Microcopter -- Miniature UAVs

The world's tiniest helicopter has been specially developed for spies and soldiers

The James Bond Inspired 'Microcopter' That Will Come In Packs Of Three -- The Daily Mail

It is the size of a cigarette packet and it could provide soldiers of the future with battleground intelligence at the flick of a joy stick.

The PD-100 Black Hornet 'nanocopter' is a long way from the remote control whirlybirds favoured by anorak-wearing model aeroplane enthusiasts.

They do not accelerate and decelerate like normal helicopters and, worst of all, they cannot hover.

Engineers behind the Black Hornet have developed a miniscule aircraft that will do all of those things, thanks to the 'smallest and lightest control servos in the world'.

Weighing in at just 0.5g, the tiny servos mean the PD-100 is even smaller than a toy battery helicopter.

Powered by an electric motor, the microcopter has 4in rotor blades, carries a tiny digital camera and flies at speeds of up to 20mph.

It has been tested successfully inside and outside in very light winds.

Read more ....

Sikorsky 'Progressing' With X2 Helicopter Effort

Photo: The X2 in olive drab.
(Credit: PRNewsFoto/Sikorsky Aircraft)

From CNET News:

Sikorsky Aircraft is offering a bit of a look at its X2 helicopter concept.

The X2 Technology design is intended to showcase a range of possibilities for advancing what a helicopter can do--most notably, how fast it can fly. Sikorsky aims eventually to use its X2 demonstrator to push helicopter cruising speed to 250 knots, or nearly twice as fast as today's machines, such as its Blackhawk.

Sikorsky said Monday that it is "progressing" toward that high-speed milestone. It is showing off the Light Tactical Helicopter design at this week's Army Aviation Association of America annual convention in Nashville, Tenn.

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A Farewell To Arms: On Board With Britain's Biggest Warship

Two Harriers on the flight deck

From The Daily Mail:

HMS Illustrious is Britain's biggest warship - a small city on the oceans that has spent three decades living up to its noble name. Now it's old and weary and outclassed by gleaming modern rivals. Live's reportage team went on board to chart a proud aircraft carrier's voyage to the scrapyard

Hiding an aircraft carrier should be very hard indeed. But our Sikorsky S-61 helicopter has been skimming the surface of the North Sea for 30 minutes - we are so low that the distant swell disappears above the blades of the chopper - and I cannot find any part of the 680ft HMS Illustrious. And I've got a window seat.

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Pak Taliban: ‘The Drones Are Very Effective’

Airmen assigned to the 432nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron assemble an MQ-1 Predator after returning from Afghanistan May 19 at Creech Air Force Base, Nev. The six images on the side of the MQ-1 Predator symbolize the number of Hellfire missiles shot while in combat. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Larry E. Reid Jr.)

From The Danger Room:

The New York Times speaks today with a 28 year-old Pakistani logistics tactician for the Taliban. He’s utterly underwhelmed by America’s war plans for the region — well, except for one element.

The one thing that impressed him were the missile strikes by drones — virtually the only American military presence felt inside Pakistan. “The drones are very effective,” he said, acknowledging that they had thinned the top leadership of Al Qaeda and the Taliban in the area.

In this year alone, the U.S. has launched at least 16 unmanned assaults on suspected guerrilla camps in Pakistan. Government officials in both Islamabad and Washington say the robotic strikes have decimated Al Qaeda’s ranks in Pakistan. But recent reports in the local press have portrayed the drones as wildly ineffective, killing only 14 militants while slaying 700 civilians. The Taliban tactician seemed to reinforce the official line, saying that “29 of his friends had been killed in the strikes.” Men no longer gathered in large groups in his home base of Wana, according to the tactician; they’re worried about being seen by the robot planes.

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My Comment: This is not the first time that I have read accounts from Taliban agents who have expressed their fears on American robotic strikes. Even though many counter insurgency experts have publicly voiced their opposition to these type of attacks, I suspect that Predator and Reaper attacks have been far more successful and consistent than what has been reported.

Behind The Military Mutiny In Georgia

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, far left, surrounded by guards. Irakli Gedenidze / Presidential Press Service/ Pool / AP

From Time Magazine:

Georgia's government has called Tuesday's mutiny at a military base near Tbilisi part of a coup attempt orchestrated by Russia, but opponents of beleaguered President Mikheil Saakashvili accuse him of using the incident to crack down on mounting domestic opposition. Soldiers in tanks and armored personnel carriers raced to the base in Mukhrovani, 20 miles from the capital, to confront mutinous soldiers, about 500 of whom were arrested after the standoff ended peacefully.

Read more ....

More News On The Crisis In Georgia

Police and protesters clash in Georgia's capital -- AP
Georgia Protesters Battle Police in First Violent Outbreak -- New York Times
Bid to storm Georgia police HQ repelled -- Brisbane Times
Demonstrators, Police Clash In Georgian Capital -- Voice of America
Anti-government clash in Georgia -- BBC
NATO war games launch despite Russia's fierce objections -- L.A. Times
Georgia war games strain NATO-Russia relations -- China View
Georgia war games feed tensions between Russia, NATO -- CBC

Spy vs. Spy: Russia, Incensed At NATO War Games, Kicks Out Two Canadian Diplomats

From Christian Science Monitor:

Could this be the end of the brief thaw between Russia and NATO?

MOSCOW – Russia cranked up the temperature in its escalating spat with NATO Wednesday by kicking out two Canadian diplomats.

Why?

Payback, apparently, for the Western alliance’s recent expulsion of two alleged Russian spies.

