IRAQ

Iraqi Forces Mass Outside of Amara - Kramer and Rubin, New York Times

The Iraqi Army continued to mass troops outside the southern city of Amara on Sunday and Iraq’s prime minister, Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, offered a three-day amnesty and weapons buyback program to militants willing to surrender. Similar offers in the past few months have presaged other military operations, in Basra, the Sadr City slum of Baghdad and in Mosul in northern Iraq. This time, Mr. Maliki is preparing for an operation against the capital of a rural marsh region in southern Iraq, on the Iranian border, where Iraqi officials say a poisonous blend of militia lawlessness and weapons smuggling from Iran has created a chaotic situation. The city is also the capital of the only province in Iraq dominated politically by followers of the radical Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr, a political rival for Mr. Maliki.

Iraq Readies Forces for Militia Crackdown - Haider al-Nasrallah, Reuters

Iraq's government beefed up army and police units in the southern city of Amara on Sunday for a new crackdown on Shi'ite militias, witnesses said. Convoys including armored vehicles and tanks were moving through the northern side of the city, said a Reuters reporter. The operation, which officials say will start on Thursday, is the latest stage in Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's drive to stamp his government's authority on areas previously controlled by Shi'ite militias or Sunni Arab insurgents.

Aides to Sadr Refine Stance On Elections - Amit Paley, Washington Post

Aides to anti-American Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr said Sunday that although his movement will not field an official slate of Sadrist candidates in upcoming elections, it could support individual Sadrists running for office. The strategy could be a way for Sadr to influence the provincial elections this fall despite moves by the Iraqi government to ban his movement from participating. Sadrist leaders sought to modify statements made a day earlier that the movement would not take part in the local contests. They had previously said only that the movement would support slates of "technocrats and independent politicians," but on Sunday they said those candidates could well be Sadrists.

Sadr's Movement to Back Independent Candidates - Voice of America

A spokesman for Iraq's radical Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr says his movement will not directly participate in provincial elections scheduled for October 1. Sadr's spokesman said Sunday that the movement instead will support "technocrats and independent politicians" in the polls. He said the movement will not directly contest the elections because it does not want to be part of sectarian divisions. Iraq's 18 provinces will choose governing councils in the elections, which Washington says will help to stabilize the country by giving more power to local leaders.

Sadr's Party Won't Stand in Elections - Parker and Salman, Los Angeles Times

Members of Shiite Muslim cleric Muqtada Sadr's political bloc announced Sunday that the group would not compete as a party in coming local elections but would endorse candidates. The decision appeared aimed at allowing the Sadr movement to play a role in the Iraqi elections despite a government threat to bar the bloc from fielding candidates if it did not first dissolve its militia. The Sadr movement, with a few exceptions, did not participate in provincial elections in January 2005. In the coming round, scheduled for fall, it had been expected to do well and perhaps best its main Shiite political rivals, the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council and the Islamic Dawa Party.

Sadr Shifts Strategy for Iraq Elections - Qassim Abdul-Zahra, Associated Press

Followers of anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr will run candidates on other party tickets in upcoming Iraqi provincial elections, a top aide said Sunday, in an apparent bid to sidestep what they believe is a government campaign against their movement. The decision is part of a sweeping strategic change by the militant cleric as the Shiite-led government gave Shiite militiamen in an al-Sadr stronghold four days to surrender heavy weapons or face arrest.

No Rushing Talks on Pact, Iraqis Say - Rubin and Al-Salhy, New York Times

Discussions among Iraqi politicians on the country’s long-term security agreement with the United States were under way over the weekend, but it will take many weeks and more likely months before the agreement is completed, people close to the negotiations said. American officials would like a deal by the end of July, before the Democratic and Republican national conventions. But for Iraqis, who have an election law to complete in the next month so they can prepare for an election of their own in the fall, that seems like a tight deadline.

Kramer Gets It Wrong - Max Boot, Contentions

It’s a small story on an inside page. But its length and placement were out of all proportion to the amount of aggravation this New York Times article caused me: “Iraq Troops Mass for Assault in South” by Andrew E. Kramer. What annoyed me was the opening paragraph: Aiming at a power base of a rival Shiite leader, Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki sent troops into the southern city of Amara on Saturday. That makes it sound as if there is something illicit about this offensive. In fact, it is merely a continuation of the operations that Iraqi security forces have mounted in recent months.

Reporting for Duty -- Not - Debra Saunders, Real Clear Politics opinion

Iraq isn't the big story this month. Gas prices are. In May, the Associated Press reported, US military deaths plunged to the lowest monthly level in four years and civilian casualties were down sharply, too. Gasoline also hit $4 a gallon. And you don't see as many "No war for oil" bumper stickers as you used to. The success of the Bush surge - with Iraqi forces having led offensives in three major cities and taking on Shiite militias - has been greeted in America with a collective shrug. "My perhaps overly cynical view is that it's probably too much to hope for - a lot of good news stories coming out of Iraq," US Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker said during a recent conference call. But also, with the al-Maliki government clearing once dangerous areas and violence dropping, "Iraq no longer occupies the status as the overarching, all-encompassing crisis that requires full national attention."

Iraq in Review - Victor Davis Hanson, National Review opinion

Many commentators on Iraq had no strong ideas about the wisdom of removing Saddam Hussein, but often predicated their evolving views on the basis of whether we were perceived as winning or losing - and later made the necessary and often fluid adjustments. So in light of the changing pulse of the battlefield, it is time once again to examine carefully a few of the now commonplace critiques of the Iraq war.

Taking the War to the Dems - Charles Krauthammer, National Review opinion

In his St. Paul victory speech, Barack Obama pledged again to pull out of Iraq. Rather than “continue a policy in Iraq that asks everything of our brave men and women in uniform and nothing of Iraqi politicians... It’s time for Iraqis to take responsibility for their future.” We know Obama hasn’t been to Iraq in more than two years, but does he not read the papers? Does he not know anything about developments on the ground? Here is the “nothing” that Iraqis have been doing in the last few months...

Bush Never Lied - James Kirchick, Los Angeles Times opinion

Yet in spite of all the accusations of White House "manipulation" - that it pressured intelligence analysts into connecting Hussein and Al Qaeda and concocted evidence about weapons of mass destruction - administration critics continually demonstrate an inability to distinguish making claims based on flawed intelligence from knowingly propagating falsehoods. In 2004, the Senate Intelligence Committee unanimously approved a report acknowledging that it "did not find any evidence that administration officials attempted to coerce, influence or pressure analysts to change their judgments." The following year, the bipartisan Robb-Silberman report similarly found "no indication that the intelligence community distorted the evidence regarding Iraq's weapons of mass destruction."

