| October 7, 2014 |
THE EARLY BIRD BRIEF |
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1. Panetta: '30-year war' and a leadership test for Obama
(USA Today) Americans should be braced for a long battle against the brutal terrorist group Islamic State that will test U.S. resolve - and the leadership of the commander in chief, says Leon Panetta, who headed the CIA and then the Pentagon as Al Qaeda was weakened and Osama bin Laden killed.
2. A Strange Explosion Reported at a Secretive Iranian Site
(The Atlantic) In a little-noted news item ahead of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's speech to the United Nations General Assembly late last month, Israel accused Iran of conducting nuclear implosion tests at its controversial Parchin military facility.
3. To Defeat ISIS, Change the Balance on the Ground
(Retired Iraqi Gen. Mohammed Al-Samarae in Cicero Magazine) Recently in this magazine, I advocated for the United States to begin a focused operation to rejuvenate and empower a new "Sunni Awakening" in Iraq. Just a few days afterward, the U.S. Air Force and air forces from five Arab nations launched the first strikes against ISIS forces inside Syria. The majority of Americans know that military action against ISIS is necessary. Though committed to a campaign to degrade ISIS from the air, the White House also remains committed to keeping U.S. troops-other than advisers-out of Iraq. I still believe a decisive victory against ISIS in Iraq cannot be won without the United States changing the balance of force and momentum on the ground.
4. Pakistani Taliban only loyal to Mullah Omar, says TTP spokesperson
(The Express-Tribune; Pakistan) Pakistani Taliban said on Sunday that they have declared allegiance only to Mullah Mohammad Omar, the Afghan Taliban supremo, rejecting the media reports that the group has declared allegiance to the Islamic State.
5. Potential Ebola vaccines studied by DoD agencies
(Military Times) Agencies within the Defense Department are hard at work on a potential Ebola vaccine, with safety testing on humans expected to begin as early as next week.
ISLAMIC STATE
Investigators find Islamic State used ammo made in 21 countries, including America
(The Center for Public Integrity) An independent arms monitoring group has collected evidence that fighters in the Middle Eastern extremist group known as the Islamic State, labeled a "network of death" by President Obama, are using weapons and ammunition manufactured in at least 21 different countries, including China, Russia, and the United States.
The back story of the former Ranger held captive by Islamic State
(Army Times) The 26-year-old former Army Ranger targeted for beheading by the Islamic State found his calling in delivering aid to Syrian refugees - part of his desire "to be a peacemaker," according to a statement released Sunday by his parents.
Exclusive: American explains why he's fighting ISIL
(USA Today) Like many Americans, Jordan Matson is outraged by the brutality of the Islamic State. But unlike virtually every other American, he decided to take on the militants head-on.
Feds: Bolingbrook man arrested at O'Hare on terrorism charges
(Chicago Tribune) A Bolingbrook teen was arrested at O'Hare International Airport over the weekend on charges he was attempting to travel overseas to join the Islamic State terrorist group, federal authorities said today.
Iraq news reports say 18 civilians killed in strike aimed at militants
(Los Angeles Times) Iraqi news outlets reported Monday that at least 18 civilians, mostly women and children, were killed in an airstrike on a town under siege by fighters from the extremist group Islamic State.
Panetta's jabs at Obama are not 'legitimate,' White House says
(The Hill) Criticism leveled by former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta over President Obama's leadership abilities is not legitimate, White House press secretary Josh Earnest said Monday.
Belgian and RNLAF F-16s Go Dutch Supporting Iraqi Forces
(Aviation Week) A Belgian air force F-16 dropped a GPS-guided bomb in support of Iraqi forces Oct. 5. It was the first time Belgium used munitions against Islamic State forces.
Islamic State jihadists are using water as a weapon in Iraq
(Washington Post) The Islamic State militants who have rampaged across northern Iraq are increasingly using water as a weapon, cutting off supplies to villages resisting their rule and pressing to expand their control over the country's water infrastructure.
