IRAQ

British Troops in Iraq Set for Withdrawal - Siobhan Kennedy, The Times

Iraq could soon be ready for the complete withdrawal of British Forces, a senior British army commander said yesterday. Brigadier Julian Free said that security in the country had “transformed” as he led the 4th Mechanised Brigade on a homecoming march to the Houses of Parliament. He said: “Security there has taken a massive turn for the better. The Iraq Army have helped us along.” Asked if he thought that British troops could pull out soon, he added: “It will be a smooth and steady programme. The Iraqis are keen to do more for themselves and I think they will soon be in a position when they can take over.”

The Iraq Campaign - The Times editorial

But the new importance of Iraq's constitutional authority is probably of more enduring significance for American statecraft. Two years ago, after the bombing of the Golden Dome mosque in Samarra, Iraq was in a state of incipient civil war. Eighteen months ago, the Iraq Study Group, under James Baker and Lee Hamilton, concluded that the situation in Iraq was “grave and deteriorating”, and urged that the US Administration engage Iran and Syria in attempts to forestall chaos. President Bush adopted a different course. With a surge in troop levels, the US-led coalition at last alighted on a counter-insurgency strategy that has worked. Iraq is far from being a fully fledged democracy, but the forces of jihadism have suffered serious reversal. With greater security comes the opportunity for political advance in Iraq and the region. A decision on when coalition forces finally withdraw is a matter for Iraq's sovereign Government. But it is vital that America's allies in Iraq prevail, and be seen to prevail, over the forces that have inflicted such damage on that tortured nation. Declaring a timetable in advance is fraught with its own dangers.

Wired for Death in Iraq - Boston Globe editorial

For US troops in Iraq, service is dangerous enough even without having to worry about dying from shoddy wiring in their base facilities. But that has been the fate of at least 13 US service members, according to the Pentagon. Moreover, from August 2006 to January 2007, there were at least 283 electrical fires that damaged or destroyed US facilities. Two soldiers died in an electrical fire near Tikrit, according to Army documents obtained by The New York Times. As ghastly as this problem is, the Pentagon and Congress did not begin to show much interest in it until the electrocution death of a Green Beret sergeant in January. To make sure the issue gets the scrutiny it deserves, Congress should bring officials at the Pentagon and at KBR, the main military contractor for troop housing in Iraq, before the public at a formal hearing.

Good News is No News - Paul Greenberg, Washington Times opinion

Have you been keeping up with the good news out of Mosul, al Qaeda's last urban stronghold in Iraq? The good news is that it's not an al Qaeda stronghold any more. Thanks to the latest American and Iraqi offensive. But you might not have heard about that welcome development. American victories don't get all that much play in this country - a pattern that dates back at least to David Halberstam's heyday as a New York Times war correspondent and behind-the-scenes player in Vietnam. For news of victory, Americans may have to look to the foreign press. For example, the Times of London, which carried a piece by Marie Colvin the other day. She reported that "American and Iraqi forces are driving al Qaeda in Iraq out of its last redoubt in the north of the country in the culmination of one of the most spectacular victories of the war on terror." Who knew? I must have overlooked the story in the New York Times. Nor did I see it on the AP wire. And I missed it on National Public Radio too. For much of the American media, good news is no news.

AFGHANISTAN / PAKISTAN TRIBAL AREAS

Pakistan Blamed in Embassy Bombing - Associated Press

A top Indian diplomat blamed Pakistan on Monday for the bombing of India's embassy in Afghanistan, saying the attack had put the rivals' peace process "under stress." "All our information points to elements of Pakistan being behind the blast," Indian Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon told reporters following talks with his Pakistani counterpart in New Delhi. He did not detail what information pointed to a Pakistani role in the July 7 bombing in Kabul. But his comments came weeks after Afghan President Hamid Karzai hinted that Pakistan's intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence, was responsible for the bombing, which killed at least 58 people, including an Indian diplomat and the military attache at the embassy.

Militants Kill 'US Spies' in Pakistan - AFP

Pro-Taliban militants in a Pakistani tribal district shot dead two tribesmen after accusing them of spying for US forces in neighbouring Afghanistan, an official said Monday. A note left on the bodies in the border village of Lowara Mandi in North Waziristan tribal district, a known hub of Al-Qaeda and Taliban militants, indicated that the two men were spying for US forces, the official said.

IRAN

Iran Offers 2 Pages and No Ground - Elaine Sciolino, New York Times

The Iranians called their proposal a “None paper.” Indeed, for officials of the six countries sitting on the other side of the table, the paper addressed none of their ideas for resolving the crisis over Iran’s nuclear program. Instead, the informal two-page document that Iran distributed at nuclear talks in Geneva on Saturday ignored the main six-power demand on curbing Iran’s enrichment of uranium and called for concessions from the other side.

Rice Says Iran Not Serious at Weekend Nuke Talks - Associated Press

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice accused Iran on Monday of not being serious at weekend talks about its disputed nuclear program despite the presence of a senior US diplomat, and warned it may soon face new sanctions. In her first public comments since Saturday's meeting in Switzerland, Rice said Iran had given the run-around to envoys from the US and five other world powers. She said all six nations were serious about a two-week deadline Iran now has to agree to freeze suspect activities and start negotiations or be hit with new penalties.

Brown Blasts Ahmadinejad - Martin Chulov, The Australian

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown last night used his address from the floor of Israel's parliament to launch a scathing verbal attack on Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. On the second day of his visit to Israel, Mr Brown described Iran's stated aim to destroy Israel as "totally abhorrent" and demanded the would-be Middle East superpower forsake its nuclear program. At the same time, Britain has flagged more sanctions against Iran, this time against its oil and gas programs, which have underpinned the Iranian economy's growth and are seen as pivotal to deterring a regional nuclear race.

Iran Has Earned Nothing - Wall Street Journal editorial

In its waning days, the Bush Administration seems to be veering toward a policy of détente with Iran. Recent moves include a face-to-face meeting with Iran over its nuclear program and the likelihood of reopening a diplomatic mission in Tehran for the first time since -- well, you remember. Iran responded to these gestures on the weekend by rebuffing the West's latest set of carrots while refusing once again to give up its uranium enrichment. What precisely did Iran do to deserve the warm shoulder? Now as ever, Tehran underwrites and arms terrorist proxies in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Gaza, and calls for Israel's destruction. Earlier this month, it tested long-range missiles capable of reaching southern Europe. As for getting that bomb, Iran has made steady progress this decade, enriching uranium in increasingly sophisticated centrifuges in violation of three UN Security Council resolutions.