Muqtada's Outside-Inside Game (Updated) - Dr. iRack, Abu Muqawama

Muqtada al-Sadr comes through with another bombshell. On Friday he declared that most JAM armed activities would end, while a special wing would continue to focus on attacks against US forces. Now, Sadr has announced that his movement will not take part in the provincial elections. There are two interpretations of Sadr's actions here. Sadr is weakened (maybe even defeated) or Sadr is playing an outside-inside game.

The Right Kind of Leverage - Dr. iRack, Abu Muqawama

So, in the context of near-victory, this crowd simply can't fathom why the Iraqis would try to screw things up by thwarting a SOFA that is required to authorize the presence of US forces in Iraq in 2009 and beyond. But the truth of the matter is that it is difficult to see a way forward in current negotiations if one starts from the premise that the entire goal of the talks is to allow the United States the maximum amount of "freedom of action" in Iraq and the largest possible troop presence for as long as we want.

AFGHANISTAN / PAKISTAN TRIBAL AREAS

Karzai Threatens to Send Soldiers Into Pakistan - Carlotta Gall, New York Times

President Hamid Karzai threatened to send Afghan soldiers across the border into Pakistan to fight militant groups operating in the border areas to attack Afghanistan. His comments, made at a news conference on Sunday in Kabul, Afghanistan are likely to worsen tensions between the two countries just days after American forces in Afghanistan killed 11 Pakistani soldiers on the border while in pursuit of militants. “If these people in Pakistan give themselves the right to come and fight in Afghanistan, as was continuing for the last 30 years, so Afghanistan has the right to cross the border and destroy terrorist nests, spying, extremism, and killing, in order to defend itself, its schools, its peoples and its life,” he said.

President Karzai in Terror Warning - Jeremy Page, Times of London

President Karzai threatened yesterday to send troops into Pakistan to prevent cross-border attacks by the Taleban, giving a personal warning to Baitullah Mehsud, the self-proclaimed leader of the Pakistani Taleban, that he would be hunted down for sending his men over the frontier to fight Afghan and Nato forces. “Afghanistan has the right of self defence,” President Karzai told a news conference. “When they cross the territory from Pakistan to come and kill Afghans and kill coalition troops, it exactly gives us the right to go back and do the same.

Karzai Threatens Forces into Pakistan - Jason Straziuso, Associated Press

Afghan President Hamid Karzai threatened Sunday to send Afghan troops after notorious Taliban leaders inside Pakistan in an angry warning to his eastern neighbor that he will no longer tolerate cross-border attacks. The threat - the first time Karzai has said he would send forces into Pakistan - comes only days after a sophisticated Taliban assault on Kandahar's prison freed 870 prisoners, and six weeks after Karzai survived his fourth assassination attempt. Karzai has long pleaded with Pakistan and the international community to confront tribal area safe havens, and US officials have increased their warnings in recent weeks that the sanctuaries in Pakistan must be dealt with.

Prison Attack Stirs Tensions - Aunohita Mojumdar, Christian Science Monitor

Afghan President Hamid Karzai threatened for the first time Sunday to send troops into Pakistan to fight militants, raising Afghanistan's longtime criticism of its neighbor for not stopping cross-border attacks to a new level. President Karzai's statement came as NATO and Afghan forces continued hunting for 870 prisoners - including some 400 Taliban militants - who escaped Friday after a spectacular assault on a high-security prison in Kandahar Province in southern Afghanistan. The incident did prompt the strongest rhetoric yet from Karzai, who like many Afghan officials has long blamed Pakistan for the insurgency in their country, claiming that Pakistan helps insurgents by providing them a haven if not actively supporting them.

Afghans Support President's Pakistan Threat - Associated Press

Officials say hundreds of Afghans are gathering in the eastern part of the country in support of President Hamid Karzai's threat to send Afghan troops after militants inside Pakistan. The provincial police chief of Paktika province, Gen. Nabi Mullakhail, says almost 300 people have gathered in the Sharan district. Paktika Gov. Mohammad Akram Akhpelwak says people are gathering in other areas of his province, too.

15 Taliban Killed in Hunt for Escaped Inmates - Jason Straziuso, Associated Press

US-led coalition and Afghan forces killed more than 15 insurgents during a hunt for inmates who fled prison after a sophisticated Taliban attack that set hundreds free, while Afghan forces recaptured 20 prisoners, officials said Sunday. The US said it couldn't immediately confirm that any of the 15 killed were escaped prisoners. Five militants were also captured during the Saturday operation, it said. The provincial police chief of Kandahar province has said 870 prisoners - including some 400 Taliban militants - escaped from the Kandahar prison during a coordinated assault on the facility by dozens of insurgents late Friday.

More British Key-skill Troops to Afghanistan - Michael Evans, Times of London

More than 200 additional specialist troops are to be sent to Afghanistan to boost Britain’s military presence to 8,000, the Ministry of Defence will announce today. The 230 hand-picked troops are all engineers, logistics specialists and experts in military training who will be assigned to help in the development of the Afghan National Army and the Afghan National Police. The reinforcements will be announced in the House of Commons. The extra troops are being selected individually for their specialist skills and will come from a number of different units.

A Sober Assessment of Afghanistan - Ann Scott Tyson, Washington Post

The outgoing top US military commander in Afghanistan said Friday that attacks increased 50 percent in April in the country's eastern region, where U.S. troops primarily operate, as a spreading Taliban insurgency across the border in Pakistan fueled a surge in violence. In a sober assessment, Gen. Dan K. McNeill, who departed June 3 after 16 months commanding NATO's International Security Assistance Force, or ISAF, said that although record levels of foreign and Afghan troops have constrained repeated Taliban offensives, stabilizing Afghanistan will be impossible without a more robust military campaign against insurgent havens in Pakistan. The Taliban is "resurgent in the region," particularly in sanctuaries in Pakistan, and as a result "it's going to be difficult to take on this insurgent group... in the broader sort of way," McNeill said at a Pentagon news conference.

Rotation Brings New Hope - Waliullah Rahmani, Jamestown Foundation

With the onset of a wide operation against the Taliban in Garmsir district of Helmand province, once again the lawless Helmand province has become the focus of national and international circles. On April 30, the US Marines announced they had recaptured Garmsir district from Taliban control and entered governmental buildings (BBC Persian.com, April 30). Since this operation was launched, at least 10 insurgents have been reported killed or injured every day during the Marines’ operations in different areas of Helmand. The return of US forces to this volatile southern province has been accompanied by rumors in Helmand and Kabul that the US forces will eventually be replaced by British troops who were in charge of Helmand for the past two years. Such a development would be generally unwelcome in the province. Meanwhile, the redeployment of US troops to Helmand has brought hopes for the betterment of security and easing of the insurgency in at least parts of this neo-Taliban-dominated province. These developments in Helmand over the last two months, however, need to be examined so that there can be a clear vision of where Helmand stands and to distinguish the status of the leading players there.