But the spy spat is part of a bigger issue.

Moscow’s displeasure appears mostly focused on NATO-sponsored war games in Georgia, which opened on Wednesday. The military exercises began despite the defections of four Russia-friendly countries that were to have participated and a major Russian PR offensive aimed at convincing the Western alliance to cancel them.

Read more ....

My Comment: When I first heard this news, I felt that I was reliving the cold war again. While we are not in a cold war situation .... these expulsions reveal how fragile NATO - Russian relations are.

While we may look and blame ourselves, this situation is more of a reflection of Russian internal politics at play. Russia still sees themselves as a superpower .... that what they will say has to be accepted .... especially in what they perceive are their spheres of influence.

The fact that this is not the case .... is a reality that is very jarring and unacceptable to many in Moscow .... especially when such situations (like NATO exercises in Georgia) have a tendency to creep up and become public.

The Presidents Of The U.S., Afghanistan, And Pakistan Meet To Discuss War Strategy

President Barack Obama, Afghan President Hamid Karzai, second from right, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, left, and Vice President Joe Biden, walk away from the podium in the Grand Foyer of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, May 6, 2009, after the president spoke following their trilateral meeting. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

Obama Pleased After Leaders Agree To Fight Taliban -- Yahoo News/AP

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama declared he got the commitments he wanted Wednesday from the leaders of Pakistan and Afghanistan to more aggressively fight Taliban and al-Qaida militants who are gaining power and sowing violence in their countries. "I'm pleased that these two men, elected leaders of Afghanistan and Pakistan, fully appreciate the seriousness of the threats that we face and have reaffirmed their commitment to confronting it," Obama said at the White House.

The presidents of the two countries stood at his side after a day of joint meetings. Obama is sending 21,000 fresh U.S. troops into Afghanistan to help with the anti-terror war.

Read more ....

More News On The Meeting Of U.S., Afghan, And Pakistani Officials

U.S. Brokers 'Historic' Agreement Between Afghanistan, Pakistan -- ABC News
Obama: 'Lasting Commitment' to Pakistan, Afghanistan -- FOX News
Obama: Afghanistan, Pakistan, U.S. working to defeat extremists -- CNN
Obama hails unity over al-Qaeda -- BBC
Obama says leaders agree to fight Taliban -- MSNBC
With Taliban Threat Rising, Obama Presses Visiting Allies -- New York Times
Obama Calls Meetings with Pakistani, Afghan Counterparts 'Extraordinarily Productive' -- Voice Of America
Obama: We Want To Stop Civilian Casualties -- CBS News
U.S. presses Pakistan, Afghanistan for cooperation against militants -- L.A. Times
Obama pleased with Afghanistan-Pakistan summit -- USA Today
Obama says U.S., Pakistan, Afghanistan face common foe -- Reuters
Barack Obama demands Afghanistan and Pakistan unite against Taliban -- The Telegraph
Obama urges cooperation between Afghanistan and Pakistan leaders -- The Guardian
Afghan massacre overshadows US talks -- Independent
Civilian deaths in US airstrike overshadow Obama's Afghan summit -- Times Online
One aim of US-Afghan-Pakistani summit: a parade for aid -- Christian Science Monitor

Robert Gates Has His "Donald Rumsfeld" Moment

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates in Afghanistan. Photo AP.

Gates Says Taliban Have Momentum In Afghanistan -- CNN

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (CNN) -- The Taliban in Afghanistan have momentum that makes any effort to negotiate with them difficult, the U.S. defense secretary said.

Secretary Robert Gates spoke to CNN's Chris Lawrence in an exclusive interview Tuesday evening before leaving for Afghanistan, where he is visiting troops and bases Wednesday.

"The political level of the Taliban probably isn't ready to think about reconciliation or any kind of accommodation at this point," Gates said in the interview. "They probably feel like they have the momentum with them. And until that momentum changes, it will be difficult."

Read more ....

My Comment: When Donald Rumsfeld was Secretary of Defense, he once mused if the U.S. was killing militants faster than radical clerics and religious schools could create them.

Secretary of Defense Gates is now thinking along the same lines with the war in Afghanistan. He clearly feels that it is the Taliban who now have the momentum and confidence to be victorious .... and that to change these battlefield dynamics the West and our Afghan allies will now have to expand the war dramatically.

While his comments are not reassuring .... at least he is now completely aware of the deteriorating situation and the consequences of defeat.

How To Protect America? .... Hire 20,000 Bureaucrats

F-22 Raptor Final Assembly Line (Photo from Lockheed Martin)

Pentagon Plans 20,000 New Jobs To Manage Arms-Buys -- The Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's Defense Department plans to create 20,000 new jobs to manage a revamp of the way the United States buys billions of dollars of weapons each year, the Pentagon's No. 2 official told Congress.

The Pentagon also plans to tie more contract fee structures to performance and will make sure that multiyear contracts are awarded only when "real, substantial" savings result to taxpayers, Deputy Defense Secretary William Lynn told the House of Representatives Armed Services Committee on Wednesday.

Read more ....

My Comment: On the one hand 20,000 bureaucrats are going to be hired to manage Pentagon purchases and procurement, on the other hand big cuts in procurements and purchases for the Pentagon are being outlined.

I understand the thinking that is involved. There is a belief in the White House and their Pentagon allies that these thousands of bureaucrats will save a considerable amount of money .... money that will then be used to improve the military.

Sigh .... in all my years of following how governments work, I have yet to find one government program that has improved efficiency, cost, and time of delivery. I repeat .... not one program.

