| Small Wars Journal

Coalition forces in southern Afghanistan provided $1.4 million in compensation in the last four months to Afghan civilians whose properties were rigged with explosives by Taliban militants and later demolished by Afghan and coalition security forces.

The coalition has tried to avoid such demolitions, choosing to defuse explosive devices and save buildings from destruction when feasible. But in some cases, officials say, the risk to security forces' lives is too great to justify trying to save structures that have often been abandoned for months or years.

Most of the demolitions occurred in three districts in Taliban strongholds in Kandahar province, where a major Afghan and International Security Assistance Force offensive, dubbed Operation Dragon Strike, began in September.

Hundreds of families, and in some cases entire villages, abandoned the area under pressure from insurgents before the offensive kicked off. Taliban militants took over hundreds of deserted homes and other structures, turning some into homemade bomb factories, fighting positions or weapons stores.

One major challenge facing both security forces trying to clear the area and civilians eager to return home "is that insurgents are rigging many of the structures and fields, particularly in Arghandab, Zhari and Panjwai, with [improvised explosive devices] and homemade explosives," said Maj. Gen. James L. Terry, who commands ISAF troops in Kandahar, Zabul, Uruzgan and Daykundi provinces.

Taliban bombs hidden in buildings, ditches, walls and other structures in the region killed at least 97 Afghan civilians since September and injured another 167. Similar devices also killed and injured dozens of coalition and Afghan troops, many during operations to clear insurgent bombs.

"When possible, we use our explosive ordnance teams to render safe the IEDs," Terry said, "but when they are more complex and dangerous, we use precision munitions to reduce them."

Gen. David Petraeus, commander of ISAF troops in Afghanistan, has supported the demolitions, saying it would be foolhardy to risk Afghan and coalition troops' lives in attempts to defuse bombs in abandoned structures.

"Remember that it is the insurgents who rig these buildings with IEDs and use them as weapon caches that threaten local Afghans," Petraeus said. It's that Taliban tactic that has necessitated the targeted destruction of buildings too dangerous to inhabit or rehabilitate.

Petraeus has also supported the process leading up to and following such demolitions, which involves close coordination with Afghan authorities, careful surveillance of suspect buildings and strict security protocols to prevent civilian casualties, and swift payment of claims to civilians who suffered damages.

With approval from local leaders, coalition forces have used precision munitions and bulldozers to carry out nearly 300 demolition operations since the beginning of Operation Dragon Strike. The operations have cleared buildings, walls, tree lines and other bomb-rigged structures in Kandahar province. No civilians were killed or injured during the demolitions.

The operations have, however, led to some hardship for Afghans whose property was damaged.

The Afghan government has taken responsibility for reconstructing damaged or destroyed property in the region, and civilians are filing claims through the newly reconstituted local Afghan government. ISAF ensures that claims are legitimate, then processes and pays legitimate claims.

Where public property such as roads and canals are damaged, ISAF has used its own forces and equipment to make repairs, often improving infrastructure beyond its original condition.

The international community spent $4 million to build and repair more that 80 kilometers of roads, and another $230 million worth of improvements to 175 kilometers of roads and bridges will carry on in areas where security has improved.

Coalition forces have also overseen the rehabilitation of Kandahar's main canal system, completed more than three dozen wells and water treatment projects, refurbished 5 medical clinics, developed a nursing and midwife institute, provided medical supplies and expertise to Kandahar's medical school, and donated 11 ambulances to the city.

To date the international community has invested $335 million in reconstruction and development in the province, including $180 million for power projects that will boost electricity production in the provincial capital from 16 megawatts to 36 megawatts by March.

Such development is only possible in areas that are secure, and the demolition of bomb-riddled structures has undoubtedly enhanced security, safety and freedom of movement.

In Zhari district, which the Taliban controlled before the Afghan and coalition offensive, the demolition of unsafe structures made it safe again for civilians to access the district center and allowed the Afghan government to reestablish control.

"Tribal leaders and all those people who were displaced during the operations are returning back to their villages and living in a secure environment," said Javid Faisal, a government employee in the province.

"The security situation has gotten better after the clearing operations in Kandahar, and the number of development projects [has] increased," Faisal said.

