Friday, May 31, 2013

Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- May 31, 2013



The Drone War Is Far From Over -- Akbar Ahmed, New York Times

WHEN people in Washington talk about shrinking the drone program, as President Obama promised to do last week, they are mostly concerned with placating Pakistan, where members of the newly elected government have vowed to end violations of the country’s sovereignty. But the drone war is alive and well in the remote corners of Pakistan where the strikes have caused the greatest and most lasting damage.

Drone strikes like Wednesday’s, in Waziristan, are destroying already weak tribal structures and throwing communities into disarray throughout Pakistan’s tribal belt along the border with Afghanistan. The chaos and rage they produce endangers the Pakistani government and fuels anti-Americanism. And the damage isn’t limited to Pakistan. Similar destruction is occurring in other traditional tribal societies like Afghanistan, Somalia and Yemen. The tribes on the periphery of these nations have long struggled for more autonomy from the central government, first under colonial rule and later against the modern state. The global war on terror has intensified that conflict.

Read more ....

Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials

Which of Syria's neighbors has most to lose in the fight? -- Jeff Neumann, Global Post

Why Russia sells Syria arms -- Steve Rosenberg, BBC News

How Russia Undercuts Itself with the S-300 -- Dore Gold, Jerusalem Post

Syria and the Middle East: our greatest miscalculation since the rise of fascism -- Simon Jenkins, The Guardian

UNICEF: Syria risks a lost generation -- CNN (video)

Forget diplomacy: With Iran, pressure works -- Reuel Marc Gerecht and Mark Dubowitz, The Globe and Mail

The Wild West in East Africa -- James Bridger and Jay Bahadur, Foreign Policy

EU Foreign Policy Needs a Reset -- Ulrich Speck, Real Clear World

The German "diktat" and its discontents -- Fabio Rafael Fiallo, The Commentator

Europe’s unemployment conundrum -- Bruce Stokes, Pew Research Center

World News Briefs -- May 31, 2013 (Evening Edition)

Forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad are seen in Arjoun village near Qusair town May 30, 2013. REUTERS- Rami Bleible

Assad Forces Advance; West, Russia Exchange Barbs Ahead Of Talks -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad tightened their siege of rebels in a strategic town on Friday, in a counter-offensive that is shifting the balance of the Syrian war ahead of a peace conference next month.

Rebels said they had managed to infiltrate new fighters into the town of Qusair on the Lebanese frontier, where they are encircled by Assad's army and his allies in Lebanon's Hezbollah militia who have openly joined the war on his behalf.

The battle comes amid a blizzard of diplomacy ahead of the conference called by the United States and Russia, the first time in a year that the global powers ranged on opposing sides in Syria's civil war have agreed to talk about a way to end it.

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MIDDLE EAST

Assad warns Israel as 'rebels flood Qusayr'.

France says 3,000-4,000 Hezbollah are fighting in Syria.

Russia unlikely to send S-300 missiles to Syria before autumn: Interfax.

UN blacklists Syria's al-Nusra Front.

Turkey arrests anti-government protesters.

Iran petrochemical industry targeted for U.S. sanctions.

Iran's presidential candidates debate justice and a 'resistance economy'.

Iran candidate Jalili says women’s rights are as mothers.

U.S. to loosen sanctions on Iran for mobile phones, gadgets.

Palestinians warn that Israeli settlement plans could scupper peace talks efforts.

ASIA

Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi speaks out.

NATO to hold 2014 summit on Afghanistan troop withdrawal.

Foreign fighters flow into southern Afghanistan to battle US, allied forces.

Myanmar, Kachin reach tentative ceasefire.

Bhutan readies for first stage of key elections.

India and China tackle border dispute.

India's economic growth at slowest rate in a decade.

Kyrgyzstan imposes state of emergency to protect Centerra mine.

China's Tiananmen Mothers criticize Xi for lack of reforms.

AFRICA

Guards at Libyan oil field protest, force shutdown.

Libya not ready to try Saif al-Islam Gaddafi - ICC.

Sudanese rebels say shoot down army helicopter in oil area.

Libya steps up fight against militias. Insight: Libya becomes 'the new Mali' as Islamists shift in Sahara.

Militants threaten 'all West Africa'.

Malians in Gao protest against French 'bias'.

Darfur tribes' battle for gum arabic trade leads to 64 deaths.

Nigeria arrests trio over 'Hezbollah cell'.

Egyptian draft law said to dash hopes of free civil society.

After war, Ivory Coast struggles with reconciliation process.

Graphic photos of Oscar Pistorius crime scene leaked.

EUROPE

Italy announces first case of SARS-like coronavirus.

Eurozone unemployment hits another record high. Eurozone unemployment hits record high of 19.4m in April.

Frankfurt 'Blockupy' protesters surround ECB.

Putin economy reshuffle to strengthen Kremlin: sources.

No quick return of a brilliant Russian economist expected, as politics weigh.

Census reveals German population lower than thought.

British taxpayers to pay 'millions' towards secretive Bilderberg meeting.

AMERICAS

Colombia's Santos calls Venezuela plot accusations "crazy".

Russian oil company suspends exploration in Cuba.

IRS may have targeted conservatives more broadly.

Boston bombing suspect is walking, mother says.

Eric Holder's offer of talks on spying scandal divides US media.

Brazil faces 1970s stagflation as resource boom wilts.

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford 'will not resign'.