Hiring these 20,000 civil servants will just be a waste of time. It will increase paperwork and hence date of deliveries. Costs will skyrocket. And efficiency .... that word will just become a joke in both the Pentagon and contractor community.

They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions .... this program when implemented will make the Passport Office and the License Bureau models of efficiency .... a sure descent into Hell if there ever was one.

Pakistan Poses a 'Mortal Threat' -- A Commentary

From Real Clear Politics:

Does anyone take serious words seriously anymore here in Washington?

News item No. 1 concerns the testimony of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on April 22. She said deteriorating security in nuclear-armed Pakistan "poses a mortal threat to the security and safety of our country and the world."

News item No. 2 is this headline on the front page of the May 4 edition of The Washington Post: "U.S. Options in Pakistan Limited."

News item No. 3 is a quote in Jackson Diehl's May 4 column in The Washington Post from a senior Obama administration official: "It's not good when your national security interests are dependent on a country over which you have almost no influence."

Read more ....

World Without Nukes? Not So Fast, Graybeards Say -- A Commentary

A Trident missile at liftoff. Photograph: AP/The Guardian

From The Danger Room:

President Barack Obama recently laid out his vision of a world free of nuclear weapons. A panel of nuclear strategy experts’ advice oh how to get there: Take the tiniest of baby steps.

The Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States — tasked by Congress to take a comprehensive look at U.S. nuclear weapons policy — released its final recommendations this morning. And in his preface, chairman William Perry sounds downright pessimistic about the president’s goal. “Indeed, if the vision of nuclear elimination is thought of as the ‘top of the mountain,’ it is clear that it cannot be seen at this time,” he writes. “But I believe that we should be heading up the mountain to a ‘base camp’ that would be safer than where we are today.”

Read more ....

The Defense Budget Is Much Bigger Than What Is Being Reported -- A Commentary

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates (L) and Joint Chiefs Vice Chairman Gen. James Cartwright deliver remarks regarding the Defense Department’s 2010 budget recommendations. (Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty Images)

Defense Budget Baloney -- The Politico:

This week, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates is set to roll out the final details of the defense budget for 2010. Beware the articles and commentary you read; many will be factually inaccurate or misleading — mostly both.

This will be the third round of revelations about the 2010 Pentagon budget. On Feb. 26, we got the bare bones — just the total amount. On April 6, we got Gates’ decisions on 50 weapons programs. This week, we get all the rest — how much he seeks for every single other program and policy in the Pentagon.

Read more ....

How to Handle The Guantanamo Detainees -- A Commentary

A guard leans on a fencepost as a Guantanamo detainee jogs inside the exercise yard at Camp 5 detention centre, at the U.S. Naval Base in Guantanamo Bay, Jan. 21, 2009. Brennan Linsley/Pool/Reuters

From Wall Street Journal:

Preventive detention will continue to have a place in the war on terror.

When President Barack Obama declassified and released legal memoranda from the Department of Justice, he opened the door to a drawn-out battle over the Bush administration's use of coercive interrogation techniques on suspected terrorists. We believe that any subsequent attempts to subject those who provided such legal advice to prosecutions are a mistake. They will have a chilling effect on the candor with which future government officials provide their best counsel.

The country must move on from debates about the past, because pressing questions about U.S. detention policy in the war on terror requires us to make difficult choices -- and to make them soon.

Read more ....

Drugs And The Destruction Of Afghan Society

Heroin and opium addicts in the former Soviet Cultural Center in Kabul.
Lynsey Addario for The New York Times

Drugs Hollow Out Afghan Lives in Cultural Center -- New York Times

KABUL, Afghanistan — The men, hollow-eyed and matted, start coming at dawn, shuffling into the remains of the old Soviet Cultural Center, which in its day staged films celebrating the glories of a new era.

These days, the shell of the abandoned building serves as perhaps the world’s largest gathering spot for men looking to satisfy their lust for heroin and opium. Stooping in the darkened caverns of the place, amid the waste and exhalations of hundreds of others, the men partake of the drug that has begun to wreak its deathly magic in the very country where it is produced.

One such man, who called himself Mohammed Ofzal, struck a match beneath a piece of foil and sucked in the blue smoke that rose from the liquefying little mass. Then he sat back in a crouch, legs shaking a little. His eyes, glazed and half-shut, stared blankly at the floor.

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My Comment: This news report makes the case for the elimination of the drug trade in Afghanistan. I could not have written a better article.

The Erosion Of U.S. Power In Asia -- A Commentary

From The American Enterprise Institute:

When George W. Bush was president, critics of his Asia policy liked to say that America was "getting its derriere kicked" by China. By this the critics meant that the war in Iraq was a big distraction and that the United States was not attending enough Asian multilateral conferences, where it could demonstrate its "soft power."

While this case against the Bush administration was never wholly convincing, it did contain a kernel of truth. Beijing did gain regional influence at Washington's expense under Mr. Bush's watch. But Beijing did so not through kinder and gentler diplomacy alone; rather, China grew its military at a rapid clip and the region took note.

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Palestine v. Nuclear Iran: Quid Pro Quo For Israel? -- A Commentary

From Captain's Quarters:

Rahm Emanuel’s ego is writing checks that our bank account can’t cash.

Thwarting Iran’s nuclear program is conditional on progress in peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, according to White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel. Israeli TV reports said Monday that Emanuel made the comments in a closed-door meeting the previous day with 300 major AIPAC donors.

