IRAQ

Key Iraqi Leaders Deliver Setbacks to US - Paley and DeYoung, Washington Post

The Bush administration's Iraq policy suffered two major setbacks Friday when Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki publicly rejected key US terms for an ongoing military presence and anti-American Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr called for a new militia offensive against US forces. During a visit to Jordan, Maliki said negotiations over initial US proposals for bilateral political and military agreements had "reached a dead end." While he said talks would continue, his comments fueled doubts that the pacts could be reached this year, before the Dec. 31 expiration of a United Nations mandate sanctioning the US role in Iraq.

Security Talks With US at Impasse - Alissa Rubin, New York Times

Negotiations on a long-term security agreement with the United States are at a stalemate because of American demands that compromise Iraq’s sovereignty, the Iraqi prime minister said Friday. “The Iraqi demands are unacceptable to the Americans, and the American demands are unacceptable to the Iraqis, and the result is that we have reached an impasse,” the prime minister, Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, said during a meeting with journalists in Jordan. “The Iraqis will not consent to an agreement that infringes their sovereignty.” It was the first time that Mr. Maliki had spoken publicly at any length about the agreement, which has been the subject recently of acrimonious and increasingly public debate.

US Security Pact Talks 'Deadlocked' - Robert Reid, Associated Press

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki declared Friday that talks with the US on a new security agreement were deadlocked, as Sunni and Shi'ite preachers spoke out against the deal that would enable American troops to remain in the country after year's end. Mr. al-Maliki said negotiations will continue, but his tough talk reflects Iraqi determination to win greater control of US military operations after the UN mandate expires at the end of the year. His comments, made during a visit to Amman, Jordan, echo those of other leading Iraqi politicians, who have complained that US proposals would give the Americans too much power over political, economic and military affairs and infringe on Iraqi sovereignty.

Al-Sadr Forms Elite Wing to Fight US - James Hider, Times of London

Moqtada al-Sadr, the virulently anti-American militia leader, announced yesterday that he was forming a new, exclusive wing of his al-Mahdi Army to fight US forces, and that most of his supporters would now concentrate on civilian works. The cleric appeared to be trying to assert control over his sprawling, rag-tag army, accused of some of the worst death-squad atrocities in Iraq in recent years and which the Americans say has been partly coopted by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. “The resistance will be carried out exclusively by a special group which I will announce later,” said a statement by the Shia militia leader, who holds the junior clerical rank of hojatoleslam.

Sadr to Demobilize Most of Militia - Ashraf Khalil, Los Angeles Times

Shiite Muslim cleric Muqtada Sadr appeared to move Friday toward reorganizing his Mahdi Army militia and shifting much of the movement's focus toward peaceful social activities, though he said its military wing would reserve the right to attack US forces. Sadr, in a statement read after Friday prayers in his stronghold of Kufa, said a select number of Mahdi Army cadres would be allowed to bear arms and use them only with authorization.

A Moment of Clarity in Baghdad - New York Times editorial

The disconnect between Washington’s stay-the-course Republicans - President Bush and Senator John McCain, in particular - and the Iraqi government has grown too wide to ignore. As the administration pushes for a legal agreement to extend the American military presence in Iraq, the Iraqis are pushing back. That is a positive sign. The United Nations resolution authorizing the American role in Iraq expires at the end of this year. Since December, the two governments have been quietly negotiating their own deal. Despite the importance of this issue, the White House is refusing to divulge details of its position. But according to Iraqi leaders, who went public with their complaints this week, Washington has been insisting on keeping more than 50 long-term bases in Iraq. The Iraqis also say that Washington is insisting that American forces have a free hand in launching military operations when and wherever they want.

Sadr Forms New Unit - Bill Roggio, The Long War Journal

Muqtada al Sadr, the leader of the Mahdi Army and the Sadrist political movement, has ordered the formation of "cells to resist the occupation," according to a statement read at Sadr's mosques on Friday. The news comes as US forces continue to target the Mahdi Army command structure and Sadr's planned demonstrations against the status of forces talks draw few protesters. Sadr said a new organization, separate from the Mahdi Army, would be formed. The new organization will strike exclusively at US and Coalition forces in Iraq, and not target Iraqi security forces. The Mahdi Army would be transformed into an organization that focuses on "religious, social and cultural affairs" that will "fight the Western ideology and liberate the minds from domination and globalization," according to a translation of Sadr's statement obtained by CNN.

