Thank You
Robert Serge
VVA 17 Member
Blog Master
To all my fellow veterans friends and family my we all remember
From: no-reply@navytimes.com
To: rserge1@outlook.com
Subject: Navy Times Early Bird Brief
Date: Tue, 23 Sep 2014 04:53:02 -0600
COMPILED BY THE EDITORS OF DEFENSE NEWS & MILITARY TIMES
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TODAY'S TOP 51. U.S. expands war against Islamic State with airstrikes in Syria(Washington Post) The United States and several Middle East partners pounded Islamic State targets in Syria Tuesday with waves of warplanes and Tomahawk cruise missiles in an aggressive and risky operation marking a new phase in the conflict. 2. U.S.-Philippines Defense Pact Mired in Court Challenge (Wall Street Journal) A new defense pact between the U.S. and the Philippines faces years in limbo due to legal challenges, frustrating plans to strengthen bilateral ties by dispatching American troops to the Southeast Asian country. 3. The Barbarians Within Our Gates (Hisham Melhem in Politico) Arab civilization has collapsed. It won't recover in my lifetime. 4. Missing Afghan soldiers detained at Canadian border (Boston Globe) Three Afghan National Army soldiers who went missing from training in Cape Cod on Saturday night were detained at the Rainbow Bridge border crossing near Niagara Falls this afternoon, State Police said. 5. Prosecutor: Fence jumper is 'a danger to the president' (USA Today) White House fence jumper Omar Gonzalez, arrested Saturday with a folding knife in his pocket, had a car packed with more than 800 rounds of ammunition parked a few blocks away, a prosecutor said Monday in federal court. ISLAMIC STATEU.S. airstrikes expand to Syrian city of Aleppo(Los Angeles Times) Even as it launched sweeping new airstrikes against Islamic State militants in Syria, the U.S. military said Tuesday that it had expanded the campaign to the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, targeting an offshoot of Al Qaeda said to be plotting "imminent" attacks against American and Western targets. Syria Opposition Says It Was Informed Strikes Would Begin (Wall Street Journal) Syrian opposition figures said the U.S. military informed them over the weekend that American airstrikes against Islamic State would begin this week, advising the Free Syrian Army to prepare its forces while a covert arming program run by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency provided fresh weapons. Russia condemns U.S. airstrikes against Islamic State in Syria (Washington Post) As the United States launches airstrikes against the Islamic State in Syria, Russia is condemning the move, and hedging support for the attacks so long as they proceed without the Syrian government's consent. Supporters see role for A-10 in ISIS fight (The Hill) Supporters of the A-10 "Warthog" fighter say the Pentagon should halt plans to scrap the jet, saying it is needed in the campaign against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Despite Airstrikes, ISIS Appears to Hold Its Ground in Iraq (New York Times) After six weeks of American airstrikes, the Iraqi government's forces have scarcely budged Sunni extremists of the Islamic State from their hold on more than a quarter of the country, in part because many critical Sunni tribes remain on the sidelines. The Islamic State: Repercussions ("60 Minutes") Scott Pelley speaks with two men who recognized the threat of ISIS early and warned of the possible consequences of not acting White House won't estimate cost of ISIS war (The Hill) The White House does not have an estimate on how much the war against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) will cost. Islamic State attack on Iraqi base leaves hundreds missing, shows army weaknesses (Washington Post) The army base in Iraq's western Anbar province had been under siege by Islamic State militants for a week, so when a convoy of armored Humvees rolled up at the gate, the Iraqi soldiers at Camp Saqlawiyah believed saviors had arrived. Obama Taps Star General to Build Syrian Rebel Army to Fight ISIS (The Daily Beast) Gen. Michael Nagata is promising to build a new force to destroy ISIS, but lawmakers worry he has been given an impossible mission. Kurds, Islamic State Fight for Control of Syrian City (Wall Street Journal) Thousands more Syrian refugees poured into this Turkish border town, many arriving on foot and sheltering in gas stations, schools and mosques to escape the latest advance by extremist group Islamic State. Turkey breaks up crowds at Syrian frontier protesting Islamic State, border closings (Washington Post) Turkish troops fired tear gas and water cannons Monday to disperse crowds near Suruc, Turkey, on the Syrian border, where Turkish and Syrian Kurds have been demonstrating against border closings and the Islamic State's latest advances in Syria. Turkish President Hints That Prisoner Exchange Won Release of Hostages Held by ISIS (New York Times) President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey said Monday that Turkish and American officials were in discussions about how to battle the Islamic State militant organization, now that his government had secured the freedom of 49 Turkish citizens held hostage by that group in Iraq for more than three months. Islamic State Offensive Poses Problems For Turkey (Associated Press) Fierce fighting Monday between the Islamic State militant group and Kurdish forces just over the border in Syria brought the battle closer to Turkey, triggering a surge of tens of thousands of refugees and raising pressure for the government to step up efforts to take on the Sunni extremists. The Fight of Their Lives (The New Yorker) The White House wants the Kurds to help save Iraq from ISIS. The Kurds may be more interested in breaking away. What's at stake of Kurdish fighters lose the battle against ISIS (CNN) Hundreds of thousands of Kurds are fleeing Syria to cross into Turkey. They are on the run as ISIS terrorists quickly gain new ground and close in on their villages. Meet the terror group in Syria that could actually threaten the US (Quartz) The organization is known as "the Khorasan group," a reference to a historic territory encompassing modern Afghanistan and Iran. Like ISIL, it has has roots in al Qaeda, but unlike the militants attempting to seize territory in Iraq and Syria, the Khorasan group is still within al Qaeda's hierarchy and focused on terror attacks in the West. France says video of French hostage taken in Algeria is genuine (Reuters) France's foreign ministry said a video of a French man kidnapped in Algeria was genuine. Deep Pockets, Dark Goals: How Will ISIS Keep Funding Terror? (NBC) Ransom payments for kidnap victims, crimes like extortion and robbery and, lately, oil sales are believed to have brought in "hundreds of millions of dollars" for ISIS during its two-year reign of terror, U.S. intelligence officials tell NBC News. But the group is burning through money nearly as quickly, fighting a two-front war in Syria and Iraq and trying to govern the self-declared "caliphate" it has established, they say. Oil-rich Kirkuk in Iraq's north fears attack by Islamic State (Los Angeles Times) In recent weeks, international attention has focused on Islamic State advances elsewhere in the Kurdish region, such as near the strategic Mosul dam and the city of Irbil, capital of semiautonomous Iraqi Kurdistan. U.S. airstrikes have helped push back the militants - and provided a tactical and psychological lift for peshmerga fighters, who fell back last month in a humiliating retreat. INDUSTRYInterview: Frank Kendall, US DoD Acquisition Chief(Defense News) Frank Kendall, US defense undersecretary for acquisition, technology and logistics, oversees hundreds of billions of dollars in procurement programs. On Sept. 19 he unveiled the first draft of his Better Buying Power 3.0 initiative that seeks to push the Pentagon and industry to collaborate more on projecting future needs and meeting them through closer collaboration. The new guidance implements Better Buying Power initiatives developed by Kendall and his predecessor, Ashton Carter. Raytheon Assembling Antimissile Warheads Again (Bloomberg) Raytheon Co. (RTN) has resumed assembling warheads designed to intercept incoming intercontinental ballistic missiles after a four-year suspension ordered by the Pentagon because of failed test launches. GAO Draft Slams F-35 On 'Unaffordable' Costs: $8.8B Over Legacy Fighters (Breaking Defense) The F-35's long-term costs may "not be affordable" and appear to be substantially higher than those of the existing combat aircraft fleets that the Joint Strike Fighter will replace, the Government Acocuntability Office says in a draft report. Textron AirLand's Scorpion Shows Off ISR Options in DC (Intercepts) The show floor at last week's Air Force Association Air and Space Conference, held just outside Washington, was chock full of representatives from industry both big and small. Almost every defense contractor looking to do business with the Air Force had officials circling the floor, ready to ambush anyone wearing stars on their shoulders with a business pitch. Pentagon's Weapons Push Faces Skeptics (Wall Street Journal) The Pentagon is proposing significant changes to how it develops and buys new weapons, but some in the industry say the biggest hurdle to success could lie in the agency's own staff. Energy Efficient Lighting Could Help Military Save Money (National Defense) As the defense budget becomes more constrained, the services are eager to cut any low hanging fruit to reap potential savings. Lutron Electronics' lighting technologies could help the military lower energy costs, company executives said. US State Department clears sale of MRAPS to Pakistan (IHS Jane's 360) The US State Department has approved the potential sale of 160 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles and parts to the government of Pakistan, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced on 19 September. The