'Human catastrophe' unfolding amid battle for Fallujah -- France 24
Remaining Pentagon-Trained Syrian Rebels On The Verge Of Defeat
(Click on Image to Enlarge)
Washington Post: The last remaining Pentagon-trained rebel group in Syria is now in jeopardy
REYHANLI, Turkey — Throughout the fiasco of the Pentagon’s $500 million effort to train and equip a force of Syrian rebels to take on the Islamic State, one small group endured.
The New Syrian Army completed the U.S. training course in Jordan, infiltrated into Syria and then, in March, without fanfare or publicity, seized a pinprick of territory from the militants at the remote Tanaf border crossing with Iraq in the far southeast corner of the Syrian province of Homs.
There they have remained, holding their ground without deserting, defecting or getting kidnapped, unlike many of the other similarly trained rebels whose mishaps prompted the temporary suspension of the program last year.
Even this modest success is now in jeopardy, however, following an Islamic State suicide attack this month. An armored vehicle barreled into the rebels’ base shortly before dawn on May 7, killing a number of them, said Lt. Col. Mohammed Tallaa, a Syrian officer who defected and is the group’s commander.
Read more ....
Update: US-Backed Rebels Struggle to Fend Off Islamic State Offensive in Northern Syria (VICE News).
WNU Editor: There is going to be no U.S. cavalry on the horizon for these rebels in this battle.
China's Army Will Now Permit 'Fatter' Recruits
General Mao Xinyu, grandson of Chairman Mao Tse-Tun.
The Telegraph: Chinese army surrenders to flabby recruits as weight criteria loosened
‘Lean, mean, fighting machines' are set to be a thing of the past in China after the army confronted the country’s growing obesity problem by allowing more overweight recruits among its ranks.
Army chiefs announced this week that they would loosen weight criteria limits set for new recruits, signifying a retreat in the long-running war against rising waistlines in China.
Male applicants are now permitted to be 30 per cent above their ideal weight, while female army candidates can be 20 percent above, under new rules outlined by the People's Liberation Army (PLA).
Both quotas are five percent higher than those that were in place in 2015.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: The above photo is Mao Xinyu, grandson of Chairman Mao Tse-Tun. Hmmm .... I wonder if he had a say in these new guidelines.
World News Briefs -- May 31, 2016
The Guardian: Isis fighting back as Iraqi forces try to take centre of Falluja
Terror group launches counterattack but Iraqi commander says the group of about 100 fighters was eventually repelled
Iraqi forces faced tough resistance from Islamic State fighters as they attempted to enter the centre of Falluja, where there are fears for tens of thousands of trapped civilians.
A day after announcing a push into the city, the last major population centre held by Isis in western Iraq, forces led by Iraq’s elite counter-terrorism service were met by a counterattack in the southern Naimiya district on Tuesday.
Read more ....
MIDDLE EAST
Iraqi forces intensify assault against ISIL in Fallujah. Islamic State group hits back as Iraqi army moves into Falluja. Heavy clashes as Iraqi forces push into IS-held Fallujah.
UN: 'Islamic State' using human shields in Fallujah.
Syria civil war: Russia denies conducting Idlib raids. Air strikes pummel rebel-held city of Idlib.
Turkey counts cost of conflict as Kurdish militant battle rages on.
New Yemen clashes kill 38 rebels, loyalists.
Saudi says intercepts and destroys ballistic missile from Yemen.
Gaza Strip: Hamas executes three as death penalty resumes.
ASIA
As North Korean missile launch fails, Pyongyang official visits Beijing.
Taliban overrun Afghan police checkpoints in Helmand Province. Taliban kill 9, abduct 35 in Afghan bus attacks.
Hopes for peace dim with new Taliban leader.
Number of Afghans fleeing war doubles to 1.2 mn, says Amnesty.
New Taiwan leadership takes tough stance on disputed South China Sea.
Malaysia immigration: Officials accused of sabotage are fired.
Multiple deaths in Indian army ammunition fire.
AFRICA
Libyan forces advance in push on Islamic State strongholds.
Roadside bombs kills 6 soldiers in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.
Distress signal from EgyptAir flight 804 confirmed by authorities in Cairo and US.
Nigeria: Security forces kill oil militants, separatists. Buhari's crackdown in Nigeria fails to stamp out Boko Haram.
Power struggles stall South Sudan’s recovery from war.
Kenya announces Dadaab refugee camp will close by November.
Kenya covers up military massacre.
