--Lieutenant General William Caldwell IV - On FM 3.07: Stability Operations
AFGHANISTAN
America's Defence Secretary Robert Gates Accuses British Officials of 'Defeatism' - Foreign Staff, Daily Telegraph
America's Defence Secretary Robert Gates has accused the British ambassador and top military commander in Afghanistan of being "defeatist" for saying the Taliban could not be beaten.
"While we face significant challenges in Afghanistan, there certainly is no reason to be defeatist or to underestimate the opportunities to be successful in the long run," Mr Gates said on board a military aircraft flying to Europe for NATO meetings.
He was speaking in reaction to comments from Brigadier Mark Carleton-Smith, who said in a newspaper that the war against the Taliban could not be won, and the ambassador, Sherard Cowper-Coles, who said an "acceptable dictator" would be the best political solution for Afghanistan.
Mr Gates, who oversaw the improvement in the war in Iraq, said the coalition would have to negotiate with more moderate Taliban members who were willing to work with the central Afghan government.
"Part of the solution is strengthening the Afghan security forces," he said. "Part of the solution is reconciliation with people who are willing to work with the Afghan government."
The approach is demonstrated in a new field manual released by the Pentagon, which for the first time says nation building is as important as winning military battles in fragile states.
More at The Daily Telegraph.
US to Unify Training Efforts in Afghanistan - Sara Carter, Washington Times
About 20,000 US troops in Afghanistan will be transferred from NATO to direct American command in a bid to improve the training and coordination of the Afghan military and police, Pentagon officials announced Monday.
The troops will fall under the US Forces-Afghanistan (USFOR-A) command, giving commander Gen. David McKiernan better control of all US military assets in the country, defense officials in Washington and Kabul said. The remaining 13,000 U.S. troops in the country will continue to report directly to the US Central Command, soon to be headed by Gen. David H. Petraeus.
Gen. McKiernan is commander of both USFOR-A and the NATO force known as International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).
A defense official in Washington, speaking on the condition that he not be named, said the reassignment would make Gen. McKiernan "completely" responsible for the training mission, which had been conducted in Afghanistan by both NATO and US forces.
Concerns over corruption in the Afghan police and army are jeopardizing the US-led mission.
More at The Washington Times.
Resurgent Taleban Vow to Disrupt 'Joke' Presidential Election - Tom Coghlan, The Times
The Taleban threatened to attack polling stations and candidates during Afghanistan’s second presidential election, due to be held next summer, as the lengthy and dangerous process of voter registration began yesterday.
The chief spokesman for Mullah Omar, the Taleban’s leader, told The Times that the group would use its increasing influence in the country to disrupt the poll. “This is not an election, it is a joke that is putting dust in people’s eyes,” said Qari Yousuf Ahmadi. “Where will they have an election? How much of Afghanistan belongs to the Government and foreign troops?”
The poll is seen as a crucial test of the credibility of the fragile Western-backed Government and the seven-year reconstruction effort. The Taleban made little attempt to oppose elections in 2004 and 2005, and Afghan officials have expressed hope that it will allow the democratic process set for August 2009.
More at The Times.
IRAQ
Arab League Ambassador Arrives in Baghdad - Mary Beth Sheridan, Washington Post
The Arab League dispatched an ambassador to Baghdad on Monday, the latest sign of progress in the Iraqi and US effort to ease this country's diplomatic isolation.
Hani Khalaf arrived a day after the first visit by an Egyptian foreign minister in 18 years. The previous envoy of the 22-member Arab League quit in January 2007, criticizing Arab countries for not doing more to ease Iraqis' suffering.
The US government has urged the Sunni-dominated Arab governments in the region to reestablish ties with Iraq's Shiite-led government. Many have been hesitant because of violence here and concerns that they could appear to be endorsing the US-led invasion of 2003. In addition, some nations are wary about the close ties the Iraqi government has developed with Iran.
More at The Washington Post.
There's a Job to Finish in Baghdad - Bret Stephens, Wall Street Journal opinion
Last week, a 14 year-old suicide bomber was apprehended by two Iraqi security guards as he made his way toward the Rasoul mosque, which was filled with Shiite worshippers celebrating the end of Ramadan. The boy detonated himself as he struggled with the guards, who were killed instantly, as were several passersby.
