US Naval Institute Daily - USNI

Real Clear World - RCP

Afghanistan

Kabul Airport Shooting Probe Determines Gunman Acted Alone - AFPS

Investigation: Afghan Acted Alone in Killing 8 Airman, Contractor - S&S

Report: Pilot Wanted to ‘Kill Americans’ - WP

Afghan Officer Who Killed Americans Was Anti-US - LAT

Calif. Family of Fallen Marine Given Navy Cross - AP

Afghan Air Force Learns to Fly and Fix Aircraft - AP

ISAF Operations Summary - AFPS

Afghan Officials: Troops Kill 9 Insurgents - AP

Group Calls Marine Corps Abuse Video Overblown - S&S

Deadly Avalanches in Afghanistan - WP

Polio Cases in Afghanistan Triple in a Year -NYT

Pakistan

Analysts: US, Pakistan Collaborating Again on Drone Strikes - McClatchy

Pakistani Crisis Shows Army's Limits - AP

Pakistani Taliban Claims Responsibility for Killing VOA Reporter - VOA

Pakistan Rejects US Envoy Visit - Reuters

Iran

Iran Tightens Its Security for Scientists After Killing - NYT

Kremlin Walks a High Wire on Iran's Nuclear Program - VOA

Israel Says 'Very Far' From Decision to Attack Iran - Reuters

Gulf States Show Rising Confidence to Rattle Iran - AP

India Says Not Seeking Iran Oil Waiver From US - Reuters

US Drone that Crashed in Iran Goes Miniature - WP

A Hand on Iran’s Spigot - WP opinion

Iran Sanctions Won’t Work - WT opinion

Syria

At Least 34 People Killed, Monitors Unable to Quell Violence - NYT

Syria Rejects Qatar's Call for Arab Troops - VOA

Syria Rejects Intervention Call - BBC

Syria Ready to Let Monitors Stay, Obama Ups Pressure - Reuters

Obama: Syria Violence Unacceptable, Government Must Leave - Reuters

Syrian Protesters Hail Monitors - WP

Syria's Religious Minorities Wary of Uprising - VOA

Opposition: Army, Rebels Agree Ceasefire in Syria Town - Reuters

US: Strong Signs Iran is Giving Syria Weapons - AP

Intervene in Syria or Lose Face? - WP editorial

Iraq

Iraq Violence Up Sharply in Past Month - WP

Iraqi Policemen Killed at Checkpoint in Anbar - BBC

Iraq's Sunni-Backed Cabinet Ministers Suspended - AP

Yemen

Al-Qaeda in Yemen, and Why it’s Still Dangerous - WP

Yemeni Official Suggests Delay in Presidential Vote - NYT

Yemen Unrest 'May Delay Election' - BBC

Clinton Says Yemen Leader Has Reneged on Promises - AP

Middle East / North Africa

Obama, Jordan's King to Discuss Mideast Crises - VOA

Obama: US, Jordan to Consult Closely on Mideast - AP

Israel Blasts UK Deputy PM Over Settlement Comment - Reuters

Hearing Begins on Israeli Foreign Minister - NYT

Israel's Lieberman Looking to Avoid Fraud Charges - Reuters

Mubarak Trial Encapsulates Divisions in Egypt - AP

Algeria Says Kidnapped Governor Freed on Libyan Soil - Reuters

Trust, But Verify - NYT opinion

US Department of Defense

DOD's Strategy for Arctic Lacking, Agency Reports - S&S

State Partnership Program Emphasizes Building Relationships - AFPS

Army Faces Questions Over Sheep Beating Video - WT

Another Guantanamo Taint - LAT opinion

United States

Border Patrol to Toughen Policy - AP

SOPA Protests Shut Down Web Sites - WP

Protest on Web Uses Shutdown to Take On Two Piracy Bills - NYT

Websites Protest Anti-piracy Bills in Congress - LAT

Sites Protest US Anti-Piracy Move - BBC

Indictment for Man Accused in White House Shooting - NYT

Occupy Protesters Swarm US Capitol in Washington - VOA

Firm Claims Right to Use Weapons, Aircraft Images in Video Games - FWST

Canada

Canada Accuses Naval Officer of Spying - NYT

United Kingdom

UK: Abu Qatada Wins Jordan Deportation Appeal - BBC

European Court Rules Britain Cannot Deport Terrorism Suspect - NYT

European Court: Cleric Can't Be Deported From UK - AP

World

World Bank Warns of Global Growth Slowdown - AP

Africa

Africa Drought Delay 'Cost Lives' - BBC

Strikes Over, Nigerians Still Unhappy with Fuel Prices - VOA

Police: Nigeria Bomb Suspect Arrested, Escapes - AP

Sudan Dismisses Fear of Looming Humanitarian Crisis - Reuters

South Sudan Clashes Kill Dozens - BBC

47 Die in Another Round of S. Sudan Tribal Violence - AP

Clinton, Ouattara Discuss Ivory Coast Reconciliation - VOA

'Five Foreign Tourists Killed' in Ethiopia - BBC

Tourists From 5 Nations Victims in Ethiopia Attack - AP

Ethiopia Says Eritrea-Trained Gunmen Killed Tourists - Reuters

Eritrea Denies It Trained Ethiopia Tourist Killers - Reuters

Oil Exploration Starts in Somalia - BBC

Mali Says Several Killed in Tuareg Attack - Reuters

Americas

Mexican Gunmen Kill Police Chief - BBC

Mexico Navy Seizes Drug Chemicals - BBC

Food Aid Sent to Mexico Indians - WP

Chavez Defends Venezuela's New Military Chief - AP

Peace Corps Pullout Latest Blow to Honduras - AP

Nicaraguans Worry About Ortega's Foreign Friends - Reuters

Peru VP Quits but Hangs Onto Congress Seat - Reuters

In Haiti, ‘Baby Doc’ Duvalier Lives in Style - WP

Asia Pacific

China's Growth Slowed at Year-End - WP

China Says Government to Be More Open - AP

Crackdown Continues on Activists in China - NYT

China Village Rights in Focus as New Land Grab Sparks Protest - Reuters

Taiwanese President's Re-election May Sour US Arms Sales - WT

'Path Open' for North Korea Talks - BBC

