IRAQ

Truce Holds in Sadr City Amid Iraqi Army Patrols - Alissa Rubin, New York Times
Iraqi PM Opens Command Center in Mosul, Returns to Baghdad - VOA
ISF Detain More Than a 1,000 Suspected Militants in Mosul - VOA
Iraq Detains 1,000 in Anti-al-Qaida Crackdown - Associated Press
Iraqi Forces Detain 1,000 in al Qaeda Push - Reuters
Iraqi Court Rulings Stop at US Detention Sites - Associated Press
Feith's Version - Daniel Gallington, Washington Times opinion
Iraq Status Report - Iraq Status Report

AFGHANISTAN / PAKISTAN TRIBAL AREAS

Hopeful Signs From Ex-Taliban Hotbed - Rosie Dimanno, Toronto Star
Militants Free Pakistan Ambassador in Exchange - Jane Perlez, New York Times
Bush Tells Karzai US Will Help at Paris Donor Conference - AFPS
Gitmo's Heir? - Phillip Carter, Intel Dump
Pakistan - Baitullah Mehsud Peace Agreement - Bill Roggio, The Long War Journal

IRAN

In Iran, Debate Over an Article of Faith - Nazila Fathi, New York Times
Shaping a Nuclear Iran - Ray Takeyh, Washington 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

Insurgent Propaganda, Western Response - Andrew Exum, Arab Media and Society
The Spectacle of War by Andrew Exum - Matt Armstrong, MountainRunner
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

US DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Fixing the Military - New York Times editorial
Darpa's Greatest Hits and Misses - Sharon Weinberger, Danger Room

UK MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

Imperial Holdover: Gurkhas Flock to British Army - Associated Press

US FOREIGN POLICY

Musings, Random and Otherwise - Jeff Jacoby, Boston Globe opinion
Why Shouldn’t the President Negotiate? - Westhawk, Westhawk

AFRICA

Zimbabwe Opposition Leader Cancels Return - VOA
Mugabe's Men in Plot to Kill Tsvangirai - Christina Lamb, London Times
Tsvangirai Cancels Return to Zimbabwe - Celia Dugger, New York Times
'Plot' Delays Tsvangirai Return - BBC News
Tsvangirai Postpones Zimbabwe Return After Threat - Associated Press
Sudan Opposition Head: Rebel Assault May Spur More Violence - Associated Press
Islamist Fighters Seize Somali Town - Associated Press
Somali Talks End with No Meeting - BBC News
Somali Pirates Hijack Jordanian Ship Carrying Aid - Associated Press

AMERICAS

New Phase Seen in Mexico's Drug War - Héctor Tobar, Los Angeles Times
Chávez Seizes Greater Economic Power - Simon Romero, New York Times
Venezuela Says Colombians Crossed In - Associated Press

ASIA PACIFIC

Large Aftershock Rattles Southwest China - VOA
Chinese Flee Flood Threat From Quake - Edward Wong, New York Times
1m Chinese Flee New Threat of Flooding - Michael Sheridan, London Times
Fear of Floods Grips China Earthquake Area - Mark Magnier, Los Angeles Times
Thousands Flee China Quake Area Over Flood Fears - Associated Press
Earthquake Opens Gap in Controls on Media - Howard French, New York Times
China's Quake Calms Olympic Controversies - Associated Press
China: Nuke Weapon Plants on Disaster Alert - Dean Nelson, London Times
Burma Junta Killing its Own People - Alan Brown, London Daily Telegraph
Asian Health Professionals Allowed Into Burma - VOA
As Cyclone Refugees Wait, Burma Refuses Aid - Associated Press
In Burma, A Price for 'Stability' - Jim Hoagland, Washington Post opinion
Save Us From the Rescuers - David Rieff, Los Angeles Times opinion
Fed Up With Peace - Nicholas Kristof, New York Times opinion
UN to Burma: Drop Dead - Matthew Continetti, Weekly Standard opinion

EUROPE

Russia's Opposition Launches Alternative National Assembly - VOA
Italy Pledges to Bolster Security - BBC News

MIDDLE EAST

Hezbollah Ignites Sectarian Fuse in Lebanon - Worth and Bakri, New York Times
Hezbollah Emerges Ahead in Lebanon - Anthony Shadid, Washington Post
Lebanese Factions at Qatar Talks - BBC News
High-level Lebanese Talks in Qatar - Associated Press
Hezbollah's Power Play - Washington Times editorial
The Limits of War in Lebanon - Boston Globe editorial
The Resistance as Oppressor - Abu Muqawama, Abu Muqawama
Square One in Lebanon - Abu Muqawama, Abu Muqawama
Mapping Hezbollah Telecoms - Michael Innes, Complex Terrain Laboratory
Bush Emphasizes Peace Deal Commitment - Michael Abramowitz, Washington Post
Bush Says Saudi Oil Increase is Not Enough - VOA
Saudis See No Reason to Raise Oil Production Now - Associated Press
Bush Says Saudi Oil Boost Doesn't Solve US Problem - Associated Press
Bush Speech Seen Impeding Peace Talks - Joshua Mitnick, Washington Times
Bush: Mideast Must Push Back Against Iran, Syria - Associated Press
Bush Meets Palestinian President - BBC News
Food Crisis Opening for Fundamentalists - Borzou Daragahi, Los Angeles Times
Religious Hardliners Gain in Kuwait - Associated Press
Israeli, Egyptian Leaders to Seek Gaza Cease-fire - Associated Press
Kuwaitis Elect New Parliament - Associated Press
Coming Soon, Scorsese of Arabia - Abdullah Al-Eyaf, Washington Post opinion
Online Rebellion Struck Down in Egypt - Ellen Knickmeyer, Washington Post

SOUTH ASIA

India to Resume Pakistan Peace Talks - Reuters
Bush and Pakistan's Gilani Pledge to Fight Terror - Reuters
Sidelined Musharraf Still Exerts Influence - Constable and Wright, Washington Post
Sri Lankan Troops Capture Rebel Position, 16 Killed - Reuters
Sri Lankan Air Force Bombs Rebel Center - Associated Press
Suicide Bomb in Sri Lanka Capital - BBC News
Jaipur Serial Blasts: Investigations on... - Animesh Roul, Counterterrorism

RECOMMENDED READING

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.