IRAQ

Ex-Premier Is Expelled From Governing Party - Andrew Kramer, New York Times

In a shakeup at the top of Iraq’s Shiite power structure, former Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari was expelled from the governing Dawa political party, officials said Saturday. Dr. Jaafari, a physician who was an Iraqi exile leader for decades before returning in 2003 to serve as prime minister, was expelled for creating a political movement that had opened talks with rivals of Dawa’s leader, Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, a senior party member, Haider al-Abadi, said in a telephone interview.

Iraqi PM in Tehran for Talks - Ali Akbar Dareini, Associated Press

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki was in Tehran Saturday for talks that are expected to focus on a proposed US-Iraq security agreement that Iran fears will keep the American military in neighboring Iraq for years. The deal, which the Iraqis and Americans hope to finish by midsummer, would establish a long-term security relationship between Iraq and the United States. But critics say it will allow the US to set up military bases across Iraq and allow it to use the country as a launching pad for military attacks in the region.

Iraqi PM Begins Talks in Tehran - BBC News

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki is in Iran for talks aimed at improving relations between the two neighbours. He is expected to raise allegations of Iranian support for Shia militants in Iraq when he meets with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Shia militiamen fought bitter battles with US and Iraqi government forces between March and May. Also on the agenda are the ongoing US-Iraqi talks over the two countries' future, long-term relationship.

"Security Deal Won't Harm Iran" - Nasser Karimi, Associated Press

Iraq's prime minister sought to ease Iranian fears over a proposed security deal with the US Sunday, saying his government will not allow Iraq to become a launching pad for an attack on its neighbor. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki was to meet with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Sunday in talks expected to focus on the security pact, which Washington and Baghdad hope to finish by mid-summer. An aide to al-Maliki said the prime minister is offering assurances in the talks that the US presence in his country is no threat to Iran. But al-Maliki also planned to complain that Iran's public campaign against the agreement interfered in Iraq's internal affairs, the aide said, speaking on condition of anonymity in return for giving information on the private talks.

US Military Arrests 2 Suspected Militiamen - Lauren Frayer, Associated Press

US soldiers in Baghdad captured an Iraqi arms dealer and "assassination squad" leader responsible for trafficking Shiite extremists in and out of neighboring Iran for training, the military said Sunday. The arrest reinforced long-standing US allegations that Iran arms, trains and funds Shiite Muslim militiamen inside Iraq - charges that Tehran denies. The arrest also coincided with a two-day visit to Iran by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, his second such trip in a year.

Car Bombers Target Iraqi Police - Sameer Yacoub, Associated Press

A suicide car bomb and another car packed with explosives targeted Iraqi police patrols Saturday on opposite sides of Baghdad, killing at least six people, police said. The suicide attacker rammed into a police patrol mid-afternoon in Nisoor Square on the capital's west side, killing a civilian and a policeman, police said. Another five people were wounded. The other explosion took place nearly simultaneously across town at a crowded bus stop where passengers were lining up to catch rides to eastern Shi'ite neighborhoods, though police said the target was the passing convoy of a top Iraqi police general.

Turkish Military Says Hit PKK Target in North - Reuters

Turkish warplanes struck a Kurdish guerrilla target in northern Iraq on Saturday night, the military said in a statement on its website. The General Staff said the air operation was carried out at 3:30 p.m. EDT, and did not give details other than its warplanes hit the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) target "effectively." The Turkish military has this year regularly attacked PKK rebel positions in the mountains of northern Iraq, where several thousand militants are believed to be holed up.

Tom Ricks's Inbox - Thomas Ricks, Washington Post

The counterinsurgency strategy implemented by [Army Gen. David H.] Petraeus is the right one and cannot be substantially altered. The crucible of patience among the American people is emptying at a prodigious rate and very little short of a complete shift in conditions on the ground is likely to refill it.

Political Realignment in Iraq? - Dr. iRack, Abu Muqawama

Last week, former Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jafari loudly criticized the ongoing US-Iraq SOFA/SFA talks (see also here). Jafari appears to be tapping into a growing nationalist backlash against the long-term US-Iraq security negotiations, which has also included protests over the past two weeks from Sadrists and a full-court press by Iran to undermine the talks.

AFGHANISTAN / PAKISTAN TRIBAL AREAS

Militants' Rise in Points to Opportunity Lost - Josh Meyer, Los Angeles Times

The US and its allies squandered an opportunity to cement alliances with tribal elders they regard as key to driving Islamic extremists out of havens along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, and now face a long and costly effort to regain influence there, counter-terrorism officials and diplomats say. The Pashtun maliks, or elders, wield enormous political and social power, especially in Pakistan's largely ungoverned tribal areas bordering Afghanistan. But Washington and its allies in Islamabad and Kabul have not made it a priority to forge alliances with them, despite evidence that Al Qaeda and the Taliban are growing stronger in their territories, these officials say.

Afghans Plead for £25bn in Aid - Christina Lamb, Times of London

President Hamid Karzai will fly to Paris this week to appeal to the international community for £25 billion to rebuild Afghanistan’s battered economy and to promote food production. The man who has enjoyed six years as the darling of the West will face tough questions about widespread corruption and his failure to rein in war-lords responsible for growing lawlessness across the country. Karzai’s former finance minister has broken his silence to join those who blame the resurgence of the Taliban on the government’s ineptitude as well as the failures of the international community.