Elder Kim Slams N. Korea’s Leader, Military and Future - WT

Top Official Dismisses Concerns About N. Korea’s Kim Jong Un - AP

Burma’s Aung San Suu Kyi Registers for Parliament Seat - NYT

Burma: Suu Kyi Registers for By-election - BBC

Europe

Europeans Shrug Off Criticism - WP

EU in Legal Move Against Hungary - BBC

European Union Acts to Halt Hungarian Laws - NYT

Greek Premier Says Creditors May Be Forced to Take Losses - NYT

Greece Marchers Protest Cuts as Financial Experts Arrive - LAT

As EU Beckons, Allure Fades for Wary Croatia - NYT

Germany: Judgment, Sentencing Delayed in Airmen Airport Shooting - S&S

Russia Hints at US Radar Role in Mars Probe’s Crash - WP

Recording in Cruise Ship Disaster Casts Captain in Bad Light - LAT

More Bodies Found on Ship, as Transcripts Reveal Rebuke to Captain - NYT

Coast Guard Told Captain of Italian Cruise Ship to Get Back on Board - AP

Hope Fades of Finding More Survivors on Cruise Ship Off Italy - LAT

Turkey Slams Rick Perry's Terrorism Comment - LAT

Turkish General Kept in Custody - BBC

Turkish Verdict in 2007 Murder of Editor Fuels Outrage - NYT

South Asia

In India, Dispute Over Army Chief’s Age - NYT

India's Priyanka Gandhi Steps Into Political Limelight - Reuters

Last week, America was exposed to a group of immature, inexperienced and unprofessional Marines peeing on dead bodies.

As wrong as those Marines were in lacking accountabililty, responsibility, or leadership in their actions, this incident shows me that we lost our way in the art of killing the enemy.

I don't know how to show you the art of the right way, but here is an example.  The music group The Offspring took my boys actions/feelings clearing an al Qaeda training camp and translated them into a song/video.

Additionally, Marines sent in this from Real Clear World

The video showing Marines urinating on dead enemy bodies in Afghanistan has refocused America's attention on the behavior of service members. We have been painfully aware of the strategic implications of this kind of action since we saw the photos from Abu Ghraib. How could something like this happen now? Something is broken.

We remember with sorrow the U.S. service members and contractors killed in combat whose bodies were desecrated by our enemies. The humiliations visited on bodies raise feelings of disgust for the enemy and empathy for our own, compounded by the pointlessness of the humiliations. It would be useful to assume that our enemies feel likewise today. To prevent this from happening again, or at least for the U.S. service members to be able to look themselves in the mirror and honestly say we did everything we possibly could to prevent it, leaders at every level must make unequivocally clear that they expect their troops' best behavior, even in the worst circumstances.

Americans share in responsibility. Gratitude for hard work and sacrifice should not lead us to mistakenly excuse reprehensible conduct by service members. Our behavior toward the enemy is too often excused because so many Americans do not believe the enemy is worthy of respect, relying perhaps on memories of dehumanized foes in Vietnam, Korea and World War II.

The Internet and Revolutions in 1964 and 2011

by Ryan Evans

Free Radicals

The late great sociologist Talcott Parsons writing in 1964:

Since in social conditions the most effective action is collective action, the most important liberty is liberty to co-operate with others to participate in collective action. Furthermore, the most important single condition of effective co-operation is communication with others. The most important deprivations of liberty are therefore those that block communication, in order to limit or prevent altogether co-operation with others.(Talcott Parsons (1964) “The Place of Force in Social Processes,” in: Eckstein (ed.) Internal Wars (New York:Free Press), pp. 41-42)

Activist and, dare I say it, revolutionary Wael Ghonim in his new memoir, Revolution 2.0:

Minimal or not, April 6 sent out a clear signal to everyone that the Internet could be a new force in Egyptian politics. The security force's reaction was to develop a new division dedicated to policing the Internet. Similarly, the NDP established an "Electronic Committee" rumored to have legions of well-paid young men and women whose mission was to influence only opinion in favor of the part through contributions to websites, blogs, news sites, and social networks. (p. 36)
…
Together, we wanted justice for Khaled Said and we wanted to put an end to torture. And social networking offered us an easy means to meet as the proactive, critical youth that we were. It also enabled us to defy the fears associated with voicing opposition. The virtual world seemed further from the oppressive reach of the regime, and therefore many were encouraged to speak up. (p. 66)

Egypt's Wael Ghonim: 'Revolutions Are Processes ... It Will Take Time'

by Mark Memmott

NPR

"For the first time in Egyptian modern history after 1952," he said, "30 million people took to the streets to vote ... and the result was a reflection of the people's choice."