The attack was one of two that day against Shiite targets, which the New York Times duly reported under the headline "Baghdad Suicide Bombers Kill 2 Dozen in Attacks on Mosques." The Times added that "many in the crowd immediately said they suspected American involvement," although it added that "they displayed no obvious signs of hostility to a group of American soldiers who remained at the scene for some time."
Taken at face value, the story suggests just how "fragile and reversible" things are in Iraq, to use what has now become a stock line. Not reported by the Times, however -- or anywhere else in the Western media, as far as I can tell -- was the identity of the guards who prevented what could have been a much deadlier attack. One of them, Hamid Mansour Hassoun, was a Sunni. The other, Mohammed Nouri al-Rubaie, was a Shiite. Their joint sacrifice is a testament to everything much of the world thought Iraq could never be.
Much the same goes for nearly everything else one sees in and around Baghdad these days.
More at The Wall Street Journal.
AMERICAS
Venezuela, Russia Aid Fight - Martin Arostegui, Washington Times
The government of President Evo Morales is lining up military support from Russia and boosting ties with Venezuela as it battles a rebellion in its energy-rich eastern provinces.
The revolt reflects opposition to Mr. Morales' plans to redistribute land and revenue from natural gas exports to Bolivia's Indian majority under a new constitution that would also allow Mr. Morales to be re-elected for 10 more years.
Government opponents - based mainly in the eastern lowland provinces - say Venezuelan soldiers fought alongside government supporters in Pando province, where at least a dozen people were killed during a Sept. 11 gunbattle.
Pando Gov. Leopoldo Fernandez and at least 16 local officials have been arrested, and residents of Pando accuse government troops of a crackdown that includes summary arrests and severe beatings.
More at The Washington Times.
ASIA PACIFIC
Islamic Group Gains Power in Indonesia - Peter Gelling, New York Times
In a sign of its growing prominence, Indonesia’s Council of Ulemas moved its headquarters from the basement of a major mosque here into an expensive new office tower in the heart of downtown.
The council was established in 1975 as a quasi-governmental body of Muslim scholars by Suharto, the country’s leader for three decades, partly as a tool to keep politically minded Islamic organizations in check. But in the decade since the dictator’s fall, the group - whose leaders have increasingly espoused a radical form of Islam - has worked to establish itself as an assertive political force.
The group, known as MUI, built an impressive network of offices throughout the country, staffed by people who promote the council’s view of Islam. It logged its first major political success this summer when the government agreed to severely restrict the activities of a Muslim sect that does not believe that Muhammad was the last prophet.
Advocates of religious tolerance worry that the council’s new clout could signal the start of religious radicalization in a country known for its moderate brand of Islam.
More at The New York Times.
NATO
NATO Commanders to Draw Up Plans to Defend ex-Soviet Bloc Members from Russia - Damien McElroy, Daily Telegraph
NATO's top military commander has demanded the authority to draw up detailed military plans to defend former Soviet bloc members for the first time since the alliance expanded eastward.
Russia's offensive in Georgia in August exposed the dangers of the Western alliance's lack of contingency plans against an invasion on its eastern flanks.
Political leaders from the Baltics and Eastern Europe have subsequently demanded that NATO fulfil the requirements implied by its "Chapter 5" commitment to defend the territorial integrity of all its members.
General James Craddock, NATO's Supreme Commander, has asked for the political authority to draw up contingency defence plans at a NATO meeting in Budapest later this week.
France and Germany have signalled opposition to the move but Gen Craddock has the strong backing of American and Britain.
But even US officials acknowledge there is a risk that the move will cause a rift within NATO. "This becomes politicised very quickly," a Pentagon official said.
More at The Daily Telegraph.
Gates Says Meetings to Focus on Afghanistan, Russia, Transformation - Jim Garamone, American Forces Press Service
While the alliance’s transformation is the scheduled topic of discussion at a NATO defense ministerial conference this week in Budapest, Hungary, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today that Afghanistan and Russia also will be high on the agenda.
