IRAQ
General Apologizes for Desecration of Koran - Andrew Kramer, New York Times
President Meets Iraqi VP, Operations Continue in Iraq - AFPS
Death Penalty Over Iraq Killing - BBC News
US Soldier Removed from Iraq for Shooting at Quran - Associated Press
Passing Blame: 'Not-me' Wars - Victor Davis Hanson, Philadelphia Inquirer opinion
The Real Iraq - Michael Totten, City Journal book review
Stupid Soldier, Smart Response - Abu Muqawama, Abu Muqawama
The Sisters of Fallujah - Blackfive, Blackfive
Iraq Status Report - Iraq Status Report
AFGHANISTAN / PAKISTAN TRIBAL AREAS
Taliban 'Losing Momentum' - Rosie Dimanno, Toronto Star
Taliban Gearing Up for Spring Offensive - Katherine O'Neil, Globe and Mail
Bomber Kills 11 Near a Pakistani Army Base - Jane Perlez, New York Times
Taliban Claim Responsibility for Pakistan Bombing - Associated Press
Winning Afghans in an Australian Way - Brendan Nicholson, Sydney Morning Herald
Afghans Free Foreign Contractors - BBC News
Afghan Student in Torture Claim - BBC News
Afghanistan, Roads and Counterinsurgency - Herschel Smith, The Captain's Journal
Taliban Suicide Bomber Kills 13 in Mardan - Bill Roggio, The Long War Journal
Gitmo's Heir? - Phillip Carter, Intel Dump
Pakistan - Baitullah Mehsud Peace Agreement - Bill Roggio, The Long War Journal
IRAN
Iran Key Concern as Bush Returns - Michael Abramowitz, Washington Post
What Will America Do When Iran Gets Nukes? - Tom Barnett, Knox News opinion
Iran's Lebanon Game - Amir Taheri, New York Post opinion
Time for Serious Public Debate on Iran Policy - Victor Comras, Counterterrorism
A New Tone From Iran? - Dr. iRack, Abu Muqawama
Irany Alert - Jules Crittenden, Forward Movement
THE LONG WAR
Bin Laden Lashes Out at Arab Leaders - Associated Press
Al-Qaeda Operative Loses Freedom in Yemen - Craig Whitlock, Washington Post
Bin Laden Lashes Out at Arab Leaders in New Msg - Associated Press
Insurgent Propaganda, Western Response - Andrew Exum, Arab Media and Society
The Spectacle of War by Andrew Exum - Matt Armstrong, MountainRunner
Blaming the Media is So 2004 - Marc Lynch, Abu Aardvark
Terror Terminology - Oliver North, Washington Times opinion
The Ray-ban Theory of History - Richard Fernandez, The Belmont Club
Smuggler's Round-Up - Michael Innes, Complex Terrain Laboratory
Guantanamo Bay Facility's Revolving Door - Frank Hyland, Counterterrorism
US DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Our Finest Sons and Daughters - Phillip Carter, Intel Dump
Army (Exoskeleton) or Marines (V-22)? - Herschel Smith, The Captain's Journal
Darpa's Greatest Hits and Misses - Sharon Weinberger, Danger Room
New GI Bill - Philadelphia Inquirer editorial
UK MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
Imperial Holdover: Gurkhas Flock to British Army - Associated Press
US FOREIGN POLICY
Why Shouldn’t the President Negotiate? - Westhawk, Westhawk
US GOVERNMENT
New Designation for Classifying Information - Walter Pincus, Washington Post
USProtect Funds Diverted to Owner - Jim McElhatton, Washington Times
Damaging the War Effort - Washington Times editorial
US PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN
McCain: Military Culture, Pragmatism - Linda Feldmann, Christian Science Monitor
Barack Obama: Muslim Apostate? - Shireen Burki, Christian Science Monitor opinion
A 'League' By Other Names - Jackson Diehl, Washington Post opinion
Talking to an Adversary Isn't Necessarily Appeasement - USA Today editorial
Bring On the Foreign Policy Debate - John Bolton, Wall Street Journal opinion
None Dare Call it Appeasement - David Limbaugh, Washington Times opnion
AFRICA
Zimbabwe: Unity Gov. Eclipse Revote - Scott Baldauf, Christian Science Monitor
Zimbabwe Opposition Gathers for Rally - VOA
Anxiety Grows for Zimbabwe's Kidnapped Activist - Peta Thornycroft, VOA
Displaced Kenyans Balk at Returning - Rob Crilly, Christian Science Monitor
Darfur Rebels Challenge Khartoum to Talks or War - Reuters
Aid Vessel Hijacked Off Somalia - BBC News
Foreigners Attacked in S. Africa - Craig Timberg, Washington Post
Anti-Immigrant Violence in Johannesburg - Barry Bearak, New York Times
12 Die in South Africa Anti-foreigner Violence - Associated Press
Deadly Clashes in Johannesburg - Caroline Hawley, BBC News
South Africa Anti-foreigner Violence Spreads, Many Flee - Reuters
Women Pave Way for Rwanda's Revival - Anthony Faiola, Toronto Star
AMERICAS