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World News Briefs -- May 6, 2009

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (C) speaks alongside Afghan President Hamid Karzai (L) and Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zadari before US-Afghanistan-Pakistan trilateral consultations at the State Department in Washington May 6, 2009. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas (UNITED STATES POLITICS)

US Begins Talks With Afghan, Pakistani Leaders -- Yahoo News/AP

WASHINGTON – The Obama administration took on high-stakes diplomacy with the leaders of Afghanistan and Pakistan Wednesday, seeking more cooperation against Taliban militants while apologizing for a U.S. bombing strike that Afghans said killed dozens of innocent civilians.

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MIDDLE EAST

Some U.S.-backed Iraqi fighters desert posts. Car Bombs Kill at Least 12 in Baghdad. PM: Iraqis need help with intelligence gathering.

Major attacks in Iraq since Jan. 1.

US journalist jailed in Iran ends hunger strike.

Hamas feels the heat from Syria. Lebanon-Syria tension eases.

Turkey wedding bloodbath puts militia in spotlight.

Blair: New Mideast peace plan unveiled in weeks.

ASIA

Sri Lanka Says Tamil Tigers Reduced to 300 Fighters in North. Sri Lanka invites U.N.'s Ban, rebels allege starvation.

Indian elections enter final stretch.

Chinese and American ships clash again in Yellow Sea.

Political crisis in Nepal could jeopardize peace process. Police clash with Maoist supporters in Nepal.

U.S. tries again on North Korean nuclear talks.

AFRICA

Jacob Zuma elected President of South Africa.

Soldiers quell Nigeria opposition.

Nigeria now producing more movies than Hollywood.

Algeria and Mali target al-Qaeda.

Zimbabwe activists freed on bail.

French probe into African leaders.

EUROPE

Russia expels Canadian diplomats.

Baltics less willing to provoke Russia

Mega security planned for pope's Israel visit.

Several said injured in Georgia clash.

EU Parliament blocks reform Of EU telecom rules.

AMERICAS

Flu cases rise in U.S.; Mexico reports more deaths.

Mexico's weapons cache stymies tracing.

Payments and apologies for victims of Guatemala's Civil War.

White House to release photo from New York flyover.

TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR

Libyans ask for return of Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi.

Mumbai attack accused says not guilty of charges.

MI5 agents 'tried to recruit Guantánamo detainees'.

U.S. mulls Saudi scheme for Guantanamo Yemenis.

ECONOMIC/FINANCIAL CRISIS

BofA and Citi need capital as stress tests results loom.

More than one in five homeowners underwater.

Is the EU recovering or tanking?

US No Longer Wants Iranian 'Regime Change:' Kerry

From AFP:

WASHINGTON (AFP) — The United States no longer seeks "regime change" in Iran and Tehran should respond accordingly by heeding global demands it freeze its suspect nuclear program, a top US senator said Wednesday.

"We are not in 'regime change' mode," Democrat John Kerry, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee told a hearing exploring the prospects for US President Barack Obama's new policy of engaging the Islamic republic.

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My Comment: The key phrase from the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is the following:

"Our efforts must be reciprocated by the other side: Just as we abandon calls for regime change in Tehran and recognize a legitimate Iranian role in the region, Iran's leaders must moderate their behavior and that of their proxies, Hezbollah and Hamas," said Kerry.

Sigh .... Sen. Kerry is ignoring 30 years of Iranian/Islamic extremist history. He is formulating U.S. foreign policy on the "hope" that the Iranian regime will change their policy.

Is anyone telling him that they will not, and there is no reason to believe that they will in the future. .... apparently not.

EXCLUSIVE: Secret U.S.-Israel Nuclear Accord In Jeopardy

The Dimona nuclear power plant in the southern Israeli Negev desert.
(AFP/File/Thomas Coex)

From The Washington Times:

President Obama's efforts to curb the spread of nuclear weapons threaten to expose and derail a 40-year-old secret U.S. agreement to shield Israel's nuclear weapons from international scrutiny, former and current U.S. and Israeli officials and nuclear specialists say.

The issue will likely come to a head when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with Mr. Obama on May 18 in Washington. Mr. Netanyahu is expected to seek assurances from Mr. Obama that he will uphold the U.S. commitment and will not trade Israeli nuclear concessions for Iranian ones.

Assistant Secretary of State Rose Gottemoeller, speaking Tuesday at a U.N. meeting on the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), said Israel should join the treaty, which would require Israel to declare and relinquish its nuclear arsenal.

Read more ....

Update: EDITORIAL: Breaking faith with Israel -- Washington Times

My Comment: This is one of the worse kept secrets in the world .... but for the U.S. to alter these accords is unprecedented. It is only going to further spoil U.S. - Israeli relations.

Tensions In Georgia As NATO Exercises Start

President Saakashvili of Georgia, far left, with his bodyguards, enters the military base where about 500 soldiers surrendered. Photo from Times Online.

NATO Exercise Begins Amid Tensions -- The New York Times

TBILISI, Georgia — A day after Georgia announced that it had put down a brief military mutiny aimed at disrupting NATO military exercises, the drills began Wednesday over Russian objections.

According to the Georgian account of the mutiny, government forces surrounded a tank battalion whose leaders were planning the uprising some 25 miles from Tbilisi, the capital. A few hours later, most of the unit’s 500 soldiers surrendered, and several of their commanders were detained.

President Mikheil Saakashvili said Russia was hoping to derail the NATO exercises, which he called a “symbolic event.”

“We are asking our northern neighbor to refrain from any provocations,” Mr. Saakashvili said of Russia, in a televised interview.

Russia immediately denied any role in the unrest.

Read more ....