Strike Target's Mehsud's Hideout in Pakistan - Bill Roggio, The Long War Journal

The US military may have targeted Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud Several in an airstrike on June 14, according to several reports from Pakistan. Baitullah's hideout in the town of Makeen in South Waziristan was hit with three missiles, according to Geo TV and the Daily Times. Only one person was confirmed killed in the strike. Baitullah is not believed to have been killed.

Finding a Sustainable Strategy - Westhawk, Westhawk

In today’s Wall Street Journal, Ms. Ann Marlowe, an experienced reporter of the Afghan campaign, discusses the difficulties that occur when the US military replaces experienced and successful field commanders and soldiers in accordance with rotation timetables. When the old hands leave and the new men arrive, a pacified province can seem to fall apart. Does this mean that soldiers should serve in the war zone “for the duration” as many imagine was the policy during World War II? For the Long War, now almost twice the length of America’s experience in World War II, such a policy is obviously unrealistic.

Assassination & Insurgency at the Frontline Club - Tim Stevens, CTLab

On Wednesday 11 June 2008 the Frontline Club in London hosted a discussion evening, Media Talk: Assassination and Insurgency - Are the Taliban Winning? Moderated by Nazanine Moshiri of Al Jazeera, the panel brought together Alastair Leithead (BBC), James Fergusson (journalist and author), James Appathurai (NATO spokesman), John D. McHugh (photojournalist) and, via Skype from Kandahar, Mawlavi Abdulsalam Zaeef (ex-Taliban ambassador to Pakistan). As with all the recent Frontline events I've attended, proceeds went to the Frontline Fixer's Fund, appropriate given the recent murders of BBC journalists Abdul Samad Rohani in Afghanistan and Nasteh Dahir Farah in Somalia.

IRAN

Major Setback on Nuclear Crisis - Michael Theodoulou, Times of London

Hopes of a negotiated solution to the Iranian nuclear crisis have suffered a major setback after Iran appeared to rebuff an offer of incentives from world powers in return for suspending its uranium enrichment programme. The United States, backed by leading European countries, is now set to pursue further sanctions against Tehran while American sabre-rattling is likely to grow louder. The offer of technological and economic incentives was hand-delivered to Iran on Saturday by Javier Solana, the EU’s foreign policy chief, on behalf of Europe, Russia and China.

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

Officials Fear Bomb Design Went to Others - Sanger and Broad, New York Times

The revelation this weekend that the Khan operation even had such a bomb blueprint underscores the questions that remain about what Dr. Khan, a Pakistani metallurgist and the father of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons program, was selling and to whom. It also raises the possibility that he may still have sensitive material. Yet even as inspectors and intelligence officials press their investigation of Dr. Khan, officials in Pakistan have declared the scandal over and have discussed the possibility of setting him free. In recent weeks, American officials have privately warned the new government in Pakistan about the dangers of doing so.

AQ Khan Ring May Have Sold N-plans - The Australian

A report by a former UN arms inspector has warned that an international smuggling ring that sold bomb-related parts to Libya, Iran and North Korea also managed to acquire blueprints for an advanced nuclear weapon. The Washington Post reported last night that a copy of the draft it had obtained suggested the plans could have been shared secretly with a number of countries or rogue groups. The study focuses on drawings discovered in 2006 on computers owned by Swiss businessmen. They included essential details for building a compact device that could be fitted on a type of ballistic missile used by Iran and more than a dozen developing countries.

Afghan Prison Break - Wall Street Journal editorial

The Supreme Court ruled last Thursday that the writ of habeas corpus should apply to non-American terrorist detainees held at Guantanamo Bay. The Taliban delivered its own commentary on the ruling the very next day, when it busted into a prison in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar and freed 1,150 prisoners, of whom 400 are Taliban members and the other 750 easy potential conscripts. Call it habeas corpus, Taliban-style. The connection between these events is not merely their timing. The point of keeping enemy combatants at a remote location like Guantanamo is that it offers some assurance that they will not return to the battlefield to kill more Americans – something many have done when given the chance. Yet last week's Boumediene decision makes it all but certain that Gitmo will soon be shutting (or should we say opening) its doors. The High Court's 5-4 decision will also likely bear on the "rights" that captured enemy combatants will now try to claim when detained by the US in Iraq, Afghanistan and other theaters in the war on terror. As a result, the US military is likely to transfer an increasing number of captured terrorists to local prison authorities, if only to avoid the endless judicial landmines it can expect trying to win convictions in US court.

George W. Bush v. the Constitution - Gabriel Schoenfeld, Commentary opinion

The indictment of the Bush administration for its conduct of the war on terrorism is both familiar and increasingly insistent. In the aftermath of 9/11, it is charged, the White House responded in ways that not only traduced the US legal system but radically transformed it, stripping American citizens of time-honored rights, trampling on the fundamental premises of our Constitution, and bringing shame on our country for extreme and illegal practices in the treatment of suspected adversaries. Across seven years, a vast journalistic and legal literature has catalogued the depredations allegedly visited on the American constitutional order. Numerous lawsuits challenging the administration's counterterrorism policies, brought by groups ranging from the American Civil Liberties Union to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, are moving up and down the rungs of the federal court system. The issues have been caught up in the presidential election contest, with both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama slamming George W. Bush for having breached the proper channels of executive-branch power, and castigating John McCain for carrying the president's banner.

The Ghost of AQ Khan - Richard Fernandez, The Belmont Club

I think any reasonable person can deduce several very probable things from this information. First, that a number of regimes, including but not limited to, Iran, Libya, and North Korea, are interested in developing nuclear weapons outside of the non-proliferation regime. Second, that nuclear weapons design information is already available to them, and possibly to any private party with the money to purchase it. It is less probable, but certainly reasonable to conclude that because elements of the Pakistani government have been involved in AQ Khan's activity, it is by no means impossible that al-Qaeda has the weapons design information.

Bush's Last Hunt for bin Laden - Baxter and Smith, The Australian

US President George W.Bush has enlisted British and US special forces in a final attempt to capture Osama bin Laden before he leaves the White House. Defence and intelligence sources in Washington and London confirmed a renewed hunt was on for the leader of the September 11 attacks. "If he (Mr Bush) can say he has killed Saddam Hussein and captured bin Laden, he can claim to have left the world a safer place," said a US intelligence source.

