IRAQ

Iraq, US Launch Crackdown - Londoño and Aahad Ali, Washington Post

Iraqi and US troops launched a military operation Thursday in the city of Amarah, a Shiite militia stronghold on the Iranian border, meeting virtually no resistance. In a move that angered followers of anti-American cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, Iraqi troops detained the vice governor of Maysan province, who also serves as the mayor of Amarah, the provincial capital. Sadrist leaders in Maysan have vowed to cooperate with Iraqi troops but have suggested that the government is trying to expand its presence in Sadr strongholds to weaken the movement politically before provincial elections scheduled for the fall.

Iraqi Troops Move Into Militia-Held Amara - Rubin and Bowley, New York Times

The Iraqi government sent troops into the southern city of Amara early on Thursday, in a military operation aimed at Shiite militias loyal to the radical Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr. The troops were proceeding mostly unopposed through the city, which appeared calm, according to witnesses. However, Iraqi security forces detained the deputy governor of the city saying that he had links to insurgents, said Sheik Adnan al-Selawi, the chief of the Sadr office in Amara.

Militias Routed Without a Shot Fired - James Hider, Times of London

They came at dawn, thousands of Iraqi troops and US special forces on a mission to reclaim a lawless city from the militias who ran it. By the end of the day, al-Amarah was under Iraqi Government control - without a shot being fired. The city had been taken over by the Shia al-Mahdi Army two years ago after British troops handed it to an ill-prepared Iraqi Army. “We can't say al-Amarah was entirely bad, there are good people here, poor people. But the city was controlled by the al-Mahdi Army, and these people are all backed by Iran,” said Captain Hussein Ali of the Scorpion police brigade, one of the Iraqi units drafted in to take part in Operation Omen of Peace.

Crackdown in Amarah Begins Smoothly - al-Alak and Parker, Los Angeles Times

Iraqi security forces Thursday arrested the mayor of Amarah and a provincial council member, both supporters of Shiite Muslim cleric Muqtada Sadr's religious movement, on the first day of a military crackdown. They met little resistance as senior aides to Sadr said his Mahdi Army militia had pledged to cooperate with the operation to avoid putting civilians in the southern city at risk. Security officials and Sadr supporters said Thursday's operation in Amarah resulted in the arrests of Mayor Rafia Abdul-Jabbar, who also serves as deputy governor of Maysan province, and provincial council member Ali Hassan. Officials did not say why the two were arrested.

More Weapons Caches Turning Up - Kim Gamel, Associated Press

Weapons caches are turning up with increasing frequency in public places in Iraq - from a bakery to a fish farm - as recent security gains embolden more civilians to come forward with tips, US and Iraqi military officials say. The odd locations of many of the discoveries reflect the fine line separating civilians from the Shiite and Sunni extremists who don't wear uniforms and often live among them. Many would-be tipsters had previously looked the other way because of intimidation or because they sought protection from local militias.

Iraq, US Seek Security Compromise - Associated Press

Iraq's foreign ministry said Thursday that Iraqi and US officials are seeking a compromise on the pending issues over a new security agreement between the two countries. The statement came a day after Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari met with President Bush to discuss the security agreement meant to replace the UN mandate for foreign forces which expires at the end of the year.

Bush, Maliki Say Security Talks Going Well - Reuters

US President George W. Bush spoke with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Thursday and they agreed negotiations for a long-term security pact were going well, the White House said. Maliki last week had said the talks were stalled. "The two leaders discussed the ongoing negotiations to develop normalized bilateral relations -- and agreed that the negotiations are proceeding well with constructive ideas being offered by both sides," White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said in a statement. The two countries are negotiating a new security deal to provide a legal basis for US troops to stay in Iraq after a United Nations mandate expires on December 31, and a separate long-term agreement on political, economic and security ties.

Oil Firms Ready to Sign Agreements - Londoño and Baribeau, Washington Post

Iraq is preparing to award contracts to several Western energy companies to help develop its vast oil resources, allowing them to consolidate their positions in a country that has seemed less threatening in recent months as security has improved. The two-year, no-bid contracts will be awarded to companies that have been advising the Iraqi Oil Ministry in recent years, said Asim Jihad, a spokesman for the ministry. He said officials expect that U.S.-based Exxon Mobil and Chevron, Royal Dutch Shell, France's Total and British oil company BP will secure the biggest contracts.