What's more, he said, "revolutions are processees, not events. It will take time."

Revolution 2.0: The Power of the People Is Greater Than the People in Power: A Memoir

by Wael Ghonim

The revolutions that swept the Middle East in 2011 surprised and captivated the world. Brutal regimes that had been in power for decades were overturned by an irrepressible mass of freedom seekers. Now, one of the figures who emerged during the Egyptian uprising tells the riveting inside story of what happened and shares the keys to unleashing the power of crowds.

Wael Ghonim was a little-known, thirty-year-old Google executive in the summer of 2010 when he anonymously launched a Facebook page to protest the death of one Egyptian man at the hands of security forces. The page’s following expanded quickly and moved from online protests to a nonconfrontational movement.

The youth of Egypt made history: they used social media to schedule a revolution. The call went out to more than a million Egyptians online, and on January 25, 2011, Cairo’s Tahrir Square resounded with calls for change. Yet just as the revolution began in earnest, Ghonim was captured and held for twelve days of brutal interrogation. After he was released, he gave a tearful speech on national television, and the protests grew more intense. Four days later, the president of Egypt was gone.

US Naval Institute Daily - USNI

Real Clear World - RCP

Afghanistan

Anti-Taliban Afghan Tribal Leader Killed in Mosque - AP

Afghan Calligrapher Creates World's Largest Koran - Reuters

Bureaucracy Killing US Troops in Afghanistan - WT opinion

Pakistan

As US-Pakistan Relations Sink, Nations Try to Figure ‘New Normal’ - WP

Pakistan PM Faces Contempt Charges - VOA

Pakistan PM Faces Contempt Charge - BBC

Pakistan High Court Launches Contempt Case Against PM - LAT

Court Faults Pakistani PM for Contempt - WP

Pakistan Court Orders Prime Minister to Testify - NYT

Pakistan Minister Wants Evidence of Taliban Leader’s Death - VOA

Iran

Iran Face-Off Complicates Obama’s Bid for Re-election - NYT

Tensions Rise Between Iran, Arab States Over Possible Oil Embargo - LAT

US Presses South Korea to Reduce Oil Imports from Iran - NYT

Israel: Nuclear Iran Could Deter Military Action - AP

Israel: Nuclear Iran May Curb Israeli Border Wars - Reuters

Negotiate a Way Out of Iran Nuke Dilemma - FT opinion

An Oil Embargo Won't Stop Iran - FT opinion

Economic Regime Change Can Stop Iran - Bloomberg opinion

What if Iranians Start Killing Scientists? - Haaretz opinion

Turkey, Brazil Can Solve Iran - EV opinion

Syria

Syrian Rebel Chief Asks World to Stop Bloodshed - Reuters

Rights Activists Say Pro-Government Militiamen Killed 5 in Syria - VOA

Twelve More Killed in Syria Despite Arab Monitors - Reuters

Iraq

Car Bombs Kill At Least 12 in Iraq - VOA

Iraq Bomb Kills Eight Near Mosul - BBC

Iraq Detains Foreign Contractors - WP

Egypt

Islamist to Lead Next Egypt Parliament - WP

Struggling, Egypt Seeks Loan From IMF - NYT

Mubarak's Defense Lawyer Praises Egypt's Ex-Leader - AP

Second Retrial for Egypt Tycoon - BBC

Middle East / North Africa

Jordan’s King Sees Glimmer of Hope in Mideast Talks - WP

Jordan’s King Abdullah II - WP interview

Israelis Increase Trust in Obama - WT

2 Israeli Web Sites Crippled as Cyberwar Escalates - NYT

New Attacks on Israeli Websites - BBC

Israel's Lieberman Looking to Avoid Fraud Charges - Reuters

Yemen: In Restive City, Local Strongman Rules - WP

Official Says Yemen Unrest Could Delay Elections - AP

Al Qaeda Kidnaps Algerian Governor Hostage - Reuters

Terror Group Video Shows Seized Mauritania Soldier - AP

Don’t Do It, Bibi - NYT opinion

France, Turkey Compete in Mideast - BP opinion

United States

New Space Arms Control Initiative Draws Concern - WT

Denver, Baltimore to Test New Deportation Approach - AP

Idea to Take the 'D' Out of PTSD Being Studied - S&S

Obama’s Shrinking Navy - WT editorial

Africa

Nigerian Fuel Strike is Suspended - BBC

Amid Strikes, Nigeria Rolls Back Gas Price - NYT

Chad Expels UK Darfur Aid Envoy - BBC

Kenyan Presidential Hopefuls Walk ICC Tightrope - Reuters

Rights Group Sees Problems in Uganda's First LRA Trial - VOA

Rights Group: Ethiopia Forcibly Resettled 70,000 - AP

Liberian President Takes Oath For Second Term - VOA

Liberia’s President Stresses Reconciliation in Inaugural Speech - NYT

Americas

Young US Citizens in Mexico Brave Risks for American Schools - NYT

Mexican Leftist Plans Change on 'Monopolies', Mining - Reuters

Asia Pacific

In DC, China Builds Media Ambitions - WP

US Senators See No Clash With China in Asia - AP

China: Protester Is Made a Boss by the Party He Defied - NYT

