IRAQ
Iraq Army Still Needs US Support, Commanders Say - Alexandra Zavis, Los Angeles Times
The Shiite Muslim-led soldiers and policemen waging a massive crackdown in troubled Diyala province are not the ramshackle, sectarian-driven forces of two years ago. The troops are more disciplined, their operations more carefully planned, and they rattle off the current counterinsurgency doctrine with an ease that would impress its author, US Army Gen. David H. Petraeus.
But these are some of the elite units of the Iraqi security forces, and the ongoing crackdown has so far posed few major challenges. When bombs explode and mortar rounds rain down, the Iraqis turn to US-led forces for help. "We can do small operations without the Americans," said an Iraqi sergeant named Ali who is with the brigade that searched Najim's house. "But . . . should they leave the country? No."
How long American troops should remain in Iraq has become a central issue in the US presidential campaign and has dominated discussions on future relations between the countries.
Buoyed byrecent military successes, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki has demanded a withdrawal timetable. Provided security continues to improve, US negotiators are willing to pull combat troops out of Iraqi cities by June and the rest of the country by 2011. But commanders warn that Iraqi troops will continue to need US intelligence, air support, firepower and other backup.
"Our assistance may change in organization and size over the coming months or years, but some form of partnership and assistance consistent with strategic objectives is still necessary," Army Lt. Gen. James Dubik, former head of the US training effort in Iraq, told the House Armed Services Committee in July.
Despite having directed major campaigns such as the one in Diyala, the Iraqi military faces leadership shortcomings. Soldiers say that fresh thinking and efficiency are discouraged in a system where advancement depends as much on money and connections as on ability.
More at The Los Angeles Times.
What Happened to Iraq? - Victor Davis Hanson, National Review opinion
Suddenly there are no longer any more litmus tests - remember the Democratic primary bickering in autumn 2007? - over who was, and was not, always against the war in Iraq. There are no more hearings in which a Sen. Obama or Clinton seek to outdo each other in grandstanding condemnations of the war effort.
We see no more discounted “General Betray-Us” ads in the New York Times. The protestors on our street corners have taken down the “No blood for oil!” signs and replaced them with “Hands off Iran!” placards. A Sen. Durbin or Rep. Murtha is quiet about supposed American war crimes and cruelty. That Barack Obama said he wanted all US troops out by March 2008 is quietly forgotten.
In other words, it is now a good time to reflect back on the last five years of conventional wisdom about the war. When the histories of the Iraq War are written - in contrast to the dispatches published in mediis rebus by critical journalists and born-again antiwar critics - expect to see a much different narrative from the conventional ignorance that became the gospel these last five years.
More at National Review.
PAKISTAN
Cease-Fire by Pakistan in Attacks on Militants - Jane Perlez and Pir Zubair Shah, New York Times
The Pakistani military, which has been criticized by the Bush administration as not pushing hard enough against Taliban militants in the country’s tribal areas, has used jet fighters and helicopter gunships in the past three weeks to strike at insurgents pouring over the border to attack American forces in Afghanistan.
The air assaults have resulted in more than 400 Taliban casualties in Bajaur, an area of the tribal region where Al Qaeda and the Taliban have forged close ties, and have forced the militants to retreat from villages that they controlled, a military official involved in the operations said.
But on Saturday night, the Pakistani government declared a cease-fire in the area for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which begins here on Wednesday. The deal was arranged after the electorally important Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, a religious party, and legislators from the tribal areas said they would support Asif Ali Zardari for president in return for an end to the airstrikes.
More at The New York Times.
Pakistani Taliban: Attacks Will Continue During Ramadan - Voice of America
A Taliban spokesman in Pakistan says Taliban leaders have not instructed fighters to halt attacks during Ramadan, despite the government's announcement that it is suspending military operations in the northwest to allow civilians to observe the holy month.
A Taliban spokesman in restive Swat Valley, Muslim Khan, Sunday said, as of now, militants have no plans to change their tactics.
The head of Pakistan's Interior Ministry, Rehman Malik, announced Saturday that there will be no military operations in the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan from Sunday midnight until October second. He warned, however, that security forces will respond if attacked.
More at Voice of America.
AFGHANISTAN
Medvedev Offers to Train Afghan Police - Jeremy Page, The Times
Russia is planning to send members of its security forces to train their counterparts in Afghanistan for the first time since the Soviet Union withdrew from the country in 1989, The Times has learnt.
At a meeting with President Karzai in Tajikistan last week President Medvedev offered to send 225 Russian police officers to help to train the Afghan National Police (ANP), according to Afghan officials. Mr Karzai, who met the Russian leader at a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation on Thursday, accepted his offer and the details are being discussed, the officials said.
The Afghan Interior Ministry confirmed that there was a verbal agreement, and an official at the Russian Embassy said that there could be more information later this week.
More at The Times.
UNITED STATES
America's 'Identity' Blind Spot - Gregory Rodriguez, Los Angeles Times opinion
As a nation and as individuals, we tend to view the world through the prism of our own experiences. Over the last few weeks, Russians, Georgians, Abkhazians and South Ossetians have reminded us that ethnic nationalism and secessionism are on the rise around the globe. I worry that the American experience leaves the United States and its citizens unprepared to confront it.