Leader of Western Sahara separatist movement dies after illness.
EUROPE
Mediterranean death toll has reached more than 2,500 this year, says UN.
Dalai Lama says 'too many' refugees in Europe.
NATO chief says Warsaw summit comes at 'critical time'.
Russia sanctions: Still not clear what EU will decide, German FM says.
Moscow has no plans of recognizing Ukraine's self-proclaimed republics — Lavrov.
Freed pilot Savchenko sworn in as Ukrainian lawmaker.
Survey: Merkel's 'grand coalition' dips under 50 percent.
France labour dispute: Hollande digs in as rail strike looms. French Labor unions call for new strikes ahead of Euro 2016.
AMERICAS
Combative Trump details millions in aid for veterans, attacks media.
Clinton and allies step up California efforts as primary draws near.
Secret Service jump on stage at Bernie Sanders rally amid commotion.
Second minister in new Brazil government quits. Lava Jato: Brazilian anti-corruption minister quits over secret recording.
Haiti election: Commission recommends rerunning election from scratch.
Second airline suspends flights to Venezuela.
Kidnapped Mexican striker Pulido escaped by punching captor: official.
TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR
Military contemplates aging Guantánamo detainees.
Euro 2016 in France could be extremist target, US warns.
ISIS reportedly uses hundreds of families as human shields to protect Fallujah.
ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS
Internet Ad-blocking software use for mobile surges: study.
VW profit tumbles 20% in wake of emissions scandal.
Tech giants back EU hate speech rules.
Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- May 31, 2016
AFP: Pentagon chief heads to Asian summit as nations fret over S. China Sea
Washington (AFP) - US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter will depart Tuesday for an Asian security summit in Singapore, where Beijing's military expansion across the South China Sea likely will once again dominate discussions.
Regional neighbors are fretting over what they see as China's expansionism as it rushes to exert sovereignty over the waterway, a major global shipping route believed to be home to large oil and gas reserves.
China is using dredgers and other tools to convert low-lying ocean features and sandy blips into military bases.
A Pentagon report this month said China has added more than 3,200 acres (1,300 hectares) of land to the seven features it occupies in the Spratly Islands archipelago.
Read more ....
Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- May 31, 2016
Beijing tears into Pentagon over South China Sea issue -- Economic Times
War Against ISIS: Meet the U.S. Military Spy Plane Known as the Dragon Lady -- ABC news
Syrian Conflict Inspires Russian Tank Capable of Street Combat -- Sputnik
Russia's Black Sea Fleet Receives Last of 6 New Diesel-Electric Submarines -- Sputnik
Russia's Pacific Fleet to Order 6 New Diesel-Electric Submarines - Official -- Sputnik
Futuristic US railgun too expensive to use, similar projects in Russia – senator -- RT
Chinese army surrenders to flabby recruits as weight criteria loosened -- The Telegraph
Japan, South Korea on high alert for possible missile launch -- The Hill
Soldiers die in Indian army ammunition depot fire -- BBC
India Allows Private Companies to Build Rockets -- Defense News
Pakistan Seeks Greater Indigenization for Next Air Force Fighter -- Defense News
Israel’s New Defense Minister Faces Rift With Disgruntled Military -- WSJ
Finland military exercise mistaken for invasion. -- BBC
The Air Force's quiet war on the Latin American drug cartels -- Air Force Times
Congress seeks to strengthen U.S.-Taiwan military alliance as China asserts power -- Washington Times
Pentagon: US Allies Happy About F-35 -- Scout
Air Force chief of staff: 40,000 to 60,000 more airmen needed -- Air Force Times
Pentagon Cautious on Reusable Rocket Boosters -- WSJ
Pentagon is building massive hub of insider threat data -- NextGov
Holder: Snowden performed a 'public service' -- The Hill
US Army and Marine Corps PowerWalk into wearable battery trials -- Gizmag
Tried and True Tomahawk -- James Feldkamp, RCD
Air Force Museum Plans Special Activities for New Building -- AP
An Infantry Squad for The 21st Century -- Jules Hurst, War on the Rocks
The National Intelligence Council: The Upcoming Global Trends 2035 Report -- David T. Miller, Small Wars Journal
The Pentagon's Dark Budget
The Pentagon, headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, taken from an airplane in January 2008. Wikipedia
Salon/TomDispatch.com: The Pentagon’s dark money: Billions of federal dollars are vanishing into thin air
It's not just that its books don't add up. The Department of Defense is actively disguising how it spends its funds.
