Disjointed Ways, Disunified Means: Learning from America's Struggle to Build an Afghan Nation by Colonel Lewis G. Irwin, U.S. Army War College's Strategic Studies Institute.

Remarkably ambitious in its audacity and scope, NATO’s irregular warfare and nation-building mission in Afghanistan has struggled to meet its nonmilitary objectives by most tangible measures. Put directly, the Alliance and its partners have fallen short of achieving the results needed to create a stable, secure, democratic, and self-sustaining Afghan nation, a particularly daunting proposition given Afghanistan’s history and culture, the region’s contemporary circumstances, and the fact that no such country has existed there before. Furthermore, given the central nature of U.S. contributions to this NATO mission, these shortfalls also serve as an indicator of a serious American problem as well. Specifically, inconsistencies and a lack of coherence in the U.S. Government’s strategic planning processes and products, as well as fundamental flaws in the U.S. Government’s structures and systems for coordinating and integrating the efforts of its various agencies, are largely responsible for this adverse and dangerous situation. This book explores these strategic and interagency shortfalls, while proposing potential reforms that would enable the United States to achieve the strategic coherence and genuine unity of effort that will be needed in an era of constrained resources and emerging new threats.

Small Wars Journal Daily Roundup

US Naval Institute Daily - USNI

Real Clear World - RCP

Afghanistan

Panetta Visits Afghanistan Amid Mounting Violence - NYT

With Panetta in Afghanistan, Karzai Condemns Airstrike - WP

Dempsey: Afghans Cite Civil Casualties in Strike - AP

Taliban, Criminals Escape From Jail in Afghanistan - AP

Russia and China Eye Role in Afghanistan and Pakistan - BBC

China Says to Provide 'Selfless' Help to Afghanistan - Reuters

ISAF Operations Summary - AFPS

Pakistan

US Losing Patience with Pakistan, Panetta Says - VOA

US Reaching Limit of Patience with Pakistan on Safe Havens - AFPS

Panetta in Afghanistan: Running out of Patience with Pakistan - CNN

Panetta Says Patience Running Short, Time for Pakistan to Act - S&S

Panetta: Patience With Pakistan 'Reaching Limits' - AP

As Al Qaeda Loses a Leader, Its Power Shifts From Pakistan - NYT

Pakistan Blast Toll Climbs to 15 - BBC

Drone Strikes 'Raise Questions' - BBC

Syria

Annan: Take Syria Response to 'Another Level' - VOA

Annan Admits Syria Plan Failing, Calls for International Action  - CSM

Annan Blames Syria for Peace Plan Failure - AP

UN Urges ‘Substantial Pressure’ on Syria - WP

UN Chief Ups Pressure on Damascus - BBC

Syrian Activists: At Least 78 Killed Near Hama - VOA

In Syria, a Massacre Feels Eerily Familiar - CNN

Syrians Bar UN Monitors From a Massacre Inquiry - NYT

Syria Denies UN Observers Access to Massacre Site - CSM

UN Monitors Shot Near Site of Syrian Killings - AP

UN Observers Come Under Attack - CSM

Assad's Blood-Soaked Battle for Syria - Reuters

Assad's Ghost Militia Strikes Fear Into Syria Revolt - Reuters

SCO Security Alliance Opposes Syria Intervention - VOA

China Calls on Both Sides to Halt Violence in Syria - Reuters

France Plans Friends of Syria Meet, Rejects Iran - Reuters

How to Stop Syria’s Massacre - WP opinion

To Save Syria, Fight Dirty Like Russia - DT opinion

UN Is Worthless in Syria. That's Good - NP opinion

Egypt

Egypt's Political Future Tangled in Legal Web - AP

Deal on Egypt Constitution Panel - BBC

Egyptian Judge Speaks Against Islamist Victory - NYT

The Forgotten People of Egypt's Revolution - CNN

Egypt Struggles Toward a President - NYT editorial

Middle East / North Africa

Israel Identifies Cyberspace as Key Battlefield - AP

Clinton Wants Greater Coordination Against Africa, Middle East Terror - VOA

Lebanese Sectarian Clashes Spark Syria Spillover Fears - VOA

UN Watchdog to Press Iran for Access in Atom Probe - Reuters

World Powers Push Iran on Uranium Enrichment - Reuters

Iraq: Signs of Hope in Former Baghdad Killing Field - AP

Top Saddam Aide Executed in Iraq - BBC

Iraq: Saddam Hussein's Personal Secretary Executed - AP

Emirates Readies Oil Export Detour to Avoid Hormuz - AP

West Bank Settlement to Expand - BBC

Two Steps Forward for Libya - WP editorial

Disarming Iran's Oil Weapon - WPR opinion

Al Qaeda / Terrorism

As Al Qaeda Loses a Leader, Its Power Shifts From Pakistan - NYT

Al Qaeda: Who's Left? - CNN

Yemeni Army Clashes With Al Qaeda Fighters, 25 Killed - Reuters

Yemen: 23 Al-Qaida Militants Killed in South - AP

Al Qaeda Leader's Wife Praises Women for Arab Spring - Reuters

Can We Declare the War on Terrorism Over? - CSM opinion