Relatives seek answers over mass kidnapping in Mexico.

After tour abroad, dissident blogger Sanchez returns to Cuba.

Cuba says inclusion on U.S. terrorist list 'shameful'.

Update: SOUTHCOM ISR helped kill 32 'narco-terrorists'.

TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR

Intel dilemma in Boston, London, Paris attacks.

Tehran says U.S., not Iran, sponsors terrorism.

Al Qaeda remains a threat to U.S. via its franchises despite Obama’s boast.

Iran's sponsorship of terrorism sees "marked resurgence" : U.S..

State: Hezbollah sees 'resurgence' on world stage.

Guantánamo Bay hunger strike worsens.

Corpus Christi man gets 25 years in plot to use drug cartel to kill Saudi ambassador.

Latest issue of al Qaeda magazine Inspire celebrates Boston bombings.

ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS

Roiled by mystery GMO wheat, US races to reassure buyers.

Plan by Google’s Motorola to open Tex. factory signals shift as tech firms look to add U.S. jobs.

Ex-Microsoft manager plans to create first U.S. marijuana brand.

Megaupload wins access to data seized in police raid.

The Conflicts In Libya And Mali Are Now Spreading To Nigeria


Nigerian Islamist Militants Return From Mali With Weapons, Skills -- Washington Post

Maiduguri, Nigeria — The Islamist insurgency in northern Nigeria has entered a more violent phase as militants return to the fight with sophisticated weapons and tactics learned on the battlefields of nearby Mali, Nigerian officials and analysts say.

Hundreds of people have died this year in bombings, shootings and clashes with security forces in this vast region of the country, where the militant group Boko Haram seeks to overthrow the government and install an ultraconservative brand of Islam.

The militants, who traveled to northern Mali last year to the fight there, have returned with heavy weapons from Libya, presumably from former Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi’s arsenal. Malian militants also used weapons smuggled in from Libya to seize northern Mali last year.

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My Comment: The failure of the West to secure and/or destroy Libya's weapon stockpiles has turned into a disaster for North African countries .... especially since Al Qaeda and it's affiliates have been able to grab a good chunk of this arsenal. This could have all been avoided. The experts predicted that this was going to happen .... but the Western coalition who participated in the overthrow of Gaddafi choose to ignore it.

President Obama: NATO Summit In 2014 To Focus On Afghanistan Withdrawal

US President Barack Obama meets Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. Reuters Photo

NATO To Hold 2014 Summit On Afghanistan Troop Withdrawal -- Reuters

(Reuters) - NATO countries will hold a summit next year to discuss troop withdrawals from Afghanistan, U.S. President Barack Obama said on Friday after a meeting with NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

The United States and its 28 NATO allies have been working toward withdrawing combat troops in 2014, a milestone Rasmussen said is in sight.

There are 62,000 U.S. troops and 34,000 NATO troops in Afghanistan. Obama and Rasmussen did not say how many would remain in the country to help support the Afghan government as it takes responsibility for its own security.

Rasmussen said NATO is preparing a training mission for Afghanistan in 2015. "It will be a very different mission. A non-combat mission with a significantly lower number of troops," he said.

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More News On NATO To Hold 2014 Summit On Afghanistan Troop Withdrawal

Obama, NATO's Rasmussen discuss end of combat in Afghanistan -- UPI
NATO to hold summit in 2014 on Afghanistan troop withdrawal -- Deutsche Welle
Obama: NATO To Hold Afghanistan Summit Next Year -- AP
NATO summit in 2014 to focus on Afghanistan, says Obama -- Khaama Press
Nato summit on Afghanistan next year: Obama -- DAWN/AFP
Obama: NATO summit in 2014 will focus on Afghanistan -- USA Today
Obama Says Next NATO Summit to Focus on Postwar Afghanistan -- Bloomberg Businessweek

Pakistani Taliban Withdraws From Peace Talks After Number Two Killed In US Drone Strike



Pakistani Taliban Call Off Peace Talks -- Wall Street Journal

The Pakistani Taliban on Thursday called off plans to open peace talks with the country's newly elected government, reacting to a U.S. drone strike that killed the militant group's deputy leader a day earlier.

FAISALABAD, Pakistan—The Pakistani Taliban on Thursday called off plans to open peace talks with the country’s newly elected government, reacting to a U.S. drone strike that killed the militant group’s deputy leader a day earlier.

The extremist movement, which is closely linked with al Qaeda and is separate from the Afghan Taliban, also vowed revenge, accusing Islamabad of approving the U.S. drone attacks.

Ehsanullah Ehsan, the Pakistani Taliban spokesman, confirmed the death of the group’s deputy leader, Wali ur Rehman, in Wednesday’s drone strike in Pakistani tribal areas, and said the prospect of peace talks was “terminated” by the killing.

“The government is killing our leadership in collusion with the U.S. And yet it speaks of peace talks,” said Mr. Ehsan.