Pay Attention to Pakistan - Trudy Rubin, Miami Herald opinion

The most urgent foreign policy problem that the next US president will face won't be Iraq. Nor will it be Iran. The next terrorist attack on America is likely to originate, according to the top US military commander, Adm. Mike Mullen, in a place you've probably never heard of: the FATA. That's the acronym for the Federally Ad ministered Tribal Areas of northern Pakistan. The FATA is a lawless expanse along the Afghan border where al Qaeda, the Taliban and other jihadi groups now base. From these safe havens they attack NATO troops in Afghanistan, plan terrorist attacks abroad and threaten Pakistan itself - a nuclear state. Neither Pakistani officials nor the Bush administration have a strategy to curb FATA's jihadis. Indeed, the situation seems to be getting worse. Under US pressure, Pakistan sent troops into FATA, but they were bloodied and unsuccessful. Geared up to fight their arch enemy India, the army was incapable of combating an insurgency.

The Gitmo Nightmare - Matthew Continetti, Weekly Standard opinion

It's hard to summarize a decision as long and complicated as the Supreme Court's 5-4 ruling last week in Boumediene v. Bush. But we can try. Unprecedented. Reckless. Harmful. Breathtakingly condescending. The Court, in an opinion written by Justice Anthony Kennedy, ruled that non-citizens captured abroad and held in a military installation overseas--the remaining 270 or so inmates at the terrorist prison in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba - have the same constitutional right as US citizens to challenge their detention in court. Furthermore, the current procedures by which a detainee's status is reviewed - procedures fashioned in good faith and at the Court's behest by a bipartisan congressional majority in consultation with the commander in chief during a time of war - are unconstitutional. The upshot is the prisoners at Camp Delta can now file habeas corpus petitions in US district courts seeking reprieve. Hence lawyers, judges, and leftwing interest groups will have real influence over the conduct of the war on terror. Call it the Gitmo nightmare.

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.

Ending Child Soldiering - Radhika Coomaraswamy, Washington Times opinion

There has been significant progress recently toward ridding the world of child soldiers. In May, the US Congress took action that will advance the agenda to help protect the world's children and punish adults who seek to use them as cheap cannon-fodder in armed conflicts. In 2007, two separate bills, the Child Soldiers Prevention Act and the Child Soldiers Accountability Act, found bipartisan support in both chambers of the Congress, and together they have the potential to make a real difference in the lives of thousands of child soldiers around the world. The Foreign Relations Committee incorporated the bills on child soldiers into the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act, providing an important impetus to efforts to address this ongoing global tragedy.

USG Sites Related to the “I” in DIME - Matt Armstrong, MountainRunner

Modern conflict relies heavily on influencing societal groups that cross political borders and ignore geography. Information campaigns are waged, neglected, and abused by all sides as they attempt to manipulate various audiences. blah blah blah... yeah, yeah, you’ve read it here before. To the point, are you looking for a one-stop shop for USG (U.S. Government) and other resources that talk about information, whether it is Information Operations, Strategic Communications, or Network Centric Warfare? If so, check out the U.S. Army War College’s DIME website, specifically their links page.

US DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

What Rumsfeld Got Right - Robert Kaplan, The Atlantic

Rumsfeld, one former Pentagon official told me, saw Iraq’s degraded military as an easy target for our own; its destruction would provide a quick demonstration of American power, as well as get rid of the regional threat that the Iraqi regime constituted. No firm believer in democratic transformation, he probably assumed, as did many other people at the time, that any new regime in Baghdad, even a military one, would be a dramatic improvement, in strategic terms for the US and in human-rights terms for the Iraqis. Rather than a fear of chaos, what is more apparent at this stage is a certain complacency on Rumsfeld’s part. For example, he evidently did not challenge the personnel system’s choice of ground commander in post-invasion Iraq. The Army’s 5th Corps was slated to rotate out of Germany and into Iraq. Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, the 5th Corps commander, and his staff, despite their service in Bosnia, had done little thinking about counterinsurgency. From that set of circumstances, a long trail of well-documented mistakes followed. In this and other cases, Rumsfeld, who is often accused of micromanaging, did not micromanage enough.

Air Force Firings Followed Budget Battle - Rowan Scarborough, Washington Times

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates' decapitation of the Air Force leadership came months after a heated debate pitting Mr. Gates and his staff against Air Force generals over spending priorities, knowledgeable sources have revealed. Gen. T. Michael Moseley, whom Mr. Gates fired June 5 over lax nuclear weapons controls, vehemently argued in private for producing more F-22 Raptors, an advanced stealth fighter that represents air power's future. Gen. Moseley, a fighter pilot with extensive combat experience, argued that Mr. Gates and his budget shop were so focused on providing money for the current wars of counterinsurgency, it shortchanged the Air Force's future, according to a source close to the Air Force leadership.

The Heir Up There - Max Boot, New York Times opinion

The appointment of Gen. Norton A. Schwartz as the chief of staff of the Air Force last week is a historic first, one that could serve as inspiration for people who share his underprivileged background. General Schwartz is, you see, a cargo pilot. He started his career flying a C-130, the main transport aircraft of the Air Force, and he took part in the airlift of American personnel out of Saigon in 1975. He comes to his new job from a stint as the commander of the Pentagon’s Transportation Command, and he has also been the deputy commander of the Special Operations Command. His résumé may not raise eyebrows outside the Air Force, but among blue suits it is unique for a chief of staff. Flying fighter jets has been the formative experience of every chief of staff for the past quarter-century.

Firing Up the Air Force - Austin Bay, Washington Times opinion

The classic World War II-era poster reminded talkative dock workers that "loose lips sink ships." Well, loose nukes present an even more imposing problem, one with continent-cracking possibilities. Last week, when Defense Secretary Robert Gates requested and received the resignations of Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne and US Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Michael Moseley, Mr. Gates' office cited as a reason a Pentagon investigation of lax standards in Air Force oversight of nuclear weapons. One incident involved a USAF bomber with cruise missiles overflying a wide swath of the United States - and the crew didn't know the weapons had real nuclear warheads. That sounds bad, and bad it is. Resignation at Mr. Wynne's and Gen. Moseley's level of national service, especially under these conditions, is a euphemism for "fired."

Tom Ricks's Inbox - Thomas Ricks, Washington Post

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates recently fired the two top officials in the Air Force over the service's sloppy handling of nuclear weapons. Last week, he visited the Air Force Combat Command to explain his actions. His remarks struck me as a model of the way a civilian chief should speak to service members: respectfully and precisely, but leaving no doubt about who is in charge.

