Is This Ukraine War Photo A Fake?

(Click on Image to Enlarge)

Photographer Dmytro Muravskiy has stood by this photo -- and is threatening to sue his detractors

Amos Chapple, Radio Free Europe: War Of Words Over Ukraine 'Combat' Photo

It could be one of the greatest war photographs ever taken – or a fake.

A controversy is escalating in Ukraine over a photo that seems to capture the conflict with Russia-backed separatists in a single frame. It shows two soldiers carrying a wounded comrade down a dirt road as an explosion rips up the ground behind them, sending smoke into the sky. An empty baby carriage stands near a blown-out building by the road.

But a group of Ukrainian photojournalists is crying foul over the photo by Dmytro Muravskiy, who works with the Ukrainian Defense Ministry.

In an open letter published this week, they contend that the photograph was staged and call it part of a “clumsy” attempt by the ministry to engage in an information war with Russia.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: I do not know if this photo is a fake or not .... but I have learned over the past two years to not trust anyone in this conflict .... photos included.

Could A Looming Fiscal Crisis Doom America's Military Edge?

Loren B. Thompson, National Interest: How A Looming Fiscal Crisis Could Doom America's Military Edge

The problem with defense professionals is that defense is all they think about. Other than spending time with the family and catching a football game on the weekend, they're all about war. So things that impinge on their profession from outside the military realm often come as a colossal surprise.

The Budget Control Act is a case in point. Anybody who follows U.S. politics realizes that defense is a sideshow in the struggle for power. The big divide is between those who favor taxes and entitlements, and those who oppose them. But if you aren't tuned into that debate, then you probably won't be prepared for what developments such as the Budget Control Act mean for your plans.

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WNU editor: When the Soviet collapsed .... the economy collapsed with it, followed by the military. The same could happen with the U.S.. If the economy collapses .... say goodbye to new weapons programs, research, and procurement.

Is The Syrian Government In Name Only?

Alsouria

Tobias Schneider, War On The Rocks: The Decay of the Syrian Regime is Much Worse Than You Think

In a recent interview conducted by Aaron David Miller for Foreign Policy, Robert Malley, one of the president’s most trusted advisors on the Middle East, once again enumerated the competing priorities of U.S. Syria policy: the need to balance humanitarian concerns with the desire to “preserve state institutions” and avoid a power vacuum so that the country does not slide into total anarchy.

Over the past three years in particular, this line of argument has not only been a mainstay those supporting a carefully calibrated, limited U.S. Syria policy in line with the current administration but also by a number of commentators writing both implicitly and explicitly in defense of Damascus. In two revisionist articles published recently at War on the Rocks, an author writing under a pseudonym presents the Assad regime as ruthless, but at least secular, pluralistic and — most importantly — as the final basion of civic, central authority in a tumultuous Middle East. Whereas the indefatigable Emile Hokayem already formulated an eloquent response regarding sectarian dynamics in the Levant, there is an equally important question raised in the piece warrants answering: What’s really left of the Syrian central state?

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WNU Editor: People have been predicting the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria for years .... including me .... but he is still in power, and his regime has made headway in this war. Unfortunately .... I do not see any light at the end of the tunnel in this conflict .... this is a conflict that is probably going to go on for years.

Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- August 31, 2016

Carol Pires, New York Times: Rousseff’s Impeachment Changes the Government, Not the Politics

BRASÍLIA — The last photograph of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as president of Brazil, taken on Jan. 1, 2011, shows him moving down the ramp of the Palácio do Planalto, like an idolized performer who dives into his audience at the end of a show, ignoring his security detail and drowning in a sea of his supporters’ hands.

Five and a half years later, Brazil’s Senate has provisionally suspended President Dilma Rousseff from office; on Wednesday she will be fully removed from the presidency. In the midst of the crumbling of the Workers’ Party, or P.T., Mr. da Silva went back to the Planalto Palace to support an embattled Ms. Rousseff. His eyes full of tears, he said to a friend, “I did not want to be part of this picture.”

Read more ....

Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- August 31, 2016

Dilma Rousseff’s downfall won’t cure all her country’s ills -- Guardian editorial

Why Rousseff's exit may not usher in the change Brazilians want -- Juliana Cunha and Contributor Whitney Eulich, CSM

How will history look back on Rousseff's impeachment? -- Daniel Gallas, BBC

Syria à la Carte: Turkish Invasion Highlights Rapidly Shifting Alliances -- Maximilian Popp and Christoph Reuter, Siegel Online

A "safe zone" in Syria sounds like a great idea. It would be a disaster. -- Kate Gould, VOX

Why Syria's war may be about to get even worse -- Colin P. Clarke and Chad C. Serena, Reuters

Why Russian warplanes might return to Iran -- Ali Omidi, Al-Monitor

Inside the Turkish Military’s Civil War -- Jared Malsin, Time

Taiwan's new president sets chilly but pragmatic tone with China -- Ralph Jennings, CSM

Thai military junta playing a dangerous blame game -- Pavin Chachavalpongpun, Japan Times

Morocco and Mauritania's rocky relations -- Samir Bennis, Al Jazeera

Abu Muhammad Al-Adnani, The Voice of ISIS, Is Dead -- Robin Wright, New Yorker

Is Europe overreacting to terror? -- Peter Apps, Reuters

Why elephants are seeking refuge in Botswana -- Alastair Leithead, BBC

Advancing US Security Through Foreign Military Sales -- Ambassador Tina Kaidanow and Vice Adm. Joseph Rixey, Defense News

It looks like Trump just pulled off a successful trip to Mexico. Here’s what we know. -- Tara Golshan, VOX

World News Briefs -- August 31, 2016 (Evening Edition)

Reuters: Brazil's Rousseff ousted by Senate, Temer sworn in

Brazil's Senate ousted President Dilma Rousseff on Wednesday, ending an impeachment process that polarized Latin America's biggest country amid a massive corruption scandal and brutal economic crisis.