Mortars Land in Baghdad's Green Zone
(Defense One) After weeks of sustained air strikes in Iraq, Islamic State fighters have reportedly hit Baghdad's international zone with mortars on Monday.
DoD backs away from awarding medals for new Iraq mission under Operation Enduring Freedom
(Military Times) Whether today's troops in Iraq will be eligible for a campaign medal recognizing their service in a hostile theater remains unclear after Pentagon officials backed away from a plan to treat the mission as technically part of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Islamic State flag hoisted outside strategic Syrian town within sight of Turkish border
(Washington Post) The Islamic State's black flag flew Monday near one of the gateways to the strategic Syrian town of Kobane, suggesting that the militants have broken through more defensive lines after weeks of intense fighting within sight of the Turkish border.
Wary Tribal Alliances, Born of Necessity, Offer Hope in Iraq
(New York Times) After enduring weeks of abuse by insurgents of the group called Islamic State, members of the Aza tribe struck a secret deal last month with local police and military officials: The authorities would supply weapons to two tribal regiments totaling about 1,150 fighters, and in return the tribe would help government security forces fight Islamic State.
Airstrikes Haven't Stopped ISIS From Moving On a Key Syrian City
(The Atlantic) The efficacy of the American-led airstrikes is coming under scrutiny as Islamic State fighters raise their flag over parts of Kobani.
Turkey's Syria policy complicates role in U.S.-led coalition
(Los Angeles Times) From the sky, U.S. warplanes have been dropping bombs to impede the advance of militant Islamist fighters on the Syrian border city of Kobani.
Can PKK transform military might into political power?
(Al-Monitor) In our conversation at the Erbil headquarters of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Sadi Ahmed Pire, the foreign relations official of the Kurdistan Patriotic Union (PUK), had some unusual comments about Turkey's standing. Pire told Al-Monitor: "The United States comes from across the ocean, Britain and Germany come from Europe, but our next-door neighbor Turkey can't come? Turkey is a good guest at the table. But when its friend is attacked it watches from a distance. It constantly talks of security of its borders. What about security of our borders?"
Experts: Politics, doubts about competence delay aid to Iraq's Kurds
(Stars & Stripes) Iraqi Kurds are calling for powerful weaponry to help them battle Islamic State insurgents, but U.S. and Iraqi politics, combined with doubts about the Kurdish forces themselves, are contributing to a holdup, experts on the region say.
Sources: U.S. air strikes in Syria targeted French agent who defected to al Qaida
(McClatchy) A former French intelligence officer who defected to al Qaida was among the targets of the first wave of U.S. air strikes in Syria last month, according to people familiar with the defector's movements and identity.
UK's ISIS campaign gets a name
(The Hill) The United Kingdom's airstrike campaign against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria started just last week, but it already has a name: Operation Shader.
Leader hopes Australia troops will soon enter Iraq
(Associated Press) Australia's Prime Minister Tony Abbott said Tuesday he hopes that legal hurdles can be cleared quickly so that Australian special forces troops can begin their assistance role in Iraq.
INDUSTRY
USAF Awards Next-Gen Radar Contract to Raytheon
(Defense News) The US Air Force's next-generation expeditionary radar will be produced by Raytheon, the service announced Monday.
Raytheon and TELDAT developing Patriot router
(C4ISR & Networks) Raytheon and Polish firm TELDAT are developing militarized routers for Patriot air defense missiles.
Exelis Unveils Cognitive Electronic Warfare Technology
(Aviation Week) Exelis is launching a new family of electronic warfare (EW) systems that it expects to offer better detection and jamming capability against emerging, more flexible radio-frequency (RF) threats.
Unisys wins Army enterprise support contract
(C4ISR & Networks) Unisys has been awarded a $93 million Army enterprise support contract.
