Images of its the Long MarchIIF Rocket Takesoff with ShenZhou8 Capsule from the launching pad at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in north central China.
Monday, October 31, 2011
JASDF To Fly F-15J Eagle fighters Without External Fuel Tanks
This was the 2nd grounding order for the F-15J fighter jets in last 3 months.The fighter pilot of the F-15J was able to bring his fighter jet to the airbase safely.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Chinese Naval Special Operations Forces
Operators of the People's Liberation Army's Naval Special Operations Forces onboard Type 04A frigate in the Gulf of Aden to protect Chinese vessels from pirate attacks.
Blasts At Al-Daylami Airbase in Yemeni Capital Sanaa
Explosions at al-Daylami air force base near Sanaa has resulted in the destruction of the fighter jets on fire and closure of the airport. Mortar shells targeted the al-Daylami air force base which has resulted in massive blast and huge plumes of smoke.
Turkey To Receive 3 AH-1W Super Cobra Gunship From USMC
Defense Security Cooperation Agency has notified US Congress about the possible transfer of AH-1W Super Cobra Attack helicopters from the existing inventory of the United States Marine Corps (USMC) to the Turkish Land Forces.
Turkish Land Forces has an urgent requirement for gunship helicopter for their current operation against the Kurdistan Workers Party.
List of Indian Defence Deals with United States
Long list of Indian defence deals with the United States includes 16 C-17 Globemaster III military transport aircraft, 512 CBU-105 sensor fuzed weapons, 99 F414-GE-INS6 power plant for LCA, 24 L-model Harpoon Block II, 22 AH-64D Block III Apache helicopters, 812 AGM-114L-3 HELLFIRE LONGBOW missiles, 542 AGM-114R-3 HELLFIRE II missiles, 245 STINGER Block I-92H missiles, 12 P-8I Maritime Patrol and Anti-Submarine Warfare Aircraft.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Russian Air Force's Tu-95MS Bear Strategic Bomber
Russian Air Force operates Tupolev Tu-95 Bear strategic bomber which became operational with the former USSR in 1956.
Indonesian Special Forces During Anti-Terror Drill
Soldiers of the Kopassus (Indonesian Special Forces Command) during anti-terror drills.
Pakistan Tests Multi Tube Hatf-VII Babur Cruise Missile
Pakistan has successfully tested the Hatf-VII Babur Land Attack Cruise Missile (LACM) today. Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) has announced that Hatf-VII Babur was test fired against the target at a range of 700 kilometers.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Chinese Hospital Ship "Peace Ark" Reaches Cuba
People's Liberation Army Navy's Hospital Ship "Peace Ark" has reached Havana Bay in Cuba during its 4 nation goodwill visit to the Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and Costa Rica.
Pak-China Joint Military Exercise YOUYI-IV to be Held Next Month
Joint Military Exercise YOUYI-IV (Friendship-2011) between Pakistani Special Services Group (SSG) and their Chinese counterparts People's Liberation Army Special Operations Forces (Zhōngguó tèzhǒng bùduì) will be held next month in Pakistan.
RAF's MQ-9 Reaper Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) in Afghanistan
RAF's MQ-9 Reaper Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) are operated by the No. 39 Squadron of the Royal Air Force.
Indonesian Special Forces Command (Kopassus )
Members of the Kopassus (Indonesian Special Forces Command") getting ready.
French National Police Intervention Group (GIPN)
French National Police Intervention Group (GIPN) which is also known as r Groupes d'Intervention de la Police Nationale. GIPN is a special units trained to handle threats of terrorism, hostages rescue and VIP escorts.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Euro Emergency Talks On The Verge Of Collapse
UK's Huge New Euro Bailout: As Rescue Talks Collapse In Chaos, Our Taxpayers Face ANOTHER Massive Bill To Prop Up Single Currency -- Daily Mail
* Efforts to thrash out a rescue deal in chaos after meeting with finance ministers cancelled
* Cameron will say a bigger bailout fund is necessary to avoid economic catastrophe
* Britain has already forked out around £12billion to bail out Ireland, Greece and Portugal
Britain was facing a new multi-billion-pound bill to prop up the euro last night as the single currency teetered on the brink of collapse.
Efforts by France and Germany to thrash out a rescue deal descended into chaos as a meeting of EU finance ministers scheduled for today was cancelled at the 11th hour because of lack of progress.
More than £18billion was wiped off the value of shares in London in just 20 minutes when EU officials also warned that a separate make-or-break leaders’ summit today in Brussels would also fail to end the crisis.