US Department of Defense

Report: Automatic Defense Cuts Undercut Obama Plan - AP

Army Bde in S. Korea Getting Unit Award for Tight-lipped Mission - S&S

Dempsey Encourages NDU Grads to Build Relationships - AFPS

Air Force Facing Aging Aircraft 'Crisis - DDN

Check Out This Giant Spy Blimp Before the Air Force Kills It - DR

Army Colonel Faces Charges Including Bigamy, Adultery, Fraud, Forgery - S&S

El Paso Army Officer Sentenced for 2008 Contractor Bribe - S&S

Army Vet Accused of Falsely Claiming War Wounds - AP

United States

Bernanke: Europe Poses Risks to US Economy - VOA

Approval Rating for Justices Hits Just 44% in New Poll - NYT

Singer Admits to Claiming Military Medals He Didn't Earn - S&S

President Reagan’s Westminster Speech - WP editorial

Africa

Clinton Wants Greater Coordination Against Africa, Middle East Terror - VOA

US Offers Bounty for Somali Militants - VOA

US Puts Bounty on Somali Fighters - BBC

Turkey Reaches Out to Rebuild Somalia - VOA

Sudan, South Sudan Break Off Talks, No Deal in Sight - Reuters

Sudan Demands Move of AU Summit - BBC

S. Sudan: Violence, Hunger Plague World's Newest Nation - CNN

Kenyan Security Forces Face US Funding Ban - VOA

Nigeria Crash Stirs Political, Economic Fallout - VOA

Ugandan President Attacks Opposition in Annual Speech - VOA

Demand for Ivory Increases Elephant Poaching - VOA

Americas

SOUTHCOM Strives to Maximize Theater Engagement Efforts - AFPS

US Freezes Assets of Mexican Drug Lord's Family - Reuters

Mexico: Judges OK Extradition of Alleged Drug Queen to US - AP

Mutilated Bodies Found in Mexico - BBC

Fourteen Dismembered Bodies Dumped in Northern Mexico - Reuters

Venezuela Court Decisions Shake Up 2 Small Parties - AP

Argentina: ‘Economic blockade’ on Falklands - BBC

Argentines Bang Pots and Pans to Protest Government - Reuters

Asia Pacific / Central

New Pacific Focus Won't Include Massive Troop Influx, Dempsey Says - S&S

Philippine Government Reportedly Gives OK for US to Use Old Bases - S&S

Philippines President Visits US as Allies Eye China - Reuters

Chinese Dissident's 'Suspicious' Death Raises Questions - VOA

In Chinese Murder Mystery, Take 2 for Big Scene - NYT

Surveillance Ends at Chinese Activist’s Village - AP

China Plans Expanded Internet Controls - VOA

China Cuts Key Interest Rates - WP

'N. Korea Has Third Most Powerful Cyberwar Capabilities' - KH

S. Korea Closely Watching North’s Air Force - VOA

Australia to Lift Burma Sanctions - BBC

Australia Lifts Sanctions Against Burma, Doubles Aid - Reuters

UN Envoys Ask Malaysia to Protect Activists - NYT

Japan: Tokyo Gas Attack Arrest Reawakens National Trauma - NYT

Japan: Police Hunt Final Fugitive in Tokyo Gas Attack - AP

Mongolia Ex-President Nixed From Upcoming Election - AP

Europe

Germany Calls for European 'Political Union' - VOA

Spain Raises $2.6 Billion on Bond Market  - VOA

Spain's Ailing Banks Threaten Country's Finances - AP

US Companies Feel the Pinch of Europe’s Woes - WP

Congress Bill to Pressure Russia on Human Rights Violations - WP

Russia: Putin's Hard Line Against Protests to Be Tested - AP

Italian Police Detain Suspect in Fatal School Bombing - NYT

Obama’s Friend in Turkey - WP opinion

South Asia

As Grain Piles Up, India’s Poor Still Go Hungry - NYT

U.S. Reaching Limit of Patience With Pakistan on Safe Havens

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

KABUL, Afghanistan, June 7, 2012 – The United States is reaching the limits of its patience with Pakistan serving as a safe haven for terrorists attacking American forces in Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said here today.

“We are reaching the limits of our patience, and for that reason it is extremely important that Pakistan take action to prevent this kind of safe haven,” the secretary said.

Panetta was particularly incensed about the Haqqani network using the Federally Administered Tribal Area in Pakistan as a safe haven. The Haqqanis most recent outrage was an attack on Forward Operating Base Salerno in Regional Command-East. The attack on June 1 killed an American contractor and wounded dozens of service members.

Panetta spoke during a news conference with Afghan Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak in the Chai House on the grounds of the Defense Ministry.

The secretary said he will continue to push the Pakistanis to deal with the Haqqani network. “We will continue to make it clear that it is an intolerable situation,” he said. “We will take whatever steps necessary to protect our forces -- that’s a principle that we always stand by. To make that happen we have to have the cooperation of Pakistan to take steps to control the Haqqani threat on their side of the border.”

