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Helmand Dam A Monument To U.S. Challenges
www.latimes.com-September 06, 2010
The Kajaki Dam in southern Afghanistan was built in the 1950s with U.S. aid but fell into disrepair in the late 1970s. Efforts to repair it have faltered as the Taliban controls an access road.
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U.S. Soldiers Help Repel Deadly Attack On Iraq Army Headquarters
www.latimes.com-September 06, 2010
At least 18 people, none of them Americans, are killed and 39 wounded in the attack by insurgents. The incident comes five days after President Obama declared an end to U.S. combat operations in Iraq.
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Attack Shows Lasting Threat To U.S. In Iraq
www.nytimes.com-September 06, 2010
Insurgents mounted a coordinated attack on one of the main military commands in Baghdad on Sunday, briefly drawing fire from American soldiers, an event that underscored the ambiguity of the American military’s role in Iraq.
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NATO asks for more troops for Afghanistan
www.msnbc.com-September 06, 2010
The top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan is asking for 2,000 more soldiers to join the 140,000-strong international force here, NATO officials said Monday. It was unclear how many would be Americans.
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Kandahar boardwalk is a world away from war
www.msnbc.com-September 06, 2010
It was a broiling fall evening in this southern Afghan battlezone, and U.S. Army Sgt. Charles Reed wanted to celebrate his birthday in style — at T.G.I. Friday's on the boardwalk.
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General Says Foresight On Marja Was Flawed
www.nytimes.com-September 05, 2010
NATO commanders were overly optimistic when they predicted quick success last winter in taking the town of Marja from the Taliban, the outgoing deputy commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan said Saturday.
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As the U.S. withdraws from Iraq, Gen. Ray Odierno bids an anxious goodbye
www.washingtonpost.com-September 05, 2010
When Gen. Ray Odierno returned to Iraq at the end of 2006 to take the reins of ground forces during the darkest days of the war, his team boiled down the country's ills in a document it called the "Gap Chart."
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The true cost of the Iraq war: $3 trillion and beyond
www.washingtonpost.com-September 05, 2010
Writing in these pages in early 2008, we put the total cost to the United States of the Iraq war at $3 trillion. This price tag dwarfed previous estimates, including the Bush administration's 2003 projections of a $50 billion to $60 billion war.
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Loss of Faith in Afghan Leaders May Hurt Push Against Taliban
www.nytimes.com-September 05, 2010
THE government of President Hamid Karzai may be awash in corruption, venality and graft, but if you walk the tattered halls of the ministries here, it is remarkably easy to find an honest man.
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U.S. troops join Baghdad battle against militants
www.msnbc.com-September 05, 2010
Days after the U.S. officially ended combat operations and touted Iraq's ability to defend itself, American troops found themselves battling heavily armed militants assaulting an Iraqi military headquarters in the center of Baghdad on Sunday. The fighting killed 12 people and wounded dozens.
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Gates Rallies Troops In Kandahar
www.ft.com-September 04, 2010
With a clatter of helicopter blades and a cloud of dust, the man overseeing the US war in Afghanistan came to the new front line on Friday.
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Blackwater Won Contracts Through A Web Of Companies
www.nytimes.com-September 04, 2010
Blackwater Worldwide created a web of more than 30 shell companies or subsidiaries in part to obtain millions of dollars in American government contracts after the security company came under intense criticism for reckless conduct in Iraq, according to Congressional investigators and former Blackwater officials.
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End Of Combat Yields Surge Of Contractors
www.bostonglobe.com-September 04, 2010
EVEN AS President Obama claimed this week that the end of combat operations in Iraq “completes’’ a transition in which Iraqis have taken responsibility for their own security, he knows that the US pullout is not as thorough as he let on. The American presence takes the form not just of uniformed personnel — tens of thousands of whom will remain — but also of largely unaccountable private security contractors, whose numbers are likely to grow.
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Abiding Some Afghan Graft
www.washingtonpost.com-September 04, 2010
U.S. commanders in southern Afghanistan are adopting a strategy that increasingly places the priority on fighting the Taliban even if that means tolerating some corruption.
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A Twofold Conflict In Helmand
www.washingtonpost.com-September 04, 2010
U.S. Marines and British civilian advisers are waging two wars in the hilly northern half of Helmand province: They're fighting the Taliban, and they're quarreling with each other.
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Defense Secretary Offers Cautious Views On Wars
www.nytimes.com-September 04, 2010
No one has ever accused Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates of happy talk, but during a trip this week to assess the state of America’s two wars his words were more restrained than usual.
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Gates Sees 2-3 Years Of Combat In Afghanistan
htttp://online.wsj.com-September 04, 2010
Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he envisions two or three more years of combat operations in Afghanistan before the U.S. transitions to an advisory role, a mission likely to last years more.
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Internet Governance in an Age of Cyber Insecurity
www.cfr.org-September 04, 2010
The Internet, since its debut in 1989, has revolutionized commerce, communication, military action, and governance. Much of the modern world is simply inconceivable without it. This revolution, however, has not come without a price. The annual cost of cyber crime has now climbed to more than $1 trillion, while coordinated cyberattacks have crippled Estonia, Georgia, and Kyrgyzstan and compromised critical infrastructure in countries around the world.
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Gates Sees Progress In Tour Of Afghan War Zone
www.associatedpress.com-September 03, 2010
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Friday he saw and heard evidence that the U.S. counterinsurgency strategy is taking hold in critical Kandahar province.
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Defense Cut Proposals Deserve Thought
www.politico.com-September 03, 2010
It is somewhat oxymoronic to talk of defense budget cuts as the United States also continues to be part of two wars while simultaneously trying to stimulate the economy. But these are oxymoronic times and so it is sensible, even necessary, to do so.
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Unemployment rate rises, in sign of weak growth
www.washingtonpost.com-September 03, 2010
The unemployment rate edged up and private sector job creation continued at a modest pace in August, the government said Friday, reflecting an economy that is treading water, neither accelerating into a robust recovery nor slipping into another recession.
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U.S. Lost Jobs in August, but Fewer Than Expected
www.nytimes.com-September 03, 2010
With the American economic recovery showing signs of slowdown, private employers added 67,000 jobs in August, the Labor Department said on Friday. The number was more than forecast.
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U.S. nonfarm payrolls fall by 54,000 in August
www.marketwatch.com-September 03, 2010
The U.S. economy shed 54,000 nonfarm jobs in August, the Labor Department reported Friday, a much slower decline than economists anticipated as the health care and temporary staffing industries expanded.
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Private Sector Adds 67,000 Jobs
htttp://online.wsj.com-September 03, 2010
Job losses continued to mount in the U.S. economy last month, though at a more modest pace than expected, putting further pressure on policy makers to take action to spur growth and employment.
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Karzai Kin Asks U.S. To Bolster His Bank
htttp://online.wsj.com-September 03, 2010
A top shareholder in Afghanistan's largest bank called on the U.S. to shore up the lender after depositors withdrew about a third of its cash reserves in two days, while the country sought to avert a destabilizing crisis at a crucial moment in the fight against the Taliban.
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Petraeus Backs Karzai Over Corruption
www.ft.com-September 03, 2010
General David Petraeus, the head of US and Nato forces in Afghanistan, defended Hamid Karzai, the country’s president, on Thursday after controversy over Kabul’s stance on corruption.
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Marines Work To Win Over Hearts And Minds In Afghanistan
www.sandiegotribune.com-September 03, 2010
Sgt. David McFadden was on patrol, wading slowly across the Helmand River. Cool water gurgled peacefully underfoot. But the squad leader knew that things are not always as they seem in southern Afghanistan, and a Marine must be vigilant.
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Want Middle East Peace? Deny Iran Nukes
htttp://online.wsj.com-September 03, 2010
Those of us who hope for peace in the Middle East applaud the meeting of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The fact that Palestinians finally agreed to direct negotiations, without preconditions, is a positive step. But let's not delude ourselves: There can never be peace in the Middle East with a nuclear-armed Iran.
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Our Distracted Commander In Chief
www.washingtonpost.com-September 03, 2010
Many have charged that President Obama's decision to begin withdrawing from Afghanistan 10 months from now is hampering our war effort. But now it's official. In a stunning statement last week, Marine Corps Commandant James Conway admitted that the July 2011 date is "probably giving our enemy sustenance."
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Sentenced To Death -- Without Trial
www.washingtonpost.com-September 03, 2010
Since 2001, the United States has been carrying out "targeted killings" in connection with what the Bush administration called the "war on terror" and the Obama administration calls the "war against al-Qaeda." While many of these killings have been carried out on battlefields in Afghanistan or Iraq, our government has increasingly been employing lethal force in places far removed from any zone of armed conflict, effectively carrying out executions without trial or conviction. Some of the individuals on the government's kill lists are U.S. citizens.
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Employers hire more workers than expected
www.msnbc.com-September 03, 2010
Private employers hired more workers than expected in August, lifting hopes for the weak U.S. economy, but the nation’s unemployment rate rose for the first time in four months, suggesting the economy will struggle to grow through the rest of the year.
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Hillary Clinton's Risky Return to Mideast Peace Talks
www.time.com-September 03, 2010
Hillary Clinton has been notably distant from the Middle East peace process over the past 10 months. Since her ill-fated visit to the region in late October 2009, when she overstated the significance of an Israeli concession and spent the rest of the trip trying to dial it back, Clinton has not traveled to Israel, the Palestinian territories, Jordan or Egypt. Her most notable intervention came last March, when she called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to scold him for a perceived slight to Vice President Joe Biden.
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U.S. Adds Legal Pressure On Pakistani Taliban
www.nytimes.com-September 02, 2010
The United States government on Wednesday ratcheted up legal pressures against the Pakistani Taliban, the Qaeda-linked group accused of a role in the failed Times Square bombing in May and in the suicide bombing at a C.I.A. base in Afghanistan in December.
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In Pakistan, U.S. Hopes Aid Builds Goodwill
www.usatoday.com-September 02, 2010
Marine Capt. Matt Wesenberg has been flying food, water and supplies up and down Swat Valley, the former Taliban stronghold in Pakistan where devastating floods have killed nearly1,600 people and left more than 4 million homeless since late July.
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Military Families Fault Rules Of War
www.latimes.com-September 02, 2010
Bill and Beverly Osborn still can't bring themselves to erase the phone message from their son Ben. He had called from Afghanistan in June to assure them that he was safe. Four days later, he was killed in a Taliban ambush.
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U.S. Funding Boost Is Sought For Yemen Forces
htttp://online.wsj.com-September 02, 2010
The U.S. military's Central Command has proposed pumping as much as $1.2 billion over five years into building up Yemen's security forces, a major investment in a shaky government, in a sign of Washington's fears of al Qaeda's growing foothold on the Arabian Peninsula.