Now you see it, now you don’t. Think of it as the Department of Defense’s version of the street con game, three-card monte, or maybe simply as the Pentagon shuffle. In any case, the Pentagon’s budget is as close to a work of art as you’re likely to find in the U.S. government — if, that is, by work of art you mean scam.
The United States is on track to spend more than $600 billion on the military this year — more, that is, than was spent at the height of President Ronald Reagan’s Cold War military buildup, and more than the military budgets of at least the next seven nations in the world combined. And keep in mind that that’s just a partial total. As an analysis by the Straus Military Reform Project has shown, if we count related activities like homeland security, veterans’ affairs, nuclear warhead production at the Department of Energy, military aid to other countries, and interest on the military-related national debt, that figure reaches a cool $1 trillion.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: The focus is on the Pentagon .... but this is President Obama's Pentagon, and he is sure as hell not going to have these numbers (and where the money is going) published.
U.S. Congressman And The Pentagon Are 'At War' On Where A Military Base Should Be Built
Shane Harris & Nancy Youssef, Daily Beast: Exclusive: Top Congressman Accuses Pentagon of ‘Criminal’ Leaks
An obscure decision over a military base has turned into a Washington knife fight, with a leading congressman accusing the Pentagon of trying to stab him in the back.
Rep. Devin Nunes, the powerful chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, has accused the Defense Department of misleading members of Congress about the cost of building a new military intelligence center at a base on a set of idyllic islands in middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
But now, the Pentagon is turning the tables on the congressman, arguing that he’s the one not playing straight and questioning his motives for suggesting an alternative site. The dispute has turned what’s normally a humdrum affair—decisions on where to build military facilities—into an old-fashioned Washington knife fight.
Nunes is even accusing the Pentagon of straying into “criminal territory” and using borderline-racist tactics.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: A politician having a preference on where a military facility should be built is nothing new in Washington (or anywhere else). But in this case .... I do not see how building and maintaining a military base on an island that is out of the way can be cheaper than building it in a place like Britain.
North Korea State Media Endorses 'Wise' Donald Trump Over 'Dull' Hillary Clinton
Republican U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump holds a rally with supporters in San Diego, May 27, 2016. PHOTO: REUTERS/JONATHAN ERNST
ABC News: North Korean Newspaper Endorses 'Wise' Donald Trump Over 'Dull' Hillary Clinton
Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has received his latest endorsement from an unlikely source: North Korea.
Official state-run North Korean newspaper DPRK Today ran an editorial today praising Trump as a “wise politician” and “far-sighted candidate.”
“The president that U.S. citizens must vote for is not that dull Hillary but Trump, who spoke of holding direct conversation with North Korea,” the editorial said.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: More fuel to the fire for the anti-Trumpers. But politics aside .... this looks like a major reversal for North Korea on an earlier Donald Trump suggestion. It appears that North Korea is now hinting that they are open to Donald Trump's earlier suggestions that he is willing to talk directly to North Korea .... US election: Donald Trump open to talks with North Korea (BBC), even though they had rejected when it was first made .... North Korean envoy rejects Trump overture to meet leader (Reuters). My advice to Donald Trump .... do not take the bait.
More News On North Korea State Media Endorsing Donald Trump Over Hillary Clinton
North Korean state media offers support for ‘wise politician’ Donald Trump -- Washington Post
North Korea State Media Praises Donald Trump as a ‘Wise Politician’ -- Time
North Korean state paper praises Trump -- Politico
North Korea endorses Donald Trump and rejects ‘dull’ Hillary Clinton -- The Independent
Another North Korean Missile Test Failure
FOX News: North Korea missile launch attempt failed, Pentagon confirms
In the latest embarrassment for the communist nation of North Korea, a ballistic missile thought to have a range of 2,500 miles failed to launch early Monday morning, Pentagon officials confirmed to Fox News.
This medium-range Musudan blew up shortly after takeoff, according to officials briefed on the latest intelligence. The missile had the potential to hit U.S. military bases as far away as Guam.