deal was valued at up to USD198 million. Poland Plans To Buy Missiles For Its F-16s From US (Associated Press) Poland hopes to finalize a multimillion deal with U.S. company Lockheed Martin Corp. by November that includes cruise missiles for its F-16 fighter jets, the Polish defense minister said Tuesday. US reaffirms Apache delivery to Egypt (IHS Jane's 360) The United States has reaffirmed its commitment to supply Egypt with 10 Boeing AH-64 Apache attack helicopters that have been withheld since the military took control of the country in July 2013. Airbus Group To Focus On Military Aircraft, Space And Missiles (Aviation Week) Two years ago the Airbus Group was called EADS and its defense division was Cassidian. Stefan Zoller was Cassidian's CEO and EADS was in merger talks with BAE Systems. The new group was poised to take off big time. Since then everything has changed. Lebanon to receive additional Huey II helicopters (IHS Jane's 360) The sale of 18 Bell UH-1H 'Huey' II helicopters to Lebanon has been approved by the US State Department, it was disclosed on 19 September. Bird Dogs to Africa (Defense Industry Daily) African countries need counter-insurgency and surveillance aircraft, but they aren't about to buy top-end gear like an AC-130. Embraer's A-29 Super Tucano turboprop trainer and light attack aircraft is about the upper end - a few African countries have purchased them, and the USA's LAS program offers them through an intermediary. BAE Systems, Patria announce teaming for Australian reconnaissance vehicle programme (IHS Jane's 360) BAE Systems and Finnish aerospace and defence group Patria are to jointly bid for the Australian Army's programme to procure a combat reconnaissance vehicle (CRV) platform. Damen to supply additional ships for Mexican Navy (IHS Jane's 360) The Mexican Ministry of the Navy (SEMAR) has ordered a Fast Crew Supplier (FCS) 5009 and another coastal patrol ship from Damen Shipyards, the company said on 16 September. VETERANSKARE 11 Investigates: VA records show vet rescheduled appointment after death(KARE; Minneapolis) According to official medical records, a former Minnesota Marine apparently contacted the Minneapolis VA from his grave to cancel an existing appointment and reschedule it. Tuskegee VA employee charged with DUI, still employed (Montgomery Advertiser) An off-duty VA employee who was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol after his involvement in a fatal car crash last December was still employed at the Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System as of earlier this month. Volusia, Flagler veterans face huge backlog on VA disability claims (Daytona Beach News-Journal) Vince Faulkner has been waiting for more than two years for the Department of Veterans Affairs to process his disability benefits appeal. Angry vets speak out at Memphis VA town hall meeting (WREG-TV; Memphis, Tenn.) There were small numbers but big opinions from the veterans at a town hall meeting hosted by the Memphis VA Medical Center Thursday. CONGRESSLawmakers Reject Pentagon Bid to Spend War Funds on F-35s(Bloomberg) Lawmakers have rejected the Pentagon's request to shift as much as $1.5 billion in war spending to buy eight new Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT) F-35 jets and 21 additional Boeing Co. (BA) AH-64 Apache helicopters. Syria Vote Isn't Last Word From Congress On War (Associated Press) President Barack Obama's Mideast war strategy isn't in the clear yet in Congress. Bill would suspend visa waiver program for countries with citizens working for ISIS (The Hill) Reps. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) and Scott Perry (R-Pa.) have introduced legislation that would suspend the visa waiver program for countries with citizens that have joined Islamic extremists. DEFENSE DEPARTMENTDOD has 1 million contractors eligible for security clearance, but not on payroll(Washington Post) When the Government Accountability Office was looking at security clearance issues, it found a curious situation among Defense Department agencies: Some have more people eligible for clearances than they have employees. Active, reserve components spar over 'sexy' cyber mission (Military Times) After months of bureaucratic battles, the Pentagon is finalizing a plan to give reservists a limited role in the evolving cyber force. Report: Some causes of suicide in military need more study (USA Today) While the military has poured more money into suicide research than any other sector of American society in recent years, certain targets in dire need of study remain under-funded, according to a RAND Corp. report released Monday. The Military Wants to Understand Why You Believe What You Believe (DefenseOne) At what point does an idea like the Islamic State go viral? What conditions on the ground must be present for the creation of an Islamic caliphate across the Middle East to spread? DARPA researches a dust solution (C4ISR & Networks) DARPA has been researching sensors to help