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If Saddam Had Stayed
htttp://online.wsj.com-September 02, 2010
From the vantage point of history, Barack Obama's prime-time speech announcing the Iraq war's end is less important than the speech he gave eight years ago as a state senator in Illinois. This was the October 2002 "dumb war" speech to an anti-Iraq war rally in Chicago's Federal Plaza. Back then, Mr. Obama had a more complex view of the stakes in Iraq than he does now.
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Obama's Bottom-Line Strategy
www.latimes.com-September 02, 2010
President Obama's speech on the end of formal combat in Iraq made a case for subjecting future decisions — about war, or troop strength in Afghanistan, or the size of the Defense budget — to more stringent economic analysis.
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Outside View: Pentagon's greatest threat
www.upi.com-September 02, 2010
Let us be blunt. The U.S. Department of Defense and the entire federal government face a fiscal crisis far worse than any threat posed by al-Qaida, Iran or North Korea.
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Netanyahu and Abbas to Begin Direct Mideast Peace Talks
www.nytimes.com-September 02, 2010
The Israeli and Palestinian leaders were to open direct peace negotiations Thursday after committing to work to end the conflict that has endured for six decades.
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In Iraq, Clear Signs Of A New U.S. Mission
www.washingtonpost.com-September 02, 2010
The U.S. military's war is officially over in Iraq, even as the future of the country remains undecided. The signs of the end were everywhere Wednesday, despite the presence of about 49,000 American troops who remain mostly sequestered on large U.S. bases.
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In A Fragile Iraq, U.S. Ushers In New Era
htttp://online.wsj.com-September 02, 2010
Vice President Joe Biden and top U.S. military officials gathered Wednesday in a former palace of Saddam Hussein to usher in a new era in Iraq—one marked by a lower profile for American troops and a heightened scrutiny on the fragile state of the country's security and democracy.
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Update on the US Withdrawal From Iraq
www.csis.org-September 02, 2010
There are three areas where there still seems to be confusion about the formal end of US combat operations in Iraq.
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Gates Says History Will Determine Whether Iraq War Was Worth It
www.bostonglobe.com-September 02, 2010
Defense Secretary Robert Gates said yesterday that history will judge whether the war in Iraq was worth it.
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Iraq U.S. troop numbers down but not out
www.sfchronicle.com-September 02, 2010
Even as President Obama was announcing the end of combat in Iraq, U.S. soldiers were sealing off a northern village early Wednesday as their Iraqi partners raided houses and arrested dozens of suspected insurgents.
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Cloud Of Pessimism Over New Iraq Era
www.latimes.com-September 02, 2010
Iraqi politicians, security officers and civil servants, as well as a senior U.S. military officer, speak of daunting and dangerous challenges.
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Vice President Biden In Iraq
www.pbs.org-September 01, 2010
Biden: After U.S. Combat Exit, Iraqi Government Ready to Take Shape
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Iraq Politicians Must Match Citizens' Courage, Form Government, Biden Says
www.bloomberg.com-September 01, 2010
Iraqi leaders must “match the courage” of their citizens and form a government to rule their war-shattered country, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said as American troops formally ended their Iraq combat mission today.
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Gates: Iraq Outcome 'Will Always Be Clouded By How It Began'
www.mcclatchynews.com-September 01, 2010
The U.S. military Wednesday marked the end of its combat mission in Iraq amid a series of conflicting messages that underscored the mixed feelings many here, both American and Iraqi, have toward a seven-and-a-half-year effort that cost tens of thousands of lives but left the political outcome undecided.
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Obama urges Middle East leaders to make peace
www.washingtonpost.com-September 01, 2010
On the eve of the first direct Middle East peace negotiations since he took office, President Obama urged Israeli and Palestinian leaders Wednesday to seize "this moment of opportunity" and to end their decades-long conflict, pledging to throw his administration's "full weight" behind their effort to do so.
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Biden: Time to turn attention from Iraq to economy
www.realclearpolitics.com-September 01, 2010
Vice President Joe Biden said Wednesday he's confident the various factions in Iraq will form a workable coalition and bring stability to the country, now that the U.S. combat role there has ended.
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Obama opens Mideast talks with warning to Hamas
www.msnbc.com-September 01, 2010
President Barack Obama opened a new round of Mideast peacemaking Wednesday, bringing Israeli and Palestinian leaders to the White House for talks aimed at forging agreement within one year on a two-state solution: a sovereign Palestine and a secure Israel.
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After Obama's Iraq Speech, Afghans Worry About U.S. Commitment
www.time.com-September 01, 2010
Afghans might have been expected to cheer when President Obama asserted that the draw-down of troops in Iraq would free up extra resources for the conflict in their country, where the fighting has only gotten bloodier because of the Taliban's resurgence.
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Obama's Mideast Workhorse: Mitchell's Surprising Success
www.time.com-September 01, 2010
Even by the rough standards of Middle East diplomacy, Senator George Mitchell has received a beating during his tenure as President Obama's special envoy to the region. It took Mitchell 18 months of near constant shuttle diplomacy just to get the Israelis and Palestinians to sit down and talk face to face. In the process, Mitchell's effort has been labeled "an embarrassing flop" and a "failure" by editorialists and nonpartisan analysts.
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Fort Bliss Troops Likewise Express Appreciation
www.elpasotimes.com-September 01, 2010
President Barack Obama whispered in Army Spc. Gilberth Bojorquez's ear and signed the wounded soldier's Zippo cigarette lighter with a black marker.
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As Combat Mission Ends, A New U.S. Operation Begins
http://online.wsj.com-September 01, 2010
The U.S. mission in Iraq is set to undergo a major rebranding on Wednesday, when Vice President Joe Biden presides over a change-of-command ceremony in Baghdad marking the end of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the campaign that began in March 2003, and the beginning of a military assistance mission called Operation New Dawn.
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Loosening Of Controls On Exports Draws Fire
www.washingtontimes.com-September 01, 2010
The Obama administration's overhaul of regulations aimed at loosening controls on the export of some military technology is drawing fire from groups that monitor arms proliferation but praise from trade groups.
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You Ain’t Seen This Before
www.nytimes.com-September 01, 2010
President Obama is embarking on something I’ve never seen before — taking on two Missions Impossible at the same time. That is, a simultaneous effort to heal the two most bitter divides in the Middle East: the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Shiite-Sunni conflict centered in Iraq. Give him his due. The guy’s got audacity. I’ll provide the hope. But kids, don’t try this at home.
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Oval Office Ambivalence
htttp://online.wsj.com-September 01, 2010
President Obama has often struck us as an ambivalent Commander in Chief, and last night's 19-minute Oval Office address will do little to change that perception—especially abroad, where an American President's determination is most carefully parsed.
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“Bring It On” Worked
http://smallwarsjournal.com-September 01, 2010
Through accident or design, mostly through accident and blunt trauma, the war in Iraq was brutal, costly in lives and money, and heavy-handed, but dealt al-Qa’ida a severe blow -- hopefully a fatal one and even better, a self-inflicted blow. By creating such a rallying cry for the West’s alleged ‘war against Islam,’ thousands of al-Qa’ida fighters were directed to Iraq where they trained and committed terrorist acts. These acts killed the perpetrators, of course, and killed thousands of innocent Muslims and many American, and Coalition soldiers and civilians. But the attacks revealed al-Qa’ida’s brutish nature, its willingness to kill Muslims, and its goal of achieving chaos and totalitarian rule in pursuit of deposing ‘apostate regimes’ and restoring a new Caliphate (under al-Qa’ida rule, of course) – all of which undermined its legitimacy.
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Unanswered Policy Questions on U.S. Troops
www.cfr.org-September 01, 2010
Speaking on August 31 to the American people from the Oval Office, President Barack Obama announced that the U.S. combat mission in Iraq was over after more than seven costly years. "Now, it's time to turn the page," he said. But turning the page entirely will be difficult; in fact, the president raised more questions than he answered.
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A Month In, Pakistan Flood Relief Efforts Stuck at 1.0
www.wired.com-September 01, 2010
A month after the Haiti earthquake, the U.S. government had over 20,000 troops on the ground, $450 million in assistance money earmarked, and an innovative web-based system to let troops and aid workers collaborate like never before. A month after the floods in Pakistan, the U.S. effort doesn’t compare in any way. And that’s a major problem, considering Pakistan may be the most strategically significant country on the planet right now.
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Obama Says Iraq Combat Mission Is Over
www.nytimes.com-September 01, 2010
President Obama declared an end on Tuesday to the seven-year American combat mission in Iraq, saying that the United States has met its responsibility to that country and that it is now time to turn to pressing problems at home.
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'Time To Turn The Page' On The Iraq War
www.washingtonpost.com-September 01, 2010
Saying it is "time to turn the page" on one of the most divisive chapters in American history, President Obama declared the U.S. war in Iraq over Tuesday night, telling the nation that he was fulfilling his campaign pledge to stop a war he had opposed from the start.
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Obama Marks End Of Iraq War To Focus On Economy
htttp://online.wsj.com-September 01, 2010
President Barack Obama on Tuesday formally declared an end to combat operations in the seven-year-old Iraq War and, during an Oval Office address, promised to refocus the government from prosecuting wars to rebuilding the U.S. economy.
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Trying to Buck Odds, Obama Takes On 3 Big Mideast Tasks
www.nytimes.com-September 01, 2010
President Obama is attempting a triple play this week that eluded his predecessors over the past two decades: simultaneous progress on the most vexing and violent problems in the Middle East — Israeli-Palestinian peace, Iraq and Iran — in hopes of creating a virtuous cycle in a region prone to downward spirals.
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Gates with Iraq troops as combat mission ends
http://news.yahoo.com-September 01, 2010
Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Wednesday that while the United States is no longer at war in Iraq, history will judge whether the fight was worth it.
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U.S. Won't Abandon Afghanistan, Gates Says
www.milwaukeejournalsentinel.com-September 01, 2010
As the wars wind down in Iraq and ramp up in Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the Taliban and other terrorist groups should not assume that the United States will leave Afghanistan next summer.
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Gates: All Is Not Well As Combat Role Ends
www.associatedpress.com-August 31, 2010
All is not well in Iraq as the United States formally closes down its combat mission there, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Tuesday, warning that political paralysis and continued sectarian violence cloud that country's future.
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Gates Warns Iraq Commitment Isn't Over
www.mcclatchynews.com-August 31, 2010
As the Obama administration prepared to hail the formal end of combat operations in Iraq, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates warned Tuesday that despite the drawdown, the U.S. military effort in Iraq is not over.
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As Combat Operations End In Iraq, Gates Hails Shift In Focus To Afghanistan
www.washingtonpost.com-August 31, 2010
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates on Tuesday called on a war-weary American public for patience in Afghanistan, arguing that after years of neglect the United States had finally devoted the necessary resources to a conflict that has long been overshadowed by the Iraq war.
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U.S. Attacks On Taliban Leaders To Increase With Iraq Drawdown, Gates Says
www.bloomberg.com-August 31, 2010
The U.S. will accelerate attacks on Taliban leaders in Afghanistan in an invigorated effort to improve security and set conditions for a turnover of combat missions to Afghan forces, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said.