"They are 0-4" one official said describing North Korea's most recent missile launch attempts. The failures could help calm recent fears that the North was pushing quickly toward its goal of a nuclear-tipped missile capable of reaching the United States.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: Apparently the rocket exploded on the launch pad resulting in casualties .... North Korean ballistic missile 'EXPLODES on its launch pad and severely injures staff' during botched test firing – the fourth failed attempt this year (Daily Mail)
More News On Another North Korean Missile Test Failure
North Korea missile test launch off east coast 'fails' -- BBC
North Korea fails again on missile launch, South Korean officials say -- Reuters
South Korea says North Korea missile launch likely failed -- AP
North Korea missile launch failed, says South Korean military -- AFP
North Korea Missile Launch Tuesday Likely Failed -- VOA
North Korea's Test Launch of Musudan Missile Ends in Failure: South -- NBC
North Korea missile launch fails: South -- Al Jazeera
North Korea’s Failed Missile Launch -- The Atlantic
Top North Korean Official Makes A Surprise Trip To China
Ri Su-yong, vice chairman of the North Korean ruling party's Central Committee, arrives at Pyongyang International Airport before departing for Beijing, Tuesday. / Yonhap
Reuters: Top North Korean official visits China: Kyodo
One of North Korea's highest-profile officials, career diplomat Ri Su Yong, will visit China on Tuesday, Japan's Kyodo news agency said.
Ri was the country's foreign minister until he was named a member of the politburo during the recent congress of the ruling Workers' Party.
Kyodo said his departure from Pyongyang's international airport was confirmed.
Read more ....
Update #1: N. Korea leader's special envoy visits China (Korea Times)
Update #2: Top North Korean official makes surprise visit to China, with talks expected to focus on economic ties (South China Morning Post/AFP)
WNU Editor: This North Korean official is a very important member in Kim Jong-un's inner circle .... he watched over Kim Jung-un when he was attending school in Switzerland. Posting the above photo is also a surprise .... the North Koreans rarely permit pictures of their diplomats to be taken when they go abroad on a special trip. As for the visit itself .... this tells me that North Korea is worried about sanctions, and it looks like they have just convinced the Chinese that it is not in their interest to enforce the more stringent measures .... N. Korea, China agree to boost ties amid int'l sanctions (Korea Times).
Who Will Chicken Out First On the South China Sea Dispute: China Or The U.S.?
Panos Mourdoukoutas, Forbes: South China Sea Dispute: Who Will Chicken Out, China Or The US?
China and the US are on a collision course lately. Over the South China Sea disputes, that is.
Each country has been upping the game, raising the chances of an “accident” that could destabilize the world’s fastest growing economic region.
The South China Sea dispute begun as a regional dispute between China and several neighboring countries, but it soon turned into a showdown of economic and military might between China and the US.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: The Chinese are looking at the long term .... decades ahead in fact. In this context .... the U.S. will probably fade away from the region in the coming years. Then again this conversation may become mute .... if man-made global warming is true, these reclaimed islands will be under water within 20 years.
U.S. - China War Of Words Over The South China Sea Continues (Updated)
The amphibious assault ship USS Boxer transits the East Sea during Exercise Ssang Yong 2016 March 8, 2016. REUTERS/U.S. NAVY/MASS COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST SEAMAN CRAIG Z. RODARTE/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS
Reuters: China to 'pressure' U.S. on maritime issues, paper says
China will "pressure" the United States on maritime issues at talks in Beijing next week because of Chinese concern about an increased U.S. military presence in the disputed South China Sea, a major state-run newspaper said on Tuesday.
China has been angered by what it views as provocative U.S. military patrols close to islands China controls in the South China Sea. The United States says the patrols are to protect freedom of navigation.
"Beijing will pressure Washington over maritime issues during the upcoming Strategic and Economic Dialogue, as the United States' increasing military presence in the South China Sea is among China's major concerns," the official China Daily said, citing unidentified officials.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: I would like to be a fly in the room when this talk happens .... At time of heightened tensions between U.S. and China, Kerry, Lew to attend talks in Beijing (AFP/Japan Times).
More News On The U.S. - China War Of Words Over The South China Sea
Harsh exchange over South China Sea dispute -- CCTV
China Lashes out at US Defense Secretary Criticisms -- AP
'Stuck in Cold War': Beijing says won’t play role in Hollywood-style movie directed by US military -- RT
China, U.S. Officials to Meet for Annual Dialogue -- CRI English
South China Sea Dispute Shaping Up To Be The Next Cold War -- Morning News USA
The Science To Protect Soldiers From Bombs
A member of the U.S. Army's explosive ordinance disposal (EOD) unit scans the area around a burning M-ATV armored vehicle after it struck an improvised explosive device (IED) near Combat Outpost Nolen in the Arghandab Valley north of Kandahar July 23, 2010. REUTERS/BOB STRONG
New York Times: To Protect Soldiers From Bombs, Military Scientists Build a Better Dummy
ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, MARYLAND — As sometimes happens in rural America, someone has shot up a road sign. Given the gape of the hole and the fact that the road traverses Aberdeen Proving Ground, there’s a good chance it wasn’t made by a bullet.