Read more ....
Update: EU crisis talks in limbo after crucial summit is cancelled -- The Telegraph
My Comment: Now I know what the Romans felt Rome was burning and Nero was "playing his violin".
Was President Obama AWOL On U.S. - Iraq Troop Talks
Did Obama Engage As U.S.-Iraqi Troop Talks Faltered? -- McClatchy NewsBAGHDAD — Throughout the summer and autumn, as talks on a continued U.S. military presence in Iraq foundered, President Barack Obama and his point man on Iraq, Vice President Joe Biden, remained largely aloof from the process, logs released by the U.S. Embassy here suggest.
The omission would be an unusual one, given the high priority U.S. officials had given to achieving an agreement for some sort of residual U.S. presence in Iraq after the Dec. 31 pullout deadline, and the White House labeled the suggestion inaccurate. A spokesman said the logs released by the embassy were incomplete.
Read more ....
My Comment: When compared to former President Bush who was always in contact with senior Iraqi leaders .... including with Prime Minister Maliki, President Obama's style and approach towards Iraq is definitely different. Did this approach rub the Iraqis the wrong way .... maybe .... but this lack of communications indicates to me a lack of interest from the White House to reach a U.S.-Iraqi security agreement .... that by leaving the negotiations to others the President ended up giving the Iraqis the impression that the U.S. wanted to move on .... which in the end is what the Iraqis have given us.
Picture Of The Day
A U.S. Air Force E-4B aircraft carrying U.S. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta arrives on Yokota Air Base, Japan, Oct. 24, 2011. This was Panetta's first trip to Japan as the Defense Secretary. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Samuel MorseThe Last Weeks Of Gaddafi As Revealed By His Bodyguard
In Final Weeks, Gaddafi Felt Both Rage And Despair, Frequently Changed Hideouts, Aide Says -- Washington Post
MISRATA, Libya — Moammar Gadhafi, Libya’s all-powerful leader for four decades, spent his final weeks shuttling from hideout to hideout in his hometown of Sirte, alternating between rage and despair as his regime crumbled around him, said a regime insider now in custody.
Gadhafi, his son Muatassim and an entourage of two dozen die-hard loyalists were largely cut off from the world while on the run, living in abandoned homes without TV, phones or electricity, using candles for light, said Mansour Dao, a member of the Gadhafi clan and former chief bodyguard.
Read more ....
My Comment: He was probably in denial .... right up to when he was captured and beaten by his captors. But what caught my eye in this report was the following comment from his bodyguard ....
.... “I feel sorry for him because he underestimated the situation,” Dao said. “He could have left and gotten out of the country and lived a happy life.”
Yup ... he could have left the country and lived a happy life. But .... I guess he and his family could not accept the idea that they could lose all this power .... that after ruling for decades the possibility of losing everything never entered their minds .... hence the battle to the end.
Obama On Jay Leno
(Click on Image to Enlarge)WNU Editor: So ... President Obama was on Jay Leno Tonight. A so-so show, but for humor .... sorry Jay .... Ramirez at Investors Business Daily has a better sense of humor (above cartoon).
Osama Bin laden And A Bottle Of 1870 Château Lafite Rothschild
Leon Panetta’s Bin Laden Bet -- ABC NewsIt was a bet with CIA Director Leon Panetta that Ted Balestreri never thought would come through.
On New Year’s Eve, Balestreri, a co-owner of Monterey’s Sardine Factory restaurant, was hosting a dinner party with 28 friends, among them long-time friend, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, who at the time was the CIA Director.
Several guests teased Balestreri about when he was going to serve them a bottle of 1870 Château Lafite Rothschild, priced at $15,000, from the restaurant’s rare wines collection.
Read more ....
My Comment: Of the Premiers Crus .... Lafite Rothschild is great ... but I love Château Margaux (when I can afford it).
Syrian Government Has Lost Support In The Arab World
Poll: Syria’s Assad Losing Support In Arab World -- Washington Post
As the United States and its allies seek to increase pressure on Damascus, there’s new evidence that the Arab world is turning sharply against the government of Bashar al-Assad.
A poll released Tuesday by the Arab American Institute Foundation finds that the overwhelming majority of those surveyed in six Arab countries side with Syrian demonstrators over Assad’s government. And asked whether they believed Assad could continue to govern, the vast majority in each country said they did not.
Read more ....
