Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Armies 'Head For Central Sudan'

From the BBC News:

Rival troops from north and south are converging on central Sudan, a UN official has told the BBC.

The country was "on the brink" of a resumption of the 20-year civil war, said UN regional co-ordinator for South Sudan David Gressley.

The warning follows recent clashes in the oil-rich region of Abyei, which is claimed by both sides.

On Tuesday, the US envoy to Sudan warned that leaders from both sides were not interested in peace.

Read more ....

News From Other Sources:

Sudan on the brink of civil war, says UN -- The Telegraph
South Sudan Wants Govt. Troops Out -- Time Magazine
Former Sudan Rebels Say No More War With Northern Neighbors -- Voice Of America
US suspends normalisation talks with Sudan -- AFP
South Sudan leader plays down talk of civil war -- AFP

My Comment: Tens of billions of dollars in oil are at stake .... Duh .... everyone wants it, so expect war in the next few weeks.

Iraq Briefings -- June 3, 2008

Hat Tip To Small Wars Journal:

Major General Jeffery Hammond, Commanding General of Multi-National Division-Baghdad and 4th Infantry Division, speaks with reporters at the Pentagon, about ongoing security operations, 2 June 2008. Click here for the video.

Major General Douglas Stone, Commander of Task Force 134 Detention Operations, speaking with reporters in Baghdad, 1 June 2008. Click here for the video.

War News, Blogs, Opinions, And Wire Service Roundup -- June 4, 2008


WAR/TERRORISM NEWS SUMMARIES AROUND THE WORLD
United States Central Command
Global Security Briefs -- In Homeland Security
Complete Roundup Of World Trouble Spots -- Small Wars Journal
International, War, and Terrorism Headlines -- Rantburg
Morning Brief -- Foreign Policy
Global Incident Map
Global News -- Inform
Spotlight on Military News and International Affairs -- Canadian Perspective
Summary Of Wars & Conflicts: Right Hand Side Of Page -- Counter Terrorism Blog
Global Security News Roundup -- Global Security.org
Threatswatch
Latest News -- Strategy Page
Institute For War And Peace Reporting
Intelligence News Roundup -- Intelligence Online
Analysis And Commentaries -- International Relations And Security Network
Alertnet From Reuters -- Use Their Search Filter
Emerging Threats -- United Press International
International Forecasting And News -- Stratfor

IRAQ
Iraq News -- E I N News
Conflict In Iraq -- Full Coverage From Yahoo News
War In Iraq -- MSNBC
Iraq News Online -- Times Online
Iraq News -- Inform
Iraq Weekly Status Report -- U.S. State Department
Iraq Updates
Iraq Coalition Casualty Count

AFGHANISTAN
Afghanistan -- Full Coverage From Yahoo News
Afghanistan Conflict Monitor
Afghanistan Update: April 1-30, 2008 -- Center For Defense Information
Operations In Afghanistan -- U.K. Ministry Of Defense

MIDDLE EAST
Mideast Conflicts -- Full Coverage From Yahoo News
Middle East Coverage -- Memri

SECURITY AND TERRORISM
Security -- MSNBC
Terrorism -- Full Coverage From Yahoo News
Terrorism -- MSNBC
National Terror Alert Response Center

U.S. MILITARY NEWS
U.S. Department Of Defense News
News in The Military -- Military News
Stars And Stripes
U.S. Armed Forces News -- Full Coverage From Yahoo News
Index Of Military Blogs: Stories Updated Daily -- Military.com
Milblogging: Stories Updated Daily -- Index Of Military Blogs
Directory Of Intelligence Sites -- Strategic IntelligenceComplete

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Final Post For Tonight -- Women of Israeli Army

The New Face of Islam -- A Critique Of Radicalism Is Building Within The Heart Of The Muslim World

From Newsweek Magazine:

Back in the mid-1990s, Osama bin Laden had a problem, and it was Islam. He wanted to say the Qur'an gave his followers license to kill innocents—and themselves—in the cause of "jihad." That was how he could justify his global campaign of terror. But that's not what the Muslim holy book says, and that's not the way it was interpreted by any of the great scholars and preachers of the faith.

Read more ....

My Comment: This denunciation of radical jihad as propagated by Osama bin Ladin and his followers is long overdue. Will it have a lasting impact .... I can only hope.

New Cold War: Mapping 6 Hotspots in the U.S.-Russian Arms Race

From Popular Mechanics (Hat Tip To Instapundit)

Despite renewed friction between Russia and the United States, the specter of open conflict has faded since the days of the Cold War. However, equipment designed by the two nations remains on opposite sides of 21st-century battlefields.