Senators voted 61-20 to convict the country's first female president for illegally using money from state banks to bankroll public spending, marking the end of 13 years of leftist Workers Party rule.

Read more ....

MIDDLE EAST

Kremlin says Russian, U.S. leaders to discuss Syria in China.

Turkey wants to 'cleanse' strip of territory on Syrian border.

Syria's war: Calls for sanctions over chemical weapons.

Syrian rebels advance further toward government-held Hama city: monitor, rebels.

UN envoy: Military escalation in Yemen is fueling extremists.

UN: Violations of Israel-Lebanon cease-fire could spark war.

Iran's Khamenei says need to boost offensive military capabilities.

Israel police chief says it is natural to suspect Ethiopians of crime.

ASIA

UN chief opens talks with Sri Lanka on reconciliation.

Teenager killed in fresh Indian Kashmir clashes.

Political issues weigh on upcoming G-20 summit in China.

North Korea executes top official, banishes 2 others, South Korea claims.

North Korea expands prison camps for women, human rights group says.

Aung San Suu Kyi hosts ethnic minorities in Myanmar.

Philippine leader rejects emergency power vs extremists.

Hostage video aimed at pressuring Afghan government over militant case: Taliban source.

India to grant residency to rich foreigners.

US woman Sandy Phan-Gillis charged with spying in China.

AFRICA

Libyan forces prepare for last push against Islamic State in Sirte.

Libya PM-designate visits battleground city.

Calm seas, Libya's lawless state open door for migrant flows.

Tanzania opposition postpones protests against 'dictatorship'.

Opposition rejects 'Bongo's victory' in Gabon election. Gabon poll: Street clashes after Ali Bongo beats Jean Ping.

US denounces South Sudan child soldier recruitment.

As refugee children die, Nigeria probes theft of food aid.

Nigeria reports recession, drop in investment amid falling currency rates.

U.N. Security Council diplomats expected in South Sudan this week: official.

Zuma challenges ruling that graft charges be reinstated.

African forest elephants may ​face extinction sooner than thought: study.

EUROPE

Irish cabinet delays decision on Apple tax appeal.

EU authorizes new maritime operations in Mediterranean.

Italy rescues 3,000 migrants from Mediterranean as arrivals surge.

Merkel says mistakes made in Germany, EU concerning refugees.

Migrant crisis: Terrorism was already here, says Merkel.

Anti-immigrant party overtakes Merkel's CDU in German state election poll.

Kremlin does not rule out direct dialogue with Kiev.

Britain to seek unique deal with EU, including immigration curbs.

AMERICAS

Brazil's President Rousseff ousted from office by Senate.

Brazil's Rousseff pledges to keep fighting after impeachment.

U.S. says, after Rousseff's removal, that strong relations with Brazil will continue.

Trump discusses border wall with Mexico, sidesteps payment issue. Venturing to Mexico, Trump says he and leader discussed wall.

Obama to highlight climate issues at home before journey overseas.

Colombia, FARC to ratify deal on Sept. 26 says Spain's Rajoy.

Venezuela arrests opposition activists ahead of rally.

Ultra-violent gangs thrive in chaotic Venezuela despite crackdown.

US, Cuba to launch regular commercial flights. Landmark US commercial flight lands in Cuba.

Ex Guantanamo prisoner deported to Uruguay from Venezuela.

Storm bears down on Florida, hurricane threatens Hawaii.

TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR

Slain IS figure was powerful leader with multiple roles.

IS spokesman killed in Syria in major blow to militant group.

Former IMU cleric latest to denounce Islamic State.

Appeals court refuses to halt trial in USS Cole attack.

State Dept. offers $3M reward for info on US-trained ISIS leader.

ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS

SWIFT discloses more cyber thefts, pressures banks on security.

Cocaine 'worth €50m' discovered at Coca-Cola plant.

Apple, Ireland and US slam record EU anti-trust ruling. Apple tax windfall could help ease Ireland's debts says S&P.

Joe Sutter, 'Father of the Boeing 747', dies.

Japan Defense Ministry Wants A Bigger Budget To Counter China And North Korea

Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force tanks © Kim Kyung-Hoon / Reuters

Japan Times: Defense Ministry requests ¥5.1 trillion for fiscal 2017 to address new threats

The government is requesting a bigger budget for security as North Korea’s nuclear provocations and China’s military assertiveness continue to unsettle the region, and the Dhaka terror attack showed ordinary Japanese are also at risk.

The Defense Ministry on Wednesday submitted its fiscal 2017 budget request totaling more than ¥5.1 trillion, up 2.3 percent from the fiscal 2016 budget. The defense budget request has been increasing for the last five years, and this is the third year in a row the amount exceeded ¥5 trillion.

Read more ....

More News On The Japan Defense Ministry's Request For A Record Budget Increase

Japanese Defense Ministry seeks record $51 billion budget -- AP
Japanese Government Urges Another Increase in Military Spending -- NYT
Japan Eyes Record Defense Budget to Develop Anti-Ship Missiles -- Defense News
Japan Defense Ministry Seeks Record Budget as China Threat Grows -- Bloomberg
Japan defence ministry seeks record budget to counter Chinese threat -- The Guardian
Japanese military asks for record $50bn defense budget to oppose China, N. Korea -- RT
Japan plans record defense spending in response to North Korea, Chinese incursions -- UPI
Japan wants British weaponry for South China Sea standoff -- RT
Here's Why Japan's Military Is Seeking Another Record Hike in Spending -- Reuters

Top U.S. Commander In The Middle East Warns Iran Of Aggressive Behavior

The Hill: US general warns Iran the US Navy will protect itself in the Arabian Gulf

The top U.S. commander in the Middle East warned Iran that the U.S. will protect itself following a string of recent incidents in which the Iranian navy harassed U.S. ships in the Arabian Gulf.

"I think the big concern here is miscalculation, that I'm very confident in the measures that our maritime forces are taking. They are measured. They are deliberate in the things that they are doing, but ultimately we are going to protect ourselves if that comes to a situation," said Army Gen. Joseph Votel at a press briefing on Tuesday.