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Another Way in Afghanistan: Overcoming the Current Flawed Strategy
http://smallwarsjournal.com-August 31, 2010
All too often, the United States tries to impart a Jeffersonian style democracy into regions of the world which have had no history of democracy or into a complex tribal region of similar circumstance. If the United States Government wishes to be successful in Afghanistan, then it needs to reexamine its current Afghan strategy, understand traditional Afghan governance, and pursue a federal system of governing. Both the Bush and Obama administrations implemented flawed strategies in Afghanistan by focusing U.S. efforts on establishing a strong central government in Kabul as a way to build a cohesive national government.
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Why Gloom Looms Over Obama's Iraq Address
www.time.com-August 31, 2010
When he speaks from the Oval Office on Tuesday night, Barack Obama will deliver one of the hardest addresses of his presidency. Yes, he's had tough ones before — on Afghanistan, health care and the BP oil spill. But Tuesday's speech marking the end of the U.S. combat mission in Iraq confronts Obama with a subject that defies easy explanation, a policy that allows little self-congratulation and a political climate in which Iraq's place is not clear.
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Obama: End of Iraq combat mission not victory lap
www.msnbc.com-August 31, 2010
President Barack Obama marked the end of America's combat mission in Iraq on Tuesday without declaring victory, winding down the U.S. role in a war he considered a terrible mistake and closing a divisive chapter of American history.
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Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates Addresses the American Legion
www.defense.gov-August 31, 2010
Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates Addresses the American Legion National Convention.
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Deterring Al Qaeda after Iraq: A Critique of Paul Davis’ RAND Study
http://smallwarsjournal.com-August 31, 2010
Today marks the last day of Operation Iraqi Freedom. So what? At what cost? To what end? Ever since the successful conclusion of the Cold War, U.S. academics and policymakers have frequently championed deterrence as a military concept. This, of course, is not without substance. Through a combination of nuclear weapons, large bases overseas, and the potential for quick military action, Washington was able to change the Soviet Union’s behavior from a force who aggressively tried to expand communist ideology in the 1960’s to a reserved and degraded confederation by the time of its collapse.
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John Ubaldi on Sacramento's KFBK Newstalk Radio
www.kfbk.com-August 31, 2010
John comments on the president's speech on Iraq withdrawal.
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Obama’s Iraq Challenge
www.newsweek.com-August 31, 2010
In his speech tonight, the president must do the impossible: plan a finish to a war without end.
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Obama's Speech on the End of Operation Iraqi Freedom
www.realclearpolitics.com-August 31, 2010
Text of President's speech on Iraq.
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Boehner To Obama On Israel: "You Do Not Send A Message Of Strength To Your Enemies By Shunning Your Friends"
www.realclearpolitics.com-August 31, 2010
"Where I come from you stick by your friends and you stick by the people who share your values. You do not send a message of strength to your enemies by shunning your friends and allies. The foreign policy of the United States should not be built on a platform of apologies, corrections, and reset buttons. We will not confront and defeat the terrorist threat by blurring America's exceptionalism and backing out on America’s commitments," Rep. John Boehner, House Minority Leader, said Tuesday to the American Legion.
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Obama speech on Iraq has risks
www.washingtonpost.com-August 31, 2010
President Obama is promoting the decision to end the U.S. combat mission in Iraq on Tuesday as a fulfillment of his campaign promise to draw the war to a close. But some of the president's detractors are using the same moment to question the wisdom of doing so - noting that Iraq is still afflicted with violence and has yet to form a government.
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New U.S. Sanctions Aim at North Korean Elite
www.nytimes.com-August 31, 2010
The latest target for the United States, as it tries to tighten the screws on North Korea, is a shadowy party organization, known as Office 39, which raises hard currency to buy fine liquor, exotic food and luxury cars for cronies of North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-il.
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Obama To Make 2nd Oval Office Speech
www.nytimes.com-August 31, 2010
For only the second time since he took office, President Obama will speak to the nation from the Oval Office on Tuesday night, in an address meant to convey that he has kept one of the central promises of his campaign: withdrawing American combat troops from Iraq.
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Biden in Iraq for Talks and Handover
www.nytimes.com-August 31, 2010
Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. arrived in Baghdad on Monday to commemorate the official end of the United States combat mission and to meet with Iraqi political leaders, who have yet to form a government more than five months after elections.
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Petraeus Finishes Rules For Afghan Security Transition
www.nytimes.com-August 31, 2010
Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top commander in Afghanistan, has completed work on new guidelines for turning some security duties over to Afghan forces in the months ahead, calling for American and allied troops to step back gradually from areas as they are pacified rather than handing off the task all at once to local units, according to senior NATO and Pentagon officials.
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North Korean Pair Viewed As Key To Secret Arms Trade
htttp://online.wsj.com-August 31, 2010
A North Korean arms chief and Pyongyang's former ambassador to the United Nation's nuclear agency have emerged as key figures in an intensifying international effort to curb North Korea's weapons-trading activities.
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Obama Poised To Loosen Rules On Export Of Technology
www.washingtonpost.com-August 31, 2010
The Obama administration is overhauling the decades-old rules for the export of sensitive military and other technology, jettisoning what industry groups criticize as an antiquated Cold War set of regulations for a more streamlined approach.
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A Future To Write In Iraq
www.washingtonpost.com-August 31, 2010
Much has been written in recent days about Iraq and anniversaries. August 1990: Iraq invades Kuwait. August 2010: The last U.S. combat brigade withdraws from Iraq. Are these the bookends of a 20-year war? Did we win? What does winning mean?
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Iraq after U.S. combat forces withdraw
www.latimes.com-August 31, 2010
Congress has a pretty good record of funding our forces when they go into a combat zone; the record is mixed when it comes to funding our post-combat efforts.
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The Surge And Afghanistan
htttp://online.wsj.com-August 31, 2010
Unless he understands the reason for success in Iraq, the president is unlikely to lead a successful strategy against the Taliban.
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The First DHS Bottom-up Review
www.csis.org-August 31, 2010
In February, at the direction of Congress, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued its first Quadrennial Homeland Security Review (QHSR), which outlined high-level, national strategic priorities for the country’s “homeland security enterprise.”
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Afghan Police's Lack Of Guns And Gas Shows U.S. Exit Plan Flaw
www.bloomberg.com-August 31, 2010
The Afghan police unit rated best by U.S.-led forces last year now can’t function on its own and has ceded up to half its district to the Taliban, showing how hard it will be for U.S. troops to carry out a planned withdrawal.
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Report Sees Cost Risks In U.S. Navy Ship Program
www.reuters.com-August 31, 2010
The U.S. Navy's $25 billion coastal warship program may face further cost overruns given ongoing design changes and delays in the equipment needed to reconfigure each ship for various missions, a new congressional report said.
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Iraq: The Realities of US "Withdrawal" of Combat Forces and the Challenges of Strategic Partnership
www.csis.org-August 30, 2010
The US may be announcing the “withdrawal” of its combat forces – although six Advisory and Assistance brigade and ~ 50,000 men may remain up to the end of 2011. The fact is, however, that US the withdrawal is far from over, the Iraq War is not over, it is not “won,” and any form of stable end state in Iraq is probably impossible before 2020.
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Amendment Sought To Protect USN Hornet Buy
www.defensenews.com-August 30, 2010
U.S. lawmakers are scrambling to pass a stand-alone amendment to the 2010 Defense Authorization Act to keep the Navy's planned 124-plane Super Hornet deal alive after a pair of technicalities threatened to scuttle the buy.
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Export Controls For The 21st Century
htttp://online.wsj.com-August 30, 2010
This week, President Barack Obama will announce a major step forward in the administration's efforts to fundamentally reform the nation's export-control system so that we strengthen our national security and enhance the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturing and technology.
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The Immeasurable Costs Of A War
www.philly.com-August 30, 2010
Sometimes a single word tells the story. But sometimes a word can hide what's happening. A few recent headlines: "U.S. casualties in Afghanistan hit record high"; "Casualties rise for U.S. troops in Afghanistan"; "U.S. casualties hit record in Afghanistan." Likewise, television pundits and war experts have been calmly explaining to their audiences that it's not surprising that "casualties" have risen this summer.
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Questionable Timing on Mideast Talks
www.cfr.org-August 30, 2010
U.S. President Barack Obama this week hosts a conference to launch the latest round of Israeli-Palestinian talks. Yet "it's hard to be optimistic" on prospects for the talks, says CFR's Steven A. Cook, noting the political situation in Israel makes it tough for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to extend a moratorium on building in the West Bank settlements.
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U.S. Commander Fears Political Stalemate in Iraq
www.nytimes.com-August 30, 2010
The departing commander of American forces in Iraq, Gen. Ray Odierno, said Sunday that a new Iraqi government could still be two months away and warned that a stalemate beyond that could create demands for a new election to break the deadlock, which has lasted since March.
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With U.S. Combat Troops Gone, Iraqis Say 'Thanks for the Mess'
www.time.com-August 30, 2010
Even as Washington is recasting the narrative of the Iraq war in terms of the troop withdrawal and campaign promises, Iraqi citizens say they're still caught in the same old story of frustration and fear. U.S. combat troops have now left the country, leaving behind an unfinished $53 billion rebuilding plan and some 50,000 personnel to advise and assist the populace. Meanwhile, President Obama is scheduled to speak about the end of America's seven-year military engagement in Iraq in a speech on Tuesday that will, among other things, officially change the code name for the U.S. mission from Operation Iraqi Freedom to Operation New Dawn.
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Winding down the Iraq war, and avoiding civil war
www.latimes.com-August 30, 2010
Most Americans seem ready to consign the Iraq war to history. They've watched tank convoys leave Baghdad, and they've heard the president underscore his campaign promise to draw down U.S. forces, leaving roughly 50,000 in the country as of Aug. 31. Moreover, Iraq and the U.S. have agreed that the remaining U.S. troops will be gone by December 2011. But history suggests that unless the U.S. is willing and able to remain committed to Iraq's security and prosperity — and Iraqis know it — the country is at risk of spiraling back into civil war.
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Biden visits Iraq as troops withdraw
www.reuters.com-August 30, 2010
Vice President Joe Biden flew into Iraq on Monday to assure Iraqis the United States is not abandoning them as it stops combat operations, a milestone in the 7-1/2 year war the Obama administration is trying to end.
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U.S. troops in Iraq go from shock and awe to 'advise and assist'
www.latimes.com-August 30, 2010
Even before the formal end this month, for most of the remaining troops in Iraq, the war as they knew it has long been over as they transitioned from a combat role to one of helping and training Iraqi forces.
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American Concerns Over Karzai Deepen
htttp://online.wsj.com-August 30, 2010
Renewed tension with Afghan President Hamid Karzai—this time over the ouster of a graft-fighting prosecutor—is adding to doubts within the Obama administration and the U.S. military about their ability to show progress fighting corruption and improving governance, ahead of a White House review of war strategy in December.