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More News on The Pakistan Taliban Calling-Off Peace Talks

Pakistan Taliban rejects peace talks after No. 2 killed -- USA Today
Feature: Taliban militants scuttle peace overtures after leader killed by U.S. drone -- Xinhuanet
Taliban rejects peace talks -- Philly.com/Washington Post
Pakistani Taliban withdraws peace talks offer after No. 2 reportedly killed -- FOX News/AP
Taliban rejects peace talks after deputy chief killed in US drone strike -- NBC
Pakistani Taliban says it’ll seek revenge for CIA drone killing of their No. 2 -- Kansas City/McClatchy News
Pakistan's Sharif condemns US drone strike on Taliban -- BBC
Kerry defends US drone policy after strike takes out senior Taliban member in Pakistan -- Washington Post/AP
Strike Against Pakistani Taliban Ends Drone Cease-fire -- US News and World Report

Leading Economist Flees Russia

Sergey Guriev (RIA Novosti / Grigoriy Sisoev)

Russia Forces Out One of Its Best Minds -- Foreign Policy

Putin's crackdown reaches into the establishment. Is anyone safe?

The news that Sergei Guriev has been forced to leave Russia under legal pressure is truly shocking because he is not a member of the opposition but an eminent representative of the liberal wing of the establishment. If Guriev is compelled to leave the country, any Russian citizen can face that fate.

Guriev, 41, is a truly outstanding individual. He was trained as an economist at MIT and Princeton and has an impressive record of academic publications in the foremost international journals, with particular interest in the role of oligarchs and the economics of happiness. At the tender age of 32, he became the president of the New Economic School (NES), a distinguished graduate program in Moscow, which he has developed into the best economics education not only in Russia, but on the European continent.

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More News On Sergei Guriev Decision To Leave Russia

Exiled Russian economist: I chose freedom over fear -- Reuters
Russian economist critical of Putin escaped ‘bogus’ legal pressure in new Khodorkovsky case -- Washington Post
Russian economist critical of Putin flees pressure -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Russian economist critical of Putin escaped "bogus" legal pressure in new Khodorkovsky case -- FOX News/AP
Russia's leading economist explains he fled the country after being investigated -- RT
Leading Economist Gives Up On Putin's Russia -- Paul Roderick Gregory, Forbes

My Comment: There has been an unwritten rule in Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union. You can make money and enjoy it .... but you must not get involved in politics. If you do get involved in politics .... expect Putin and his cohorts to go after you. Moscow's targeting of Sergei Guriev is particularly disturbing because he is being attacked for his ideals and his philosophy .... not his politics. And if he is attacked .... that tells everyone .... including this blogger whose nationality is Russian .... that no one is safe.

Syrian War Seen Dragging On For Years



Analysis: Syrian War Seen Dragging On For Years -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad cannot regain full control of his battered country and his rebel foes are not strong enough to overthrow him, dooming Syria to months or even years of sectarian civil war.

Bolstered by his Iranian and Russian backers, Assad has chalked up some military successes in recent weeks, defying his many critics, who have been confidently predicting his imminent downfall since the start of the uprising in March 2011.

But any suggestion his government might secure the total defeat of its disparate opponents shows little understanding of the nature of the war or the multitude of forces involved.

"As things stand, the regime cannot reconquer, it cannot reconcile, it cannot reform and it cannot rebuild," said Peter Harling, a project director at the International Crisis Group.

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My Comment: Syria's civil war may not only last a few more years .... but it has the potential to get even more bloodier if this happens.

US And Germany Urge Russia To Not Send Missiles And Weapons To Assad's Syrian Military



US And Germany Urge Russia Not To Arm Syria Military -- BBC

The US and Germany have called on Russia not to supply Syria's military with an advanced missile system they say could prolong the conflict there.

US Secretary of State John Kerry said the delivery of Russian weaponry would have a "profoundly negative impact" and put Israel's security at risk.

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle urged Moscow not to hinder the chances of mooted peace talks.

The US and Russia are pushing for talks in Geneva aimed at ending the conflict.

Mr Kerry and Mr Westerwelle held talks in Washington the day after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said a Russian contract to supply the S-300 surface-to-air missile defence system was being implemented, without confirming any deliveries.

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More News On The U.S. And Germany Urging Russia To Not Arm The Syrian Military

US, Germany to Russia: Don't send Assad missiles -- Bloomberg Businessweek/AP
US, Germany to Russia: Don't hurt Syria peace efforts -- Jerusalem Post/Reuters
German FM warns Russia S-300 shipment 'totally wrong' -- YNet News
German FM blasts arms sales to Assad -- Jerusalem Post/Reuters
The price will be high, but the solution to Syria lies in Moscow -- Ehud Barak, National Post

My Comment: Russia regards Assad as a loyal ally .... they are not going to abandon him.


How Did U.S. Ambassador Stevens Die During The Attack In Benghazi

President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton pause as the national anthem is played during the dignified transfer ceremony for the U.S. Ambassador to Libya J. Christopher Stevens, Foreign Service officer Sean Smith, and security officers Tyrone S. Woods and Glen A. Doherty on Joint Base Andrews, Md., Sept. 14, 2012. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo

Officials Instructed Benghazi Hospital To List Stevens As "John Doe" -- CBS

U.S. officials gave instructions for Benghazi Medical Center to use a "John Doe" pseudonym on the death certificate of Ambassador Christopher Stevens after he died of asphyxiation in the Sept. 11, 2012 terrorist attacks on the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya. That's according to a U.S. official speaking on condition of anonymity because the official isn't authorized to speak publicly on the matter. The reason for the pseudonym, says the official, was to avoid drawing undue attention to the importance of the victim as Americans rushed to figure out how to recover Stevens' body and return it to the U.S.

The official provided the most complete accounting yet of Stevens' whereabouts and passing in the eight and a half months since his death.

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My Comment: Kudos to Sharyl Attkisson for uncovering even more facts of this attack. I find it amazing that even 8 months after the attack .... key information is still classified.

