CIA Drone Program May Shift To The Pentagon

US Military May Take Over Part Of CIA Drone War -- Space Daily/AFP

President Barack Obama's administration is looking at easing the secrecy around the drone war against Al-Qaeda by shifting control for some air strikes from the CIA to the US military, officials say.

But the move would likely not apply to drone attacks in Pakistan, where most of the bombing raids take place.

And even if the policy change is carried out, Obama has no intention of abandoning a tactic that his advisers say has decimated the Al-Qaeda network.

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Update: U.S. may shift more drones away from CIA -- UPI

My Comment: The White House is responding to the concerns from Congress on the CIA's growing drone program. Will this be enough to placate them .... probably. There is little if any outrage from the American public/media/academia/etc. on this program, and as long as that remains, the drone wars and targeted killings will continue.

Dire Warnings From the Joint Chiefs On Sequestration

The Few, The Proud Will Become The Fewer, The Sad Under Sequester: Joint Chiefs -- Washington Times

Automatic defense spending cuts set to begin Friday will hurt troops’ morale, readiness and their families and could damage the Pentagon’s ability to recruit an all-volunteer force, military chiefs told Congress on Tuesday.

Soldiers will have “degraded access to medical care” because the cuts will result in furloughs of more than 250,000 Army civilians, including those who staff military medical facilities, said Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, the Army chief of staff.

Soldiers’ tuition assistance, military elementary school, day care programs and spouse employment services also would be affected by the cuts, he told the House Appropriations defense subcommittee.

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My Comment: After today the U.S. military will (officially) begin it's decline.

A New Paint Job For USS Freedom

Navy Littoral Combat Ship Sails For Singapore With New Camo Paint -- Aol Defense

Amidst all the budgetary gridlock, it's nice to know something still works in the federal government. The first of the Navy's controversial Littoral Combat Ships, LCS-1 Freedom, will sail for Singapore, our not-quite-ally, this Friday, March 1st -- the same day the sequestration cuts will start taking effect -- sporting a new camouflage paint job that sets its apart from traditional naval vessels.(Paint schemes and the cost of applying them to something as massive as a warship are a big deal in the Navy).

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My Comment: That's a lot of paint.

An End To The Turkish - Kurdish War?

Kurds take part in a demonstration calling for the release of Kurdistan Workers Party [PKK] leader Abdullah Ocalan, in Strasbourg, eastern France, Feb. 16, 2013. Voice of America

Reports: Kurdish Militants Consider Plan To End Near 30-Year Conflict In Turkey -- NBC

ISTANBUL — Jailed Kurdish militant leader Abdullah Ocalan envisages the withdrawal of his fighters from Turkey by August under a draft peace plan sent to his group's leadership and Kurdish politicians, media reports said Wednesday.

Held in an island jail since his capture in 1999, Ocalan has been negotiating with Turkey's government since October over the outlines of a deal to end a conflict which has killed 40,000 people since his fighters took up arms in 1984.

Under the plan — to which his Kurdistan Workers Party was expected to respond within two weeks — the rebels would begin a formal ceasefire on March 21, the Kurdish New Year, said the Sabah and Star newspapers, which are close to the government.

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More News On Reports That The War Between Turkey And It's Kurdish Minority Is Coming To An End

Official: Jailed Kurdish leader wants fighters to retreat from Turkey in the summer -- Washington Post/AP
Kurdish rebel leader sees Turkey pullout by August: media -- Reuters
Kurdish Rebel Leader Issues Dire Warning for Turkey -- Voice of America
Jailed PKK chief Ocalan ‘to declare ceasefire on March 21’ -- International News
Ocalan Expected to Call For a PKK Cease-fire -- Al-Monitor
Ocalan negotiations bring Turkey a step closer to peace with Kurds -- The National
Mob Siege of Kurdish MPs Shows Threats to Erdogan Peace Effort -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Will Turkey Make Peace With the Kurds? -- Harvey Morris, IHT

Iraqi Premier Warns That If Syria's Assad Should Fall, It Would Spark A Civil War In Iraq

Prime Minister of Iraq Nuri al-Maliki listens to an opening speech during the Sarafiya bridge opening in Kadhimiya, Iraq. 27 May 2008. Wikipedia

Iraq PM Warns Of Syria Crisis Spillover -- Al Jazeera

Nouri AL-Maliki says most dangerous outcome for Syria is an opposition victory as it will lead to sectarian war in Iraq.