Read more ....

My Comment: Instapundit's comments are on the money .... Russian stuff's cheap, and it works fine as long as you're only fighting other third-world countries with Russian weapons. . . .

Nigeria: Sliding Toward The Abyss?

From Strategy Page:

June 3, 2008: The government is not making much progress in shutting down the tribal rebels, particularly MEND, in the Niger Delta. Stealing oil and kidnapping foreign oil workers for ransom has become too lucrative for too many people for the police and military to cope. About a quarter of the nation's oil production has been halted by the unrest. A newly president, who promised to crack down on corruption and ineffective government, is showing signs of tolerating the same old bad habits.

Additional News From Other Sources:
Nigeria: Oil and Gas Operations Fragile - Shell -- All Africa.com
Corruption blamed for Nigeria's failure sluggish development -- China View
Oil Brings Revenue, Problems to Africa -- Voice Of America

My Comment: A culture of corruption and lawlessness was already present before the discovery of oil in Nigeria .... or for that matter the entire continent of Africa. Until this culture changes, there is no hope for justice and sustainable development to occur in Africa.

South Sudanese Accuse Khartoum Of Sending Troops

From Yahoo News:

JUBA, Sudan (Reuters) - South Sudanese officials accused the government on Tuesday of reinforcing troops in the disputed oil town of Abyei, raising tensions as U.N. Security Council envoys flew in to shore up a north-south peace deal.

Clashes in Abyei last month increased fears of a return to all out war between the northern government and the south, which signed a peace agreement in 2005 to end two decades of civil war.

The Security Council envoys, who flew into the southern capital Juba on a tour of African hotspots, will discuss Abyei with both sides.

At stake in Abyei is control of lucrative oilfields and a pipeline supplying about half Sudan's daily 500,000 barrel output. Three years after the peace accord, the sides have failed to agree on the borders or administration for the area.

Read more ....

News From Other Sources:
UN Security Council worried Abyei fighting could reignite Sudan civil war -- Jerusalem Post
Arab nations 'failing' Sudan -- Al Jazeera
Visiting UN mission in bid to ease Sudan tensions -- AFP

My Comment: The Sudanese Government is positioning itself to consolidate its position in this oil producing region. Expect heavy fighting in this region to start in the next few weeks. As for the U.N., their efforts will be ignored.

War News, Blogs, Opinions, And Wire Service Roundup -- June 3, 2008

WAR/TERRORISM NEWS SUMMARIES AROUND THE WORLD
United States Central Command
Global Security Briefs -- In Homeland Security
Complete Roundup Of World Trouble Spots -- Small Wars Journal
International, War, and Terrorism Headlines -- Rantburg
Morning Brief -- Foreign Policy
Global Incident Map
Global News -- Inform
Spotlight on Military News and International Affairs -- Canadian Perspective
Summary Of Wars & Conflicts: Right Hand Side Of Page -- Counter Terrorism Blog
Global Security News Roundup -- Global Security.org
Threatswatch
Latest News -- Strategy Page
Institute For War And Peace Reporting
Intelligence News Roundup -- Intelligence Online
Analysis And Commentaries -- International Relations And Security Network
Alertnet From Reuters -- Use Their Search Filter
Emerging Threats -- United Press International
International Forecasting And News -- Stratfor

IRAQ
Iraq News -- E I N News
Conflict In Iraq -- Full Coverage From Yahoo News
War In Iraq -- MSNBC
Iraq News Online -- Times Online
Iraq News -- Inform
Iraq Weekly Status Report -- U.S. State Department
Iraq Updates
Iraq Coalition Casualty Count

AFGHANISTAN
Afghanistan -- Full Coverage From Yahoo News
Afghanistan Conflict Monitor
Afghanistan Update: April 1-30, 2008 -- Center For Defense Information
Operations In Afghanistan -- U.K. Ministry Of Defense

MIDDLE EAST
Mideast Conflicts -- Full Coverage From Yahoo News
Middle East Coverage -- Memri

SECURITY AND TERRORISM
Security -- MSNBC
Terrorism -- Full Coverage From Yahoo News
Terrorism -- MSNBC
National Terror Alert Response Center

U.S. MILITARY NEWS
U.S. Department Of Defense News
News in The Military -- Military News
Stars And Stripes
U.S. Armed Forces News -- Full Coverage From Yahoo News
Index Of Military Blogs: Stories Updated Daily -- Military.com
Milblogging: Stories Updated Daily -- Index Of Military Blogs
Directory Of Intelligence Sites -- Strategic IntelligenceComplete