helicopter pilots see through dust clouds that cause accidents and obscure targets. Logistics Offers Opportunities to Use Wearable Devices (National Defense) As the aerospace industry more widely adopts wearable devices such as Google Glass, it's likely the Defense Department and military services will follow close on its heels, predicted the head of product management for IFS Aerospace and Defense. Measuring the savings at the military commissary (Virginian-Pilot) When the Defense Department earlier this year proposed cutting more than 70 percent from the federal dollars provided to help run military commissaries, it provoked a fierce outcry among military personnel and their families. ARMYNew Army vice chief expects worse manpower conditions(Army Times) The Army's new vice chief expects in 2016 that sequestration will once again rear its ugly head, and that means thousands more force-cuts in the service. Drill sergeant at Ft. Leonard Wood pleads guilty to three accusations of sexual misconduct (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) A drill sergeant at this base in south-central Missouri who faces more than two dozen claims of sexual misconduct pleaded guilty this morning three of those accusations. For single moms in uniform, 'Fort Bliss' movie shows costs and rewards (Army Times) Army Master Sgt. Kerensa Crum wasn't expecting much when she walked into an early screening of "Fort Bliss," a new movie about the struggles of a single mom in the military. New details about Fort Carson soldier accused of burning house (Colorado Springs Gazette) A Fort Carson soldier arrested on suspicion of burning down his own house Sunday morning had increased his home insurance coverage just days before the blaze, according to an arrest affidavit. Retired sgt. maj. found not guilty of gun charges in Canada (Army Times) Retired Sgt. Maj. Louis DiNatale, charged with unauthorized possession of a weapon at the Canadian border last year, has been found not guilty by a Canadian court, his lawyer said Monday. NAVYHarris tapped to lead PACOM(Navy Times) Adm. Harry Harris is the president's pick for the next head of U.S. Pacific Command, according to a Monday release from the Defense Department. Navy Completes Third Round of NASA Orion Testing (USNI News) The amphibious transport dock USS Anchorage (LPD-23) completed a third set of underway recovery tests for the NASA Orion spacecraft according to the U.S. Navy. The test was the second such effort for the ship, which returned to Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on Saturday. Mitscher deploys for 5th Fleet (Navy Times) The destroyer Mitscher departed Monday morning on what's slated to be an eight-month deployment to 5th Fleet. There, the crew will provide security operations and ballistic missile defense along with the Carl Vinson carrier strike group. Cruise pay approved (Navy Times) Over the past half-dozen years, sailors and Marines have borne the brunt of longer and longer deployments. Now, for the first time, they'll start getting paid for it after 220 deployed days. Verdicts in August courts-martial (Navy Times) The Navy has published the results of special and general courts-martial tried in August - 23 verdicts in all. The cases, by the region in which they were tried: Cruiser Vella Gulf returns from action-packed cruise (Navy Times) The cruiser Vella Gulf returned to Norfolk, Va. Saturday with plenty of sea stories to share from their six-month deployment. AIR FORCEPentagon to deploy 12 A-10s to Middle East(The Hill) The Pentagon is deploying 300 airmen and 12 A-10 combat jets to the Middle East in early October, according to the Indiana Air National Guard. Time running out for sister in search of Vietnam MIA (Macon Telegraph; Ga.) Whenever people pass through Macon's interchange at Interstates 75 and 16, Jo Anne Shirley asks that they say a little prayer, because she needs a miracle. Ex-MacDill employee sentenced in child porn case (Tampa Tribune) A former employee at MacDill Air Force Base was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison today after pleading guilty to child pornography charges in June. MARINE CORPSDunford's Battles: New Missions, Budget Cuts, and a Tough Decision in 2015(Defense News) When Gen. Joe Dunford becomes commandant of the Marine Corps Oct. 17, he'll inherit the last stages of a war and a host of uncertainties - about the Marine Corps' future missions and role in national defense, its capabilities amid downsizing and budget cuts, and its physical requirements for service as new combat jobs open to women. Website documents Lejeune contamination (Daily News; Jacksonville, N.C.) Six years ago, Robert Smith lost his battle with cancer. Complete transformation' awaits Marine aviation in 2015 (Marine Corps Times) Several generations of Marine aviation idled just yards apart aboard the Navy's newest warship during its recent cruise around South America toward its home port in California. Future in doubt: Uncertainty and smaller budgets