While there has been an uptick in attacks inside Afghanistan, the level of violence is lower than in the past, officials said. The secretary noted that there have been difficult challenges, setbacks and heartbreak. But “there is no denying the fact that we have moved closer to achieving our objectives” he said.

Both Panetta and Wardak said the Taliban has lost the momentum, and that International Security Assistance Force service members and Afghan forces have maintained pressure on the Taliban, denying them the ability to regain lost territory.

The Afghan security forces are increasing in quality as well as size -- up to 352,000 shortly -- and they are increasingly in the lead, officials said.

“Every day, they are improving their capability to secure the areas they are assigned,” Panetta said.

Afghan forces already provide security for more than 50 percent of the population, said officials, noting this will increase to 75 percent this year. Afghans will be in the lead in all areas by the middle of next year. This will enable U.S. and other coalition forces to evolve from conventional formations to advisory teams. All ISAF combat troops will be out of Afghanistan by the end of 2014.

But the international community will not just let Afghanistan sink or swim. The recent NATO Summit in Chicago, Panetta said, sends a strong signal “that we have an enduring commitment to the security and stability of Afghanistan and that we will support the ANSF not just now but over the long term.”

Panetta hopes the Taliban hears this loud and clear. “The resolve of the international community to stand with Afghanistan sends a very strong message to the Taliban that we are committed to the long term in Afghanistan, we’re not going anywhere and that time is not on their side,” he said.
 

Biographies:
Leon E. Panetta

Related Sites:
Special Report: Travels With Panetta
State Department Background Notes: Afghanistan
NATO
NATO International Security Assistance Force

Mexican Cartel Tactical Note #12A:  Lanzagranadas y Lanzacohetes

Tracking The Sources of Mexican Cartels’ RPG7s

Note : In 2009, the Mexican Government reported that over the previous three years, they had seized 2,804 grenades. Among “the highest quantity” of seized arms were “anti-tank rockets M72 and AT-4, rocket launchers RPG-7, grenade launchers MGL Caliber 37 mm, grenade launcher additional devices caliber 37 and 40 mm, 37 and 40 mm grenades, fragmenting grenades.”

Key Information: Elyssa Pachico, “22 Grenade Launchers Go Missing from Honduras Army Supplies”, Insight Magazine, 08 February 2012  

The Honduras security forces have a poor record of keeping track of their armament, feeding suspicions that these stockpiles are an important source of weapons for criminal groups.

http://www.insightcrime.org/insight-latest-news/item/2192-22-grenade-launchers-go-missing-from-honduras-army-supplies

Who : Honduras Special Prosecution Office Against Organized Crime vs corrupt Honduran Army personnel. SGT Luis Alberto Sanchez has been held in an army stockade near the capital since June 2011 on charges connected with the theft . 

What : Circa-2010 theft of RPG-7s and rockets from Honduran Army depots indicative of lax security, corruption. The Guatemalan Army currently has approximately 2,200 RPG-7s on it’s books.

When : Investigation opened in February 2012, of theft in mid-2010.

Why : Honduran Military failed to conduct their own investigation in a timely manner, prompting civilian law enforcement to move.

Where : Honduran Army's Comando de Apoyo Logístico de las Fuerzas Armadas (CALFFAA, or logistical support center) at Ocotal, Francisco Morazán.

The Honduran Army had also lost track of an unknown number of M433 40mm grenades and 26 M72 LAWs (four later showing up in Mexico and six in Colombia) prior to April 2008. 

If some or all of those 22 Honduran RPGs went North, Guatemala would have been a logical transit point. The Guatemalans security forces  have also discovered RPG-7 rocket-propelled grenades, along with .50 caliber heavy machine guns and hand-grenades in Zeta arms caches, which has led to the Guatemalan declaring the Zetas operating out of the city of Coban to be the better-armed force.  

While testifying to the United States Senate on March 30, 2012, General Douglas Fraser ( head of the U.S. Southern Command), implied that corrupt military officers in Central America bear most of the responsibility for arming Mexican drug traffickers.

Photo Analysis:

A Honduran policeman displays the remains of an RPG-7 grenade that exploded outside of the Supreme Court building in Tegucigalpa, on 25 November 2009.

A masked Law Enforcement Officer inspects captured RPG-7s. Note that all four RPGs lack optics and the two MG-34s (sans buttstocks), by his left shin. Photo via Elmundo. See also ‘Mexican Cartel Tactical Notes 11A’. http://smallwarsjournal.com/blog/mexican-cartel-tactical-note-11a

http://elmundo.com.sv/confirman-el-robo-de-22-lanzacohetes-para-rpg7

Beat-up RPG-7 launcher and PG-7 rocket confiscated during Mexican Army and Navy operation in "La Antigua", Veracruz, March 2012. Note the lack of optics and missing heat shield.

While only as mechanically sophisticated as a single-action pistol, the RPG’s optics and counter-intuitive flight path through crosswinds requires practice to master beyond point-blank range. Age of and improper storage conditions for the rockets can also negatively affect performance.

