May Was Iraq's Deadliest Month In 5 Years

Iraq Sees Deadliest Month In 5 Years -- Christian Science Monitor

The violence has spanned the country, with an assassination attempt, explosions, shootings, and a series of bombings in Baghdad this week alone. Can the government bring the situation under control?

More than 500 people were killed in Iraq in May, about 120 of them since May 27 alone, making it the deadliest month since June 2008, according to the United Nations.

The uptick in violence has put increased pressure on the government to prove its ability to keep sectarian tensions under control and prevent the country from spiraling into a renewed civil war.

The death toll prompted a warning from UN special representative to Iraq, Martin Kobler. "Systemic violence is ready to explode at any moment if all Iraqi leaders do not engage immediately to pull the country out of this mayhem," Mr. Kobler said in Baghdad, according to CNN.

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Update: Iraq mayhem 'ready to explode' into wider conflict, U.N. official says -- CNN

My Comment: These casualty numbers do not match the monthly 3000+ numbers during the height of Iraq's sectarian war in 2006-2007 .... but the trends are ominous and Iraq's security forces appear to be powerless to stop it.

Update: UN: Iraq saw deadliest month in years -- Al Jazeera

Kyrgyzstan Declares A State Of Emergency

Kyrgyzstan Declares State Of Emergency -- Al Jazeera

The Kyrgyz government calls for state of emergency after violent clashes between protesters and security forces.

Kyrgyzstan has declared a state of emergency after bloody clashes between security forces and protesters over the arrests of dozens of demonstrators who cut off power to a Canadian-owned gold mine they want nationalised.

Prosecutors said that 92 people were arrested when security forces moved in to disperse the protest over the Kumtor mine, retake control of an electrical substation and dismantle their tents.

But this in turn sparked a new protest on Friday as thousands of locals began a march to call for the release of those detained, clashing with security forces who fired tear gas and rubber bullets.

Read more ....

More News On Kyrgyzstan Declaring A State Of Emergency

Kyrgyzstan Declares State of Emergency After Clashes -- New York Times
Hundreds storm office of Canadian gold mine in Kyrgyzstan, 55 wounded in clashes with police -- Washington Post/AP
Kyrgyz police move in on Centerra gold mine protesters -- BBC
Kyrgyzstan sets state of emergency to protect Centerra mine -- Reuters
Kyrgyzstan declares emergency after bloody gold mine clashes -- Global Post/AFP
Kyrgyzstan Calls State of Emergency After Gold Mine Clashes -- Eurasianet.org
Scores injured in clashes as Kyrgyz horsemen hold Canadian-owned mine hostage (PHOTOS) -- RT
Questioning The Environmental Cost Of Kyrgyzstan's Kumtor Gold Mine -- Radio Free Europe
In pictures: Kyrgyzstan gold mine protests -- BBC

Picture Of The Day

Newly commissioned 2nd Lieutenants of the U.S. Air Force Academy's Class of 2013 toss their hats in the air as the Texas Flying Legends Museum, based out of Ellington Field, Texas, provide graduation ceremony fly-by support at Falcon Stadium in Colorado Springs, Colo., May 29, 2013. U.S. Air Force photo by Sarah Chambers

Any Attack On Syria's New S-300 Missiles Will 'Kill A Lot Of Russians'

S-300 air defense systems. © RIA Novosti. Dmitriy Korobeinikov

An Israeli Attack On New Syrian Missiles Would 'Kill A Lot Of Russians' -- Business Insider

The S300 anti-aircraft missiles that Russia has reportedly started sending to Syria don't just pose a threat to Israeli or American pilots; they also pose a threat to Russians on the ground.

If Israel or the U.S. bomb the S300 weapons in Syria, there's a good chance they "will kill a lot of Russians," Robert Hewson, editor of IHS Jane's Air-Launched Weapons, said to the Guardian.

Hewson's conclusion comes from the fact that these weapons systems are far more advanced than what Syria already has. Russian operators would need to be on the ground to oversee the weapons.

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My Comment: This is Russia's red - line on Syria .... if you bomb these missile systems Russia will retaliate. I guess this also explains why there is now a sizable Russian naval presence in the region .... Russia is expecting the situation to deteriorate even further.