More News On Georgia And NATO

NATO holds Georgia war games, Russia critical -- AP
Nato kicks off Georgia exercises -- BBC
Russia, NATO in battle of wills over Georgia -- Reuters
Nerves rising over Georgia situation -- The Australian
Uprising adds to pressure on Georgia's president -- Brisbane Times
Russia criticises Nato exercises in Georgia -- ABC News (Australia)
FACTBOX - NATO military exercises in Georgia -- Reuters
NATO begins exercises in Georgia -- China View
Georgia, Moscow Trade Allegations on Military Uprising -- Voice of America
Georgian leader Mikhail Saakashvili claims to have crushed army mutiny -- Times Online

Thai Leader Struggles At The Center Of A Storm

A crowd attacked the motorcade of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva last month outside a ministry building in Bangkok. Reuters

From The New York Times:

BANGKOK — Rarely has a leader in Thailand lost face in such a spectacular way. When protesters broke through a weak security cordon last month, storming into the venue of a regional summit meeting, visiting dignitaries, including the prime ministers of China and Japan, hastily fled the country.

Uncertain of the loyalty of his armed forces, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, young and untested, called together his military commanders and challenged them to stand by him.

“I said, ‘Do you want to perform your duties of making sure there is law and order?”’ Mr. Abhisit said in an interview Monday, his first detailed public account of the turmoil that almost brought down his government.

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My Comment: A Muslim insurgency in the south. Economic and financial crisis hitting everyone. An unreliable military, coupled with an electorate that is split down the middle. Thailand is not experiencing the best of times.

My Years As An Iraq War Reporter

Deborah Haynes gets a friendly soaking from a US pilot
after landing in the Green Zone in Baghdad.

From Times Online:

The bundle of $3,000 felt uncomfortable stuffed into my knickers, but I had been advised to stash it there in case my taxi was hijacked during the road trip to Baghdad from Amman. Thankfully, the 11 hours passed uneventfully, apart from a moment of fear as we drove close to Fallujah. It was 2004, and already the city was feared by foreigners. My driver, a Palestinian man, told me to lie down so as not to be seen. Heart-pounding, I pushed the passenger seat right back and lay still until the all-clear. A few weeks later insurgents ambushed, beat and burnt to death four private security guards in Fallujah. Their bodies were strung from a bridge.

Read more ....

My Comment: This is a fascinating read. I recommend this story highly.

Torture Probe Might Target Cheney's Office, Dodd Says

From Politico:

A Dodd supporter just sent us an extended version of the video clip we posted earlier. In this one, the Connecticut Democrat goes considerably farther in calling for hearings and possibly a criminal investigation into Bush-era interrogation tactics -- and suggests such a probe may need to focus on Dick Cheney's staff.

For openers, Dodd criticizes the White House for de-classifying the so-called "torture memos" without having a follow-up plan for dealing with the fallout -- quipping, "I don't know who the genius was in the room that night."

Read more ....

My Comment: A part of me says that Sen. Dodd is doing this to divert attention from his ethics problems .... but another part of me says that there is more support for such an investigation than what is being reported on.

I personally expect some form of "investigation" in the next few months. This criminalization of policy is going to set up a terrible precedent on how the justice system can be used to persecute political opponents. This may bring a considerable amount of support from opponents to the previous administration's ,policies on interrogation .... but by going through with such an action I can guarantee you that there will be blowback from the Republicans when they return to power in the next 4, 8, or 12 years.

No Prosecution, But Possible Disbarment For Lawyers Who Drafted The Interrogation Memos

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit Tuesday rejected the Obama administration's claim that a lawsuit involving extraordinary rendition must be halted for national security reasons, and reversed a lower court dismissal of the lawsuit. (ABC News Photo Illustration)

Torture Memos: Inquiry Suggests No Prosecutions -- New York Times

WASHINGTON — An internal Justice Department inquiry has concluded that Bush administration lawyers committed serious lapses of judgment in writing secret memorandums authorizing brutal interrogations but that they should not be prosecuted, according to government officials briefed on its findings.

The report by the Office of Professional Responsibility, an internal ethics unit within the Justice Department, is also likely to ask state bar associations to consider possible disciplinary action, which could include reprimands or even disbarment, for some of the lawyers involved in writing the legal opinions, the officials said.

The conclusions of the 220-page draft report are not final and have not yet been approved by Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. The officials said that it is possible that the final report might be subject to further revision but that they did not expect major alterations in its main findings or recommendations.

Read more ....

More News On The CIA Interrogation Memos

Source: No charges seen over interrogation memos -- AP
Justice Likely to Urge No Prosecutions -- Wall Street Journal
DOJ nears completion of 'torture memos' probe -- Politico
Torture lawyers want report amended -- UPI
Bush Officials Try to Alter Ethics Report -- Washington Post
2 authors of Bush administration torture memos under pressure -- China View
Sanctions, Not Charges, Expected for Lawyers Who Drafted CIA Memos -- Wall Street Journal
Draft report urges that lawyers who wrote harsh CIA interrogation memo not face criminal charges -- Chicago Tribune

My Comment: This will kill the legal departments who are responsible for providing legal opinions and advice on sensitive national security or military affairs. When one looks at the persecution of these officials, no lawyer in his right mind would want to have such a job.