Not long ago, I had dinner with a conservative media figure who seemed perplexed that I'm a student of "identity." "What made you do that?" he asked. "I think the world would be better without it."
I tried to explain that it wasn't something I was either for or against but that exists and needs to be understood. And just because one may not want to "believe" in identities -- ethnic groups and ethno-religious groups -- that doesn't mean that they somehow disappear from the world. Absurd as it sounds, we have a collective blind spot on the topic. And our refusal to take the issue of ethnic and ethno-religious identity seriously has helped to undermine our foreign policy initiatives.
More at The Los Angeles Times.
NEWS & OPINION NOTES
Iraq
US Military Returns Control of Anbar to Iraqis - Associated Press
US Hands Over Key Iraq Province - BBC News
Afghanistan / Pakistan Tribal Areas
Report: Shots Came from Afghan Village - Associated Press
A Rerun of a Bloody War in Afghanistan - San Francisco Chronicle editorial
Iran
Iran's 'Perfect Storm' - Washington Times opinion
Russia / Georgia / NATO
Russia Claims Its Sphere of Influence in the World - New York Times
EU to Stop Short of Sanctions on Russia Over Georgia - The Times
EU Set to Condemn Russia - Daily Telegraph
Russia Warns Against Any Action as EU Prepares to Meet - Los Angeles Times
Georgia Aid: Not a Job for the Military - Baltimore Sun editorial
Russia's Strategic Blunder - Newsweek opinion
One Voice on Georgia - Washington Post opinion
NATO’s Disastrous Georgian Fudge - New York Times opinion
History Hasn't Returned - Washington Post opinion
Russia's Cruel Intention - The Guardian opinion
Africa
Zimbabwe Talks 'End Without Deal' - BBC News
Morocco 'Breaks Terror Network' - BBC News
Berlusconi and Gaddafi Seal Friendship and Billion-Dollar Deal - The Times
A New Middle-Income Consumerism in Africa - Washington Post
Americas
Russia-Cuba Ties Worry US - Los Angeles Times
Chávez Threatens to Expel American Ambassador - New York Times
Bolivian President Heads to Iran - BBC News
Fear of Kidnapping Grips Mexico - Los Angeles Times
Mexican Leader Meets Anti-crime March Organizers - Associated Press
Mexican Crimewave - The Times editorial
Asia / Pacific
Deadly Bus Blast in Philippines - BBC News
Thai Government Backers Take to Streets - New York Times
Thai Leader Seeks Parliament Support - Agence France-Presse
Terrorism Suspect Is Returned to Philippines - New York Times
Toll in China Quake Is Worse Than Feared - New York Times
Tajikistan Hopes Water Will Power Its Ambitions - New York Times
N. Korea: A Nuclear Deal Worth Keeping - Boston Globe editorial
Europe
Europe's Water Resources Seen at Risk - Washington Times
Russian Activist Shot Dead by Police - Washington Post
Anger at Death of Kremlin Critic - BBC News
Middle East
Olmert Turmoil Slows Mideast Peace Effort - New York Times
Israeli, Palestinian Leaders Discuss Peace Process - Voice of America
Abbas and Olmert Meet for Talks - BBC News
Palestinians Reject Partial Peace Accord Offered by Israelis - Associated Press
Massive Lebanon Rally Reflects Missing Cleric's Continuing Influence - LA Times
South Asia
Bhutto's Widower in Purge of Party - The Australian
Muslim Anger over Kashmir Deal - BBC News
In Kashmir, Conflict's Psychological Legacy - Washington Post
Pakistani Women Chucking Tradition - Toronto Star
'Scores Dead' in S Lanka Fighting - BBC News
BOOK REVIEW
With the Best Intentions - Adam Hochscild, New York Times
Freedom’s Battle is really two books that don’t quite fit together. The longer and better one is a lively narrative history of a string of European efforts to stop various massacres in the 19th-century Ottoman Empire. In several short chapters before and after this story is a shorter and weaker book, in which Gary J. Bass argues for humanitarian military interventions as a tool of international justice today. The historical episodes, he claims, are “rare lights along an otherwise dark road” that show us how these might work. For me that road remains dark, for reasons I will come back to, but much of the history Bass unearths is fascinating and well told.
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.
BOOK DISCUSSIONS / SIGNINGS
The Strongest Tribe by Bing West. 11 September 2008, 12:00 - 2:00 PM - Hudson Institute, Washington, D.C. Headquarters. Details.
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.
2 October - Civil Affairs Roundtable (Public Event - Roundtable). ROA Headquarters, One Constitution Ave, NE Washington, DC. Sponsored by the Reserve Officers Association. In earlier roundtables, the observation was made that the center of gravity for stability operations is the human population in the area of operations. Civil affairs professionals and information operators are the key national security resources for influencing the human population. Civil affairs professionals assist in humanitarian operations and building civilian capacity. Information operators develop messages and keep the population informed. This roundtable will explore the relationship between the civil affairs and strategic communications functions.