Drug Lords Go After Mexican Police Officers - Associated Press
Leading FARC Commander Surrenders - BBC News
Colombia Denies Forces Entered Venezuela - Simon Romero, New York Times
Colombia Rejects Venezuela Border Incursion Charge - Reuters
In Venezuelan Schools, Creating 'a New Man' - Juan Forero, Washington Post
ASIA PACIFIC
Quake Survivors Flee Flooding Threat - Rowan Callick, The Australian
Hopes Fading in Search for Quake Survivors - Jacobs and Wong, New York Times
200 Chinese Relief Workers Buried by Mudslides - London Times
Rescuers Find Survivors, Toll 32,500 - Mary-Anne Toy, Sydney Morning Herald
China Quake Teams Overwhelmed - Richard Spencer, London Daily Telegraph
Hopes Dwindle in Finding More Quake Survivors - Stephanie Ho, VOA
China Faces Economic Aftershocks - Ariana Eunjung Cha, Washington Post
New Tremor Hits China - Reuters
China Begins 3 Days of Post-quake Mourning - Mark Magnier, Los Angeles Times
China Declares National Mourning - BBC News
China's Other Face - Christian Science Monitor editorial
Burmese Leader Pays First Visit to Refugees - New York Times
UN Chief to Visit Cyclone-devastated Burma - Associated Press
Burma's Children 'Starving to Death' - Associated Press
More Humanitarian Flights Arrive in Burma - AFPS
Britain Backs Air Drops to Deliver Aid to Burma - Kenneth Denby, London Times
UN Chief to Visit Cyclone-devastated Burma - Associated Press
Burma Leader Meets Storm Victims - BBC News
A Burma Airlift - London Times editorial
Orwell Lives in Burma Today - Emma Larkin, Wall Street Journal opinion
Asia Terror Suspect May Have Fled Indonesia - Associated Press
EUROPE
Georgia Condemns Russian Actions - BBC News
Ex-Soviet Georgia's Election Seen as Democracy Test - Reuters
Putin's Gulag Stability - Oleg Kozlovsky, Washington Post opinion
MIDDLE EAST
Sunni Backlash in Lebanon - Nicholas Blanford, Christian Science Monitor
Lebanese Sunnis Bitter After Hezbollah Triumph - Associated Press
Lebanese Rivals Seek Resolution - Martin Chulov, The Australian
Lebanese Leaders Make Some Progress at Qatar Talks - Reuters
On One Street in Beirut, All Are Welcome - Borzou Daragahi, Los Angeles Times
Iran's Lebanon Game - Amir Taheri, New York Post opinion
Hollow States: Lebanon - John Robb, Global Guerrillas
The Resistance as Oppressor - Abu Muqawama, Abu Muqawama
Bush Takes Arabs to Task Over Oppression - Jon Ward, Washington Times
Bush’s Speech Prods Middle East Leaders - Sheryl Gay Stolberg, New York Times
Bush Criticizes Arab Nations for Repression - Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times
Abbas Rejects US Mediation in Peace Talks - Joshua Mitnick, Washington Times
US Reports Progress in Mideast Talks - Scott Stearns, VOA
Olmert Threatens Gaza Offensive - Robert Berger, VOA
Bush Calls for Democratic Reform in Mideast - Michael Abramowitz, Washington Post
Bush Rebukes Arab Leaders for Repression - Sonia Verma, London Times
Bush Speech Angers Arab Leaders - Orly Halpern, Globe and Mail
US Reports Progress in Mideast Talks - Stearns and el Sheikh, VOA
Bush Tries to Convince Arab Skeptics on Peace Push - Reuters
Bush Lectures Arabs on Political Reform, Women's Rights - Associated Press
Bush Urges Middle East Democracy - BBC News
Cameras Record Gaza's Gruesome Reality - Martin Chulov, The Australian
Islamists Gain Seats in Kuwait Parliament - Aya Batrawy, VOA
Islamists Win 24 of 50 Seats in Kuwait Parliament - Robert Worth, New York Times
SOUTH ASIA
Deadly Blast Hits Pakistani Town - BBC News
WORLD
Al Jazeera English Tries to Extend Its Reach - Eric Pfanner, New York Times
World Aid Agencies Faulted in Food Crisis - Colum Lynch, Washington Post
British Ex-Commanders Call for Cluster Bomb Ban - Michael Evans, London Times
Forum Seeks to Ban Cluster Bombs - BBC News
Release the Rice - Washington Post editorial
Cheap Food Era is Over - London Daily Telegraph editorial
Rice and Baloney - Sebastian Mallaby, Washington Post opinion
UNITED NATIONS
Canada a Wallflower at UN Dance - Lynda Hurst, Toronto Star
Defund UNRWA - Asaf Romirowsky, Washington Times opinion
RECOMMENDED READING
Documents of Note #4 - Will Hartley, Insurgency Research Group
Recommended Reading - Mark Safranski, ZenPundit
Global Guerillas, Meet the Resilient Communitarians! - Mark Safranski, ZenPundit
Five Thoughts on Friday - Galrahn, Information Dissemination
Book Bibliography of "Great Powers" - Tom Barnett, Thomas PM Barnett