Kaplan on Rumsfeld - Max Boot, Contentions

Robert D. Kaplan, one of our most thoughtful and enterprising foreign correspondents, has an intriguing article in the Atlantic headlined, “What Rumsfeld Got Right.” He admits that the Rumsfeld legacy is not a good one, as seen in the worsening situation in Iraq and Afghanistan on his watch. But he tries to argue that Rumsfeld wasn’t wrong about everything. “Even before 9/11,” he writes, “Rumsfeld saw a new strategic landscape of manifest uncertainty, of fundamental and catastrophic surprise.” In responding to that changed environment, Rumsfeld moved tens of thousands of troops out of established bases in Europe and Asia

Army Displays New Equipment, ‘Team Soldier’ Logo - Michael Carden, AFPS

The Army displayed its latest product line of clothing and equipment in the Pentagon courtyard. Representatives of Program Executive Office Soldier gave Pentagon personnel a look at the Land Warrior System, the Common Remotely Operated Weapon System and the T-11 parachute. They also presented several new and improved shoulder-fired weapons, gloves, eye protection, and night vision gear.

UK MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

A Credit to Our Country - Prince Charles, Daily Telegraph of London opinion

Across the world our servicemen and women, including our Reserve Forces, are operating in hostile and stark environments, enduring real hardships and danger on a daily basis. We hear about the battles and the fighting in which many of them are engaged - and, incidentally, we must remember that many personnel from the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force are conducting essential flying operations in Afghanistan, often under intense enemy fire, to support troops on the ground. Nor should we ever forget the unique role played by the Special Forces, unseen and unheard, and the equally unique support provided by their remarkable families and loved ones. But sometimes I think it is all too easy to forget that our Armed Forces' role is so much wider. Military force is only one aspect of their work. For instance, in both Iraq and Afghanistan there are countless examples of civil projects in which the military has been involved.

PRIVATE MILITARY COMPANIES

Blackwater's Bright Future - Jeremy Scahill, Los Angeles Times opinion

From California to Iraq, business has never been better for the controversial private security firm Blackwater Worldwide. Company President Gary Jackson recently boasted that Blackwater has "had two successive quarters of unprecedented growth." Owner Erik Prince recently spun his company as the "FedEx" of the US national security apparatus, describing Blackwater as a "robust temp agency." Such rhetoric may seem brazen, given Blackwater's deadly record in Iraq and troubled reputation at home, but here is the cold, hard fact: Blackwater knows its future is bright no matter who next takes up residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

US DEPARTMENT OF STATE / FOREIGN POLICY

Suited for the New Diplomacy? - James DeHart, Washington Post opinion

One of my US Foreign Service colleagues has a great photo of himself from his time working with a Provincial Reconstruction Team in one of Afghanistan's livelier provinces. He's dressed in khaki, with an MP5 assault rifle slung over his shoulder. When I first saw it, I thought: There's a lot to say about service like that. It's adventurous. It's courageous. It's patriotic. But is it diplomacy? Maybe, maybe not. But it seems to be the trend. Since 2003, more than 2,000 members of the Foreign Service have volunteered to serve in Iraq or Afghanistan and - last year's flap over forced assignments to Iraq notwithstanding -- continue to do so in droves. Often, they're involved in non-traditional nation-building work - digging wells, building schools and mentoring city councils - in military units far from the US embassy.

Assist Effectively to Lead - Brainard and Unger, Los Angeles Times opinion

In the face of what may be the biggest setback to food security and thereby to global development in recent history, America's weak and fragmented foreign assistance infrastructure is not up to the task of responding effectively. With food security - a foundational component of development - taking a major hit in low-income countries worldwide, the US should be at the forefront of the response effort in terms of short-term relief and longer-term investments in agricultural productivity. The response must be broad in scope, helping to address issues stemming from the impact of bio-fuel and land-use policies to climate change to the rising middle class in Asia that is demanding higher-input foods. On global development matters the US has historically shown leadership in confronting problems, but we are unprepared to meet the new challenges posed by the 21st century. In particular, with 50 separate government units sharing responsibility for aid planning and delivery in the executive branch, and with a morass of 50 objectives ranging from narcotics eradication to biodiversity preservation, our aid system suffers from untenable levels of incoherence and fragmentation that undercut our efforts to lead abroad.

America Isn't Over - Ted Widmer, Los Angeles Times opinion

There is no question that US foreign policy suffered a monster setback over the last eight years, and it does not take a genius to realize that the next president will have to speak differently to a world that has grown cynical about American promises. After years of the most simple-minded platitudes about liberty, it will be a pleasure to declare ourselves free from President Bush's "freedom agenda," which was never well-defined or successful, even by its own yardsticks. In fact, during the last two years of Bush's tenure, the number of democracies has been declining around the world, according to the human rights monitoring group Freedom House - the first two-year decline in 15 years. Notorious crooks, such as Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe, have stayed in power throughout the Bush years; other nations, such as Cameroon, have gotten worse, and we all saw what a nightmare Myanmar is when the cyclone blew the lid off its usual secrecy. But does that really mean that it is time for the US to disengage from the world?

AFRICA

Pro-Mugabe War Vets Draw Hard Line - Scott Baldauf, Christian Science Monitor

The man behind Zimbabwe's most feared militia, the War Veterans, has all the credentials of a dedicated fighter except one: He's never fought in combat. Graduating from boot camp in Angola just after Zimbabwe's "war of liberation" against white-minority rule ended in 1980, Jabulani Sibanda soldiered on as an organizer for President Robert Mugabe's ruling party, the ZANU-PF. It was Mr. Sibanda who led so-called war veterans to take white-owned farms by force, starting in 2000. Today, Sibanda - one of the hardest hard-liners in the ruling ZANU-PF - is blamed for orchestrating attacks on opposition supporters in the lead-up to a runoff election on June 27. "We are definitely winning," says a confident Sibanda, in an exclusive interview in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Despite South African-sponsored talks held last week, Sibanda says there is no possibility of a power-sharing deal between Mr. Mugabe's party and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change.

Britain Leads Call for Sanctions - Coates and Clayton, Times of London

Britain and its international allies will urge South Africa to cut off electricity supplies to Zimbabwe if Robert Mugabe steals the election in two weeks’ time, The Times has learnt. Plans are being drawn up to persuade Zimbabwe’s allies to mount an economic blockade and diplomats are considering a ban on the children of the elite going to school in Europe if Mr Mugabe loses the election but refuses to step down. Concern is growing at the scale of the violence and intimidation before the rerun of the presidential election on June 27, with David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, describing yesterday as “sadism” the murder and torture in the country.