Course Correction in Iran - H.D.S. Greenway, Boston Globe opinion

There was no breakthrough, but this dangerous summer got a little less so last week with the inclusion of Undersecretary of State William Burns in the Geneva meeting with Iran, alongside the other confronting powers, China, Britain, France, Germany, and Russia. Until now it has been a mano-a-mano season with Israel and the United States both in the running to be matador in the ring with Iran. Threat and counterthreats have mounted, with Israel making practice bombing runs and Iran testing missiles that can reach Tel Aviv and US battle groups at sea. There was even a certain symmetry with Tehran faking a photograph of missiles soaring skywards, just as the United States once airbrushed intelligence to attack Iraq. There was symmetry, too, in the hawkish rhetoric of both sides.

THE LONG WAR

A New Openness to Talks - Helene Cooper, New York Times

When Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice meets her North Korean counterpart, Pak Ui-chun, in Singapore this week, it will be the first substantive high-level meeting between Washington and the North since Madeleine K. Albright visited North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-il, during the waning months of the Clinton administration. After a weekend in which the Bush administration sent a top State Department official to a meeting in Geneva with an Iranian official, the North Korea meeting may well amount to last rites for the “axis of evil,” the one that President Bush said in 2002 was “arming to threaten the peace of the world.”

Former Bin Laden Driver Pleads Not Guilty - Voice of America

After months of arraignments and preliminary hearings in several cases, the first Guantanamo detainee to actually go on trial pleaded not guilty Monday as his case began in a make-shift courthouse not far from the detention center where he has been held for more than six years. The trial will determine whether Salim Hamdan was just a lowly driver and mechanic, as his lawyers claim, or whether he worked closely with al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden to plan and carry out terrorist attacks, as the military prosecutors claim. They say he had two surface-to-air missiles in the car he was driving, when he was captured in Afghanistan in November of 2001. Hamdan, who is a Yemeni in his late 30s, faces life in prison if he is convicted.

War Crimes Trial Begins - Glaberson and Lichtblau, New York Times

In a hushed courtroom here on Monday, a military judge opened the first American war crimes trial since World War II, culminating a nearly seven-year effort by the Bush administration to try some of hundreds of terror suspects held in the detention camp. At a few minutes after 9 a.m. in an improvised courthouse under the simmering sun, a military judge uttered words that the Bush administration has been working toward through a tangle of legal and practical obstacles: “We will proceed to trial. This military commission will come to order in the case of Salim Ahmed Hamdan.”

Judge Blocks Use of Some Statements - Jerry Markon, Washington Post

Prosecutors in the trial of Osama bin Laden's former driver cannot use as evidence some statements the defendant gave interrogators because they were obtained under "highly coercive" conditions while he was a captive in Afghanistan, a military judge ruled Monday evening. As the first US military commission since World War II got underway, Navy Capt. Keith J. Allred threw out the statements that Salim Ahmed Hamdan made after he was captured in Afghanistan in late 2001, including detailed descriptions of bin Laden's whereabouts. Some of Hamdan's allegedly incriminating admissions made up a key part of the prosecution's case against him.

Guantanamo Begins First US War Crimes Trial - Chris Ayres, The Times

Osama bin Laden’s alleged former driver and bodyguard pleaded “not guilty” yesterday to charges of colluding with the al Qaeda leader, as the first US war crimes trial since the Secnd World War began. The trial is being held at a brand-new hilltop courthouse overlooking Guantanamo Bay - home of the infamous US naval base turned detention facility - with a five member jury selected from a pool of 13 US military officers. Proceedings will be monitored by lawyers, journalists, and human rights campaigners - although they sit in a separate room and the video feed is on a 20-second delay, so that it can be edited if needed.

Gitmo Trial Begins for bin Laden's Driver - Associated Press

The judge in the first American war crimes trial since World War II barred evidence on Monday that interrogators obtained from Osama bin Laden's driver, ruling he was subjected to "highly coercive" conditions in Afghanistan. But Judge Keith Allred, a Navy captain, left the door open for the prosecution to use statements Salim Hamdan made at Guantanamo, despite defense claims that all of his statements were tainted by alleged abuse including sleep deprivation and solitary confinement. Hamdan, who was captured at a roadblock in Afghanistan in November 2001, pleaded not guilty at the start of a trial that will be closely watched as the first full test of the Pentagon's system for prosecuting alleged terrorists. He faces a maximum life sentence if convicted of conspiracy and aiding terrorism.

Proceedings Rules Still Unclear - David Savage, Los Angeles Times

More than six years after the Bush administration sent hundreds of foreign prisoners to Guantanamo Bay, the rules for deciding just who can be held and for how long remain unclear. Comments Monday by the attorney general and congressional Democrats suggest such issues will not be resolved soon -- and not before a new administration takes power. Roughly 270 prisoners remain at Guantanamo, of whom about 20 are slated to be tried as war criminals. No one is sure what will happen to the rest of them, even if the prison itself is closed. Last month, the Supreme Court said judges could hear appeals from the detainees, and in theory, order some of them released. But the justices did not spell out who would qualify as an "unlawful enemy combatant," as the prisoners at Guantanamo are designated, nor did they say what proof would be needed to show that someone captured years ago remained a danger today. On Monday morning, US Atty. Gen. Michael B. Mukasey called on Congress to pass legislation to set the rules.

Mr. Mukasey's Modest Proposal - Wall Street Journal editorial

We had not known previously that among Attorney General Michael Mukasey's skills was the satirical bite of Jonathan Swift. Only a Swiftian wit could have come up with Mr. Mukasey's proposal in a speech yesterday that the Solons of Congress solve the legal riddles of the Supreme Court's recent Boumediene decision on the rights of Guantanamo detainees. Absent "guidance from Congress," the AG said, "different judges even on the same court will disagree about how the difficult questions left open by Boumediene will be answered." We can hear the shrieks from the Judiciary Committee chairs, Senator Patrick Leahy and Representative John Conyers: Guidance from Congress?! Us??!