Textron Division Wins $34 Million Contract For LCS Unmanned Minesweeper
(USNI News) A division of Textron Systems has won a $33.8 million Navy contract for an unmanned surface vehicle designed to sweep for acoustic and magnetic mines from the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), company officials told USNI News last week.
Lockheed Martin in research deal with Israel tech company Yissum
(Reuters) Lockheed Martin agreed to conduct joint research with Yissum, the technology transfer company of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and has the option to purchase exclusive licenses to products resulting from their research.
Northrop Grumman completes handheld precision targeting device tests
(C4ISR & Networks) Northrop Grumman has unveiled a handheld targeting device with digital connectivity.
Report: German Arms Procurement Needs Urgent Overhaul
(Defense News) A group of civil experts contracted to review German military weapon procurement delivered a study Monday that identified about 140 problems and risks in nine major arms projects.
Norway Paves The Way For F-35 Acquisition
(Aviation Week) Several times a year, business managers within the Norwegian defense ministry are crunching the numbers regarding acquisition and support of the F-35.
India puts out RfI for recce, surveillance helo
(IHS Jane's 360) India's Ministry of Defence (MoD) dispatched a request for information (RfI) on 29 September to local vendors for reconnaissance and surveillance helicopters for the Army Aviation Corps (AAC) and the Indian Air Force (IAF).
Turkish Arms Exports Up 23 Percent for Jan.-Sept.
(Defense News) Turkey's exports of weapons systems reached $1.2 billion in the first nine months of 2014, up 23 percent from the corresponding period of 2013, according to data just released by the country's Exporters' Council.
Czech Republic seeks armoured repair and recovery vehicles
(IHS Jane's 360) The Czech Ministry of Defence (MoD) has issued a tender for five armoured repair and recovery vehicles (ARRV) to support the Army of the Czech Republic's (ACR) fleet of 107 Steyr Pandur II 8x8 armoured vehicles.
VETERANS
Veterans group releases voters guide
(Military Times) Any sensible candidates on the campaign trail this fall will say they support veterans. Officials at Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America want voters to doublecheck that pledge.
VA moves to ax 4 senior execs in scandal response
(Associated Press) The Veterans Affairs Department said it is firing four senior executives as officials move to crack down on wrongdoing following a nationwide scandal over long wait times for veterans seeking medical care, and falsified records covering up the delays.
Veterans group unveils $800K ad buy
(The Hill) VoteVets Action Fund, a veterans advocacy group, is launching an $800,000 ad campaign to boost candidates in three key races.
VA Makes Vet Employment A Factor In Awarding $22.3 Billion Tech Deal
(NextGov) The Department of Veterans Affairs is highlighting the importance of veteran employment by vendors on its upcoming $22.3 billion IT modernization contracting vehicle.
Despite scrutiny, whistleblowers say problems persist at Phoenix VA
(Stars & Stripes) Employees of the beleaguered Phoenix VA health care system say many of the problems that led to a nationwide scandal still plague the system five months after revelations of patients dying on secret wait lists, falsified data and a toxic culture.
Veteran home-building lawsuit ends in settlement
(Houston Chronicle) Both sides in a defamation lawsuit involving a Houston charity that builds homes for wounded veterans have agreed to an undisclosed mediated settlement to an end to the dispute.
VA begins firing process for embattled procurement official
(Federal Times) Veterans Affairs secretary Sloan Gibson has proposed firing the senior contracting official who allegedly pressured employees to award a contract to reverse auction company FedBid.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
With Technology And Transparency On Its Side, NGA Ready For Its Day In The Sun
(NextGov) As far as intelligence agencies go, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency has remained relatively low profile -- attracting neither the intrigue of, say, the CIA nor the umbrage directed toward the National Security Agency.
Postal Service issues holiday mail deadlines
(Military Times) Fewer troops may be deployed overseas than there were a few years ago, but those who are deployed do love their packages, cards and letters, especially during the holiday season.