Cranking Up Intel in Afghanistan - Tim Stevens, Ubiwar

Kent Harris in Stars and Stripes, First Rock tries new intel approach in Afghanistan: Gathering intelligence about the enemy is good. Getting the time to analyze that information is even better. That’s the basic concept of the 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment’s Battalion Intelligence Team.

Pakistan-Taliban Peace Talks Still On - BIll Roggio, Weekly Standard Blog

Just one day after Pakistani officials told the Wall Street Journal that negotiations with the Taliban in South Waziristan were put on hold, the governor of the Northwest Frontier Province said that negotiations are continuing. In fact, the governor expects that a deal will be completed in a matter of weeks. The latest draft copy of the peace agreement was passed on to Pakistan’s Daily Times. As the current draft stands, the Pakistani Army will withdraw from South Waziristan once Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud releases the scores of regular and paramilitary troops who were captured in 2007 and 2008. There is one major sticking point in the negotiations. The US and NATO allies are pushing Pakistan to halt the continued cross-border attacks into Afghanistan. The Taliban said they do not recognize the existing border and will not halt strikes. Meanwhile, the Taliban and al Qaeda train fighters and suicide bombers to strike in Afghanistan and the West.

Marines in Afghanistan: Garmsir Finally Quiet - David Wood, Military Watch

After more than a month of fighting Marines in southern Afghanistan are reporting that the Helmand Province town of Garmsir is finally subdued. The operation, planned to last up to 12 days when it was launched April 28, was aimed at eradicating an insurgent command center in Garmsir and seizing control of the region, which was used as a major insurgent staging center and smuggling route for opium and weapons. During Operation Asada Wosa, the Marines reported about 150 enemy engagements, mostly involving small arms, mortars and rocket-propelled grenades. Marines discovered just under 50 insurgent caches of bomb-making materiel, RPGs, mines and other explosives.

IRAN

Iran Demands Security Council Action on Israel - Reuters

Iran demanded action from the UN Security Council about an Israeli threat to attack its nuclear sites if it continues uranium enrichment, according to a letter released on Saturday by Iranian UN Ambassador Mohammad Khazaee. Israeli Transport Minister Shaul Mofaz was quoted on Friday in an Israeli newspaper saying that an attack on Iran looks "unavoidable" given the apparent failure of sanctions to deny Tehran technology with bomb-making potential.

Israel Backs Away From Minister's Iran Statement - Associated Press

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's office is distancing itself from a Cabinet minister's suggestion that Israel will be forced to attack Iran. Olmert spokesman Mark Regev is not explicitly rejecting the statement from Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz that Israel will have "no choice" but to attack Iran if it doesn't halt its nuclear program.

Sympathy for the Great Satan - Azadeh Moaveni, New York Post opinion

On a recent afternoon, while riding a rickety bus down Vali Asr Avenue, Tehran's main thoroughfare, I overheard two women discussing the grim state of Iranian politics. One of them had reached a rather desperate conclusion. "Let the Americans come," she said loudly. "Let them sort things out for us once and for all." Everyone in the women's section of the bus absorbed this casually, and her friend nodded in assent. Although their leaders still call America the "Great Satan," ordinary Iranians' affection for the United States seems to be thriving these days, at least in the bustling capital. This rekindled regard is evident in people's conversations, their insatiable demand for US products and culture, and their fascination with the U.S. presidential campaign. One can't do reliable polling about Iranians' views under their theocratic government, of course, but these shifts were still striking to me as a longtime visitor - not least because liking the United States is also a way for Iranians to register their frustration with their own firebrand president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

THE LONG WAR

Al-Qaeda: The Cracks Begin to Show - Abul Taher, Times of London

For the first time, they reported, men whose previous pronouncements had been used as a justification for jihad were speaking out against it. They were not embracing the West, by any means, but they were questioning the ideological basis upon which Al-Qaeda, as a scattered movement, relies. In the battle for “hearts and minds” the group appeared to have scored an own goal. What is behind this change in thinking and what effect is it having on Al-Qaeda abroad and in Britain?

A Not Very Private Feud Over Terrorism - Sciolino and Schmitt, New York Times

A bitter personal struggle between two powerful figures in the world of terrorism has broken out, forcing their followers to choose sides. This battle is not being fought in the rugged no man’s land on the Pakistan-Afghan border. It is a contest reverberating inside the Beltway between two of America’s leading theorists on terrorism and how to fight it, two men who hold opposing views on the very nature of the threat.