After Benghazi, U.S. Army Sets Up African Response Team In Djibouti

Photo: US Navy, Camp Lemonnier. Camp Lemonnier, Republic of Djibouti

Army Sets Up Response Team In East Africa Months After Benghazi Attack -- Washington Times

The Army now has a rapid response force in East Africa in case of another terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya, the Army‘ deputy director of strategy, plans and policy said Thursday.

During a media roundtable at the Pentagon, ArmyBrig. Gen. Kimberly Field said the response team was established in April in Djibouti with 129 troops from the 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, based in Fort Riley, Kansas.

“They are a response force specifically trained and ready to respond to a crisis such as [Benghazi … which we didn’t have before,” Gen. Field said. “They’re ready to get where they need to be.”

Former Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta ordered the team be established after U.S. and Libyan forces were unable to stop a terrorist attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi on Sept. 11.

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My Comment: Better late than never.

A Look At The U.S. Withdrawal From Afghanistan



Afghanistan: Drawdown -- Al Jazeera

As the US draws back its combat forces from Afghanistan, what will they leave behind?

By 2014, in line with a pledge made by President Barack Obama, the US aims to have withdrawn all its combat troops from Afghanistan.

Indeed, quietly and unobtrusively, that process has already begun. As units come to the end of their tour of duty they are not being replaced, military hardware is being packed into containers and trucks ready for the long trip home and responsibility for the country’s security is gradually being handed over to units of the Afghan army and police.

People & Power has been tracking the countdown to the withdrawal through an occasional series of films on the latter days of the Nato coalition’s long ground war against the Taliban.

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WNU Editor: An Al jazeera documentary on the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Afghanistan War News Updates -- May 31, 2013


Marines Stand Back As Afghans Take Lead -- Washington Times

Yet the threat of danger never far away even with reduced combat role

CAMP DWYER, Afghanistan — For Marines training and working with Afghan troops to help secure their war-torn country, danger is ever-present — even at bases operated by their Afghan counterparts.

Marines inside Afghan bases are instructed to keep their guns on the highest readiness condition, and are always accompanied by “guardian angels” — Marines who provide security for those interacting with Afghan troops.

Meanwhile, most Afghan troops are not allowed to carry weapons in their bases, except for security guards.

“There are about 800 Afghans here — 799 of those Afghans are awesome,” Marine Lt. Col. Philip Treglia, the officer in charge of advising the Afghan National Army’s 1st Brigade of the 215th Maiwand Corps, said at Camp Garmsir, an Afghan base near his Marines’ Camp Dwyer. “It’s that ‘one’ you have to worry about, and it’s not because of the Taliban. It’s because he got into an argument that morning.

Read more ....

More News On Afghanistan

ISAF Joint Command Operational Update -- ISAF
45 Taliban killed or injured during clashes with villagers in Ghazni -- Khaama Press
3 Afghan Militants Killed, 3 Arrested In Firefight With Security Forces -- RTT
Suicide bombers attack peaceful province in Afghan north -- Reuters
Six suicide attackers killed in Afghanistan -- Global Post/AFP
Afghans claim 6 arrested in Kabul attack plot -- AP
Major Attack On Kabul Thwarted: Afghan Intelligence -- RTT
Cross-border shelling by Pakistan kill 1, injure 2 in Nuristan -- Khaama Press
Afghanistan Red Cross office attack sets dangerous precedent for aid work -- The Guardian
Commander Says Afghan Forces Lead Fight in Sangin -- Military.com
ISAF Commander: Taliban Defeat Imminent In Sangin Fighting -- RTT
Fighting season is testing ground for Afghan force -- The Guardian/AP
American general: 'Not feasible' to completely destroy the Taliban in Afghanistan -- NBC
War in Afghanistan set to cost every British household £2,000 as bill soars to £4billion -- Daily Mail
Growing crystal meth use blurs drug-hungry Afghanistan's future -- Reuters
Afghanistan: Fatal Embarrassment -- Strategy Page
It takes a village to raze an insurgency -- Dr. Daniel R. Green, Foreign Policy

World News Briefs -- May 31, 2013

Police stand guard during an anti-capitalist "Blockupy" demonstration near the European Central Bank (ECB) headquarters in Frankfurt this morning. Photograph: KAI PFAFFENBACH/REUTERS

Eurozone Jobless Rate Hits Record High As Blockupy Hold Anti-Austerity Protests - Live -- The Guardian

Live• Nearly one in four young people out of work
• Demonstrations against Europe's debt crisis policies taking place in Frankfurt • Blockupy video
• ECB: we're still working
• Italy's jobless rate hits 12%

Read more ....

MIDDLE EAST

Assad warns Israel as 'rebels flood Qusayr'.

France says 3,000-4,000 Hezbollah are fighting in Syria.

Russia unlikely to send S-300 missiles to Syria before autumn: Interfax.

Iran candidate Jalili says women’s rights are as mothers.

U.S. to loosen sanctions on Iran for mobile phones, gadgets.

Palestinians warn that Israeli settlement plans could scupper peace talks efforts.

ASIA

Foreign fighters flow into southern Afghanistan to battle US, allied forces.

Myanmar, Kachin reach tentative ceasefire.

Bhutan readies for first stage of key elections.

India and China tackle border dispute.

India's economic growth at slowest rate in a decade.

Kyrgyzstan imposes state of emergency to protect Centerra mine.