Humanizing al Qaeda - William McGurn, Wall Street Journal opinion

David Addington and Omar Khadr are two names that will forever be linked to the war on terror. Mr. Addington is chief of staff to Vice President Richard Cheney and a former colleague of mine. He's the son of a West Point man who earned a bronze star in World War II and went on to become a general. Before coming to the White House, David put in stints at the CIA, at a congressional intelligence committee, and at the Pentagon -- all giving him an expertise on intelligence and national security issues only a handful of others can match. Then there's Mr. Khadr. He is the son of a man who helped found and finance al Qaeda, and who died in a 2003 gun battle with Pakistani troops near the Afghan border. So close were the family ties that the Khadrs lived for a while in the bin Laden family compound in Jalalabad, Afghanistan; and when Mr. Khadr's sister was married, bin Laden was an honored guest. Mr. Khadr himself went through weapons training at an al Qaeda training camp, and was captured in 2002 after a battle in which he is alleged to have killed a Special Forces medic. Ultimately he was brought to Guantanamo, where he awaits trial before a military commission for war crimes. Guess who gets the sympathy in the press?

US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

Leaving Iraq: Debate Shifts to When - Michael Scherer, Time

Republican political strategists have long said privately what Republican candidates for President only hinted at publicly. No one can win the White House in 2008 by campaigning to continue an unending war in Iraq. "The sentence has to have the word 'leaving' in it," said Grover Norquist, the influential Republican operative, at a breakfast meeting in June of 2007. "Doesn't mean you have to leave tomorrow, doesn't mean you have to surrender, doesn't mean you have to cut and run, but the articulation of the policy needs to be clear to the American people that we are not staying there indefinitely, and that there is a 'doing something' and a 'leaving.'"

Iraq Points to Pullout in 2010 - Raghavan and Eggen, Washington Post

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama conferred with senior Iraqi leaders, US officials and military commanders Monday, as a spokesman for the Iraqi government declared that it would like US combat forces to complete their withdrawal by the end of 2010. The comments by spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh mark the second time in recent days that a senior Iraqi has endorsed a timetable for US withdrawal that is roughly similar to the one advocated by Obama. Dabbagh suggested that a combat force pullout could be completed by the end of 2010, which would be about seven months longer than Obama's 16-month formulation.

Obama Meets Iraqi Prime Minister - Oppel and Rubin, New York Times

Senator Barack Obama arrived in Baghdad on Monday, meeting with Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki and other senior Iraqi politicians, as an Iraqi spokesman said that the government was hopeful that foreign combat troops would withdraw in 2010. Mr. Obama, on the latest leg of his first overseas tour as presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, arrived in the Iraqi capital in the early afternoon with an American delegation after first stopping in the southern Iraqi city of Basra. Mr. Obama met with Mr. Maliki; the United States ambassador to Iraq, Ryan C. Crocker; the Iraqi national security adviser, Mowaffak al-Rubaie, and other Iraqi officials at the prime minister’s residence in the Green Zone.

Iraqi Schedule Close to Obama's - Zavis and Smith, Los Angeles Times

After Barack Obama met with Iraqi leaders here on Monday, the Iraqi government outlined a possible schedule for a US troop withdrawal that is similar to the plan the Democratic presidential candidate has pledged to follow if he is elected. Its announcement bolstered Obama's credibility on a key foreign policy issue, early in a weeklong trip to the Middle East and Europe that was designed to reassure voters concerned he lacks the experience to be commander in chief.

We Want US Troops Out in Two Years - Haynes and Reid, The Times

The Iraqi Government said yesterday that it had a vision for all US combat troops to leave the country by the end of 2010 - another apparent endorsement of Barack Obama's war strategy during his visit to Baghdad. The sudden and unexpected Iraqi comments on the desire for a timetabled withdrawal, made by Ali al-Dabbagh, the spokesman for the Iraqi Government, was greeted with dismay by the White House and John McCain, Mr Obama's Republican rival, who opposes setting an exit date. The call came after the Democratic presidential hopeful held talks with Nouri al-Maliki, the Iraqi Prime Minister.

Obama Seeks Faster Iraq Troop Exit - Deborah Haynes, The Australian

Barack Obama arrived in Baghdad yesterday on the second leg of a world tour aimed at boosting his foreign policy credentials and convincing the US public that he has what it takes to become the next commander-in-chief. The controversial issue of troop withdrawals featured highly in meetings between Senator Obama and a line of senior Iraqi, US and British officials he is scheduled to meet over the next 24 hours. Senator Obama's visit, his second to the country, comes amid what appears to be growing consensus in Washington that the US can pull out troops at a far quicker rate than the White House had anticipated. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice yesterday said conditions in Iraq were improving "as we speak, so it's not at all unusual to start to think that there is a horizon out there, in the not-too-distant future, in which the roles and responsibilities of the US forces are going to change dramatically".

Obama Gets First-Hand Look at Iraq War - Voice of America

US Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama says he held constructive talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in Baghdad Monday during the latest stop on the U.S. senator's international tour. Obama met with Mr. Maliki and Iraqi President Jalal Talabani in Iraq's capital, following a stopover in the southern city of Basra. Obama did not reveal further details of their talks. The US senator also met today with the number two US military commander in Iraq and was expected to hold talks later with top US commander General David Petraeus. The US strategy in Iraq is a key issue in the November election race between Obama, the presumptive Democratic party nominee, and his opponent, Republican Senator John McCain.

For Obama, a First Step Is Not a Misstep - Oppel and Rubin, New York Times

The Iraqi government on Monday left little doubt that it favors a withdrawal plan for American combat troops similar to what Senator Barack Obama has proposed, providing Mr. Obama with a potentially powerful political boost on a day he spent in Iraq working to fortify his credibility as a wartime leader. After a day spent meeting Iraqi leaders and American military commanders, Mr. Obama seemed to have navigated one of the riskiest parts of a weeklong international trip without a noticeable hitch and to have gained a new opportunity to blunt attacks on his national security credentials by his Republican rival in the presidential race, Senator John McCain.

Barack Who? Arabs Weigh In. - Caryle Murphy, Christian Science Monitor

Senator Obama's campaign may have launched groundswells of hope, ardor, and optimism at home and in Europe. But at the start of his closely watched trip to the Middle East, the all-but-certain Democratic nominee is little known in the Arab world, and has yet to generate widespread interest or enthusiasm. From Baghdad to Beirut, people said in recent interviews that they are unfamiliar with his policies, except for his plan to move quickly to pull US troops out of Iraq. In general, they said they prefer Obama over the likely Republican nominee, Sen. John McCain ® of Arizona, whom they view as unsympathetic to Arabs. But even those who like Obama's personality are not expecting him to initiate major turnabouts on US Middle East policies, particularly on the most contentious one of all, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Mideast Sees More of the Same - Slackman and Kershner, New York Times

For what feels like forever, Israelis and their Arab neighbors have been hopelessly deadlocked on how to resolve the Palestinian crisis. But there is one point they may now agree on: If elected president, Senator Barack Obama will not fundamentally recalibrate America’s relationship with Israel, or the Arab world. From the religious center of Jerusalem to the rolling hills of Amman to the crowded streets of Cairo, dozens of interviews revealed a similar sentiment: the United States will ultimately support Israel over the Palestinians, no matter who the president is. That presumption promoted a degree of relief in Israel and resignation here in Jordan and in Israel’s other Arab neighbors.