Young Radicals Of Next-Gen Jihad - Marc Sageman, Washington Post opinion

We are fighting the wrong foe. Over the past six years, the nature of the international Islamist terrorist threat to the West has changed dramatically, but Western governments are still fighting the last war -- set up to fight an old al-Qaeda that is now largely contained. Unless we understand this sea change, we will not be able to ward off the new menace. The version of al-Qaeda that Osama bin Laden founded is a fading force. After a week in which five detainees who allegedly planned the Sept. 11, 2001, atrocities were arraigned before a US military tribunal at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, it's worth remembering that the terrorists behind 9/11 were mostly young, well-educated middle-class expatriates from Muslim countries who had become radicalized abroad, especially in the West. Such key 9/11 plotters as Mohamed Atta, Ramzi Binalshibh, Ziad Jarrah and Marwan al-Shehhi met and became radicalized as students in Hamburg, then went to Afghanistan looking for al-Qaeda. But over the past six years, most of the professional terrorists who fit this profile have been eliminated during the US-led manhunt for "high-value targets." The few that remain are huddled in the Afghan-Pakistani border area, struggling to extend their reach beyond Pakistan.

Hoffman, Sageman Dustup Goes Mainstream - Stephen Tankel, Kings of War

You no longer need a subscription to Foreign Affairs (or an Athens password) to read about the feud between Bruce Hoffman and Marc Sageman regarding the nature of the jihadist threat. First there was Hoffman’s takedown in the current issue of Foreign Affairs, in which he accused Sageman of “a fundamental misreading of the Al Qaeda threat.” Sageman’s rebuttal, in which he accuses Hoffman of a “gross misrepresentation”, is on the way. But thanks to the NYT Week in Review, we’re all treated to a little preview of what Sageman will have to say. Along with some trans-Atlantic commentary on the feud and a summary of why this matters beyond the realm of the ivory tower.

House Advocates Probe Of Interrogation Tactics - Joby Warrick, Washington Post

Nearly 60 House Democrats yesterday urged the Justice Department to appoint a special counsel to examine whether top Bush administration officials may have committed crimes in authorizing the use of harsh interrogation tactics against suspected terrorists. In a letter to Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey, the lawmakers cited what they said is "mounting evidence" that senior officials personally sanctioned the use of waterboarding and other aggressive tactics against detainees in U.S.-run prisons overseas. An independent investigation is needed to determine whether such actions violated U.S or international law, the letter stated.

Detainee's Attorney Seeks Dismissal Over Abuse - Josh White, Washington Post

A military defense attorney for a detainee held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, has asked that all charges against his client be dismissed after prosecutors provided him documents that show the detainee was subjected to an abusive technique that had been banned at the facility, calling the treatment a violation of the law of war and U.S. laws and policies. According to Guantanamo prison records, Mohammed Jawad was subjected to the military's "frequent flier program" in May 2004, which meant he was moved repeatedly from one detention cell to another in quick intervals and usually at night, a program designed to deprive detainees of sleep. Such sleep deprivation was banned at the facility in March 2004, and other prison records indicate that it was used on detainees as late as July 2004.

Are US and Canada Talking? - Peter Brown, Washington Times opinion

A few months ago, in mid-February, Canada and the United States announced a new bilateral "Civil Assistance Plan." While the new plan may look good on paper and suggests much improved communications and coordination between the two countries in times of emergency, a noticeable communications gap still lingers. Evidence of this first surfaced when Maine's adjutant general, Maj. Gen. Bill Libby (also commissioner of Maine's Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management) told the press weeks after the plan was announced that it caught him completely by surprise and that he was never contacted by USNORTHCOM or Homeland Security let alone any of his Canadian counterparts about it in advance.

GG Progress - John Robb, Global Guerrillas

John Robb provides a 'global guerrilla' update on Iraq, Mexico, and Nigeria.

Images of Self and Enemy - Mark Grimsley, BTOOTSA

America is at war with a transnational terrorist movement fueled by a radical ideology of hatred, oppression, and murder. Our National Strategy for Combating Terrorism, first published in February 2003, recognizes that we are at war and that protecting and defending the Homeland, the American people, and their livelihoods remains our first and most solemn obligation. Our strategy also recognizes that the War on Terror is a different kind of war. From the beginning, it has been both a battle of arms and a battle of ideas. Not only do we fight our terrorist enemies on the battlefield, we promote freedom and human dignity as alternatives to the terrorists’ perverse vision of oppression and totalitarian rule. The paradigm for combating terrorism now involves the application of all elements of our national power and influence. Not only do we employ military power, we use diplomatic, financial, intelligence, and law enforcement activities to protect the Homeland and extend our defenses, disrupt terrorist operations, and deprive our enemies of what they need to operate and survive. We have broken old orthodoxies that once confined our counterterrorism efforts primarily to the criminal justice domain.

NY Detainee Allegedly Hosted Bomb Plotter - Evan Kohlmann, Counterterrorism

Several interesting pieces of information have surfaced in legal documents relating to the immigration case of Mourad El Hamyani, a permanent U.S. resident who is currently detained in New York. In February, a federal immigration judge denied the government's request to deport El Hamyani, but DHS is challenging that ruling. According to a recently released DHS document (available on the NEFA Foundation website), El Hamyani "attended a terrorist training camp in Afghanistan...assisted in the planning and execution of an armed robbery...intended to fund terrorist activities...[and] hosted a terrorist, Abdelkarim Mejjati, during two trips Mejjati made to the United States."