"Because ultimately we will prevail here and I'm very, very confident of that and we certainly don't want that to come to pass," he added.

Read more ....

More News On The Top U.S. Commander In The Middle East Warning Iran That US Navy Ships Will Defend Themselves

Votel warns Iran against provoking US Navy in Persian Gulf -- Stars and Stripes
U.S. Commander Denounces 'Provocative' Iranian Guard Maneuvers -- RFE
US Upbraids Iran for 'Provocative' Naval Maneuvers in Persian Gulf -- VOA
U.S. general on naval confrontations with Iran: ‘The big concern here is miscalculation’ -- Washington Post
US commander: Iran behavior unchanged since nuke deal, high seas harassment 'unsafe' -- FOX News
CentCom Warns Iran of Aggressive Behavior -- Scout

Another Iranian General Is Killed In Syria

Reuters: Iranian Revolutionary Guard general killed in Aleppo

A brigadier general from Iran's Revolutionary Guards had been killed during fighting in Aleppo, Iranian news sites reported Wednesday

Ahmad Ghulami was killed on Tuesday by "takfiri terrorists", a label used by Shi'ite Muslims to describe Sunni Muslim militants, according to the Tasnim news site.

Iran and its Shi'ite allies, which include fighters from Afghanistan ad Lebanon’s Hezbollah, are fighting to support Syrian President Bashar al Assad while Saudi Arabia, Turkey and some Gulf states are funding opposition fighters.

Iran has announced the death of half a dozen generals in Syria, and a much larger number of less senior officers since 2012.

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WNU editor: I think this is the 3rd or 4th Iranian General to be killed in Syria in the past two years. This tells me that they are on the front lines where the action is.

Pentagon Rejects Russian Claims That Their Air Strike Killed Islamic State Leader Abu Muhammad al-Adnani

ABC News: US Rejects Russia's Claim of Credit for ISIS Leader Abu Muhammad al-Adnani's Airstrike Death

Calling it a “joke,” U.S. defense officials today pushed back strongly against the Russian Defense Ministry's claim that a Russian airstrike, not an American one, killed a top ISIS leader in Syria.

Russia’s defense ministry said today in a statement that Abu Muhammad al-Adnani was among roughly 40 ISIS fighters killed when a Russian Su-34 bomber struck a large group of ISIS militants in Maaratat-Um-Haush in northern Aleppo province.

But Russia’s version of events is at odds with the Pentagon's statement Tuesday that al-Adnani had been targeted by a "precision airstrike" near Al-Bab in Aleppo Province.

“The report is not credible,” a U.S. defense official said of the Russian claim of credit.

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More News On The Pentagon Rejecting Russian Claims That Their Air Strike Killed Islamic State Leader Abu Muhammad al-Adnani

US doubts Russia's claim it killed ISIS spokesman -- CNN
Russia's claim it killed Islamic State's Adnani 'a joke': U.S. officials -- Reuters
Pentagon: 'No information' to support Russia's claim it struck ISIS leader -- The Hill
US: Claim That Russian Airstrike Killed IS Spokesman Is 'Garbage' -- VOA
Russia says its airstrike killed ISIS spokesman, U.S. official says claim is 'joke' -- New York Daily News

Another US Navy Littoral Combat Ship Breaks Down

USS Coronado (LCS-4) conducts operations during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2016 in July. US Navy Photo

Defense News: Another LCS Breaks Down, This Time in Mid-Pacific

WASHINGTON — In yet another incident in what is turning out to be a bad year for the US Navy’s littoral combat ship program, the LCS Coronado is reported to have suffered a propulsion problem in the mid-Pacific and has turned back to return to Hawaii. The latest issue, this time with an Independence-class LCS variant, follows a series of problems striking ships of the Freedom class.

Sources said the Coronado is about 800 nautical miles west of Hawaii, proceeding at about 10 knots. The Military Sealift Command oiler Henry J. Kaiser is accompanying the ship. About 70 sailors are aboard the LCS.

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WNU Editor: This is the fourth LCS to break down this year.

More News On Another US Navy Littoral Combat Ship Breaking Down

LCS Coronado suffers engineering problem on first deployment and returns to port -- Navy Times
UPDATED: USS Coronado Suffers Engineering Casualty, Returning to Pearl Harbor -- USNI News
Fourth breakdown in US Navy littoral combat ship -- CNN
US Navy LCS Coronado Faces Engineering Issue During First Deployment -- Defense World
US Littoral Combat Ship Heads Back to Pearl Harbor After ‘Engineering Casualty’ -- Sputnik

What Happens If A U.S. Presidential Candidate Dies Before The Election?

Democratic U.S presidential candidate Hillary Clinton (L) and U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump © Reuters

U.S News And World Report: A Candidate's Death Could Delay or Eliminate the Presidential Election

Chaos would ensue if a vacancy emerges near Election Day.

The presidential election could be delayed or scrapped altogether if conspiracy theories become predictive and a candidate dies or drops out before Nov. 8. The perhaps equally startling alternative, if there's enough time: Small groups of people hand-picking a replacement pursuant to obscure party rules.

The scenarios have been seriously considered by few outside of the legal community and likely are too morbid for polite discussion in politically mixed company. But prominent law professors have pondered the effects and possible ways to address a late-date vacancy.

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WNU editor: It appears that if a Presidential candidate should die before the election, it will be the elites within that political party who would decide on the replacement. I cannot think of a better to enrage the American electorate than by doing something like that.

Donald Trump Travels To Mexico To Visit Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto

FOX News: Trump to visit Mexico, meet with Pena Nieto ahead of immigration speech

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump plans to detour from the campaign trail on Wednesday to visit Mexico and meet with President Enrique Pena Nieto at his invitation, a surprise trip scheduled just hours before Trump delivers an immigration policy speech in Arizona.

Nieto and Trump each confirmed late Tuesday that Trump accepted the invitation and the two would meet in private Wednesday.