Chinese (Intelligence) Fishing Boats Harrassing U.S. Naval Ships

A crew member on a Chinese trawler uses a grapple hook in an apparent attempt to snag the towed acoustic array of the military Sealift Command ocean surveillance ship USNS Impeccable (T-AGOS-23) in the South China Sea on March 8, 2009. Impeccable was conducting routine survey operations in international waters 75 miles south of Hainan Island when it was harassed by five Chinese vessels. (UPI Photo/U.S. Navy)

U.S. Says Chinese Fishing Vessels Confront Navy Ship -- Washington Post

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two Chinese fishing vessels confronted a U.S. Navy surveillance ship in the Yellow Sea, coming within 30 yards of the American ship before breaking off, Pentagon officials said on Tuesday.

The incident, which occurred in the waters between mainland China and the Korean peninsula on Friday evening local time, was the fifth of its kind within the past two months, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Read more ....

More News On U.S. - Chinese Naval Confrontations

US plays down incident at sea with Chinese vessels -- Yahoo News/AP
Pentagon warns over Chinese boats -- BBC
Officials: Chinese ships approach US vessel at sea -- AP
Chinese fishing boats followed U.S. ship -- UPI
Chinese boats harassed U.S. ship, officials say -- CNN
New sea incident between China, US: Pentagon -- AFP
Pentagon Reports Naval Incident in Yellow Sea -- Voice of America

War Journal: One Day At Forward Operating Base Salerno

Capt. Mike Dargavell walks away from the Blackhawk helicopter that retrieved him after his Kiowa helicopter crashed. He suffered minor injuries and returned to duty days later.

From Popular Mechanics:

PM's Joe Pappalardo is reporting from the frontlines in Afghanistan. Here, he gives a behind-the-scenes personal account as U.S. Army troops at Forward Operating Base Salerno grapple with simultaneous emergencies: A Special Forces-led rescue mission and a crashed helicopter.

"Choose your f***ing story," says Maj. Phillip Cain Baker, brushing past me on his way into the headquarters of Task Force Attack.

Maj. Baker has many talents and abilities—he's an Apache pilot with more than 600 combat hours and the executive officer of a task force comprised of hundreds of people—but he's also a master of concision. In a matter of seconds he's filled me in on the twin crises that have befallen his command this Wednesday afternoon in eastern Afghanistan: A Kiowa scout helicopter patrolling roads for signs of improvised explosive devices has crash-landed due to an engine malfunction and needs to be retrieved; in addition, Special Forces are asking his aviators for support in hunting for the recently kidnapped father of the Afghan minister of education.

Read more ....

Afghanistan War News Updates -- May 6, 2009

US Air Strikes In Afghanistan 'Kill Dozens Of Women And Children' -- The Telegraph

Air strikes by US forces in Afghanistan on Tuesday are now thought to have killed dozens of civilians including women and children, the Red Cross has said.

The American military has announced it will investigate reports that the strikes killed scores of Afghan civilians sheltering from fierce fighting between Taliban militants and government soldiers.

Afghan officials say up to 120 non-combatants were killed when US warplanes dropped bombs on two villages in Bala Baluk, a Taliban-controlled district in the western province of Farah.

Read more ....

More News On The Afghanistan War

US Afghan strikes 'killed dozens' -- BBC
100 'non-combatants' killed in Afghan strikes -- AFP
US-led strikes 'kill 100' in Afghanistan -- The Age
Afghan Officials Say Coalition Airstrikes Kill Civilians -- Voice of America
Scores of Afghans killed in suspected US air raid -- Euronews
Red Cross backs reports of Afghan civilian deaths -- L.A. Times
Karzai to raise deadly US airstrike with Obama -- Times Online
Major fighting in Afghanistan's east and west -- Long War Journal
Roadside bombing kills 7 police, wounds another in S Afghanistan -- China View
Afghan forces kill senior Taliban commander in Helmand -- Long War Journal
Diggers kill Taliban leader in Afghan tunnel -- ABC News (Australia)
Afghan Taliban spokesman: We will win the war -- CNN
Administration Is Keeping Ally at Arm's Length -- Washington Post
US, Karzai seek to mend fraying relationship at summit -- Christian Science Monitor
Obama wants alliance with Afghan, Pakistan heads -- Yahoo News/Reuters
Drugs Hollow Out Afghan Lives in Cultural Center -- New York Times
US military deaths in Afghanistan region at 609 -- Washington Post

Porous Pakistani Border Could Hinder U.S.

A Pakistani logistics tactician of the Taliban. Zackary Canepari for The New York Times

From The New York Times:

PESHAWAR, Pakistan — President Obama is pouring more than 20,000 new troops into Afghanistan this year for a fighting season that the United States military has called a make-or-break test of the allied campaign in Afghanistan.

But if Taliban strategists have their way, those forces will face a stiff challenge, not least because of one distinct Taliban advantage: the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan barely exists for the Taliban, who are counting on the fact that American forces cannot reach them in their sanctuaries in Pakistan.

Read more ....

My Comment: This Taliban officer sounds very cocky and sure of himself on the coming war against U.S./NATO/and Afghan forces. If even half of this story is accurate .... it tells me that the AfghanPak war is about to enter a new and dangerous phase.

Pakistan Civil War News Updates -- May 6, 2009

Pakistani families are seen in a camp set up by the government for displaced people who fled Buner, where security forces are engaged in fighting with Taliban militants in Mardan, Pakistan. Mohammad Sajjad / Associated Press

Thousands Flee Swat Ahead of Expected Fighting -- Washington Post

Face-Off Between Taliban, Pakistani Army Appears Imminent

PESHAWAR, Pakistan, May 5 -- Thousands of panicked civilians began fleeing the conflict-ridden Swat Valley region Tuesday, fearing a full-fledged confrontation between government forces and Taliban fighters after the insurgents declared an end to their peace accord with the government.