In Budapest, Gates told reporters traveling with him, the principal issue is getting Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer’s recommendations institutionalizing NATO’s transformation. Gates said he wants to strengthen the hand of the secretary general in leading the alliance and managing changes in th NATO headquarters structure. Building on discussions they had in London on Sept. 18, he said, the alliance’s defense ministers will determine whether there NATO’s footprint should change in terms of headquarters around Europe.
NATO’s efforts in Afghanistan and the continued need for more forces in the country also will be high on the agenda in Budapest, Gates said. “I want everyone to understand that the increases in US forces are not seen as replacements for NATO contributions, but are reinforcements,” he said. “We not only want those who have made the contributions to continue them, but continue to look for opportunities to increase non-US NATO forces there.”
The United States is by far the largest manpower donor to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force, providing more than 20,000 of the 50,700 total troops in Afghanistan from 41 nations.
The United Kingdom has 8,330 servicemembers in Afghanistan. Germany has 3,310, France has 2,750, Canada has 2,500, Italy has 2,350 and the Netherlands has 1,770.
Poland has 1,130 troops in Afghanistan, Australia has 1,080, Denmark has 750, Romania has 725, Belgium has 420 and Latvia, Slovakia and Slovenia each has 70. A total of 26 other nations have troops in the country.
The highest manpower priority at this point, the secretary said, is for trainers.
More at American Forces Press Service.
US DEPARTMENT OF STATE
The Facts of Strife - Boston Globe editorial
If the United States has learned anything from its long, inconclusive wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, it's that military power alone isn't enough. Many Iraqis lost faith in the US mission five years ago, when they saw American forces fail to restore electricity, water, law and order, and other services after toppling Saddam Hussein from power.
But with help from civilian specialists, military units can stabilize strife-torn areas. Now the State Department has taken on the task of mobilizing a corps of civilians from inside and outside the federal government who can quickly assist in restoring order in crisis situations. This initiative deserves the support of the next president.
President Bush has at last recognized that the United States must sometimes take non-military steps, often with foreign partners, to prevent anarchic areas from degenerating into centers of terrorism, genocide, or arms-trafficking.
More at The Boston Globe.
NEWS & OPINION NOTES
Afghanistan / Pakistan Tribal Areas
Taliban, Afghan Officials Meet in Saudi Arabia - Associated Press
Pakistan to Deport Afghan Refugees - Associated Press
Brother of Karzai Denies Links to Heroin - New York Times
SAS 'May Have Killed' Afghan Governor - The Australian
Talking to the Taliban - Daily Telegraph editorial
How To Win Afghanistan's Opium War - Slate opinion
Pakistan
Pakistan Facing Bankruptcy - Daily Telegraph
Suicide Bombing Kills 12 at Pakistani Lawmaker's Home - Voice of America
20 in Pakistan Die in Bombing - Washington Post
Suicide Bomber Kills at Least 20 in Pakistan - Los Angeles Times
Zardari U-turn on Kashmir Terrorism - The Australian
Iraq
Iraqis Unite to Restore Minority Representation Law - New York Times
Insurgency Fractured in Northern Iraq, Commander Says - AFPS
Coalition Trains Iraqi Police District Response Team - AFPS
Iraqi Women Fear Going Public as Candidates - Associated Press
US Hands Palace of Saddam Back to Iraqis - The Times
Iran
Israel 'May Bomb Iran' if Russia Sells Missile System - Daily Telegraph
Iran to Address Six Powers on Nuclear Ambitions - Voice of America
Iran: Pressure On Nuclear Program Will Fail - Voice of America
Iran Snubs US Moves to Forge Links - Daily Telegraph
Complex Operations
Army Unveils New Stability Operations Manual - Army News
US Army Releases Manual on 'Stability Operations' - Reuters
US Department of State
Petreaus, Crocker Receive State Department’s Highest Honor - AFPS
United Nations
Global Financial Turmoil Taking Toll on Refugees, Displaced - Voice of America
Africa
Zimbabwe Power-Sharing Talks Drag - Voice of America
Zimbabwe Parties Fail to Meet to Break Impasse on Unity Govt - AFP
ANC Dominance 'Hurts South Africa' - Daily Telegraph
Somali Pirate Aays Ransom Reduced - Associated Press