Links I Liked - Chris Blattman, Chris Blattman
Iraq Status Report - Iraq Status Report
UK CT & COIN Features - Will Hartley, Insurgency Research Group
EVENTS OF INTEREST
4-5 June 208 - 2008 Joint Symposium - Strategic Re-Assessment: From Long-Range Planning to Future Strategy and Forces (Public Event). Washington, D.C. Sponsored by the Institute for National Strategic Studies, the Office of the Secretary of Defense and US Joint Forces Command. Fundamental to the development and implementation of a successful future defense posture is a foundation comprised of a well-reasoned assessment of the future security environment, a clear understanding of the “realm of the possible” for and limitations of military forces, and an understanding of the nation’s security objectives. Developing an appropriate assessment of the future security environment is not something done in a vacuum as it is impossible to fully separate purely military or national security issues from other elements of the national and global environment. This is particularly true for the United States. Technical innovation and adaptation, the rise and decline of other actors on the international stage, domestic politics, globalization and its effects on trade, migration, communications, and the power of nonstate actors all, bear heavily on any security assessment. There is no shortage of assessments of the future security environment. In the last decade, National Defense University itself has produced several, most recently, Strategic Challenges – America’s Global Security Agenda. The objectives of this symposium are to examine some of these strategic assessments, to review our success at incorporating their key elements into strategic and operational plans, and to propose ways to institutionalize best practices into the process for future force development and joint force planning. We will explore these issues through a series of panel discussions and keynote addresses. Featured speakers will include military officers, government officials, and experts from research institutes.
17-19 June 208 - 3rd Annual North American Security Colloquium: Wars Without Borders (Public Event). Kingston, Ontario. Sponsored by the Strategic Studies Institute of the U.S. Army War College, Queen's Centre for International Relations, and Defence Management Studies at Queen's University, and the Canadian 'Forces' Land Doctrine and Training System. The conflicts today in Iraq and in Afghanistan are examples of what some leading scholars and many commanders have termed “continuous wars among the people.” This type of conflict is developing or occurring in other regions of the world, in Africa and in Latin America for example. In many of these situations traditional and legal borders no longer define or contain the conflict, nor do obvious sovereign entities control belligerents. International commitments to control these conflicts necessarily demand complex, multi-dimensional diplomatic, military, police, and humanitarian responses. What has been learned about such conflicts from operations in Iraq and Afghanistan may to some degree be transferable to conflicts in other regions. Assuming that the international community may well face future operations characterized by regional, borderless “wars among the people”, the centres at Queen’s University and their partners propose convening a distinguished group of approximately 200 experts from academic, military, governmental, and international institutions to examine how best to prepare commanders, military units and governments to plan for and conduct complex, multi-dimensional stability campaigns in this new environment.
16-18 September 2008 - The U.S. Army and the Interagency Process: A Historical Perspective (Public Event - Conference / Call for Papers). Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Sponsored by the U.S. Army Combat Studies Institute. The symposium will include a variety of guest speakers, panel sessions, and general discussions. This symposium will explore the partnership between the U.S. Army and government agencies in attaining national goals and objectives in peace and war within a historical context. Separate international topics may be presented. The symposium will also examine current issues, dilemmas, problems, trends, and practices associated with U.S. Army operations requiring close interagency cooperation.