Officials in the North-West Frontier Province predicted that half a million people would join the exodus from Swat, where Taliban fighters are occupying hundreds of houses and other buildings as they prepare to resist an anticipated assault by Pakistani army troops.

Read more ....

More News On The Pakistan Civil War

A sea of Pakistani civilians flees area of Taliban-army fighting -- L.A. Times
Civilians flee build-up in Swat -- Financial Times
Pakistan: Up to 500,000 May Flee Taliban-Held Swat -- Voice Of America
Thousands flee fighting in Swat Valley -- The Australian
Half a million flee Pakistan war zone as militants take control -- Scotsman
Swat deal is dead: Holbrooke -- Daily Times
Where the Taliban roam -- The Independent
Taliban take control of Saidu Sharif -- Daily Times
Taliban seizes Swat Valley hub -- Washington Times
Exodus in Pakistan as Taleban seizes Mingora in Swat Valley -- Times Online
Pakistani Soldiers Kill 35 Militants in Northwest -- Bloomberg
Bomb kills 5 in NW Pakistan, residents flee Swat -- AFP
Pakistani forces retake emerald mines from Taliban -- China View
Military-Taliban fighting grows in Swat -- UPI
Swat exodus as ceasefire crumbles -- BBC
Strategy for Stabilizing Afghanistan Pivots Toward Pakistan -- Voice of America
Pakistani President Tries to Assure U.S. on Taliban -- New York Times
Zardari tries to ease US worries: Lawmaker -- Dawn.com
Pakistani President Zardari plays down insurgence -- China View
White House to Push Afghanistan, Pakistan to Fight Extremists -- ABC News
Obama wants alliance with Afghan, Pakistan heads -- Yahoo News/Reuters
Obama prepares for talks with presidents of Afghanistan, Pakistan -- L.A. Times
U.S. warily encouraged over Pakistan -- L.A. Times
U.S. Stresses Support For Pakistan's Zardari -- Washington Post
Washington Asserts Loyalty to Zardari -- Wall Street Journal
Pakistan urged over Taleban fight -- BBC
US's Holbrooke: Pakistan not a failed state -- Yahoo News/AP
Holbrooke Makes Case for Increased US Aid to Pakistan -- Voice of America
Pakistan Aid Tops Iraq, Afghanistan in War Spending Bill -- The Danger Room
The War for Pakistan -- Wall Street Journal opinion
Call Off the Drones? -- Commentary Magazine
The Perils of Predator Drones in Pakistan -- Huffington Post
Obama juggles Afghan and Pakistani allies -- L.A. Times editorial

Sri Lankan Civil War News Updates -- May 6, 2009

The Real Roots Of Sri Lanka's Crisis -- Wall Street Journal

Regarding "The Economic Key to Sri Lankan Peace" (op-ed, May 4): The British who ruled Sri Lanka for nearly 150 years applied a "divide and rule," method to control the rebellious majority by providing a disproportionate share of political power to the submissive minority. This is the root cause of the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka.

In 1885, out of 819 schools in the country, 300 schools were in Jaffna where Tamils were the majority (99%). This was a strategic move by the colonial rulers to breed the necessary intellect to rule the majority. By the time Sri Lanka gained independence in 1948, the major civil service bureaus and military were dominated by the educated Tamils. For instance, the first native commander of the Sri Lanka army and the first native commander of the Sri Lanka navy were Tamils. Consequently, the majority Sinhalese (80% of the population at that time) introduced affirmative action to remedy this injustice -- an attempt the elite Tamil minority construed and propagated as "discrimination."

Read more ....

More News On The Sri Lankan Civil War

New Sri Lanka heavy weapons row -- BBC
Sri Lanka says rebel leader trapped -- AP
Sri Lankan Prime Minister: Military Has Rebel Leader Trapped -- Voice Of America
Sri Lankan Military Claims Capturing Rebel Position, Killing Senior Rebel -- Voice of America
Sri Lanka says it caused heavy damage to rebels -- AP
Sri Lanka: Troops close in on rebels -- CNN
Seized camera reveals dark secrets of LTTE -- Sri Lanka Defense Department
Sri Lankan refugees die in flight for safety -- SF Gate
Sri Lanka rebels say war takes heavy civilian toll -- AP
Sri Lankans, Seeking Safety, Perish -- New York Times
Aid Agencies Make Appeals for Displaced in Sri Lanka -- Voice of America
Christian Aid Groups Committed to War Victims in Sri Lanka -- Christian Post
The first independent video report from Sri Lankan detention camps for displaced Tamils -- National Post
Sri Lanka invites UN's Ban to assess crisis -- AFP
UN calls for cease-fire in Sri Lanka civil war -- AP
Ending Sri Lanka's war is just the beginning -- Montreal Gazette
Why LTTE failed -- Frontline

China "Concerned" By U.S. Naval Incident

From Swiss Info:

BEIJING (Reuters) - China said on Wednesday it was "concerned" after a standoff in the Yellow Sea between a U.S. Navy surveillance ship and two Chinese fishing vessels, accusing the U.S. vessel of contravening international laws.

The fifth incident of its kind in two months occurred on Friday in international waters about 170 miles (274 km) from the Chinese mainland when the fishing vessels approached the USNS Victorious, U.S. defence officials said.

The Chinese vessels came within 30 yards (metres) of the Victorious at one point, they said.

But Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said in a statement the ship was operating in China's exclusive economic zone without permission and had violated Chinese and international rules and laws.

Read more ....

My Comment: It is only a question of time before two ship will be striking each other. When this happens, I expect the U.S. to blink first.