My Comment: When videos like the one above makes the rounds in the Arab world .... decent people will be repulsed and disgusted with it. Assad and his cronies do not control the international media and satellite news .... this is their weakness, and as the protests continue and the images of his brutal crackdown spread, Assad's position and legitimacy will start to be openly questioned by everyone.
Women's Role In Special Operations Teams Are Now In The Spotlight With The Death Of Army 1st Lt. Ashley White
This undated photo provided by the North Carolina National Guard shows 1st Lt. Ashley White from Alliance, Ohio. White, along with two enlisted men, were killed Oct. 22, 2011, by an improvised explosive device in Kandahar province, Afghanistan. (AP Photo/North Carolina National Guard)Soldier’s Death Highlights Women’s Role In Innovative Program With Special Operations Teams -- Washington Post/AP
WASHINGTON — Army 1st Lt. Ashley White died on the front lines in southern Afghanistan last weekend, the first casualty in what the Army says is a new and vital wartime attempt to gain the trust of Afghan women.
White, like other female soldiers working with special operations teams, was brought in to do things that would be awkward or impossible for her male teammates. Frisking burqa-clad women, for example.
Her death, in a bomb explosion in the Taliban heartland of Kandahar, underscores the risks of placing women with elite U.S. special operations teams working in remote villages.
Read more ....
My Comment: Being on the front contains risks .... one that I am sure that Army 1st Lt. Ashley White always knew. Our prayers are with her family during this difficult time.
Will The CIA Still Remain In Iraq After The U.S. Military Leaves At The End Of This Year?
CIA's Covert Iraq Mission -- Eli Lake, Daily BeastObama says U.S. troops are leaving Iraq, but the future of secret counterterrorism and intelligence programs inside the country is still being hashed out. Eli Lake reports on how big a footprint the CIA will leave behind.
As the U.S. military departs Iraq, the CIA is looking at how it can absorb and continue secret counterterrorism and intelligence programs run inside that country for years by the Joint Special Operations Command and other military organizations, officials tell The Daily Beast.
The programs involve everything from the deployment of remote sensors that scan the wireless spectrum of terrorist safe havens to stealth U.S.-Iraqi counterterrorism commando teams, and their status is uncertain as a U.S. diplomatic team negotiates with Iraqi leaders, according to officials, who made clear the CIA intends to keep a footprint inside the country even as troops leave by Dec. 31.
Read more ....
My Comment: I read a lot of "ifs and buts" in this report .... but it appears that the Iraqi government has little if any interest for any US presence in the country .... and the White House has little if any interest to push the Iraqis to reconsider (at least publicly). Will the CIA remain in Iraq .... probably .... but it will definitely not have the presence and resources that it has had for the past few years. As for counter-terrorism operations continuing .... the thought that such a question is even being asked is troublesome .... and worrisome if Iraq does not step up to put a check on groups like Al Qaeda and its affiliates.
Is Leon Panetta Winning Over His Republican Opponents?
U.S. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta meets with Japanese Defense Minister Yasuo Ichikawa in Tokyo, Oct. 25, 2011. DOD photo by U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jacob N. BaileyLeon Panetta Won Republicans Over With Sass, Drones -- New York Magazine
After running the CIA for President Obama, Leon Panetta is now the Defense secretary, despite decades in politics that included neither intelligence training nor experience fighting wars. But the former liberal dove who wanted the Bush administration investigated for torture is not only the first Democrat to serve as Defense secretary since 1997 — he was confirmed 100 to 0. How did he do it? It helps that he uses bad words and laughs a lot, the New York Times reports today. A longtime aide boiled down the strategy into the Five Rules of Panetta:
Read more ....
My Comment: Talk about puff pieces. He may be favored now .... but Washington politics is politics .... and with budget cuts, the possibility of Iraq and Afghanistan spiraling out of control, and the election season starting now .... trust me .... Panetta is going to be fair game by those same politicians that are heaping praise on him today.
Of his 5 rules of negotiation .... I like #5.
Gaddafi Is Buried Somewhere In The Desert, Where Are Other Leaders Despised And Reviled Buried?
Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin LadenKilled by US commandos in Pakistan on May 2, bin Laden was buried at sea - perhaps in the Indian Ocean - by the crew of the USS Carl Vinson. Although he was a Saudi national, the al-Qaeda leader's remains were rejected for burial by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The US Navy's Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) maneuvers in Port-Au-Prince, off the coast of Haiti in this Jan. 18, 2010 handout photo. (Daniel Barker/U.S. Navy/Getty Images)
Graves Of The Deposed, Exiled And Reviled -- Al Jazeera
As Gaddafi's last resting place continues to be debated, Al Jazeera looks at the fate of other controversial ex-leaders.