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U.S. Escalates Air War Over Afghanistan
www.wired.com-August 30, 2010
There may not be quite as many bombs falling from the sky. But don’t let that fool you. The United States has dramatically escalated its air war over Afghanistan.
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US General Warned British Commanders That Their Afghan Strategy Was A Disaster
www.thetimes.co.uk-August 30, 2010
American and British military commanders were at loggerheads over the right strategy for Helmand in southern Afghanistan when Britain’s ill-fated campaign began in the summer of 2006, The Times can reveal.
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Future of 2nd Fleet is yet to be decided
www.navytimes.com -August 30, 2010
The lobbyist’s memo focused primarily on the Pentagon’s openly stated desire to shut down U.S. Joint Forces Command but included a cryptic final line: The Pentagon also is considering a move to “mothball” the venerable, Norfolk-based 2nd Fleet.
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Iraq Drawdown May Raise Pressure On Defense Budget
www.reuters.com-August 30, 2010
The end of the U.S. combat mission in Iraq may increase pressure on the Pentagon to trim spending, giving ammunition to lawmakers who have long wanted to take aim at the massive defense budget.
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Families Of Dead Soldiers Sue Insurer Over Its Handling Of Survivors’ Benefits
www.nytimes.com-August 30, 2010
Vickie Castro’s only child was killed six years ago just before Christmas, when a suicide bomber blew himself up inside an Army mess tent in Mosul, Iraq, killing more than 20 people.
In those dizzying days after the death of her son, Jonathan Castro, Ms. Castro vaguely remembers getting a letter and a draft checkbook from the Prudential Insurance Company of America, which provides life insurance to American soldiers and veterans on behalf of the federal government.
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Changes Weighed In Military Exports
htttp://online.wsj.com-August 29, 2010
President Barack Obama will announce a series of initiatives this week aimed at streamlining the system that governs the export of weapons but also commercial products that have a potential for military use.
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Top Karzai Aide Says U.S. Must Alter Its Strategy
www.washingtonpost.com-August 29, 2010
Afghan President Hamid Karzai's chief of staff said Saturday that he is not sure the government is "on a path to success" in securing the country against the Taliban and that it could fail altogether if the United States does not significantly alter its strategy in fighting the nine-year-old war.
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A U.S. 'Legacy Of Waste' In Iraq
www.latimes.com-August 29, 2010
The $53-billion reconstruction effort is not without its successes. But poor planning, violence and a failure to consult Iraqis derailed many projects, which may offer lessons in Afghanistan.
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Obama administration intensifies efforts in Sudan
www.washingtonpost.com-August 29, 2010
The Obama administration, which came to office promising stronger leadership on Sudan, is now scrambling to salvage a 2005 U.S.-backed peace accord and prevent Africa's largest nation from sliding back into civil war.
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Tensions in Israel Ahead of Talks
www.nytimes.com-August 29, 2010
Israel was in an uproar on Sunday over a refusal by Israeli theater artists to perform in West Bank Jewish settlements, and Palestinians were outraged by a virulently anti-Palestinian sermon by a Jerusalem rabbi, further fueling the atmosphere days before the expected resumption of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks in Washington.
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Marines In Afghanistan Prepared For A Long Haul
www.latimes.com-August 28, 2010
A year since the U.S. troop buildup began with battalions descending on the Helmand River Valley, optimism about a quick defeat of the Taliban has given way to more sober assessments.
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U.S. Weighs Possibility Of North Korea Engagement
www.nytimes.com-August 28, 2010
The last time a former American president traveled to North Korea on a rescue mission — Bill Clinton, a year ago — he was feted by its leader, Kim Jong-il, who seized on the visit to reach out to the Obama administration. This week, Mr. Kim chose to go to China during a visit by former President Jimmy Carter to free another jailed American.
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Kim's Apparent Snub Of Carter Has Analysts Puzzled
www.bostonglobe.com-August 28, 2010
The behavior of reclusive North Korean leader Kim Jong Il often baffles even the most seasoned American diplomats. Once, he ordered the kidnapping of a Japanese film star and her director husband in an attempt to build a film industry in North Korea. Another time, he imported Italian chefs to build him a state-of-the-art pizza oven at a time when millions of his countrymen were starving.
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Obama: Iraq war is ending, Baghdad to chart future
www.realclearpolitics.com-August 28, 2010
President Barack Obama said the withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from Iraq means "the war is ending" and Baghdad is in position "to chart its own course."
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A Very Long Engagement
htttp://online.wsj.com-August 28, 2010
It took 35 years for democracy to take hold in South Korea, and U.S. troops could be in Iraq just as long. Noah Feldman on why the draw-down is a beginning and not an end.
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Mullen: Debt Is Top National Security Threat
www.cnn.com-August 27, 2010
The national debt is bad for the military, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Michael Mullen is telling business men and women and others on a three-day "Conversations with the Country" tour across the Midwest.
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Get Ready For Another Debate Over Pegging Defense Spending To GDP
www.foreignpolicy.com-August 27, 2010
In the raging debate over defense spending, there's one argument proponents of larger defense budgets have been pushing for years. They believe defense spending should be pegged to a fixed percentage of America's annual gross domestic product.
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GDP growth falls sharply in 2Q
www.washingtonpost.com-August 27, 2010
The Commerce Department slashed its estimate for U.S. GDP growth in the second quarter from a 2.4 percent annual rate to 1.6 percent, confirming fears that economic growth has slowed to a crawl.
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U.S. Economy Slowed to 1.6% Growth Pace in 2nd Quarter
www.nytimes.com-August 27, 2010
Economic statistics released Friday offered the clearest sign yet that the recovery, already acknowledged to be sauntering, had slowed to a crawl.
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Carter Wins Release of American in North Korea
www.nytimes.com-August 27, 2010
Former President Jimmy Carter left North Korea on Friday with Aijalon Mahli Gomes, an American who was sentenced to eight years of hard labor for illegally entering the country, the Carter Center said. Mr. Gomes was granted amnesty by the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-il, the Carter Center said in an e-mail. Mr. Gomes, 31, and Mr. Carter boarded a plane at the Pyongyang Airport.
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Generals Wary Of Move To Cut Their Ranks
www.nytimes.com-August 27, 2010
Maj. Gen. Paul D. Eaton, a retired Army officer, is familiar with the perks and pitfalls of power, having commanded tens of thousands of troops at Fort Benning, Ga., managed budgets exceeding $2 billion in Iraq, and overseen layers upon layers of staff members who helped manage both his professional duties and his personal life.
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Battle Centers On Surge
htttp://online.wsj.com-August 27, 2010
Though the fighting appears to be over for U.S. troops in Iraq, the battle still rages over how those forces brought the country a measure of stability.
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Marines Question Craft Needed To Hit The Beach
htttp://online.wsj.com-August 27, 2010
Amid a cost-cutting drive within the Pentagon, the U.S. Marines are taking a hard look at whether they can afford a new fleet of vehicles used to storm beaches.
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Top Admiral: San Diego Has What's Important In Tight Times
www.sandiegotribune.com-August 27, 2010
In the Pentagon’s new favorite analogy — that America’s military needs more “tooth” than “tail” in lean economic times — the Navy’s top officer says San Diego has a mouth full of teeth.
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In Speech, Obama To Shift War Focus To Afghanistan
www.associatedpress.com-August 27, 2010
With his Oval Office speech Tuesday night, President Barack Obama will signal a shift in America's focus from the Iraq War to the war in Afghanistan, his spokesman said Thursday.
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Warner: Save Some Of JFCOM, If Not All Of It
www.newportnewsdailypress.com-August 27, 2010
Saving the entire Joint Forces Command is a goal for Hampton Roads, but it wouldn't hurt to develop a fallback position, Sen. Mark R. Warner said Thursday.
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War Demands Compromise Hunt For Deadliest Weapons, Top U.S. Commander Says
www.bloomberg.com-August 27, 2010
The effort to keep weapons of mass destruction out of the hands of terrorists has been slowed by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to the head of U.S. special forces.
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National Debt Poses Security Threat, Mullen Says
www.defense.gov-August 27, 2010
The single biggest threat to national security is the national debt, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said yesterday, underscoring the importance of good fiscal stewardship and a need to stimulate economic growth.
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Fact Sheet: The Iraq Drawdown
www.understandingwar.org-August 27, 2010
On September 1, 2010, the mission of U.S. forces in Iraq will change from a combat mission under Operation Iraqi Freedom to a stability operations mission. General Lloyd Austin will assume command of United States Forces-Iraq from General Ray Odierno on that day.
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Is ROTC Poised for a Comeback at Elite Colleges?
www.time.com-August 26, 2010
Shawna Sinnott spent the last four years performing a balancing act: she took courses for her self-designed major at Harvard, practiced her jazz number for the Miss Massachusetts Pageant, and woke up at 4:30 a.m. three days a week for Navy ROTC training across town at MIT.
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For Once, Hope in the Middle East
www.brookings.edu-August 26, 2010
Now that President Obama has finally succeeded in bringing the Israelis and the Palestinians back to the negotiating table, the commentariat is already dismissing his chances of reaching a peace agreement. But there are four factors that distinguish the direct talks that will get under way on Sept. 2 in Washington from previous attempts — factors that offer some reason for optimism.
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Iraq Combat Phase Ends, But U.S. Might Stay Past 2011
www.mcclatchynews.com-August 26, 2010
The U.S. combat mission in Iraq officially comes to an end Tuesday, 2,722 days after American-led troops stormed across the border from Kuwait. The remaining 49,000 U.S. troops are supposed to depart by the end of next year.
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DoD Comptroller: No Major Budget Cuts Until February
www.defensenews.com-August 26, 2010
Pentagon officials will announce no further military facility closures or other major budget-cutting proposals until they unveil the 2012 defense budget in early February, says DoD comptroller Robert Hale.
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U.S. To Send Part Of Pakistan Aid To Flood Recovery
www.washingtonpost.com-August 26, 2010
The United States is diverting some of its five-year, multibillion-dollar aid package for Pakistan to flood recovery and will reevaluate plans for the remainder because the disaster has dramatically altered the country's needs, the top U.S. aid official said Wednesday.
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Carter gains freedom for American held in N. Korea
www.msnbc.com-August 26, 2010
Looking gaunt but relieved, an American freed after nearly seven months jailed in North Korea left Pyongyang on Friday in the company of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter.
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John Ubaldi on Sacramento's KFBK Newstalk Radio
www.kfbk.com-August 26, 2010
John Ubaldi interviewed on Sacramento KFBK News Talk Radio 680 on Iraq troop withdrawal and its impact.
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Departing Troops Leave Big Job For Diplomats
www.washingtontimes.com-August 26, 2010
As the White House eagerly highlights the departure of U.S. combat troops from Iraq, the small army of American diplomats left behind is embarking on a long and perilous path to keeping the volatile country from slipping back to the brink of civil war.
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Key Karzai Aide In Corruption Inquiry Is Linked To C.I.A.
www.nytimes.com-August 26, 2010
The aide to President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan at the center of a politically sensitive corruption investigation is being paid by the Central Intelligence Agency, according to Afghan and American officials.