No wage-hike exemption for on-base restaurants
(Military Times) Labor Department officials have rejected requests to exempt fast food concessions on military bases from regulations that will raise the minimum wage to $10.10 for all workers on federal construction and service contracts.
Elmo shares smiles with 500,000 military family members
(Military Times) Elmo and his friends hit a 500k milestone at Fort Benning, Ga.: They've entertained more than half a million troops and families around the world.
ARMY
Suicide Mission
(Foreign Policy) Ty Carter fought in Afghanistan and became a hero. Now he has one more enemy to fight: PTSD.
Army posts give Vietnam vets a proper 'Welcome Home'
(Army Times) When Marine Cpl. Ted Streete came home from war he was given instructions: Change out of your uniform before you board a commercial flight.
Automatic budget cuts will nearly break the Army, generals warn
(Washington Times) The Army is calling on active and retired generals to spread the word in Congress that another spate of automatic budget cuts would cripple America's largest ground force, an internal memo says.
New CO reviews - you rate your boss
(Army Times) Battalion and brigade commanders across the Army will be required to undergo 360-degree assessments under a new policy that took effect Oct. 1.
Rice receives Thayer Award at US Military Academy
(Associated Press) Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was honored Monday at West Point with the U.S. Military Academy's annual Thayer Award.
NAVY
U.S. Navy leads strikes in Syria
(Navy Times) The opening week of the U.S. strikes against militants in Syria was the service's biggest salvo since 2011's Operation Odyssey Dawn against the Libyan regime.
Analysts: Pace of campaign could strain Navy forces
(Virginian-Pilot) Although U.S. airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Syria are expected to continue for a long time, the volume will level off to a point that they can be sustained without a swell of extra ships or personnel, according to defense officials and analysts.
Meet the Zumwalt: The US Navy's Stealth Destroyer Will Go to Sea Next Spring
(Defense News) The ship is plainly visible from Front Street, across the Route 1 bridge in downtown Bath. Nothing like this angular, almost hulking giant has ever been seen here, even after well over a century of shipbuilding at Bath Iron Works.
Memorial for sailor killed at Norfolk Naval Station
(Virginian-Pilot) The Naval Technical Training Center (NTTC) was set to unveil a memorial this morning honoring Petty Officer 2nd Class Mark Mayo who died in March while standing watch at Norfolk Naval Station.
Independent survey finds within Navy widespread distrust
(Navy Times) Force-wide morale is "quite low" and sailors don't trust senior leaders to handle the problems facing the Navy, from long and unpredictable deployments to tight budgets and proposed pay changes.
Navy seeks to adapt training for millennials
(Associated Press) The US Navy is looking for ways to adapt its training for millennials, young people raised in a child-centric culture who want and expect nurturing relationships with their bosses, the commanding officer of the submarine school in Groton said Friday.
Bonhomme Richard ensign gets 14 months for fraternizing, sex videos
(Stars & Stripes) A junior officer formerly stationed aboard the USS Bonhomme Richard was sentenced to 14 months imprisonment after fraternizing with enlisted sailors and making sex videos without his partners' consent, Navy officials said Friday.
Navy targets cloud for command and control, email capabilities
(C4ISR & Networks) The Navy is looking at cloud options for improving operations and achieving savings, including through new projects that inform tactical decision-making and streamline IT functions, respectively.
Citadel Protect: Navy training fights terrorism threat from ships to shore
(Stars & Stripes) As two small boats barreled toward the USS Rushmore, a voice boomed from the ship's speaker: "You are approaching a U.S. Navy ship. Turn away, or we will be forced to use defensive measures."
AIR FORCE
Air Force identifies airmen swept to sea in Japan typhoon
(Air Force Times) The Air Force has identified Senior Master Sgt. James Swartz, an aerospace propulsion superintendent with the Georgia Air National Guard's 116th Air Control Wing, as the airman who died Sunday after being swept out to sea off the coast of Okinawa, Japan.
