IRAQ

US Troops Face Powerful New Weapon - Ernesto Londoño, Washington Post

Suspected Shiite militiamen have begun using powerful rocket-propelled bombs to attack US military outposts in recent months, broadening the array of weapons used against American troops. US military officials call the devices Improvised Rocket Assisted Munitions, or IRAMs. They are propane tanks packed with hundreds of pounds of explosives and powered by 107mm rockets. They are often fired by remote control from the backs of trucks, sometimes in close succession. Rocket-propelled bombs have killed at least 21 people, including at least three US soldiers, this year.

US Prepares for Rise in Pre-election Attacks - Associated Press

The second-ranking US commander in Iraq said Wednesday he is preparing for the possibility that insurgents will try to spoil Iraq's parliamentary elections this fall by stepping up violence. Army Lt. Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III provided no details on how coalition and Iraqi forces will approach the security challenge as voter registration proceeds this summer and polling stations are opened. Voting in all 18 provinces is intended to be held in October, but some people believe it probably will slip into November.

US, Iraqi Forces Quell Violence Throughout Iraq - Michael Carden, AFPS

If you asked Army Lt. Gen. Lloyd J. Austin in April which cities in Iraq were the hot spots and would be the focus of his forces’ efforts, he would have replied quickly: Basra, Mosul, Diyala and Baghdad’s Sadr City district. But when reporters asked the commander of Multinational Corps Iraq about those same cities today during a media roundtable at Al Faw Palace here, his reply was quite different. Today, the Iraqi government is “firmly in control of Baghdad, Basra and Mosul,” Austin said. “We’ve made some significant gains here in terms of security, and we hope that we can continue to build upon those.” Coalition forces in Anbar province are in the process of handing over full control to the central government as well, he added. A major reason for this change is the progression of Iraqi security forces, the general said. Since late March, when major operations began in northern, central and southern Iraq, violence and attack levels in the country have dipped to the lowest point in four years.

More Confident Iraq Becomes Tougher - Steven Lee Myers, New York Times

The Bush administration’s quest for a deal with Iraq that would formally authorize an unlimited American troop presence there well beyond President Bush’s tenure appears to be unraveling. The irony is that it may be a victim of the administration’s successes in the war. Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki of Iraq and his senior aides are now openly demanding a timetable for the withdrawal of American troops, at least on paper. That is partly a nod to Iraqi political realities, since Iraqi politicians must call for the end of American occupation. No one in Iraq realistically expects to throw out the Americans anytime soon - and few in Iraq believe that it would be safe to do so immediately.

Iraqi Forces to Be Fully Ready in '09 - Tyson and Eggen, Washington Post

Iraq's army and police will be fully manned and operational by mid-2009, possibly as early as April, the top US general in charge of building Iraqi security forces said yesterday, signaling the prospect that Iraqi forces could assume primary combat responsibilities in the country while US troops shift to a supporting role. Asked when Iraqi ground forces could handle security so US troops would not have to, Lt. Gen. James Dubik told lawmakers on Capitol Hill that the strength of Iraq's ground forces had grown significantly. "The ground forces will mostly be done by middle of next year; their divisions, brigades and battalions are on a good timeline," Dubik said in testimony before the House Armed Services Committee. "Could be as early as April. Could be as late as August," said Dubik, who until last week led the effort to train Iraqi forces.

Iraqi Forces Will Need Long-Term Help - Dan Robinson, VOA

A US general formerly in charge of training Iraq's army and police forces since 2007 says they will require long-term assistance from the United States. Army Lieutenant General James Dubik says Iraqi forces now number 566,000, an increase of 122,000 since June of last year. Nine of 18 Iraqi provinces are under Iraqi control, he notes, with 12 Iraqi battalions now at the highest level of operational readiness and 90 at the second highest level. General Dubik says Iraqi forces are increasingly conducting their own operations, although with US command and control, intelligence, logistics and air support. He lists a number of optimistic statistics. "Gains in the percentage of leaders in their units, the percentage of soldiers who are present for duty, the numbers of air missions and naval patrols per week, and the overall operational readiness ratings are all trending in a positive direction," he said.

Iraq Asserts Itself, So Listen - Boston Globe editorial

President Bush John McCain, and other proponents of an open-ended American troop presence in Iraq might not appreciate it right now, but Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki was acting like an accountable politician earlier this week when he called for a timetable for withdrawal of US forces from Iraq. If there is one thing nearly all the major parties, sects, and factions in Iraq agree upon, it is on the need for such a timetable. With provincial elections coming this fall in Iraq and nationwide elections scheduled for 2009, Maliki was doing what any politician interested in self-preservation would do. Faced with a choice between pandering to Bush or to the voters of Iraq, he chose to please his own people.

Maliki's Demands - Max Boot, Commentary opinion

How concerned should we be about demands emanating from the Maliki government for a withdrawal timetable for US troops? Unless something changes dramatically, the answer I would give is: not very. That's not because the situation in Iraq is so stable that we can pull out American forces without doing any damage. Despite recent gains in security, the situation remains fragile and US forces will need to remain in Iraq for years to nurture this embattled democracy - and not so incidentally to protect our own interests in the region. The good news is that Prime Minister Maliki, along with every other major figure in Iraqi politics, understands this. But they also understand that the people of Iraq are impatient for the return of full sovereignty and for the departure of foreign troops from their soil.