plague the Corps (Marine Corps Times) The next few years will be rife with uncertainty for manpower planners and Marines in uniform. Current drawdown plans, which take across-the-board budget cuts into account, call for the service to shrink to 174,000 by the end of 2017. New book recounts brutal Marine battle (San Diego Union-Tribune) Skip the muddled counterinsurgency critique and Bing West's sentimental reminiscences about his Vietnam glory days and jump straight to the heart of his latest book - an unflinching account of a Marine platoon dropped into the bloodiest battlefield of the Afghan war. Marine general: Two keys ships may keep Marines' amphibious hopes above water (Marine Corps Times) he top general in charge of Marine Corps Combat Development Command sees uncertainty in the road ahead. AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTANAfghan inauguration next week; no word on security pact with US(Stars & Stripes) Ashraf Ghani will be inaugurated next week as president of Afghanistan, but it remains uncertain how soon he might sign a long-awaited security agreement that will set the terms for U.S. forces to remain in the cou Monitors of Afghan Vote Are Said to Back Secrecy (New York Times) The decision by Afghan election officials to announce a new president on Sunday without releasing the final vote count came as a result of pressure from senior Western officials, including the head of the United Nations mission that sponsored a total audit of the vote, according to three Western diplomats and three senior election officials. Finessing a power-sharing agreement in Afghanistan (Washington Post) In his long history of personal diplomacy in Afghanistan, Secretary of State John F. Kerry has repeatedly returned to his concession to George W. Bush in the 2004 presidential race, made amid Democratic allegations of Republican dirty tricks and voter suppression. New Chief of Spy Unit Is Appointed in Pakistan (New York Times) The Pakistani military chief, Gen. Raheel Sharif, on Monday appointed a close ally as head of the powerful Inter-Services Intelligence spy agency, consolidating his power at a time of sharp tension with the country's civilian leaders and fluctuating policy toward the Taliban. Suicide Bomber Hits Paramilitary Convoy in Pakistan's Peshawar (Wall Street Journal) A suicide bomber struck near a paramilitary convoy carrying a senior official in northwestern Pakistan on Tuesday, killing at least three people, including a soldier, and wounding 13, police officials said. MIDDLE EASTYemeni Shiite Rebel Sweep Into Capital Kills 340(Associated Press) In a stunning sweep of the Yemeni capital, the country's Shiite rebels seized homes, offices and military bases of their Sunni foes on Monday, forcing many into hiding and triggering an exodus of civilians from the city after a week of fighting that left 340 people dead. President Barack Obama to meet with Iraqi, Egyptian leaders (Politico) President Barack Obama will meet with top leaders of Iraq and Egypt on the sidelines of a United Nations gathering in New York this week as he tries to solidify a global coalition to battle the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, the White House announced Monday afternoon. Hamas Suspects in Slaying of Israeli Teens Killed (Associated Press) Israeli special forces stormed a West Bank hideout early on Tuesday and killed two Palestinians suspected in the June abduction and slaying of three Israeli teenagers, a gruesome attack that had triggered a chain of events that led to the war in Gaza this summer. Israel Says It Shot Down Syrian Aircraft (New York Times) The Israeli military said Tuesday morning that it had shot down a Syrian aircraft that "infiltrated into Israeli airspace," and that a Patriot air-defense missile had been used to intercept "the aircraft in mid-flight." Hezbollah armed drone? Militants' new weapon (CNN) Over this past weekend, Hezbollah, the militant Shiite group that is headquartered in Lebanon, reportedly used drones to bomb a building used by the al Qaeda affiliated Nusra Front, along Lebanon's border with Syria. Egypt Militants Claim Blast Near Foreign Ministry (Associated Press) An Egyptian militant group claimed responsibility for Sunday's bomb blast in a busy downtown Cairo street near the Foreign Ministry that killed two senior police officers and wounded several other policemen. Egypt's President Backs Global Campaign Against Islamic State Extremists (Wall Street Journal) Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi pledged his support for the U.S. war against Islamic State militants, but called on President Barack Obama to widen his campaign against extremism well beyond Iraq and Syria. A year after historic phone call, U.S. and Iran have made little progress on key issues (Washington Post) A year ago, a historic phone conversation between President Obama and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, on the last day of the annual U.N. General Assembly, electrified