Further Reading(s):

Geoffrey Ramsey, “Cable: Honduran Military Supplied Weaponry to Cartels”, Insight Magazine, 25 April 2011  

http://www.insightcrime.org/insight-latest-news/item/814-cable-honduran-military-supplied-weaponry-to-cartels

Zetas Guatemala, Insight Magazine, March 02, 2011

http://www.insightcrime.org/criminal-groups/guatemala/zetas/item/628-zetas

RPG-7 Use Throughout Latin America

In addition to weapons stolen from local military depots, ‘legacy weapons’ left over from the Latin and Central American Civil Wars are another likely Cartel source. Since there are no “one way” signs for smugglers, the Mexican Cartels may also tap sources in South America and move them North the same way they move drugs.

The first notable use of the RPG-7 in Latin America was the 1980 assassination of exiled Nicaraguan President Ansatasio Somoza on September 17, 1980. A seven-person Sandinista commando team ambushed his car and killed him near his residence in Paraguay (the first grenade misfired, the second did not).

Over the next decade and a half, guerilla movements in El Salvador, Nicaragua and Guatemala made use of the RPG-7.   In 1984/85, Israel supplied the Contras with over a hundred RPG 7s recovered from PLO camps during a 1982 invasion. In a July 1986 memo to CIA Director William Casey, retired Major General John Singlaub discussed a large pending delivery of munitions that included 200 RPG7s. By contrast, exact details on the volume of aid the Soviets supplied their Latin American Allies and friends during the period are far more difficult to pin down.

For instance, a 1986 analysis of 70 tons of munitions seized from rebel caches in Chile revealed that the 114 recently-manufactured RPG7s in mint condition, along with appropriate ancillary equipment, came from Bulgaria. By contrast, a serial number check of the caches’ well-worn M72 LAWs and M16s revealed that they had originally been sent to Vietnam.  All of the Chilean cache munitions were suspected of being shipped through Cuba.

In the 1990s, Colombia’s FARC became another customer for RPG7s and Costa Rica a transit point. An RPG-7 and 50 grenades seized in David, Panama by local police in early September 2006 was thought to be related to a shipment of explosives seized the week before in Costa Rica, which originated from Nicaragua and were destined for delivery to  FARC (There is also one apocryphal account of a tourist in Costa Rica being offered “an RPG for $75 and rounds for $10 each”).

While these various rebel groups negotiated peace settlements in the early 1990s and supposedly turned in their weapons during disarmament talks, it’s unlikely that the majority went to the smelters. Former guerrillas and downsized soldiers sold or traded excess weapons to Colombia’s FARC, sometimes in barter deals for cocaine.

Possibly some of their caches were forgotten but more likely they were left hidden over the last two decades until cashed-in as a retirement funds. In October, 2011, a farmer digging livestock ponds near Jinotega, Nicaragua uncovered and reported several RPGs (as well 300 AK47s and copious amounts of ammunition).

To help unmask the actual origin of RPGs recovered from Mexican Cartels, local media should be encouraged to photograph the markings and serial numbers.

Significance: Arms Transfer; Cartel TTPs; Cartel Weapons; Cross Border Violence Potentials; SWAT; Urban Combat

Notes: USSOCOM’s General Fraser also pointed out that illicit trafficking by transnational criminal organizations is “expanding between our AOR and the AORs of United States Northern Command, United States Africa Command, and United States European Command, underscoring the truly global nature of this networked threat”.

As the Cartels are becoming more active inside the United States, the most dangerous extrapolation would be proliferation of RPG-7s over the border in the same manner as drugs are smuggled, particularly if the Cartels acquire the more-sophisticated rockets (eg: PG-7VR, PG-7VL, OG-7V, etc ).

The Mexican Army also fields the RPG-29V, known locally as the XGPC-10 and made under license by SEDENA, which when properly handled can be a threat to modern Main Battle Tanks. To date, there have been no open source accounts of these weapons being stolen.

Background Source(s):

Honduran Army Admits Theft of Grenade Launchers, IANS/EFE, February 9, 2012

http://www.laht.com/article.asp?CategoryId=23558&ArticleId=469429

Felix Rivera, ‘About 300 rifles AK, ammunition and launchers discovered’, La Prensa, October 2, 2011

Karl Penhaul, ‘Fear City’, Univision News, September 13, 2011

http://univisionnews.tumblr.com/post/10174024967/fear-city

USA-Mexico Firearms Smuggling, Mexican Federal Government, March 26, 2009

http://www.scribd.com/doc/78384401/01152012

Elmer Enrique Quintero, Decomisan armas de guerra en David, El Siglo, September 16 2006

http://www.panama-guide.com/article.php/20060916171610824

Glenn Garvin, ‘Costa Rica vows effort to stop arms shipments’, Miami Herald, September 15, 2000

http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/costarica/arms.htm

Michael Klare and David Andersen, A SCOURGE OF GUNS : The Diffusion of Small Arms and Light Weapons in Latin America, Federation of American Scientists Arms Sales Monitoring Project , 1996

http://www.fas.org/asmp/library/publications/scourgefl.htm

Analysis of Arms Caches Seized in Chile, August 1986

http://www.fas.org/asmp/campaigns/smallarms/Illicit/Chileaug86.pdf

Jordan Baev , ‘Bulgarian Arms Delivery to Third World Countries, 1950-1989, PHP 27/4/07’, Apr 30, 2007