Why Iraq Is Changing Its Tune on Withdrawal - Mohammed Fadhil, PJM opinion

In a surprising development, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and his national security advisor Mowaffak al-Rubaie made a dramatic shift in their positions in the SOFA negotiations with the US. By referring to the negotiated deal as a “memorandum of understanding” instead of using its official name, they are signalling that are doing more than just taking a tougher stand: they are scrapping all that has been negotiated since February and starting new negotiations for a whole new deal. In other words, Maliki is saying that he wants to negotiate the withdrawal of US forces, not their presence, after the UN mandate expires. In order to understand why Maliki made this sharp turn from his formerly pragmatic neutral position, we need to examine three issues: the timing of the statements, the place from which they were made, and the parties that made them.

AFGHANISTAN / PAKISTAN TRIBAL AREAS

Pakistan Is Said to Be Attracting Insurgents - Eric Schmitt, New York Times

American military and intelligence officials say there has been an increase in recent months in the number of foreign fighters who have traveled to Pakistan’s tribal areas to join with militants there. The flow may reflect a change that is making Pakistan, not Iraq, the preferred destination for some Sunni extremists from the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia who are seeking to take up arms against the West, these officials say. The American officials say the influx, which could be in the dozens but could also be higher, shows a further strengthening of the position of the forces of Al Qaeda in the tribal areas, increasingly seen as an important base of support for the Taliban, whose forces in Afghanistan have become more aggressive in their campaign against American-led troops.

Digger's Death Will Not Deter Aussies - Mark Dodd, The Australian

Australian military forces in Afghanistan will continue to step up their attacks against Taliban insurgents, despite the death this week of the sixth Digger in the six-year conflict. SAS signaller Sean McCarthy, 25, a member of the Perth-based Special Air Service Regiment, was on his second tour of Afghanistan when he was killed in a roadside explosion on Tuesday, becoming the fifth Australian to die in the theatre in nine months and the second this year. The New Zealand-born, Gold Coast-raised Signaller McCarthy became the sixth Australian serviceman to be killed on active duty in Afghanistan since 2002, when his vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb at about 3pm while on a patrol outside the main base at Tarin Kowt in war-battered south-central Oruzgan province. Two of his comrades from the Special Operations Task Group were wounded and a third soldier from an unnamed country attached to the Australian group received "serious but not life-threatening" injuries.

Taliban Conflict 'Cannot be Won' - Sally Neighbour, The Australian

The story of Kabul is truly a tale of two cities. For ordinary Kabulites, life goes on, much as normal. The carpet merchants of Chicken Street hawk overpriced rugs to foreign passers-by. Legless mujaheddin veterans with their prosthetic limbs laid out on the dusty roadside beg for small change. A legion of gardeners tends the overgrown beds of roses, petunias and sunflowers that somehow flourish despite the ravages of drought and 30 years of war. But for the international community that has colonised the Afghan capital, it is a city under siege; a citadel of high-walled compounds topped with barbed wire, fortified by sandbag bunkers and helmeted soldiers toting AK47s or M16s. The growing fears that have gripped the city were graphically realised with Monday's bombing at the Indian embassy in the heart of Kabul, which killed 41 people and injured more than 100. The carnage in the heavily secured diplomatic enclave reinforced a dawning reality. "Coalition forces are winning every battle but losing the war," a private security consultant told me. "You can go out and kill Taliban all day long. You kill 20,000 - and there's another 20,000 that will follow them."

IRAN

Iran Launches Nine Test Missiles - Glenn Kessler, Washington Post

Iran test-fired nine missiles yesterday -- including at least one capable of striking Israel -- and asserted that thousands more are "ready for launch," but Bush administration officials played down the possibility of military action against the Islamic republic and belittled Tehran's claims of progress on its nuclear program. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told reporters the world is not closer to a military confrontation, even though Iran's missile launch came just days after Israel conducted a high-profile military exercise in the Mediterranean. "What we're seeing is a lot of signaling going on," he said, adding that both Israel and Iran "understand [the] consequences" of military action.

Iran Reports Missile Test, Drawing Rebuke - Cowell and Broad, New York Times

Iranian Revolutionary Guards practicing war-game maneuvers test-fired nine missiles on Wednesday, including at least one the government in Tehran describes as having the range to reach Israel. The tests drew sharp American criticism and came a day after the Iranians had threatened to retaliate against Israel and the United States if attacked. State-run media said the missiles were long- and medium-range weapons, and included the Shahab-3, which Tehran maintains is able to hit targets up to 1,250 miles away from its firing position. Parts of western Iran are within 650 miles of Tel Aviv.

Iran Test-fires Missiles - Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times

With US warships in the Persian Gulf and the rhetoric between Iran and Israel growing more heated, Tehran on Wednesday test-fired nine missiles, including at least one capable of striking Israel and other American allies and interests in the Middle East. The medium- and long-range missiles were launched during military exercises staged by Iran's Revolutionary Guard near the strategic oil shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz. State television quoted a top military leader, Gen. Hossein Salami, as saying the war games in the Persian Gulf would "demonstrate our resolve and might against enemies who in recent weeks have threatened Iran with harsh language."