The Pentagon's Top 4 Concerns On China's Growing Military Might

China has increased its military budget in the past year by nearly 18 per cent in 2009. (Reuters: stringer Shanghai)

China's Growing Military Might: Top 4 Concerns For The Pentagon -- Anna Mulrine, Christian Science Monitor

China continues to increase spending to grow its already considerable military, and top Pentagon officials continue to watch the developments carefully.

In a report issued this week, the Department of Defense for the first time directly accused China’s military of using cyberattacks to spy on US networks.

In this arena and others, “China’s military buildup shows no signs of slowing,” said David Helvey, deputy assistant secretary of Defense for East Asia, who presented the congressionally mandated report on the state of China’s military activities.

Here are Pentagon officials’ top four concerns as they carefully monitor the growth of China’s military.

1. Frequent cyberwarfare attacks, other espionage efforts

China has long been accused of engaging in cyber attacks and espionage on US networks, but for the first time the US military directly attributed some of those attacks to its counterparts in China, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

“In 2012, numerous computer systems around the world, including those owned by the United States government, continued to be targeted for intrusions, some of which appear to be attributable directly to the [Chinese] government and military organizations,” Mr. Helvey said during a Pentagon briefing this week.

The report points to cyberespionage, along with other activities – with the aim of bolstering China’s military advantages:

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My Comment: Only 4 concerns?

These Seven Terror Leaders Have A Bounty On Their Heads That Are Worth Millions

These Are The 7 Foreign Operatives Worth The Most Millions To The US -- Business Insider

There are seven men worth more than $7 million to the U.S. government.

These are the men who have eluded capture for years. The ones who have allegedly planned and executed terror attacks that have cost thousands of lives and contribute to continuing unrest around the world. They are the planners, the leaders, the masterminds. 

The U.S. State Department maintains the list of the most wanted terrorists in the world. It’s different from the FBI’s list, and the rewards are much heftier. 

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My Comment: Ayman al-Zawahiri is still number one at $25 million.

Barack Obama’s Rules For Drones Could Shape The New Global Laws Of War

Out Of The Shadows -- The Economist

Barack Obama’s rules for drones could shape the new global laws of war.

WHEN it comes to lethal drone strikes against foreign targets, America’s government and Congress should be aware that “what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander”, says John Bellinger, for eight years a government lawyer charged with explaining George W. Bush’s global war on terror to allies.

China and Russia are just two of the powers that may soon launch their own fleets of unmanned aircraft against suspected foes. It is not too far-fetched to imagine a near future in which a Russian drone targets a Chechen radical based in neighbouring Georgia, say, who appears immune from capture while apparently plotting an imminent strike on Russian targets.

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My Comment: After years of using drones .... now is the perfect time to have a public debate on this policy.

Furlough Notices Sent To Walter Reed Hospital Workers

 

Walter Reed Hospital Workers Receive Furlough Notices -- ABC 7 News 

ABC7 has confirmed the region’s two military hospitals are furloughing more than 3,500 civilian employees who care for the nation’s wounded warriors, nearly their entire civilian staffs.

The impacted employees are from departments across the board at both hospitals, including members of the trauma team, physical therapists and nurses.

They will be forced to take 11 unpaid furlough days starting in July. Hospital officials say the furloughs affect 2,392 caregivers at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda.

That’s 94% of the civilian staff there. Officials say 1,163 caregivers at Fort Belvoir’s hospital in Virginia are being furloughed, affecting 85% of its civilian staff.

Officials promise patient care will not be compromised.

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Update: Vets fume over Walter Reed furloughs -- WTOP  

My Comment: These are the last people who should be furloughed .... but such is the budget chaos in the Pentagon right now.

UNICEF: Syria Risks A Lost Generation

 

From CNN: CNN's Zain Verjee speaks with UNICEF COO Jon Sparkes about the situation facing Syrian refugee children in Iraq.  

My Comment: The humanitarian crisis in Syria is getting worse .... kudos to organizations like UNICEF in trying to help as much as they can.

IHS Jane: Iran's Missiles Would Overwhelm Israel's Ballistic Missile Defense System

Iranian missile launchers in a May, 26 2013 display. Iranian Ministry of Defense Photo

Report: New Iranian Missile Launchers Could Overwhelm Israeli Defenses -- USNI News

Iran could have enough launchers to send a salvo of medium range ballistic missiles that would overwhelm Israeli ballistic missile defense systems, according to a Wednesday report from IHS Jane’s.