Political Travel - Baltimore Sun editorial

With his trip to the Middle East and Europe, Sen. Barack Obama is trying to overcome Americans' preference for John McCain's long foreign affairs experience by showing himself to be a thoughtful student with creative answers to the thorny issues the U.S. faces around the world. It's a strategy that carries with it significant political risks, as he likely will make himself a target for a steady stream of questions and challenges here and abroad. Mr. Obama has already laid out in some detail his view of America's agenda abroad - making the war on terror in Afghanistan an urgent priority, calling for a cautious exit from Iraq and promising to partner with other nations on energy, the environment, world hunger and other critical issues. He underlined these priorities with the ark of his travel, first to Afghanistan, then Iraq, and next Lebanon, a West Bank meeting with Palestinian leaders and Israel, where he is expected to confront worries about Iran.

Getting Iraq Right - John McCain, New York Post opinion

EDITORS' NOTE: The New York Times wouldn't print this oped from the GOP candidate. As he took command in Iraq in January 2007, Gen. David Petraeus called the situation "hard" but not "hopeless." Today, 18 months later, violence has fallen by up to 80 percent to the lowest levels in four years, and Sunni and Shiite terrorists are reeling from a string of defeats. The situation is full of hope - but considerable hard work remains to consolidate our fragile gains. Progress has been due mainly to an increase in the number of troops and a change in their strategy. I was an early advocate of the surge at a time when it had few supporters in Washington. Sen. Barack Obama was an equally vocal opponent.

Back to Afghanistan - Eric Egland, National Review opinion

Barack Obama’s weekend trip to Afghanistan illustrates how both presidential candidates are shifting focus now that Operation Iraqi Freedom looks like it will succeed. Indeed, Operation Enduring Freedom - the war in Afghanistan - needs extra attention. On the positive side, our troops have prevented another attack on our homeland for six years by punishing al-Qaeda and Taliban forces and keeping their top leadership on the run. However, recent attack statistics reveal a deteriorating security situation. While more attacks generally occur in spring after harsh Afghan winters, the latest trend is more pronounced and appears more sustainable, as Islamic extremists shift their emphasis from Iraq. Both General Petraeus and Afghan president Hamid Karzai have conveyed severally that al-Qaeda seems to understand that it will not succeed in Iraq, and has been redirecting operatives and resources to Afghaniatan.

Obama's Iraq Mission - E. J. Dionne Jr., Washington Post opinion

To win the presidency, Barack Obama needs only to battle John McCain to a tie on foreign policy and national security. That means Obama has no need for a great triumph during his trip this week to the Middle East and Europe. His goal is to look safe, sound and competent, and that's how he's playing things. More and more, 2008 is taking on the contours of 1980. Then, the country, desperate for change after the battering it felt it took during Jimmy Carter's term, was eager to vote for a new direction and a charismatic leader. But Ronald Reagan was inexperienced in foreign policy. Some of his previous statements made swing voters worry that he might blow up the world -- or so Carter's strategists tried to get voters to think. The election stayed close until the final days.

Drop Those Flip-Flops - Kathryn Lopez, National Review opinion

I hate flip-flops. That is, I hate the shoes. They’re impractical. Unsafe, even. But I really hate the political accusation. It’s gone from being a legitimate shorthand descriptive to being a nonsensical dismissive. Don’t dress in them, but let the politician flip-flop, already — if by “flip-flop” you mean a prudential and authentic change of mind. Now, that’s probably just a flip, but I guess then we’d be looking at things rationally. The Washington Post, in fact, very recently encouraged a flip, by accusing Barack Obama of a “foolish consistency” on Iraq. The Democratic party has put itself in a position where it appears to be rooting for America’s defeat in Iraq. As the General Petraeus-led surge strategy has worked there - a strategy the Democrats heartily opposed, to outrageous and disgraceful lengths - they can’t bring themselves to acknowledge and embrace success and adapt their outlook and platform to reflect the new reality. Obama was for withdrawing from Iraq then (when Iraq seemed a disaster) and he’s for withdrawing from Iraq now. A leader might take the time to look at the facts on the ground. Instead, he announced his same-old position before his long-anticipated trip to Iraq.

Beijing Looks at McCain - William Triplett, Washington Times opinion

On July 14, 2006, the proximity fuse of a Chinese-origin cruise missile went off over the fan tail of the Israeli warship, "Hanit," then operating in international waters off Beirut. The ship survived but four Israeli families mourn the loss of their sons and certain Chinese arms dealers found a sweet addition to their offshore bank balances. The missile, one of two fired at the Israelis, is known as a C-802, extended range. Experts in Washington agree that the missile or the technology to make it was sold to Iran, who then transferred it to Hezbollah gunners in Lebanon. From Beijing's standpoint, the election of Sen. John McCain, Arizona Republican, as president of the United States would very likely put a severe restriction on their illicit arms sales to terrorist countries and now, terrorist groups. This is a very lucrative business - profits are well above 100 percent of costs and each missile represents millions of dollars. It is all private money in foreign exchange to many of the highest ranking members of Beijing's political and military elite. Since Chinese private citizens do not have access to military weapons of this complexity, arms smuggling by China is a perk exclusively for Chinese officials and their families.

Afghanistan Doesn't Need a 'Surge' - Ann Marlowe, Wall Street Journal opinion

Afghanistan needs many things, but two more brigades of US troops are not among them. Barack Obama said: "We need more troops, more helicopters, better intelligence-gathering and more nonmilitary assistance to accomplish the mission there." Mr. Obama should have supported the surge in Iraq, but that doesn't mean that advocating one in Afghanistan makes sense. Afghanistan's problems are not the same as Iraq's. Its people aren't recovering from a brutal, all-controlling tyranny, but from decades of chaos and centuries of bad government. Afghanistan, unlike Iraq, is largely illiterate and has a relatively undeveloped civil society. Afghan society still centers around the family and, for men, the mosque. Its society and traditions are still largely intact, in contrast to Iraq's fractured, urbanized and half-modernized population.