AFGHANISTAN / PAKISTAN TRIBAL AREAS

Afghans Assert Victory Over Taliban in South - Candace Rondeaux, Washington Post

Hundreds of Afghan and Canadian troops moved to clear Taliban fighters from villages in southern Afghanistan on Thursday, as military officials said they had made strong gains in the operation. Brig. Gen. M. Zaher Azimi, a spokesman for the Afghan Defense Ministry, said troops had seized control of several villages in Arghandab, the district in Kandahar province where an estimated 500 Taliban fighters had blown up bridges and laid mines in recent days. Azimi called the joint NATO-Afghan counteroffensive a success, saying that Arghandab had been largely cleared of insurgent activity.

Area Cleared of Taliban, Officials Say - Shah and Filkins, New York Times

Afghan and NATO forces cleared Taliban guerrillas from a cluster of villages outside Kandahar on Thursday, removing for the moment any threat that they might try to move into their former stronghold in the southern part of the country. The Taliban fighters, who had infiltrated as many as 18 villages here, largely retreated before a force of about 1,100 Afghan soldiers that began moving into the area on Wednesday, Afghan and NATO officials said. NATO planes and helicopters supported their advance. Afghan and NATO officials took slightly different views of the operation, with the Afghans trumpeting it as a great success. Afghan soldiers killed 56 Taliban fighters during the operation, including a number of foreigners, Gen. Zahir Azimi, the spokesman for the Afghan Ministry of Defense, said at a news conference. The operation involved no loss of civilian life, and the Afghan Army suffered no casualties beyond two reported on Wednesday.

Routed Taliban Flee Territory North of Kandahar - Graeme Smith, Globe and Mail

The Taliban's swift retreat from their newly conquered territory north of Kandahar city left Afghan officials triumphant on Thursday, but a Canadian commander warned that the insurgents are capable of more spectacular attacks in the coming months. Brigadier-General Denis Thompson, the top Canadian commander in Afghanistan, said Afghan forces and foreign troops pushed deep into the Arghandab valley on Wednesday night. A few hours after dawn Thursday morning, a Taliban spokesman confirmed by telephone that most insurgents were pulling out of the district.

Calm After Insurgent Storm - Alexander Panetta, Toronto Star

Canada's top soldier in Afghanistan said coalition forces would take steps over the coming days to ensure that the Arghandab district next to Kandahar city remained as placid as it appeared yesterday. But Brig.-Gen. Denis Thompson added that the Taliban will likely attack again, even after being routed in the Arghandab district this week. It would be the repeat of a familiar pattern in which insurgents are repelled from an area in combat, only to scatter, hide and plot their comeback with another series of assaults.

Afghan Clashes Point to Larger Problems - Faiez and King, Los Angeles Times

When the Taliban seized a string of villages outside one of Afghanistan's largest cities this week, NATO-led forces moved fast, airlifting in hundreds of Afghan and Western soldiers and sending warplanes and attack helicopters into the skies. In less than 48 hours, they had driven out the insurgents. The short-lived confrontation in the Arghandab district also showed how thoroughly the insurgents could disrupt the daily lives of villagers in a nominally secure area, and raised concerns of worrisomely flawed communication between Afghan forces and their Western allies.

Afghan Police Report Suicide Bombing - Associated Press

A suicide bomber attacked a NATO convoy as it passed through a town in southern Afghanistan Friday, killing five civilians and one soldier from the U.S.-led coalition, officials said. Mohammad Hussein Andiwal, the police chief of Helmand province, said the lone bomber, who was on foot, struck as the convoy was passing through a market area in the town of Gereshk on Friday morning.