Iraq's prime minister has warned that a victory for rebels in the Syrian civil war will create a new extremist haven and destabilise the wider Middle East, sparking a sectarian war in his own country, a civil war in Lebanon and a division in Jordan.

Nouri al-Maliki stopped short of voicing outright support for Syrian President Bashar Assad's embattled regime.

But his comments in a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press on Wednesday marked one of his strongest warnings yet about the turmoil that the collapse of the Syrian government could create.

"If the world does not agree to support a peaceful solution through dialogue ... then I see no light at the end of the tunnel,'' al-Maliki said.

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Update #1: Iraqi premier warns Syrian rebel victory would spark wars in Iraq and Lebanon -- Washington Post/AP
Update #2: Iraq PM Nouri al-Maliki warns Syrian rebel victory could destabilize region in AP interview -- Global Post

My Comment: Iraq is not helping the situation by doing this.

Picture Of The Day

Chuck Hagel, left, takes the oath of office to serve as the 24th defense secretary from Michael L. Rhodes, the Defense Department's director of administration and management, as Hagel's wife, Lilibet, holds a Bible at the Pentagon, Feb. 27, 2013. DOD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley

The Rise Of Africa's Drug Cartels

Cocaine trafficking routes in West Africa. Illustration: United Nations

Out: Latin American Drug Cartels. In: African Drug Cartels -- Danger Room

For years, West African cocaine traffickers have worked as mules for Latin American drug cartels seeking to smuggle their powder to Europe. But now the mules are going independent — and muscling their former bosses out of some of the world’s most in-demand drug turf.

According to a report released this week by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, West African drug smugglers are playing a more direct role in trafficking the $1.25 billion worth of cocaine moving through the region every year. Most of the region’s cocaine still originates with Latin American cartels like the FARC, but these cartels’ direct involvement in trafficking drugs through Africa to Europe has declined. In their place, West African trafficking groups are building their own narcotics transport and distribution systems, pushing out the Latin Americans, and are now producing their own methamphetamine on a large scale.

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My Comment: Europe is now going to have a taste of the same problems that the U.S. has south of it's border.

Fewer Now Say U.S. No. 1 Military Power In The World

47% Of Americans Don't Believe The U.S. Is The World's Top Military Power -- Foreign Policy

A somewhat baffling finding from Pew. The drop-off since 2010 seems to be the result of Republicans who think the U.S. has weakened militarily under Barack Obama -- in 2010, 73 percent put the U.S. at number one.

Today, Republicans and Democrats acutally feel about the same, with 53 percent and 55 percent respectively saying that the U.S. military is No. 1. Independents, on the other hand, are less sure, with only 43 percent saying they think the U.S. has the most powerful military.

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WNU Editor: Gallop's complete poll results are here.

Military Breakdown Of Chinese, Japanese, And Taiwanese Forces

(Click on image to Enlarge)

My Comment: The Japanese do not have the numbers .... so they better have the quality.

Chinese - Japanese Tensions Continue To "Boil"

Beijing War Prep -- Washington Free Beacon

China moves mobile missiles near coast amid tensions with Japan over islands.

United States intelligence agencies recently detected China’s military shifting road-mobile ballistic missiles closer to its southern coast near the disputed Senkaku Islands amid growing tensions between Beijing and Japan over the islands dispute.

U.S. defense officials said the movements are being watched closely as China’s military is also holding large-scale military exercises that some fear could be a trigger for a conflict with Japan that could involve U.S. forces.

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More News On The Rising Tensions Between China And Japan

Three Chinese ships in disputed waters: Japan coastguard -- Times of India/AFP
China: Japan's claims to islands 'invalid' -- UPI
China rejects Japanese media's armed surveillance ship claim -- Xinhuanet
China says it placed buoys near islands disputed with Japan to monitor ocean conditions -- Washington Post/AP
Abe Stands Resolute on Senkaku Islands During Meeting With Obama -- Epoch Times
Shinzo Abe accuses China's rulers of using island disputes to retain power -- The Guardian/Washington Post
China-Japan dispute a powder keg, says US -- The Australian