China's Tiananmen Mothers criticize Xi for lack of reforms.

AFRICA

Libya steps up fight against militias. Insight: Libya becomes 'the new Mali' as Islamists shift in Sahara.

Militants threaten 'all West Africa'.

Malians in Gao protest against French 'bias'.

Darfur tribes' battle for gum arabic trade leads to 64 deaths.

Nigeria arrests trio over 'Hezbollah cell'.

Egyptian draft law said to dash hopes of free civil society.

After war, Ivory Coast struggles with reconciliation process.

EUROPE

Eurozone unemployment hits another record high. Eurozone unemployment hits record high of 19.4m in April.

Frankfurt 'Blockupy' protesters surround ECB.

Putin economy reshuffle to strengthen Kremlin: sources.

No quick return of a brilliant Russian economist expected, as politics weigh.

Census reveals German population lower than thought.

British taxpayers to pay 'millions' towards secretive Bilderberg meeting.

AMERICAS

Boston bombing suspect is walking, mother says.

Eric Holder's offer of talks on spying scandal divides US media.

Brazil faces 1970s stagflation as resource boom wilts.

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford 'will not resign'.

Relatives seek answers over mass kidnapping in Mexico.

After tour abroad, dissident blogger Sanchez returns to Cuba.

Cuba says inclusion on U.S. terrorist list 'shameful'.

Update: SOUTHCOM ISR helped kill 32 'narco-terrorists'.

TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR

Al Qaeda remains a threat to U.S. via its franchises despite Obama’s boast.

Iran's sponsorship of terrorism sees "marked resurgence" : U.S..

State: Hezbollah sees 'resurgence' on world stage.

Guantánamo Bay hunger strike worsens.

Corpus Christi man gets 25 years in plot to use drug cartel to kill Saudi ambassador.

Latest issue of al Qaeda magazine Inspire celebrates Boston bombings.

ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS

Roiled by mystery GMO wheat, US races to reassure buyers.

Plan by Google’s Motorola to open Tex. factory signals shift as tech firms look to add U.S. jobs.

Ex-Microsoft manager plans to create first U.S. marijuana brand.

Megaupload wins access to data seized in police raid.

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- May 31, 2013

Gen. James F. Amos, commandant of the Marine Corps. Photo Credit: Marine Corps

Top Marine Sees A Future Of Perpetual War -- Sandra I. Erwin, National Defense

President Obama last week said the United States is ready to move beyond the war on terror. The nation's military, meanwhile, is preparing for a future of continuous combat.

“I don’t see any indication that things are going to settle down or become peaceful,” said Gen. James F. Amos, commandant of the Marine Corps.

Speaking at The Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., May 29, Amos said he is convinced that the U.S. military during the next two decades will be just as busy as it has been during the past 12 years of war. When asked to forecast the Marine Corps’ future missions, Amos said, “I see much of what we’re going through right now. I don’t see any of it waning away. I don’t see major theater wars. I see thorny, difficult, challenging, human intensive — not necessarily technology intensive — conflicts.”

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MILITARY AND INTELLIGENCE NEWS BRIEFS

Cyber threats pose 'stealthy, insidious' danger: defense chief -- Reuters

Air Force boosts cyber mission capabilities -- Air Force Times

‘We don’t need US military secrets’: Beijing slams White House theft claim -- RT

Russia Receives Payment Under Iraqi Arms Deal -- RIA Novosti

Russia Ready to Help Rearm Finnish Army – Defense Minister -- RIA Novosti

China dismisses US cyberspying paper -- Defense News/AFP

Indian navy eyes high-tech options for future aircraft carriers -- Business Standard

Asia-Pacific Defense Leaders Meet in Singapore; Hagel to Attend -- Defense News

Canadian navy announces designs for new ships, says the military has placed its future in industry’s hands -- National Post

Italy's ruling party divided over order for F-35 combat jets -- Reuters

Navy ships form first line of US missile defence against Iran and N. Korea -- Straits Times

Army Chief Outlines Worries About Allies, Terrorism, Budgets -- Defense News

F-15s deemed safe after crash off Okinawa, base says -- Stars and Stripes

U.S. Navy Details Amphibious Ship Mods Required For F-35 -- Aviation Week

Navy Developing Unmanned Mine-Detection Boat -- Defense Tech

LCS Pursues Next-Generation Submarine Sonar -- Defense Tech

Over 120 Lawmakers to US Army: Reverse Abrams Tank Plans -- Defense News

Push To Keep Lima Tank Plant Gathers Steam Before HASC Markup -- Breaking Defense

Army’s Fingerprint and Iris Databases Head for the Cloud -- Danger Room

Odierno: Don't rule out ground wars when cutting Army forces -- Stars and Stripes

Pentagon Furloughs Hit Hardest in Virginia, California -- Bloomberg

FY15 Guidance Takes Sequester Into Account -- Defense News

A sequestration sequel: DoD orders military to brace for bigger '14 cut -- Army Times

Dempsey: Military ready to trim numbers, perks of top brass -- Stars and Stripes

The do’s and don’ts of defense spending -- Michael Dodge, Washington Times

Rape Victim: Retaliation Prevalent in Military -- AP

DoD Launches Chat Room for Sexual Assault Victims -- Military.com

Panetta inks deal to write memoir -- The Hill

Petraeus lands job at investment firm -- The Hill

GOP’s War On Terror 2.0: More Drones, More Missiles, More Boots On Ground -- David Axe, Breaking Defense

Time to think carefully and strategically about a military profession in crisis -- Peter Feaver, Shadow Government/Foreign Policy

Top U.S. Army General: British Defence Cuts Are Already Jeopardising US-UK Joint Operations

Photo: GEN Raymond T. Odierno, as the 38th Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, 2011. Wikipedia

US Fears Over Cuts In British Defence -- The Telegraph

Defence cuts will leave the British Army “dependent” on its US counterparts, a senior American commander has warned.