Obama, Maliki, and McCain - Byron York, National Review opinion

For months now, John McCain has urged Barack Obama to visit Iraq. “It has been 873 days since Sen. Obama’s one and only visit to Iraq,” a McCain campaign statement said on May 30. “Before [he] decides to override the recommendations of our commanders in the field and surrender the fight, he should have the judgment to see for himself first-hand the conditions on the ground.” Maybe McCain shouldn’t have been so emphatic. What if Obama went to Iraq, decided his position was the correct one, and then, in a major campaign coup, received what appeared to be the endorsement of the Iraqi prime minister? And - extra points - made himself look more statesmanlike in the process? Obama arrived in Baghdad early this morning, and all that seems to have happened.

Obama's Overseas Education - Ralph Peters, New York Post opinion

From the late 18th through the 19th century, young men of means went on a "grand tour" abroad to finish their educations. Some returned with fond memories, others with artifacts pried from temple walls - and the remainder with syphilis. Sen. Barack Obama's grand tour offers fewer opportunities for mischief and misfortune, but we all must hope that he learned from his travels and wasn't just checking the blocks. Set aside your political preferences (I'll be voting for Sen. John McCain): Whoever wins, all sensible Americans want our next president to perform well. So let's consider the pros and cons of Obama's wheels-down-wheels-up visits to Afghanistan, Iraq and Europe.

The Surge is a Losing Strategy - Jonah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times opinion

Yes, McCain heroically pushed for the surge when the war was at its most unpopular point. Even more impressive, he favored a change in strategy back when the war was popular. Within months of the invasion, McCain was calling for more troops and the head of then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. Later, when the Iraqi civil war erupted, Al Qaeda in Iraq metastasized and the Iranians mounted a clandestine surge all their own, McCain doubled-down; he argued that we couldn't afford to lose and proposed a revised counterinsurgency strategy for victory. That was the same very month that Obama introduced the "Iraq War De-Escalation Act of 2007." That's all great stuff for McCain's biographers. But the tragic Catch-22 for the Arizona senator is that the more the surge succeeds, the more politically advantageous it is for Obama. Voters don't care about the surge; they care about the war. Americans want it to be over -- and in a way they can be proud of.

Obama Overseas - Tara Wall, Washington Times opinion

As Barack Obama galavants across Europe and the Middle East (the senator is in Israel today), John McCain is doing all he can to muster any news coverage whatsoever. Prior to the trip, the senior senator chided Mr. Obama for his failure to visit Iraq for over 900 days (since the surge strategy was implemented), only to criticize his "timing" in doing so now. Outside of his criticism, Mr. McCain is focusing on the economy. But he too may want to turn his attention to Israel, particularly since the first of its kind Republican-led Mideast peace plan (not perfect by any stretch), is worth touting, and in light of much criticism of Bill Clinton's more tepid, out-of-the-mainstream, approach to mideast peace. Rabbi Steve Conn of Congregation Beth Shalom observed: "The Clinton Administration has put great pressure on Israel to make concessions in the name of peace in the Middle East."

Mission Accomplished - Peter Ferrara, National Review opinion

Barack Obama continues his overseas trip today in the Middle East, where the facts on the ground have recently been moving so fast hardly anyone in the US has really kept up. But unheralded press reports in recent weeks establish this new reality. The war in Iraq is over. America and her allies won. Sorry, Barack, but it is too late for you and your misguided, uninformed, anti-American netroots to surrender. The surge that Obama opposed and said would fail has succeeded spectacularly. McCain was right about that from the beginning.

McCain's Mettle - Stuart Koehl, Weekly Standard opinion

In writing about the qualifications for the chief executive of the United States, the Founding Fathers did not seem to care much about where candidates stood on the issues, or what their position papers said, or what their talking points might be. Neither did they care much about poise, posture, eloquence or even "experience". The word that comes up most often, starting with the Federalist Papers, is "character". It wasn't what a man said, or believed, but what a man was that determined his fitness for office. The German military theorist Carl von Clausewitz wrote in his landmark book On War, that "War is a contest of character", by which he meant that, more than skill or intellect, it is a combination of physical and moral courage allied with resolution that determine success or failure. This is true at all levels of command, from squad to army, and even the entire nation. And it is true not only in war, but in any endeavor where decision-making carries momentous consequences, which is why the Founders placed so much emphasis on it. The ongoing presidential campaign has tended to focus on matters like "competence", "experience", and "consistency"--but these are essentially peripheral matters.

AFRICA

Zimbabwean Rivals Agree to Negotiations - Craig Timberg, Washington Post

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai agreed Monday to start urgent negotiations toward forming a new government, a first but very tentative step toward ending the nation's political stalemate. The deal signed on national television was vague, leaving aside nearly every key question about Zimbabwe's future after almost a decade of ruinous decline. But it included clear language vowing an end to state-sponsored political violence, and set a deadline requiring that the talks conclude within two weeks.

Zimbabwe Rivals Sign Agreement - Alan Cowell, New York Times

Zimbabwe’s feuding political leaders appeared jointly for the first time in years on Monday to sign a preliminary agreement laying out terms for negotiations to wrest their land out of political chaos. The ceremony brought together President Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change. News reports said the two men had not met for a decade, when Mr. Tsvangirai was a labor union leader before he emerged as the head of the main opposition group in 1999.

Zimbabwe Leaders Sign Agreement on Formal Talks - Delia Robertson, VOA

President Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai, the founding president of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change have signed an agreement on the framework for formal talks. The agreement was signed in the presence of the mediator, South African President Thabo Mbeki, and was sealed with a handshake between President Robert Mugabe and MDC president Morgan Tsvangirai. It is the first time the two have met in 10 years. Mr. Mbeki said that the agreement commits the parties to an intense program to finalize negotiations as soon as possible. Mr. Mbeki said all the parties recognize the urgency of the issues they will negotiate and are committed to completing the process as soon as possible.

Mugabe Signs up for Peace Talks - Jan Raathin, The Times

President Mugabe of Zimbabwe and his bitter foe, the opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, yesterday signed a deal outlining a framework for talks on the country’s political crisis. The two men shook hands for the first time in a decade at a brief, stiff ceremony in the capital, Harare. They put their signatures to the agreement at the Rainbow Towers Hotel, which was surrounded by a menacing military presence. Even by agreeing to talk with what he calls the “British-backed counter-revolutionaries” of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), Mr Mugabe has made one of several major concessions which could ultimately lead to the end of almost three decades of his repressive rule.