Campaign manager Kellyanne Conway told Fox News the two would discuss illegal immigration, trade and drugs. Trump running mate Mike Pence also said they would begin a conversation about a proposed border wall, along with other issues.

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WNU Editor: Talk about taking over the news cycle .... Hillary Clinton is no where to be seen. She has been invited to visit the Mexican President, but no word from her campaign on this invitation (so far).

More News On Donald Trump Visiting Mexico To Visit Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto

Trump heads to Mexico before laying out immigration ideas -- AP
Trump to make sudden trip to Mexico after searing criticism -- Reuters
Trump to land in Mexico -- The Hill
US election 2016: Donald Trump to visit Mexican president Enrique Pena Nieto -- BBC
Trump to visit world leader who once compared him to Hitler -- CNN
Trump announces trip to Mexico for talks with President Peña Nieto -- The Guardian
Trump 'Just Putting On a Show': Mexicans, U.S. Latinos React to Trip -- NBC
Mexicans respond to Trump with jokes, jeers -- CNN
Mexico wonders why its president is meeting with Trump -- AP
What Donald Trump said about Mexico -- DW
Donald Trump’s Last-Minute Trip to Mexico Carries Risks and Rewards -- Sahil Kapur, Bloomberg
Peña Nieto's making a dangerous gamble with Trump's Mexico visit -- Daniel Peña, The Guardian
Why Donald Trump is going to Mexico -- Daniel W. Drezner, Washington Post
What Does Enrique Peña Nieto Want From Trump's Visit? -- David Graham, The Atlantic

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff Has Been Impeached

Daily Mail: Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff is kicked out of office after losing impeachment trial over financial corruption

* The Senate voted to depose Rousseff, Brazil's first female president
* She was accused of having taken illegal state loans to patch budget holes
* Conservative former Vice President Michel Teme set to be sworn in
* Rousseff has said Senate 'thrown 54million Brazillian votes in the garbage'

Brazil's Senate has voted to permanently remove President Dilma Rousseff from office.

Rousseff - the country's first female president - was accused of illegally using money from state banks to boost public spending in order to patch budget holes in 2014, masking the country's problems as it slid into its deepest recession in decades.

On Wednesday, the Senate voted to convict her by 61 votes to 20. However, she has not been barred from holding public office.

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WNU Editor: The vote was not even close .... 61 of 81 voted for impeachment.

More News On The Impeachment Of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff

Brazil's Rousseff Dilma removed from office by impeachment vote -- BBC
Brazil's President Rousseff ousted from office by Senate -- AP
Brazil's Senate dismisses Rousseff for breaking budget laws -- Reuters
Rousseff removed: Brazil senate votes to dismiss president after 9-month impeachment -- RT
Brazil's Senate strips Dilma Rousseff of presidency -- Al Jazeera
Brazil's Senate decides not to bar Rousseff from public office -- Reuters

Update: She is going to appeal .... Brazil's Rousseff will appeal impeachment to Supreme Court (Reuters).

World News Briefs -- August 31, 2016

Reuters: Brazil's Senate dismisses Rousseff for breaking budget laws

Brazil's Senate removed President Dilma Rousseff from office on Wednesday for breaking budgetary laws, ending an impeachment process that has polarized the scandal-plagued country and paralyzed its politics for nine months.

Senators voted 61-20 to convict Rousseff for illegally using money from state banks to boost public spending, putting an end to 13 years of leftist Workers Party rule in Latin America's largest economy.

Read more ....

MIDDLE EAST

Turkey wants to 'cleanse' strip of territory on Syrian border.

Syria's war: Calls for sanctions over chemical weapons.

Syrian rebels advance further toward government-held Hama city: monitor, rebels.

UN envoy: Military escalation in Yemen is fueling extremists.

UN: Violations of Israel-Lebanon cease-fire could spark war.

Iran's Khamenei says need to boost offensive military capabilities.

Israel police chief says it is natural to suspect Ethiopians of crime.

ASIA

Political issues weigh on upcoming G-20 summit in China.

North Korea executes top official, banishes 2 others, South Korea claims.

North Korea expands prison camps for women, human rights group says.

Aung San Suu Kyi hosts ethnic minorities in Myanmar.

Philippine leader rejects emergency power vs extremists.

Hostage video aimed at pressuring Afghan government over militant case: Taliban source.

India to grant residency to rich foreigners.

US woman Sandy Phan-Gillis charged with spying in China.

AFRICA

Calm seas, Libya's lawless state open door for migrant flows.

Opposition rejects 'Bongo's victory' in Gabon election. Gabon poll: Street clashes after Ali Bongo beats Jean Ping.

As refugee children die, Nigeria probes theft of food aid.

Nigeria reports recession, drop in investment amid falling currency rates.

U.N. Security Council diplomats expected in South Sudan this week: official.

Zuma challenges ruling that graft charges be reinstated.

African forest elephants may ​face extinction sooner than thought: study.

EUROPE

EU authorizes new maritime operations in Mediterranean.

Italy rescues 3,000 migrants from Mediterranean as arrivals surge.

Merkel says mistakes made in Germany, EU concerning refugees.

Migrant crisis: Terrorism was already here, says Merkel.

Anti-immigrant party overtakes Merkel's CDU in German state election poll.

Kremlin does not rule out direct dialogue with Kiev.

Britain to seek unique deal with EU, including immigration curbs.

AMERICAS

Obama to highlight climate issues at home before journey overseas.

Colombia, FARC to ratify deal on Sept. 26 says Spain's Rajoy.

Venezuela arrests opposition activists ahead of rally.

Ultra-violent gangs thrive in chaotic Venezuela despite crackdown.

US, Cuba to launch regular commercial flights. Landmark US commercial flight lands in Cuba.

Ex Guantanamo prisoner deported to Uruguay from Venezuela.

Storm bears down on Florida, hurricane threatens Hawaii.

TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR

IS spokesman killed in Syria in major blow to militant group.

Former IMU cleric latest to denounce Islamic State.

Appeals court refuses to halt trial in USS Cole attack.