Unfinished Business in Afghanistan - New York Times editorial

Five years after President Bush largely dropped the military operation against the Afghan-based Taliban and Al Qaeda so he could invade Iraq, American and NATO troops are needed as much as ever in Afghanistan to hold back a resurgence of those forces. Yet Washington and its European allies still do not have an effective and comprehensive strategy to combat the threat. Despite the presence of more than 50,000 NATO troops - most of them American - and some 140,000 Afghan troops and police, the Taliban and Al Qaeda have gotten stronger over the past two years. And Afghan forces are far from being able to defend the country on their own.

IRAN

Exercise by Israel Seemed Directed at Iran - Gordon and Schmitt, New York Times

Israel carried out a major military exercise earlier this month that American officials say appeared to be a rehearsal for a potential bombing attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Several American officials said the Israeli exercise appeared to be an effort to develop the military’s capacity to carry out long-range strikes and to demonstrate the seriousness with which Israel views Iran’s nuclear program. More than 100 Israeli F-16 and F-15 fighters participated in the maneuvers, which were carried out over the eastern Mediterranean and over Greece during the first week of June, American officials said.

THE LONG WAR

Surveillance Bill Protects Telecom Firms - Eggen and Kane, Washington Post

House and Senate leaders agreed yesterday on surveillance legislation that could shield telecommunications companies from privacy lawsuits, handing President Bush one of the last major legislative victories he is likely to achieve. The agreement extends the government's ability to eavesdrop on espionage and terrorism suspects while effectively providing a legal escape hatch for AT&T, Verizon Communications and other telecom firms. They face more than 40 lawsuits that allege they violated customers' privacy rights by helping the government conduct a warrantless spying program after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

A Better Surveillance Law - Washington Post editorial

Congressional leaders of both parties should be commended for drafting legislation that brings the country's surveillance laws into the 21st century while protecting civil liberties and preserving important national security prerogatives. The bill is scheduled to be voted on today in the House, and it deserves to pass. The bill amends the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978, which was designed to constrain the executive branch's domestic spying powers.

The Intelligence Deal - Wall Street Journal editorial

The best news about yesterday's White House-Democrat deal on overseas eavesdropping is that the ACLU and the anti-antiterror Internet mob are apoplectic. This can only be good for US national security. Too bad the compromise also comes at the cost of a further erosion of Presidential war powers. The deal would extend the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to cover eavesdropping on terrorist communications overseas. A six-month extension – the Protect America Act – expired earlier this year and surveillance authorization on al Qaeda targets will start to expire in August. The new deal – assuming it isn't defeated by liberals on the House floor – would last for six years. It is thus a gift to the next President, who won't have to spend capital battling those who think that letting our spooks read al Qaeda's email inevitably means that Dick Cheney is bugging your bedroom.

Suing the Enemy - Paul Greenberg, Washington Times opinion

Nothing so well illustrates the essential asymmetry of this country's worldwide struggle against terrorism than last week's 5-to-4 opinion out of the US Supreme Court. The enemy is fighting a war; we are litigating a plea. Throughout the sleepy 1990s, we dealt with two - two! - earlier and incomplete attacks on the World Trade Center not as the barbaric acts of war they were, but as isolated matters for the criminal justice system to deal with when and if it could. While we slept, the enemy plotted. We paid the bloody price for our obtuseness - in thousands of innocent lives - on Sept. 11, 2001.

US DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Military-Industrial Complications - Wall Street Journal editorial

Here we go again. American soldiers will have to wait even longer for new aerial refueling tankers after government auditors said Wednesday that the Air Force had broken its own rules in awarding the $35 billion contract to Northrop Grumman and EADS over Boeing. The Government Accountability Office, Congress's investigative arm, agreed with Boeing that Air Force officials unduly gave extra credit to Northrop and EADS, or the European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co., for surpassing specification requirements for the tankers. The GAO also found that the Air Force miscalculated the costs of both the winning bid and Boeing's offering. The Air Force is now expected to request revised proposals from the two bidders and make a new selection.