2 February SWJ Roundup

Days of Unrest

Obama Urges Faster Shift of Power in Egypt - New York Times

Obama: Transition in Egypt 'Must Begin Now' - Washington Post

Egypt: Mubarak Will Not Seek Reelection - Voice of America

Mubarak Says He'll Leave at the End of His Term - Los Angeles Times

Embattled Mubarak Won't Seek New Term - Washington Times

Hosni Mubarak Vows to Step Down - Daily Telegraph

Pressure Mounts on Egypt's Mubarak - BBC News

Mubarak's Pledge Seen as Not Enough - Washington Post

Protesters Unmoved by Mubarak's Speech - Christian Science Monitor

Egypt Crowds Unmoved by Mubarak's Vow Not to Run - Associated Press

Egyptians Applaud Mubarak's Decision Not to Run Again - Voice of America

Egyptians Flood Tahrir Square for Massive Protests - Voice of America

Suleiman Could be Called on to Smooth Turmoil - Washington Post

Egypt's Army Calls for End to Protests - Wall Street Journal

Military Role Crucial in Egypt Unrest - Voice of America

Egypt's Army Tells Anti-Mubarak Protesters "Enough" - Reuters

Egyptian Army Sides With Mubarak; Tensions Rise - Associated Press

Mubarak Supporters Mount Own Protest - Los Angeles Times

Fear and Desperation Grip Egypt Port City of Suez - Los Angeles Times

How Cairo, U.S. Were Blindsided by Revolution - Wall Street Journal

Mubarak's Departure Raises Tough Questions for U.S., Israel - National Journal

Obama Says Transition Must Start Right Away - USA Today

GOP Backs Obama's Egypt Stance, Dems Not Much - Christian Science Monitor

U.N. Calling for Change of Abusive System in Egypt - Voice of America

A Diplomatic Scramble as an Ally Is Pushed to the Exit - New York Times

At Risk: U.S. Military's Strategic and Costly Relationship - USA Today

Non-Essential US Gov't Staff Begin to Leave Egypt - Associated Press

Israel Wary of Transition in Egypt - Washington Post

Turkey PM Urges Egyptian Leader to Heed Calls for Change - Voice of America

Wary China Avoids Comment on Calls For Reform In Egypt - Reuters

Google Declares War on the Egyptian Government - USNI Blog

New Service Lets Voices From Egypt Be Heard - New York Times

Quiet Acts of Protest on a Noisy Day - New York Times

As Protests Continue, Egypt's Economy Severely Affected - Voice of America

Antiquities Chief Says Sites Are Largely Secure - New York Times

Jordan's King Dismisses Govt. After Weeks of Public Protests - Voice of America

Jordan's King Dismisses Government Amid Protests - Wall Street Journal

King of Jordan Dismisses His Cabinet - New York Times

Jordan's King Dismisses Cabinet - Washington Post

King of Jordan Fires Government - Washington Times

U.N. Reports Higher Death Toll from Tunisia Unrest - Voice of America

U.N.: Tunisia Protests Against Ben Ali Left 200 Dead - BBC News

Syrians Call for Protests on Facebook and Twitter - Associated Press

Yemen's Leader Pledges Not to Seek Re-election - New York Times

Yemeni President Says He Won't Seek Another Term - Associated Press

Yemen Hopes to Stave Off Spreading Arab Unrest - Reuters

Beyond Mubarak - New York Times editorial

Can Change Really Take Place? - Washington Post editorial

Arab Revolution Matures - Washington Post opinion

B.E., Before Egypt. A.E., After Egypt. - New York Times opinion

The Reforms Arabs Need - Washington Post opinion

America's 'Islamist Dilemma' - Los Angeles Times opinion

Afghanistan

U.S. General Sees Success Even if Pakistan Doesn't Act - New York Times

Rodriguez: Taliban Likely to Favor More Indirect Attacks - Stars and Stripes

U.S. General: Afghan War 'Winnable' - BBC News

U.S. General: Afghan War Winnable Without Pakistan's Help - Associated Press

General: Afghanistan Planning Yields Steady Progress - AFPS

Aide: Karzai Won't Offer Taliban 'Power-sharing' - McClatchy Newspapers

Afghan Taliban Members Seek Guarantees for Peace Talks - BBC News

Invested in 'Soft Power,' India Awaits Karzai Visit - Los Angeles Times

One Killed in Afghanistan-Pakistan Border Clash - BBC News

Trial Ordered for Fifth U.S. Soldier Charged in Afghan Murders - Reuters

Soldier Faces Murder Trial Despite Mental Illness - Associated Press

Pakistan

Pakistan Court Bars American's Release - Wall Street Journal

Pakistan Court Bars Release of U.S. Official - Los Angeles Times

Pakistani Court Blocks Release of American Official - Associated Press

Nine Killed in Peshawar Explosion - BBC News

Policemen Killed in Balochistan Clash - BBC News

Iraq

Military, Civilian Officials Note Iraq's Progress - AFPS

Iraq: Diplomat Defends Size, Cost of State Dept. Presence - Washington Post