the foreign policy and diplomatic universe. EUROPEWhat The US, NATO Must Do To Counter Russia: Breedlove, Gorenc, and Odierno(Breaking Defense) Russia casts a long shadow nowadays, especially if you're a neighbor. Armed with heavy tanks, jet fighters, long-range missiles, and the world's slickest state-sponsored cyber-criminals, Russia is a very different threat from the so-called Islamic State, the Taliban, or even China. So how must the US and its NATO allies change gears, mindset and tactics to cope? Ukraine's Neglected and Battered Army Inspires Citizens to Pitch In (New York Times) Well-wishers mill around the entrances of the two main hospitals in this city in east-central Ukraine - men who greet friends with hugs and backslaps or share a cigarette, women who arrive to visit the wounded, sorting food parcels and pouring cups of sweet tea. For Many, a Nation That Seems Less Free From Moscow's Dominance Than Ever (New York Times) Ukrainians have been promised sweeping change in the seven months since their collective anger chased the last president out of his mansion. German Navy Grounds Sea Lynx Helicopter Fleet (Defense News) A 22-centimeter-long crack discovered in a German Sea Lynx Mk88 helicopter has grounded 21 of the Navy's 22-strong Sea Lynx fleet, according to the Defense Ministry. Italian Army activates Special Forces Command (IHS Jane's 360) The new Italian Army Special Forces Command (Comando Forze Speciali dell'Esercito - COMFOSE) was officially activated on 19 September at the 'Gamerra' barracks in Pisa, home of Italian Airborne troops and the Army Parachute Training Centre. ASIA-PACIFICChinese ship spies on Valiant Shield, and that's OK with US(Stars & Stripes) Chinese surveillance ship has been detected observing the Valiant Shield military exercise from within the United States' exclusive economic zone - a move the U.S. actually doesn't mind. Australia's Jindalee Radar System Gets Performance Boost (Aviation Week) Australia has to choose its defense technology programs carefully. While the country expects to field advanced armed forces, with a population of 24 million it lacks the money and depth of engineering expertise for much domestic development. China Court Sentences Uighur Scholar to Life in Separatism Case (New York Times) A university professor who has become the most visible symbol of peaceful resistance by ethnic Uighurs to Chinese policies was sentenced to life in prison on Tuesday after being found guilty of separatism by court officials in the western region of Xinjiang, which Uighurs consider their homeland. AFRICACould the Ebola outbreak last forever?(USA Today) If the world doesn't get the Ebola outbreak in West Africa under control quickly, the disease could become a permanent fixture in the region, spreading as routinely as malaria or the flu, the World Health Organization warns today in a new report. Ebola cases could cross 20,000 by November, report says (Washington Post) The number of Ebola cases in West Africa could quadruple to more than 20,000 by early November in the absence of monumental efforts to slow the rate of transmission, according to a team of researchers working for the World Health Organization. Fresh Graves Point to Undercount of Ebola Toll (New York Times) The gravedigger hacked at the cemetery's dense undergrowth, clearing space for the day's Ebola victims. A burial team, in protective suits torn with gaping holes, arrived with fresh bodies. COMMENTARY AND ANALYSISU.S. airstrikes in Syria signal a new battlefield(Washington Post) IT DIDN'T take long for the Islamic State to exploit the weaknesses in President Obama's campaign against it. Last week the militants launched an offensive against a Kurdish-populated area of northern Syria - where Mr. Obama has yet to approve U.S. airstrikes or supply aid to local forces. By Monday, more than 130,000 people had fled across the border to Turkey, and local commanders said they desperately needed help to defend the strategic town of Kobane. Column: An Answer All People Deserve (John T. Bennett in Defense News) The 800-pound gorilla managed to remain quiet for a week, hidden, one might presume, by Washington's most powerful of power players. The few who dared discuss the beast did so in veiled ways, and with hesitation. But if you listened carefully, the sound of the gorilla pounding the bars of his cage was faint. ISIL is Contained and That Should Be Good Enough (Christopher Bolan in War on the Rocks) You wouldn't know it from the threat inflation (see here and here) by U.S. senior officials and politicians concerning the Islamic State - aka ISIL, ISIS, ISI, and AQI - but this terrorist threat is already successfully contained and poses little immediate or direct threat to American interests in the region or globally. Strategy, not slogans, key in IS fight (Walter Pincus in The Washington Post) The focus on sound-bite slogans such as no U.S. "boots on the ground" and "what will victory look like?" misses the key point of President