Justice? - Mackubin Thomas Owens, National Review opinion

What can we say about Haditha? As I have observed previously, our opponents in Iraq have chosen to deny us the ability to fight the sort of conventional war we would prefer and forced us to fight the one they want - an insurgency. Insurgents blend in with the people, making it hard to distinguish between combatant and noncombatant. A counterinsurgency always has to negotiate a fine line between too much and too little force. Indeed, it suits the insurgents’ goal when too much force is applied. For insurgents, there is no more powerful propaganda tool than the claim that their adversaries are employing force in an indiscriminate manner. It is even better for the insurgents’ cause if they can credibly charge the forces of the counterinsurgency with the targeted killing of noncombatants. For many people even today, the entire Americans enterprise in Vietnam is discredited by the belief that the US military committed atrocities on a regular basis and as a matter of official policy — even though, as Jim Webb has noted, stories of atrocious conduct, e.g. My Lai, “represented not the typical experience of the American soldier, but its ugly extreme.” Under the circumstances, what is most remarkable is not that incidents such as Haditha have occurred, but that there have been so few of them.

Marines vs. The Smear - Michelle Malkin, Washington Times opinion

Yet another US Marine, Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani, had charges dropped Tuesday in the so-called Haditha massacre - bringing the total number of Marines who've been cleared or won case dismissals in the Iraq war incident to seven. "Undue command influence" on the prosecution led to the outcome in Col. Chessani's case. Bottom line: That's zero for seven for military prosecutors, with one trial left to go. I repeat: Haditha prosecution goes 0-7. But you won't see that headline in the same Armageddon-sized font the New York Times used repeatedly when the story first broke.

US CONGRESS

House Passes War Bill - Paul Kane, Washington Post

In a pair of bipartisan votes, the House yesterday approved $162 billion to continue the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan well into 2009 and a separate measure that would allow veterans returning from those battlefields to receive increased education benefits.

AFRICA

Rice Delivers Stark Assessment of Mugabe - Colum Lynch, Washington Post

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told foreign diplomats here Thursday that Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's violent crackdown on opposition leaders had dashed hopes that the June 27 presidential runoff election would "be allowed to proceed in a free and fair manner." Rice's assessment came on a day that the opposition said the bodies of four party activists were found near Harare, Zimbabwe's capital. Witnesses told the Associated Press that the victims were taken away in trucks on Wednesday by militias chanting ruling party slogans.

Fear Grows Over Zimbabwe Elections - Dugger and Cowell, New York Times

As more opposition supporters in Zimbabwe were reported killed, a group of southern African government ministers issued unusually blunt public criticism of President Robert Mugabe on Thursday, saying there was “every sign” that next week’s presidential run-off election “will never be free nor fair.” The criticism seemed to reflect growing apprehension and impatience among Zimbabwe’s neighbors, a day after President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, the regional mediator, launched his latest effort to ease growing tensions before the June 27 ballot.

War Crimes Warning to Mugabe - Bone, Elliott and Clayton, Times of London

With just a week to go before Zimbabwe’s run-off elections – and with the body count growing – President Mugabe has been warned that he could be hauled before the International Criminal Court in The Hague over the atrocities inflicted on his opponents. A key Western diplomat, speaking yesterday on condition of anonymity, said: “He needs to know he is moments away from an ICC indictment.” Twelve bodies of activists, most of them showing signs of torture, were found across Zimbabwe yesterday.

S. Africa Won't Condemn Mugabe - MacFarquhar and Dugger, New York Times

South Africa snubbed an American effort to present a unified front condemning the Zimbabwe government for fomenting pre-election violence, sending a low-level representative to a discussion on the issue Thursday led by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and her counterpart from Burkina Faso. Ms. Rice had called for the meeting with African nations and Security Council members on the sidelines of a ministerial session that unanimously passed an American-sponsored resolution to declare rape and sexual violence a weapon of war.

Tsvangirai 'Mulls Quitting Poll' - BBC News

Zimbabwe's opposition MDC party is considering withdrawing from the 27 June presidential run-off vote, a party source has told the BBC. MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai is said to be under pressure to pull out in view of reports of escalating violence against his supporters. At a summit in Brussels, the EU is threatening to impose fresh sanctions against Zimbabwe's authorities.