Iran Missile Tests Raise Tensions - David Wood, Baltimore Sun

Iran raised the stakes in an already-jittery Persian Gulf region yesterday by test-firing missiles that it said had a range sufficient to target Israel, US forces in Iraq and southern Europe. The launches came during a period of military elbowing and jostling, including an Israeli exercise last month said by some analysts to be a major rehearsal for an air campaign against Iran's nuclear development facilities. Both the US and Iran have held military exercises in the region this week, and an Iranian threat to close the vital Strait of Hormuz if attacked was met with a sharp American response that no blockage of the strait would be tolerated.

Tehran Missile Tests Fail to Impress - Mitnick and Gertz, Washington Times

US and Israeli officials Wednesday said Iran's test firing of missiles capable of hitting the Jewish state and US interests in the region didn't demonstrate any new capability, and they dismissed the exercise as saber rattling. Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps commander Adm. Morteza Saffari told Arabic state television station Al-Alam Arabic that the military exercises were intended as a show of force against any attack on Iran's nuclear facilities.

Gates: Missile Test Does Not Make War More Likely - Al Pessin, VOA

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates says Wednesday's Iranian missile tests provide further evidence of the need for a European missile defense system, but he says the tests do not make military confrontation with Iran any more likely. Secretary Gates indicated that the Iranian test demonstrated enhanced capability for the country's Shahab Three missile, but he said he could not provide details. Previous versions of the missile are believed to have a range of about 2,000 kilometers, enough to reach from western Iran to the western shore of the Black Sea. Secretary Gates says the test provides evidence to support the US view that Europe needs a system to defend against Iranian missiles.

US Officials React to Iranian Missile Test - Jim Garamone, AFPS

Iran’s test of short- and medium-range missiles is a disturbing development and points to the need for a European missile defense system, Pentagon officials said here today. Iran tested at least seven missiles yesterday, according to news reports, capable of hitting Israel and parts of Europe. “Iran’s development of ballistic missiles is a violation of UN Security Council resolutions and completely inconsistent with Iran's obligations to the world,” White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said to reporters traveling with President Bush in Japan. “The Iranians should stop the development of ballistic missiles, which could be used as a delivery vehicle for a potential nuclear weapon, immediately.” The test “addresses the doubts raised by the Russians that the Iranians won’t have a longer-range ballistic missile for 10 to 20 years,” Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said during a Pentagon news conference today. “The fact is, they just tested a pretty extended-range [missile]. The situation demonstrates the emerging missile threat from the Middle East, Pentagon officials said, and the need for a missile defense in Europe. Yesterday, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice signed an agreement with the Czech Republic to emplace a missile-defense radar in that country. The United States continues talks with Poland to emplace the missiles.

Missile Test Ratchets Up Regional Tensions - Tom Baldwin, The Times

Iran flexed its military muscles yesterday by test-firing up to nine missiles near the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow strip of water through which much of the world’s oil supplies pass. The show of force was intended to “demonstrate our resolve and might against enemies” - including the United States and Israel - “who in recent weeks have threatened Iran with harsh language,” according to General Hossein Salami, the air force commander of the Revolutionary Guards. Israel and most US military bases across the Middle East would be within striking distance of some of the missiles fired, including the ballistic Shahab-3. Iran has repeatedly threatened to shut down the Strait of Hormuz if it is attacked.

Iran's Missile Threat - Wall Street Journal editorial

Talk about timing, perhaps fortuitous. On Tuesday, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was in Prague signing an agreement that's a first step toward protecting Europe from ballistic missile attack. As if on cue, Tehran yesterday tested nine missiles, including several capable of reaching southern Europe, as well as Israel and U.S. troops stationed in the Middle East. Remind us. Who says Iran isn't a threat? The chief naysayer is Moscow, which continues to insist that the planned US-led missile defense for Europe is aimed at defeating Russian missiles, not Iranian ones. This was Vladimir Putin's line, and the new Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev, picked it up yesterday, saying that the antimissile system "deeply distresses" Russia and is a threat to its national security. The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement warning that if the system is deployed, "we will be forced to react not with diplomatic, but with military-technical methods." Good to see the Russians haven't lost their subtle touch.

Iran's Provocation - Washington Times editorial

Iran's test fire of nine long-range and medium-range missiles on Wednesday was a shot across the bow. The Iranians are sending a strong signal to both Israel and America that they will not be intimidated by the threat of military action by either nation to abandoning their nuclear ambitions. The limitations of diplomacy and tepid economic sanctions are increasingly apparent to leaders in both Tel Aviv and Washington. The Iranians have only been further emboldened to thumb their nose at the international community.

Tehran's Definite 'Maybe' - David Ignatius, Washington Post opinion

Even in midsummer, Iran's foreign minister, Manouchehr Mottaki, wears the three-piece suit of a traditional diplomat. But faithful to the dress code of the Iranian revolution, he doesn't wear a necktie. That mix of symbols is a good snapshot of Iran's hard-and-soft foreign policy these days. The Iranians are signaling that they want talks with the West -- and hinting that they are ready for a serious dialogue with the Great Satan in Washington. But while they discuss engagement, they remain wary of it. The Iranians are almost coquettish: They like being wooed, and they enjoy being the center of attention, but they aren't quite ready to say yes.