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Joint Chiefs Chairman Mike Mullen Confident In Iraqi Forces, Concerned About Nuclear Weapons
www.chicagotribune.com-August 26, 2010
As the final U.S. combat troops pull out of Iraq and a wave of attacks there Wednesday killed more than 50 people, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said his confidence in the Iraqi security forces has not faltered.
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In Report, CIA Worried About U.S. Terror Exports
www.washingtonpost.com-August 26, 2010
The United States has long been an exporter of terrorism, according to a secret CIA analysis released Wednesday by the Web site WikiLeaks. And if that phenomenon were to become a widely held perception, the analysis said, it could damage relations with foreign allies and dampen their willingness to cooperate in "extrajudicial" activities, such as the rendition and interrogation of terrorism suspects.
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A Cold War Cyberchill
www.washingtonpost.com-August 26, 2010
With little fanfare, the Pentagon is putting the finishing touches on a new strategy that will treat cyberspace as a domain of potential warfare -- and apply instant "active defense" to counterattacks that, in theory, could shut down the nation's transportation and commerce.
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The Military Should Mirror The Nation
htttp://online.wsj.com-August 26, 2010
The nearly three million members of the U.S. Armed Forces have been at war for nearly a decade. While combat troops are being withdrawn from Iraq, surge forces are still deploying in Afghanistan and many soldiers are on their second or third tour of duty. Americans hold this service and sacrifice in high regard—but they do so increasingly from a distance. This is a threat to our country's civic ethic of equal sacrifice.
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We Agree: This Place Needs A Diet
www.usatoday.com-August 26, 2010
Defense Secretary Robert Gates may have opened a can of missiles when he recently proposed cuts in military spending. Usually the way these debates go is that if you're liberal and propose cutting defense, you're a commie-pinko who wants to weaken America and hand us over to our enemies; and if you're a conservative you want to increase, not reduce, defense spending to preserve our "vital bodily fluids," as Gen. Jack D. Ripper famously said in the film Dr. Strangelove. Can we get beyond that divide?
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Absent in Danang
www.csis.org-August 26, 2010
A political commitment to trade is badly needed in the United States. That point is underlined as the economic and trade ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) gather in Danang, the largest city in central Vietnam, positioned on the white sand beaches of the coast and nestled next to the ancient city of Hoi An.
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Gen. Conway seems willing to trade headcount for equipment
http://smallwarsjournal.com-August 26, 2010
Marine Corps Commandant General James Conway made some headlines at his August 24th press conference with his remarks on the July 2011 Afghanistan withdrawal plan and his views on the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. Missed in most stories were his views on the Marine Corps’ future missions and required force structure.
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Mullen: Veterans Need Job, Education Opportunities
www.sfchronicle.com-August 25, 2010
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff asked business leaders Wednesday to take a chance on veterans returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and offer them jobs and mentorship.
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At West Point, Hidden Gay Cadets Put In Spotlight
www.nytimes.com-August 25, 2010
Code words, secret societies, covert meetings, fake identities: these are tools that a certain set of cadets learn here at the United States Military Academy at West Point.
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U.S. Weighs Expanded Strikes In Yemen
htttp://online.wsj.com-August 25, 2010
U.S. officials believe al Qaeda in Yemen is now collaborating more closely with allies in Pakistan and Somalia to plot attacks against the U.S., spurring the prospect that the administration will mount a more intense targeted killing program in Yemen.
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U.S. Troop Count Dips Below 50,000 In Iraq
www.nytimes.com-August 25, 2010
The American military said Tuesday that the number of troops in Iraq had dropped below 50,000, in line with the Obama administration’s deadline of Aug. 31 for what it describes as the end of combat operations in the country.
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U.S. Meets Iraq Drawdown Ahead Of Schedule
htttp://online.wsj.com-August 25, 2010
The U.S. military in Iraq said Tuesday that the number of U.S. soldiers in the country has now fallen below 50,000, a milestone accomplished ahead of the formal end of its combat mission slated for Aug. 31.
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Military Efforts On Suicide Fall Short
www.newsobserver.com-August 25, 2010
A Defense Department task force devoted to preventing suicide in the military presented a grim picture of the trend Tuesday, with suicides rising at a near steady pace even as commanders apply various balms to soothe a stressed, exhausted fighting force.
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Jimmy Carter: Can Obama trust him in North Korea talks?
www.csmonitor.com-August 25, 2010
Jimmy Carter’s arrival in North Korea Wednesday on a mercy mission to free a jailed American citizen has raised speculation about whether the former president’s foray might ease Pyongyang’s tense relations with the world.
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WikiLeaks releases CIA document on 'exporting terrorism'
www.msnbc.com-August 25, 2010
A whistle-blowing website that drew the ire of U.S. officials for the release of classified Afghan war documents on Wednesday released what it says is a CIA memo that looks at the perception of the U.S. is an exporter of terrorism.
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Fairs help job-seekers with security clearances connect with intelligence firms
www.washingtonpost.com-August 25, 2010
Outside a hotel ballroom near Baltimore-Washington International Marshall Airport airport, about three dozen men and a handful of women lined up one recent morning to get a colored dot - green, blue or red - affixed to their suits and dresses.
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General Says Deadline May Help Sustain Taliban
www.nytimes.com-August 25, 2010
The commandant of the Marine Corps said Tuesday that President Obama’s July 2011 deadline to begin American troop withdrawals from Afghanistan was “probably giving our enemy sustenance.”
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Taliban Could Be Misleading Its Forces
www.washingtonpost.com-August 25, 2010
The commandant of the Marine Corps said Tuesday that Taliban leaders may be misleading their own forces into believing that they only have to keep fighting through the middle of next year, when U.S. troops are slated to begin pulling out of Afghanistan.
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Conway Says Afghan Drawdown Unlikely To Include Marines
www.stripes.com-August 25, 2010
U.S. Marines will be fighting in the southern Afghan provinces of Helmand and Kandahar for years beyond the White House’s July 2011 target date to start withdrawing American troops and transitioning power to local forces across the country, according to the Marine Corps commandant.
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Pakistan Flooding Stirs U.S. Fears
www.washingtontimes.com-August 25, 2010
Pakistan's worst floods in 80 years are increasing worries in Washington that the disaster will undermine the South Asian nation's political stability and jeopardize U.S. gains across the border in Afghanistan.
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Why The Senate Should Block 'New Start'
htttp://online.wsj.com-August 25, 2010
After returning from recess on Sept. 6, the Senate will consider whether to ratify New Start, the nuclear weapons treaty that President Barack Obama signed with his Russian counterpart in April. The treaty has many problems, from being unverifiable to giving Russia virtual veto power over U.S. missile defense, and more. But the Senate should block it for another more important reason: It is the first major step in the implementation of Mr. Obama's broader nuclear strategy. This strategy would gravely weaken American national security.
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Housing Clouds Economic Recovery
www.cfr.org-August 25, 2010
A plunge in U.S. home sales and uncertainty over the Obama administration's housing policy plans are fueling fears about another looming recession.
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Military Aid To Yemen Doubles As U.S. Aims To Boost Fight Against Al-Qaeda
www.bloomberg.com-August 25, 2010
The U.S. Defense Department said it will finish spending $155 million by the end of September on equipment to help Yemen’s army commandos fight al-Qaeda, more than double last year’s military aid to that country.
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Palestinian-Israeli Direct Talks: The Case for a Regional Approach
www.carnegieendowment.org-August 24, 2010
Even with little chance of a breakthrough, U.S. negotiators worked hard to get Palestinians and Israelis to restart direct peace talks. But with a similar amount of effort they could take a different approach that is far more promising.
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No South Afghanistan Handover For A 'Few Years': US
www.defensenews.com-August 24, 2010
The head of the U.S. Marine Corps said Aug. 24 that a "turnover" to Afghan forces in key southern provinces will not be possible for "a few years," despite a July 2011 deadline for the start of a U.S. drawdown.
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The Twenty Years' War
htttp://online.wsj.com-August 24, 2010
Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait on Aug. 2, 1990. Two decades later, on Aug. 18, 2010, the U.S. withdrew its last combat brigade from Iraq. Throughout those years U.S. military operations went under a variety of names—including Desert Storm, the Gulf War, Operations Northern and Southern Watch, Operation Iraqi Freedom, the War in Iraq—but over time they will be seen as part of an unbroken thread.
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U.S. Second Fleet in jeopardy as DOD continues to trim budget
www.wvec.com-August 24, 2010
The U.S. Second Fleet, which trains and certifies all strike groups before deployment and employs 348 active and reserve military personnel, civilian employees and contractors, is in jeopardy as the Department of Defense continues to trim its budget.
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"Don't Stop Now, Mr. Secretary. You're on a Roll!"
www.csis.org-August 24, 2010
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates’ most recent decision to shutter Joint Forces Command (JFCOM) and to cut the Department of Defense (DoD) contract workforce are new examples of his penchant for bold decisionmaking. The centrifugal pressures of ongoing wars, long-term readiness, and looming federal deficits are forcing his hand.
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The New Saudi Arms Deal
www.csis.org-August 24, 2010
One of the most critical strategic decisions the US will have to make over the next few years is how to reshape its security posture in the Gulf and the Middle East as it fully withdraws from Iraq. There is no possible “end state” to the US presence in the Gulf, or an end to the need for the strongest possible US security ties to friendly states in the region.
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With U.S. Approval, Moscow Heads Back to Afghanistan
www.time.com-August 24, 2010
Russian President Dmitri Medvedev played host last week to Afghan President Hamid Karzai and the leaders of Pakistan and Tajikistan at the Black Sea resort of Sochi. The group's second meeting in a year was a low-key affair, but the subtext was significant. Mounting Russian concerns that Islamist militancy and cheap drugs emanating from Afghanistan are a threat to its national security have made Moscow refocus on the region even as the U.S. and its NATO allies maneuver to draw down.
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Conway: U.S. Withdrawal Deadline Boosts Taliban in Afghan War
htttp://online.wsj.com-August 24, 2010
The top U.S. Marine general said President Barack Obama’s announced July 2011 deadline to start withdrawing troops from Afghanistan had given “sustenance” to the Taliban.
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Defense official discloses cyberattack
www.washingtonpost.com-August 24, 2010
Now it is official: The most significant breach of U.S. military computers was caused by a flash drive inserted into a U.S. military laptop on a post in the Middle East in 2008.
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Senate Panel To Hold Hearing On Gates's Decision To Close Joint Forces Command
www.thehill.com-August 24, 2010
The Senate Armed Services Committee will hold a hearing on Defense Secretary Robert Gates’s proposal to close the Joint Forces Command (JFCOM) based in Virginia.
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Conway Predicts Ongoing Marine Presence in Afghanistan
www.defense.gov-August 24, 2010
The commandant of the Marine Corps predicted a continued Marine presence in southern Afghanistan well after July 2011, when a transfer of security responsibilities to the Afghan government is slated to begin.