West Failed Somalia, Say Aid Agencies - Daily Telegraph
French Elite in Dock Over Angola Arms - The Times
Americas
Playing Into Mr. Morales’s Hands - New York Times editorial
Boiling Point in Bolivia - Christian Science Monitor opinion
Asia Pacific
Taiwan Arms Deal Sours US-China Relations - Christian Science Monitor
China Cancels Visit Over US Arms Sales to Taiwan - Los Angeles Times
China Cancels Military Contacts with US - Associated Press
In Taiwan's Defense - Wall Street Journal editorial
Taiwan Eyes the Dragon - Washington Times editorial
Thai Police Fire on Protesters - The Australian
Clashes as Thai Parliament Opens - Associated Press
North Korea Spy Awaits Sentencing - Los Angeles Times
Europe
Russia Accuses Georgia of Provoking Violence - Reuters
News Media Feel Limits to Georgia’s Democracy - New York Times
Georgia's Chechens Relive Own Russian War - Christian Science Monitor
Live Firing Test for Russian Cruise Missiles - The Times
Crisis Is Putting Brakes on Russia's Construction Boom - Washington Post
Gates: US to Remain in Kosovo Through Late 2009 - Associated Press
Middle East
Palestinians Sue Israel Over 'Land Robbers' - The Times
Hamas: Abbas Term Must End in January - The Australian
Israel: Landlocked - The Times editorial
Israel Should Get to Know Hamas Better - Daily Star opinion
South Asia
Suicide Bombing Kills 27 in Sri Lanka, Including Former Army General - VOA
Military: Suicide Bomber Kills 27 in Sri Lanka - Associated Press
BOOKS
In a Time of War - Bill Murphy
The West Point cadets Murphy follows through their baptism by fire are an admirable sample of young American men and women: intelligent, ambitious and intensely patriotic.
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.
The War Within - Bob Woodward
Woodward interviewed key players, obtained dozens of never-before-published documents, and had nearly three hours of exclusive interviews with President Bush. The result is a stunning, firsthand history of the years from mid-2006, when the White House realizes the Iraq strategy is not working, through the decision to surge another 30,000 U.S. troops in 2007, and into mid-2008, when the war becomes a fault line in the presidential election.
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.
Iraq and the Evolution of American Strategy - Steven Metz
Today the US military is more nimble, mobile, and focused on rapid responses against smaller powers than ever before. One could argue that the Gulf War and the postwar standoff with Saddam Hussein hastened needed military transformation and strategic reassessments in the post–Cold War era. But the preoccupation with Iraq also mired the United States in the Middle East and led to a bloody occupation. What will American strategy look like after US troops leave Iraq?
EVENTS OF INTEREST
3-7 November - Counterinsurgency Leaders' Workshop (COIN Workshop). Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Sponsored by the U.S. Army and Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Center. This event is a five-day program focused on understanding the fundamentals of insurgency and counterinsurgency. This is a version of the same extremely popular workshop offered to hundreds of military and civilian attendees over the past two years. The COIN Center has expanded the number of slots available to compensate for the high demand of previous sessions. The proceedings are UNCLASSIFED and registration is open to all interested US government and allied personnel.
6-7 December - Boyd Conference 2008 (Conference). Charlottetown, Prince Edward, Canada. There is an opportunity to hold a short, intense seminar on the applicability of Boyd’s ideas, particularly operating inside the OODA loop and grand strategy (sustaining our own morale and attracting the uncommitted), on the weekend of December 6-7 at the University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, PEI. Canada. The theme would be applying these ideas to conflict in the post-Iraq era, and more specifically to the types of diffused, networked, “open source” armed conflicts that some have called “fifth generation warfare.” We are also interested in exploring solutions, such as the role of “resilient communities” (RC), for countering them. As Oil and food prices have climbed and the mortgage crisis has grown, the need to think more about Resilient Communities has become more urgent. We may have to re-invent our world! We envision this as a working seminar to help shape the policy agenda in the first year of the new administration.