Mullahs and Missiles - Peter Brookes, New York Post opinion

It's not unusual for a state to conduct military exercises, but Iran had a lot more in mind when it literally went ballistic yesterday - launching nine medium- and long-range missiles during its "Great Prophet" war games. Without question, this latest round of saber-rattling wasn't just routine defense drills. It was intended, instead, to posture and provoke - and to advance Iranian interests.

THE LONG WAR

Worse than Nuclear Threat - Claude Salhani, United Press International

A recurring question at the forefront of most intelligence agencies since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks concerns the ongoing efforts by terrorist groups to acquire weapons of mass destruction: chemical, biological and mostly nuclear. Nuclear, biological and chemical weapons all come with advantages and disadvantages for the terrorist, that is. Of the three sorts, biological weapons might be the easiest to reproduce safely in a lab, assuming one knows what to do. A biological agent, as a weapon of mass destruction or a terror weapon, is the least expensive as well as the easiest to disseminate. A biological agent does not need a delivery mechanism and can be transported by one person. It can pass undetected through customs and border guards, given that it is odorless and colorless.

Senate Approves Bill to Broaden Wiretap Powers - Eric Lichtblau, New York Times

The Senate gave final approval on Wednesday to a major expansion of the government’s surveillance powers, handing President Bush one more victory in a series of hard-fought clashes with Democrats over national security issues. The measure, approved by a vote of 69 to 28, is the biggest revamping of federal surveillance law in 30 years. It includes a divisive element that Mr. Bush had deemed essential: legal immunity for the phone companies that cooperated in the National Security Agency wiretapping program he approved after the Sept. 11 attacks.

9/11 Suspects Urged to Accept Legal Help - Josh Meyer, Los Angeles Times

A military judge Wednesday strongly advised two accused co-conspirators in the Sept. 11 attacks not to represent themselves in their upcoming trial because their defense would suffer from several factors, including a lack of access to the classified evidence that the government plans to use against them. "It would be best for you to accept the assistance of counsel. If it sounds as if I am trying to talk you out of representing yourself, that would be accurate," Judge Ralph H. Kohlmann told one of the defendants, Mustafa Ahmed Hawsawi, who the government says was an Al Qaeda paymaster in the 2001 attacks on New York and the Pentagon.

Device Sends Shock Waves Through Blogs - Whitney Stewart, Washington Times

The Department of Homeland Security two years ago considered the use of "safety bracelets" that can deliver a debilitating shock similar to that of a Taser for controlling prisoners during transport. The inventor of the magnetically secured wristbands - Per Hahne of Toronto - has proposed that his electro-muscular disruption (EMD) devices be fitted on all airline passengers as a safeguard against terrorist attacks. But Homeland Security officials in July 2006 focused on the potential use of the bracelets only for transporting prisoners.

The Government and Your Laptop - New York Times editorial

The Department of Homeland Security is routinely searching laptops at airports when Americans re-enter the United States from abroad. The government then pores over or copies the laptop’s contents — including financial records, medical data and e-mail messages. These out-of-control searches trample the privacy rights of Americans, and Congress should rein them in. There have been widespread reports of the government searching — and often seizing — laptops, BlackBerrys, iPhones and other portable electronic devices at airports. It is not clear how often these searches occur, and the government will not say. The Association of Corporate Travel Executives says that of 100 people who responded to a survey it conducted this year, 7 said they had had a laptop or other electronic device seized.

Fixing How We Go to War - David Broder, Washington Post opinion

Just shy of eight years after they squared off in the Florida recount battle, James A. Baker III and Warren Christopher have joined forces to clean up one of the ugly legacies of Vietnam -- the misguided piece of legislation called the War Powers Act. Passed in 1973, when Congress was mightily frustrated with the undeclared war in Southeast Asia, that statute is proof of the adage that hard cases make bad law. Cases don't come any harder than Vietnam, and the War Powers Act has turned out to be one of the worst bills ever to reach the president's desk and be signed into law.

Veterans Don't Forget - Robert Brudno, Washington Times opinion

Most veterans, particularly Vietnam-era veterans, know the pain their fellow Americans inflicted on those who fought that war. The "antiwar movement" - no matter how lofty its intentions - essentially blamed that war on the warriors and left deep scars on many of them. It has taken decades for those who choose military service to regain the respect of all of their countrymen. In the current presidential race, how a candidate proposes to deal with Iraq matters a lot to veterans and for them national interest trumps party affiliation.

US DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Activists Decry Cluster Bombs Policy - Julian Barnes, Los Angeles Times

Human rights advocates Wednesday attacked a new Pentagon policy on cluster bombs, saying the military's effort to build a safer version of the controversial weapon was misguided and likely to fail. The three-page policy, formally released Wednesday, describes cluster bombs, which release tiny bomblets over a relatively wide area, as "legitimate weapons with clear military utility." But critics say the weapons have a high failure rate. Many bomblets may not explode on contact, and later can be accidentally triggered by civilians.

Pentagon Voids Northrop Air Tanker Win - Peter Spiegel, Los Angeles Times

The chronically troubled effort to build a new fleet of aerial refueling tankers for the Air Force was delayed yet again after Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates announced Wednesday that the competition that selected Northrop Grumman Corp. was flawed and would be opened for the third time in seven years. The decision is a blow to the Century City-based aerospace giant, which was the surprise winner of the $35-billion contract over archrival Boeing Co. in February. It's also a slap to the Air Force itself, which Gates said would be stripped of the authority to choose the airplane.