A proving ground is a spread of high-security acreage set aside for testing weapons and the vehicles meant to withstand them. I’m headed for Aberdeen’s Building 336, where combat vehicles come to be up-armored — as the military likes to up-say — against the latest threats.
Mark Roman, my host this morning, oversees the Stryker “family” of armored combat vehicles. He’ll be using them for an impromptu tutorial in personnel vulnerability: the art and science of keeping people safe in a vehicle that other people are trying to blow up.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: This will always be a work in progress.
Should Iraq Be Carved Up?
Luay al-Khatteeb. National Interest: The Folly of Lobbying to Carve Up Iraq
The smooth Kurdish PR campaign.
“It was the Kurds,” wrote Thomas Friedman in 2014, “who used the window of freedom we opened for them to overcome internal divisions, start to reform their once Sopranos-like politics and create a vibrant economy that is now throwing up skyscrapers and colleges.”
This has become the popular story of Masoud Barzani’s Kurdistan Regional Government that has circulated increasingly in Washington and London. According to this narrative, Iraq’s Kurds have been long oppressed, but instead of collapsing into internal conflict as many liberated societies in the region do, they have pressed ahead with democracy.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: The Yugoslav model for Iraq has being bandied about for the past few years .... will it happen for Iraq .... or for Syria .... I doubt it. But the discussion is continuing.
This Is The New German Tank
Sputnik: Brand New German Tank Showcases Capabilities (Video)
A video has appeared on the Internet showing the capabilities of a new German tank – the MBT Revolution.
The video is said to have been posted on the German group Rheinmetall’s official YouTube channel, according to the website warspot.ru.
The vehicle, according to the developers, is planned to become a serious competitor to Armata tanks, however if that is the case it will happen no earlier than 2030.
In fact, this model is a modernized version of the Leopard 2A4 using the modular technology. It should not only replace its predecessor in Germany, but also the Leclerc tank which is in service with the French army.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: This tank looks like a copy of Russia's Armata tank. But what caught my eye in this report was the admission that it would not be on the scene until 2030!!!! A lot can happen in 14 years.
This Is How The U.S. Navy Would Destroy A Chinese Aircraft Carrier
Liaoning Aircraft Carrier Group in South China Sea
James Holmes, National Interest: Revealed: How the U.S. Navy Would Destroy a Chinese Aircraft Carrier
America's answer to the 'carrier-killer missile.'
In 2020, as today, the carrier air wing will remain the surface U.S. Navy’s chief carrier-killer. U.S. CVNs can carry about 85 tactical aircraft. While estimates of the size of a future Chinese flattop’s air wing vary, let’s take a high-end estimate of 50 fixed-wing planes and helicopters. That means, conservatively speaking, that the U.S. CVN’s complement will be 70 percent larger than its PLA Navy opponent’s.
And in all likelihood, the American complement will be superior to the Chinese on a warbird-for-warbird basis. It appears future PLA Navy flattops will, like Liaoning, be outfitted with ski jumps on their bows to vault aircraft into the sky. That limits the weight—and thus the load of fuel and weapons—that a Chinese aircraft can haul while still getting off the flight deck.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: That is a lot of weapon systems to target just one big and old Chinese aircraft carrier .... but in wartime I guess the concept of overkill may not be a bad thing.
The Best Medicine For A Vet Is The Company Of Another Vet
Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters
Elisa Borah, The Conversation: Sometimes the best medicine for a veteran is the company of another veteran
Many take time on Memorial Day to remember the Americans who have given their lives in service to our country.
For veterans and their families, that sentiment of remembrance is felt year-round. Many veterans suffer lifelong anguish over the loss of their brothers and sisters in arms. For them, Memorial Day is a day like every other day – a day they remember those who died at war.
This shared grief is just one way some veterans are affected by their military service. Veterans are also molded by military culture – a unique set of values, traditions, language and even humor. Military culture has unique subcultures, but it has enough consistency across different branches, ranks and time periods to make most veterans feel a kinship.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: I can personally identify with this. Growing up my father's bess friends were his fellow veterans. They would always get together on Saturday, my mom would make supper, and after supper they would play cards, drink, and talk about everything .... politics, the war, fallen comrades .... till one or two in the morning. When my parents immigrated to Canada in the 1990s .... he quickly met fellow veterans here .... Russian emigrants who had a chance to escape to the West after the war, and with two retired U.S. Navy SEALs who served in Vietnam. Same story .... food, drink, and talk.