The question of where Libya's Muammar Gaddafi will be laid to rest is sure to be a contentious one. After all, where to bury a man so associated with his country?
The question has been asked before - and in some cases, such as with Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, there are no easy answers.
The body of Hitler, who committed suicide at the tail end of World War II, along with that of his wife, Eva Braun, were set on fire.
Read more ....
My Comment: An interesting article, but I am disappointed that Al Jazeera has ignored the three most bloodiest and reviled dictators in the past century. Check here, here, and here.
Is This The End Of Wikileaks
Wikileaks Suspends Publishing to Fight Financial Blockade -- Voice of America
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has announced the organization is suspending the publishing of secret documents in order to concentrate on fundraising to ensure its future survival.
At a news conference in London, Assange said a financial blockade by American companies such as Visa, Mastercard and PayPal means WikiLeaks will have to aggressively focus on raising funds.
Read more ....
More News On Wikileaks Closing Down
WikiLeaks could be bankrupt by the end of the year due to 'unlawful' funding boycott, admits Julian Assange -- Daily Mail
WikiLeaks Says It Could Close -- Wall Street Journal
WikiLeaks says "blockade" threatens its existence -- Reuters
WikiLeaks suspends publishing to fight financial blockade -- The Guardian
Founder Says WikiLeaks, Starved of Cash, May Close -- New York Times
WikiLeaks suspends release of secrets to seek cash -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Freeze By Financial Firms Could Shutter WikiLeaks -- Wall Street Journal
With Wikileaks Embargo, Payment Institutions Choose The Devil They Don’t Know -- Devin Coldewey, Tech Crunch
Jonathan Kay on the fall of Julian Assange: Couldn’t happen to a better anarchist -- Jonathan Kay, National Post
Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- October 25, 2011
The Man Who Knew Too Much -- David Rieff, Foreign Policy
Libyans may be celebrating the killing of Muammar al-Qaddafi, but you'd better believe that Western governments are breathing a sigh of relief themselves.
Whether the NATO countries -- who had only a few years ago welcomed Col. Muammar al-Qaddafi back into the international fold in exchange for his renouncing his chemical and nuclear weapons programs and allowing U.S. and British experts to come and help dismantle them -- played any role in what certainly appeared in first reports from the scene to have been the summary execution of the Libyan dictator will probably never be known. What the video evidence does prove is that the Libyan revolutionary forces did not find him already dead or killed by a NATO airstrike; nor does the initial claim that he was killed in "crossfire" between insurgent forces and diehard regime loyalists stand up to even the most minimal scrutiny.
Read more ....
Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials
‘Unimaginative, shrewd, outspoken’ and likely the next Saudi king -- Peter Goodspeed, National Post
Killing Iraq softly with her song -- Tony Blankley, The Washington Times
Iran Dangerous Now, Imagine It Nuclear -- Jaime Daremblum, Real Clear World
From Tripoli to Tehran -- Lee Smith, Weekly Standard
A Pattern of Appeasement and Retreat -- Michael Leeden, Pajamas Media
The Hazards in Turkey's New Strategy -- Judy Dempsey, New York Times
There Is No Reason for Somalis to Starve -- Michael Scott Moore, Spiegel Online
China's borrow-and-die epidemic spreads north -- Olivia Chung, Asia Times
Asian powers scrambling for regional space -- Joshy M. Paul, Japan Times
Occupy Wall Street arrests increase. Have mayors reached their tipping point? -- Patrik Jonsson, Christian Science Monitor
World News Briefs -- October 25, 2011 (Evening Edition)
On display: The rotting corpse of Muammar Gaddafi in Misrata has now been taken away for burial in a secret location by rebelsIgnominious End For Dictator Gaddafi As He Is Buried With His Son Mutassim In Unmarked Desert Grave At Dawn -- Daily Mail
* Gaddafi clan members say prayers during the burial
* Bodies moved after four days in makeshift morgue which had become macabre attraction for locals
* 'The corpse couldn't last any longer' official says
* Report claims Gaddafi sodomised after capture
* Son Saif still at large and 'heading for the border' with Niger
* Bodyguard reveals how dictator spent final days
Muammar Gaddafi, who for 40 years ruled Libya with fear and violence, was unceremoniously buried at dawn today in an unmarked desert grave.
