Small Wars Journal

7 November SWJ Roundup

Wed, 11/07/2012 - 6:09am

Small Wars Journal Daily Roundup

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USNI Daily - Real Clear World

BBC - CNN World - CSM World - LAT World - NYT World - WP World - VOA

WP National Security - WT National Security

American Forces Press Service - Abu Muqawama - Air Force Times

Armed Forces Journal - AOL Defense - Army Times - At War - Battleland

Best Defense - Danger Room - Defense Tech - DoD Buzz - Early Warning

Foreign Affairs - Foreign Policy

Infinity Journal - Long War Journal - Marine Corps Gazette

Marine Corps Times - Military Review - National Defense

Navy Times - Parameters - Stars & Stripes - ZenPundit

CNA - CNAS - CSIS - ILW - ISW - Rand - TJF

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Afghanistan

US Military Deaths in Afghanistan at 2,021 - AP

Testimony: Staff Sgt. Bales Knew He Killed Afghans - AP

Afghans to Testify in Soldier’s Hearing - WP

Soldier's Testimony on Afghan Rampage at Odds With Prosecution - Reuters

Cleric Who Ordered Attack on 15-Year-Old Girl Hides in Afghanistan - WP

ISAF Operations Summary - AFPS

 

Syria

Mortar Attacks Shake Damascus as Envoys Issue Warnings - NYT

Damascus Rocked by Deadly Blasts - BBC

UK’s Cameron Meets Syrian Refugees - BBC

Turkey: Patriot Missiles Discussed for Syria - AP

Syrian Defector Says Most Bomber Pilots Grounded - AP

Syria 's Main Opposition Group Elects New Leaders - AP

Car Bomb Kills Judge in Syrian Capital - AP

Car Bomb Explodes Near Syrian Mall, Deaths Reported - Reuters

From War-Torn Syria, Artists Take Flight - WP

The Sensible Course on Syria - LAT editorial

 

Middle East / North Africa

Israel’s Netanyahu 'Ready' for Iran Strike - BBC

Turkey Starts Trial Against Israelis Involved in 2010 Raid - VOA

Car Bomb Explodes Near Iraqi Army Base - VOA

Bombing at Iraqi Base Kills Dozens - NYT

Iraq Official: Exxon Mobil Wants Out of Big Field - AP

Iran Hikes Domestic Airfares by Up to 70 Percent - AP

Bahrain Revokes 31 Opposition Activists' Citizenship - BBC

Bahrain Arrests 4 in Deadly Blasts in Capital - AP

Kuwait Opposition to Unite in Protest Rally on Sunday - Reuters

Sexes to Be Separated in Panel Advising Saudi King - AP

Americans Tour Base to Recruit Libyan Anti-Militant Force - Reuters

 

US Department of Defense

DoD Intel Official Calls Language ‘Central’ to New Strategy - AFPS

Pentagon Moves to Refine Acquisitions Process - AFPS

Pentagon Officials Detail Continuing Storm Response Support - AFPS

From Afghanistan to Sandy, Transcom Synchronizes Support - AFPS

Cutlass Express Exercise Brings Together Sailors from US, Africa - S&S

US Sailors on Okinawa Charged with Gang Rape, Robbery - S&S

 

United States

Obama Gets Decisive Win by Stringing Together Narrow Victories WP

Obama Wins New Term as Electoral Advantage Holds - NYT

Obama Re-Elected as US President - BBC

Support for Obama Overseas, But With Reservations - WP

Abroad, Obama’s Victory Brings Demands for Attention - NYT

Convicted US Terrorist in NC Beheading Plot Trial - AP

We Need a Little Fear - NYT editorial

Airports Authority’s Shabby Practices - WP editorial

Why Drones Were Left Out of US Election - Bloomberg opinion

 

Africa

Cutlass Express Exercise Brings Together Sailors from US, Africa - S&S

Al-Qaida Leader Urges Guerrilla Warfare in Somalia - VOA

Al-Qaida Leader Urges Muslims to Fight in Somalia - AP

UN Begins Airlift of Stranded South Sudanese from Sudan Capital - VOA

Mali Islamists in Aid Group Deal - BBC

Scene of South African Mine Shooting May Have Been Altered - NYT

US Election to Inspire Better Organized Kenya Vote, Says Official - VOA

Nigeria's 'Royal Fathers' Seek Constitutional Role - VOA

Two Million Hit by Nigeria Floods - BBC

Turkish Firm to Drill for Oil in Somaliland - VOA

 