CNN's Story on al-Qaeda in Iraq Falls Flat - Steve Schippert, Threats Watch

After sitting through 40 minutes of a CNN broadcast with much anticipation, the above was more than a minor disappointment. I rarely watch television news, cable or broadcast, because it is entirely too frustrating. Last night, for reasons beyond Ware’s disappointingly shallow analysis of al-Qaeda in Iraq, I was reminded again why I stopped. More analysis to come, but for now consider a few points.

SOFA Down, But is it Out? - Dr, iRack, Abu Muqawama

As the unease among Iraqi lawmakers (including even Dawa and ISCI officials) and the outrage among the Iraqi public over ongoing SOFA negotiations has escalated, the Bush administration has attempted to offer a number of concessions to get a deal done. David Satterfield, the State Department's top guy on Iraq, said this week that a deal would be completed by the original July target date and then sent to the Iraqi parliament. And Bush said Wednesday that he is "confident" an accord will be finished this year, describing growing Iraqi (and American) opposition to a security pact as part of the "noise in their system and our system." Seriously. We'll see, but POTUS' prediction doesn't look so hot right now. According to the AP, new US concessions have not been enough to overcome Iraqi opposition, and a senior Iraqi government official indicated that a deal might not be possible before the US presidential election in November.

AFGHANISTAN / PAKISTAN TRIBAL AREAS

US Gets Modest NATO Accessions - Thom Shanker, New York Times

A two-day session of NATO defense ministers ended Friday after following a now-familiar script in the debate over Afghanistan: Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates made a heartfelt plea for allies to fulfill pledges for troops. Allies promised modest additions. And when it was over, the NATO secretary general, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, pronounced the hours of debate over the alliance-led stabilization mission as “encouraging but not entirely satisfactory.” The Italians lifted previous restrictions on the movement of their forces assigned to Afghanistan, and 15 allies agreed to pool resources to give NATO three more C-17 heavy transport planes, which will assist the Afghan mission, alliance officials said.

Taliban Free 1,200 in Attack on Prison - Carlotta Gall, New York Times

In a brazen attack, Taliban fighters assaulted the main prison in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar on Friday night, blowing up the mud walls, killing 15 guards and freeing around 1,200 inmates. Among the escapees were about 350 Taliban members, including commanders, would-be suicide bombers and assassins, said Ahmed Wali Karzai, the head of Kandahar’s provincial council and a brother of President Hamid Karzai. A Taliban spokesman, Qari Yousuf Ahmadi, said that the attack was carried out by 30 insurgents on motorbikes and two suicide bombers, and that they had freed about 400 Taliban members, The Associated Press reported. The breakout from Sarposa Prison will present enormous security challenges for Afghan and NATO forces surrounding Kandahar, President Karzai’s home city but also the spiritual capital of the Taliban. Traditionally, Kandahar is home to the rulers of Afghanistan, and control of it is seen as critical to the government’s hold on the entire country.

Hundreds Escape Afghan Jail - Candace Rondeaux, Washington Post

Hundreds of prisoners escaped from a jail in southern Afghanistan on Friday after Taliban fighters blew off the gates in a suicide attack that killed several police officers, according to a US military official. Many of those freed were apparently Taliban suspects. The attack occurred in the evening in the southern city of Kandahar, a longtime stronghold of the Taliban insurgency, when attackers drove an explosives-laden vehicle toward the city jail, according to a spokesman for NATO's International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. Prisoners breached the walls of the prison when a barrage of rocket and gunfire followed the initial attack. A prison official at the scene said the bloody skirmish at the jail had left it nearly empty. Soldiers with NATO forces in the region were working with members of the Afghan national police to cordon off the area. Government officials declared a state of emergency in Kandahar early Saturday.

