IRAQ
Maliki Demands All US Troops Pull Out by 2011 - Amit Paley, Washington Post
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki demanded a complete US military withdrawal from Iraq by 2011 as he embarked Monday on an attempt to win support among Iraqi leaders for a draft security accord with the United States.
Maliki's comments appeared to be an attempt to extract further concessions from American officials, less than a week after both sides said they had agreed to remove all US combat troops by the end of 2011, if the security situation remained relatively stable, but leave other American forces in place. The US plan is to leave as many as 40,000 troops to continue to assist Iraq in training, logistics and intelligence for an undefined period.
Speaking before a gathering of tribal leaders in the heavily fortified Green Zone, Maliki said for the first time that the United States had agreed to withdraw all troops -- not just combat brigades -- as part of a security accord governing US forces in Iraq, and that the withdrawal schedule must be firm. But American officials said no accord had been reached and insisted that any withdrawal be based on conditions at the time.
More at the Washington Post and New York Times.
Baghdad's Misguided Crackdown on the Sons of Iraq - Shawn Brimley and Colin Kahl, Los Angeles Times opinion
There is a gathering storm on Iraq's horizon. Over the last several weeks, its central government has embarked on what appears to be an effort to arrest, drive away or otherwise intimidate tens of thousands of Sunni security volunteers -- the so-called Sons of Iraq -- whose contributions have been crucial to recent security gains. After returning from a trip to Iraq last month at the invitation of Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, the US commander in Iraq, we are convinced that if Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki and his advisors persist in this sectarian agenda, the country may spiral back into chaos.
Much of Iraq's dramatic security progress can be traced to a series of decisions made by Sunni tribal leaders in late 2006 to turn against Al Qaeda in Iraq and cooperate with American forces in Anbar province. These leaders, outraged by Al Qaeda's brutality against their people, approached the US military with an offer it couldn't refuse: Enter into an alliance with the tribes, and they would turn their weapons against Al Qaeda rather than American troops.
Throughout 2007, US commanders capitalized on this Sunni movement, the so-called Awakening, to create an expanding network of alliances with Sunni tribes and former insurgents that helped turn the tide and drive Al Qaeda in Iraq to near extinction. There are now about 100,000 armed Sons of Iraq, each paid $300 a month by US forces to provide security in local neighborhoods throughout the country. In recognition of the key role the Awakening played in security improvements, President Bush met with several Sunni tribal leaders during his trip to Anbar last September, and Petraeus, who cites the program as a critical factor explaining the decline in violence, has promised to "not walk away from them."
More at The Los Angeles Times.
AFGHANISTAN
Afghans Want a Deal on Foreign Troops - Carlotta Gall, New York Times
The Afghan Council of Ministers decided Monday to review the presence of international forces and agreements with foreign allies, including NATO and the United States, after a series of military operations that have caused mounting civilian losses.
The ministers demanded a status of forces agreement, which would stipulate that the authority and responsibilities of international forces be negotiated, and they said that aerial bombing, illegal detentions and house raids by international forces must be stopped.
The declaration came after several military operations involving American forces resulted in heavy civilian casualties, most recently airstrikes in western Afghanistan on Friday that killed more than 90 people, most of them women and children, according to a government commission. The United States military is investigating the latest episode; it earlier said the airstrikes had killed 5 civilians and 25 militants.
As security has deteriorated in the country and economic conditions have worsened, the government and its international partners have encountered rising popular dissatisfaction.
More at The New York Times.
PHILIPPINES
Rebel Fighting in Philippines Intensifies - Carlos Conde, New York Times
Fighting in the southern Philippines between government troops and Islamic separatists is intensifying by the day, with the number of the displaced now reaching 300,000, officials and aid workers said Tuesday.
Army officials estimated that 150 rebels from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front have been killed in the past five days and said that government troops overran 15 rebel camps during one of the most significant offensives since peace negotiations began 11 years ago.
The military said the assaults, which started in several provinces in the southern region of Mindanao last week, are directed at three commanders of the front who they say were responsible for a rampage this month in which 33 people were killed.
More at The New York Times.
INSURGENCY / COUNTERINSURGENCY / AFGHANISTAN
Unwinnable Insurgencies? - Arnaud de Borchgrave, Washington Times opinion
Insurgencies since World War II have worn down their enemies and then prevailed - with one major exception: Insurgencies since World War II have worn down their enemies and then prevailed - with one major exception: Malaya (communist insurgency 1948-1960) before it became Malaysia. Iraq, where the final results will not be known until after US troops leave everything to Iraq security forces, may become the second...
To turn Afghanistan into a viable economy beyond the clandestine multibillion-dollar opium-poppy-to-heroin traffic requires billions more in aid, which isn't available in the donor-fatigued national parliaments of the coalition. The outgoing NATO commander said at least 400,000 troops would be required to control Afghanistan, a country the size of France with 30 million people. Current deployment: 60,000.
More at The Washington Times.