AU Rejects Bashir Darfur Charges - BBC News

The African Union has called for the UN Security Council to suspend war crimes accusations against Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir over Darfur. The African foreign ministers said the request to charge Mr Bashir would jeopardise the peace process. The International Criminal Court (ICC) accuses Mr Bashir of genocide in Sudan's troubled Darfur region.

AU Seeks to Block Charges Against Sudan Leader - Reuters

The African Union urged the UN Security Council on Monday to put on hold the International Criminal Court's move to indict Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir over war crimes in Darfur. The call, after a meeting of the African Union Peace and Security Council in Ethiopia, followed a similar appeal by the Arab League and boosted Khartoum's diplomatic efforts to block any indictment.

Cease-fire Accord Between Mali, Tuareg Rebels - Associated Press

The government of Mali and ethnic Tuareg rebels have reached a truce agreement in dangerous northern Mali, Algeria's ambassador to the West African country said Monday. The two sides also agreed to establish a 200-member follow-up committee representing the government and the rebels to ensure that the decisions take hold, he said. "We have reached a series of decisions, among them the need to end hostilities between the two parties in the conflict" and ensure that they are applied, Ambassador Abdelkrim Ghrieb told reporters after a fourth day of talks.

AMERICAS

Russia Increases Weapon Sales to Chavez - Betsy Pisik, Washington Times

Russia is showing its irritation with US intervention in its back yard by selling more weapons to Venezuela's Hugo Chavez. Mr. Chavez is to arrive in Moscow on Tuesday with a reported billion-dollar shopping list of armaments, including submarines and helicopters. It is the controversial Latin American leader's third visit to Moscow since 2006, when he purchased $3 billion in Russian weapons systems. The choreographed display of commerce and camaraderie provides a rare opportunity for two of Washington's most passionate antagonists to tweak the Bush administration, with the added benefit for Russia and Venezuela of raising their profiles in their own regions.

Raúl's Dependency on Fidel - Carlos Montaner, Miami Herald opinion

What is Raúl Castro doing nowadays? It's important to keep track of him. Everybody, including Cuba's ruling nomenklatura, knows that communism is condemned to disappear from the island. It is the unfinished chapter of the Cold War, and the system, as happened everywhere, will eventually be replaced by a more rational, humane, pluralistic and efficient way to do things. The problem lies in how we get to that point. On a recent trip to Brazil, one of the most prominent Cubans in government confessed it, in private and away from microphones: ``We know that this has come to an end. What we wish is to transform the regime ourselves, a little at a time, to prevent major upheavals and to keep the Americans from hijacking the process.''

ASIA PACIFIC

Bali Bombers 'to Die by Ramadan' - BBC News

Indonesia says it hopes to execute three militants for their part in the 2002 Bali bombings by September. Indonesian Attorney-General Hendarman Supandji said the men had exhausted all possibilities of appeal and should be executed before Ramadan. Amrozi, Mukhlas (alias Ali Ghufron), and Imam Samudra were found guilty five years ago of killing 202 people at a resort in Bali in 2002. They lost their final appeal last week, and say they will not seek a pardon. More than 30 people have been jailed for the attack, which was blamed on the South East Asian militant group Jemaah Islamiah.

China on War Footing for Olympics - Barbara Demick, Los Angeles Times

In China, the preparations for the Olympics look more like a military deployment than arrangements for a sporting event. The government is installing surface-to-air missiles near the stadiums and setting up checkpoints to stop out-of-town cars from entering Beijing. It has enlisted 110,000 security personnel and more than 1 million citizens to protect the Games against what it says are credible terrorist threats. Unmanned drones are to patrol the skies above Beijing for the duration of the Games, from Aug. 8 to Aug. 24. The 800-mile border with North Korea will be sealed, according to reports from South Korea. Beijing's airport will be closed during the opening ceremony to enforce a "no fly" zone around the city.

2 Die in Bus Blasts in Southwest China - Jim Yardley, New York Times

Two public buses exploded during the Monday morning rush hour in the city of Kunming, killing at least two people and injuring 14 others in what the authorities described as deliberate attacks as China is tightening security nationwide and warning of possible terrorist threats in advance of next month’s Olympic Games. The blasts struck at 7:05 and 8:10 a.m., state media reported. Public security officials in Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province in southwestern China, provided no information about whether the explosions were coordinated, nor did the authorities say whether they were the work of terrorist groups or disgruntled individuals.

Blasts Rattle China Ahead of Olympics - The Australian

Two people died and 14 were injured in two blasts on public buses in south-western China today, just weeks before the Beijing Olympics. The explosions occurred within 55 minutes of each other during the peak morning rush hour in downtown Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province, official media reported, citing local police. The cause of the explosion was under investigation, Xinhua said. The blasts come amid a security clampdown ahead of next month's Beijing Olympics, which China has warned could be a target of terror attacks.

China’s Unreality TV - New York Times editorial

China has gone to extraordinary lengths to spruce up its image before next month’s Olympics: shuttering factories to reduce air pollution, mopping up algae in sailing waters, harassing critics and threatening journalists. To win the right to host the Games, Beijing promised to expand press freedoms for foreign reporters and implied that opening China to the world would help expand human rights more generally. We will never know whether China’s leaders intended to keep their word. What we do know is that the International Olympic Committee, corporate sponsors and governments around the world should have held China to its word. They have not, and China has read their silence as complicity.

US Offers Nuclear Proposal to N. Korea - Associated Press

The United States has proposed a mechanism for verifying North Korea's claims about its nuclear past, Washington's top envoy to the nuclear talks said Monday. The proposal was made in Beijing last week, and the US is waiting for a response from Pyongyang, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill told reporters. After giving North Korea the proposal "we ... asked them to come back with specific comments," said Hill, who will assist US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in talks between the foreign ministers of the six nations involved in the nuclear negotiations - China, Japan, the two Koreas, Russia and the US.

Vital to Verify N. Korea Nuclear Issues - Reuters

North Korea and its five negotiating partners must agree a clear process for verifying Pyongyang's declarations on its nuclear disarmament, top US nuclear negotiator Christopher Hill said on Tuesday. Hill told reporters on arrival in Singapore that informal talks this week between US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and foreign ministers of the two Koreas, Russia, Japan and China, would centre on Pyongyang's nuclear verification issues and the next phase of disarmament.