In War Too, Personnel Is Policy - Anne Marlowe, Wall Street Journal opinion

As it becomes clear that the surge in Iraq is working - and with the Marines in southern Afghanistan succeeding where the British spent two years in a stalemate - we should beware of the temptation to congratulate ourselves on getting counterinsurgency (COIN) doctrine right. In following a well-planned and executed counterinsurgency in Khost Province, Afghanistan, from summer 2007 to the present, I've seen that doctrine is not enough. There are recognized best practices, such as living among the people and separating them from the insurgency. But in the societies where an army is likely to be fighting an insurgency - tribal, badly governed, poorly educated, and where politics is overwhelmingly personal - the role of commanders' personalities may be larger than we want to acknowledge.

The Dark Frontier - Richard Fernandez, The Belmont Club

Pakistan claims 11 of its paramilitary forces were killed on its border with Pakistan by US forces. US forces thought they were fighting the Taliban. There is not necessarily a contradiction between the two statements. Bill Roggio writes, "The Pakistani government maintains the US military struck a paramilitary outpost in Mohmand. A Pakistani military spokesman "condemned this completely unprovoked and cowardly act on the post and regretted the loss of precious lives of our soldiers."

Hundreds of Taliban Loose - Herschel Smith, The Captain's Journal

Taleban militants stormed a prison in Afghanistan last night, blowing open its main gates with a car bomb and freeing more than 1,000 inmates. Several suicide bombers, dozens of fighters on motorbikes and a number of rockets were also used in the carefully orchestrated operation at the jail in Kandahar.

IRAN

Tehran's Last Chance - Catherine Philp, Times of London

Tehran will today be offered the chance of international assistance to develop a peaceful nuclear energy programme if it halts uranium enrichment — or face punishing sanctions within a month. Javier Solana, the European Union chief, will deliver the message to Iranian leaders today as the head of a six-member international delegation of senior diplomats from Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany. The “carrot and stick package” outlined by British officials this week offers Iran a range of incentives to begin negotiations but not until it has halted all Iranian enrichment. Officials acknowledge that the package differs little to that offered in 2006 but hope that its timing, greater international support for punitive measures should Iran refuse and more specific proposals of help may induce the Iranians to consider it more seriously. The package will be accompanied by a strongly worded letter signed by the foreign ministers of all the so-called “EU3 plus 3” countries, including the United States, the only one not sending a representative to Tehran. The Bush Administration refuses to negotiate directly with Tehran while it continues to defy the world over its nuclear programme.

Intelligence on the Qods Force is the Key - Galrahn, Information Dissemination

Ever heard of MeK? The People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran [PMOI – also known as MeK, Mujahedin-e-Khalq] is a resistance group in Iran, and also listed as a terrorist organization by the US State Department. MeK has been accused of being a friend of the United States in dealing with Iran, with multiple claims of cooperation. Could be, using a terrorist organization to fight Iran is certainly within the bounds of what is possible by the CIA, and it wouldn't be the first nor the last. Too often in the search for all things harmonious, we forget the enemy of our enemy doesn't need to be our enemy, even if they aren't exactly our friend. MeK is trying to find a friend in the US and UK, and while it is unlikely the relationship will ever reach that level, MeK is helping out in the cause against Iran in Iraq considerably right now, and their contribution Tuesday has been highlighted by some as a major intelligence breakthrough in dealing with the Qods Force.

THE LONG WAR

Lawmakers Near Deal On Surveillance Bill - Carrie Johnson, Washington Post

A bipartisan group of congressional negotiators neared a deal yesterday on controversial wiretapping legislation that could be unveiled as early as next week, according to Capitol Hill sources and civil liberties advocates monitoring the talks. Lawmakers have been wrangling for months over how to extend warrantless surveillance that Bush administration officials consider central to national security. Agreement has proved elusive because of privacy concerns as well as questions about telecommunications companies seeking immunity from lawsuits over their role in helping the government monitor phone calls and e-mail after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Lawyers to Use Ruling for New Attacks - William Glaberson, New York Times

A day after the Supreme Court’s ruling granting detainees at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, the right to challenge their detention in federal court, military defense lawyers said they planned to use the decision to mount new attacks on the government’s war crimes prosecutions that could stall or stop trials. The new attack on the military commission system at Guantánamo will directly challenge a public declaration by the Justice Department after the ruling Thursday. The department said that detainees have numerous legal protections and that “military commission trials will therefore continue to go forward.” The Supreme Court did not directly address the viability of the military commissions in its ruling, which said detainees have a constitutional right to challenge their detentions through habeas corpus cases.