General Ray Odierno revealed that he has repeatedly raised concerns with British defence chiefs that Britain’s shrinking forces will be unable to work alongside the Americans.

Gen Odierno’s comments come as ministers fight over a fresh round of spending reductions that could force another round of defence cuts.

The British Army is losing 20,000 regular posts, shrinking to 82,000 soldiers by 2015. Armoured units, including the Desert Rats, are losing their tanks.

Gen Odierno said that such cuts are already jeopardising US-UK joint operations, and leaving the British reliant on American forces.

“As the British Army continues to reduce in size we’ve had several conversations about keeping them integrated in what we’re trying to do,” he said.

Read more ....

My Comment: If present trends continue .... joint U.S. - U.K. operations will be a thing of the past.

Update: Army Chief Outlines Worries About Allies, Terrorism, Budgets -- Defense News

How Not To Build A Submarine

Too Heavy: Engineers are addressing a design flaw with the Isaac Peral, lead ship of Spanish builder Navantia's new class of subs, that made it so heavy it would be unable to resurface if it submerges. (Navantia)

Spain's £1.75Billion Submarine Programme Is Torpedoed After Realising Near-Complete Vessel Is 70 Tonnes Too Heavy Because Engineer Put Decimal Point In The Wrong Place -- Daily Mail

* Experts fear that the Isaac Peral will not surface again if sent to sea
* The mistake will cost £9million over three years to rectify
* A US company is to present a range of options to Spanish officials
* The project could be set back two years by the error

A £1.75billion Spanish submarine project has run aground after officials realised that the vessel is more than 70 tonnes too heavy - because an engineer put a decimal point in the wrong place.

A former Spanish official has described the mistake, which has led to fears that the submarine might not resurface if sent to sea, as 'fatal'.

The Isaac Peral, the first in a new class of diesel electric submarines, was almost complete when the problem was noticed.

Read more ....

Update: Navantia Gets US Help To Fix Overweight Sub -- Defense News

My Comment: Ooooppps.

China's Defense Ministry: No Need To Steal U.S. Military Secrets



China Says It Has No Need To Steal U.S. Military Secrets -- Reuters

(Reuters) - China's Defense Ministry dismissed as ridiculous on Thursday a U.S. report that Chinese hackers have gained access to designs of more than two dozen major U.S. weapons systems, saying the country needed no outside help for its military development.

The Washington Post cited a U.S. Defense Science Board report as saying that the compromised U.S. designs included those for combat aircraft and ships, as well as missile defenses vital for Europe, Asia and the Gulf. Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Geng Yansheng dismissed the report, which the Pentagon and other U.S. defense officials have downplayed as outdated and overstated.  

Read more ....

Update: ‘We don’t need US military secrets’: Beijing slams White House theft claim. -- RT  

My Comment: No one is believing this claim from China.

Has The Pentagon Made A Mistake In Inviting China To The 2014 Rim Of The Pacific Naval Exercise?

Ships and submarines participating in the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2012 exercise are seen underway in close formation during the exercise on July 27. (Chief MCS Keith Devinney / Navy)

America's China Mistake -- L.A. Times Editorial

As Beijing becomes more bellicose, Washington clings to the hope that military-to-military relations will somehow relieve tensions. They won't.

This spring, China's navy accepted the Pentagon's invitation to participate in the 2014 Rim of the Pacific — RIMPAC — naval exercise to be held off Hawaii. This will be the first time China takes part in the biennial event.

Our allies should signal their intent to withdraw from the exercise if China participates. Failing that, the invitation should be withdrawn. RIMPAC is for allies and friends, not nations planning to eventually wage war on the United States. Russia sent ships in 2012, but while its senior officers may occasionally utter unfriendly words, they are not actively planning to fight the United States. Analyst Robert Sutter was surely correct when he wrote in 2005 that "China is the only large power in the world preparing to shoot Americans."

That assessment, unfortunately, remains true today. Beijing is configuring its forces — especially its navy — to fight ours. For instance, China has deployed along its southern coast its DF-21D, a two-stage solid-fuel missile that can be guided by satellite signals. The missile is dubbed the "carrier killer" because it can be configured to explode in midair, raining down sharp metal on a deck crowded with planes, ordinance, fuel and sailors. Its apparent intent is to drive U.S. forces out of East Asia.

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My Comment: China's naval doctrine is focused on countering and defeating U.S. Pacific forces. Why the U.S. has decided to invite the Chinese to such an exercise with no quid pro quo is beyond me .... it is like inviting the fox into the hen house and hoping that it would behave.

Update: In the L.A. Times poll on this subject .... over 83% are of the opinion that this is a bad idea.

Chinese Military Think Tank Predicts Military Clashes With Japan

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Chinese Think Tank Warns Of Military Clashes With Japan -- Business Standard/Press Trust Of India

A Chinese think tank has warned that China may get involved in a military conflict with Japan over the disputed Diaoyu Islands, as "big powers" have intensified their efforts for geopolitical and military dominance in the strategic Asia-Pacific region.