Klee: An Air Force caregiver and the greatest love story never told
(Colorado Springs Gazette) It has been almost 10 years since Axel Gaud-Torres put a pistol in his mouth and his right index finger on the trigger.
Staff sergeant faces up to life in prison for child enticement
(Air Force Times) An Air Force staff sergeant who believed he was meeting a 14-year-old girl for sex in June has pleaded guilty to child enticement.
House GOP candidate uses beheading video in ad
(Associated Press) Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Wendy Rogers launched the commercial that opens with a member of the Islamic State group with a knife as Foley kneels, an image directly from video footage released by the militants on Aug. 19. The spot does not show the beheading.
MARINE CORPS
Bataan ARG begins trek home, where extra pay awaits
(Marine Corps Times) When they arrive in Norfolk, Va., late this month, the 4,000 or so sailors and Marines aboard the amphibious assault ship Bataan, amphibious transport dock Mesa Verde and amphibious dock landing ship Gunston Hall - who deployed Feb. 8 - will be the first to collect the new deployment pay, which provides extra money for sailors and Marines who deploy for more than 220 days.
A court-martial has been scheduled for a Camp Lejeune Marine accused of negligently shooting a fellow Marine in April.
(Jacksonville Daily News) Lance Cpl. Brandon Little is scheduled to appear in a general court-martial at 9 a.m. on Tuesday at Camp Lejeune to face charges of dereliction of duty, involuntary manslaughter and negligent homicide. Little has elected to be represented by a military attorney at the court-martial.
Navy and Marine Officials Discuss Integrating Women Into More Roles
(USNI News) The Marine Corps is using a social science approach to introduce women into expanded roles in the service, a plans officer in the Corps' force innovation office told a conference of military reporters and editors Friday in Washington, D.C.
News of family's sock donations went viral among Marines in Afghanistan
(Marine Corps Times) When Marines put their boots on the ground, there's a decent chance that there's a pair of socks from Jim and Carla Hogan inside.
Marines Use Osprey for Medevac Tactics in Fleet Week Exercise
(DoDBuzz) U.S. Marines are using the MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft in a new way by demonstrating an emerging ability to quickly bring life-rescuing, resuscitative emergency medical care to stranded injured patients in a mock-disaster drill - all as part of a special Fleet Week training exercise Oct. 6 at the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station, San Francisco.
Rape suspect has first court appearance
(Jacksonville Daily News) Marine Corps officials do not know yet if the Camp Lejeune Marine accused of raping a pre-teen girl will be facing additional administrative or judicial actions by the Marine Corps.
Amid virus fears, 2-day exercise will test Corps' pandemic preparedness
(Marine Corps Times) As American fears surrounding the deadly Ebola virus intensify, Marines at New River Air Station in Jacksonville, North Carolina, are kicking off a full-scale emergency drill to test the base's preparedness to handle a pandemic.
Is Marine veteran Andrew Tahmooressi close to being let out of a Mexican jail, or not?
(Washington Post) The 911 call recording is filled with confusion. Andrew P. Tahmooressi, a Marine Corps veteran who had recently left active duty after two deployments to Afghanistan, had been pulled over near the Mexican-American border by Mexican authorities. He had taken a wrong turn while carrying guns and ammunition registered in the United States, and was unsure what to do next.
AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN
A top Taliban figure gives away his hiding spot on Twitter
(Quartz) One prominent member of the Taliban might want to consider finding a new place of refuge.
US launches 2 more drone strikes in South Waziristan
(Long War Journal) The US launched two drone strikes against jihadists operating in Pakistan's Taliban-controlled tribal agency of South Waziristan over the past two days. Thirteen people, including a "high level target" are reported to have been killed in the two strikes.