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U.S. May Slow 2011 Afghan Pullout
www.arizonarepublic.com-August 24, 2010
A senior U.S. commander on Monday wouldn't predict when Afghanistan might take control of its own security and warned that NATO needs at least another year to recruit and train enough soldiers and police officers.
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Pentagon Surveys Military Spouses On 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'
www.washingtonpost.com-August 24, 2010
A new survey sent to about 150,000 military spouses asks whether they would encourage their husband or wife to leave the military if it repeals the "don't ask, don't tell" policy banning gays and lesbians from openly serving in uniform.
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Vast number of military bands may not be music to Gates's ears
www.washingtonpost.com-August 24, 2010
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates frequently makes the point that Congress funds Defense Department personnel far more easily than it does State Department employees.
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What Does July 2011 Mean In Afghanistan?
www.usatoday.com-August 24, 2010
In his Dec. 1 speech at West Point announcing that an additional 30,000 U.S. troops would go to Afghanistan, together with several thousand more allied soldiers, President Obama adopted a muscular counterinsurgency approach to the war. As this summer ends, that deployment has been nearly completed. There are nearly 100,000 U.S. troops plus almost 45,000 foreign soldiers on the ground in Afghanistan (along with about 240,000 Afghan army and police forces).
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Petraeus' Dubious Strategy In Afghanistan
www.chicagotribune.com-August 23, 2010
Gen. David Petraeus recently began a public relations blitz to convince American public opinion that the U.S. should stay the course in Afghanistan rather than holding to President Obama's pledge to start withdrawing troops in July.
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LTG JAMES DUBIK (RET.) VISITS THE SITUATION ROOM TO DISCUSS LESSONS LEARNED IN IRAQ (CNN)
www.understandingwar.org-August 23, 2010
ISW Senior Fellow LTG James Dubik (Ret.) discusses the Army's lessons learned on the eve of the Iraq drawdown with CNN Pentagon Correspondent Chris Lawrence.
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'Mission accomplished'? Joe Biden gives upbeat assessment of Iraq.
www.csmonitor.com-August 23, 2010
The Obama White House has been fretting for weeks over how best to portray the official conclusion of the US combat presence in Iraq at the end of this month. If the speech by Vice President Joe Biden before a veterans organization Monday is an indication, it will be upbeat, muscular, and just shy of “mission accomplished.”
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Arrest Offers Peek Into Russian Criminal World
www.nytimes.com-August 23, 2010
On the Internet, he was known as BadB, a disembodied criminal flitting from one server to another selling stolen credit card numbers despite being pursued by the United States Secret Service.
And in real life, he was nearly as untouchable — because he lived in Russia.
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U.S., Russia face off over alleged arms trafficker
www.washingtonpost.com-August 23, 2010
Oh, the stories this Russian could tell! If Viktor Bout starts talking to U.S. prosecutors, the man accused of supplying the weapons for civil wars on three continents could raise the roof in Moscow and Washington.
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Mideast peace talks raise stakes higher for President Obama
www.usatoday.com-August 23, 2010
President Obama's decision to restart Middle East peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians next week creates a big opportunity for him, but also huge risk, experts on the region say.
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Missile Shield At $10 Billion Sets Up Boeing-Lockheed Showdown
www.bloomberg.com-August 23, 2010
Boeing Co. will compete for the first time to keep its U.S. missile defense work as Lockheed Martin Corp. seeks to wrest away an order for as much as $10 billion.
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Vets Groups Seek To Have VA Running Arlington
www.washingtonpost.com-August 23, 2010
Veterans groups and members of Congress are questioning whether management of Arlington National Cemetery should be transferred from the Army to the Department of Veterans Affairs.
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Details About President Obama's Iraq Address Next Week
www.abcnews.com-August 23, 2010
As US combat troops prepare to leave Iraq and the mission in Iraq changes, President Obama is preparing a speech to give to the nation. The tentative date for the speech is August 31, the withdrawal deadline for US combat troops.
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Biden: Iraqis Ready to 'Take Charge' as U.S. Forces Withdraw
www.foxnews.com-August 23, 2010
Vice President Biden, declaring Monday that Al Qaeda in Iraq and its extremist allies have "utterly failed" to inflame widespread violence, said Iraqis are ready to "take charge" of their country as U.S. combat troops leave.
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U.S. General Cites Ambitious Goals to Train Afghan Forces
www.nytimes.com-August 23, 2010
The American commander in charge of building up Afghanistan’s security forces said Monday that in the next 15 months he would have to recruit and train 141,000 new soldiers and police officers — more than the current size of the Afghan Army — to meet President Obama’s ambitious goals for getting Afghan forces to fight the war on their own.
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Petraeus 'Would Speak Out' If Afghan Pullout Too Risky
www.bbc.co.uk-August 23, 2010
Gen David Petraeus, who has recently taken command of Nato forces in Afghanistan, has told the BBC that if he felt the deadline of July next year which President Barack Obama has set for the start of an American withdrawal was too risky, he would tell the president so.
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The Last Chance to Avoid a Global Trade War
www.carnegieendowment.org-August 22, 2010
The world seems to be marching inexorably towards trade war. The US trade deficit is surging, for reasons that have nothing to do with domestic consumption and everything to do with policies and events abroad. In the months ahead, the US will be forced to choose either protection or soaring trade deficits with rising unemployment. It will almost certainly choose the former but if it overreacts, which is likely, it could unleash another round of global protectionism – which will especially hurt trade-surplus countries.
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Israeli-Palestinian Talks Face a Big 'So What?'
www.time.com-August 22, 2010
Wide, long and not very satisfying was the yawn that greeted news that Israel and the Palestinian Authority will resume direct peace talks in Washington next month. After decades of fruitless negotiations interrupted by periods of stalemate or terror or both, expectations could scarcely be lower on either side.
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US troops to return only if Iraqi forces fail
www.washingtonpost.com-August 22, 2010
It would take "a complete failure" of the Iraqi security forces for the U.S. to resume combat operations there, the top American commander in Iraq said as the final U.S. fighting forces prepared to leave the country.
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As Mission Shifts in Iraq, Risks Linger for Obama
www.nytimes.com-August 22, 2010
The official end of America’s combat mission in Iraq next week will fulfill the campaign promise that helped vault President Obama to the White House, but it also presents profound risks as he seeks to claim credit without issuing a premature declaration of victory.
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Next target: The birthplace of the Taliban
www.msnbc.com-August 22, 2010
As Lt. Col. Peter N. Benchoff prepares for an assault next month into the birthplace of the Taliban, he doesn't sugarcoat the hurdles his troops face in this crucial swath of southern Afghanistan.
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"Face the Nation" with General Ray Odierno
www.cbs.com-August 22, 2010
"Face the Nation" with General Ray Odierno, Senator Lindsey Graham, and Author Greg Mortenson, and General David Petraeus.
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US troops to return only if Iraqi forces fail
www.realclearmarkets.com-August 22, 2010
It would take "a complete failure" of the Iraqi security forces for the U.S. to resume combat operations there, the top American commander in Iraq said as the final U.S. fighting forces prepared to leave the country.
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In Mideast Talks, Scant Hopes From the Beginning
www.nytimes.com-August 21, 2010
The American invitation on Friday to the Israelis and Palestinians to start direct peace talks in two weeks in Washington was immediately accepted by both governments. But just below the surface there was an almost audible shrug. There is little confidence — close to none — on either side that the Obama administration’s goal of reaching a comprehensive deal in one year can be met.
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Despite Sanctions, Iran Fuels First Nuclear Reactor
www.nytimes.com-August 21, 2010
Iranian and Russian engineers began loading fuel Saturday into Iran's first nuclear power plant, which Moscow has promised to safeguard to prevent material at the site from being used in any potential weapons production.
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Karzai Will Support Anti-Corruption Teams
www.washingtonpost.com-August 21, 2010
After a series of meetings this week with Sen. John F. Kerry, President Hamid Karzai said Friday that he would support the independent work of two anti-corruption law enforcement units that had come under political pressure from his office after the arrest of one of his aides last month.
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U.S. Aims To Wash Away Hatred In Pakistan Flood Relief Work
www.latimes.com-August 21, 2010
Washington hopes its rescue missions and millions of dollars of aid in flood-ravaged Pakistan will help chip away at the deep-seated dislike and mistrust that many Pakistanis have for America.
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In Afghanistan, Duty Is Therapy For Unit That Lost 4 In Fort Hood Shooting
www.sanantonioexpressnews.com-August 21, 2010
After nearly 100 missions along a stretch of western Afghanistan where his 510th Clearance Company has found 70 undetonated roadside bombs, Pfc. Alan Carroll sometimes struggles to fall asleep while weighing a simple question. What if?
A survivor of the mass shooting last fall at Fort Hood that left 13 dead, Carroll, 21, of Bridgewater, N.J., wonders what he might have done differently after hearing a voice that he believes belonged to Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan cry out “Allahu akbar!” in a crowded post deployment center.
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Prosecutors Eye WikiLeaks Charges
htttp://online.wsj.com-August 21, 2010
Pentagon lawyers believe that online whistleblower group WikiLeaks acted illegally in disclosing thousands of classified Afghanistan war reports and other material, and federal prosecutors are exploring possible criminal charges, officials familiar with the matter said.
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Memo: Approval To Close JFCOM Could Come By Sept. 1
www.newportnewsdailypress.com-August 21, 2010
President Obama could approve the decision to close Joint Forces Command in Norfolk before Sept. 1, according to a memo being circulated to local and state officials.
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In Mideast talks, scant hopes from beginning
www.msnbc.com-August 21, 2010
The American invitation on Friday to the Israelis and Palestinians to start direct peace talks in two weeks in Washington was immediately accepted by both governments. But just below the surface there was an almost audible shrug. There is little confidence — close to none — on either side that the Obama administration’s goal of reaching a comprehensive deal in one year can be met.
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Family, U.S. Offer Differing Versions Of Deadly Afghan Raid
www.mcclatchynews.com-August 20, 2010
When Ismail Nemati set out from Kabul last week to join his family in nearby Wardak province for the start of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, friends said, his biggest fear was running into Taliban forces who might question his allegiances.
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Winning The Peace In Iraq
htttp://online.wsj.com-August 20, 2010
The last American combat troops left Iraq this week. But when 'Operation New Dawn' begins on Sept. 1, the U.S. will still have a vital mission—and interests—there.
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Torrent of Challenges for U.S. in Pakistan
www.cfr.org-August 20, 2010
Pakistan's floods have affected twenty million people and killed nearly sixteen hundred so far, according to the United Nations. The United States has been rallying international assistance for Pakistan; on Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pledged additional aid at a UN meeting (BBC) boosting total U.S. flood aid to $150 million, and Senator John Kerry (D-MA) visited flood-ravaged areas in Pakistan to assess ongoing relief efforts.