Americas

Mothers from Central America Search for Missing Kin in Mexico - LAT

Brazil: Plan to Tackle Sao Paulo Violence - BBC

UN to Send Emergency Aid to Cuba - BBC

 

Asia / Pacific

Asian, European Leaders Vow to Promote Free Trade - VOA

S. China Sea Disputes Figure Prominently at ASEAN Meeting - VOA

China’s New Leaders Face Rise of Individual - VOA

China Readies for Party Congress - BBC

China Wants No Surprises at Communist Party Congress - LAT

China's Media Blackout on Leadership Change Contrasts US Transparency - VOA

China Announces Closing Date for Party Congress - Reuters

Facing Protests, China’s Business Investment Slows - NYT

Slain Briton at Center of Chinese Scandal a Spy - VOA

China’s Security Ministry Suspected Slain Businessman Was a Spy - NYT

Japan; US Sailors on Okinawa Charged with Gang Rape, Robbery - S&S

Laos Breaks Ground for Controversial Mekong Dam - NYT

 

Europe

Asian, European Leaders Vow to Promote Free Trade - VOA

Russia: Putin Ousts Defense Chief, Longtime Ally - NYT

Russia: Corruption Probe Claims Putin Loyalist - WP

Putin Fires Russia Defense Minister Amid Fraud Inquiry - LAT

Americans on the Upbeat in Russia - WP

Ukraine Feminists Protest Sex Tourism - VOA

Greek Workers on Strike as Lawmakers Discuss Austerity - VOA

Greece Prepares to Vote on $23 Billion in New Cuts - NYT

Greece Readies for Crucial Austerity Vote - VOA

Kurds Move into Turkish Politics - WAJ opinion

 

South Asia

India Faces Wrangling Over Environment, Infrastructure - WP

As Dengue Fever Sweeps India, Slow Response Stirs Experts’ Fears - NYT

Pakistani Cleric Who Ordered Attack on 15-Year-Old Girl Hides in Afghanistan - WP

Suicide Bombing Kills 5 in Northwest Pakistan - AP

Bomber Kills Pakistan Policeman - BBC

Comments

carl

Wed, 11/07/2012 - 10:06pm

In reply to by Bill C.

No it doesn't. I sorta figured that regions lining up with political positions is a bad thing. I should have made it more clear that what I am actually interested in is what that portends for the future of the United States in the United States. That has not much at all to do with conditions in Afghanistan.

Bill C.

Wed, 11/07/2012 - 7:32pm

In reply to by carl

Does this answer your question re: the potential for serious conflict as to (1) political differences and (2) where people live?

From the third paragraph of Michael Hoh's resignation letter:

"... has violently and savagely pitted the urban, secular, educated and modern Afghanistan against the rural, religious, illiterate and traditional."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/hp/ssi/wpc/ResignationLetter.pdf?s…

I have an observation about yesterday's election and then a question based upon the observation. This is related to internal conflict in the decades to come.

If you look at the red states and the blue states, the red states are for the most part the states of the old Confederacy and rural states. If you look at individual states you see a pattern of rural areas being red and urban areas being blue. So in a broad sense you have a hard difference of political opinion lining up somewhat geographically, rural vs. urban and the South and rural states vs. the Northeast and the West Coast.

Combine that further with marked differences in commitment to the political position as reflected by the margins of victory in representative states, California overwhelmingly blue and Texas overwhelmingly red. That seems to me to indicate hard positions.

The region of the country that has a modern tradition of rebellion is the South. Bob Jones speaks of the civil rights movement being sort of an insurgency but I think he is wrong. The resistance of the Southern states to integration was the incipient insurgency and it was put down.

The last thing is that in my view, historically, when the Americans get miffed with the federal government, that displeasure manifests itself through the state governments. They are the ones who lead.

So with all this in mind, what do people think of the possibility of, in the next 20 years say, something happening along the lines of a state government being told to do something by the federal government and saying no. This state would most likely be a southern state. If they did so what would the likelyhood be of other states in that region joining? What would the federal government do? How deep would their support be etc.?

The point of all this is there seems to be hard political differences lining up geographically, the guys on the west bank of the river think this way and the guys on the east bank of the river think the opposite. When political differences line up with where people live I wonder if there is a heightened possibility of serious conflict. What do other people thing about this?