http://www.ocnus.net/artman/publish/article_28787.shtml

Edward Ulrich , ‘The Astonishing Story of Nicaragua’s Anastasio Somoza’, News of Interest.TV, April 13, 2012

http://www.newsofinterest.tv/politics/book_summaries/anastasio_somoza/index.php

NOTICIAS DE GUATEMALA Weekly Bulletin, August 28 - Sept. 2, 1994

http://groups.google.com/group/misc.activism.progressive/browse_thread/thread/ee7666ce9abb3cfa/29617727dc7dd811%3Fq%3D%2522Jaime%2BMarroquin%2522%2329617727dc7dd811&ei=iGwTS6eaOpW8Qpmqic0O&sa=t&ct=res&cd=3&source=groups&usg=AFQjCNF9ZweCsv8ZIUK8BOomiVl6XDUFEg?pli=1

http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuerzas_Armadas_de_Guatemala

Small Wars Journal Daily Roundup

US Naval Institute Daily - USNI

Real Clear World - RCP

Afghanistan

Panetta Visits Afghanistan Amid Mounting Violence - NYT

Panetta Meets with US Commanders in Afghanistan - WP

Southern Afghanistan Suicide Bombing Kills 22 - VOA

Deadly Day in Afghanistan with Pair of Bombings, Airstrike - LAT

22 Killed in Kandahar Suicide Attacks - WP

Deadliest Day for Civilians This Year in Multiple Attacks - NYT

Kandahar Hit by Suicide Attackers - BBC

Afghan Leader: NATO Airstrike Killed 18 Civilians - AP

Afghan President Karzai Condemns NATO Air Strike - BBC

Karzai Cuts Short China Trip After Afghan Attacks - Reuters

Helicopter Crash Kills 2 ISAF Members in Afghanistan - AFPS

Afghanistan's Top NCO Outlines Challenges Faced by His Army - S&S

Shanghai Bloc Seeks Afghan Role - BBC

Pakistan

Pakistan Ponders Panetta's Visit to India - VOA

Panetta: Patience With Pakistan 'Reaching Limits' - AP

US Patience on Pakistan 'Limited' - BBC

US Losing Patience With Pakistan, Says Panetta - Reuters

Panetta: Drone Campaign Will Continue in Pakistan - VOA

US Defends Pakistan Drone Strikes - BBC

New US Leverage Seen in Talks with Pakistan - AP

Bombing at Seminary Kills 6 in Southwest Pakistan - AP

Pakistan’s Chief Justice Removes Himself From Panel - NYT

Syria

Amid Reports of New Massacre, Nations Press Syria - NYT

Fresh Massacre in Syria Reported - WP

'New Syria Massacre Kills Scores' - BBC

Reports of New Massacre in Syria - VOA

Activists: Dozens Dead in New Syria Massacre - AP

Activists: Syrian Army Blocks Access to Massacre Site for UN - Reuters

Syrian Troops Kill 7 in Coastal Area - VOA

Annan at UN for Last-Ditch Effort to Save Syrian Peace Plan - Reuters

Clinton Tells Syria's Assad to Quit, Leave Country - Reuters

Assad Names Loyalist as Syrian PM - BBC

China, Russia Repeat Stance on Syria Intervention - AP

Syria Conflict: 5 Warring Factions - CSM

Middle East / North Africa

US Aides in Israel Give Assurances About Iran - NYT

Iran Threatens Delays in Nuclear Talks - NYT

Israel Rejects Measure to Legalize Unauthorized Settlements - WP

Israel Rejects Move to Legalize Some Settler Homes - NYT

Israel to Build 850 Homes in West Bank - AP

West Bank Settlement to Expand - BBC

Yemen Clashes Kill 17 Militants - BBC

Iraq: Maliki Enemies Battle to Vote Him Out of Office - Reuters

Iraqi Official: Close Saddam Aide Executed - AP

Bahrain Rights Activist Detained - BBC

Women Targeted for Assault in Egypt’s Tahrir Square - WP

Egypt: Mubarak May be Moved to New Hospital - WP

Egypt: Mubarak May Be Returned to Hospital as Health Slips - NYT

Bomb Targets US Embassy Office in Libya - VOA

Bomb Targets US Offices in Libya - BBC

Bomb Targets US Mission in Libya - Reuters

Rival Militias Still Fighting in Libya - VOA

US Department of Defense

Records Search May Delay WikiLeaks Court-martial - AP

Slack Budgeting at Defense - WP opinion

United States

US Attacks, Online and From the Air, Fuel Secrecy Debate - NYT

Congress Vows to Stop Leaks of Secrets - WP

Should Gov’t Make Companies Increase Defense Against Cyberattacks? - WP

Deportations Continue Despite US Review - NYT

Drug Raids at Puerto Rico Airport - BBC

The Age of Unsatisfying Wars - NYT opinion

United Kingdom

UK Military to Rely More on Reservists - AP

World

Laos Clears WTO Entry Hurdle, Yemen Still Trying - Reuters

Kidman, Sorvino Urge End to Violence Against Women - AP

Are War Crimes Trials Worth the Price? - FP opinion

Africa

UN: Kenya Police Lists Possible Terror Targets - AP