Beijing Rejects US Envoy's Human Rights Critique - AP

Chinese Dissident to Stand Trial for Poem - Reuters

More Chinese Living in Cities Than Countryside - AP

Taiwan President's Reelection Signals Easing Tensions with Beijing - VOA

Taiwan Vote Stirs Chinese Hopes for Democracy - NYT

N. Korea: Official Dismisses Concerns About Kim Jong Un - AP

In Twisting Terror Case, Thai Police Seize Chemicals - NYT

Police: Explosives Were to Be Sent Out of Thailand - AP

Thai Police Seek Court Order to Hold Hezbollah Suspect - Reuters

Vietnam PM Orders Probe Into Violent Land Eviction - AP

‘Suu Kyi Cult’ Grows More Visible in Burma - WP

Obama Drags Mideast Baggage to Asia - AT opinion

Central Asia

Kazakh Leader Hails Unity, OSCE Criticizes Parliament Vote - VOA

Western Monitors Criticize Election in Kazakhstan - NYT

Europe

S&P Downgrades EU's Bailout Fund - BBC

Russia: Meeting Fails to Bridge Opposition and Kremlin - NYT

European Court: Cleric Can't Be Deported From UK -

Extreme Islamism Still Biggest Threat in Norway - AP

French Judge Wants to Investigate at Guantanamo - AP

German Schulz Is Elected EU Parliament Chief - AP

Spanish Judge Who Charged Pinochet Stands Trial - AP

Hope Fades of Finding More Survivors on Cruise Ship Off Italy - LAT

Italian Cruise Ship Captain 'Off Course' - BBC

Italian Cruise Ship Owners Blame Human Error - NYT

South Asia

Maldives Military Arrests Top Judge, Spark Protest - AP

Imagine if President Abraham Lincoln or Ulysses S. Grant had declared the Southern Conservative Whites as an insurgency and labeled the Army of Northern Virginia as a terrorist group following the conclusion of the U.S. Civil War? 

The motives for such retribution were present, and the United States would have had the moral high ground for such an “Internal War on Terror (IWOT);” however, decisions were made not to use these labels because the overall intent was to maintain the structure of the state which required absorbing all nations, tribes, groups, and people back into the collective tent.

Imagine, as a form of reconciliation or reparation, the United States Government had immediately placed the Southern Whites with the newly freed slaves as the dominant economic and political power structures in the South?  

This move would have been reckless at the time, but it was our primary course of action in both Iraq and Afghanistan over the last decade.

I'm sure that you have read that arresting little story from the pen of Washington Irving entitled Rip Van Winkle. The thing that we usually remember about this story is that Rip Van Winkle slept 20 years. But there is another point in that story that is almost always completely overlooked: it was a sign on the inn in the little town on the Hudson from which Rip went up into the mountain for his long sleep. When he went up, the sign had a picture of King George III of England. When he came down, years later, the sign had a picture of George Washington, the first president of the United States. When Rip looked up at the picture of George Washington, he was completely lost; he knew not who he was. This reveals to us that the most striking fact about the story of Rip Van Winkle is not that he slept 20 years, but that he slept through a revolution. While he was peacefully snoring up on the mountain, a great revolution was taking place in the world - indeed, a revolution which would, at points, change the course of history. And Rip Van Winkle knew nothing about it; he was asleep.

There are all too many people who, in some great period of social change, fail to achieve the new mental outlooks that the new situation demands. There is nothing more tragic than to sleep through a revolution. There can be no gainsaying of the fact that a great revolution is taking place in our world today. It is a social revolution, sweeping away the old order of colonialism. And in our own nation it is sweeping away the old order of slavery and racial segregation. The wind of change is blowing, and we see in our day and our age a significant development. Victor Hugo said on one occasion that there is nothing more powerful in all the world than an idea whose time has come. In a real sense, the idea whose time has come today is the idea of freedom and human dignity. Wherever men are assembled today, the cry is always the same, "We want to be free." And so we see in our own world a revolution of rising expectations. The great challenge facing every individual graduating today is to remain awake through this social revolution.

-Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution, Commencement Address for Oberlin College, June 1965, Oberlin Ohio

Why Do You Do It?