Stop Mugabe, African Leaders Urged - Paul Maley, The Australian

Kevin Rudd has called on African nations to do more to rein in the excesses of Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe, warning that the ageing despot looks set to "steal" another election. Mr Rudd said it was incumbent on African leaders to ensure Mugabe respected the result of the June 27 presidential runoff with Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who was on Saturday detained by the regime's thugs for the fifth time in about 10 days. "Our concern and the concern of most countries around the world is that Mr Mugabe will steal this election," Mr Rudd said in Darwin. "Therefore, it's important that the international community of nations, including the African Union and the South African development council, speak with one voice about the importance of democracy and the will of the people prevailing in Zimbabwe." The comments from Mr Rudd followed the promise by Mugabe to fight to keep Mr Tsvangirai from power, as the MDC's secretary-general, Tendai Biti, appeared in a Harare court facing a charge carrying a potential death sentence.

Zimbabwe's Mugabe Vows No Surrender to 'Sellouts' - Associated Press

Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe says he will only hand over power to those who share his ideology. Mugabe faces opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai in a June 27 presidential runoff. The state-controlled Sunday Mail quoted Mugabe at a rally Saturday sounding a familiar campaign theme: portraying Tsvangirai as a puppet of the US and Britain. Tsvangirai denies the allegations.

Mugabe's Achilles Heel is His Wallet - Nick Clegg, Times of London opinion

In less than two weeks the fate of the people of Zimbabwe will be determined by the result of a run-off presidential election. If Robert Mugabe is allowed to steal that election the tragedy will be complete. The scale of the catastrophe that Mugabe has precipitated in his country is almost unimaginable. In just ten years, life expectancy has plummeted from 61 years to less than 36 - the lowest in the world. The economy has disintegrated - inflation by the official measure stood at 164,900 per cent in April, unemployment is more than 80 per cent; the shops are empty, the health service has collapsed, the school system no longer functions and millions of Zimbabweans have fled. Amid the chaos and misery for ordinary Zimbabweans there exists a grotesque contrast. It is to be found in the ostentatious houses, newly built in the suburbs of Harare by Mugabe's party cronies and the military top brass; in the expensive cars that chauffeur the Zanu (PF) elite around the capital and the luxury foods available to those with access to foreign currency. But this grotesque contrast is most sinisterly apparent in the foreign currency miraculously found to arm and equip the forces that brutalise Mugabe's opponents, while public services and infrastructure crumble.

Sudan to Deploy Troops in Abyei - Amber Henshaw, BBC News

A joint battalion of Sudan's northern and southern troops is to move into the disputed oil-rich town of Abyei on Tuesday, their commander has said. The deployment is part of a plan to defuse tension in the area after heavy clashes last month which left about 60 dead and thousands of people displaced. President Omar al-Bashir and his southern Vice-President, Salva Kiir, agreed on the plan last week. The crisis in Abyei has sparked fears of another civil war in the country.

Chad Rebels Say Occupy Town Closer to Capital - Finbarr O'Reilly, Reuters

Chadian rebels mounting what they say is a new offensive against President Idriss Deby advanced deeper into the country from the east on Sunday, briefly occupying the town of Am-Dam, rebel spokesmen said. Another rebel column attacked the eastern town of Goz-Beida on Saturday, engaging government troops in heavy fighting before pulling back towards the Sudanese border 70 km (40 miles) away. Oil-producing Chad and Sudan accuse each other of backing insurgents who have attacked both capitals this year.

After 15 Years, Hints of Peace in Burundi - Jeffrey Gettleman, New York Times

After 15 years of off-again-on-again civil war, the last of Burundi’s rebel groups has finally come to the negotiating table. A cease-fire signed in late May is still holding, and for the first time all the decision makers - including top rebel leaders who until recently had been demonized as terrorists and commanded troops from exile - are in the same place, here in the capital, Bujumbura. Burundi, with a population of 8.7 million, is one of the smallest countries in Africa. Its troubles have often disappeared into the shadow cast by its neighbor Congo, where millions have died in a series of seemingly endless conflicts that rage on to this day. Just north of Burundi is Rwanda, which was racked by genocide in 1994 when Hutu death squads exterminated 800,000 people, most of them Tutsi.

Panel Urges G-8 to Increase Africa Aid - Michael Abramowitz, Washington Post

A panel of prominent figures led by former UN secretary general Kofi Annan is warning that the Group of Eight industrialized countries must step up their assistance to Africa or risk breaking their promise to double aid by 2010. In a report to be released in London this morning, the Africa Progress Panel describes a "mixed picture" of G-8 progress toward meeting aid targets that were set over the years at annual summits. Industrialized countries have eliminated a considerable amount of African debt, but they have not done as well on direct aid: Without major increases, "most countries will be well below" the collective target of $130 billion in aid by 2010, according to the panelists.

US-Africa Alliance to Help Farmers - Howard LaFranchi, Christian Science Monitor

Convinced the global food crisis has no quick fixes, the international community is beginning to team up with agriculture experts to find long-term solutions to the challenge – with a particular emphasis on Africa. Taking some cues from past successes – especially from the first "green revolution" in Asia – and mixing them with new technologies, aid donors and agriculture experts are placing new emphasis on infrastructure development, efficient farm-to-market systems, and distribution of new and better seeds and fertilizers. The new focus is also increasingly on the small farmer who, as Kofi Annan notes, in the case of Africa is more often than not a woman.

AMERICAS

Tijuana Strip Turns Ghostly - Manuel Roig-Franzia, Washington Post

Daylight gun battles, beheadings and kidnappings have scared away tourists, forced layoffs and turned some areas of once-vibrant Mexican border cities into virtual ghost towns. The drug wars, which have killed more than 6,000 people in the past 2 1/2 years, have accelerated a decline that merchants also blame on the US economic slowdown and delays at the border because of increased enforcement. In Tijuana, where at least 200 people have been killed in drug violence this year, merchants say tourism is down as much as 90 percent compared with 2005, when an estimated 4 million people visited. Half of the downtown businesses -- more than 2,400 -- are shuttered. Farther east along the border, empty markets have become the norm in Ciudad Juarez, where fighting between rival cartels has killed 200 people this year. In Nuevo Laredo, five hotels have shut down.

Panama City: Boomtown With Growing Pains - Chris Kraul, Los Angeles Times

The city is still redolent of the intrigue that fascinated John le Carre and Graham Greene, both of whom wrote books about Panama and its murky politics. It's long been a meeting ground and place of exile for characters such as former President Juan Peron of Argentina, the shah of Iran and Colombian drug trafficker Pablo Escobar. Its cosmopolitan ambience has a renegade element: Panama has long been and still is a staging ground for illegal arms going south to Colombian armed groups and for drugs traveling north to US consumers. But Panama's leaders insist their country is on a trajectory toward First World status and respectability.