Mali: Islamic Extremists’ New Base - WP

South Sudan Proposes Demilitarized Border With Sudan - VOA

Sudan to Raise Taxes, Duties to Plug Budget Deficit - Reuters

DRC: Within Days of Crushing Ntaganda Rebellion - VOA

Deadly Gunfight in North Nigeria - BBC

Rights Group: Liberia Fails to Stop Cross-Border Attacks - VOA

Liberia Minors 'Used in Raids' - BBC

Ivory Coast: Ex-President Gbagbo Ally Kouassi Arrested - BBC

Sudan: If Only Our Leaders Had Mariam’s Guts - NYT opinion

Americas

South America Sees New Gold Rush - BBC

Mexico's Lopez Obrador Rules Out Venezuelan Model - Reuters

Chavez 'to Register on Monday' for Venezuelan Election - BBC

Chavez Opponent Sets Aside Post for Venezuela Race - AJC

Asia Pacific / Central

Panetta Says Strategy Puts Dream of 21st Century in Reach - AFPS

CJCS Dempsey: Asia-Pacific Will Challenge Military Leaders - AFPS

Dempsey: Partners Enthusiastic About Asia Strategy - AFPS

Philippine Government Gives OK for US to Use Old Bases - S&S

Gunmen in Philippines Strafe Bus, Killing 4 People - AP

Philippines Risks Joining Money-Laundering Blacklist - Reuters

North Korean Leader Speaks at Children’s Rally - AP

In Autocratic North Korea, Inequality Assigned at Birth - AP

Sensitive S. Korea Military Information Dumped in Hallway - KT

Top Chinese Dissident Found Dead - BBC

Online Petitioners Seek Probe into China Dissident Death - Reuters

Thai 'Red Shirts' Rally to Urge Dismissal of Top Judges - Reuters

Malaysia's Najib Seen Delaying Election, Boosting Spending - Reuters

Europe

Germany’s Merkel Urges EU Political Union - BBC

Germany’s Merkel Urges Giving Up More Power to Europe - AP

Germans See Crisis Worsening, Euro Surviving - Reuters

Spain Denies Seeking Bank Bailout - VOA

Spain Holds a Trump Card in Bank Bailout Negotiations - NYT

Greek Immigration Crisis Spreads to Universities - VOA

Romanian Voters Ready to Snub Austerity - Reuters

US Official Urges Repeal of Russia Trade Law  - AP

Italian Police Hold Suspect in School Bombing - Reuters

Cracks Show in Turkey's Once Dominant Military  - AP

Putin Throttles Russian Protests - WP editorial

Germany, Europe: Angela Merkel’s Moment - WP opinion

Paralysis in Athens - NYT opinion

Fighting Russia’s Corruption - WP opinion

South Asia

Panetta Says US-India Relations Must Deepen, Grow for Peace - AFPS

Pakistan Ponders Panetta's Visit to India - VOA

India Plans Infrastructure Push - BBC

The Age of Unsatisfying Wars - New York Times opinion piece by John Nagl.

… things in Afghanistan are still muddled; will it end like Vietnam — an abject, helicopters-flying-out-of-Kabul, people-hanging-on-the-skids defeat — or in an unsatisfying and untidy sort-of victory, like Iraq?

From a traditional point of view, neither option seems particularly attractive. But Mr. Obama should welcome an Iraq-like end to Afghanistan: as contradictory as it may seem, messy and unsatisfying are the hallmarks of success in modern counterinsurgency wars…

The End of Counterinsurgency by George Friedman of Stratfor, via Real Clear World.

The U.S. military for years has debated the utility of counterinsurgency operations. Drawing from a sentiment that harkens back to the Vietnam War, many within the military have long opposed counterinsurgency operations. Others see counterinsurgency as the unavoidable future of U.S. warfare. The debate is between those who believe the purpose of a conventional military force is to defeat another conventional military force and those who believe conventional military conflicts increasingly will be replaced by conflicts more akin to recent counterinsurgency operations. In such conflicts, the purpose of a counterinsurgency is to transform an occupied society in order to undermine the insurgents.

Understanding this debate requires the understanding that counterinsurgency is not a type of warfare; it is one strategy by which a disproportionately powerful conventional force approaches asymmetric warfare. As its name implies, it is a response to an insurgency, a type of asymmetric conflict undertaken by small units with close links to the occupied population to defeat a larger conventional force…