Thousands of Jobs Threatened - David Robertson, The Times

More than 11,000 British jobs were under threat last night after the Pentagon tore up the world’s biggest defence contract to allow an American company to rebid. Airbus stands to lose an £18 billion contract to build tankers for the US Air Force, awarded only four months ago, after aggressive lobbying by US politicians, including the presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama. Up to 14,000 other jobs are threatened by the move, mainly in the US, France and Germany.

UK MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

Half of British Military Says Want to Quit - Michael Evans, The Times

Britain’s ability to sustain campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan was called into question last night as it emerged that almost half of all military personnel are ready to quit. The first survey to assess attitudes across the Armed Forces reveals unprecedented levels of concern over equipment, morale and pay. The research was conducted by the Ministry of Defence and involved more than 24,000 military personnel. It found that the sense of overcommitment means that 47 per cent of soldiers and army officers think regularly of handing in their resignations.

AFRICA

7 UN Troops Die in Ambush - Betsy Pisik, Washington Times

Seven UN peacekeepers were killed and nearly two dozen injured in a "well-planned" ambush by Sudanese militias in northern Darfur, Sudan, UN officials said Wednesday. It was the deadliest attack on the United Nations-African Union joint peacekeeping mission since it was created in October. UN officials in Sudan and New York said the predominantly Rwandan contingent was attacked Tuesday by nearly 200 militants - some riding horses, others piloting sport utility vehicles outfitted with high-quality rifles and other weapons.

7 Peacekeepers Killed in Darfur - Lydia Polgreen, New York Times

Seven international peacekeepers were killed and 22 wounded in a brazen day ambush by heavily armed men in trucks and on horseback in the Sudanese province of Darfur, according United Nations officials aid Wednesday. It was the deadliest attack on international forces in Darfur since September 2007, when 10 peacekeepers were killed in an assault on a base, and was a severe blow to the hybrid United Nations and African Union peace force that has struggled to protect civilians and itself. About 200 men in 40 trucks descended on a convoy of peacekeeping soldiers and police officers about 60 miles east of their base in El Fasher, the regional capital, as they returned from patrol. They had been investigating allegations of abuses by a rebel faction that is allied with the government.

7 Troops Killed In Sudan Ambush - Stephanie McCrummen, Washington Post

Seven peacekeepers were killed and seven critically injured when their convoy was ambushed in Darfur, the biggest hit so far on the struggling United Nations-African Union force that took charge in January, officials said Wednesday. The convoy of about 60 soldiers and police officers was attacked Tuesday afternoon along a stretch of desert road by hundreds of gunmen on horses and in about 40 trucks outfitted with mounted machine guns and with antitank and antiaircraft weapons, according to UN officials.

War on Darfur's Peacekeepers - Los Angeles Times editorial

The tragedy in Darfur tends to fade in and out of the world's consciousness, mostly forgotten until some new outrage reminds us that millions of people there are still displaced and slowly starving in refugee camps as heavily armed rebels, militiamen, government soldiers and assorted bandits plunder the countryside. Comes now another outrage. On Tuesday, outrage. about 200 bandits on horseback and in SUVs mounted with antiaircraft or anti-tank weapons opened fire on a U.N. peacekeeping force that had been investigating the killing of civilians in north Darfur. At least seven peacekeepers were killed and 22 wounded in a two-hour gun battle. The brazen assault was horrifying but hardly surprising, given that the peacekeepers are a grossly undermanned and under-equipped contingent of sitting ducks.

G8 Backs UN Push Against Mugabe - The Australian

The US will force a vote this week to place UN sanctions on Zimbabwe's leaders after Russia joined other G8 nations in threatening "further steps" against Robert Mugabe's Government. The decision to force a showdown in the 15-nation UN Security Council followed two impassioned debates at the rich nations' G8 summit at Lake Toya, Japan. British officials said Prime Minister Gordon Brown used shock tactics to win support for a tough G8 statement refusing to recognise Mugabe's rule. He was said to have pulled fellow leaders aside to show them a horrific photograph of a driver for Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change who was brutally murdered last month. He told them that every day the world failed to act, similar tragedies would follow.

ZANU-PF Party Plans New Crackdown on MDC - Los Angeles Times

Zimbabwe's regime plans a renewed crackdown on opposition leaders, lawmakers and activists in coming days, according to ruling party sources. Despite increasing international pressure on President Robert Mugabe, the sources warned that political violence is likely to intensify. The crackdown would be aimed at pressuring the opposition to accept a government of national unity led by Mugabe, senior ruling party sources said. The sources asked to remain anonymous because of possible political or security repercussions. The ruling ZANU-PF party wants to take the dominant role in a unity government with the opposition Movement for Democratic Change.