State Dept. offers $3M reward for info on US-trained ISIS leader.

ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS

Cocaine 'worth €50m' discovered at Coca-Cola plant.

Apple, Ireland and US slam record EU anti-trust ruling. Apple tax windfall could help ease Ireland's debts says S&P.

Joe Sutter, 'Father of the Boeing 747', dies.

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- August 31, 2016

South Korean army's K-2 tanks take part in a live-firing drill at a fire training field in Yangpyeong, South Korea. Reuters

IBTimes: War With North Korea? South Korean Military Orders Full Combat Readiness

South Korea is reportedly readying itself for the possibility of war with their neighbors to the north.

President Park Geun-hye ordered her military into full combat readiness, according to reports Monday. The order was given to ensure that any North Korean provocation would lead to the “self-destruction” of the regime there, according to the Yonhap News Agency.

“I call on you to maintain a robust posture to retaliate… to make sure that any attempt by the north at engaging in any form of provocations will lead to the self-destruction of the North Korean regime,” she said at a meeting with her senior secretaries.

Read more ....

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- August 31, 2016

Analysts: North Korea to Build New Ballistic Missile Submarine -- VOA

North Korea makes progress on missiles, but no evidence of nuclear weapons yet -- Reuters

N. Korea expected to test nuclear warhead soon -- Korea Times

These images show the US-South Korean exercise North Korea threatened with a nuclear strike -- IBTimes

South Korea Seeks Indigenous Missile Defense System To Deal With North, Raises 2017 Defense Budget -- IBTimes

Japan defence ministry seeks record budget to counter Chinese threat -- The Guardian

Japan plans record defense spending in response to North Korea, Chinese incursions -- UPI

Here's Why Japan's Military Is Seeking Another Record Hike in Spending -- Reuters

Japan wants British weaponry for South China Sea standoff -- RT

Russia, Mongolia troops hold first joint drill at Selenga 2016 exercise -- TASS

Russia to Send Anti-Submarine Warfare Destroyers to South China Sea -- The Diplomat

Serbian Army Trains More With NATO Than Russia -- Balkan Insight

Russian army to inform NATO about military drills -- UPI

Canadian Armed Forces punish 30 for sexual misconduct in military ranks -- Toronto Star

British Officials Consider Reprieve for Sentinel Fleet -- Defense News

ISIS Destruction of Iraqi Base Could Hinder Mosul Operation -- AP

US commander slams Iran for provocative moves in Gulf -- AP

DoD Approves Israeli Radar for US Iron Curtain Testing -- Defense News

Pentagon Eyes Missile-Defense Sensors In Space -- Defense One

US Air Force Closes in on Assessment of Lockheed's FA-50 -- Defense News

General: Marines will deploy the F-35B to the Middle East next year -- The Hill

Pentagon Weapons Tester Shoots Down Lockheed's F-35 -- FOX News

US Marines Hope Pentagon Spends Big on New Armed Tiltrotor Drones -- Sputnik

Navy Still Isn’t Ready to Pass Audit: GAO -- DoD Buzz

Could the Pentagon’s $12.9 Billion Warship Be Obsolete Before its Maiden Voyage? -- Sputnik

Intelligence panel Republicans slam Obama over Gitmo transfer -- The Hill

Pentagon officials allowed government spending at strip clubs and casinos -- The Guardian

CIA director misled FBI about how agency spied on Pentagon Papers leaker -- USA Today

The U.S. Military Shot Down a Drone With a Laser—in 1973 -- Popular Mechanics

Pentagon Scientists Worry the US Is Losing the Artificial Intelligence Arms Race -- Patrick Tucker, Defense One

Russia's Military Trains For World War 3

© Sputnik/ Valeriy Melnikov

Simon Saradzhyan, National Interest: Yes, Russia's Military Is Training for a 'Mega War.' That Is What Militaries Do.

Snap drills weren't a sign that Putin is about to march on Kyiv, but the fear they provoked is a reminder that Europe's security architecture needs an update.

The latest series of military exercises in Russia have unnerved its Western neighbors, who are concerned that Russia may be preparing for a military campaign. The Russian military is indeed preparing for war, but that does not mean the Kremlin actually plans to initiate one anytime soon. Rather, the current and pending exercises are meant to, well, exercise the troops, for all contingencies, including worst-case scenarios, but also to send a signal to potential adversaries and “disloyal” neighbors.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Every military trains for war .... nothing new there. But what I like about this post are some recommendations on how to minimise tensions and worries when these exercises do start-up.

A Chinese - U.S. War Will Be Fought With Missiles

Military vehicles carrying DF-21D ballistic missiles roll to Tiananmen Square during a military parade to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War Two, in Beijing, China, September 3, 2015. (REUTERS/Damir Sagolj)

National Interest: China's Military Gears up for Missile Warfare with U.S.

China’s military is developing offensive and now defensive missiles in preparation for a future missile-dominated conflict with the United States.

Beijing’s arsenal of ballistic and cruise missiles has been growing steadily for decades as new systems were fielded in an array of ranges – short, medium and intercontinental. Several long-range cruise missiles, capable of carrying nuclear or conventional payloads also are deployed.

And one of China’s most secret missile programs is a revolutionary hypersonic strike vehicle that skims the upper atmosphere and can maneuver in a bid to defeat U.S. strategic defenses.

China for years has denounced U.S. missile defenses as destabilizing. But for the first time last month, the Chinese Defense Ministry confirmed the military is developing a new long-range anti-missile system.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: China's desire to have a missile defence system is not a surprise .... they want what everyone else wants. But if China wants to hit and destroy U.S. targets in Asia and on the U.S. mainland .... the only way they will be able to do it will be via through missile strikes. The problem is that if the impossible becomes possible, and a war breaks out between China and the U.S. .... a conventional Chinese missile attack on Hawaii or the U.S. mainland could be interpreted as a nuclear attack .... and after that all hell will probably break loose.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry: No Military Solution To South China Sea Dispute

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry adjusts his ear phones during a joint news conference with India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj (not pictured) in New Delhi, India, August 30, 2016. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

Reuters: Kerry says no military solution to South China Sea dispute

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry called on Wednesday on China and the Philippines to abide by an international tribunal's decision on the disputed South China Sea and said there was no military solution to the problem.