Small Wars Journal Daily Roundup

US Naval Institute Daily - USNI

Real Clear World - RCP

Afghanistan

Panetta Tells India to Play More Active Role in Afghanistan - VOA

US Wants Greater Role for India in Afghanistan - Reuters

NATO: Central Asian Nations Approve Afghanistan Exit Routes - AFPS

China's Hu Sees Role for Regional Bloc in Afghanistan - Reuters

Afghan Police: NATO Night Strike Kills 2 Civilians - AP

ISAF Operations Summary - AFPS

Al Qaeda

US Strike in Kills al-Qaeda’s No. 2 Leader, Abu Yahya al-Libi - WP

Drone Strike Killed No. 2 in Al Qaeda, US Officials Say - NYT

White House: Elimination of al-Libi a Major Blow Against al-Qaida - VOA

Drone Strike Kills al Qaeda No. 2 - WSJ

Al Qaeda's No. 2 Killed in Pakistan by CIA Drone Strike - LAT

White House: Al Qaeda's No. 2 Man Killed - CNN

Strike 'Killed Top al-Qaeda Man' - BBC

White House: Abu Yahya al-Libi Death a 'Major Blow' to al-Qaeda - TT

Al-Qaida Number 2 Libi Killed in Pakistan Drone Strike, US Says - TG

White House Confirms Death of al-Qaida Second-in-Command - AP

Al-Libi Ran Al-Qaeda Centrals Propaganda Machine - TNI

Pakistan Taliban Leader Says Libi Death a 'Big Loss' - Reuters

Abu Yahya al-Libi - Wikipedia

Meet Abu Yahya al-Libi: Al-Qaeda’s Second-In-Command - Time

Syria

New Syria Clashes, Government Expels Envoys - VOA

Syria Expels Western Diplomats, OKs More International Aid - LAT

Syria Bars Western Diplomats, Allows Increased Aid Presence - NYT

Syria Grants Permission for Aid Workers to Enter 4 Provinces -WP

Syria Bars Diplomats, Gunships in Action - Reuters

Analysts: In Syria, Few Arab Spring Lessons Apply - VOA

China, Russia United Against Intervention in Syria - VOA

Russia Says Not in Talks on Assad's Exit - Reuters

Analysts Discuss Russia's Role in Syria - VOA

Syria Crisis Causes Spike in Draft-Dodging - AP

Annan’s New Syria Plan - WP opinion

Toppling Syria's Assad - LAT opinion
Syria Is Not America's Fight - AC opinion

Why World Can't Stop the Killing in Syria - DS opinion
Time to Consider Military Option on Syria - FT opinion