Report Says Secret Jails, Run by Iraq, Stay Open - New York Times

HRW: Maliki's Security Forces Torture Prisoners - Washington Post

Iraqi Government Faces New Prisoner Abuse Claims - Associated Press

Iran

Iran Summons U.S. Hiker Sarah Shourd for Spying Trial - BBC News

U.S. Indicts Iranian on Smuggling of Metals - Washington Times

WikiLeaks

Al-Qaeda 'is Planning a Dirty Bomb' - Daily Telegraph

Did al-Qaeda Plot a Fifth Attack on September 11 - Daily Telegraph

Brown Ordered Pakistan to 'Take Out' bin Laden - Daily Telegraph

Britain Slammed in Lockerbie 'Charade' - Washington Times

WikiLeaks Suspect Seen as Unfit - Washington Post

Amnesty Urges U.K. to Intervene in Manning Case - Associated Press

3 Previously Undisclosed Members of 9/11 Plot - Washington Post

U.S. Department of Defense

Europe-based Bdes to Conduct 'Hybrid Threat' Exercises - Stars and Stripes

New USJFCOM Website Promotes Military Info Sharing - AFPS

Experimental Payoff and USJFCOM - Air Force Magazine

Military's Role Unaffected by Terror Alert Change - AFPS

Honors' Lawyer Says Commander Won't Leave Navy - Virginian-Pilot

United States

U.S.-Canada Border 'Grossly Underprotected' - Washington Times

Number of Illegal Immigrants in U.S. Steady at 11.2M - Associated Press

'Jihad Jane' Terror Suspect Pleads Guilty in Pa. - Associated Press

TSA Testing New Scanner Software - Washington Post

United Kingdom

A Hacking Case Becomes a War of the Tabloids - New York Times

Australia

Storm-Weary Queensland Braces for 'Catastrophic' Cyclone - New York Times

Queenslanders Bracing for Cyclone - BBC News

Africa

Strongman Wins Central African Republic Election - Associated Press

Ivory Coast: Gbagbo Government Signals Resistance to A.U. Panel - VOA

Mauritanian Authorities Foil Terror Attack Attempt - Associated Press

Americas

In Mexico, Massacres but Claims of Progress - New York Times

NGOs in Haiti Face New Questions about Effectiveness - Washington Post

Haiti's Ex-leader Duvalier: Frozen Swiss Funds Not Mine - BBC News

Asia Pacific

Korean Military Talks Set; Leaders Might Meet Later - New York Times

Military Graft Allegations Unsettle Philippines - Associated Press

Philippine Militant in Attacks on Americans Nabbed - Associated Press

Europe

Russia Loses Control of New Military Satellite - Associated Press

Irish Expel Russia Envoy Over ID Theft for Spying - New York Times

Germany Reduces Terror Security Measures - Associated Press

South Asia

Invested in 'Soft Power,' India Awaits Karzai Visit - Los Angeles Times

India's Ex-telecoms Minister A Raja Arrested - BBC News

India 'Abusing Terror Suspects' - BBC News

Read more about 2 February SWJ Roundup

China Commission receives testimony on China's military doctrine

On January 27, the U.S. government's U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission received testimony from eleven experts on China's "active defense" strategy and its implications for Asian security.

A few highlights from the day's testimony:

1) Roger Cliff of RAND discussed how the People's Liberation Army (PLA) describes its "active defense" doctrine, noting that the PLA never uses such U.S. terms as "area denial" or "anti-access." Cliff notes that since its founding in 1927, the PLA has long become used to the idea of engaging in combat against better-equipped adversaries. According to Cliff, the PLA's current doctrine emphasizes seven principles: avoiding direct confrontation; seizing the initiative early; surprise; preemption; "key point strikes" against critical nodes; "concentrated attack;" and information superiority. Applying this doctrine to a hypothetical China-U.S. matchup in East Asia, Cliff would expect the PLA to bypass frontline U.S. forces and instead focus its attacks on U.S. bases, the U.S. supply and maintenance system, and the U.S. command and control system.

2) Martin Libicki of RAND discussed two scenarios involving China's use of offensive cyber operations, the first for strategic coercion and the second in operational support of a conventional military campaign. Libicki asserted that the U.S. government has yet to assess its risk exposure to cyber attack, let alone calculate its ability to fight through such an attack.

3) Lt. Gen. David Deptula, USAF (ret), catalogued the PLA's current and near-term capabilities in integrated air defense; conventional missile forces; integrated joint operations; and space and counter-space operations. For non-conventional operations, Deptula discussed the Chinese concept of the "Three Warfares": psychological operations, influence operations, and "legal warfare."