Tyrant Thrives, World Looks Away - Michael Kroger, The Australian opinion

The world doesn't seem to doubt that before the recent election in Zimbabwe, Opposition politicians and their supporters were variously murdered, beaten, tortured and raped by the ruling ZANU-PF and its supporters. The 30-year friendship between South African President Thabo Mbeki and Mugabe is the reason Mbeki was the wrong person to be appointed to mediate Zimbabwe's conflict. Mbeki has refused to criticise Mugabe throughout the Zimbabwean crisis, nor has South Africa seriously attempted to put economic pressure on Zimbabwe despite the obvious butchery of Mugabe's regime. Mbeki's policy of "quiet diplomacy" is a synonym for inaction. Many reasons are advanced as to why Mbeki and the South African Government have backed Mugabe. The likeliest is that, just like the African National Congress, Mugabe and ZANU-PF were successful in their liberation struggles against white rule. Nothing came out of the African Union summit at the Red Sea resort Sharm El Sheikh and nothing came of Kenya and Botswana's demands that Zimbabwe be suspended from the African Union.

Using Star Power to Repair Nigeria’s Image - Angelo Ragaza, New York Times

It’s hard to rehabilitate a country - especially Nigeria, best known these days for violence in the oil-producing Niger. But Nduka Obaigbena is used to long odds. The Nigerian media mogul — part Bono, part Diddy - has been challenging his country’s often brutal kleptocracy for decades. And, in what passes for high praise from the organization that has consistently rated Nigeria one of the most corrupt nations in the world, Nancy Z. Boswell, president and chief executive of Transparency International-USA, says of Mr. Obaigbena’s efforts to clean up his country, “There is reason to be cautiously optimistic.”

AMERICAS

Chile Scoured for 'Doctor Death' - James Bone, The Times

Investigators have begun scouring southern Chile for an SS officer known as “Doctor Death” in what could be the last great Nazi hunt. Aribert Heim, a concentration camp doctor who killed hundreds of inmates by injecting petrol or poison into their hearts, is considered the world's most-wanted surviving Nazi. He is believed to be living in hiding in Patagonia at the age of 94. Nazi hunters from the Simon Wiesenthal Centre have gone to Chile to pursue fresh leads about the ageing Nazi as part of what they call “Operation Last Chance”.

Opening Up Trade with Colombia - Marc Grossman, Boston Globe opinion

Colombia's brilliant liberation of 15 hostages, including three Americans held for years by the narco-terrorist group FARC, is fantastic news, not just for the hostages, their families, and the Colombian government, but for all who support Colombia's fight to protect and perfect its democracy. The freeing of these hostages, along with the death last March of Manuel Marulanda, the long-time leader of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, provides a defining strategic opportunity for the US Congress to approve the pending US-Colombia Free Trade Agreement. The daring hostage rescue and the demise of the FARC leader, who for 40 years used violence, kidnapping, and intimidation to try to overthrow Colombia's democracy, will open new possibilities in Colombia, perhaps including the final collapse of the FARC itself.

ASIA PACIFIC

Verification Tops Agenda for N. Korea Nuclear Talks - Reuters

A new round of talks aimed at disarming North Korea will focus on verifying the North's own account of its nuclear programs, the chief US envoy said on Thursday. The negotiations are the first in nine months, after North Korea last month produced a long-delayed declaration of its nuclear activities, one of the initial steps pledged under a disarmament deal.

Spy Cases Raise Concern on China’s Intentions - Neil Lewis, New York Times

In interviews, current and former intelligence and law enforcement officials demonstrated uncertainty as to the precise scope of the problem of Chinese espionage. But many officials offered a similar description of the pattern of the cases: Chinese government and state-sponsored industries have relied on the Chinese diaspora - using immigrants, students and people of second- and third-generation Chinese heritage - and regular commercial relations to operate a system in which some people wittingly or unwittingly participate. One senior law enforcement official involved in prosecuting such cases said the Chinese had “a game plan of sending out lots of tiny feelers in hopes of getting back small bits of seemingly unrelated information in hopes of creating a larger picture.

China Failing to Build Trust - Rowan Callick, The Australian

Public opinion surveys in five Asian countries and the US show perceptions of China's "soft power" lag those of the US and Japan - though a great Olympic Games in Beijing might cut the gap in August. The Chicago Council on Global Affairs and South Korea's East Asia Institute surveyed 6000 people, asking them up to 60 questions each, in China, Vietnam, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia and the US. The survey was conducted in January and February, before the Tibet unrest and Sichuan earthquake.

Thai Foreign Minister Resigns - Associated Press

Thailand's foreign minister resigned Thursday after being accused of jeopardizing the country's claims to land near an ancient Cambodian temple, as a raft of court cases and street protests continued to batter the five-month-old government. ''Even though I did not do anything wrong, I would like to show responsibility by resigning,'' Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama said. The resignation takes effect July 14.

Ulan Bator Battles - Michael Kohn, Wall Street Journal opinion

Is Mongolia's young democracy viable? It's still an open question. More than a week after July 1 post-election riots, opposition Democratic Party leader Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj has yet to accept the poll's results. How he proceeds will say much about the country's future. The ruling Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party won a parliamentary majority of 45 seats in late June elections. The Democratic Party won 28 seats, with smaller parties making up the difference in the 76-seat chamber. But instead of accepting defeat, the opposition leader stirred mass protests with allegations of cheating, all broadcast on television. After the dust settled, the MPRP headquarters was burned, five people were killed, and more than 300 injured.

EUROPE

US Consulate in Istanbul Attacked - Ellen Knickmeyer, Washington Post

Turkey bolstered security at US diplomatic installations across the country Wednesday after men armed with a pump-action shotgun and pistols shot and killed three Turkish policemen outside the US Consulate in Istanbul, officials said. Turkish police killed three gunmen in a five-minute gun battle that ensued. Turkish Interior Minister Besir Atalay said authorities were looking for a fourth man, who had driven the others to the consulate and might have been wounded as he drove away from the scene.

