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U.S. Military Air Needs Quick Expansion – George Will, Newsweek Magazine
Two and a half minutes. That is how quickly ground troops in Iraq can receive requested close air support from "the iron over head." The request might pass from a ground unit to a forward air controller, to an intelligence analyst, to someone who does risk assessment (should air power be used against a sniper? A building? A city block?), to a combat lawyer who advises the commander if the risk is consistent with the rules of engagement and the laws of war. Based on that advice, the particular munition or angle of attack axis might be changed.
At the Air University here at Maxwell Air Force Base, officers are studying their service's new roles. Time was, air power's primary purpose was to attack massed enemy forces, or the enemy nation's "vital center." Insurgencies have neither. Yet in "the long war" against terrorists, air power is, Air Force people insist, "our asymmetric advantage." The enemy has no comparable capacity for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance…
Spread the Word – Helle Dale, Washington Times
Clearly, judging by his most recently released tape Osama bin Laden "had some work done," as they say. Sporting a newly darkened beard, he reminded the world on the anniversary of September 11 that he's still around, three years after his last appearance.
The interpretation of the strange emanation offered by Undersecretary of State Karen Hughes in Monday's Washington Post is that radical Islam is in fact losing public support across the world, and that bin Laden is trying to rally his supporters. This would perhaps not be entirely surprising given what it has to offer — death, destruction and violent oppression even of Muslims themselves…
Our Imaginary Friend – Geoffrey Wheatcroft, New York Times
What are the bugles blowin’ for?” asks the soldier in Rudyard Kipling’s haunting poem. In Iraq the other day they were sounding the retreat, as the British Army departed the city of Basra amid mutual recriminations. Gen. Jack Keane, the retired vice chief of staff of the United States Army, says that the Brits messed up, while Gen. Sir Mike Jackson argues that Donald Rumsfeld’s entire plan was “intellectually bankrupt.” Then last week, Senator John Kerry sarcastically asked Gen. David Petraeus if the British had done the right thing, in which case maybe America should follow suit.
Although General Petraeus himself predictably and properly said in London yesterday that he was proud of his British allies, President Bush says he has no intention of withdrawing from Iraq any time soon. And there is no doubt that the White House is displeased with Gordon Brown, the new prime minister, for not only pulling out of Basra but also pulling back from his predecessor’s intimate embrace of the Bush administration. Is it possible that those buglers were also sounding the last post for the Anglo-American alliance in Iraq — or even for the supposed “special relationship” between the two countries? …
Don’t Leave Iraq, Quit Afghanistan Instead – Iain Duncan Smith, London Times
Britain has sleepwalked into a fierce military engagement in Helmand province in Afghanistan, blind to the strategic consequences of doing so. When we first deployed troops in the province, the Defence Secretary at the time said he “hoped” they would be out without firing a shot. Since then, our troops have had to be reinforced and now find themselves holding the line between the Kabul Government and the Taleban.
The British Army is fighting a war on two fronts with resources depleted by defence cuts. Not surprisingly, the military chiefs decided something had to give – and the powers that be chose Iraq. The Iraq war is unpopular at home and the pressure for more troops and equipment in Afghanistan grows daily. Afghanistan v Iraq: it’s a “no brainer”. Or is it? …
Failure in Iraq - Harlan Ullman, Washington Times
As historians look back, two words may encapsulate the folly of America's invasion and occupation of Iraq — "then what?" Because, at every stage from the buildup and rationale for the war to the testimony last week of Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker, completely missing in action from the administration's case was a simple, single question and answer. That question remains "then what?" Five years ago, we were told that the war would be a cakewalk. Iraqis would quickly find leaders to replace Saddam Hussein. And oil revenues would soon make the country prosperous. "Then what" was, in those heady days, redundant or naive.