His inglorious end was witnessed by only two members of Libya's National Transitional Council, who were sworn never to reveal his secret resting place.
Read more ....
MIDDLE EAST
Yemen calls truce, sporadic blasts heard.
Turkish forces target PKK Iraq camp: sources. Clashes with Kurds are pushing Turkey back toward conflict.
Syria 'using hospitals for torture' - Amnesty.
Syrian opposition calls for international monitors.
Saudi Arabia to bury Crown Prince sultan, name heir. World leaders in Saudi for crown prince burial.
Israel says Egypt agrees to free jailed US-Israeli citizen.
ASIA
UN calls for increased funding to feed North Korea's hungry.
Philippine military bombs southern Muslim rebels. 16,000 people flee from south Philippine clashes.
Thai floods shut down Bangkok's second airport.
North Korea state media dub heir apparent Kim Jong-un a 'General'.
U.S. and North Korea begin groundwork for talks. US-NKorea conclude their 2-day nuclear talks.
China paper warns of 'sound of cannons' in sea disputes.
Asia pays watery price for overdevelopment.
AFRICA
Moammar Gaddafi buried in secret desert location as many Libyans rejoice.
Libyan fighter celebrates victory as reality looms.
Qaddafi son Saif al-Islam said fleeing Libya.
Libya: fuel depot blast kills 100 in Sirte.
U.S. increases food aid to horn of Africa.
Tunisia's Islamist party claims election victory.
South Africa's Jacob Zuma fires top ministers.
Kenyan offensive Is not welcome, Somalia’s President says.
Kenyans question military assault on Somali rebels.
EUROPE
Romania's former King Michael I addresses parliament.
Russian couple's arrest in Germany could mar diplomatic ties.
Germany's Merkel faces fresh showdown on bailout.
Work continues on European crisis plan.
EU referendum: David Cameron defends confrontation with backbenchers.
Pressed, Italy’s cabinet fails to act on debt crisis.
Bulgarian Presidential runoff set for next week.
AMERICAS
Cain leads US national 2012 poll; Perry places fifth.
UN: Mexico dangerous for journalists.
US states are facing total debt of over $4 trillion.
Fernandez sails to victory in Argentinian presidential vote.
Haiti plan to restore army faces UN hurdle.
TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR
China draft bill defines terrorism amid 'real threat'.
Lawyer: Gitmo trial in Cole attack could be moot.
Top Dems oppose policy on detaining terror suspects in defense bill, exposes Senate divisions.
Mauritanian army strikes Al-Qaeda base in Mali.
ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS
Five surprising facts from the new Steve Jobs biography.
Netflix stock plunges after mass exodus of subscribers.
Hyundai, Kia aim to sell 7 million vehicles in 2012: President.
Oil giant BP reaches 'turning point'.
Questions Being Raised On The Fatal Afghan Mission That Killed 22 Navy SEALS
Full Story Of SEAL Mission In Question -- Washington Times
Report clears commanders.
By the time the CH-47 transport helicopter descended to 150 feet above an unprotected landing zone in Afghanistan around 2 a.m. on Aug. 6, the element of surprise had been lost.
Hours earlier, two other Chinooks had deposited 47 Army Rangers at another nearby landing site, undetected. The landing triggered a nighttime ground and aerial firefight that raged for several hours as a few Taliban “squirters,” as the military called them, tried to escape from the targeted compound and regrouped with other fighters.
Read more ....
My Comment: Of course .... the commanders were cleared. Bottom line .... scores of U.S. Navy seals were killed .... bad luck .... let's move on.
Sighhhh ....
If anyone is interested, the photos of the SEALS crash site can be found here.
Thousands Flee As The Philippine Military Step Up Its Bombing Campaign Against Islamic Militants
Philippines Air Strikes: Many Flee Mindanao Bombing -- BBCThousands of Filipinos have fled an army offensive against Muslim guerrillas and criminal gangs in the south of the country.
The armed forces said they had launched air strikes for a second day on what they called a renegade faction of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
More than 10,000 people fled homes in three remote towns in Zamboanga Sibugay province, officials said.
Spokesmen said troops had encountered heavy resistance on the ground.
Read more ....