IRREGULAR WARFARE

Colonialism or Counterinsurgency? - Doug Sauners, Globe and Mail

Within the US military, this is known as population-centric counterinsurgency, an approach that has a cultish following among some officers. It was attempted and then dropped in the Vietnam War (the infamous "strategic hamlets" were at its centre) and there are still officers who believe that Vietnam would have been won if counterinsurgency had been practised to the end. One of its strongest advocates happens to be General David Petraeus, who has just become the head of the US Central Command, making him responsible for both the Iraq and the Afghanistan wars.

Cut Nose, Spite Face - More on Human Terrain - Tim Stevens, CT Lab

Roberto J. González is perhaps best known for his continued opposition to the involvement of anthropologists in the U.S. military's Human Terrain System. The title of his 2007 article, 'We Must Resist the Militarization of Anthropology' sums up his concerns with the delicate relationship between social science and the military. Who shapes the agenda? Is it ethical to 'enable the kill chain'? Should social science be subordinated to the aims of the Department of Defense and the Central Intelligence Agency? These are all valid issues, of course, but González's work often seems tinged with a reactionary attitude as uncritical as those he claims to be challenging.

Taking the Handoff - Anne Marlow, New York Post opinion

Arafat, 29, is a patrolman in charge of the checkpoint at Shembawat, a village in southeastern Afghanistan. A lanky, tousle-haired father of four earning about $100 a month, Arafat wears an Afghan National Police uniform with a cheap Chinese thermal vest and white running shoes. He doesn't stand up straight, and he has hennaed fingertips and two fake gemstone rings on one hand. He is not a leading man, does not radiate authority, yet he is brave, responsible and loyal. So it is on him - and men like him - that the success of the US missions in Afghanistan and Iraq lies.

US DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Heed Combat Veterans, Graduates Are Told - Ann Scott Tyson, Washington Post

The nation's top military official yesterday urged graduating US officers at the Army War College to listen to the combat-tempered soldiers below them, saying it is critical to keep young veterans in the force and tap their understanding of today's unconventional wars. Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stressed that junior officers and enlisted soldiers "are wise beyond their years," adding that "war has a way of doing that." Such soldiers know "a few new things about how to wage irregular warfare in this new century," and military leaders "would be foolish to toss that knowledge aside," Mullen said in a commencement address to more than 300 colonels and lieutenant colonels graduating from US Army War College at Carlisle, Pa.

CJCS Wants Refocus on Major-combat Skills - Julian Barnes, Los Angeles Times

The US military's top uniformed officer on Saturday urged the armed forces to rebuild combat capabilities that have atrophied during the protracted counter-insurgency campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan. The focus by Adm. Michael G. Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on major-combat skills contrasts with recent speeches by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates. Gates has urged the Army not lose its focus on counterinsurgency and has criticized the tendency of some military officers to focus on potential future conflicts at the expense of trying to win the wars it is engaged in now. A senior aide to Mullen said the chairman was not trying to draw a contrast with Gates. The aide said the two men were in full agreement on likely future threats faced by the US. Mullen, speaking at graduation ceremonies at the Army War College in Carlisle Barracks, Pa., said the military's "most pressing long-term problem" was maintaining armed services that are correctly shaped, equipped and trained.

Mullen Tells Senior Officers to Listen to Young Troops - Jim Garamone, AFPS

All ranks must work to together to change the military from a peacetime mentality to a war footing, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told graduates of the Army War College. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen also told the 339 graduates that he is concerned about gaps in US military capabilities. “In the Air Force, we have seen - as recently as this week - evidence of a serious decline in nuclear mission focus and performance, a decline which erodes our nation’s ability to effectively deter and to defeat potential major adversaries,” he said. “I respect and admire the decisions by (Air Force) Secretary Michael Wynne and (Air Force Chief of Staff General T. Michael) Moseley to accept responsibility and accountability for this decline,” he continued. Their decision to shoulder responsibility was right and is “a lesson to us all about leadership, but so too should it serve as a cautionary tale about the dangers of complacency.” The gaps in professional expertise cannot persist, particularly when the military is called upon to engage around the globe, building allies’ capacity, improving international and interagency cooperation, and fostering both security and stability through healthy vibrant deterrence, Mullen said. “We can expect the counterinsurgency mission to continue, perhaps even grow, but we must also stay prepared for a range of military operations,” he said. “We cannot sacrifice the future for the sake of the now.” The US military must listen to battle-hardened young servicemembers, Mullen stressed, and the lieutenant colonels and colonels must listen. “(The troops) are out there making a difference, and they know it,” Mullen said. “They also know, as you do, a few new things about how to wage irregular warfare in this new century.”

Faith in War - Mary Claire Kendall, Washington Times opinion

The GI Film Festival (GIFF), held at the Washington, D.C., Carnegie Institute, May 14-18, showed cinematically what true grit and valor American soldiers possess, working to defend "God and Country," as GIFF's award-winning narrative short, so titled, compellingly presented. Last month's premiere of "Brothers at War" (Capt. Isaac Rademacher and younger brother, filmed by brother Jake in Iraq), tapped for best feature documentary, pierced the dark cloud of negative media images - low soldier morale, confusion, bitterness - swept away by the film's portrayals of dedication, strength, heart, lots of heart, and a clear sense of purpose.