Critics Study Possible Limits - Michael Abramowitz, Washington Post

The White House and allies in Congress have begun exploring how to limit the scope of this week's Supreme Court ruling that says suspected terrorists held at Guantanamo Bay have the right to challenge their detentions in federal court. Administration lawyers were digesting the ramifications of a decision they condemned as an unjustified judicial usurpation of federal and congressional prerogatives in waging war. They said the court provided little guidance for the standards judges should use in evaluating the claims of detainees seeking release, and suggested that they might press Congress to spell out new rules.

IRREGULAR WARFARE

Winning A War of Stealth - Rory Callinan, Time Magazine

Just before dawn, residents of a small village on Jolo Island, in the southern Philippines, were woken by footsteps and muffled hoofbeats. Peeking out in the dim light, they saw dozens of heavily armed men marching past their houses. One was on horseback. With a pang of fear, some villagers recognized him: Khaddafy Janjalani, leader of the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group and one of Southeast Asia's most wanted men. They had seen his face in posters advertising a $5 million reward for his capture. Most of the villagers stayed indoors. But after dawn one man stole outside. He drove to the army headquarters in Jolo, the island's main town, where he alerted military officers to the terrorists' route and their likely destination. The next day a Philippine marine reconnaissance platoon ambushed Janjalani in his jungle hideout, killing the al-Qaeda-linked terrorist and delivering what authorities believe was a crushing blow to Abu Sayyaf's morale.

US DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Reforming Strategic Defense Planning - Robert Jordan Prescott, House of Marathon

With a pivotal presidential election on the horizon, contesting visions for the future will proliferate. Presidential contenders will outline their agenda for America over the next four years and esteemed observers will elaborate on global trends. Perusing the bookshelves, one can find new titles declaring the “return of history”, a “post-American world,” or journal articles describing an “age of non-polarity,” globalization, violent insurgencies, and the challenges posed by China, Russia, Iran, India, Brazil, and Japan. Similarly, the departing administration will undertake a last round of assessments and identify key trends and challenges in its compendium of strategic plans. Previously, American strategic planning was facilitated by the singularity of the enemy and the indisputable likelihood of its endurance. One would reasonably conclude the successful peaceful end of the Cold War of 1991 would have validated the inherent value of strategic planning and identification of national interests and objectives. However, the near universal conclusion of former policymakers and observers alike has been the paucity of strategic planning capability within the government and insufficiency of existing strategic plans. Rectifying this deficiency will entail substantial presidential leadership as well as a departure from existing approaches.

AFRICA

Top Opposition Official Still Missing in Zimbabwe - Barry Bearak, New York Times

A high court judge in Zimbabwe on Friday ordered the police to produce Tendai Biti, the opposition party’s secretary general and chief strategist, who was arrested Thursday the moment he re-entered the country and whose whereabouts has since remained a mystery. “We have sent teams of lawyers to every police station in Harare but have failed to find where they have him,” said Nelson Chamisa, a spokesman for the Movement for Democratic Change. “We are concerned now for his security, his safekeeping, his life; he has fallen into the jaws of danger.” The police have said Mr. Biti will be charged with treason, a capital offense. But the opposition leader has not been seen by associates since he was swiftly handcuffed at Harare’s airport and hustled away.

African Leaders Denounce Mugabe’s Violence - Philp and Raath, Times of London

International outrage over the crack-down in Zimbabwe grew yesterday as African leaders called for the release of a top opposition leader arrested on the capital charge of treason. The whereabouts of Tendai Biti, the deputy leader of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), remained unknown the day after police arrested and handcuffed him as he disembarked at Harare airport. The High Court ordered police to produce Mr Biti before the court this morning after the MDC filed a case on his behalf, saying it was deeply worried about his welfare. The party had earlier “dispatched a team of lawyers and human rights defenders to every possible police station in Harare in an effort to secure his whereabouts”, but they were unable to locate him.