Obama's plan to lead a multinational coalition in the fight against the terrorist group that calls itself the Islamic State. If There Is 'No Military Solution' in Iraq, Where Is the Non-Military Solution? (Sarah Chayes in Defense One) Secretary of State John Kerry is channeling all his high-octane diplomatic intensity into the effort to consolidate an international coalition to combat the Islamic State (aka ISIS or ISIL). But a flurry of consultations in Ankara, Cairo, Jedda and the United Nations General Assembly - not to mention the U.S. senate - does not add up to the non-military effort that many insist is required to "degrade and ultimately destroy" ISIS. It is diplomacy in support of the use of force. For a real strategy, the roles should be reversed: military action should be tailored to support diplomatic efforts and goals. Turkey's ISIL crisis is worse than you think (Ryan Evans in Al Jazeera America) On Sept. 20, Turkey secured the release of dozens of its citizens who had been held captive by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) since June. In an effort to not jeopardize the lives of the hostages, Turkish leaders have been reluctant to publicly condemn the group. In June, the famously bullish Recep Tayyip Erdogan even said, "no one should expect me to provoke ISIS," responding to accusations that his government has been passive in dealing with ISIL. Ankara has also refused to allow the United States, its closest military ally since 1947, to launch airstrikes from U.S. bases in Turkey. Now that the hostages are freed, Ankara should openly join the U.S.-led coalition against ISIL. Ongoing "Covert" Training of Syrian Rebels: But Is It Still Covert . . . , And, If So, Why? (Jack Goldsmith is the Henry L. Shattuck in Lawfare) Last week Congress approved, and the President signed, legislation that authorizes the Secretary of Defense (see section 149) to "provide assistance, including training, equipment, supplies, and sustainment, to appropriately vetted elements of the Syrian opposition and other appropriately vetted Syrian groups and individuals," for three specified purposes, including "defending the Syrian people from attacks by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), and securing territory controlled by the Syrian opposition." Behind the Scenes: The Hunt for al Zarqawi and the Power of "We" (Retired Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal in Linkedin) Thursday, the 8th of June 2006, was extraordinarily busy. The evening before, after 2 1/2 years of grimly lethal effort, the Task Force I commanded had located and killed al Qaeda in Iraq's senior leader in Iraq - the shadowy Abu Musab al Zarqawi. Is COIN No Longer Relevant? (Whitney Kassel in Cicero Magazine) In another harbinger of the U.S. military's waning emphasis on counterinsurgency (COIN) doctrine, on October 1, the Army Irregular Warfare Center (AIWC) at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas will close its doors for good. The functions currently served by the institution that gave us Field Manual 34, "Insurgencies and Countering Insurgencies," and played a significant role in codifying, analyzing, and distributing COIN doctrine to conventional Army forces will, according to the Ft. Leavenworth Lamp, "transition to other Army organizations as resources and priorities are realigned." Is the Afghan Deal Viable? (Robin Wright in The Wall Street Journal) After the largest vote recount ever undertaken anywhere, the Afghan election is finally over. But a pivotal question still looms: Will the novel political compromise-with a unique division of power between a president and a "chief executive officer"-actually work? It's dubious. Challenging Army Force Design (E.J. Degen and John Spencer in Small Wars Journal) As the Army resets after protracted wars in Iraq and Afghanistan it is an appropriate time to challenge existing Army beliefs about force structures and design. Many inside and outside of the beltway have opined on the optimum force structure and design the Army should have for future conitingencies. When the French "Shot Down" an F-22 (David Axe in Real Clear Defense) Evidence released last year confirms that a French fighter pilot once "killed" an American F-22 Raptor stealth fighter in mock combat. More Defense Dollars, Now (National Review Online) Congressional Republicans cannot do much to make President Obama devise a credible strategy to defeat the Islamic State, or to counter Russian expansionism. There is one thing they can do, however, to contribute to the recovery of American strength overseas, particularly if they take the Senate this fall. They can make it clear that they intend for the next president to have the military means at his disposal to meet whatever threats we face. Army's Top Officer Wonders if the Post-9/11 Wars Have Been Worth It (Mark Thompson in Time) At 60, Ray Odierno may be an old soldier. But he has yet to fade away. | |||||
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