NEWS NOTES
Iraq
Basra Gains Revive Talk of British Exit - Christian Science Monitor
Coalition Forces Capture Two Key al-Qaida Leaders in Baghdad - AFPS
Iraqis Arrest Girl in Suicide Belt - Associated Press
Give Iraqis What They Want - Boston Globe editorial
Afghanistan / Pakistan Tribal Areas
US Experts to Teach Canadian Troops - Globe and Mail
Afghans Risk Lives for US Visas - Washington Times
Iran
Ahmadinejad Appears to Get a Key Nod - Los Angeles Times
Iran's Internal Crackdown - Washington Times opinion
Ahmadinejad's Obsession with Israel - Washington Times opinion
Russia / Georgia / NATO
Russian Threat to NATO Supply Route - The Times
Russia Defies Calls for Withdrawal; US Continues Georgia Relief - AFPS
Medvedev Has Final Say on Regions' Recognition - The Times
Parliament Wants to Recognize Independence of S. Ossetia, Abkhazia - LA Times
Russia Mocks West's Displeasure Over Georgia - Daily Telegraph
Russia's Gains in Georgia May Leave it More Isolated - CS Monitor
Enclave Hails Tight Embrace From Moscow - New York Times
Cheney To Visit Georgia Next Week - Washington Post
Bush Sending VP Cheney to Georgia to Underscore US Support - VOA
Saakashvili: Conflict Cost Us $2.3bn - The Australian
Georgia's Russians Express Shame, Anger Over Actions - Washington Post
EU Treads Gingerly in Georgia Crisis - New York Times
US Official Says NATO Benefits From Missile Agreement - AFPS
Next Steps on Georgia - Washington Post editorial
What May Keep Putin Up at Night - CS Monitor editorial
Russia's Aggression Is a Challenge to World Order - WSJ opinion
Ghost of Stalin Strides the Caucasus - The Australian opinion
Don't Pick a Fight You Can't Finish - The Times opinion
Russia Is Dangerous But Weak - Wall Street Journal opinion
Russia's Withdrawal - Washington Times opinion
Russia Cannot Limit Neighbours' Liberty - Daily Telegraph opinion
China / Russia
The New New World Order - The Times opinion
Africa
Sudanese Troops Attack Darfur Refugee Camp - Washington Post
Dozens Are Killed in Raid on Darfur Camp - New York Times
Sudanese Troops Raid Volatile Darfur Camp - Los Angeles Times
Zimbabwe Assembly Elects MDC Speaker - The Times
Mugabe's Party Loses Key Post - Washington Post
Zimbabwe Opposition Party Wins Post - Los Angeles Times
MDC Defeat Mugabe in Vote for Speaker - Associated Press
Asia / Pacific
The Price of China's Olympic Games - Los Angeles Times editorial
China Changing, But Walls Still There - Daily Telegraph opinion
We Can Help China Embrace the Future - Wall Street Journal opinion
N. Korea: Fights and Flight - Wall Street Journal book review
Middle East
200 Palestinian Prisoners Released by Israel - The Times
To Shore Up Abbas, Israel Releases Jailed Palestinians - Washington Post
Israel Frees 198 Palestinians Before Rice Arrives for Talks - New York Times
Bringing Inner Peace to Lebanon - Los Angeles Times
South Asia
Pakistan's Ruling Coalition Collapses; Government Bans Taliban - LA Times
Governing Coalition Collapses in Pakistan - Washington Post
Fractious Coalition in Pakistan Breaks Apart - New York Times
Pakistan's Ruling Coalition Collapses - The Times
Pakistan Coalition Collapses - The Australian
UN Envoy’s Ties to Pakistani Are Questioned - New York Times
Zardari 'Suffering From Severe Mental Problems' - Daily Telegraph
Musharraf's Pakistan Had True Potential - Boston Globe opinion
Indian Police Kill at Least 4 Muslim Demonstrators in Kashmir - VOA
BOOKS
Baghdad at Sunrise - Peter Mansoor
This compelling book presents an unparalleled record of what happened after US forces seized Baghdad in the spring of 2003.
The Strongest Tribe - Bing West
From a universally respected combat journalist, a gripping history based on five years of front-line reporting about how the war was turned around–and the choice now facing America.
Tell Me How This Ends - Linda Robinson
After a series of disastrous missteps in its conduct of the war, the White House in 2006 appointed General David Petraeus as the Commanding General of the coalition forces. Tell Me How This Ends is an inside account of his attempt to turn around a failing war.
We Are Soldiers Still - Joe Galloway
In their stunning follow-up to the classic bestseller We Were Soldiers Once... and Young, Lt. Gen. Hal Moore and Joe Galloway return to Vietnam and reflect on how the war changed them, their men, their enemies, and both countries - often with surprising results.
EVENTS OF INTEREST
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 - 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.
17 September - The Iranian Puzzle Piece: Understanding Iran in the Global Context (Public Event - Symposium). Marine Corps Base, Quantico, Virginia. Sponsored by the by the Marine Corps University (MCU) and the Marine Corps University Foundation to enhance the overall understanding of Iran, exploring its internal dynamics, regional perspectives, and extra-regional factors and examining its near-term political and strategic options and their potential impact on the course of action of the United States and the USMC.