UK MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

SAS Chief Resigns Over Lack of Kit - Michael Smith, Times of London

A former head of the SAS has quit the army after criticising the government for risking soldiers’ lives by failing to fund troops and equipment. Brigadier Ed Butler, one of Britain’s most experienced and decorated special forces soldiers, is the most senior of three key commanders to have resigned in the past year amid widespread anger over lack of funding. News of his resignation comes in the same week that General Sir Richard Dannatt, head of the army, called for better treatment for the forces and more money to be spent on defence. In a statement issued through the Ministry of Defence (MoD), Butler said he was leaving for “a number of factors and reasons” and singled out difficulties faced by service personnel.

We Owe Our Soldiers - Jenny McCartney, Daily Telegraph of London opinion

There was, I thought, a detectable whiff of desperation in the plea from General Sir Richard Dannatt, the head of the Army, last week for better treatment of our armed forces. It is highly unusual for an Army leader to speak out publicly on such matters, which suggests that Gen Dannatt's concerns have become so fierce that protocol is increasingly irrelevant. He requested that a "slightly increased share" of the national wealth should be spent on the armed forces, to include a pay rise above inflation, and an improvement of the frequently appalling Ministry of Defence accommodation in which military personnel are housed. To illustrate his point, he highlighted the fact that the lowest-paid soldiers in the British Army are on an annual salary of £12,572, while a traffic warden's basic pay is £17,000. The MoD has protested that if a private is serving on the front line in Afghanistan or Iraq, associated bonuses can push his or her salary up to £22,000 a year. I take the point. It must be quite heart-warming to know that in exchange for risking your life in the heat of battle at the behest of our Government, you can claw your way up to a salary that hovers just below the national average.

US DEPARTMENT OF STATE

At Cross-purposes? - Jeffrey Kuhner, Washington Times opinion

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has helped to derail President Bush´s pro-democracy agenda. A leading figure in the administration, Miss Rice has long had the ear of Mr. Bush. She has been at Mr. Bush´s side during every major foreign policy decision. However, as Stephen Hayes points out in the recent issue of the Weekly Standard, Miss Rice may be personally loyal but has proven to be an ideological heretic. In reality, Miss Rice was never a foreign policy hawk - or even a genuine conservative. Rather, she is a flinty realist who emphasizes the importance of geopolitical stability and diplomacy over disruptive change. A protege of Brent Scowcroft and James Baker, she believes multilateralism and negotiations are the most effective tools of statecraft.

US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

Iraq, Not Economy, Frames the Debate - Perry Bacon Jr., Washington Post

With the country confronting a rising jobless rate, soaring gas prices and a shaky stock market, voters say their biggest concern is the economy. But it is the debate over Iraq that could define the contest between Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama. While pocketbook issues worry many Americans and will be a recurring theme in the campaign, the sharp differences between the two candidates on the war provides the kind of contrast that each would like to emphasize in making his case to be president. The Democratic senator from Illinois is casting a McCain presidency as the third term of George W. Bush; the Republican senator from Arizona argues that Obama does not have the experience or the judgment to be commander in chief.

The 'Test' - Daniel Gallington, Washington Times opinion

There have been many "character tests" of national security leadership for newly elected presidents. In fact, the patterns are well enough developed to allow for some "predictive analysis" - accordingly, I'll go out on a limb and suggest the likely tests for our next president. What kind of "test" is coming for the next president of the United States? Not surprisingly, it may well depend on who it is, but we can be assured there will be a test.

AFRICA

Court Order Allows Rallies - Celia Dugger, New York Times

A Zimbabwe court ruled Saturday that opposition rallies planned for this weekend in Harare, the capital, should not have been banned by the police and may take place, Nelson Chamisa, a spokesman for the political opposition, said. But the court’s action has limited impact, Mr. Chamisa said. It was issued too late for two of the rallies, which were scheduled for Saturday in crowded urban townships, and it does not affect a nationwide police ban on opposition rallies, he said.

Voters Feel Mugabe's Bite - Swain and Follain, Times of London

As Robert Mugabe and his wife Grace flaunted their presence in Rome last week - he as a controversial guest at a United Nations food summit defending the brutal rule that has left Zimbabwe bleeding and impoverished, she closeted in a luxury hotel - a powerful group of military and security chiefs masterminding the president’s election battle was leaving nothing to chance. Led by Emmerson Mnangagwa, a sinister former spymaster known as “the Crocodile” who recently took control of the ruthless Joint Operations Command that now effectively runs the country, a violent crackdown was stepped up against the opposition and the voters who had the temerity to support it.

Zimbabwe Aid Cutoff Endangers 2 Million People - John Heilprin, Associated Press

At least 2 million people in Zimbabwe face greater risk of starvation, homelessness and disease because the government ordered aid groups to halt operations there, according to the UN's top humanitarian official. John Holmes, the UN undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs, spoke Friday after the United States and Britain warned that Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's regime is using food and the threat of hunger as a weapon to cling to power ahead of the June 27 presidential runoff.