A May, 26 broadcast on Iranian television showcased a collection of transporter erector launchers (TELs) capable of launching the Iranian Shahab-3 guided ballistic missiles.

“Iranian television footage showed at least 26 TELs lined up in two rows for the event, which marked their purported delivery to the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force, which operates the country’s ballistic missiles,” according to the report.

The Shahab-3 is based on a North Korean design and is capable striking Israel from Iranian territory.

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My Comment: I suspect that Israel's political and military leadership are aware of Iran's capabilities.

No More Hot Meals For U.S. Marines In Afghanistan

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

The Drawdown Diet: Marines Steamed By Loss Of Hot Meal At Afghanistan Base -- NBC 

Marines at Camp Leatherneck in Afghanistan will lose a key daily meal starting Saturday, causing some to forgo a hot breakfast and others to work six-plus hours without refueling on cooked food, according to Marines at the base and Marine Corps officials.

The midnight ration service — known there as “midrats" — supplies breakfast to Marines on midnight-to-noon shifts and dinner to Marines who are ending noon-to-midnight work periods.

It's described as one of the few times the Marines at Leatherneck can be together in one place. The base, which is located in Afghanistan’s southwestern Helmand Province, flanked by Iran and Pakistan, also will remove its 24-hour sandwich bar.

It plans to replace the dishes long offered at midnight with pre-packaged MREs, said Marine Corps Lt. Col. Cliff Gilmore, who has been deployed in Afghanistan since February.

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My Comment: An Army marches on it's stomach .... for these US Marines .... dinner is going to be cold.

Could The Syrian Civil War Trigger World War III?

Mideast War In Our Time? -- Jamie Dettmer, Daily Beast

The Syrian conflict threatens to draw America, Russia, and Europe into a wild inferno engulfing the entire Mideast.

An assassin’s bullet among sectarian tensions was all it took to push the European powers into the catastrophic “war to end all wars” in 1914. By slaying an Austrian archduke, a Serbian gunman triggered a chain of events that savagely changed the face of Europe by bringing about World War I.

It is a moment in history worth remembering as we once more teeter on a historical precipice.

When it comes to the Syria conflict, recent developments may hurl us off the cliff. A series of escalations—including Israeli airstrikes on Damascus, Hezbollah’s decision to openly send thousands of fighters across the border, and the European Union lifting its arms embargo on the rebels—have dramatically increased the risk level. And given the signs that planned U.S.-Russian-endorsed talks in Geneva might not even get off the ground, there is evident cause for worry. Close observers now worry the Middle East is on the brink of a wider war—one that will have as profound repercussions for the region as World War I had for Europe.

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My Comment: The conflict in Syria is already engulfing it's neighbors. The question that needs to now be asked is .... will it engulf everyone else. For the moment .... no one can give a definite answer.

U.S. Naval Academy Investigating Allegations Of Sexual Assault

U.S. President Obama carries a helmet presented to him by the U.S. Naval Academy football team at a presentation ceremony for the Commander-In-Chief's Trophy in Washington (Jason Reed Reuters, / April 12, 2013)

Naval Academy Probing Allegation Of Sexual Assault -- Washington Post

The U.S. Naval Academy is investigating an accusation that three of the school’s football players sexually assaulted a female midshipman at a party last year.

An Academy spokesman declined to identify the students and said no charges have been filed.

An attorney for the woman, Susan Burke, said the incident occurred last April at an off-campus “football house” in Annapolis.

The woman got drunk and passed out, Burke said, and woke up remembering little from the party. “She learned from friends and social media that three football players were claiming to have had sexual intercourse with her while she was incapacitated,” Burke wrote in an email distributed to reporters.

Read more ....

More News On the U.S. Naval Academy Probing Allegations Of Sexual Assault

Three US Navy football players under investigation for alleged sex assault, sources say -- NBC
U.S. Naval Academy football players investigated for sexual assault -- Reuters
Naval Academy probing alleged sexual assault by 3 football players -- CBS/AP
Navy Football Players Face Annapolis Rape Inquiry -- New York Times
Navy football players investigated in sex assault complaint -- CNN
Three Naval Academy football players investigated in alleged sexual assault on female midshipman -- Baltimore Sun
3 USNA Football Players Face Sexual Assault Probe -- Military.com

When The U.S. Government Targets Half The Country

An Antidote To Cynicism Poisoning -- Peggy Noonan, Wall Street Journal

Restoring public faith will require a full investigation of the IRS's politicization.