Kerry's remarks, made in a visit to India, came ahead of a G20 summit in China on Sunday and Monday that could be overshadowed by arguments over everything from territorial disputes to protectionism by China, diplomats say.

An arbitration court in The Hague ruled in July that China did not have historic rights to the South China Sea. China dismissed the case lodged by the Philippines and rejected the ruling.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry may be right ..... but China has a different view point and strategy when it comes to their territorial disputes with their neighbours .... China's 'Little Green Boats' Have Japan on Alert (Eli Lake, Bloomberg).

Tweet For Today

One legged U.S Army Special Forces soldier in Afghanistan pic.twitter.com/Q0uO8r1uw4

— Military (@MilitaryEarth) August 31, 2016

Picture Of The Day

Osprey Dust

Marines set up security around the back of an MV-22 Osprey during the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit’s composite training unit exercise at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., Aug. 30, 2016. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Brandon Maldonado

What Does China Want In Syria

Rear Admiral Guan Youfei (C), director of the newly created Foreign Affairs Office of China's National Defence Ministry, speaks during annual working-level talks with South Korea at the Defence Ministry in Seoul on January 15, 2016. The official visited Syria in mid-August, to the chagrin of Western political analysts. © AFP 2016/ JUNG YEON-JE 

Sputnik: The Two Things China Really Wants in Syria

Earlier this month, Chinese Admiral Guan Youfei visited Syria. Few details were made available on the specifics of Beijing's cooperation agreement with the Syrian military, but the pact itself represents a landmark shift both in the military sense and from the perspective of international geopolitics, says French political analyst Thierry Meyssan.

In an informative analysis published in the independent geopolitical analysis website Voltairenet.org, Meyssan explained that while details of the Chinese-Syrian military cooperation agreement remain murky, Beijing's motivations for increasing its involvement in the conflict are not.

Rear Admiral Guan's visit to the war-torn country, conducted in his capacity as director of the newly created Office for International Military Cooperation under the powerful Central Military Commission of the Chinese Communist Party, took place as part of Beijing's broader efforts to establish military contacts with nations in the Middle East.

Read more ....

Update: China ups military diplomacy game in Syria with Guan Youfei’s visit (Asia Times)

WNU Editor: If you can read French, Thierry Meyssan's is here. As to what is my take .... I have been saying the same thing for years .... China wants to be a major player on the global scene where its input and influence can be felt.... and these steps are just the beginning on what is essentially a multi-decade strategy to be one the world's super-powers.

These Are The Current Russian Goals In Syria

(Click on Image to Enlarge)

Ian Parmeter, The Interpreter: Where the Russian intervention in Syria is headed

Russian President Vladimir Putin is well on the way to achieving several objectives of his military intervention in Syria.

Russia has ensured the survival of the Assad regime, its only Arab partner, without loss of Russian personnel to the rebels or becoming mired in a ground conflict. In doing so, it has helped reduce the reach of Islamic State and thus Islamic State’s attractiveness to potential jihadists in Russia’s Muslim-majority regions.

It has also preserved access to its naval facility in Tartus, on Syria’s western coast; its only military port outside the former Soviet Union.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Could not have said it any better.

U.S. Strategy To Wage War Against The Islamic State Has Resulted In Another Conflict in Syria

VICE News: The US is pissing off everyone in northern Syria

When US Secretary of Defense Ash Carter asked Turkey on Monday to "stay focused" in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) and stop attacking US-backed Kurdish forces, Turkish officials responded with a suggestion of their own.

"Americans should revise their policy of supporting (the Kurdish-led force) at all costs," Turkish presidential spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin said in a Turkish newspaper on Tuesday.

It was the latest rebuke to American damage-control efforts after US-backed Kurdish forces clashed with American NATO ally Turkey over the weekend. The Syrian Kurds blew up a Turkish tank in the north of Syria on Saturday, killing at least one soldier, and Turkish warplanes attacked Syrian Kurds the following day, killing at least 35 people.

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Update: Washington's Syrian headache: Keeping Turkey and Kurds apart (Nick Paton Walsh, CNN)

WNU Editor: Turkey is furious at the U.S. .... Syria war: Turkey hits out at US over Kurds comments (BBC). The Kurds must feel abandoned .... New U.S. Policy: Kill the Kurds (Alertnet). And everyone else is of the opinion that this U.S. strategy has resulted in another war in Syria ....
U.S. Strategy to Fight ISIS Has Set Off a New Conflict in Syria (The Intercept).

Turkey Rejects U.S. Claims Of A Ceasefire With Syrian Kurd Militia

Al Jazeera: Turkey denies reaching ceasefire with Kurdish forces

Minister rejects US announcement of ceasefire deal between Turkish military and Syrian partners with Kurdish YPG forces.

A Turkish minister has said that his country does "not accept" US claims that its military has reached a ceasefire deal with Kurdish fighters in northern Syria.

The statement came after US officials said that Turkish-backed Syrian rebels and Kurdish forces had agreed on a temporary pause in fighting in northern Syria.

The US has been warning the sides to focus on fighting the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group elements there.

Read more ....

More News On Turkey Rejecting U.S. Claims Of A Ceasefire With Syrian Kurd Militia

Turkey denies truce with Syrian Kurdish militia -- AFP
Turkey rejects reports of cease-fire with Kurdish militias in Jarablus -- UPI
Turkey rejects US claims of ceasefire with Kurdish militias -- IBTimes
Turkey does `not accept` ceasefire with Syrian Kurd militia -- Zee News
Ankara Denies US Statements on Ceasefire Deal Between Turkey, Syrian Kurds -- Sputnik
We have no ceasefire with Syrian Kurdish forces: Turkish EU minister -- RUDAW
Turkey vows to keep attacking U.S.-backed Syrian Kurd forces -- Washington Tiems/AP
Turkey threatens more strikes on Syrian Kurdish militia -- The Guardian/AFP

Report: North Korea Sets Up Special Military Units With 'Nuclear Backpacks'

These backpacks – pictured some years ago – were likely filled with fake explosives. Daily Star

Radio Free Asia: North Korea Sets Up Special Force For Radioactive Bomb Attacks

Top soldiers from North Korea’s military are being selected to serve on new “nuclear backpack” attack units under each corps of the People’s Army, North Korean sources said.