India and Pakistan Trade Blame in Kashmir Deaths
(New York Times) At least five Indian civilians and four Pakistani civilians were killed by overnight shelling along the disputed Indian-Pakistani border, both countries said on Monday, in fighting that brought an end to a monthlong lull in cross-border fire.
MIDDLE EAST
Al Nusrah Front releases video, photos from battle against Hezbollah
(Long War Journal) The Al Nusrah Front, al Qaeda's official branch in Syria, has released a video and a series of photos documenting its recent operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, is fighting alongside Bashar al Assad's forces against Al Nusrah and other rebels in Syria. But the two sides have also repeatedly fought one another in Lebanon as well.
Turkey cracks down on oil smuggling linked to IS
(Associated Press) Sevda, a 22-year-old waitress in a brown apron, recounts how she made a small fortune running smuggled diesel from a village on Turkey's wild and dangerous border with Syria. But the days when she could earn 20 times her salary waiting tables came to an abrupt end several months ago when police arrested her and slapped her employers with a massive fine.
Behind Biden's gaffe lie real concerns about allies' role in rise of the Islamic State
(Washington Post) During a question and answer session at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government last week, Vice President Biden somehow managed to anger some of the U.S.'s most vital allies in the fight against Islamic State.
Saudis Are Next on Biden's Mideast Apology List After Harvard Remarks
(New York Times) Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. has one more stop on what has become a Middle East apology tour in the wake of his impolitic answer to a Harvard student's question: Saudi Arabia.
Egypt: Army offensive kills 16 militants in Sinai
(Associated Press) Egyptian military officials say troops have killed 16 members of an al-Qaida-inspired militant group in the restive Sinai Peninsula.
IMF Cozies Up to Egypt Amid Economic Reform
(Wall Street Journal) The International Monetary Fund may soon take a thorough look at Egypt's economy for the first time since its revolution in 2011, potentially paving the way for greater cooperation on President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi's reform agenda and renewing talks about long-delayed IMF financing.
EUROPE
Poroshenko Says No Peace In Donbas Without Control Over Border
(Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said in a meeting with a top U.S. official on October 6 that there cannot be peace in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region until government control is reestablished over the border with Russia.
'NATO is here to protect you,' alliance's new leader declares in Poland visit
(Stars & Stripes) Against a backdrop of fighter jets lined up along a Polish runway, NATO's top official on Monday struck a diplomatic tone toward Russia as he asserted the alliance's readiness to protect member states from any threat.
Drones Arrive in Ukraine for Monitoring Mission
(Wall Street Journal) Two unarmed drones meant to help international observers monitor Ukraine's shaky truce have arrived in the country, officials said Monday, as a push continued to beef up the mission.
Spain investigates Ebola nurse
(USA Today) Spanish authorities Tuesday were investigating how a nurse who cared for two Spanish priests who died from Ebola herself came to be infected.
ASIA-PACIFIC
Korean Navy Ships Exchange Warning Shots
(Wall Street Journal) Warships from the rival Koreas exchanged warning shots Tuesday after a North Korean ship briefly violated the disputed western sea boundary, a South Korean defense official said.
Is North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ill, deposed or taking a break?
(Los Angeles Times) Kim hasn't been seen in public in more than a month, and his absence from the Sept. 25 gathering of the rubber-stamp parliament injected adrenaline into Korea watchers' speculation that he has been deposed by a palace coup.
In Beijing, support for dialogue in Hong Kong but not democracy
(Washington Post) Protests in Hong Kong may have dominated global headlines in the past week, but they stirred much less attention on the Chinese mainland, where government censorship has been particularly strict.
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
Obama ignores Leon Panetta's warning
(Marc A. Thiessen in The Washington Post) Say this much about President Obama: He does not engender a lot of loyalty from his inner circle.
Commentary: Big Ideas Needed Now
(Harlan Ullman in Defense News) When confronting a big problem, President and General of the Army Dwight Eisenhower believed the best solution could be found by making the problem bigger. What he meant was that in moving from, in military terms, a tactical to a strategic solution the latter would resolve the former.