More News On The Philippine Conflict With Islamic Militants
More than 16,000 people flee from Philippine offensive, clashes between troops, Muslim rebels -- Washington Post/AP
Thousands flee Philippine army offensive in south -- Reuters
Philippine clashes displace thousands -- Al Jazeera
Philippine Air Force steps up air strikes -- Inquirer News
Philippine military bombs southern Muslim rebels -- BBC
Thousands flee as Philippine bombs Moro fighters -- World Bulletin
the War Escalates Between Turkey And Kurdish Rebels
Clashes With Kurds Are Pushing Turkey Back Toward Conflict -- New York TimesCIZRE, Turkey — Thousands of people filled the streets of this dusty town near the borders with Syria and Iraq on Sunday to mourn the death of a local heroine, a commander in a mountaintop training camp for Kurdish militants seeking autonomy for the country’s largely Kurdish southeast.
The elderly leaned on knotted wooden canes as they marched, and children in balaclavas fashioned from T-shirts gathered stones to throw at police officers at dusk, when the sounds of percussion bombs echoed through deserted streets. Chants exulting the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or P.K.K., mingled with condolences for the family of Cicek Botan, a native of Cizre and the middle-age P.K.K. commander who fought the Turkish state for more than two decades before being killed on Oct. 10 in a raid on a training camp in Iraq.
Read more ....
More News On The Turkish - Kurdish Conflict
Turkish forces deny entering Iraq to target PKK -- Reuters
Iraq border guards and PKK deny Turkey incursion -- AFP
Turkish troops cross into Iraq, head for Kurd rebel bases -- National Post/AFP
Turkish Army cross into Northern Iraq, head for Kurdish terrorist bases -- National Turk
Turkish tanks enter Northern Iraq -- Voice of Russia
Turkish forces target PKK Iraq camp: sources -- Reuters
Turkey Ends Military Operations against Kurdish Rebels in SE Turkey -- CRIEnglish, Xinhuanet
Turkey’s military chief: Up to 270 PKK terrorists killed -- Today's Zaman
The War Escalates Between Turkey and The Kurds -- IBTimes
Turkey's Transnational PKK Problem -- Richard Weitz, WPR
The Hazards in Turkey's New Strategy -- Judy Dempsey, New York Times
Iraq War Will Cost More Than The Second World War
(Click on Image to Enlarge)Iraq War Will Cost More Than World War II -- Christian Science Monitor
Iraq war, now winding down with US troop exit by December, has cost more than $800 billion so far. But ongoing medical treatment, replacement vehicles, etc., will push costs to $4 trillion or more.
Anyone curious about the cost of America’s wars in Iraq and Afghanistan can look it up on costofwar.com, up to the latest fraction of a second. Last weekend, the Iraq war had cost more than $800 billion since 2001; the Afghan war, $467 billion plus.
For the 8-1/2-year conflict in Iraq alone, that works out to nearly $3,000 a second.
So President Obama’s announcement that all US troops will be out of Iraq by year end should mean some drop in ongoing military spending. But the budget relief probably won’t be as much as you might expect.
Read more ....
My Comment: I am very skeptical of comparing these costs to the Second World War. If Europe and Asia was to experience the same destruction today that it did in the Second World War .... the costs would run in the tens if not hundreds of trillions of dollars. But still .... there is no question about it .... the Afghan/Iraq wars have been very expensive, and their true costs will not be known for years.
News, Reflections, Opinions, And Analysis On The U.S. Withdrawal From Iraq
U.S. soldiers walk past tanks at a courtyard at Camp Liberty in Baghdad. U.S troops are scheduled to pull out of the country by the end of this year, according to a 2008 security pact between the U.S. and Iraq. (File September 30, 2011). Photo: ReutersSoldiers, Pundits Debate Whether Iraq War Was Worth It -- Voice Of America
Of all the campaign promises U.S. President Barack Obama made, his pledge to pull troops out of Iraq is among the most memorable. Last Friday, Obama made good on that pledge, but not necessarily by choice.
For months, Shi’a Muslim leader Muqtada al-Sadr had been warning U.S. troops to get out of Iraq or face “resistance.”
Read more ....