Talks Fail to End Thai-Cambodia Temple Row - Reuters

Talks between Thailand and Cambodia failed on Monday to end a week-long military stand-off over an ancient temple on their border, which regional neighbors feared could turn violent. Hundreds of troops at the temple will hold their positions, negotiators said after eight hours of talks on an issue that has whipped up nationalist fervor in both southeast Asian nations. "The best option is to stay where they are, but avoid using weapons," Thai Supreme Commander Boonsrang Niumpradit told reporters.

EUROPE

War Crimes Fugitive Karadzic Arrested - David Charter, The Times

Radovan Karadzic, one of the world’s most wanted men, was arrested yesterday 13 years after he was first indicted by the United Nations War Crimes Tribunal. The 63-year-old war crimes suspect faces genocide charges for his role in the massacre of more than 8,000 Muslim men and boys at Srebrenica in Europe’s worst atrocity since the Second World War, and for organising the siege of Sarajevo which claimed 12,000 lives. He was understood to have been brought before a hastily-convened court in Belgrade last night after he was seized by Serb forces inside the country, according to Boris Tadic, the President. The arrest is a significant breakthrough for the new pro-western government in Serbia, a country which has faced international isolation while Karadzic and fellow war crimes suspect Ratko Mladic, the Bosnian Serb army commander, have remained at large.

Bosnian Serb Captured; Sought for War Crimes - Peter Finn, Washington Post

Radovan Karadzic, the Bosnian Serb leader indicted by a UN war crimes tribunal on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity during the 1992-1995 war in Bosnia, was captured in Serbia on Monday. The arrest ends a decade-long manhunt that had repeatedly frustrated his Western pursuers and left festering one of the most murderous chapters in Europe's post-World War II history. The office of Serbian President Boris Tadic said in a statement that Karadzic, who has been in hiding since 1997, was arrested Monday evening "in an action by Serbian security services." It was unclear whether the arrest came about because of an investigative breakthrough or because political conditions were finally right in Serbia, which has a new pro-Western government that seeks to close the door on the conflicts of the 1990s. Significant numbers of Serbs still see Karadzic as a hero who defended their ethnic group from war-time rivals, so the arrest is likely to bring political pressure on Tadic at home. But it will also remove a major obstacle to Serbia's eventual entry into the European Union.

Top War Crimes Suspect Arrested - Bilefsky and Simons, New York Times

Bosnia’s Serb wartime president, Radovan Karadzic, one of the world’s most wanted war criminals for his part in the massacre of more than 8,000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica in 1995, has been arrested, Serbian President Boris Tadic’s office said on Monday. Serge Brammertz, the prosecutor of the United Nations war crimes tribunal in The Hague, said in a statement late Monday that Mr. Karadzic would be transferred to The Hague, but “the date will be determined in due course.” Mr. Karadzic’s place of arrest was not announced, but Serbian government officials said Mr. Karadzic had been arrested by the Serbian secret police at a site not far from Belgrade, Serbia’s capital, nearly 13 years after he was first indicted on war crimes.

US, EU Hail Capture of War-crimes Suspect - David Sands, Washington Times

Former Bosnian-Serb military leader Radovan Karadzic, accused of genocide in the bloody Balkan wars of the mid-1990s and one of the world's most-wanted fugitives, was captured after more than a dozen years on the run, Serbian officials announced Monday evening. The stunning arrest of the 63-year-old Mr. Karadzic was a coup for the new pro-Western Serbian government, whose efforts to break out of international isolation have been crippled in part because of a failure to bring Mr. Karadzic and other war-crimes suspects to justice.

Top War Crimes Suspect Karadzic Arrested in Serbia - Associated Press

Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, a war crimes fugitive and one of the world's most wanted men, was arrested on Monday evening in a sweep by Serbian security forces, the country's president said. Karadzic has been indicted by the UN war crimes tribunal for former Yugoslavia for genocide during the 1992-95 Bosnian war. He has been hiding since 1998. President Boris Tadic's office said in a statement that Karadzic was arrested "in an action by the Serbian security services."

Top War Crimes Fugitive Karadzic Arrested - Reuters

Bosnian Serb wartime president Radovan Karadzic, one of the world's most wanted men, has been arrested, a statement from the office of Serbian President Boris Tadic said on Monday. "Karadzic was located and arrested," the statement said. He was detained and taken to see judges of the war crimes court. Karadzic, leader of the Bosnian Serbs during the 1992-95 Bosnia war, was indicted by the United Nations war crimes tribunal in The Hague in July 1995 for authorizing the shooting of civilians during the 43-month siege of Sarajevo.

US Troops Train Georgians Amid Tension - Associated Press

President Mikhail Saakashvili praised a joint military training program involving more than 1,000 US Marines and Soldiers at a former Soviet base Monday, amid heightened tensions with Moscow. The effort, involving 600 Georgian troops, shows that Georgia has "the best trained and equipped army" in the strategic Caucasus mountain region, Saakashvili said in comments broadcast on Georgian television. While the exercise was planned months ago, it followed sporadic clashes between Georgians and separatists in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, breakaway regions closely tied to Russia. And it comes amid friction over Georgia's bid for NATO membership, viewed by Moscow as hostile.

MIDDLE EAST

Top US Middle East Diplomat May Meet Syrian Group - Reuters

A senior US diplomat may meet members of a Syrian group, possibly including a Syrian government adviser, who are on a private visit to Washington, the US State Department said on Monday. The State Department said Assistant Secretary of State David Welch was prepared to meet the group, visiting under the sponsorship of Search for Common Ground, a nongovernmental organization that promotes conflict resolution. "We are aware of the visit sponsored by Search for Common Ground... that includes Syrian intellectuals and possibly officials," State Department spokesman Gonzalo Gallegos told reporters. "The group is coming as private citizens and academics, not as a government delegation."

Syria Plans Diplomatic Relations with Lebanon - Associated Press

Syria's foreign minister said Monday his country was determined to establish diplomatic relations with Lebanon for the first time since the two neighbors gained independence from France more than 60 years ago. Walid al-Moallem made the announcement after talks in Beirut with Lebanese President Michel Suleiman. It was the first official visit to Lebanon by a top Syrian figure in at least three years.