Middle East / North Africa

Iran and Azerbaijan, Wary Neighbors, Find Less to Agree On - NYT

Iran: EU Ignores Request for Early Nuclear Talks - AP

Iran Urges Powers to Accept Nuclear Rights in Talks - Reuters

US to Iran: Allow IAEA Probe of Alleged Nuke Site - AP

Congress Considers Pick for US Ambassador to Iraq - AP

Amnesty to Israel: End Detention Without Trial - AP

Egypt’s Military Council Sets Deadline for Charter - NYT

Egyptians Protest to Reclaim Their Revolt - Reuters

Egypt: Mubarak’s Health Worse Since Sentence - WP

Mubarak's Health Deteriorates in Egypt Jail - Reuters

Egypt NGO trial fuels rift with US - CNN

Libya's Main Airport Reopens After Militia Raid - VOA

Libyans Ask 'Where Is the State?' After Airport Seized - Reuters

Libya's Former Spy Chief in Court - BBC

A Glimmer in Israel? - NYT editorial

How Israel Can Finally Win the Six-Day War - Bloomberg opinion

How Iran Would Respond to an Israeli Strike - WI research / opinion

Iran's Calculus of Terror - G&M opinion

US Department of Defense

What Happens to All that Excess Military Gear? - WP

Plan for a Greener US Navy Dealt a Setback in Congress - S&S

F-35 Production Quality Worries Senate Panel - Reuters

New Flight Restrictions Haven't Curbed F-22 Operations - AFPS

US General in South Korea to Be Replaced After Spy Report - NYT

US General Replaced Following Espionage Comments - AP

The End of Counterinsurgency - Stratfor opinion

United States

McCain Says Classified Leaks Done to Boost Obama - AP

NM Scientist Accused of Giving Research to China - AP

Seattle Terror Suspect Wants Evidence Tossed - AP

Veterans Pension Program Is Being Abused, Report Says - Reuters

Military Disputes TV Contestant's Claim of Combat Injuries - S&S

United Kingdom

Queen Elizabeth’s Jubilee Concludes With Expressions of Appreciation - NYT

Diamond Jubilee Comes to a Close - WP

Queen 'Humbled' by Jubilee Events - BBC

After Jubilee Success, Monarchy Faces the Future - AP

Africa

ICC Prosecutor Urges UN to Consider Sudanese Arrests - VOA

War Crimes Prosecutor Urges Tougher Action Against Sudan President - NYT

ICC Asks UN to Help Arrest Sudan's President - AP

Malawi Ready to Arrest Sudan's Bashir If he Comes for Summit - VOA

Military: 19 Killed in North Nigeria Violence - AP

Nigeria Forces Say Kill 16 Islamists in Fire Fight - Reuters

HRW Calls for Rwanda to Arrest Congolese War Crimes Suspect - VOA

Nigerian Airline Grounded Following Deadly Crash - AFPS

Americas

State Partnerships Promote SOUTHCOM’s Theater Engagement - AFPS

4 Latin America Nations Pull Out of Defense Treaty - AP

Thorny Human Rights Reform Put Off at OAS Meeting - Reuters

OAS Meeting Backs Argentina's Claim to Falklands - AP

Mexico's Peso Recovers, Political Rumors Denied - AP

7 Dismembered Bodies Found in Coastal Mexico State - AP

Outcry in Colombia Over Savage, Fatal Rape - AP

Cocaine Shipment Seized by Colombian Navy - AP

Defections Over Tough Tactics Sting Peru's Humala - Reuters

Haiti PM: 6 Ex-Election Officials Arrested - AP

Brazil's Odebrecht Sues Florida Over Cuba, Syria Law - Reuters

Florida anti-Cuba Law Challenged - BBC

Asia Pacific / Central

Chinese Media Issue Warning on US Military Shift - VOA

China 'Wary' of US Focus on Pacific Military Power - CNN

China Not Focus of Asia-Pacific Rebalancing, Spokesman Says - AFPS

China's Economic Growth Slows. Leaders at an Impasse - WP

Putin Arrives in China, Seeking Stronger Ties - NYT

China and Russia in Group Talks - BBC

China Asks Other Nations Not to Release Its Air Data - NYT

China Tells US to Stop Tweets on Beijing's Bad Air - AP

North Korea Political Caste System Behind Abuses - Reuters

Dempsey: US-Thailand Partnership Holds Growth Potential - AFPS

Burma Article Hints at Strains Between Top Figures - NYT

Hope, Worry From Myanmar State Press Over Leaders - AP

VOA, Burma Sign English-Language Programming Deal - VOA

Malaysia's Anwar Says Opposition Can Win Elections - AP

US Military Strategy in Asia - AEI research / opinion

Taiwan Needs to Fight for Peace - JT opinion
Tiananmen Villain Tries to Shed Guilt - AT opinion

Forgotten Conflict in Thailand's South - TD opinion

Europe

Germany Confirms Existence of Operational Cyberwarfare Unit - DPA

Clinton in Georgia to Bolster US Ally's Defenses - AP

Azerbaijani Troops Reported Killed in Armenia Border Clashes - VOA

8 Killed in Renewed Fighting on Armenia-Azerbaijan Border - NYT

Azerbaijan Troops Killed in Armenia Border Clash - AP

Ukraine's Parliament Backs Language Bill Amid Protests - VOA

Russian Lawmakers Take Steps to Impose Steep Fines on Demonstrators - NYT

Russian Parliament Shows Defiance in Fighting Fines for Protesters - WP

Russian Parliament Approves Harsh Bill on Protests - AP

Greece Warns of Going Broke as Tax Proceeds Dry Up - NYT

Spain Pleads for Help in European Crisis - WP

New EU Plan to Stop Banks Failing - BBC

ROP Corruption in Europe Could Slow Recovery - Reuters

Norway: Far-Right Extremists Testify in Breivik Trial - AP

Too Late to Stop Europe's Impending Doom? - FP opinion

South Asia

Panetta Explains New Strategic Guidance to Indian Leaders - AFPS

Panetta Hails India Security Role - BBC

US, India Maintain Good Military-to-Military Relations - AFPS

Panetta Tells India to Play More Active Role in Afghanistan - VOA

Panetta: India a Key Partner from Afghanistan to Asia-Pacific - S&S

Pakistan Says It Tested Nuclear-Capable Missile - NYT

Sri Lanka Reporter's Fate 'Unknown' - BBC

Nepal, on the Brink of Collapse - NYT opinion

Abu Yahya al-Libi Killed in Pakistan, via Voice of America:

The White House says the killing of al-Qaida's second-in-command, Abu Yahya al-Libi, apparently in a U.S. drone strike in Pakistan's North Waziristan region, has further degraded the organization's leadership. 

​​White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said Tuesday that the U.S. intelligence community has confirmed al-Libi's death, though he declined to go into details about the circumstances in which the al-Qaida leader died.  U.S. officials who earlier confirmed al-Libi's death said he was killed in a drone strike in northwestern Pakistan.

Carney said al-Libi served as a "general manager" for al-Qaida and had a role in managing regional affiliates.  His elimination, Carney said, is another major blow against the terrorist organization.

More:

Abu Yahya al Libi Killed in Latest Drone Strike - LWJ

US Strike in Kills al-Qaeda’s No. 2 Leader, Abu Yahya al-Libi - WP

Drone Strike Killed No. 2 in Al Qaeda, US Officials Say - NYT

Drone Strike Kills al Qaeda No. 2 - WSJ

Al Qaeda's No. 2 Killed in Pakistan by CIA Drone Strike - LAT

White House: Al Qaeda's No. 2 Man Killed - CNN

Strike 'Killed Top al-Qaeda Man' - BBC

White House: Abu Yahya al-Libi Death a 'Major Blow' to al-Qaeda - TT

Al-Qaida Number 2 Libi Killed in Pakistan Drone Strike, US Says - TG

White House Confirms Death of al-Qaida Second-in-Command - AP

Al-Libi Ran Al-Qaeda Centrals Propaganda Machine - TNI

Pakistan Taliban Leader Says Libi Death a 'Big Loss' - Reuters

Abu Yahya al-Libi - Wikipedia

Meet Abu Yahya al-Libi: Al-Qaeda’s Second-In-Command - Time