More News, Analysis, And Commentary On The U.S. Withdrawal From Iraq
Obama Administration Defends Troop Withdrawal from Iraq -- Voice of America
Clinton warns Iran not to ‘miscalculate’ U.S. resolve as troops leave Iraq -- Washington Post
After Iraq pullout, U.S. serves a reminder to Iran -- Washington Post
U.S., Iraq work toward normal military relations: Pentagon -- Xinhuanet
The US departure from Iraq is an illusion -- James Denselow, The Guardian
In Iraq, Diplomatic Perspectives on a Deal Not Made -- Michael S. Schmidt, New York Times
Iraq war: Mission failed -- Michael Lind, Salon
Obama’s Iraq exit a risky strategy -- Steve Huntley, Chicago Sun-Times
Obama’s pyrrhic Iraq victory -- Washington Times editorial
Time to leave Iraq -- Baltimore Sun editorial
After 9 years, time for troops to leave Iraq -- USA Today editorial
Iraq is 'liberated' enough. Goodbye and good riddance -- L.A. Times
Of Course the Iraq War Would End in Iran's Empowerment -- Conor Friedersdorf, The Atlantic
AH-64D Apache Wins Indian Gunship Helicopter Tender
Russian Mil Mi-28 Night Hunter gunship attack helicopter has lost the Indian tender for 22 heavy weight gunship helicopters to the USA AH-64D Block III Apache gunship helicopter.
Europe's Sovereign Debt Crisis Worsens -- News Roundup
Europe Scrambling To Complete Debt-Relief Plan -- Voice of America
With 24 hours to go before another summit, European leaders were scrambling Tuesday to complete a plan to resolve the continent's governmental debt contagion.
The outline of a package of reforms is emerging, but details have yet to be set. The plan calls for European banks to forgive billions of dollars of debt for Greece and sharply increase their own cash reserves. At the same time, the size of the continent's bailout fund would be boosted to assist other debt-ridden countries in the future.
Read more ....
More News On Europe's Debt Crisis
Debt crisis: live -- The Telegraph
Debt Crisis: live -- The Guardian
Europe: Grimmer by the minute -- CNN
Europe crisis plan talks enter final stretch -- AP
Euro rescue plan may be delayed again -- L.A. Times
Italian coalition talks hit deadlock -- Financial Times
Europe is now leveraging for a catastrophe -- Wolfgang Münchau, Financial Times
Europe's Stupid Plan -- John Carney, CNBC
No quick solution to Europe's debt crisis -- Henry Chu, L.A. Times
'Unknown territory' for Europe if summit fails: France -- MSN News
Three Key Political Hurdles to the Eurozone — Outside of The Summit -- Wall Street Journal
EU Crisis Roadmap: Key Milestones -- Wall Street Journal
Gaddafi's Son Vows To Fight On. Is Reported To Be Near Niger Border
Seif Al-Islam Nears Niger Border - Report -- Novinite
Slain Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi's most powerful son, Seif al-Islam, is reportedly making an attempt to flee to Niger after the victory of the Transitional National Council.
Seif al-Islam is reportedly being guided on his way by ethnic Tuaregs, according to the Iranian Press TV.
"If he comes here, the government will accept him, but the government will also need to respect its international obligations. It's up to him to decide (whether to stay on the run or come to Niger)," Rissa ag Boula, an adviser to Niger's president, has commented, as cited by The Daily Mirror.
Read more ....
More News On Gaddafi's Son Seif al-Islam
Kadhafi son Seif al-Islam 'near Niger border' -- AFP
Saif al-Islam 'nearing Niger border' -- The Telegraph
Gaddafi dead: Son Saif al-Islam set to flee to Niger -- Mirror
Gaddafi's playboy son Saif 'makes bid for freedom across the desert' -- Daily Mail
Qaddafi son Saif al-Islam said fleeing Libya -- CBS
Gaddafi son preparing to flee Libya -- News24
Qadhafi's son vows to fight on -- Business Recorder
My Comment: If Gaddafi's son is successful in fleeing to a safe haven like Niger, I predict that his first priority will be to find out how much of this is left.
Is A U.S./Nato - Libyan Military Alliance In The Making?
Panetta Says Ties With Libya Depend on Allies -- New York Times
TOKYO — Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta declined on Tuesday to say whether the United States would have a future military relationship with Libya and instead said he would take cues from allies in Europe.
“What I would do at this point is leave the decision as to a future security involvement in the hands of NATO,” Mr. Panetta said. “And then, beyond that, that will give us a basis on which to determine whether there’s an additional role that we can play.”
Read more ....
More News On A Possible Libyan - U.S./Nato Military Alliance
Panetta: No decision yet on US-Libya military ties -- AP
NATO may continue Libya mission, Panetta says -- CNN
NATO may stay in Libya longer than planned - U.S. defense chief -- RIA Novosti
U.S. Defense Secretary Lauds NATO, Partners for Libya Operation -- Defpro
My Comment: I do not expect a formal alliance .... but I do expect to see in the next few months British/French/American military advisers and specialists on the ground training a future Libyan military.