“Outstanding soldiers were selected from each reconnaissance platoon and light infantry brigade to form the nuclear backpack unit the size of a battalion,” said a source from North Hamgyong province who declined to be named.

The special units have been formed since March this year, he said.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: I am sceptical of this report. The idea that Kim Jong-Un would give a soldier in the field the final authority on whether or not to use a nuclear weapon .... I just do not see him doing that.

More News On Reports That North Korea Has Sets Up Special Military Units With 'Nuclear Backpacks'

North Korean soldiers 'given nuclear backpacks' as tensions rise over joint US-South Korean military exercises -- The Independent
North Korea 'training infantry to carry nuclear bombs in backpacks' -- The Telegraph
NK Soldiers 'Armed With Nuclear Backpacks' -- Sky News
North Korea reportedly setting up special military units with 'nuclear backpacks' -- IBTimes
North Korea 'setting up nuclear backpack attack units', says report -- IHS Jane's 360

Is Another North Korean Purge Underway?

Reuters: North Korea executes vice premier in latest purge: South

North Korea has executed its vice premier for education and rebuked two high-ranking officials, South Korea said on Wednesday, which, if true, would mark a new series of measures by leader Kim Jong Un to discipline top aides.

Kim took power in 2011 after the death of his father, Kim Jong Il, and his consolidation of power has included purges and executions of top officials, South Korean officials have said.

South Korea's Unification Ministry spokesman Jeong Joon-hee said the government had confirmed the execution of the education official, Kim Yong Jin, "through various channels" but declined to provide details.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: This follows the execution of two officials a just a few days ago .... North Korea executes officials with anti-aircraft gun in new purge – report (The Guardian).

More News On Another Purge In North Korea

North Korea executed top minister, South Korea says -- BBC
North Korea Has Executed a Deputy Premier, Seoul Reports -- New York Times
North Korea executes vice premier for 'disrespect': Seoul -- AFP
North Korea executes top education official, South Korea says -- CNN
North Korea executes top official, banishes 2 others, South Korea claims -- AP

Both Russia And The U.S. Are Taking Credit For The Death Of The Islamic State's #2 In An Air Strike

BBC: IS leader Adnani: Russia says its air strike killed him

A Russian air strike in Syria killed the chief strategist of so-called Islamic State (IS), the defence ministry in Moscow has said.

The Amaq news agency, linked to IS, earlier acknowledged that Abu Muhammad al-Adnani had died in Aleppo province.

Russia says Adnani died on Tuesday in a Su-34 bomber raid on Umm Hawsh village.

The US said earlier that its planes had targeted Adnani in al-Bab city, but that it was "still assessing results".

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Russia is claiming that they killed him .... but the U.S. is also making the same claim .... Islamic State spokesman and strategist killed in Syria by U.S. airstrike (Washington Times).

More News On The Death Of Islamic State Spokesman Abu Muhammad al-Adnani

IS spokesman killed in Syria in major blow to militant group -- AP
Key Islamic State leader killed in apparent U.S. strike in Syria -- Reuters
Russian military claims airstrike that killed senior Islamic State strategist -- Washington Post
Russia says it killed ISIS spokesman Mohammad al-Adnani -- CNN
Islamic State: Abu Muhammad al-Adnani 'killed in Aleppo' -- BBC
Russia Says Its Airstrike Killed ISIS' Abu Mohammed Al-Adnani -- NBC
Islamic State’s Top Spokesman Killed in Syria, Amaq Says -- Bloomberg
ISIL's Abu Mohamed al-Adnani 'dead in Syria's Aleppo' -- Al Jazeera
Abu Muhammad al-Adnani: Islamic State leader in charge of foreign attacks killed in Syria, reports say -- ABC News Online
'Islamic State' spokesman al-Adnani killed in Aleppo -- DW
ISIS second-in-command who was responsible for Paris attack and 'principal architect' of lone wolf strategy is killed in US airstrike -- Daily Mail
Isis dealt 'major blow' by death of second-in-command Abu Muhammad al-Adnani in victory for air campaign -- The Independent
Who Is Abu Mohammad al-Adnani? ISIS Spokesman Reportedly Killed In Syria -- International Business Times
Death of Islamic State's tactician comes at critical moment -- Reuters

Editor's Note

Busy tonight. Blogging will return tomorrow morning.

Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- August 30, 2016

Farzin Nadimi, RCW: Iran's Aggressive Naval Intercepts Serve Foreign and Domestic Purposes

The IRGC will likely continue using such incidents as a way to signal its domestic rivals, justify its large budget, and meet other goals, so Washington should remain vigilant and consider seeking an official channel for emergency communications.

The strategic Strait of Hormuz has once again been the scene of close encounters between U.S. Navy vessels and speedboats from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN), leaving observers to guess at the motivations behind the Iranian moves. The multiple incidents that occurred this week raised the risk of miscalculation in a sovereignly cramped part of the world.

Read more ....

Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- August 30, 2016

Turkey risks becoming bogged down in Syria: analysts -- AFP

Welcome to demokrasi: how Erdoğan got more popular than ever -- Christopher de Bellaigue, The Guardian

Iran's Launch of Shia Army Threatens to Escalate Sectarian Tensions -- Mehdi Jedinia & Noor Zahid, VOA

There Is No Thirty Years' War in the Middle East -- Lorenzo Kamel, National Interest

Qatar spends big to counter charges of lax stance on terror -- Julian Pecquet, Al-Monitor

Who Could Replace Uzbekistan’s Ailing President? -- Bruce Pannier, RFE

Kashmir: A story of defiance amid grief -- Elizabeth Puranam, Al Jazeera

Central Asia Is Less Stable Than It Looks -- Leonid Bershidsky, Bloomberg

Don’t be fooled. There will be damaging fallout from Brexit -- Will Hutton, The Guardian

Reforming Ukraine after the revolutions -- Joshua Yaffa, The New Yorker

Dilma Rousseff: A Strong Woman Brought Down by Brazil’s Meek Men -- Claire Rigby, Daily Beast

Russia, China, and Cyber Espionage -- Luke Penn-Hall, Cipher Brief

There It Is: A True War Story -- Peter Munson, War on the Rocks

Apple's massive EU tax bill could irk the US -- DW

Why Ireland Doesn’t Want Apple’s $14 Billion In Unpaid Taxes -- Tom Sykes, Daily Beast

World News Briefs -- August 30, 2016 (Evening Edition)

Turkish army tanks and Turkish-backed Syrian fighters make their way in the Syrian border town of Jarablus as it is pictured from the Turkish town of Karkamis, in the southeastern Gaziantep province, Turkey. REUTERS/Stringer

Reuters: Ceasefire holding between Turkey and Kurdish fighters in Syria

BEIRUT (Reuters) - A ceasefire is holding between Turkey and Kurdish-backed militia in northern Syria, a Kurdish military official said on Tuesday, but a Syrian rebel commander characterized it only as a "pause" and added that military operations would resume soon.

The truce is between the Jarablus Military Council and Turkey, said Sharfan Darwish, spokesman for the Manbij Military Council.

Both councils are allied with the Syrian Democratic Forces, a U.S.-backed alliance of groups including the powerful Kurdish YPG militia that is fighting Islamic State insurgents and has expanded along Syria's frontier with Turkey.

A subsequent statement from the Jarablus Military Council announced a temporary ceasefire "under the oversight of the international coalition led by the United States" in order to spare the people of Jarablus "the scourge of war".

Read more ....

MIDDLE EAST

Turkish, Kurdish forces in Syria agree to 'stop shooting at each other'.

Turkey and Syrian Kurdish forces 'should stop fighting'.

UN aid contracts 'going to Assad-linked companies'.

Iraq's Mosul can be retaken from IS this year: US general.

Oil fires cast black cloud over Iraqi town retaken from Islamic State.

Yemen: Death toll in ISIL's Aden bombing rises to 70.

UN says 10,000 civilians killed, wounded in Yemen conflict.

Ex Mossad chief: Israel's biggest threat is potential civil war, not Iran.

Fire hits 28-floor Abu Dhabi tower under construction.

Palestinian security forces arresting, abusing critics: HRW.

ASIA

Families of people missing in Sri Lanka's civil war march in silence.

Suicide attack targets Chinese embassy in Kyrgyzstan. One dead, 3 wounded in suicide blast at Chinese Embassy in Kyrgyzstan. Chinese embassy blast: Car bomb attack in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

Myanmar to hold historic peace talks with ethnic armies. Myanmar's Suu Kyi to hold major peace summit with ethnic rebels.

Philippine military ramps up Abu Sayyaf offensive.

Death toll in Philippines' drug war hits 2,000.

Duterte to raise sea feud ruling against Chinese wishes.

Amid conflicting reports, fate of ailing Uzbek President remains unclear.


North Korea reportedly executes two top officials with anti-aircraft guns.

U.S., India pledge deeper security and commercial ties.

India Ganges floods 'break previous records'.

AFRICA

Nigerian rebels claim attack on state-owned pipeline.

UN reports on Western Sahara ceasefire violations.

Qaeda-linked group claims deadly Tunisia ambush: SITE.

Thousands of migrants rescued off Libya.

Somalia truck bomb targets Mogadishu's SYL Hotel. Somalia: Deaths as car bomb explodes in Mogadishu.

Libya forces trap IS in last Sirte holdout.

Libyans take heavy casualties in final push on IS bastion.

Ugandan special forces to halt operations against Lord's Resistance Army.

Hunger grips thousands of new South Sudan refugees in Uganda.

UN document says Morocco violated Western Sahara cease-fire.

'Racist school hair rules' suspended at SA's Pretoria Girls High.

EUROPE

Border deal with Montenegro stirs tensions in Kosovo.

Denmark, Sweden toughen up asylum rules despite falling numbers.

Tensions mount as record numbers crowd French migrant camp.

French mayor on burkini ban: They must accept our way of life.

Turkish EU bid ‘unrealistic’ while Erdogan in power – European commissioner.

Kremlin reveals Putin's plans for G20 summit in China.

Plot to blow up mosque with 50kg TNT car bomb thwarted in southern Russia.

Italy to hold mass funeral as search for bodies continues.

French Economy Minister's departure raises questions ahead of 2017 presidential election.

AMERICAS

Brazil's Dilma Rousseff defends record at impeachment trial. Brazil Real declines as Rousseff awaits impeachment verdict.

3 men in line for Brazilian presidency accused of corruption.

Obama to juggle security, climate, rights on final Asia trip.

FBI warns that foreign hackers are targeting US elections.

Mexico federal police chief Galindo fired over Michoacan ranch killings.

War-weary Colombians react to peace deal with FARC rebels.

Venezuela accuses US, opposition of planning coup.

U.S. traffic deaths rose 7.2 percent in 2015: Transportation Dept..

TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR

U.S. offers $3 million reward for man it gave anti-terror training.

Islamic State buried thousands in 72 mass graves, survey finds.

Afghanistan, Iraq wars major push factors for extremism, terrorism - report.

Vital that Pakistan joins fight against terrorism, Kerry says.

ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS

Apple faces $14.5B tax bill after EU investigation. State aid: Ireland gave illegal tax benefits to Apple worth up to €13 billion.

TTIP in further doubt as Hollande questions timing. France to call for an end to EU-US free trade talks.

Fed's Fischer says U.S. job market 'very close' to full strength.