Mugabe the Obscene - Austin Bay, Washington Times opinion

"Frankly obscene," said Australia's Foreign Minister Stephen Smith, referring to Zimbabwean dictator Robert Mugabe's appearance at a United Nations food conference earlier this month. Yes, a dictator who uses starvation to scatter and kill his own people making an appearance at an international conference devoted to raising food and feeding the hungry is an obscenity - though I add, without cynicism, that the situation isn't all that unusual. Petty tyrants, terrorist enablers and tribal killers cluster about the wine and cheese smorgasbords of international community fetes and summits.

Wide-Open Battle For Power in Darfur - Stephanie McCrummen, Washington Post

Five years after the Darfur conflict began, the nature of violence across this vast desert region has changed dramatically, from a mostly one-sided government campaign against civilians to a complex free-for-all that is jeopardizing an effective relief mission to more than 2.5 million displaced and vulnerable people. While the government and militia attacks on straw-hut villages that defined the earlier years of the conflict continue, Darfur is now home to semi-organized crime and warlordism, with marijuana-smoking rebels, disaffected government militias and anyone else with an AK-47 taking part, according to UN officials.

Sudan Minister Asks for French Help in Darfur - Associated Press

Sudan's foreign minister says his country has asked France to try to help resolve the Darfur conflict. Deng Alor says that during talks with French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, he asked France to try to bring together the parties in the conflict as well as some countries in the region. He says Sudan has confidence in France because of its "central position" in Africa and the world.

South Sudan Begins Mass Disarmament Campaign - Reuters

South Sudanese authorities have begun to collect thousands of guns amassed by civilians during decades of war to try to end tribal conflicts which claim dozens of lives each year, officials said. Since a 2005 north-south peace deal ended Africa's longest civil war, efforts by the semi-autonomous southern government to disarm civilians have claimed an estimated 1,500 lives because they took weapons from some tribes leaving them vulnerable to neighboring communities who were still armed.

Nigerian Rebels Strike Offshore Rig - Lydia Polgreen, New York Times

Royal Dutch Shell was forced to shut down production of its Bonga field off the coast of Nigeria’s volatile Niger Delta region after an attack by militants on an enormous rig far offshore, the company said Thursday. Militants from the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, a shadowy rebel group that has carried out an escalating series of attacks oil installations and the soldiers who guard them in the creeks of the Niger Delta over the last few years, claimed responsibility for the strike. But in latest attack was on a rig lies 75 miles offshore, which requires much better equipment and military-style coordination.

Burundi Arrests 'Rebel Recruits' - BBC News

Burundi's army says it has arrested more than 100 young people who were being recruited to join the country's last active rebel group. The recruitment by the National Liberation Forces (FNL) violated a recent ceasefire that the group signed with the government, the army said. But the FNL said those arrested were fighters on their way to assembly areas where they would be disarmed.

Family Killed in Somali Clashes - BBC News

A mother and two children are among 25 people and 13 civilians, killed in fierce fighting in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, witnesses say. They were killed when a mortar shell landed on their house, neighbours said. The fighting began when 100 insurgents armed with rocket-propelled grenades attacked three government and Ethiopian bases south of the city.

Hunger Pains - Carolyn Woo, Baltimore Sun opinion

Before leaving the University of Notre Dame for a two-week trip to Ethiopia and Kenya, I was concerned about the rising food prices worldwide. Having grown up in Hong Kong eating rice each day, I was particularly worried by the threefold increase in the price of rice - the staple food for about 3 billion people worldwide. My concern took on a new intensity when I arrived in East Africa and began touring projects supported by Baltimore-based Catholic Relief Services. In Africa, the rise in global food prices doesn't mean forgoing a night out on the town or passing up a pair of shoes on sale. It means middle-class families stop buying milk for their children and morning coffee, poor families start eating a bowl of porridge just once or twice a day, and the poorest of the poor regularly go hungry and may even face starvation.

AMERICAS

EU Ready to Lift Diplomatic Sanctions on Cuba - Associated Press

The European Union on Thursday agreed to lift its diplomatic sanctions against Cuba but imposed tough conditions on the communist island nation, officials said. EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said the bloc felt it had to encourage changes in Cuba after Raul Castro took over as the head of the country's government from his ailing brother, Fidel.