4) Finally, Jim Thomas of CSBA discussed his recommendations for a U.S. regional response. Thomas recommended that the U.S. should encourage its allies and partners in Southeast Asia to develop their own "mini anti-access/area denial" defense postures. Second, the U.S. should promote regional defense planning, coordination, and transparency. Third, the U.S. should promote regional ISR data sharing. Fourth, the U.S. should expand its own military engagement activities with its allies and partners in the region. Finally, the U.S. should continue to develop and refine its emerging AirSea Battle concept.

There are additional witness statements and documents not covered in this summary. Click here to see all of the witnesses and their statements.

Nothing follows.

Read more about China Commission receives testimony on China's military doctrine

1 February SWJ Roundup

Days of Unrest

Mubarak Seeks Dialogue, Shows No Sign of Relenting - Washington Post

Mubarak's Grip on Power Is Shaken - New York Times

Egypt Protests Strengthen, Army Vows to Hold Fire - Los Angeles Times

At Cairo Square, Protesters Sow Seeds of New Egypt - Washington Post

Thousands Gather at Egypt Protest - BBC News

Egyptian Protesters: 'The People Won't Get Tired' - USA Today

Mubarak Offers Talks, Pushed By Army, U.S. And Protests - Reuters

Egypt Crisis: Country Braced for 'March of a Million' - Daily Telegraph

Cairo Crowds Swell After Call for Massive Tue. March - Los Angeles Times

Egyptians Stock Up on Food, Water as Protests Rage - Associated Press

Egyptian Opposition Calls for Massive Protest; Foreigners Flee - Washington Post

U.S. Begins Evacuation Flights From Cairo - New York Times

Cairo Airport a Scene of Chaos as Foreigners Flee - Associated Press

In Crowd's Euphoria, No Clear Leadership Emerges - New York Times

Anti-American Sentiment Gradually Surfaces in Egypt - Los Angeles Times

Muslim Brotherhood May Gain Power in Egypt by Default - The Guardian

Egypt Military Promises No Force Against Protests - Associated Press

Army Rules Out Force Against Protesters - Financial Times

Egypt VP Promises Dialogue for Reform - Associated Press

Tempers Flare as Pro-Mubarak Egyptians Make Their Case to Protesters - Time

Egypt's Economy Is Near Paralysis - New York Times

On Mubarak, U.S. Charts a Delicate Course - Washington Post

U.S. Scrambles to Size Up ElBaradei - New York Times

U.S. Open to Islamist Role in New Egypt Government - Los Angeles Times

Obama Treads Lightly on Egypt - Washington Times

Unrest Rattles U.S. Approach in Region - Wall Street Journal

With Egypt, Diplomatic Words Often Fail - New York Times

Congressional Leaders Back 'One Voice' approach to Egypt - Washington Post

Hague: Egypt Needs 'Real and Visible Reform' - BBC News

E.U. Calls for Orderly Transition in Egypt - New York Times

China Mulls Impact of Mideast Uprisings - Washington Post

Wary of Egypt Unrest, China Censors Web - New York Times

Egypt Viewed U.S. Military Aid as Reward - Sydney Morning Herald

Israel's Netanyahu Fears Egypt Could Go Way Of Iran - Reuters

Arabs Brandishing People Power - Washington Times

Palestinian Adversaries Unite, for Now, Over Egypt - New York Times

Unrest in Egypt Unsettles Global Markets - New York Times

Tunisia: E.U. OKs Sanctions Against Ben Ali and Wife - Associated Press

Al Jazeera English Finds an Audience - New York Times

Misconceptions About the Egyptian Crisis - Washington Post editorial

It's Egypt's Decision - Los Angeles Times editorial

Time to End the Arab Exception - Financial Times editorial

The Egyptians Hate Us - Washington Times editorial

Allying Ourselves With the Next Egypt - New York Times opinion

In Egypt, Proceed Slowly - Washington Post opinion

Support Mubarak - Washington Times opinion

Back the Protesters - Washington Post opinion

A Realist Policy for Egypt - Foreign Policy opinion

Hope Amid the Chaos in Cairo - Los Angeles Times opinion

Note of Warning and Encouragement - The New Republic opinion

Can Hosni Hang On? - Foreign Policy opinion

Mubarak's Legacy - Washington Post opinion

Exhilarated by the Hope in Cairo - New York Times opinion

Second Chance for Democracy in Egypt - Los Angeles Times opinion

Life on Hold in Egypt - BBC News opinion

Egypt's Military in the Crosshairs - Foreign Policy opinion

Don't Fear Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood - Daily Beast opinion