US Naval Institute Daily - USNI

Real Clear World - RCP

Afghanistan

A Changed Way of War in Afghanistan’s Skies - NYT

US Soldier Charged in Suicide Faces Hearing at Afghan Base - AP

Is Afghan Urination Video Such a Big Deal? - WS opinion

Pakistan

Pakistani Intelligence: Taliban Leader Believed Killed in US Drone Strike - VOA

Pakistan Taliban Leader Possibly Dead in US Strike - AP

Bomb Targets Shiite Muslims at Service in Pakistan - NYT

Fatal Blast Hits Pakistan Shias - BBC

Pakistan's Military, High Court Both Fed Up with President - LAT

Pakistani Government Faces Critical Day in Court - AP

Pakistan Top Court Challenges PM on Corruption Cases - Reuters

Pakistan's Embattled Government Faces Crucial Tests - BBC

Pakistanis' Distrust of Foreigners Impedes Aid Groups - LAT

Iran

UK: Europe Will Adopt Sanctions on Iranian Oil - AP

Iran Warns Gulf Arabs on Oil - AP

Iran Warns of Consequences if Arabs Back Oil Sanctions - Reuters

Iran Says Received US Letter on Hormuz Strait - Reuters

Counter Iran With Sanctions, Not Assassins - TS editorial

Preventing a Nuclear Iran, Peacefully - NYT opinion

Syria

As Syria Offers Amnesty, UN Urges End to Killing - NYT

Syria 'Grants Uprising Amnesty' - BBC

Arab League to Review Observers' Final Syria Report Next Sunday - VOA

In Fog of Syria, Observers Can't Tell What They are Seeing - LAT

UN Chief Says Syrian President Must Stop Violence - AP

Stop the Killing, UN Chief Tells Syria's Assad - Reuters

Darkness Brings Fear to Syrian Town - VOA

Iraq

Militants Storm Police Building in Western Iraq, Killing 7 Officers - VOA

Police Officers Are Killed in Insurgent Attacks in Iraq - NYT

Insurgents Storm Iraqi Police Station; at Least 21 Dead - WP

Gunmen Storm Iraq Police Building - BBC

Car Bomb Kills 8 in Northern Iraq - AP

Flexing Muscle, Baghdad Detains US Contractors - NYT

Egypt

Egypt's Transition to Democracy Grows More Messy - AP

Nominations for Egypt President Race Open Mid-April - Reuters

Egyptian Military Leader to Visit Libya - WP

Hoarding Is Seen as Cause of Fuel Shortage in Egypt - NYT

Harassment in Egypt - WP editorial

Middle East / North Africa

China's Wen Presses Saudi Arabia For Oil Access - VOA

Chinese Visit to Saudi Arabia Touches on Oil and Politics - NYT

US Military Chief to Visit Israel as Tensions Rise Over Iran - S&SM

US, Israel Postpone Military Exercise Amid Tension with Iran - LAT

Joint US-Israel Military Exercise Postponed - Reuters

Palestinian Leader Loses VIP Status With Israel - AP

Veteran Israeli Settler Says Democracy Is Obstacle - AP

Bahrain’s King Proposes Boosting Elected Lawmakers’ Powers - VOA

Bahrain Opposition Says King’s Measures Fall Short - NYT

Qaeda Militants Seize Yemen Town, Norwegian Kidnapped - Reuters

Al-Qaida in Yemen Captures Town South of Capital - AP

Al Qaeda Militants Tighten Grip on Yemen Town - Reuters

Libya Militias Clash Near Tripoli - BBC

Slow Start for Libya Drive to Disband Militias - Reuters

Tunisian Spoils Remain Elusive - WP

US Department of Defense

New Navy Budgets May Sink Plans for Carriers - WT

Military, Private Industry Look to Add More Unmanned Aircraft - S&S

US Troops Need Better Training on Laws of War, Experts Say - LAT

United Kingdom

Scotland: Cameron Plans Referendum Meeting with Salmond - BBC

UK, Scottish Leaders to Meet on Independence Vote - AP

UK's Cameron Offers Talks on Scottish Independence Vote - Reuters

Scotland Creeps Toward Quebec-Style Crisis - G&M opinion

Africa

Chinese President to Inaugurate New African Union Headquarters - VOA

Amid Strikes, Nigeria Rolls Back Gasoline Price - NYT

Nigeria 'to Cut Price of Petrol' - BBC

Nigerian Unions, Government Fail to Resolve Oil Subsidy Stalemate - VOA

No Deal at Nigeria Strike Talks - BBC

Unions: Nigeria Strike Over Fuel Resumes Monday - AP

Somali Famine 'to Kill Thousands' - BBC

Kenyan Jets Bomb Somali Rebel Base, Kill 14 - Reuters

Liberia President Vows to Continue Fighting Graft - AP

Rwanda’s Kagame 'Not Excited' by France's Genocide Report - AP

Americas

In Mexico, Cartel Influence at Ballot Box Feared - WP

Venezuela: Consulate Officials in US Threatened - AP

Guatemalan Army Joins Drugs Fight - BBC

Ecuador Leader Enjoys High Rating 5 Years Into Rule - Reuters

How American NGOs Are Hurting Haiti - WFP editorial

Cocaine: The New Front Lines - WSJ opinion

The Peace Corps Kids are All Right - LAT opinion

Asia Pacific

Some Worry 'New' US Military Focus on Asia is a Muddle - McClatchy

China Fury at US Sanction on Firm - BBC

Taiwan Wants a Separate Peace with China - WP

Chinese Revolt Leader Becomes Village Chief of Wukan - BBC

China Village Protest Leader Made Local Party Head - AP