Colombia: What a Difference Six Years Makes - Miami Herald editorial

The leftist, narco-terrorist movement known as the FARC had the nation by the throat and was slowly tightening its grip. Vast parts of the countryside were under the sway of FARC rebels. City dwellers were prisoners of their urban enclaves. Residents of the capital, Bogotá, dared not venture far beyond the city limits for fear of being kidnapped, robbed or murdered by FARC marauders. Enter President Alvaro Uribe, who was elected in May of 2002 on a ''get-tough'' platform. Within days of his Aug. 7 inauguration, he declared a national state of emergency, imposed a wartime surtax and vowed to take a ''firm hand'' against the rebels. Did he ever.

A Humbled Hugo - San Francisco Chronicle editorial

Venezuela's hyperbolic Hugo Chavez is trying out a new role. He's now a reflective realist, willing to retreat from flamboyant fights and foolish causes. His erstwhile allies such as Colombia's rebels and the Castro clan in Cuba must be wondering what happened to their fire-breathing ally. This past week, he broke the news to the jungle rebels in next-door Colombia that their 40-year fight was up: "The guerrilla war is history." At the same time, he dumped a plan to implant a secret police program at home, complete with a neighborhood surveillance feature that was ridiculed as the "Gestapo law" and compared to the block-watching snoops in Cuba.

ASIA PACIFIC

Philippine al-Qaida-linked Militants Survive, Attack - Associated Press

US spy planes watch their jungle strongholds and Filipino assault troops keep them on the run. Combat casualties and arrests have eroded their numbers. But Abu Sayyaf militants have survived years-long American-backed military assaults and remain a threat, reflecting the dilemma of defeating terrorism. Legally barred from local combat, US forces have provided training and weapons to local troops and regularly fly surveillance aircraft over Basilan and Jolo, about 590 miles (950 kilometers), south of Manila, for any sign of the militants.

Troubled South Korean President Faces More Strikes - Rhee So-eui, Reuters

South Korean car, construction and other unionized workers threaten to halt work this week in anger at the policies of the president, on top of a truckers' strike that has slowed transport in the export-dependent country. Lee Myung-bak, who stormed to a landslide victory in a December presidential election, has seen his support plummet due to an unpopular deal to open the local market wider to US beef imports and opposition to his calls for privatizing state firms.

Vietnam: Reverse Domino Effect - Thomas Barnett, Scripps News opinion

The Economist magazine recently published a special report on Vietnam. It's a fascinating story of how a closed political system rapidly opened itself up to globalization's transformative embrace by mixing role models from all over the globe, including accepting outside religious influences. Call it the reverse domino effect: Vietnam goes super-capitalist to keep up with its northern neighbor - |ber-capitalist China. And with incomes rising rapidly, Vietnamese naturally reach for spiritual handholds to guide their tumultuous journey from extreme deprivation to abundant opportunity.

EUROPE

Bush in London for Talks With Brown - Paula Wolfson, Voice of America

US President George Bush is in London for talks with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. On Monday they will travel to Northern Ireland. Their formal talks are expected to center on Iran and Iraq, as well as trade and environmental concerns, and the evolution of the Northern Ireland peace process. President Bush arrived in London amid reports the British government may set a deadline to withdraw its troops from Iraq. At the same time, a British newspaper published an interview with Mr. Bush in which he warned against setting an arbitrary time table, saying any withdrawals must be based on success in the field.

Europe Powers Vow to Push on Without Irish - The Australian

Germany and France moved to isolate Ireland from the European Union yesterday, vowing to press ahead with a major EU reform treaty despite Ireland's shock rejection of the blueprint. The referendum result against the Lisbon treaty on Friday pitched the 27-nation European Union into turmoil because the document, which aims to streamline EU decision-making after recent expansion, has to be approved by all states. Ireland voted "no" by 53.4 per cent to 46.6 per cent in a major embarrassment to Prime Minister Brian Cowen, who led the "yes" vote. Turnout was 53 per cent, higher than expected. Despite the Irish referendum, France, Germany and senior Brussels officials have insisted there should be no delay in implementing the European Union blueprint.

An Irish Education - Wall Street Journal editorial

Irish voters struck a blow for democracy in Europe by stopping a power play by the Continent's political elites. Now the question is whether it is Brussels or the Irish that will be asked to reconsider their position. On the ballot Thursday in Ireland was the Lisbon Treaty, which European Union grandees in Brussels pitched as a tidying-up exercise to make the bloc's institutions work better. Most everyone else saw Lisbon for what it really was: An attempt to sneak through a dolled-up version of the failed "EU Constitution." That constitution was hailed as Europe's entrée to a US-size presence on the world stage, complete with a nonelected president and a beefier defense and foreign policy. It was rejected by French and Dutch voters in 2005. Rather than respect that decision, Brussels simply made cosmetic changes and asked governments not to put such a major EU overhaul before voters.

Celtic Snub to the EU - The Australian editorial

The message of Ireland's resounding rejection of the Lisbon treaty to reform and expand the powers of the European Union should not be lost on Kevin Rudd. Ireland has benefited more than most countries from membership of the EU, creating the Celtic tiger economy, but last week's referendum was a clear expression of where its public wants to draw the line. It also highlighted how out of touch the Continent's political elite are. The lessons for our Prime Minister as he tries to replicate the EU model in the Asia-Pacific region are clear. An APEC-style union that facilitates trade, investment, security dialogue and technical co-operation is one thing, but a body that involves giving up any aspect of national sovereignty is a different matter entirely. After being lectured by two former Labor prime ministers, Bob Hawke and Paul Keating, on why it's better to strengthen APEC rather than adopt an EU-style plan for the Asia-Pacific, Mr Rudd now has the spectacle of Irish voters calling a halt to 50 years of creeping federalism in Europe.

Europe After Lisbon - Anand Menon, Wall Street Journal opinion

On Friday the 13th (of June), the news came through: The Irish had rejected the EU's Lisbon Treaty. Prophets of doom were quick to emerge, predicting that the demise of the treaty would mean the end of civilization - or at least of the EU - as we know it. Particular concerns were voiced about the Union's international ambitions. Lisbon, after all, was designed largely as a means of enhancing the effectiveness of its security and defense policies. Such fears are misinformed and misplaced. Lisbon's demise will have relatively little direct impact on the Union's ability to play a role on the world stage.

Kosovo Takes Control With Little Fanfare - David Charter, Times of London

Kosovo’s Government adopted its new constitution yesterday in a low-key ceremony intended to mark the handover of UN administrative power to Pristina and the EU. The move was intended to cement the country’s independence and to complete the break-up of the former Yugoslavia after the conflicts of the 1990s. But Belgrade, backed by Moscow, insisted that it would never recognise Kosovo’s breakaway status, heightening fears of partition between the Serb-dominated north and the ethnic Albanians who make up about 95 per cent of the population.