Last week, even the redoubtable general and ambassador understandably chose to defer answers to the "then what" question. Iraq remains a close-run thing at best. So, Gen. Petraeus could reasonably propose March as the next station on the cross for reassessing the progress of the surge and the impact of the gradual troop withdrawals that will begin this year. And when March arrives, then what? Gen. Petraeus and Mr. Crocker were in impossible positions. Both are surrogates for President Bush and his key advisers on Iraq, obviously limited in expressing their views on the broader strategic matters of waging the larger war against jihadist extremism beyond the confines of their areas of responsibility…
Al Qaeda’s Third Defeat – Claude Salhani, Washington Times
The defeat of al Qaeda by Sunni tribesmen in Iraq's Anbar Province and of an al Qaeda-backed militia called Fatah al-Islam in North Lebanon's Nahr el-Bared Palestinian refugee camp represents two of the most serious blows to the Islamist movement since the declaration of war on terrorism.
As in Iraq where the Sunnis proved al Qaeda's vulnerability, so too has the Lebanese army shown that domestic resolve can defeat attempts by the Islamists to graft themselves onto other cultures, regardless of their similarities in religion, language or nationality.
What brought about the rejection of the Islamists in Iraq and in Lebanon was their attempted meddling in domestic affairs. In both cases the Islamists miscalculated domestic reaction suffered the consequences of their actions…
Where There’s No Will – Linda Chavez, Washington Times
The war in Iraq is unwinnable. It is becoming increasingly clear the United States cannot obtain decisive victory in any conflict that lasts longer than a few weeks or months. Since World War II, we have lost or been stalemated in Korea and Vietnam, and Iraq seems headed in the same direction and for the same reason. Politicians don't have the will to support a protracted war because Americans have no stomach for it.
Wars require sacrifice, and we have become a nation unaccustomed to adversity. Our leaders have asked most of us to give up precious little to support the war effort. Except for those whose family members serve in the military, an ever-smaller fraction of the population, we go about our daily lives no differently than we would if we were at peace…
No Way Out – New York Times editorial
Thousands of Iraqis, many hunted as traitors because they assisted America’s war effort, are finding the bridge to safety blocked. Their admission to the United States as refugees is being delayed by a tortuous application process and lumbering bureaucratic reviews.
This latest failure was detailed in a cable sent to the State Department earlier this month by America’s ambassador in Baghdad, Ryan Crocker, and first published Monday in The Washington Post. (Mr. Crocker did not mention the problem in his happy-talk presentations on Capitol Hill last week.) And it is only part of a much larger refugee crisis that is already threatening to spread Iraq’s chaos throughout the region — and one the Bush administration refuses to accept as its responsibility…
Blackwater Down – Los Angeles Times editorial
By the tragic killing of eight Iraqis during a shootout around a U.S. Embassy convoy, Blackwater USA, the private contractor that protects U.S. diplomats in Iraq, has created a huge legal, diplomatic and political mess. It was, however, a predictable mess. The Iraqis have grown more and more frustrated by what they see as the impunity with which private contractors have harmed civilians. And the Americans have done too little to regulate and control the contractors, who likely now outnumber U.S. troops in Iraq.
The accusation that the Blackwater security guards mistakenly opened fire on Iraqi civilians is devastating. But no matter what misdeeds Blackwater personnel may have committed in the past, the guards must be considered innocent unless proved guilty in a court of law. According to the State Department, the contractors operate under the same rules of engagement as the department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security personnel. These rules are more defensive and circumscribed than those that govern U.S. military operations in Iraq, but they still permit the use of deadly force. It is possible that the Blackwater personnel erred, yet still acted legally within rules of engagement that are in need of an overhaul…
Bashar’s Bad Judgment - David Schenker, Weekly Standard
On September 6, Israeli planes bombed a presumed North Korean-supplied Syrian nuclear weapons facility. The incident highlights an ongoing theme in regional politics in recent years: Syrian President Bashar Asad's profoundly poor judgment.
Policies pursued by the Asad regime, particularly since 2003--from Iraq, to Lebanon, to the Palestinian Authority--have been highly provocative. Syria under Bashar has actively worked to undermine stability in four of five neighboring countries. And now, revelations about the Syrian nuclear program threaten to ignite a war with Israel…
A Strange Air Raid in Syria - Boston Globe editorial
Near dawn on Sept. 6, the Israeli Air Force conducted a raid in northern Syria. It is still not clear what the Israelis hit or what they hoped to accomplish. What should be clear is that the lands from the Mediterranean to the Persian Gulf have become extraordinarily volatile, and there could hardly be a worse time for Syria to be provoking Israel or for Israel to be provoking Syria.