An annual report released Tuesday by the Centre for National Defence Policy (CNDP), a part of the Academy of Military Sciences of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), has stated that big powers have intensified their efforts for regional dominance and United States has accelerated its eastward shift of its strategic focus.

"Amidst the strategic competition among big powers, the fierce oceanic competition and frequent regional conflicts, the complexity, sensitivity and uncertainty of China's security environment loom large," official Xinhua news agency quoted the report as saying.

The report came amid the latest flare-up in China's row with Japan over the disputed Diaoyu Islands in East China Sea.

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Update: Chinese think tank warns of military clashes with Japan -- National Turk

My Comment: This is a very ominous prediction from a top Chinese military think tank with close ties to the Chinese military and government. In short .... they are predicting a future war with Japan over territorial claims.

Why India Should be Concern About China's Growing Military

China intends to be a predominant military power in the region and will not hesitate to use its armed forces to protect its development interests. Image: Joe Chan / Reuters

Why China's Growing Military Should Concern India -- Anirudha Dutta, Forbes

India has several reasons to be wary of, and counter, China’s military build-up

China’s latest white paper on defence, a once-in-two-year exercise, was issued on April 16. It clearly underscores the importance of the People’s Liberation Army and its pivotal role in the economic development and growth of China. Its military rise is of concern for India, given its proximity to Pakistan, from where India has faced continuous threats of terrorism and military misadventures. The strategic relationship with Pakistan is evident from the number of joint exercises and training carried out in 2011-12 and economic investments.

The white paper emphasises China’s peaceful rise and its intent to “never seek hegemony... But we will surely counterattack if attacked”. China now sees itself as a world power that has arrived and it will likely intrude, even if it is not attacked, based on perceived threat or slight. The report says, “China’s security and development are closely connected with the peace and prosperity of the world as a whole.” This seems at times to be at odds with its sense of insecurity and the challenges that the report highlights in order to justify its massive military build-up.

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My Comment: The Chinese are making their intentions very clear .... and India is only now starting to pay attention.

Is An India - Japan Alliance Being Established To Check China?

India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (L) shakes hands with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe at the start of talks at Abe's official residence in Tokyo May 29, 2013. Reuters

India, Japan Draw Closer, With An Eye On China -- Washington Post

NEW DELHI — During a three-day visit to Japan this week, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh signed several major infrastructure and defense-technology deals, and agreed to speed up dialogue on nuclear cooperation and conduct more joint naval exercises. His host, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, called Singh a “mentorlike leader.”

But the bonhomie appeared calculated, at least in part, to send a not-so-subtle diplomatic message to Beijing in the wake of a border row between India and China last month, as well as the dispute between Japan and China over resource-rich islands in the East China Sea.

The goal, analysts say, is to isolate China with a view to limiting its territorial ambitions in the region.

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More News On The India - Japan Alliance And China's Reaction To It

Japan To Enter Indian Defense Market; Growing Indo-Japan Cooperation Worries Regional Giant China -- International Business Times
India, Japan join hands to break China's 'string of pearls' -- Times of India
Indo-Japan ties should worry no one, says Salman Khurshid -- Times of India
China angry and nervous as Japan joins arms with India -- One India
Chinese daily calls Japanese leaders 'petty burglars' for trying to turn India against China -- Times of India
China slams Japan for attempting to turn India against it -- NDTV
Japan trying to 'encircle' China by cozying up to India: Chinese media -- NDTV
India's Love Affair With Japan Fueled By Disputes With China -- Donald Kirk, Forbes
A New Configuration To The East – Analysis -- Gateway House/Eurasia Review
The reason for Japan’s new found love for India is China -- Rajeev Sharma, First Post

Picture Of The Day

U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Andrew Margis prepares a micro unmanned aerial vehicle for flight at a joint vehicle checkpoint with Afghan soldiers and Afghan civil order police in the Now Zad district of Afghanistan's Helmand province, May 21, 2013. Margis is assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines, Regimental Combat Team 7. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl Trent A. Randolph

Why Are Hezbollah Terror Cells Setting Up In Nigeria?



Nigeria: Hezbollah Armoury Discovered In Kano City -- BBC

An armoury belonging to the Lebanese group Hezbollah has been discovered in northern Nigeria, the West African nation's army and spy agency has said.

Three Lebanese nationals have been arrested, an army spokesman, Brig Gen Ilyasu Isa Abba, said.

The cache, including rifles, anti-tank weapons and an RPG, were found in a warehouse in the city of Kano, he said.

Nigeria's State Security Service said they were intended for use against "Israeli and Western interests".

"This is the handwork of Hezbollah," Bassey Ettang, director of the State Security Service in Kano said.

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More News On Nigerian Authorities Discovering A Hezbollah Cache Of Weapons In Kano City

Nigeria military, secret police say they discovered a 'Hezbollah' arms cache in northern city -- FOX News/AP
Nigeria discovers 'Hezbollah terrorist cell', weapons trove -- France 24
Nigeria arrests Lebanese suspected of Hezbollah ties -- Reuters
Nigeria Says Weapons Seized in Kano City Linked to Hezbollah -- Bloomberg Businessweek

Nigeria: Troops Uncover Armoury in Kano, Arrest Lebanese -- allAfrica.com
Nigeria: Huge Weapons Cache Seized in Kano -- allAfrica.com
Nigeria nabs Hezbollah cell plotting attacks on Israeli, Western targets -- Haaretz/Reuters
Nigeria arrests 3 alleged Hezbollah members -- Threat Matrix

Israel Braces For The Worst As Syria's Civil War Escalates

Why Supplying Weapons To The 'Right Side' In Syria Will Be Difficult

Reuters

What John McCain Doesn’t Know -- Joe Klein, Time

Senator McCain made a well-publicized trip to Syria and may have posed with extremist kidnappers.