Kosovo’s New Constitution Takes Effect - Dan Bilefsky, New York Times

This former Serbian province’s new Constitution came into force on Sunday, an important milestone on its path toward full-fledged statehood. But a dispute over who has authority threatens to destabilize the newborn country and to plunge the Balkans into crisis. The Constitution envisions handing over executive power to the majority ethnic Albanian government from the United Nations, which has administered Kosovo since NATO intervened in 1999 to halt Slobodan Milosevic’s repression of ethnic Albanians. The province declared its independence from Serbia four months ago, the culmination of a long and bloody struggle for national self-determination.

Kosovo's Government Takes Control - Nebi Qena, Associated Press

Kosovo's government took control of the newly independent nation Sunday as the country's constitution went into force after nine years of UN administration. The charter - a milestone that comes four months after leaders declared independence from Serbia - gives the government in Pristina sole decision-making authority.

Serbs Form Rival Kosovo Assembly - BBC News

Serbia has defied the entry into force of a new Kosovo constitution by setting up a new parliament for minority Serbs. Slobodan Samardzic, the minister for Kosovo in the outgoing Belgrade government, made the announcement in the divided northern town of Mitrovica. Kosovo's new constitution ends nine years of UN rule, and hands power to the ethnic Albanian majority. It comes four months after Kosovo's declaration of independence, backed by the West but opposed by Russia. Kosovo's minority Serbs insist the new constitution will not apply to them.

Row in Italy Over Army Deployment - BBC News

A political row has broken out in Italy over the government's decision to deploy troops on the streets of major Italian cities to fight against crime. About 2,500 soldiers are to be deployed for a maximum period of one year. The opposition has described the move as a mistake. "We are not in Colombia," said opposition MP Antonio di Pietro. The police say it will not work - the government's decision is tantamount to saying they are not up to the task of maintaining law and order.

MIDDLE EAST

Talks Between Israel, Syria Resume - Mark Lavie, Associated Press

Israeli officials said Sunday that indirect peace talks between Israel and Syria have resumed, with Turkish mediation. The officials, who are close to the talks, said two top aides to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert were in Ankara, Turkey for the talks, as was a Syrian delegation. Turkish officials were shuttling between them. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the contacts are not public. They said the talks resumed Sunday and were expected to continue on Monday. There was no immediate comment on resumption of the talks from Syria or Turkey. Israel and Syria are bitter enemies. Previous peace talks broke down in 2000. Last month the three countries involved announced that the indirect contacts have been going on for months. No results have been made public.

Rice Urges Israel to Desist on Settlements - Griff Witte, Washington Post

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Sunday pressed Israeli officials to halt settlement expansion in the West Bank and East Jerusalem but failed to win any concessions as she continued to push for a Middle East peace deal by the end of the year. Rice was making her sixth visit to the region since peace talks resumed in Annapolis last November. Despite her efforts, there have been few public signs of progress and, in certain respects, conditions have deteriorated on the ground.

Rice Says Houses Hurt Mideast Talks - Ethan Bronner, New York Times

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Sunday that the thousands of housing units Israel is building on captured land were harming peace talks with the Palestinians. She also said she could not understand why Israel was still blocking three Fulbright grantees from leaving Gaza. On the latest of her nearly monthly visits here to push along Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, Ms. Rice was more explicit than usual in asserting that the construction is reducing confidence in the talks. The United States hopes to get the two sides to produce a peace framework by year’s end, but the Palestinians say the new housing is a big stumbling block.

Hamas Still Defiant - Rafael Frankel, Christian Science Monitor

Few Gazans are making any money these days. There are the shopkeepers who profit from selling cooking oil to fuel motorists' dilapidated diesels and the donkey-cart drivers who find more fares every day. But for most, the economy in Gaza has ground to a halt a year after the Islamists of Hamas routed the secular Fatah Party in a violent coup. Today, Hamas's year in power is felt everywhere. While Gaza suffers under an Israeli blockade, it has been changed from a lawless territory to one that is relatively safe. But by most Western standards of governance, Hamas has failed.

Israel to Decide on Prisoner Swap with Lebanon - Amy Reibel, Associated Press

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has concluded that Israel should swap the perpetrator of a notorious guerrilla attack for two Israeli soldiers held in Lebanon since 2006, a senior government official confirmed on Sunday. The official's comments buttressed recent signals from Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah guerrilla group that a deal was in the works to trade Samir Kantar, a Lebanese PLO operative, for Israeli soldiers Uri Goldwasser and Eldad Regev. Hezbollah seized Regev and Goldwasser in a July 2006 cross-border raid that sparked a monthlong war with Israel. They are thought to have been badly wounded during their capture, and Hezbollah has offered no proof they are alive.

SOUTH ASIA

Pakistan: Lawyers Promise More Protests - Sadaqat Jan, Associated Press

A top leader of Pakistan's popular lawyers movement Sunday promised more, larger rallies on the heels of a massive protest in the capital demanding the government restore judges ousted by President Pervez Musharraf. Aitzaz Ahsan gave no date for the future protests, but his comments indicated that the lawyers did not intend to ease their campaign for the restoration of the judges - a subject that threatens to split the new coalition government and hasten the demise of the unpopular president.

Pakistan's Plea For Patience - Jackson Diehl, Washington Post opinion

It's easy to imagine the gloating smirk on the face of Pervez Musharraf. The autocratic ruler of Pakistan from October 1999 until February 2008 still sits in the sprawling home reserved for the country's army commander, though he gave up the post last year. He is still president, though he has lost much of his power to an elected civilian government. For years, Musharraf resisted pressure from Washington to allow this return to democracy, arguing that only he could serve as a reliable partner in the war against al-Qaeda and the Taliban. Now he might point to democracy's result: a fractious parliamentary coalition all but paralyzed by byzantine political struggles; rebellious lawyers and judges, who last week marched on the capital; and soaring food prices and power shortages, which threaten to trigger mass unrest.

Sri Lanka: Suicide Bomber Kills 12 Police - Krishan Frances, Associated Press

A suspected Tamil Tiger suicide bomber on a motorbike blew himself up Monday near a police building in a northern Sri Lankan town, killing 12 police officers and wounding 23 other people. The bomber struck police officers and civilian bystanders on a street in the northern town of Vavuniya, military spokesman Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara said. He said 19 of the wounded were police and the rest civilians.

RECOMMENDED READING

Recommended Reading for Saturday - Matt Armstrong, MountainRunner

A short list of posts you may not have seen.

KeepNet 15 June 2008 - Tim Stevens, Ubiwar

Today’s essential reading.

KeepNet 8 June 2008 - Tim Stevens, Ubiwar

More great reading from a SWJ friend.

UK CT & COIN Features - 15 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 - 14 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.