The Syrians have given their version of the incident, making it appear the Israeli planes dropped "munitions," jettisoned a fuel tank, and were chased away by Syrian air-defense. Anonymous sources have told different stories to American and British papers. One is that the raid targeted a Syrian nuclear facility hosting North Korean technicians. Another says that a nuclear facility was hit three days after a North Korean vessel delivered a suspect cargo to a Syrian port. There have also been allegations that an Iranian arms shipment bound for the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon was the objective of the operation...
Don't Sell Out Lebanon's Hopes - Amir Taheri, New York Post
Ever since it was driven out of southern Lebanon in last year's mini-war, Hezbollah has pursued a strategy aimed at replacing the government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora with one in accord with the regional ambitions of Syria and Iran.
The strategy started with the withdrawal of Hezbollah ministers from Siniora's coalition Cabinet in the hope that this would force the premier either to adopt policies that Iran and Syria wanted or face the collapse of his government...
Can Diplomacy Regain the Upper Hand Over War? – Bronwen Maddox, London Times
It is proving a messy week in the attempt to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions. In the battle of rhetoric, Iran has even managed to emerge as the moderate voice.
Yesterday President Ahmadinejad said that comments by two French ministers about the rising risk of war with Iran were intended for the media and should not be taken seriously. “The remarks made to the press are different from genuine statements, so we do not consider these threats to be serious,” he said – as it happens, in remarks to Iranian reporters, although he presumably did not intend the same dictum to apply to himself…
Voices that Tehran Fears – Jeffrey Gedmin, Washington Post
Our reporter Parnaz Azima finally made it out of Iran yesterday. Iranian authorities, who had blocked her exit from the country since January, returned her passport two weeks ago but then proceeded to create a series of bureaucratic obstacles that prevented her from returning to her family and colleagues. Azima, who has U.S. and Iranian dual citizenship, works for Radio Farda, the Persian-language broadcast service of Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, the congressionally funded broadcasters based in Prague.
Azima is one of Iran's best-known literary translators. She is famous for her translations of Ernest Hemingway's works. In January she traveled to Tehran to visit her ailing 94-year-old mother and unwittingly became ensnared in a larger game being played by Iran's regime. Its aim is simple: to intimidate dissidents at home while pressuring the United States to refrain from supporting Iranian civil society…
The Education of Robert Gates – David Brooks, New York Times
Robert Gates has been a godsend. After a bombastic defense secretary, we now have a candid one. After ego, we have self-effacement. After domination, we have a man who welcomes discussion.
Gates was decisive during the Walter Reed hospital fiasco. He is honest and trustworthy on Iraq. And on Monday, at the World Forum on the Future of Democracy at the College of William and Mary here, Gates delivered a speech that could define the center ground of American foreign policy…
A Possible Hoax – Joel Mowbray, Washington Times
In the seven years since the start of the Palestinian intifada, perhaps no incident has inspired more Western criticism of Israel, nor generated as much terrorism against the Jewish state, than the supposed cold-blooded murder of 12-year-old Mohammed al-Durra on Sept. 30, 2000.
The video of a terrified Mohammed taking refuge behind his father before being shot and killed generated a firestorm of Western criticism, and the Israeli public was just as outraged. Palestinians, meanwhile, used the apparent murder as a rallying cry for murderous riots and terrorism.
But that video was released before the ascendancy of the blogosphere, back when the mainstream media rarely challenged stories aired by other outlets.
As it turns out, the video doesn't hold up well under scrutiny. Even the people who shot and aired it, the France 2 television network, backed off their original claims that Israeli soldiers were responsible for killing the boy.
But what if Mohammed Al-Durra never even died? What if the entire scene was staged in order to generate precisely the reaction it did? …
China’s Hot Stock: Orwell Inc. – Harold Meyerson, Washington Post
The American economy may be teetering on the brink of a recession, but there's an industry our hedge fund gurus believe has an almost limitless future: the Chinese police state.