Tsvangirai LOists Mugabe's Thugs - Daily Telegraph of London

Zimbabwe's opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, has told The Sunday Telegraph he is gathering the names of government thugs to prosecute for attacking his supporters during the election campaign. In his first interview with a British newspaper since returning to Zimbabwe two weeks ago, Mr Tsvangirai said he would defy intimidation and go on campaigning for the June 27 election.

Zimbabwe Shelters Genocide Leader - Jon Swain, Times of London

One of the most notorious names in the Rwandan genocide - an officer whose troops killed the Rwandan prime minister and the Belgian soldiers protecting her - has been hiding in Zimbabwe, where he is suspected of enjoying business links with former army officers close to the country’s president, Robert Mugabe. United Nations sources named the fugitive as Major Protais Mpiranya, a Hutu extremist formerly in charge of the Rwandan presidential guard. Despite a $5m American bounty, Mpiranya has evaded justice for 14 years. But his presence has been detected, “sometimes in Zimbabwe and sometimes in the Congo”, a UN source said. Mpiranya is wanted for genocide and crimes against humanity by the UN’s war crimes tribunal for Rwanda.

You’re Safe, Mr Mugabe - Simon Jenkins, Times of London opinion

Robert Mugabe’s decision to ban relief for his desperate citizens infringes every canon of human decency. It puts the Zimbabwean government – perhaps too dignified a term – beyond the regimes even of Burma and Sudan in callousness. The crude device of state food for votes is a direct challenge to world sympathy, and to those who believe that such sympathy should be more than a collective cry of woe, and should motivate action. The human tragedies still being experienced in the Irrawaddy delta and in the deserts of Darfur are now unseen. They have vanished from the world’s screens, as old news is not news. Rulers in these countries have stopped the wellsprings of global reaction at their source, that of publicity.

Sudan Won't Hand Over Wanted Men - Sarah El Deeb, Associated Press

Sudan rejected demands Saturday to hand over a cabinet minister and a militia commander indicted on charges of crimes against humanity in Darfur. State Minister of Information Kamal Obeid was responding to a new call by the International Criminal Court prosecutor for Sudan to hand over Ahmed Harun, a cabinet minister, and Ali Kushayb, a militia commander. Both are accused of organizing a system to recruit, fund, arm and command a militia that terrorized villages in the western Sudanese region.

23 People Killed near Sudan-Congo Border - Tom Maliti, Associated Press

Fighting between Ugandan rebels and Sudanese soldiers killed at least 23 people in a remote area near the countries' border this week, rebel and military officials said. The reports of fighting - which could not be independently confirmed - came as peace talks between the Ugandan government and the rebel Lord's Resistance Army faltered. The rebel army has been waging one of Africa's longest and most brutal rebellions, drawing in the volatile region comprised of northern Uganda, eastern Congo and southern Sudan.

UN Looks to DR Congo Withdrawal - Mark Doyle, BBC News

A UN Security Council team has mooted eventually withdrawing peacekeepers from the Democratic Republic of Congo - the world's largest UN mission. The prospect was raised when diplomats on a tour of Africa's hotspots met Congolese President Joseph Kabila in his palace on the River Congo's banks. President Kabila reportedly said he hoped the UN could leave before the next presidential elections in 2011.

UN Envoys Back Congo's Kabila - Louis Charbonneau. Reuters

UN envoys met Congo President Joseph Kabila on Saturday and backed his plans to disarm and expel Rwandan rebels behind years of strife, and to refocus the biggest UN peace force on rebuilding his shattered nation. The ambassadors reassured Kabila the peacekeepers who have backed his army's efforts to control almost daily clashes with local militias and Rwandan Hutu rebels in eastern areas since a 1998-2003 war would not simply pack their bags and leave.

Death Toll Rises to 16 in Mogadishu Violence - Abdi Sheikh, Reuters

Eight more people died in Somalia's capital on Saturday, residents said, bringing the death toll in Mogadishu from two days of violence to 16. The rubble-strewn city had been relatively peaceful this week during tentative UN peace talks in Djibouti between the interim government and opposition figures based in Eritrea. But the calm was shattered on Friday when at least eight people were killed, and locals said eight more died on Saturday.

Somali BBC Contributor Shot Dead - BBC News

Gunmen in the southern Somali city of Kismayo have killed a local journalist. Nasteh Dahir, who worked for both the BBC and Associated Press news agency, was shot in the chest and stomach outside his home. The National Union of Somali Journalists said it was a "targeted assassination" and that the 26-year-old had received death threats.

Albinos Face Deadly Threat in Tanzania - Jeffrey Gettleman, New York Times

Discrimination against albinos is a serious problem throughout sub-Saharan Africa, but recently in Tanzania it has taken a wicked twist: at least 19 albinos, including children, have been killed and mutilated in the past year, victims of what Tanzanian officials say is a growing criminal trade in albino body parts. Many people in Tanzania - and across Africa, for that matter - believe albinos have magical powers. They stand out, often the lone white face in a black crowd, a result of a genetic condition that impairs normal skin pigmentation and strikes about 1 in 3,000 people here. Tanzanian officials say witch doctors are now marketing albino skin, bones and hair as ingredients in potions that are promised to make people rich.