Fear the Muslim Brotherhood - National Review opinion

The Quest for Dignity - New York Times opinion

Why Didn't the Obama Administration See This Coming? - Foreign Policy opinion

Exit the Israel Alibi - New York Times opinion

Afghanistan

Losses at Afghan Bank Could Be $900 Million - New York Times

Afghan Officials Shielded Bank From Scrutiny - Wall Street Journal

Kabul Bank Employees Flee Amid Investigation - Washington Post

Letter from Kabul: The Great Afghan Bank Heist - The New Yorker

Afghan Lender Disputes Losses at Kabul Bank - New York Times

Afghan Deaths Hit 'Record Levels' - BBC News

Afghan Stoning Video Rekindles Outcry - New York Times

The Rifles of Rural Ghazni Province - New York Times

Pakistan

Pakistani Nuclear Arms Pose Challenge to U.S. Policy - New York Times

Pakistani Court Blocks Release of American Official - Associated Press

Pakistan Court Blocks Handing Over Of U.S. "Diplomat" - Reuters

Iraq

Senate Report Says Iraq Is at Critical Juncture - Associated Press

Report Lists Perils for Envoys After U.S. Leaves Iraq - New York Times

Iraq War Casualties Rise In January - Reuters

Iran

Report Warns of Iran Nuke Disaster - Associated Press

WikiLeaks

Britain Secretly Advised Libya on Lockerbie Bomber Release - Daily Telegraph

Dealing With Assange and the WikiLeaks Secrets - New York Times

U.S. Department of Defense

Key Military, Intelligence Assets Imperiled in Egypt - Washington Times

U.S. Military Says Keeps Up with China; Is it Enough? - Reuters

United States

Napolitano Accuses Critics of Politicizing Border Issues - New York Times

'Virtual Fence' Got Late Review of Costs, Benefits - Washington Times

Imam Stirs Confusion Regarding Islam Center - New York Times

Africa

China Says More Work Needed for Peaceful Sudan - Associated Press

Americas

Mexico's Main Leftist Party Keeps Governorship - Los Angeles Times

Death Revisits Mexico Area Hit by 2010 Massacre - Associated Press

Mexico Charges 5 for Hotel Blast That Killed 7 - Associated Press

U.S. Officials: Haiti's Preval Could Extend Term - Associated Press

Haiti Agrees to Issue Passport for Aristide, Lawyer Says - New York Times

Dominican Crackdown on Haitian Migrants Sows Fear - Associated Press

Asia Pacific

U.N. Report Suggests N. Korea Has Secret Nuclear Sites - Washington Post

South Korea's Lee Open to Summit With Kim Jong Il - Associated Press

Worst Winter in Decades Threatens N. Korea Crops - Associated Press

Burma's Parliament Begins Choosing Government - Associated Press

Burma's Paramount Leader Not Nominated For President - Reuters

Philippines Massacre Suspect Must Stand Trial - Reuters

Power Broker for Japanese Party Indicted - New York Times

Central Asia

U.S. Praises Kazakh Leader For Skipping Referendum - Reuters

Europe

Russia's Ryabkov on U.S.-Russia Relations - Washington Post

In Moscow, a Victory for Protesters' Rights - Washington Post

U.S. and Europe Move Against Belarus's Leader - New York Times

Greece Tries to Shut a Back Door to Europe - New York Times

Irish PM to Dissolve Parliament, Pave Way For Opposition - Reuters

Middle East

Huckabee: Israel Can Build in West Bank, Jerusalem - Associated Press

2 Gaza Rockets Explode in Israeli Towns - Associated Press

South Asia

Indian Officials Tracing Tibetan Leader's Money - Associated Press

February, 2011

Read more about February, 2011

Vol. 7, No. 2

Napoleonic Know-How in an Age of Persistent Engagement by Douglas Batson, Al Di Leonardo, Christopher K. Tucker
Developing Better Relations with Russia by John D. Johnson
Making a Sandwich in Afghanistan: How to Assess a Strategic Withdrawal from a Protracted Irregular War by Paul Rexton Kan
The Wrong War: An Interview with Bing West by Michael Few

External Link

http://smallwarsjournal.com/journal/iss/v7n2.pdf

Book Review: Churchill's Secret War

Churchill's Secret War: The British Empire and the Ravaging of India during World

War II

by Madhusree Mukerjee.

Published by Basic Books, a member of

the Perseus Book Groups, New York. 319 pages, 2010.

Reviewed by Commander Youssef Aboul-Enein, MSC, USN

I have the great privilege to teach officers selected for the vital Afghanistan-Pakistan

Fellows Program at the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in Washington D.C.

These men and women spend a year totally immersed in the politics, culture, religions,

and policies of Southwest Asia. One of my main challenges is to cultivate

empathy and get students to walk in the shoes and emotions of the region.