Mugabe Warns of Uprising if He Loses - MacDonald Dzirutwe, Reuters

President Robert Mugabe said Friday that liberation war veterans would take up arms if he loses a June 27 presidential runoff vote. Mr. Mugabe told youth members of his ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) party in the capital Harare that the veterans had told him they would launch a new bush war if the election was won by opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, whom he accuses of being a puppet of the West.

Crisis May Be Boon for Small Farmers - Edmund Sanders, Los Angeles Times

In Africa, a place all too familiar with chronic malnutrition and recurring famines, the international food crisis is playing out in some surprising ways. Soaring prices are pummeling urban dwellers who rely on imported food and often earn less than $2 a day. Riots have already rocked Somalia and Cameroon. But in rural areas, home to most Africans, small farmers live largely on what they grow. The food crisis could be a boon for such farmers, who depend far more on last season's rainfall and the condition of local roads than on crude oil prices. As governments focus on reducing their dependency on imports, small farmers are poised to receive some overdue assistance. And rising prices will mean farmers have incentives to plant more after decades of productivity declining under the weight of poverty, foreign competition and a marketplace flooded with subsidized food.

South Africa: Going South - Times of London editorial

The atrocities now being committed daily in Zimbabwe have reached a bestial nadir. Those daring to challenge Robert Mugabe are beaten and killed. Their wives are mutilated and burnt alive in their homes. Their villages are denied food and their families starved into submission. The bravery and tenacity, nevertheless, of Morgan Tsvangirai and fellow opposition supporters is extraordinary and heartening. What is appalling, however, is that as Zimbabwe disintegrates, the country that could have done much to halt the brutalities and avert the chaos stands by in shameful silence. South Africa's failure to curb Mr Mugabe's excesses is a terrible indictment of its leadership. But it is also a warning. South Africa itself is in trouble. The powerhouse of Africa is running out of power. Fourteen years after the end of apartheid, such a judgment might seem harsh. The country has avoided a race war. Its growth rate in recent years has been an impressive 5 per cent. Tourism is holding up, as are exports. The country has won global sporting renown and been rewarded with its selection as the venue of the next World Cup in 2010. But even as the stadium girders go up and concrete is poured for a high-speed rail link (see page 47), fears are growing within the country and outside that the showcase event will be overwhelmed by the violence, political tensions and infrastructure failures that point to alarming social, economic and political breakdown.

AMERICAS

Colombia's Peacemaker - Mary Anastasia O'Grady, Wall Street Journal opinion

"We are ready for a humanitarian exchange. But we are not ready to serve as idiots to the proposal of FARC to use the hostages as a way to regain criminal power in Colombia." Sitting in the elegant Casa de Nariño - the official residence of the head of state - Colombian President Álvaro Uribe is talking about one of the hottest political issues of the day: to what lengths his government should go to win the release of some of the kidnap victims held by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). These hostages include three American contractors and the French-Colombian Ingrid Betancourt, who has been held for more than six years and whose plight has become a cause célèbre in Paris. Mr. Uribe, a man of boundless energy, can have trouble staying in one place for very long. But at the moment he is still and looking me straight in the eye as he emphatically states that he will not give in to terrorist demands.

ASIA PACIFIC

N. Korea Agrees to Reexamine Abductions - Blaine Harden, Washington Post

North Korea has promised to reinvestigate its abduction of Japanese citizens in the 1970s and '80s, a surprise concession that prompted Japan to respond with a pledge to lift some of its economic sanctions against the closed Communist country. The agreement, reached during bilateral talks this week in Beijing and announced Friday, cracks open what had been a closed door on trade, aid and travel between the neighboring countries. It may also bring Japan back as an active participant with the United States in negotiations to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear program.

N. Korea Yields Slightly on Abductions - Norimitsu Onishi, New York Times

North Korea said Friday that it would reopen an investigation into abductions of Japanese citizens, reversing its longstanding position that the issue had been settled. In return, Japan announced that it had agreed to lift some sanctions imposed on the North for its nuclear program, including the ban on travel between the countries, but that more serious sanctions would stay in place. The Japanese announcement, which followed two days of bilateral talks in Beijing this week, was the first sign in years of even a slight thaw between the countries. Although both sides made very minor concessions, they offered a possible way to resolve the abductions dispute, which has long complicated the six-nation talks over the North’s nuclear weapons program and has strained the relations between the governments in Tokyo and Washington.