6 Die in Attack on US Post in Turkey - Cowell and Arsu, New York Times

A group of unidentified gunmen opened fire on Turkish security guards outside the United States Consulate in Istanbul on Wednesday, the Turkish authorities said, and at least three police officers and three assailants were killed in a brief gun battle. Officials said that a fourth assailant escaped. The late-morning attack was the first on a diplomatic mission in the city since 2003 when 62 people were killed in assaults on the British consulate, a bank and two synagogues. While the motives behind this attack were not immediately clear, Turkish officials described the gunmen as terrorists.

Russian Shield Threat 'a Scare Tactic' - The Australian

Moscow's threat to respond with military means if the US deployed a missile defence shield close to its borders was meant to make European countries nervous, the Pentagon said yesterday, calling Russia's warning "bellicose rhetoric". The US and Czech foreign ministers toasted with champagne after signing the accord to place a tracking radar southwest of Prague as part of a system to protect against the perceived threat of missile attack from countries such as Iran. But Russia, in a statement reminiscent of Cold War rhetoric, warned the US against deploying the shield.

Rice Urges Georgia to Give Opposition a Voice - Reuters

Russia should help resolve tension over Georgia's rebel regions instead of contributing to it, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Thursday, and she urged an end to violence there. "It (Russia) needs to be a part of resolving the problem and solving the problem and not contributing to it," Rice said. "I have said it to the Russians publicly. I have said it privately," she told a news conference. "The violence needs to stop and whoever is perpetrating it, and I have mentioned this to the president, there should not be violence," she said, standing alongside Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili.

In Feuds, Isolation Engulfs Families - Dan Bilefsky, New York Times

Under the Kanun, an Albanian code of behavior that has been passed on for more than 500 years, “blood must be paid with blood,” with a victim’s family authorized to avenge a slaying by killing any of the killer’s male relatives. The Kanun’s influence is waning, but it served as the country’s constitution for centuries, with rules governing a variety of issues including property ownership, marriage and murder. The National Reconciliation Committee, an Albanian nonprofit organization that works to eliminate the practice of blood feuds, estimates that 20,000 people have been ensnared by blood feuds since they resurfaced after the collapse of Communism in 1991, with 9,500 people killed and nearly 1,000 children deprived of schooling because they are locked indoors.

MIDDLE EAST

Trading Terrorists - Michael Kraft, Washington Times opinion

If they knew the full story of unintended consequences, Arabs might think twice about hailing as a hero the Lebanese terrorist who bashed a little girl's head against a rock and is being released by Israel in exchange for the bodies of two Israeli soldiers. The terrorist is Samir Kuntar. He was captured after he and three other Palestine Liberation Front (PLF) operatives landed on an Israel beach in 1979. During the attack, Kuntar smashed a 4-year-old girl's head against a rock, killing her. He also killed her father. The girl's 2-year-old sister was accidentally suffocated by her mother, who tried to keep the toddler's crying from revealing their hiding place.

Rumors of Peace and War - Claude Salhani, Washington Times opinion

There has been much talk lately behind the long hallways of power in the US capital of an impending move toward peace and reconciliation in the Middle East. For that to become a reality, the many pieces that make up the Middle East's complicated geopolitical jigsaw puzzle must come together at the right time so they fit in correctly. The trouble in previous failed attempts at solving the Middle East imbroglio may be blamed - at least partially - on the fact that to date each piece of the puzzle was tackled as though it were a separate conflict sharing no relation to the original dispute.

SOUTH ASIA

India: Nuke Deal Fallout - Bruce Loudon, The Australian

Vital political and economic reforms, stalled for years because of trenchant communist opposition, were back on the agenda in India yesterday after angry leftist leaders formally withdrew from the ruling coalition. The immediate cause of the historic split between the Government and its longtime communist allies is Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's determination to press ahead with the civilian nuclear deal with the Bush administration. US president George W. Bush yesterday met Dr Singh on the sidelines of the G8 summit in Japan to discuss the pact, which would reverse three decades of US policy by allowing the sale of nuclear fuel and technology to India. In return, India would open its civilian reactors to international inspections. India has not signed international non-proliferation accords but has tested nuclear weapons.

Congress Two-Step - Wall Street Journal editorial

India's Congress-led coalition is swapping out its Communist partners and swapping in the Socialists. That's all you need to know about the ever-dimming prospects for serious, nationwide economic reform. The US-India civil nuclear deal provided the spark for the reshuffle. The Communists, led by Prakash Karat, have long opposed the deal on the grounds that it would bring India closer to America. They've been threatening to pull out of the Congress coalition for months. On Tuesday, they actually did it. But Congress was saved by converging interests. The "Samajwadi" (literally, Socialist) Party was looking for a strong partner to help it win more seats in coming general elections. And Congress was looking for a quick replacement for the Communists, to avoid losing a majority in Parliament.