Covering Up A War Crime In Libya
Volunteers in Surt removed bodies of people apparently killed in reprisal by anti-Qaddafi militias. Many had their hands bound and had been shot in the head. Mauricio Lima for The New York TimesIn Libya, Massacre Site Is Cleaned Up, Not Investigated -- New York Times
SURT, Libya — In the parched garden of the Mahari Hotel, volunteers on Monday scrubbed signs of a recent massacre. They collected dozens of bodies, apparently of people executed on the hotel grounds several days ago, but left other evidence behind, like the plastic ties that were used to bind the hands of victims and shell casings, scattered on the dead grass in patches of blood.
The volunteers said the victims included at least two former Qaddafi government officials, local loyalist fighters and maybe civilians. The killers, they believed, were former rebel fighters, belonging to anti-Qaddafi units that had used the hotel as a base in recent weeks. It appeared to be one of the worst massacres of the eight-month conflict, but days after it occurred, no one from Libya’s new government had come to investigate.
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More News On The Massacre At Sirte
Bodies of Gaddafi supporters 'found executed' in Sirte -- BBC
Libya's NTC urged to probe 53 Sirte deaths -- Yahoo News/AFP
Rights Group to NTC: Probe Apparent Mass Execution -- Voice of America
One of Libya's worst massacre sites 'cleaned' without investigation -- ANI
My Comment: The new Libyan government will probably investigate these crimes in the future, but for now .... their priority is controlling the country and confiscating the unsecured heavy weapons that are now lying around everywhere.
Perpetual War Is The Future For America's Elite Troops
Members of the 320th Special Tactics Squadron exit an MC-130P Combat Shadow / ReutersFor Elite U.S. Troops, War's End Will Only Mean More Fighting -- The Atlantic
Even as the U.S. winds down in Iraq and Afghanistan, some special forces have done 10, 12, even 14 tours, and are only likely to do more as the conventional troops go home.
Army Ranger Kristoffer Domeij was killed in Afghanistan on Saturday while on his 14th combat deployment, highlighting a dispiriting fact of life for some of America's warriors: conventional forces are leaving Iraq and Afghanistan in large numbers, but the sky-high demand for special-operations troops like the Rangers won't be changing anytime soon.
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My Comment: Bottom line .... being in the Special Forces will mean being involved in multiple conflicts and deployments .... a state of perpetual war that can easily last for decades. While many Special Forces have families .... this will probably not be the ideal career choice for someone who believes family is everything.
Afghanistan War News Updates -- October 25, 2011
U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Gary Volesky, second from right, and members of his personal security detail run to their UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter in the Deh Yak district of Ghazni province, Afghanistan, Oct. 19, 2011. Volesky and his team were conducting a battlefield circulation to several International Security Assistance Force positions south of Kabul, Afghanistan. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Ken ScarAfghans Find Little To Praise In New U.S.-Led Offensive -- Stars and Stripes/McClatchy News
KABUL, Afghanistan — As U.S.-led coalition forces intensify their battle against insurgents in rugged eastern Afghanistan, many residents there remain skeptical of the chances for military success and worry about the fallout from increased fighting.
NATO and Afghan forces announced Monday that two recent operations had captured or killed approximately 200 insurgents — including 20 directly tied to the Haqqani network, the Taliban-allied insurgent group blamed for some of the most devastating attacks this year in the Afghan capital, Kabul.
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More News On Afghanistan
Airstrike Destroys IED Facility in Afghanistan -- US Department of Defense
Daily Brief: Anti-Taliban militia leader targeted in Pakistan -- AfPak Channel
US Army SOF Killed in Combat -- Shadow Spear
D.C. man killed in Afghanistan in noncombat incident -- Washington Post
US Marine Corps Orders Excalibur Rounds for Operational Use -- Market Watch
NATO: 200 Afghan militants killed, captured -- Yahoo News/AP
200 rebels killed or captured in Afghanistan: NATO -- Yahoo News/AFP
Afghan security better than expected-US official -- Alertnet
Haqqanis will not talk Afghan peace alone - commander -- Reuters
Can Pakistan Deliver the Haqqanis to the Negotiating Table? -- Omar Waraich, Time
Backing down: US no longer urging full-scale Waziristan blitz -- Express Tribune
Afghan leader's office says Pakistan remarks misinterpreted -- L.A. Times
Full story of SEAL mission in question -- Washington Times
Afghans Rally Behind Policeman's Rare Act of Bravery -- New York Times/Reuters
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