Israel Would Inform, Not Ask U.S. Before Hitting Iran

From Reuters:

TEL AVIV (Reuters) - When he first got word of Israel's sneak attack on the Iraqi atomic reactor in 1981, U.S. President Ronald Reagan privately shrugged it off, telling his national security adviser: "Boys will be boys!"

Would Barack Obama be so sanguine if today's Israelis made good on years of threats and bombed Iran's nuclear facilities, yanking the United States into an unprecedented Middle East eruption that could dash his goal of easing regional tensions through revived and redoubled U.S. outreach?

Read more .....

My Comment: After telling Israel what they must do, Israel is now telling the U.S. to mind their own business. But unlike President Reagan's response to Israel almost 30 years ago, the U.S. has made it very clear that their response will be much harsher to an Israeli attack on Iran.

U.S. On A Collision Course With Israel

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden at a media conference
at NATO headquarters in Brussels Photo: AP

Israel Must Accept Palestinian State, Joe Biden Says -- The Telegraph

Vice-President Joe Biden placed America on a collision course with Israel on Tuesday, urging the new government to accept the goal of a Palestinian state and stop expanding Jewish settlements on occupied land.

Mr Biden used an address to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee – the leading pro-Israeli lobby group in the United States – to deliver a tough message to Benjamin Netanyahu, the country's new prime minister.

"Israel has to work for a two-state solution," said Mr Biden. "You're not going to like my saying this, but not build more settlements, dismantle existing outposts and allow Palestinians freedom of movement."

Read more ....

My Comment: First, it was Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Then, it was President Obama's Chief of Staff. Now, we have Vice President Biden making it known that Israel must accept a Palestinian state.

This arm twisting is not going to work, but Israel has been put on notice that changes are expected. Will Israel accept .... I have doubts.

Obama Administration Considering Turning Over 100 Yemeni Gitmo Detainees to Saudi Arabia Terrorist Rehab Center

Any decision to take in Guantanamo inmates will finally be approved by the governments of the respective EU member states that have been approached by the Obama Administration on the matter.. Photo by abc.net.au

From ABC News:

This morning in Riyadh, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he spoke to Saudi Assistant Minister of the Interior Muhammed bin Nayaf about sending the roughly 100 Yemeni detainees currently in the detainee center at Guantanamo Bay to Saudi Arabia to the Saudi government's rehabilitation program for jihadis.

Gates said he spoke to Nayaf last night about "our positive impression of the repatriation program, the rehabilitation, repatriation program in Saudi Arabia. I think they've probably done as good if not better job of that than almost anybody and explored the possibility of some of the Yemeni detainees coming through that system. I think the notion would be if it worked at all it would be those with strong Saudi family connections or strong connections to Saudi Arabia."

Detainees from Guantanamo were sent to the Saudi rehabilitation camp by President Bush, to mixed success.

Read more ....

My Comment: This has been already tried .... and it's success has been mixed at best. President Obama's administration is looking for an easy way out .... but this is probably not the best way to go about it.

Somali Piracy -- News Updates For May 6, 2009

French commandos aboard the Tanit, during the release operation
off the coast of Somalia Photo: AFP/GETTY

German Elite Troop Abandons Plan to Free Pirate Hostages -- Der Spiegel

In a massive secret operation, Berlin sent members of its elite GSG-9 police force to Somalia to free hostages and a German freighter captured by pirates there, but the commandos were called off before the rescue effort could begin. The scuppered operation reveals deficits in Germany's security forces.

The situation room at the German Defense Ministry, on the 5th floor of Berlin's Bendler Block building complex, was built as a place where secret, life-and-death decisions are made. The room is so secure that German Chancellor Angela Merkel once complained that she couldn't even send a text message from it.

Read more ....

More News On Somali Piracy

Shipper-Supplied Security is Best Defense Against Pirates, Flournoy Says -- U.S. Department of Defense
With piracy odds in their favor, ships shun armed guards -- Christian Science Monitor
Pentagon Looks Beyond Force To Counter Piracy -- NPR
U.S. Navy says fight against pirates needed ashore -- Reuters
Somali piracy moves up international agenda -- Lloyd's List
Pirate Video: Sea Bandits Captured On Film -- SKY News
Why The Pirates Are Immune From Attack -- Strategy Page
French skipper held hostage by pirates 'shot dead by special forces' -- The Telegraph
Sources say friendly fire killed hostage -- UPI

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- May 6, 2009

U.S. soldiers plan their next movement during Operation Viper Shake in Korengal Valley, Afghanistan, April 21, 2009. The soldiers are assigned to the 1st Infantry Division's Company C, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Matthew C. Moeller

MILITARY AND INTELLIGENCE NEWS BRIEFS

G.I. missing in Afghanistan -- U.S. Department of Defense

Not A Question of When, But IF -- Armchair Generalist

Military turning to social-science tools in battle against insurgency -- Stars And Stripes

F-35 JSF Brings 5th Generation Capabilities to the Navy -- Defense Talk

SKorea and US forge deal to fight cyber attacks - -Defense Talk

Take Anti-Flu Drugs Only After Diagnosis, Military Doc Says -- Dvids

Cyber Warfare: Unlikely Strategic Partners -- Defense Tech

State Secrets and Military Procurement -- Lawyers, Guns And Money (Hat Tip: Information Dissemination)

Sub's arrival part of Pacific plan -- Honolulu Advertiser

A Battleship for the Shallow Seas -- New Wars

Soldiers distributing Bibles to Afghans? -- Nukes And Spooks

Armor: It Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time -- Strategy Page