The Benghazi scandal was and is shocking, and the Justice Department assault on the free press, in which dogged reporters are tailed like enemy spies, is shocking. Benghazi is still under investigation and someday someone will write a great book about it. As for the press, Attorney General Eric Holder is on the run, and rightly so. They called it the First Amendment for a reason. But nothing can damage us more as a nation than what is happening at the Internal Revenue Service. Elite opinion in the press and in Washington doesn't fully understand this. Part of the reason is that it's not their ox being gored, it's those messy people out in America with their little patriotic groups.

Those who aren't deeply distressed about the IRS suffer from a reluctance or inability to make distinctions, and a lack of civic imagination.

An inability to make distinctions: "It's always been like this." "Presidents are always siccing the IRS on their enemies." There's truth in that. We've all heard the stories of the president who picked up the phone and said, "Look into this guy," Richard Nixon most showily. He got clobbered for it. It was one of the articles of impeachment.

Read more ....

My Comment: Peggy Noonan gets to the heart of the problem. A special prosecutor will have to be appointed .... and people will have to be put in jail to change this culture of intimidation and abuse. Failure to do so will undermine what is probably the most important department (after the military) in the U.S. government.

U.S. Warns Tourists To Avoid The Egyptian Pyramids

Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphynx, Egypt. Wikipedia

Lawlessness, Blackouts Roil Egypt As U.S. Warns Against Pyramids Tourism -- The Tower

Lawlessness has become so endemic in Egypt that the U.S. Embassy this week warned Americans away from visiting the country’s famed pyramids. A academic teaching at the American University in Cairo received an email from the embassy warning of “aggressiveness [that] in some cases is closer to criminal conduct… with angry groups of individuals surrounding and pounding on [vehicles]… and in some cases attempting to open the vehicle’s doors.” The warning lined up with the professor’s observations:

So, it’s not like I’m easily scared by anything that happens at the Pyramids, that repository for all of Egypt’s most villainous swindlers (every nation has some). But in recent months it has become almost unbearable. It feels almost like an openly criminal environment now. The problem is not only “lack of visible security,” but in some cases the security are either working with the vendors on their scams, or are sexually harassing female foreigners quite openly, even those who are obviously accompanied by their husbands. In short, if you visit Egypt in the near future, don’t even think of going to the Pyramids unless you’re on a large organized bus tour. Anything else is a big risk, for now.

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My Comment: One of my closest friends goes to Egypt every second year to visit the pyramids and other Egyptian historical sites .... she has always been on top of everything that is happening in the country, and was one of the first to tell me about the growing unrest in Egypt that ultimately led to the overthrow of Egyptian President Mubarak. Not surprisingly .... she is now advising everyone to avoid Egypt .... it has become too dangerous and lawless. To me .... this is very sad. When Egypt loses people like her .... it will probably take years of stability and peace before they come back .... if ever. Not a positive spin on what is happening in Egypt today.

USN USS Shiloh (CG-67) Spotted With Chinese Type 052C Luyang-II Destroyer

USS Shiloh (CG-67) Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser United States Navy (USN) visits ZhanJiang.

USS Shiloh (CG-67) Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser spotted with the Type 052C (Luyang-II Class) Guided Missile Destroyer of Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLA Navy).

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

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

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

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

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Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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MIDDLE EAST

Assad warns Israel as 'rebels flood Qusayr'.

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

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

UN blacklists Syria's al-Nusra Front.

Turkey arrests anti-government protesters.

Iran petrochemical industry targeted for U.S. sanctions.

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

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

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

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

ASIA

Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi speaks out.

NATO to hold 2014 summit on Afghanistan troop withdrawal.

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

Myanmar, Kachin reach tentative ceasefire.

Bhutan readies for first stage of key elections.

India and China tackle border dispute.

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

Kyrgyzstan imposes state of emergency to protect Centerra mine.

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

AFRICA

Guards at Libyan oil field protest, force shutdown.

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

Sudanese rebels say shoot down army helicopter in oil area.

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

Militants threaten 'all West Africa'.

Malians in Gao protest against French 'bias'.

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

Nigeria arrests trio over 'Hezbollah cell'.