Seoul's Beef Beef - Washington Post editorial

But in South Korea, the health fears are compounded by nationalism. Mr. Lee, elected on a promise to mend fences with Washington, failed to anticipate that some of his people would see lifting the ban not as a sensible policy gesture but as a form of tribute to a foreign power with a troop presence that still gives it great influence over the country's fate. And Korean nationalism is compounded by Korean protectionism. A US-South Korea trade agreement, signed last year, has enemies in both countries; its Korean foes will undoubtedly try to exploit Mr. Lee's predicament to shoot down the agreement. The road to victory for Korean protectionists, though, leads through the Democratic-controlled US Congress, which has refused to consider the deal until Korea lifts the ban. Even a partial backtracking now by Mr. Lee could doom the pact on the Hill.

EUROPE

Bush Warns Allies Against Divisions - Elizabeth Bryant, Washington Times

President Bush made a passionate appeal for trans-Atlantic unity Friday, urging Europe and the United States to work together in areas ranging from securing peace and stability in the Middle East, to promoting democracy and curbing climate change. "Instead of dwelling on our differences, we are increasingly united on our interests and ideals," Mr. Bush said during a keynote speech at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris. Praising leaders from Italy, Germany, France and Britain - all of whom he has met or will meet during his current European trip - he added, "I see a commitment to a powerful and purposeful Europe that advances the values of liberty within its borders and beyond."

Ireland Signs Death Warrant - Sharrock and Charter, Times of London

Irish voters tore up the European Union’s blueprint for the future yesterday in a dramatic and decisive rejection of the Lisbon treaty. The result leaves Brussels’ plans to streamline EU power - creating a president and foreign minister and reducing the influence for smaller countries such as Ireland - in tatters. The 53.4 per cent “no” vote should in theory sign the death warrant of the treaty, which has been eight years in the making, since it requires ratification by all 27 members. Gordon Brown faced immediate calls to scrap British ratification.

Ireland Shoots Down Plan for More Unified EU - Kevin Sullivan, Washington Post

Irish voters resoundingly rejected a treaty designed to modernize the European Union, the second time in three years that European voters have shot down a complex proposal to create more authority and world influence at the bloc's Brussels headquarters. By defeating the Lisbon Treaty 53.4 percent to 46.6 percent in a national referendum Thursday, fewer than a million Irish voters scuttled a document that would have deeply affected the lives of nearly 500 million Europeans in the 27 member nations.

Ireland Derails EU Bid - Lyall and Castle, New York Times

Europe was thrown into political turmoil on Friday by Ireland’s rejection of the Lisbon Treaty, a painstakingly negotiated blueprint for consolidating the European Union’s power and streamlining its increasingly unwieldy bureaucracy. The defeat of the treaty, by a margin of 53.4 percent to 46.6 percent, was the result of a highly organized “no” campaign that had played to Irish voters’ deepest visceral fears about the European Union. For all its benefits, many people in Ireland and in Europe feel that the union is remote, undemocratic and ever more inclined to strip its smaller members of the right to make their own laws and decide their own future.

MIDDLE EAST

Bush Calls for a Unity of Purpose - Dan Eggen, Washington Post

President Bush declared here Friday that Western nations must lift up the Middle East in the same way that the United States helped war-ruined Europe rebuild after World War II. "The rise of free and prosperous societies in the broader Middle East is essential to peace in the 21st century, just as the rise of a free and prosperous Europe was essential to peace in the 20th century," Bush said, addressing an audience gathered for the 60th anniversary of the U.S. reconstruction initiative known as the Marshall Plan. "Europe and America must stand with reformers, democratic leaders and millions of ordinary people across the Middle East who seek a future of hope, liberty and peace." In a valedictory speech that contained little of the tough talk that has often defined his foreign policy rhetoric, Bush proclaimed the start of a new era of cooperation between Europe and the United States. Unity is taking hold after years of transatlantic discord over the Iraq war, global warming and other issues, he said.