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U.S.: Israel, Palestinians to resume peace talks
www.msnbc.com-August 20, 2010
Israel and the Palestinians have agreed to resume their long-stalled direct negotiations in Washington early next month, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Friday, with a goal of two sovereign states existing side by side in peace.
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The U.S. and Israel: Same View of Threat, Different View on Force
www.washingtoninstitute.org-August 20, 2010
Over the last year, statements about the Iranian nuclear issue from Israel's leadership have emphasized how serious the problem is, rather than how immediately it will come to a boil. This is quite a shift from 2005, when -- during a visit to President George W. Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas -- Israel's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon stressed that, the moment Iran mastered uranium-enrichment technology, we would be past the point of no return.
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Israel and the Palestinians to resume direct talks
www.bbc.com-August 20, 2010
Israel and the Palestinians have agreed to resume direct negotiations for the first time in 20 months, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said.
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Recount In Iraq Preserves Victory For Maliki Rival
htttp://online.wsj.com-August 20, 2010
When the men and women of Fourth Brigade, Second Infantry Division deployed to Iraq in April 2007 as part of President Bush's surge, American soldiers were being killed or wounded at a rate of about 750 a month, the country was falling to sectarian mayhem, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid had declared that the war was "lost."
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Clinton invites Israel, Palestinians to September 2 talks
www.reuters.com-August 20, 2010
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Friday invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to resume direct talks in Washington on September 2 with an aim to reaching a peace deal within one year.
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Clinton Announces Israelis, Palestinians To Resume Peace Talks
www.realclearpolitics.com-August 20, 2010
Video of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Announcing Israelis, Palestinians To Resume Peace Talks.
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U.S. offers to host Israeli-Palestinian peace talks
www.washingtonpost.com-August 20, 2010
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Friday invited Israeli and Palestinian leaders to Washington next month to relaunch direct peace negotiations after a nearly two-year hiatus, and she set a goal of completing a comprehensive settlement within a year.
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Five myths about the Iraq troop withdrawal
www.washingtonpost.com-August 20, 2010
Early Thursday, less than two weeks before the president's Aug. 31 deadline for ending American combat operations in Iraq, the 4th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division crossed the border from Iraq into Kuwait. With the departure of this last combat brigade, the U.S. military presence in Iraq is now down to 50,000 troops, fewer than at any time since the 2003 invasion. The shift offers a useful moment to take stock of both how much has been accomplished and how much is left to be done in what is fast becoming our forgotten war.
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China Can't Break the Rules
www.carnegieendowment.org-August 20, 2010
The United States and the 45 other countries that set the global rules on nuclear trade expect to be confronted with Chinese plans to flout those rules by building two reactors in Pakistan. The looming deal is emblematic of Beijing’s growing nuclear assertiveness and also threatens to undermine global nonproliferation efforts championed by President Obama. Washington should be critical of this transaction, but more importantly, the United States should use this opportunity to hold bilateral talks with China on nuclear trade, security and nonproliferation issues.
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Thailand decides to extradite accused Russian arms dealer to U.S.
www.washingtonpost.com-August 20, 2010
A reputed Russian arms dealer will be extradited to the United States, an appeals court in Thailand decided Friday, overturning a lower court's rejection of a U.S. extradition request and ending concern that the man dubbed the "merchant of death" would be set free.
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U.S. Assures Israel That Iran Threat Is Not Imminent
www.nytimes.com-August 20, 2010
The Obama administration, citing evidence of continued troubles inside Iran’s nuclear program, has persuaded Israel that it would take roughly a year — and perhaps longer — for Iran to complete what one senior official called a “dash” for a nuclear weapon, according to American officials.
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Thai Court Rules to Extradite Arms Suspect to U.S.
www.nytimes.com-August 20, 2010
A Thai court on Friday ordered the extradition to the United States of Viktor Bout, a Russian businessman suspected of running a large-scale arms trafficking organization that provided weapons to governments, rebels and insurgents across the globe.
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In Iraq War, Soldiers Say They Had a Job to Do
www.nytimes.com-August 20, 2010
Staff Sgt. Lucas C. Trammell, a tank gunner with the Third Infantry Division, fought his way into Baghdad in 2003. He was back in 2005, abandoning the tank for foot patrols in a very unsafe Ramadi, and again in 2007 as bodyguard for a battalion commander in Baghdad.
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US Stresses Military Role In Iraq
http://news.yahoo.com-August 20, 2010
US troops will still be in combat and taking on Islamist militants in Iraq even as the American military moves to an "advise and assist" role with a smaller force, officials said.
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Bush Comments On End Of Combat
www.politico.com-August 19, 2010
Seven years after declaring the end of “major combat operations in Iraq,” former President George W. Bush Thursday commented on the departure of the last U.S. combat troops from the country by expressing his gratitude to members of the U.S. military.
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Iraq: Strategic Partnership or Lose the "Unwon" War
www.csis.org-August 19, 2010
The Iraq War is not over and it is not “won.” In fact, it is at as critical a stage as at any time since 2003. Regardless of the reasons for going to war, everything now depends on a successful transition to an effective and unified Iraqi government, and Iraqi security forces that can bring both security and stability to the average Iraqi. The creation of such an “end state” will take a minimum of another five years, and probably ten.
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Iraq war by the numbers, as last US combat brigade leaves
www.csmonitor.com-August 19, 2010
The last US combat brigade departed Iraq on Thursday morning, 12 days ahead of the Aug. 31 deadline set by President Obama. It completed a cutback to 50,000 troops, from a high of 170,000. Mr. Obama has said all US service members will be pulled out by Jan. 1, 2012.
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John Ubaldi on Sacramento's KFBK Newstalk Radio
www.kfbk.com-August 19, 2010
Interview on KFBK News Talk radio regarding the End of Operation Iraqi Freedom
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More tough economic times forecast by CBO
www.reuters.com-August 19, 2010
The economy faces even more difficult times ahead with chronic unemployment and slow manufacturing hurting the recovery, the head of Congress' budget agency said on Thursday.
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Not the End
www.newsweek.com-August 19, 2010
The departure of the last “combat troops” from Iraq is hardly the end of American combat there.
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Operation Iraqi Freedom ends as last combat soldiers leave Baghdad
www.washingtonpost.com-August 19, 2010
Lt. Col. Mark Bieger huddled his infantrymen in a darkened parking lot minutes before they were to depart Baghdad for the last time.
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Civilians to Take U.S. Lead After Military Leaves Iraq
www.nytimes.com-August 19, 2010
As the United States military prepares to leave Iraq by the end of 2011, the Obama administration is planning a remarkable civilian effort, buttressed by a small army of contractors, to fill the void.
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Iraq in the rear-view mirror
www.latimes.com-August 19, 2010
Their Stryker, hulking in the dark like a dinosaur, is prepped with coolers full of water and Gatorade. The iPod is wired into the communications system. Now all they can do is wait for the ride their commanders have named "the last patrol."
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U.S. Withdrawal Not End To Mission In Iraq
www.washingtontimes.com-August 19, 2010
The Pentagon is officially ending its seven-year combat mission in Iraq on Aug. 31, but the remaining 50,000 U.S. troops will still carry out missions against terrorists and the CIA will continue cooperation with Iraq's now-unified intelligence service.
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Last U.S. Combat Brigade Leaves Iraq
htttp://online.wsj.com-August 19, 2010
As their convoy reached the barbed wire at the border crossing out of Iraq on Wednesday, the soldiers whooped and cheered. Then they scrambled out of their stifling hot armored vehicles, unfurled an American flag and posed for group photos.
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Pentagon Cost-Saving Drive Comes Under Fire
htttp://online.wsj.com-August 19, 2010
Lawmakers worried about potential job losses in their districts have rallied against the closure of a military command in Virginia, presenting Secretary of Defense Robert Gates with a big test of his sweeping effort to hold down military spending.
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WikiLeaks And Pentagon Disagree About Talks
www.nytimes.com-August 19, 2010
The Pentagon on Wednesday rebutted statements by the WikiLeaks organization that the Defense Department had expressed a willingness to discuss reviewing a trove of classified documents before public release.
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Federal Budget Could Save Unit In Norfolk, Says Congressman
www.richmondtimesdispatch.com-August 19, 2010
The federal budget may be the best weapon Virginia congressmen have to fight Defense Secretary Robert Gates' recommendation to close the Norfolk-based U.S. Joint Forces Command.
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Forbes: Battle Against JFCOM Closing Could Include A Lawsuit
www.newportnewsdailypress.com-August 19, 2010
The fight to save Joint Forces Command could end up in court, Rep. Randy Forbes said Wednesday.
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Sniper In Afghan Town Puts Marines On Edge
htttp://online.wsj.com-August 19, 2010
Somewhere in this dusty town, concealed among the cornfields, irrigation canals and mud-walled compounds, is a man the Marines particularly want to kill.
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Petraeus Uses Media To Press Patience On Afghanistan War
www.washingtontimes.com-August 19, 2010
A weekend media blitz by the Army's public relations master sent a clear message: It's not time to hit the panic button in Afghanistan, but success in the nearly 9-year-old war won't come quickly.
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U.S. Strategy In Pakistan Is Upended By Floods
www.nytimes.com-August 19, 2010
The floods in Pakistan have upended the Obama administration’s carefully honed strategy there, confronting the United States with a vast humanitarian crisis and militant groups determined to exploit the misery, in a country that was already one of its thorniest problems.
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Don't Cut Off Lebanon's Aid
www.carnegieendowment.org-August 19, 2010
With a deadly clash along the Israeli-Lebanese border earlier this month and amid growing accusations that Hezbollah holds undue sway over the Lebanese army, members of the U.S. Congress moved to cut off military aid to the strategically critical Arab country. But this runs counter to U.S. interests and to the interests of Lebanese and regional stability. While there are valid concerns about the Lebanese military, stopping funding will weaken the government and military, empower Hezbollah and strengthen Syrian and Iranian influence in Lebanon.
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The Meaning of the End of Iraqi Freedom
www.cnas.org-August 19, 2010
The 4th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division has left Iraq, marking what President Obama has called the end of America's combat mission in Iraq. But some 50,000 U.S. troops remain in the country. It's unclear if and how their role will change as the mission shifts from combat to support
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Arming Hizballah? U.S. Military Assistance to Lebanon
www.washingtoninstitute.org-August 19, 2010
The August 3 fatal shooting of an Israel Defense Forces officer by a Lebanese Armed Forces soldier has sparked debate regarding the utility and wisdom of the U.S. military assistance program to Lebanon. Although such assistance is not new, the program's scope dramatically increased after the 2005 Cedar Revolution ended Syria's thirty-year occupation and swept the Arab world's only pro-Western, democratically elected government to power.
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The Beginning of the End
www.foreignpolicy.com-August 19, 2010
The U.S. combat presence in Iraq is over, and it is likely all troops will be gone by the end of next year. But strong support will still be needed in the weeks and months to come, lest the country slip back into chaos and conflict.