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

After war, Ivory Coast struggles with reconciliation process.

Graphic photos of Oscar Pistorius crime scene leaked.

EUROPE

Italy announces first case of SARS-like coronavirus.

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

Frankfurt 'Blockupy' protesters surround ECB.

Putin economy reshuffle to strengthen Kremlin: sources.

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

Census reveals German population lower than thought.

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

AMERICAS

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

Russian oil company suspends exploration in Cuba.

IRS may have targeted conservatives more broadly.

Boston bombing suspect is walking, mother says.

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

Brazil faces 1970s stagflation as resource boom wilts.

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford 'will not resign'.

Relatives seek answers over mass kidnapping in Mexico.

After tour abroad, dissident blogger Sanchez returns to Cuba.

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

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

TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR

Intel dilemma in Boston, London, Paris attacks.

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

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

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

State: Hezbollah sees 'resurgence' on world stage.

Guantánamo Bay hunger strike worsens.

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

Latest issue of al Qaeda magazine Inspire celebrates Boston bombings.

ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS

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

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

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

Megaupload wins access to data seized in police raid.

The Conflicts In Libya And Mali Are Now Spreading To Nigeria

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read more ....

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

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

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

Pakistani Taliban Call Off Peace Talks -- Wall Street Journal

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

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

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

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

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

Read more ....

More News on The Pakistan Taliban Calling-Off Peace Talks

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

Leading Economist Flees Russia

Sergey Guriev (RIA Novosti / Grigoriy Sisoev)

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

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

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

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

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More News On Sergei Guriev Decision To Leave Russia

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

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

Syrian War Seen Dragging On For Years

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read more ....

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read more ....

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read more ....

My Comment: Better late than never.

A Look At The U.S. Withdrawal From Afghanistan

Afghanistan: Drawdown -- Al Jazeera

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

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

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

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

Read more ....

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

Afghanistan War News Updates -- May 31, 2013

Marines Stand Back As Afghans Take Lead -- Washington Times

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

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

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

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

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

Read more ....

More News On Afghanistan

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

World News Briefs -- May 31, 2013

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

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

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

Read more ....

MIDDLE EAST

Assad warns Israel as 'rebels flood Qusayr'.

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

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

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

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

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

ASIA

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

Myanmar, Kachin reach tentative ceasefire.

Bhutan readies for first stage of key elections.

India and China tackle border dispute.

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

Kyrgyzstan imposes state of emergency to protect Centerra mine.

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

AFRICA

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

Militants threaten 'all West Africa'.

Malians in Gao protest against French 'bias'.

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

Nigeria arrests trio over 'Hezbollah cell'.

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

After war, Ivory Coast struggles with reconciliation process.

EUROPE

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

Frankfurt 'Blockupy' protesters surround ECB.

Putin economy reshuffle to strengthen Kremlin: sources.

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

Census reveals German population lower than thought.

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

AMERICAS

Boston bombing suspect is walking, mother says.

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

Brazil faces 1970s stagflation as resource boom wilts.

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford 'will not resign'.

Relatives seek answers over mass kidnapping in Mexico.

After tour abroad, dissident blogger Sanchez returns to Cuba.

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

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

TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR

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

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

State: Hezbollah sees 'resurgence' on world stage.

Guantánamo Bay hunger strike worsens.

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

Latest issue of al Qaeda magazine Inspire celebrates Boston bombings.

ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS

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

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

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

Megaupload wins access to data seized in police raid.

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- May 31, 2013

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

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

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

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

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

Read more ....

MILITARY AND INTELLIGENCE NEWS BRIEFS

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

Air Force boosts cyber mission capabilities -- Air Force Times

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

Russia Receives Payment Under Iraqi Arms Deal -- RIA Novosti

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

China dismisses US cyberspying paper -- Defense News/AFP

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Navy Developing Unmanned Mine-Detection Boat -- Defense Tech

LCS Pursues Next-Generation Submarine Sonar -- Defense Tech

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

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

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

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

Pentagon Furloughs Hit Hardest in Virginia, California -- Bloomberg

FY15 Guidance Takes Sequester Into Account -- Defense News

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

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

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

Rape Victim: Retaliation Prevalent in Military -- AP

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

Panetta inks deal to write memoir -- The Hill

Petraeus lands job at investment firm -- The Hill

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

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