China Forces Are Reported to Have Shot at Tibetans - NYT

Japan to Name Islets in Disputed Area - AP

North Korea Transition 'Smooth,' Economy the Real Test - Reuters

AP Opens Full News Bureau in North Korea - AP

Fears in Thailand About War on Islamist Guerrillas Escalating - WT

Thai Police Raid Warehouse in Terror Probe - AP

Philippine Chief Justice Impeachment Trial Starts - AP

French Foreign Minister Meets Burmese Opposition Figure - VOA

The Burmese Regime Crumbles - OC opinion

Central Asia

Oil-Rich Kazakhstan Votes in Parliamentary Polls - AP

Kazakh President's Party Crushes Opposition - AP

Europe

Inefficient Economies Seen as Drag on Europe - NYT

As French Vote Nears, Sarkozy Is Haunted by Grim Economy - NYT

As Reforms Flag in Greece, Europe Aims to Limit Damage - NYT

Russia Assails US Over Guantanamo Prison - AP

Spain: 3 ETA Suspects Arrested in France - AP

Protests Continue in Romania for 4th Day - AP

Death Toll in Italian Cruise Ship Disaster Reaches Five - VOA

As Divers Search Cruise Ship, Reason for Crash Is Unclear - NYT

Cruise Captain 'Committed Errors' - BBC

Captain's Conduct Blasted as Divers Find More Dead - AP

US Naval Institute Daily - USNI

Real Clear World - RCP

Afghanistan

Desecration of the Dead is as Old as War Itself - AP

US Soldier Charged in Suicide Faces Hearing - AP

Pakistan

Pakistan's President, Army Chief Meet Amid Tensions - VOA

In Pakistan, Talks Aim to Ease Split - NYT

Embattled Pakistan PM Lauds Army - BBC

Pakistan's Army Chief Calls PM's Criticisms 'Divisive' - Reuters

Iran

US Moves to Strengthen Forces in Persian Gulf Region - S&S

Tensions High, US Warns Iran Not to Block Shipping - AP

Oil Prices and Tehran Fuel Rising Concerns - WP

Iran Sends Rare Letter to US Over Killed Scientist - Reuters

Syria

Fear of Civil War Mounts in Syria as Crisis Deepens - NYT

Qatar Supports Sending Arab Troops to Syria - VOA

Qatar Urges Arab Forces in Syria - BBC            

Arab Troops Should Be Dispatched to Syria, Qatar Emir Says - LAT

Qatari Leader Favors Sending Arab Troops to Syria - AP

Darkness Brings Fear to Syrian Town - VOA

Iraq

53 Dead in Attack on Iraqi Shi'ites - VOA

Iraq Suicide Attack Kills Dozens - BBC

Bombing Kills 53 Shiite Pilgrims Near Basra - WP

Bomb Kills at Least 53 Pilgrims in South Iraq - AP

Haditha Trial: Platoon commander Testifies Gave Order to ‘Clear’ House - AP

Egypt

Egypt's ElBaradei Pulls Out of Presidential Race - VOA

ElBaradei Ends Bid for Presidency - BBC

Nobel Laureate Drops Bid for Presidency of Egypt - NYT

Mohamed ElBaradei Exits Race for President - LAT

Getting to Know You ... - NYT opinion

Middle East / North Africa

Palestinian Authority Leaders Talk With Israel and Hamas - NYT

Blast in Home of Gaza Militant Leader Kills One - Reuters

Israelis Facing a Seismic Rift Over Role of Women - NYT

Yemenis Return to Area Run by Islamic Militants - AP

Residents Back in Yemen City After Months of Fighting - Reuters

Qaeda Militants Seize Town Southeast of Yemen Capital - Reuters

Lebanese Rally Against Rape, Sexual Violence - LAT

Soldiers in Kuwait to Serve as a Response Force - S&S

‘Stateless’ Protests Defy Ban in Kuwait - VOA

Protesters Flout Ban in Fight to Become Kuwaitis - Reuters

Tunisians Mark First Anniversary of Ben Ali Ouster - VOA

Tunisians Celebrate Their Revolution One Year On - Reuters

The Empires Strike Back - NYT opinion

US Department of Defense

Navy's SEAL Program Turns 50 - UT

United States

White House Says It Opposes Parts of Two Antipiracy Bills - NYT

Canada

Canada's Tightening Immigration Policy May Be Felt in US - LAT

Africa

Americans Rise in Rank Inside Somalia Jihadi Group - AP

Somali Pirates Release Indian Ship With 21 Crew - Reuters

Nigerian Fuel Strike Continues, Could Impact US Oil Supply - AP

Nigerian Unions, President Meet Over Fuel Subsidy Stalemate - VOA

No Deal at Nigeria Strike Talks - BBC

Nigeria Labor Says No Agreement to End Fuel Strike - AP

Nigerian Strike Talks Fail to Reach Fuel Price Deal - Reuters

Sudan and Southern Rebels Clash in Oil Border State - Reuters

UN Urges Fair Elections in Guinea-Bissau - VOA

Zimbabwe’s Unsavory Path to Peace - NYT opinion

Americas

Family of Mexican Marines Kidnapped, Slain - AP

4 Women Held in Mexican Child-Trafficking Case - AP

Guatemala Leader Takes Office Pledging 'Iron Fist' - AP

Asia Pacific

Taiwan Re-Elects President Ma - VOA

Taiwan President Wins Second Term - BBC

Taiwanese President Reelected, Vows Closer Ties to China - LAT

Taiwan's China-Friendly President Wins Reelection - AP

China Denounces US Sanctions on Company Dealing With Iran - Reuters