Madhursee Mukerjee, a scholar, Guggenheim Fellow, who resides in Germany, had written

an uncomfortable book critical of allied policy towards India that led to the death

of millions. She opens by introducing a 1943 famine in Bengal that killed

1.5 million people, and which was a result of the British decision to use the resources

of India to fight Germany and Japan. The economic stressors placed on India

during World War II, led to deprivation and anarchy which tore the fabric of society

leading to independence in 1947. This is the hidden side of World War II,

and decisions that did not make Winston Churchill's memoirs.

The book discusses England's divide and conquer strategy to govern the subcontinent,

which only perpetuated the partition of India. In 1943, nationalist Subhas

Chandra Bose headed a liberation army known as the Indian National Army comprised

of Indian laborers and 60,000 captured Indian Prisoners of War (POWs) captured by

the Japanese. World War II brought calls among India's intellectual elites

and political activists on whether India should be granted dominion status like

South Africa or Canada or should India be placed on a trajectory towards independence.

All these policy questions would be deferred or ignored by British policymakers.

Mahatma Gandhi was appalled by Nazi bloodshed. Chapters discuss how Hitler's

racism could not allow the Nazi's to fully exploit liberation movements, such as

the treatment of Ukrainians, Slavs, and Russia's ethnic minorities who despised

Stalin. Bose, the Indian nationalist, asked Hitler, in a face to face meeting,

to repudiate passages in his book "Mein Kampf," that were contemptuous of Indians.

The Fuhrer predictably ignored him. Japanese leaflets were showered over the

Indian metropolis of Calcutta urging Indians to revolt against British colonization.

In 1944, mass prostitution among village women in Bengal was a result of desperate

food shortages. A 1944 survey found 90 percent of 30,000 women laborers digging

ditches and building runways had venereal disease, trading sex for rice to feed

their families. Ms. Mukerjee has written a fresh study of the underside of

World War II, and allows readers to empathize with India's, Pakistan's, and Bangladesh's

sensitivity to its national independence.

Commander Youssef Aboul-Enein is the author of "Militant

Islamist Ideology: Understanding the Global Threat," published in 2010 by Naval

Institute Press. He is Adjunct Islamic Studies Chair at the Industrial College

of the Armed Forces in Washington D.C. and an expert on Violent Islamist Ideology

at the Joint Intelligence Task Force for Combating Terrorism.

Book Review: The Balfour Declation

The Balfour Declaration: The Origins of the Arab-Israeli Conflict

by Jonathan Schneer.

Published by Random House, New York.

416 pages, 2010.

Reviewed by Commander Youssef Aboul-Enein, MSC, USN

Understanding the grievances and complexities of the Middle East requires

immersing yourself in the events of World War I and the way in which this war

was concluded. It is vital to understand that the 1919 Versailles Conference

did not resolve the complex issues of World War I. One item left undone was

what to do regarding the Ottoman Empire, which was on the losing side of this

conflict, and whose possessions were the subject of contention between Britain

and France. Conferences undertaken include San Remo, 1920 and Cairo, 1921,

which created the modern states of Iraq and placed Egypt onto the path of

quasi-independence. Historian Jonathan Schneer has written an excellent book

that untangles the more controversial documents regarding the Middle East,

chiefly the Balfour Declaration. British Foreign Minister Arthur Balfour and in

reply to Lord Rothschild declared in 1917: "His Majesty's Government views

with favor the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish

people... ...it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done to prejudice

the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine."

So begins perhaps the most controversial paragraph in diplomatic history that

has been the cause of much disagreement, strife and outright warfare that

continues to this day.

The book delves into the events leading to the Balfour Declaration, and how

this position was arrived at by the British Foreign Minister, Arthur Balfour.

The author does an exemplary job un-packaging such controversial documents as

the 1916 Sykes-Picot Agreement, a British and French agreement that divided the

Ottoman Empire into British, French, and Russian spheres of influence. Perhaps

one of the more delightful chapters is the McMahon-Hussein Correspondence. A

series of ten letters between British High Commissioner in Egypt Sir Henry

McMahon and Sherief of Mecca Hussein ibn Ali, attempting to reconcile territory

for an Arab Nation in return for an Arab Revolt against the Ottomans. Schneer

makes a compelling case that McMahon's letters were translated imperfectly by

Ronald Storrs, with many errors in language from Arabic to English, for instance

there is a misunderstanding on the Arabic term willaya, in English does

this mean county, district, region, or city and environs? Adding to this is

British having conflicting policies among British officials in London, Cairo, or

Delhi? For instance, British officials in Cairo supported Hussein ibn Ali in

western Arabia; however Hussein's adversary Ibn Saud was sponsored financially

by British officials in India. This is an excellent volume for those wanting an

immersion into the complexities of modern Middle East political history.