I don’t blame McCain for this. It’s hard to advance a trip into rebel territory. A few years ago, McCain made a well-publicized walk through a Baghdad market, didn’t get shot at, and pronounced major progress in Iraq afterward. A few weeks later, I made the same walk but actually spoke to the shopkeepers—all of whom were supporters of Muqtada al-Sadr, the Shi’ite militia leader.

The point is: We just don’t know these places well enough to go over and draw grand conclusions about policy. In a way, McCain’s trip is a perfect metaphor for the problem of involving ourselves with the Syrian rebels. We may be siding with the greater evil. We may be throwing fuel on a fire that could consume the region. Our track record when it comes to such things is dismal.

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My Comment: U.S. Sen. John McCain is insisting that supplying weapons to the right people in Syria is possible .... and morally right. But the above Time article does put into question if such a feat is possible .... and is that morally right. In all fairness the office of US Senator John McCain is disputing this Time article .... but even they are acknowledging that they are not sure of who it was that the Senator was posing with.

Syria's Sectarian Civil War Is Spreading Across Borders

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Syria's Deepening Sectarian War Bleeds Across Borders -- USA Today

AMMAN, Jordan — The Syrian civil war is increasingly drawing in nations across the Middle East, a regionwide conflict that threatens to pit world powers against each other.

On Wednesday, the United Nations Human Rights Council pushed through a resolution to investigate the abuses of the Syrian regime, over the objections of the regime's ally Russia, who insisted the West was making matters worse.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry continued his travels in the region, trying to get all parties to agree to a peace conference in Geneva in the next few weeks. But councils representing the Syrian rebels again refused to join, demanding representatives of Bashar Assad's regime be banned.

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My Comment: These two different Islamic sects have been at war against each other since the founding of Islam .... the only difference is that in today's conflicts modern day weapons are being used. A must read on this growing Sunni - Shiite split can be read here.

How Libyan Weapons and Know-How Reach Anti-Assad Fighters

A Free Syrian Army sniper takes position in a damaged house in Idlib on May 18, 2013. ABDALGHNE KAROOF / REUTERS

Arming Syria’s Rebellion: How Libyan Weapons and Know-How Reach Anti-Assad Fighters -- Rania Abouzeid, Time

The beefy Libyan revolutionary field commander turned politician rose from the beige couch to greet his new Syrian guest, who pulled up a chair to join the two other Syrian men seated in a semicircle around the couch in the café of a hotel in the southern Turkish city of Antakya, near the Syrian border.

The Libyan had traveled from Zintan, in northwest Libya, while a fellow countryman, a former militia commander from Benghazi, had traveled from that port city to hold court in this Turkish hotel and meet some of the rebels trying to overthrow Syrian President Bashar Assad. (Both Libyans requested anonymity, because of the nature of their mission.)

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My Comment:
It is going to take more than a few weapons from Libya to overthrow the Assad regime.

10 Improvised Weapons Made By Syrian Rebels (Photo Gallery)

Syrian Hell Cannon an improvised artillery piece used by Syrian rebels. Ahrar Al-Shamal Battalions, via Brown Moses

10 Improvised Weapons Made By Syrian Rebels -- Popular Science

Syrian rebels have developed all sorts of crazy weapons to fight against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. They have fashioned weapons from PlayStation controllers, rope, fertilizer, and the explosive material of unexploded bombs. That taste for DIY weaponry could end--or at least slow down--now that the European Union is ending an arms embargo that stanched the flow of weapons to Syrian rebels. The lifted embargo is expected to give rebels access to better weapons. Here, we look back at 10 of the Syrian rebels' most intriguing home-grown weapons.

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My Comment: Simple. Crude. And very deadly.

Why You Should Care About Russia Shipping S-300 Air-Dwefense Missiles To Syria

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Why You Should Care About Russia, Syria, and Air-Defense Missiles -- Popular Mechanics

Syrian head Bashar al-Assad said today that he was acquiring S-300 antiaircraft missiles from Russia. Why is this happening now, after so many months of civil war, and what does it mean?

The civil war in Syria just got even more complicated. Today, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad told a Lebanese TV network run by the Islamic group Hezbollah that Russia has delivered the first pieces of advanced, long-range antiaircraft missiles called S-300PMUs. These are some of the world’s most capable air-defense missile systems, though they’ve never before been shot in combat. (Here’s a description of the mobile system from Almaz-Antey, the company that makes them. Click “Favorit” for details.)

This could be a bluff, and one enabled and abetted by the Russians. But it could be true, because the Russians have been supplying the Assad regime with heavy weapons that have helped the dictator stave off the rebel factions arrayed against him. (Lest you start rooting for any side too quickly, remember those rebel factions include radical Islamists, including those tied to al-Qaida, in their ranks.) Either way, here’s what you should know.

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My Comment: A good summary on why Syria is receiving this surface to air missile system.