AMERICAS

Mexico Wants No Strings on Aid - Mark Walsh, Washington Times

A top Mexican lawmaker said Saturday that Mexico will reject any US aid to fight drug traffickers that comes with conditions. Mexican congressional speaker Ruth Zavaleta said any conditions placed on the aid would be seen as an infringement on Mexican sovereignty. The Merida Initiative would provide $1.4 billion over several years to help Mexico, Central America, the Dominican Republic and Haiti combat drug trafficking. But the US House and Senate have imposed several conditions on the aid, including guarantees of civilian investigations into human rights abuses by the Mexican military.

Chávez Suffers Military and Policy Setbacks - Simon Romero, New York TImes

On the same day Colombia said it had captured a Venezuelan national guard officer carrying 40,000 AK-47 assault rifle cartridges believed to be intended for leftist guerrillas, President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela said Saturday he would withdraw a decree overhauling intelligence policies that he had made earlier that week. The rare reversal by Mr. Chávez came amid intensifying criticism in Venezuela from human rights groups. The capture of the Venezuelan officer in eastern Colombia could reignite tensions between the neighboring countries over Venezuela’s support for the rebel group FARC.

Chavez Backtracks on Venezuela Spy Law - Associated Press

President Hugo Chavez says his government will rewrite a new intelligence law to calm Venezuelan fears that the decree could be used to stifle dissent. Many Venezuelans were alarmed that the law could force them to spy on neighbors or risk prison terms. Human rights activists and representatives of Venezuela's Catholic Church have criticized the decree, saying it violates civil liberties.

Venezuelans Protest Banning - Christopher Toothaker, Associated Press

Thousands of opponents of President Hugo Chavez on Saturday protested a "blacklist" unveiled by Venezuela's top anti-corruption official that bars key opposition candidates from running in upcoming elections. Comptroller General Clodosbaldo Russian has blocked more than 400 mostly opposition politicians from running for office in state and municipal elections in November while he investigates corruption allegations. Opposition leaders say the list is illegal, saying that under Venezuela's Constitution the basic rights of all citizens are guaranteed unless they have been charged with a crime and sentenced by a court. They also contend the investigation targets Chavez opponents.

Colombia 'Holds Venezuelan Guard' - BBC News

Colombia says it has arrested a Venezuelan national guard officer who was trying to deliver assault rifle ammunition to Marxist rebels. The officer is said to have been captured along with three others in the southern Colombian province of Vichada, near the border with Venezuela. The arrest comes at a time of tension between the two neighbours. The Bogota government has accused Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez of supporting Colombia's Farc guerrillas.

ASIA PACIFIC

Survivors in China Sift Rubble for the Past - Edward Wong, New York Times

There are no more rescues. The survivors say miracles are just that: only miracles. What the people digging through the rubble here at the center of the earthquake zone are pulling out now is entirely inanimate. There are car parts and real estate deeds and clothes for infants. A woman scours the debris every day for firewood to carry back to a tent where 13 families have taken refuge. Another leafs through her son’s wedding photo album, dust-filled and lifted from the ruins of her home.

Indonesian Government Weighs Options - Kenneth Conboy, Counterterrorism

Last Sunday, the paramilitary Islamic Defender’s Front (Front Pembela Islam, or FPI) led a brazen attack against a gathering to promote religious tolerance at Jakarta’s National Monument. Dozens were wounded, including critical injuries inflicted to a leading human rights advocate. Now one week after the attack in downtown Jakarta, the government of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has responded with several half-measures. Thus far eight FPI members have been detained, with an ongoing manhunt for at least one other high-profile figure. But the authorities have thus far resisted calls to force the disbandment of the FPI.

N. Korea: Family Slain as Hunger Returns - Michael Sheridan, Times of London

The first case of murder and suicide caused by North Korea’s new food crisis has emerged with the account of a man who killed his hungry wife and children and then took his own life in despair. The family’s precarious existence became desperate after officials forbade the wife and other vendors to sell noodles in a local market, their only source of income. Such arbitrary rulings are common.

EUROPE

Armed Attack at Kosovo PM's Home - BBC News

Security guards at the home of Kosovo's Prime Minister Hashim Thaci have exchanged fire with at least one intruder, police in Pristina say. Police said one person was seen trying to enter the house and shooting broke out when the intruder was challenged. Mr Thaci was not at home at the time, but his wife and son were present but unhurt, police said. The deputy prime minister condemned the incident as an "attack against the rule of law in Kosovo".

MIDDLE EAST

New Forces fraying US-Saudi Oil Ties - Paul Richter, Los Angeles Times

For decades, Saudi Arabia worked with its dominant customer, the United States, to keep world oil markets stable and advance common political goals. But the surging price of oil, which soared more than $10 a barrel Friday to a record-high $138.54, has made it plain that those days are over. New forces, including a weak dollar and an oil-thirsty Asia, have blunted the United States' leverage and helped sour the two countries' relationship.