Commander Youssef Aboul-Enein is the author of "Militant

Islamist Ideology: Understanding the Global Threat," published in 2010 by Naval

Institute Press. He is Adjunct Islamic Studies Chair at the Industrial College

of the Armed Forces in Washington D.C. and an expert on Violent Islamist Ideology

at the Joint Intelligence Task Force for Combating Terrorism.

Read more about Book Review: The Balfour Declation

Book Review: Spies in Arabia

Spies in Arabia: The Great War and the Cultural Foundations of Britain's Covert Empire in the Middle East

by Priya Satia.

Published by Oxford University Press,

London. 472 pages, 2008.

Reviewed by Commander Youssef Aboul-Enein, MSC, USN

Stanford University Associate Professor Priya Satia has published an award

winning book that pieces together the evolution of British intelligence in the

Middle East. Those with an interest in intelligence networks and Middle East

affairs will find this book worth reading. Special Duty Agents traveled under

cover of the Palestine Exploration Fund before World War I, and British Royal

Engineers traveled Egypt and the Sudan as part of Egypt's Survey Department.

You will enter a world in which internal competition for intelligence occurred

among British officials in Cairo, London, and Delhi. However, Horatio Kitchener

the British High Commissioner in Egypt, and Sir Reginald Wingate Sirdar

(Military Commander) of the Egyptian Army viewed Africa and Western Arabia their

administrative responsibility. Externally, there would be a pre-World War I

race between the British and Germans for archeological discoveries, prestige,

and intelligence access.

During World War I, Richard Meinertzhagen served as General Edmund Allenby's

intelligence chief, when the British were threatened by Ottoman forces allied

with the Triple Alliance. Meinertzhagen rode into no man's land, pretending to

be hit, and dropped a pouch containing falsified "confidential" documents. When

the Ottomans got hold of the papers they were duped into believing a major

British attack would come through Gaza, and that Beersheba would see only a

reconnaissance in force. This deception led to the British victory at the

Battle of Megiddo. The deception not only included documents, but fake camps

built in the Jordan valley, dust sleds to kick up sand to mask activity and

troop numbers, and hotels vacated suddenly. These deceptions of World War I

would be rediscovered by the British in World War II and used against the Axis.

Satia does a great job getting into the real military creativity of T. E.

Lawrence (of Arabia), which was about enhancing the formidability of the desert

as a vast space. The author emphasizes that Lawrence saw space as a deterrent

to Ottoman deployments and re-deployments in Arabia. The British had to contend

with waves of new political movements to maintain control Turanism (Turkish

nationalism), Pan-Islamism, Bolshevism, and Pan-Arabism. This needed the

arranging of covert rule, which is the subject of an entire chapter. Perhaps

one of the more intriguing discussions among British intelligence leaders was

the need to exploit the success of the Arab Bureau in Cairo, and create a Muslim

Bureau linking Cairo to Gibraltar, Malta, Constantinople, Aden (in Yemen),

India, and Singapore as intelligence sensors. The book dives deeply into the

management of the Iraqi British Mandate, but pays little attention to the

management of Egypt as a British Protectorate or the suppression of the 1919

Revolt in Egypt. The revolt would lead to the removal of the false pretence

that Egypt was under Ottoman suzerainty, a political fiction since the early 19^th

century. Satia work is worth reading and recommended for Middle East Foreign

Area Officers, intelligence professionals, and counter-terrorism experts.

Commander Youssef Aboul-Enein is the author of "Militant

Islamist Ideology: Understanding the Global Threat," published in 2010 by Naval

Institute Press. He is Adjunct Islamic Studies Chair at the Industrial College

of the Armed Forces in Washington D.C. and an expert on Violent Islamist Ideology

at the Joint Intelligence Task Force for Combating Terrorism.