SOUTH ASIA

March for Restoration of Judges - Rondeaux and Hussain, Washington Post

Tens of thousands of people marched on Pakistan's capital Friday to demand the reinstatement of about 60 judges ousted by President Pervez Musharraf last year. In an unprecedented show of force, lawyers, merchants, textile workers, teachers and a sprinkling of housewives traveled from every corner of the country to Islamabad to register their discontent with Musharraf. Dubbed "The Long March" by its organizers, the four-day nationwide protest kicked off in the southern urban hub of Karachi on Tuesday, gathered strength as it hit the central city of Lahore late Thursday and veritably exploded as it pushed toward the capital.

Thousands Fill Streets for Protest in Pakistan - Jane Perlez, New York Times

In the darkness of night, thousands of protesters, many of them lawyers, converged on the main boulevard of Islamabad on Friday, chanting and calling for the dismissal of President Pervez Musharraf and the restoration of the senior judges he dismissed. The crowd, including an unusual number of women for this Muslim country, along with families and members of small political parties, continued to swell after midnight, waiting in a festive atmosphere for the main speakers to arrive by bus and plane from around the country. Dubbed the “long march,” the protest started earlier this week with lawyers marching and driving from the major cities toward Islamabad, the capital.

Sri Lanka Fighting Kills 18, Military Says - Associated Press

Battles between government troops and Tamil Tiger separatists in Sri Lanka's north left 11 rebels and seven soldiers dead, the military said Saturday. The fighting broke out in the Mannar, Welioya and Vavuniya regions bordering the rebels' de-facto state in the north on Friday, a defense ministry statement said. In the Welioya area, separate clashes killed seven rebels and four soldiers, while three confrontations in Vavuniya and Mannar killed four rebels and three soldiers, the ministry said.

RECOMMENDED READING

Recommended Reading for Saturday - Matt Armstrong, MountainRunner

A short list of posts you may not have seen.

KeepNet 12 June 2008 - Tim Stevens, Ubiwar

Looks like Will Hartley is back in the saddle at the Insurgency Research Group, with a new edition of UK CT & COIN Features...

KeepNet 8 June 2008 - Tim Stevens, Ubiwar

More great reading from a SWJ friend.

UK CT & COIN Features - 13 June 2008 - Insurgency Research Group

A round-up of today’s newspaper articles covering the UK’s involvement in counterterrorism and counterinsurgency operations at home and abroad.

UK CT & COIN Features - 12 June 2008 - Insurgency Research Group

A round-up of today’s newspaper articles covering the UK’s involvement in counterterrorism and counterinsurgency operations at home and abroad.

EVENTS OF INTEREST

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.

24-25 June - 16th Annual Expeditionary Warfare Wargame (Public Event - Wargame). Quantico, Virginia. Sponsored by the Marine Corps Combat Development Command (MCCDC) and National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA). The purpose of the war game series is to provide education and familiarization to members of the Association concerning current issues, capabilities, and expeditionary force trends in the United States Marine Corpsand to identify areas where NDIA can provide assistance. The Purpose of the 2008 NDIA Expeditionary Warfare Division/USMC War Game is to examine C2 Integration issues concerning Sensor Fusion, Information Management, and Fusion and the Commander's Visualization Requirements and Realities using seabased Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief operations at the MEB level for a background.

11-15 August - Counterinsurgency Leaders Workshop (Official Event - Workshop). Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. The US Army/Marine Corps Counterinsurgency (COIN) Center is hosting a five-day program for prospective counterinsurgency leaders, 11-15 August 2008, at the Combined Arms Center, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. The program is focused on equipping leaders with an understanding of the insurgency and counterinsurgency environments, as well as close consideration of the kinds of persons and organizations that usually emerge from insurgencies in contrast to those of conventional conflicts. This event will be held at the Battle Command Training Center (BCTC) Training Facility on Fort Leavenworth. Seating is limited. However, registration is open to any person who serves in any official capacity with regard to dealing with insurgencies, with priority is given to those applying from invited organizations. Other applicants will be reviewed for eligibility on a space-available, case-by-case basis. The duty is uniform/business casual. Application must completed on-line at the link above. The deadline for application is 1 August 2008. For more information, contact the COIN Center at 913-684-5196.

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.