Jerusalem Solution Called Unlikely - Isabel Kershner, New York Times

An Israeli government official acknowledged Saturday that the crucial issue of the future status of Jerusalem was unlikely to be resolved in negotiations with Palestinians this year, reflecting the abiding gaps between the sides. The official, Mark Regev, a spokesman for the Israeli prime minister, Ehud Olmert, said Israel was still committed to the goal set at the American-sponsored peace conference at Annapolis, Md., last fall: to try to reach an agreement outlining Palestinian statehood and dealing with “all the core issues” of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by the end of this year.

Sarkozy Presses Lebanon on Peace - BBC News

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has urged political leaders in Lebanon to fully implement a peace deal which ended months of internal confrontation. He made his appeal on a visit to the country - the first there by a Western leader since the deal was made in May. A spokesman for the Elysee Palace said the purpose was to show support for the new president, General Michel Suleiman. The army chief was elected after months of political division which erupted into bloody clashes.

The Lesson of the Fulbright Seven - New York Times editorial

Seven highly qualified and carefully vetted Palestinian students from the Israeli-blockaded Gaza Strip will come to the United States for advanced study after all. After reporting in The Times by Ethan Bronner drew high-level American attention, top State Department officials intervened to restore the students’ Fulbright fellowships that lower-level functionaries had notified them would be withdrawn. Israel has agreed to facilitate special exit permits. It is a welcome victory - for the students; for Israel, which should want to see more of Gaza’s young people follow a path of hope and education rather than hopelessness and martyrdom; and for the United States, whose image in the Middle East badly needs burnishing.

Me Without My Hijab - Zainab Mineeia, Los Angeles Times opinion

When I came to this country, I took off my hijab. It wasn't an easy decision. I worried at night that God would punish me for it. That's what I had been taught would happen, and it filled me with fear. I was 27, coming from my home country of Iraq to study in California. I hoped that by taking off the hijab I had been wearing for eight years, I would be able to maintain a low profile. In Baghdad, you keep a low profile to stay alive. But in the United States, I merely wanted not to be judged.

SOUTH ASIA

Musharraf Vows to Remain in Power - Candace Rondeaux, Washington Post

In his first public interview in months, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf on Saturday moved to dispel rumors that he plans to step down amid renewed calls for his resignation. Musharraf, 64, has faced increasing pressure to resign since his ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Q faction was routed in national parliamentary elections in February. But in a rare televised interview with top Pakistani journalists, Musharraf vowed to remain in the presidency.

Musharraf Faces More Calls for Ouster in Pakistan - Zarar Khan, Associated Press

A junior party in Pakistan's government called Sunday for its main coalition partner to back the impeachment of President Pervez Musharraf, a day after the former army strongman rebuffed calls from both parties to resign. Ahsan Iqbal, a spokesman for ex-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's party, called Musharraf "a virus in the democratic computer" and said Asif Ali Zardari's party should not hesitate to "join us for Musharraf's impeachment."

Ruling Party Says to Cut Musharraf's Power - Robert Birsel, Reuters

Pakistan's ruling party has said it is determined to curtail the powers of the presidency in favor of parliament, whether President Pervez Musharraf likes it or not. Staunch US ally Musharraf, facing a chorus of calls to resign, told journalists on Saturday, in his first meeting with the media for weeks, that he had no plan to quit. At the same time, Musharraf sounded a generally conciliatory tone saying parliament, dominated by opponents since his allies were defeated in a February election, was supreme.

Pakistani Women Victims of 'Honor' - Katie Falkenberg, Washington Times

The deepening humanitarian crisis, mostly unnoticed by the Western world, is laid bare by the numbers. Between 70 percent and 90 percent of the 83 million women in Pakistan have been attacked or suffered other forms of domestic abuse by husbands, future husbands or other family members, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW). More than 4,100 "honor" killings - the slaying of a woman by relatives who think she has shamed the family - occurred in the country between 2001 and 2004, according to Pakistan's Interior Ministry

450 Tibetans Detained in Nepal's Capital - Binaj Gurubachharya, Associated Press

Tibetan exiles marched in protest against Chinese rule over their homeland in Nepal's capital Saturday before police stopped them and detained hundreds of demonstrators, authorities said. The protesters marched about three miles into the heart of Katmandu before police in riot gear blocked them. Police used bamboo batons to beat some of them and detained at least 450, said police official R.P. Dhamala at the scene.

UNITED NATIONS

Report Assails Whistle-Blower - Colum Lynch, Washington Post

A UN official showed up at the US mission to the United Nations in 2006 with an alarming story: The UN Development Program office he ran in North Korea had stashed thousands of dollars in counterfeit US cash in a safe, diverted tens of millions more into the coffers of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il and possibly supported North Korea's weapons programs. For the next year and half, Artjon "Tony" Shkurtaj, an Albanian national who served as the UNDP's operations manager in Pyongyang, guided US officials on a tour of UN malfeasance in North Korea, furnishing internal UN documents and an insiders' analysis of how the global body violated its rules and helped North Korea obtain hard currency and sensitive high-tech equipment.

RECOMMENDED READING

KeepNet 6 June 2008 - Tim Stevens, Ubiwar

Postings are likely to be light for the next few days as the slew of summer weddings begins, combined with starting a new job and attending conferences, so here are a few links to sustain in the meantime.

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.

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.