Monday, May 30, 2016
Editor's Note
Taking care of some visitors from overseas tonight. Blogging will return tomorrow morning.
Top Vietnamese Communist Leader Thanks Veteran American Anti-War Activists For Their Support In Winning The War
Daily Caller: Vietnamese Communist Leader Says US Anti-War Activists Helped Their Victory
In the weeks leading up to Memorial Day and President Barack Obama’s scheduled trip to Vietnam, a prominent Vietcong communist leader privately thanked American anti-war activists for helping defeat the U.S.-allied government in Vietnam in the 1970s, saying protest demonstrations throughout the United States were “extremely important in contributing to Vietnam’s victory.”
For Vietnamese guerrilla leader Madam Nguyen Thi Binh, who sent the private letter from Hanoi dated April 20, “victory” meant the communist takeover of South Vietnam. The letter addressed veteran American anti-war activists who gathered in Washington, D.C., at a May 3 reunion of radical “May Day” anti-war leaders.
The Daily Caller News Foundation obtained a copy of the letter at the meeting.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: I first read up on this story in a Russian publication a few weeks ago .... but it is only now that someone in the U.S. is posting this story. Here is an easy bet .... no one in the main stream media is going to touch this story .... especially on Memorial Day. As to what is my take .... I was too young during this time to follow the war, but later .... when I was old enough to ask questions about the Vietnam war .... many old Soviet hands credited the anti-war movement and a hostile mainstream press for helping them and their Vietnamese allies to stick-it-out (even though many had wanted to end it) and to win the war. Viet Cong Leader Nguyễn Thị Bình's letter and thanks is just another confirmation of that.
Russia Is Developing Its Own Railgun
(Click on Image to Enlarge)
Sputnik News: Russia Developing Own Railgun on Par With US 'Battlefield Meteorite'
The US newest weapon, the railgun, is of no surprise to Moscow and Russia is also developing one of its own, the first deputy of the Russian upper house’s Defense and Security Committee said Monday.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Earlier, the Wall Street Journal published the first pictures of the railgun, in development for a decade. Transforming a 25-pound projectile into nothing short of a battlefield meteorite obliterating anything on its path, the weapon does not use gunpowder or any explosives. It is instead powered by electromagnetic rails.
Read more ....
Previous Post: A Look At The U.S. Navy's Railgun (May 29, 2016).
WNU Editor: Accoring to one Russian expert there is one big weakness with the American Rail-gun .... it is too expensive .... Too Much Power: Pentagon's Supergun Has a Super Weak Spot (Sputnik).
Update: LOL .... so true .... This Is Why Mainstream Journalists Shouldn’t Write About Guns… (Bearing Arms).
Editor's Note
World News Briefs (Evening Edition) and Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials will return tomorrow evening.
NATO To Raise Military In Poland After Warsaw Summit In July
DW: NATO urges members to stand up to 'Russian military assertiveness'
NATO has urged member nations to stand up to what it calls "Russia's military assertiveness." The head of the military alliance has also pledged to strengthen the alliance's forces along its eastern borders.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, in Warsaw to lay the groundwork for NATO's July summit, said: "I expect leaders at Warsaw to agree on an enhanced forward presence in the east of the alliance."
"An attack on any ally will be swiftly met by the forces from across the alliance, from both sides of the Atlantic," he added.
NATO cut cooperation with Moscow following Russia's Ukraine intervention and annexation of Crimea in 2014. However, the US-led alliance has said it will hold formal talks with Moscow before the July 8-9 summit in Warsaw.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: The spending is also going up .... Defence spending by Nato’s Europe states up as uncertainty rises (Financial Times)
More News On NATO Committing To Deploy More Military Resources To Poland After The July Summit
NATO General Secretary on Warsaw visit -- Radio Poland
NATO Summit to Raise Military Presence in Poland, Region -- New York Times
Stoltenberg promises Poland «more NATO troops» after Warsaw summit -- Europe Online
NATO to Increase Presence in Poland After Warsaw Summit - Stoltenberg -- Sputnik
Countdown to NATO summit in Warsaw -- Radio Poland
NATO to strengthen defense, deterrence at Warsaw summit: top official -- New China
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