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CBO Reports Gives Its Economic Outlook
www.cbo.gov-August 19, 2010
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that the federal budget deficit for 2010 will exceed $1.3 trillion—$71 billion below last year's total and $27 billion lower than the amount that CBO projected in March 2010, when it issued its previous estimate.
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Gates To DoD Staff: Cooperate With Efficiency Effort
www.defensenews.com-August 19, 2010
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates this week codified the 20 elements of his effort to cut "excess and duplication" with the publication of a memo detailing his plans, distributed throughout the Pentagon Aug. 16.
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Antiwar Activists Rally Around Suspected Leaker
http://news.yahoo.com-August 19, 2010
The Army private suspected in one of the largest unauthorized disclosures of classified information in U.S. history has become a hero to many anti-war activists who have joined an international effort to free him.
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Iraq: Strategic Partnership or Lose the "Unwon" War
www.csis.org-August 19, 2010
The Iraq War is not over and it is not “won.” In fact, it is at as critical a stage as at any time since 2003. Regardless of the reasons for going to war, everything now depends on a successful transition to an effective and unified Iraqi government, and Iraqi security forces that can bring both security and stability to the average Iraqi.
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BUILDING SECURITY FORCES AND MINISTERIAL CAPACITY: IRAQ AS A PRIMER
www.understandingwar.org-August 18, 2010
This report discusses how U.S. commanders in Iraq vastly accelerated the growth of the Iraq Security Forces as part of a broader counterinsurgency strategy to supplement the Surge of U.S. forces into the region.
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U.S. Expects Long Presence In Region Of S. China Sea
www.washingtontimes.com-August 18, 2010
The U.S. military opposes the use of force by countries locked in a territorial dispute in the South China Sea and will maintain its presence in the strategic region for years to come, an American commander said Wednesday.
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Pentagon's China Military Report 'Ignores Objective Truth,' Says China
www.csmonitor.com-August 18, 2010
Beijing reacted angrily Wednesday to a Pentagon report expressing worries about China’s burgeoning military capabilities, calling such concerns baseless.
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U.S., Philippine Militaries Discussed China's 'Assertiveness' At Meeting
www.bloomberg.com-August 18, 2010
U.S. and Philippine military officials discussed the “assertiveness” displayed by China in the South China Sea during a meeting in Manila today.
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U.S. Announces New Joint Exercise With South Korea
www.reuters.com-August 18, 2010
The U.S. military will conduct an anti-submarine warfare exercise with South Korea early next month, sending a message to the North that Washington is committed to defending its ally, the Pentagon said on Wednesday.
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The U.S.-ASEAN Summit Should Be Held in the Capital
www.csis.org-August 18, 2010
In late September or early October, President Barack Obama will take the historic opportunity of hosting the first U.S.-ASEAN Summit on American soil. The summit will be the second of its kind following the inaugural meeting held in Singapore last November. There are two options for venue now being considered by the White House: New York, on the margins of the UN General Assembly, or Washington, D.C., the U.S. capital. There is only one correct answer to this foreign policy test: Washington.
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Former Hill Staffer Takes On Pentagon Budget
www.associatedpress.com-August 18, 2010
Defense Secretary Robert Gates has put a former Capitol Hill staffer and fellow Republican in charge of his ambitious effort to find billions of dollars in budget waste.
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David Petraeus: The Danger Room Interview
www.wired.com-August 18, 2010
My 45-minute interview Tuesday with Gen. David Petraeus, commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, was considerably less physically taxing than the last time we talked in person. While on a military base in Mosul, Iraq, in March 2007, I learned that Petraeus, then the commander of the Iraq war, was on his way there.
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Drones Surge, Special Ops Strike In Petraeus Campaign Plan
www.wired.com-August 18, 2010
Ever since the Afghanistan war became a counterinsurgency fight, critics have charged that commanders’ cautions about using force only inhibit the fight against the Taliban. But in the shadows, NATO Special Operations Forces are engaged in an intensely lethal war of their own.
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Kerry Delivers Stern Words To Karzai
www.latimes.com-August 18, 2010
The Obama administration on Tuesday delivered what might be its toughest warning yet to President Hamid Karzai over corruption in his government through a messenger who in the past has managed to forge a rapport with the mercurial Afghan leader in times of tension.
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JFCOM Tempting Target For Gates
www.washingtonpost.com-August 18, 2010
A military command that Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has said he plans to close is spending more than $500 million of its $704 million operating budget this year on contractor services, according to a spokesman for the command.
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Governor, Mayors Try To Save JFCOM
www.virginia-pilot.com-August 18, 2010
Gov. Bob McDonnell and the mayors of Suffolk, Norfolk and Virginia Beach have written to President Barack Obama and Defense Secretary Robert Gates urging a halt to Gates' plans to close Joint Forces Command.
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Hampton Roads Leaders Seek JFCOM Strategy
www.newportnewsdailypress.com-August 18, 2010
The Hampton Roads congressional delegation will huddle with state and local leaders Wednesday to discuss a strategy to fight the planned closing of Joint Forces Command.
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Odds Of US Strike On Iran Could Rise After Gates Departure
www.jerusalempost.com-August 18, 2010
The chance that the US will take military action against Iran to stop its nuclear program will likely increase after Secretary of Defense Robert Gates steps down in 2011, according to assessments within the Israeli defense establishment.
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Don't Take The Taliban's Bait
www.usatoday.com-August 18, 2010
Most American warriors logically desire to fight with no reservations. But in this our longest war ever, it has become clear that destroying a village to save it works no better in Afghanistan than it did in Vietnam.
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The Cost Of Superpower Status
www.latimes.com-August 18, 2010
America began the new millennium with optimism and confidence. Today, two recessions and two wars later, the optimism is weakened and the confidence is waning. U.S. military spending has risen to nearly half of the global total, but the U.S. share of global output is eroding steadily as other economies grow faster.
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The Struggling Economic Recovery
www.cfr.org-August 18, 2010
Gloomy economic indicators continue to raise questions about the sturdiness of the global economic recovery. Weak global demand for American exports, a near 10 percent U.S. unemployment rate, and sluggish bank lending (Bloomberg) have led to doubts about the Obama administration's efforts to stimulate the economy with a new jobs bill (WSJ). Questions also loom about the Federal Reserve's decision to keep interest rates low indefinitely and how long markets will tolerate high U.S. debt.
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How to Win the Clash of Civilizations
htttp://online.wsj.com-August 18, 2010
What do the controversies around the proposed mosque near Ground Zero, the eviction of American missionaries from Morocco earlier this year, the minaret ban in Switzerland last year, and the recent burka ban in France have in common? All four are framed in the Western media as issues of religious tolerance. But that is not their essence. Fundamentally, they are all symptoms of what the late Harvard political scientist Samuel Huntington called the "Clash of Civilizations," particularly the clash between Islam and the West.
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U.S. ending combat operations in Iraq
www.msnbc.com-August 18, 2010
The last U.S. combat troops were crossing the border into Kuwait on Thursday morning, bringing to a close the active combat phase of a 7½-year war that overthrew the dictatorial regime of Saddam Hussein, forever defined the presidency of George W. Bush and left more than 4,400 American service members and tens of thousands of Iraqis dead.
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Why Gates Seems Set On A 2011 Departure
www.newsweek.com-August 17, 2010
So Robert Gates is set on retiring from government—for the second time. Or so he says. In an interview with ForeignPolicy.com, he has repeated more firmly than ever his desire to resign as secretary of defense sometime in 2011.
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Gates's Legacy
www.foreignpolicy.com-August 17, 2010
In his profile of Robert Gates, Fred Kaplan argues that the Pentagon leader has, in less than four years, "changed the way the Pentagon does business and the military fights wars more than any defense secretary since Robert McNamara."
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U.S. Withdrawal and Limited Options in Iraq
www.realclearpolitics.com-August 17, 2010
It is August 2010, which is the month when the last U.S. combat troops are scheduled to leave Iraq. It is therefore time to take stock of the situation in Iraq, which has changed places with Afghanistan as the forgotten war.
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Defense Secretary Says He Would Like To Step Down Next Year
www.washingtonpost.com-August 17, 2010
For a man who came into his post reluctantly and as a purported short-timer, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates is turning into more and more of a fixture at the Pentagon.
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Gates Looking At His Own 2011 Departure
www.nytimes.com-August 17, 2010
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates is looking to step down sometime in 2011.
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Eying The Pentagon, Gates Considers Three Changes
www.washingtonpost.com-August 17, 2010
If you need further guidance about how far Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates is preparing to go in his effort to change the Pentagon culture and to cap spending, take a look at three new targets he identified last week that have all been "third rail" issues for his predecessor
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Pentagon Misuses U.S. Emergency Fund On Afghan Power Project, Skelton Says
www.bloomberg.com-August 17, 2010
The Defense Department is misspending at least $227 million on an Afghan power project from a U.S. fund designed to let combat commanders bankroll small, high- impact humanitarian efforts, according to House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton.
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Pentagon Cites Concerns In China Military Growth
www.nytimes.com-August 17, 2010
China has increased spending on a military that is becoming larger and more effective even as Beijing has rebuffed exchanges with the Defense Department that could improve stability, according to a Pentagon study released Monday.
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U.S. and South Korea Begin War Drills
www.nytimes.com-August 17, 2010
Tens of thousands of South Korean and United States troops began a new round of war games on Monday, as North Korea threatened a “merciless counterblow” amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
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Military Towns Enjoy Big Booms
www.usatoday.com-August 17, 2010
Rapidly rising pay and benefits in the armed forces have lifted many military towns into the ranks of the nation's most affluent communities, a USA TODAY analysis finds.
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Retired Admiral: Focus On Military, Not Jobs In JFCOM Debate
www.newportnewsdailypress.com-August 17, 2010
Virginia leaders should focus on the potential harm to the military, not the local economy, to fight the closing of Joint Forces Command, a retired rear admiral said Monday.
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Past JFCOM Leaders Could Fight Closure, Nye Told
www.virginia-pilot.com-August 17, 2010
A military affairs group set up by U.S. Rep. Glenn Nye advised him Monday to seek out the testimony of past Joint Forces Command officers to help build a defense against closing the command.
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START expiration ends U.S. inspection of Russian nuclear bases
www.washingtonpost.com-August 17, 2010
For the first time in 15 years, U.S. officials have lost their ability to inspect Russian long-range nuclear bases, where they had become accustomed to peering into missile silos, counting warheads and whipping out tape measures to size up rockets.
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Conflicting Objectives for U.S. in Afghanistan
www.cfr.org-August 17, 2010
General David H. Petraeus, in his first extended public interviews as chief U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, made news over the weekend when he argued against a hasty withdrawal of U.S. troops in July 2011 and expressed optimism that an achievement of the U.S. objectives there is possible.
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Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China 2010
www.defense.gov-August 17, 2010
Over the past 30 years, China has made great progress in its pursuit of economic growth and
development, which has allowed China to achieve higher living standards for the Chinese people and has increased China’s international profile. These economic achievements, combined with progress in science and technology, ha |