In a stunning report in the New York Times last week, correspondent Keith Bradsher documented the rise of China's electronic surveillance industry, whose leading companies have incorporated themselves in the United States and obtained the lion's share of their capital from U.S. hedge funds. Though ostensibly private, these companies are a for-profit adjunct of the Chinese government…
Vladimir Putin: Sure of His Power on the Verge of Leaving Office – Serge Schmemann, New York Times
Vladimir Putin enters the hall preceded, as usual, by Koni, his glossy black Labrador, and a swarm of acolytes and cameramen. He greets every member of a delegation of foreign Russia-watchers personally, with a firm handshake and a direct gaze.
The Russian president is at the top of his game, and he knows it. He is powerful, popular and the master of a country that he has led from bankruptcy and despair to wealth and power in the space of less than eight years.
Two days earlier, he had regally replaced one obscure prime minister with another, setting Kremlin-watchers in Russia and abroad scrambling for clues as to what this might mean for the presidential election, now only six months off, and for his own future…
Mr Chavez’s Neighborhood – Duncan Currie, Weekly Standard
Venezuela's cocksure president, Hugo Chávez, might take a sobering glance through the latest Pew Global Attitudes Survey, conducted this spring and released over the summer. Of the seven Latin American nations polled, large majorities of Chileans (75 percent), Brazilians (74 percent), Peruvians (70 percent), Mexicans (66 percent), and Bolivians (59 percent) express little or no confidence in Chávez "to do the right thing regarding world affairs." As Pew puts it, "He is widely recognized--and widely mistrusted--throughout Latin America." Even in Argentina, perhaps the most anti-American country in the region, a full 43 percent of respondents have little or no confidence in Chávez.
That's not all. Majorities in Brazil (65 percent), Chile (60 percent), Mexico (55 percent), and Bolivia (53 percent), along with a plurality in Peru (47 percent), agree that "most people are better off in a free market economy, even though some people are rich and some are poor." Indeed, a whopping 72 percent of Venezuelans agree with that statement. "There is broad support for free-market economic policies across Latin America," Pew reports, "despite the election in the past decade of leftist leaders." …
The Truthers Are Out There – Sonny Bunch, Weekly Standard
Certain events can be expected each time the 9/11 anniversary rolls around. Opinion writers will opine about how the attacks did or didn't change America. Moments of silence will take place in any number of locales. Think tanks will host panels discussing everything from the war on terror to the impact on immigration reform. And the loosely affiliated conspiracy theorists that comprise the 9/11 Truth Movement will hold rallies and conferences around the country to bring themselves attention.
Truthers, as they are called, hold a wide range of (often mutually exclusive) theories about what took place on September 11, 2001. They break down into two broad camps: those who believe that George W. Bush and Dick Cheney made 9/11 happen on purpose and those who believe that they let 9/11 happen on purpose. Truthers bristle at being called conspiracy theorists even as they argue that the president had explosives planted in the World Trade Center to ensure the collapse of the Twin Towers after airplanes struck them, had a missile fired at the Pentagon, and shot down Flight 93 in an effort to start a series of wars that would lead to the seizure of Middle Eastern oil and the securing of a pipeline through Afghanistan...
Ken Burns Returns to War – Brendan Miniter, Wall Street Journal
"It's one of the greatest stories of World War II never told." After making critically acclaimed documentaries for more than two decades, Ken Burns at age 54 understands how to draw the attention even of those who think they know all they need to know about a topic. On a recent visit to The Wall Street Journal's editorial page, he was in top form.
"The story of Joseph Medicine Crow," Mr. Burns said, "is something I've wanted to tell for 20 years." The grandson of a scout for Gen. George Armstrong Custer, Mr. Crow fought his way across Europe with the U.S. Army. After the defeat of Nazi Germany, he returned to Lodge Grass, Mont., started to tell tales from the battlefield, and then learned that he'd done what probably no Crow would ever do again: He'd met all four criteria necessary to become a Plains Indian "war chief." …
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