Venezuela Upholds Ban on Candidates - Fabiola Sanchez, Associated Press

Venezuela's national electoral council has dealt a setback to President Hugo Chavez's foes by tentatively accepting a blacklist barring nearly 400 potential candidates - most from the opposition. German Yepez, one of the council's five directors, said the agency decided Wednesday to abide by the anti-corruption blacklist drawn up by the government's top anti-graft official, Comptroller General Clodosbaldo Russian.

Chavez Threatens to Block Oil Over EU Rules - Associated Press

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is threatening not to sell oil to any European country that applies strict new rules for expelling illegal immigrants. Chavez also says Venezuela would block investments from such nations.

ASIA PACIFIC

S. Korean President Apologizes - Kim and Harden, Washington Post

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak apologized again on Thursday for failing to grasp the militant mad cow fears of his people and promised them that no US beef would be imported here unless Washington bans shipment of meat from older cattle. The fears that Lee said he did not initially comprehend have in the past six weeks undermined his leadership, paralyzed his government and triggered huge and sometimes violent street protests, while giving rise to a broader discontent that in the past week has spawned a crippling strike by truckers.

Thai Protesters Push Through Police Cordon - Associated Press

About 1,000 protesters demanding the resignation of Thailand's prime minister Friday broke through a police cordon to approach government offices where they planned to launch a peaceful siege. A protest leader, Chamlong Srimuang, said some 10,000 protesters were converging on Government House in Bangkok from five directions. Their numbers could not be independently verified.

EUROPE

Defying US, EU Scraps Cuba Sanctions - Melander and Brunnstrom, Reuters

European Union states agreed on Thursday to scrap sanctions against Cuba but will insist the Communist island improves its human rights record, EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said. The decision, taken despite US calls for the world to remain tough on Havana, will be reviewed after one year, EU sources said.

MIDDLE EAST

Gaza Cease-Fire Takes Hold - Isabel Kershner, New York Times

At 6 a.m., the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, the Islamic group that controls Gaza, went into effect. Just then the sun was rising over Sderot. It did not immediately burn off the early morning mist over Gaza - mist used in the past as cover for Palestinian militants to carry out attacks along the border only a mile or so away. The truce, a promise of calm reached through painstaking talks mediated by Egypt, holds, in theory, the possibility of a new era in Israel’s relations with Gaza and Hamas. But few Israelis envision that. Instead, they say they believe that Hamas will exploit the quiet to increase its strength, or will fail to control other militant groups in Gaza, making a military confrontation unavoidable in the end.

In Gaza and Israel, a Wary Quiet - Griff Witte, Washington Post

An anxious calm settled over the Gaza Strip and the surrounding area of southern Israel on Thursday, as the first day of a cease-fire between the Jewish state and the armed Islamist group Hamas passed without violence. But neither side was sure how long the planned six-month truce would last, and Hamas faced a new challenge in having to explain why, after two decades of battling the Israeli occupation, the group is suddenly ready to lay down its arms, however temporarily.

First Day of Truce Passes Quietly - Joel Greenberg, Los Angeles Times

Since Hamas seized control of Gaza a year ago, more than 400 Palestinians, militants and civilians have died in Israeli raids and airstrikes, which often hit targets in crowded city streets. Palestinian rocket and mortar attacks have killed 14 people in Israel since 2004. If the calm holds, Israel is to start gradually easing its blockade of Gaza, allowing in larger shipments of supplies and building materials.

Olmert: Truce with Hamas 'Fragile' - Joshua Mitnick, Washington Times

A fragile cease-fire between Hamas and Israel lasted through its first day as each side threatened to inflict painful retribution for any resumption of hostilities across the border dividing Israel from the Gaza Strip. Despite low expectations on both sides, a commentator on Israel's Channel 1 television news said that Hamas has an interest in the short-run to ensure the calm holds up on the Palestinian side.