Tibetan Self-Immolation Triggers Clash in China - BBC

China: Clashes After Tibetan Sets Self on Fire -AP

China Offers $119 Million in Aid to Nepal - AP

Japan PM Lags in Polls Despite Cabinet Reshuffle - AP

Thailand Beefs Up Security After Warning of Attack - Reuters

Praise for Burma Release of Political Prisoners -AP

Central Asia

Kazakhstan Holds Elections Marred by Deadly Riots - BBC

Kazakhstan Election Offers Something New: Multiparty System - NYT

Oil-Rich Kazakhstan Votes in Parliamentary Polls - AP

Kazakh Vote Tests Stability After Oil Town Unrest - Reuters

Europe

EU Leaders Angry at Credit Downgrade - VOA

France Downplays Rating Downgrade - BBC

Merkel Vows Faster Eurozone Reform After S&P Downgrades - Reuters

Greeks Like Their PM but Unhappy With Coalition Government - Reuters

Kosovo Clashes Near Serbia Border - BC

Turkish Cypriots Mourn Rauf Denktash's Death - AP

Three Dead, 40 Missing in Italian Ship Disaster - Reuters

In Russia, Echoes of Revolution - NYT opinion

US Naval Institute Daily - USNI

Real Clear World - RCP

Afghanistan

Karzai Criticized Over Prison Demand - WP

Marine Corps Appoints General to Investigate Video - AFPS

Marines Name General to Handle Investigation of Video - S&S

US Identifies Marines in Urination Video - VOA

4 Marines in Video With Dead Taliban Are Identified - NYT

Marines Questioned About Video - WP

Roadside Bomb Kills 2 in Southern Afghanistan - AP

ISAF Operations and News Summary - AFPS

Self-Inflicted Wound - NYT editorial

Decision Time in Afghanistan - WP opinion

Personal Affront to a Marine - WP opinion

How We Treat Our Enemies - WP opinion

Pakistan

As Crisis Festers, Pakistani Government Plans Confidence Vote - NYT

Pakistan’s Gilani: Democracy or Dictatorship? - WP

PM Looks to Bolster Democracy Amid Tensions With the Military - VOA

Pakistan PM Seeks Support in Crisis - BBC

Pakistan’s PM Appeals for Support in Standoff - AP

Iran

Report: Iran's Closure of Waterway Would Provoke US Response - VOA

Iran Ships Approached US Vessels in Gulf - Reuters

Iran Lashes Out at West, But Hints at Diplomatic Opening - WP

Obama's Olive Branch to Iran Turned Into Sanctions Hammer - Reuters

EU to Join Iranian Oil Embargo - WP

Israel Says Sanctions Hurt Iran - NYT

Iran Holds US, UK Accountable for Assassination - AP

Iran Says It Has Evidence US Behind Scientist's Killing - Reuters

Iran Buries Killed Nuclear Expert - BBC

Anti-US Chants as Slain Iran Nuclear Expert Buried - AP

Iran’s Nuclear Aggression - WP opinion

How to Talk to Iran - WP opinion

Syria

Thousands Rally in Syria as Arab League Chief Warns of Civil War - VOA

Arab League Chief Warns Conflict May Turn into Civil War - AP

Syrian Tanks Attack Town Amid Civil War Warning - Reuters

Syrian Attack Stutters, More Arab Monitors Ready - Reuters

Emir of Qatar Calls for Arab Troops in Syria - AP

Syria Troops 'Enter Protest Town' - BBC

Iraq

Iraq Official Calls for PM's Removal - AP

Iraq: Bomb Kills 20 Shiite Pilgrims Near Basra - WP

Roadside Bomb Kills Dozens in Southern Iraq - NYT

Death Toll in Iraq Suicide Attack Rises to 50-Official - Reuters

Suicide Attack on Iraq Pilgrims - BBC

Middle East / North Africa

Middle East Trip Suggests Change in Policy by China - NYT

US General Mattis Meets Lebanese Leaders - TDS

New Saudi Arabia Religious Police Chief - BBC

Saudi Arabia Shia Protester 'Shot Dead' - BBC

Carter: Egypt's Military Should Be 'Subservient' to Elected Officials - VOA

Egypt’s Youth Movement Loses Luster - WP

Egypt's Radical Salafis Approach Secular Rivals - AP

Tunisian Spoils Remain Elusive - WP

Tunisia Marks 1st Anniversary of Arab Spring - AP

US Department of Defense

Pentagon: Commitment to NATO, Europe is ‘Unshakeable’ - AFPS

Marine Testifies He Would Have Leveled Iraqi Home - AP

United States

Obama Seeks to Streamline Gov’t Agencies - WP

Obama Seeks Power to Merge Agencies - AP

Obama Plans to Shrink Government - BBC

Obama Bid to Cut the Government Tests Congress - NYT

DHS Monitoring of Social Media Concerns Advocates - WP

Obama's New Chief of Staff an Expert on Executive Powers - LAT

A Victory for Veterans - WT editorial

Losing Our Liberties - WP opinion

United Kingdom

In Britain, Opposition Leader Struggles - WP

Scotland Gaining Enthusiasm for Independence - AP

Streep Movie About Thatcher Has Britain Taking Sides - LAT

Australia

Revelations of Misconduct Embarrass Australian Military - NYT

Africa

Nigerian Fuel Strike Enters Fifth Day - VOA

Nigeria Unions Suspend Protests - BBC

Insecurity Grows in Somali Refugee Camps in Horn of Africa - VOA

UK Navy Captures Somali Pirates - BBC

UK, US Sailors Capture Suspected Somali Pirates - AP