Negotiating India's Next Nuclear Explosion - Henry Sokolski, WSJ opinion

One of the most notable events of the G-8 meeting in Tokyo this week had little to do with economic growth. In a conversation yesterday, US President George Bush and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh discussed a civilian nuclear deal that has been in the works for nearly three years. The pact, known as the 123 Agreement under US law, would allow American firms to invest and trade in civil nuclear technologies with India -- a significant event if it occurs, given that India hasn't signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) and has not allowed full inspections of its nuclear plants. With only months left before Congress breaks for the US Presidential elections, the time needed to finalize the deal this year may be running out.

WORLD

Division at G-8 Over Climate Goal - Sheryl Gay Stolberg, New York Times

Rich nations and emerging powers on Wednesday declared climate change “one of the great global challenges of our time.” But they set no short-term goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, with the largest developing countries demanding more action by wealthy nations before moving. The declaration grew out of an unprecedented meeting that brought together 16 nations, rich and poor, and the European Union on global warming. The session, organized by President Bush, took place here on the northernmost Japanese island of Hokkaido, where leaders of the Group of 8 pledged Tuesday to “move toward a carbon-free society” by seeking to halve worldwide emissions of heat-trapping gases by 2050. But a group of the largest emerging economies, led by India and China, now the leading source of greenhouse gases, refused to sign on to that goal.

PM: G8 Fails Climate Test - Alford and Shanahan, The Australian

Emerging industrial giants India and China have refused to fall into line with the richest nations on cutting greenhouse emissions, as Kevin Rudd urged the world's most powerful leaders to build a "grand new consensus" on climate change. The Prime Minister warned of "a grave danger" that next year's UN Copenhagen summit - designed to set a new global climate regime - could come to nothing unless developed and developing nations agreed on targeted CO2 reductions. In what would be a blow to Mr Rudd's ambitious plan to introduce a carbon trading scheme by 2010, he said a post-Kyoto settlement on climate change was threatened by the failure of the Hokkaido Group of Eight summit to bridge the gap between rich nations and the emerging economies on sharing the burden of cutting greenhouse emissions.

G-8 Largely Ignores Economic Woes - Don Lee, Los Angeles Times

With the Group of 8 having wrapped up its summit Wednesday, it won't be long before workers take apart the large eco-building constructed here with recyclable material for the hordes of journalists covering the annual session. Soon it will be as if the building never existed. Many may feel the same way about this year's G-8 meeting. President Bush and leaders of seven of the other wealthiest nations face a triple whammy of economic woes: a global credit crunch, soaring food prices and spiraling oil costs. But in three days of tackling a range of other issues -- among them global warming, aid to Africa and Zimbabwe's election violence -- there was little in the way of fresh initiatives on how to get the world's economy back on track.

Good Intentions, Vague Promises - New York Times editorial

This week’s summit meeting of major industrialized nations in Japan yielded two important firsts on global warming. For once, the Bush administration was not in full foot-dragging mode, joining in a pledge to halve global greenhouse gases by midcentury. And the big emerging nations, including China and India, agreed to long-range (if unspecified) cuts in emissions. For all that good news, summits are usually about vague promises and good intentions, and this one was no different.

No G®8 Accomplishment - Washington Post editorial

The Group of Eight declaration of its commitment to a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent by 2050 could be viewed as a ho-hum event when you consider that German Chancellor Angela Merkel sought the same commitment at last year's summit and that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has called for a cut of up to 80 percent in the same period. What made the announcement Tuesday at once monumental and pathetic was that it was agreed to by President Bush. With just over six months left in office, and after seven years of denial, inaction and foot-dragging, Mr. Bush finally did what the world has been pleading with him to do.

The Pain of the G-8’s Big Shrug - Nicholas Kristof, New York Times opinion

Is genocide really that bad? As President Bush and the Group of 8 leaders who are meeting in Japan again shun their responsibilities in Darfur, there is a serious argument to be made that genocide is overrated as an international concern. The G-8 leaders implicitly accept that argument, which goes like this: Genocide is regrettable, but don’t lose perspective. It is simply one of many tragedies in the world today — and a fairly modest one in terms of lives lost.

EVENTS OF INTEREST

22 July - Counterinsurgency in Modern Warfare (Public Event). Washington, DC. The Center for Naval Analyses (CNA) is sponsoring a discussion on counterinsurgency on 22 July 2008, at the National Press Club (the Holeman Lounge), Washington, DC. Dr. John Nagl (Center for a New American Security), Dr. Daniel Marston (Australian National University), and Dr. Carter Malkasian (CNA) recently collaborated on Counterinsurgency in Modern Warfare (Osprey, 2008), an edited book that examines 13 of the most important counterinsurgency campaigns of the past 100 years, including the current Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. Dr. David Kilcullen (U.S. State Department), the renowned counterinsurgency expert, will moderate the discussion and provide critical commentary. Lunch will be provided. Books will be available to purchase at a discounted rate. For more information, visit the first link above. RSVP at kattm@cna.org or 703.824.2436.

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

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

16-18 September 2008 - The U.S. Army and the Interagency Process: A Historical Perspective (Public Event - Conference / Call for Papers). Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Sponsored by the U.S. Army Combat Studies Institute. The symposium will include a variety of guest speakers, panel sessions, and general discussions. This symposium will explore the partnership between the U.S. Army and government agencies in attaining national goals and objectives in peace and war within a historical context. Separate international topics may be presented. The symposium will also examine current issues, dilemmas, problems, trends, and practices associated with U.S. Army operations requiring close interagency cooperation.