The Cease-fire in Gaza - Boston Globe editorial

If it holds, the cease-fire that took effect yesterday between Israel and Hamas in Gaza will be a welcome boon for Israelis exposed to rockets fired from Gaza and for Palestinians liable to be caught in retaliatory attacks. But for the Egyptian-brokered cease-fire to become something more than a temporary pause in a chronic conflict, both sides will have to enforce its terms rigorously. And Israel, Hamas, the Palestinian Authority of President Mahmoud Abbas, Egypt, and the United States will have to make the cease-fire a stepping-stone to a durable two-state peace agreement.

A Talk With King Abdullah of Jordan - Washington Post interview

During a turbulent week in the Middle East, King Abdullah of Jordan sat down in Petra to talk with Newsweek-The Washington Post's Lally Weymouth about the prospects for Arab-Israeli peace, Iran's suspected nuclear program and the outlook for the future of Jordan's war-torn neighbor.

SOUTH ASIA

Pakistan Troops Killed in Kashmir - BBC News

Pakistan says four of its soldiers have been killed by "unknown attackers" in the disputed territory of Kashmir. An army spokesman told the BBC the clash took place along the Line of Control (LoC) dividing the region. He said the small arms fire which killed the men had come from the Pakistani side of the de facto border. India says militants opposed to its rule in part of Kashmir cross the LoC. Such incursions have dropped since a 2003 truce between India and Pakistan.

Army: Sri Lanka Fighting Kills 29 - Associated Press

Fighting between the government forces and Tamil Tiger rebels along the northern front lines killed 26 rebels and three government soldiers, the military said Friday. The newly reported fighting took place in Vavuniya, Mannar, Welioya and Jaffna regions bordering the rebels' de facto state in the north Thursday, said a defense ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity due to government regulation. Troops have battled for months over territory around the rebels' northern strongholds, promising they would crush the insurgents by the end of the year.

UNITED NATIONS

Rice Urges Global Action - Betsy Pisik, Washington Times

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice demanded greater international action Thursday on Zimbabwe before and during next week's runoff elections. She spoke at the United Nations hours after the beaten bodies of four opposition figures were discovered, and a prominent political figure was accused of attempting to overthrow the government of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe. "We have reached the point where broader, stronger international action is needed," said Miss Rice at a meeting of UN Security Council nations and countries on Southern African Development Commission.

Sexual Violence Akin to War Crimes - Maggie Farley, Los Angeles Times

The UN Security Council affirmed Thursday that rape and other forms of sexual violence can constitute war crimes, and called for measures to combat such attacks. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice introduced the US-sponsored resolution at a special session attended by diplomats from 60 nations. Rice said the resolution brought an end to a debate about whether sexual violence was a security issue and belonged on the council's agenda. A similar resolution last year failed to pass, with several members disputing the need for it.

UN Council Urges Action on Sexual Violence in War - Reuters

The UN Security Council demanded on Thursday that warring governments and factions act to halt violence against women, saying rape was no longer just a by-product of war but a military tactic. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who chaired part of the session, told the council the world had now recognized that sexual violence during conflicts went beyond individual victims to affect nations' security and stability.

RECOMMENDED READING

Five Good Reads - Galrahn, Information Dissemination

Five good reads.

KeepNet 18 June 2008 - Tim Stevens, Ubiwar

More good reads.

UK CT & COIN Features - 18 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 - 17 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

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.

11-12 September - DNI Open Source Conferece 2008 (Public Event - Conference). Washington, DC. Sponsored by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. The Office of the DNI is pleased to announce the "DNI Open Source Conference 2008" to be held on Thursday, 11 September and Friday, 12 September, 2008 at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington DC. The conference is free; however, all who wish to attend must register online in advance (deadline 31 July). The two-day conference will explore a wide range of open source issues and open source best practices for the Intelligence Community and its partners. We invite participants from the broader open source community of interest including academia, think tanks, private industry, federal, state, local and tribal entities, international partners, and the media to attend. The conference will include speakers from across the broader open source community participating in panel discussions and focus group sessions. Information about the agenda and break-out sessions is now available. The DNI Open Source Conference 2007 was held 16-17 July 2007 at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. More than 900 registered participants and speakers attended. Presentations made at the conference break-out sessions are available on the DNI Open Source Conference 2007 website.

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.