57 Killed in S. Sudan Tribal Clashes - VOA

Deadly South Sudan Revenge Attack - BBC

Rwanda Grenade Case: Men with FDLR Links Found Guilty - BBC

Americas

Mexico Presses US House Speaker on Arms Traffic - AP

Venezuela: Chavez 'Would Accept' Poll Defeat - BBC

Venezuela Closes Miami Consulate in Response to Expulsion - LAT

Honduras: Nicaraguan Activist Died Near Border - AP

Guatemala Congressman Shot Dead - BBC

Guatemalan Congressman Slain Outside Party HQ - AP

El Salvador Offers Pensions, Care to Ex-Rebels - AP

Asia Pacific

Taiwanese Vote for New President - BBC

Taiwan Elections Stir Hope for Chinese Dems - WP

Polls Close in Taiwan’s Presidential Election - NYT

Taiwan President Takes Lead in Re-election Bid - AP

Taiwan Ruling Party Set for Presidential Victory - Reuters

Politics Complicate China-US Relations - VOA

China Offers $750M in Nepal Aid During Wen Visit - AP

Burma Releases Prominent Political Prisoners - VOA

US to Exchange Ambassadors With Burma - VOA

US Restores Full Ties to Myanmar After Rapid Reforms - NYT

US to Send Ambassador to Burma - WP

US Restores Full Diplomatic Ties with Burma - LAT

US, Burma to Exchange Diplomats - WT

US to Resume Full Burma Relations - BBC

Arrest in Thailand After U.S. Terror Alert - NYT

Thailand: Lebanese Held Amid Terror Threat in Bangkok  - AP

Thailand Beefs Up Security After Warning of Attack - Reuters

Philippine Judge's Trial Draws Interest, and Critics - NYT

Central Asia

Little Opposition Seen in Sunday’s Elections in Kazakhstan - WT

Little Change Expected in Kazakhstan's Election - AP

Europe

US Faces New Challenge of Fewer Troops in Europe - NYT

France, Austria Lose Their Top Credit Ratings, Italy Sinks Lower - VOA

France Loses AAA Credit Rating - BBC

Credit Downgrades May Worsen EU Debt Crisis - WP

Downgrade of Debt Ratings Underscores Europe’s Woes - NYT

EU Criticizes Ratings Downgrade - BBC

In France, the Pain of Rating Downgrade Is Especially Acute - NYT

Strong Debt Sale in Italy Does Little to Lift Spirits - NYT

Hungary's Hard-Won Democracy Under Threat? - AP

South Asia

India Allows Single Brand Retailers to Open Fully Owned Stores - VOA

Killing for their Country: A New Look at “Killology”

by Robert Engen

National Defence and the Canadian Forces

It would appear, then, that Lieutenant Colonel Grossman’s appeals to biology and psychology are flawed, and that the bulwark of his historical evidence – S.L.A. Marshall’s assertion that soldiers do not fire their weapons – can be verifiably disproven. The theory of an innate, biological resistance to killing has little support in either evolutionary biology or in what we know about psychology, and, discounting Marshall’s claims, there is little basis in military history for such a theory either. This is not to say that all people can or will kill, or even that all soldiers can or will kill. Combat is staggeringly complex, an environment where human beings are pushed beyond all tolerable limits. There is much that we do not know, and plenty that we should be doing more to learn about. Grossman is clearly leading the way in posing these questions. Much of his work on the processes of killing and the relevance of physical distance to killing is extremely insightful. There is material in On Combat about fear, heart rate, and combat effectiveness that might be groundbreaking, and it should be studied carefully by historians trying to understand human behaviour in war. No disrespect to Lieutenant-Colonel Grossman is intended by this article, and it is not meant to devalue his work. I personally believe that some of the elements of his books, particularly the physiology of combat, would actually be strengthened if they were not shackled to the idea that humans cannot kill one another. But there are still questions that need to be asked, and the subject should not be considered closed. Grossman’s overall picture of killing in war and society is heavily informed by a belief in an innate human resistance to killing that, as has been offered here, does not stand up well to scrutiny. More research on the processes of human killing is needed, and although On Killing and On Combat form an excellent starting point, there are too many problems with their interpretation for them to be considered the final word on the subject. I believe that, in the future, the Canadian Forces needs to take a more critical posture when it comes to incorporating Grossman’s studies into its own doctrine. It is imperative that our nation’s military culture remain one devoted to pursuing the best available evidence at all costs, rather than one merely following the most popular consensus.