Read more about Book Review: Spies in Arabia

31 January SWJ Roundup

Days of Unrest

Egypt Protests Enter Seventh Day - BBC News

Army, Police on Cairo Streets, But No End to Egypt Protests in Sight - VOA

Opposition Unites in Egypt - Wall Street Journal

Egyptian Military Makes a Show of Force - Los Angeles Times

Opposition Rallies to ElBaradei as Military Reinforces - New York Times

Egyptian Reform Leader Calls for Mubarak to Resign - Associated Press

Egyptian Muslims Call Out for ElBaradei - Washington Times

Muslim Brotherhood Says it is Only a Minor Player - Washington Post

Muslim Brotherhood Mutes Religious Message for Protests - Los Angeles Times

As Mubarak Clings to Power, Military Shows Strength - Washington Post

Egypt Protesters Camp Out, Mubarak Turns to Army - Reuters

Face of Mideast Unrest: Young and Hungry for Jobs - Associated Press

Obama: Egypt Needs Orderly Transition - Voice of America

Clinton Calls for 'Orderly Transition' in Egypt - New York Times

U.S. Administration Aligns Itself with Protests in Egypt - Washington Post

U.S. Cautiously Prepares for Post-Mubarak Era - Los Angeles Times

Key European Leaders Urge Restraint in Cairo - New York Times

World Leaders Call on Egypt to Implement Reforms - Associated Press

Israel Says Peace Treaty With Egypt Must Be Preserved - Voice of America

Israel Shaken as Turbulence Rocks an Ally - New York Times

Fighter Jets Over Cairo As Egypt Demos Go On - Sky News

Activists Use Web in Egypt Despite Shutdown - Washington Times

Protest's Old Guard Falls In Behind the Young - New York Times

Rich, Poor and a Rift Exposed by Unrest - New York Times

Governments Send Planes to Evacuate Citizens From Egypt - Voice of America

U.S. Set to Fly Thousands of Americans from Egypt - Associated Press

For Many Fleeing Egypt, a Long Wait - New York Times

Egyptian Antiquities Chief Reports Damage, No Theft - Washington Post

Egypt Unrest: Day Six as it Happened - BBC News

African Union Summit Agenda Skips Egypt, Tunisia - Voice of America

Sarkozy Calls on African Leaders to do Better or Risk Public Wrath - VOA

Tunisian Islamist Leader Returns - BBC News

Tunisian Islamic Leader Returns - Wall Street Journal

Tunisians Wary as Islamists Emerge from Hiding - Los Angeles Times

Arab World Transfixed by Egyptian Protests - Washington Post

Syria Strongman: Time for 'Reform' - Wall Street Journal

Yemen: Calls for Revolution But Many Hurdles - Washington Post

Analysis: Yearning for Respect, Arabs Find a Voice - New York Times

Analysis: For U.S., Egypt Crisis Recalls 1979 Iran - Associated Press

Date With a Revolution - New York Times opinion

Rejoice in Egypt - Washington Post opinion

The Devil We Know - New York Times opinion

A Proud Moment in Egypt's History - Los Angeles Times opinion

Afghanistan

Losses at Afghan Bank Could Be $900 Million - New York Times

Pakistan

Estimates: Pakistan's Nuclear Arsenal at More than 100 - Washington Post

Bomber Kills Senior Police Official in NW Pakistan - Associated Press

Policeman Dies in Pakistan Attack - BBC News

Thousands in Pakistan Rally Against American - Associated Press

Iran

Netherlands Freezing Ties With Iran Over Woman's Execution - VOA

Terrorism

Governments Go Online in Fight Against Terrorism - New York Times

U.S. Department of Defense

Chaplains Try a New Path to Deal with PTSD - Associated Press

Exclusive: Honors Says Admirals Backed Videos - Navy Times

United States

Man Arrested with Explosives at Michigan Mosque - Associated Press

Lawyer: 'Jihad Jane' Plans to Plead Guilty - CNN News

Africa

South Sudan Overwhelmingly Chooses to Secede - Voice of America

Sudan Sees Migration of Unrest to Its Streets - New York Times

U.N.'s Ban Urges Solidarity Over Ivorian Election Crisis - BBC News

S. Korea Set to Try Captured Somali Pirates - Christian Science Monitor

Americas

Chavez's New Threat: Funding at Risk for Activists - Associated Press

After Move to Cut Subsidies, Bolivian Ire Chastens Leader - New York Times

Clinton: No Plans to Suspend Aid to Haiti - Voice of America

Haiti: Clinton Meets with Candidates, Pushes on Elections - Washington Post

In Haiti, Return of Duvalier Reopens Old Wounds - New York Times

Asia Pacific

In Japan, Polls Find Little Love for Leaders - Washington Post

Aquino Orders Inquiry Into Philipinnes Military Corruption - New York Times

Burma Opens Parliament for First Time Since '80s - New York Times

Burma Opposition Group Launches Website - Associated Press

Europe

Scandals Shake Germany's Faith in its Military - Time

Turkey Cites Prejudice in Delay of Bid to Join E.U. - Washington Times

Albanian Police Arrest 3 in Alleged Murder Plan - Associated Press

Belarus Frees 7 Political Prisoners, but 12 Remain in Jail - New York Times

Middle East

Israeli Arab Gets 9 Years for Spying - Voice of America

South Asia

Thousands March Against Corruption in India - Associated Press

Read more about 31 January SWJ Roundup

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