Iraq, Syria, and the Islamic State: A Matter of Control
(Adam Elkus and Nick Prime in War on the Rocks) In the opening days of America's ongoing air campaign in Iraq, many critics and pundits decried the admitted absence of a strategy guiding the Obama administration's response to the emerging threat posed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
How To Defeat ISIL? The Governance Problem
(Howard Bloom in Breaking Defense) How do we defeat ISIL? The traditional forms of war we resorted to in Iraq and Afghanistan did almost as much harm to us as they did to our enemies. They busted our budgets and left the nations we'd invaded worse off - and more susceptible than ever to jihadism. So tens of thousands of boots on the ground is the wrong way to go.
A lesson before the fighting
(Walter Pincus in The Washington Post) When will most Americans and many political leaders recognize - as President Obama has - that there are limits to our ability to solve other countries' problems?
Operation unnamed, but threats real
(Howard Altman in The Tampa Tribune) On Aug. 8, U.S. aircraft began attacking Islamic State positions in Iraq. On Sept. 23, U.S. and coalition aircraft began attacking the jihadi group in Syria.
The Arrival of the Female Four-Stars
(Miriam KriegerMichael O'Hanlon in National Interest) Only six years after an Army officer, General Ann Dunwoody, became the first woman in U.S. history ever to attain the rank of four-star general, the nation's armed forces will soon appoint its third woman serving with four stars, the highest rank in the land. While this welcome news should be celebrated, it must not be misinterpreted to announce the elimination of the institutional barriers women face in the military. Just because the glass ceiling has broken doesn't mean the ladder is any easier to climb.
The Army Can't Escape Its Camouflage Controversy
(Christian Beekman in Task & Purpose) The Army recently announced that soldiers will begin to wear a new version of the Army combat uniform. Colored in a new camouflage called the operational camouflage pattern, this pattern will still be called OCP. The Army is confusingly repurposing the OCP acronym, which originally stood for Operation Enduring Freedom camouflage pattern - the term for the commercial Multicam pattern produced by Brooklyn-based Crye Precision that the Army began to issue to troops heading to Afghanistan in 2010.
The Modi Visit and U.S.-India Defense Cooperation
(Joshua White in War on the Rocks) The recent visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Washington must have come as a welcome reprieve for a White House consumed by chaos in the Middle East, Russian revisionism in Eastern Europe, and the spread of Ebola in Africa. Modi's resounding electoral success in the May elections, his sterling pro-business credentials, and his reputation as a pragmatist fueled expectations that the visit would overcome the legacy of the 2005 U.S. visa ban for his alleged role in the 2002 Gujarat riots, and reinvigorate a relationship that had grown stagnant in recent years.
Editorial: Kill the Mistral Deal
(Defense News) The world's attention may be focused on the multinational operation against the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq, but neither the Ukraine crisis nor Russian President Vladimir Putin's provocations are over.
The Real Reason It's Nearly Impossible to End the Cuba Embargo
(Peter Kornbluh and William M. Leogrande in The Atlantic) Bill Clinton tried engaging Castro. After Havana shot down two U.S. planes, it all fell apart.
Editorial: Time To Reform Export Rules
(Defense News) The Vision 2020 strategy that the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) unveiled last week is on the right track to drive key long- and short-term changes to the US foreign military sale system.
China's Cyber War on the Protesters
(Paul Rosenzweig in Lawfare) As Benjamin Bissell noted a few days ago, Hong Kong protestors have developed some interesting ways of trying to avoid Chinese repression, including the use of an app, FireChat, that allows them to communicate without using the internet at all. But, as you might expect, China was not likely to stand idly by. Consider this report from The Diplomat, outlining some of China's efforts to counteract the protestor's activities. They have, on the whole been incredibly sophisticated.
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