Standoff Deepens Water Woes - Rafael Frankel, Christian Science Monitor

Between 105 and 120 million liters of sewage are generated daily in Gaza. Of that, only 20 million liters are fully treated, while another 40 million liters are partially treated. The rest flows raw into the sea, storm drains, and a massive landfill north of Gaza City, which spans 4.3 million square feet. The resulting pollution has sullied not only the seawater, but also the aquifer below Gaza, causing a severe shortage of potable water and putting the population at risk for a range of illnesses. Untreated water is by no means the only pollutant in Gaza. “If there is a stronger word than catastrophe, I would use that word,” says Nader Al Khateeb, the Palestinian director of Friends of the Earth Middle East, an environmental group working in Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinian territories, while describing the overall environmental situation in the Gaza Strip.

Egypt Arrests 39 Muslim Brotherhood Members - Associated Press

Egyptian police say they've arrested nearly 40 members of the country's largest opposition group, the banned Muslim Brotherhood. A police official says 39 men were arrested Monday during a raid on a camp north of Cairo. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment on the matter.

Captive to a Discarded Cause - Washington Post editorial

Tomorrow, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak will pardon hundreds of prisoners who have served more than half of their sentences, an annual gesture of mercy coinciding with commemorations of the July 23, 1952, "revolution" that brought Egypt's military-backed regime to power. If past practice holds, those freed will include some convicted of violent crimes such as murder and rape. Yet the government has announced that people convicted of the distinctly non-heinous crime of forgery will not be eligible. Is Egypt suffering from an intolerable plague of counterfeiters? No, but its best-known political prisoner, Ayman Nour, happened to be convicted on that charge in a blatantly rigged 2006 trial. Mr. Nour is a liberal democrat who, inspired in part by President Bush's call for democracy in Egypt, challenged Mr. Mubarak's reelection as president in 2005. His reward was to be sentenced to five years in prison, where he has been subjected to beatings and other abuse. Mr. Mubarak's relentless and vindictive persecution of Mr. Nour can only be seen as a calculated and personal insult to Mr. Bush and his "freedom agenda."

Help the Palestinians Help Us - Anthony Cordesman, New York Times opinion

Having just returned from the Middle East, I find it hard to have much optimism about peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Israel sees Hamas’s control of Gaza as a situation it cannot do anything about, a weak and divided Palestinian Authority on the West Bank, increased arms smuggling and a growing threat from Israeli Arabs. Palestinians see a steady growth in Israeli settlements and restrictions, a weak Israeli government and faltering international assistance. And all sides seem to see Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s visits as an end-of-administration effort in résumé building. There is, however, one potential chance to move forward. It centers on an American-led mission, based in Jerusalem, that is trying to build new security forces on the West Bank that will support stabilization efforts by the Palestinian Authority’s president, Mahmoud Abbas, prevent a Hamas takeover there and end the corruption and abuse of the older intelligence forces, Yasir Arafat’s Mukhabarat.

The Saudi Guide To Piety - Anne Applebaum, Washington Post opinon

Because they are so clearly designed for the convenience of large testing companies, I had always assumed that multiple-choice exams, the bane of any fourth-grader's existence, were a quintessentially American phenomenon. But apparently I was wrong. According to a report last week by the Hudson Institute's Center for Religious Freedom, it seems that the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Education finds them useful, too. According to the Wahhabi imams who wrote this textbook, it isn't enough to simply worship God or just to love other believers; it is important to hate unbelievers, too. "Unbelievers," in this context, are Christians and Jews. In fact, any child who attends Saudi schools until ninth grade will eventually be taught outright that "Jews and Christians are enemies of believers." They will also be taught that Jews conspire to "gain sole control over the world," that the Christian crusades never ended, and that on Judgment Day "the rocks or the trees" will call out to Muslims to kill Jews.

SOUTH ASIA

Indian Lawmakers Debate US Nuclear Deal - Rama Lakshmi, Washington Post

Indian lawmakers on Monday began a two-day debate whose outcome will decide not only the fate of the contentious civilian nuclear agreement with the United States, but also of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's beleaguered government. If Singh loses the vote of confidence in his government on Tuesday, a national election could be called in November, six months ahead of schedule. He was forced to call a special session of Parliament after a group of communist allies withdrew support, blaming the deal for eroding India's sovereignty, reducing his government to a minority.

Court Eases Curbs on Pakistani Scientist - Salmon Masood, New York Times

An Islamabad court on Monday relaxed some of the restrictions on the disgraced nuclear scientist, Abdul Qadeer Khan, who has been under house arrest since 2004 after he confessed to running an illicit nuclear proliferation program. “The court accepted that Mr. Khan has been kept in illegal detention,” his lawyer said Monday. The court eased travel restrictions within Pakistan, allowed Dr. Khan to undertake research work, and to choose a doctor for medical treatment, but restricted him from giving interviews about nuclear proliferation, his lawyer said.

At Least 6 Die in Fierce Fighting in Pakistan - Associated Press

Militants fired on security forces patrolling a restive area in southwestern Pakistan, triggering fierce fighting that left six troops and an unknown number of insurgents dead, the military said Monday. The clashes began late Saturday near Dera Bugti, a town in Baluchistan province at the center of a yearslong struggle between security forces and ethnic Baluch insurgents.

Sri Lanka Rebels Declare Ceasefire for SAARC Summit - Reuters

Sri Lanka Tamil Tiger rebels said on Tuesday they would observe a unilateral ceasefire with the military to support the South Asian Regional summit. The rebel unilateral ceasefire came as the Sri Lanka hosting the 15th summit of the eight nation, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

Tamil Rebels: Peace Talks 'Impossible' - Associated Press

Sri Lankan rebels said Monday that a new round of peace talks on ending the country's 25-year-old civil war is impossible as long as the government presses ahead with a military offensive. President Mahinda Rajapaksa said earlier this month he was prepared to restart long-dormant talks with the Tamil Tiger rebels if the group lays down its arms and ceases bombings and other attacks across the country.

Nepal Picks First President - Reuters

Nepal's lawmakers picked the country's first president on Monday, rejecting a candidate backed by former Maoist rebels in a move that could plunge the Himalayan nation's nascent republic into more political turmoil. Ram Baran Yadav, an ethnic Madheshi from the centrist Nepali Congress party, won 308 out of the 590 votes cast by the constituent assembly, defeating Ramraja Prasad Singh who had the support of the Maoists, officials said. Soon after his victory, the new president met the 83-year-old Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, his political mentor.

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.