Hope for Peace Arises in one Afghan District - Washington Post

Afghan Taliban Attack Sangin Truce Talks Elder - BBC News

Reintegrated Taliban Fighters Allowed to Join Local Police - Stars and Stripes

Taliban Benefits as Afghans' Anti-drug Efforts Stall - Washington Times

Afghan Peace Council Visiting Pakistan - Washington Post

Afghan Leader Complains of Foreign Interference - Associated Press

Teamwork, Reintegration Weaken Taliban in Northern Afghanistan - AFPS

Afghan Police Officer Killed by Blast in Downtown Kabul - New York Times

DLA Extends No-bid Afghan Food-supply Contract - Washington Post

Pakistan

Pakistani Governor Killed in Islamabad Shooting - Voice of America

Killing of Governor Deepens Crisis in Pakistan - New York Times

Pakistani Governor Spoke Out Against Religious Extremism - Washington Post

Slain Pakistani Governor Opposed to Blasphemy Law - Washington Times

With Killing of Governor, Pakistan's Government in Turmoil - Los Angeles Times

Assassination Points to Pakistani Extremists' Mounting Power - Washington Post

Pakistani Governor Who Opposed Blasphemy Law Slain - Associated Press

Pakistan Crisis Deepens as Governor Shot Dead - Reuters

Salman Taseer Funeral: Pakistan Security Tight - BBC News

Pakistani Scholars Say Mourning Slain Governor Risky - Reuters

Glimpses of Slain Governor's War on Religious 'Fanatics' - New York Times

A Brave Man Killed - New York Times editorial

Pakistan Was Deadliest for Reporters Last Year - New York Times

Al-Qaida in Pakistan - United Press International opinion

The Real Blasphemy - Los Angeles Times opinion

Iraq

Resurgent Turkey Flexes Its Muscles Around Iraq - New York Times

Iran's Foreign Minister in Iraq to Cement Ties - Associated Press

Spain to Probe Iraq Camp Deaths - BBC News

Iran

Iran Confirms Invitations to Tour Nuclear Sites - Voice of America

Iran to Let Countries Visit Nuclear Sites, Not U.S. - Associated Press

Iran Nuclear Invitation Draws Western Skepticism - Reuters

Malware Warfare Made Us All Safer - Washington Times opinion

Islam

New Year Brings Worries for Muslim Women - New York Times

When Muslims Kill Christians - Washington Times editorial

Korean Peninsula

U.S. Envoy in Seoul for Talks on Korea Crisis - Voice of America

U.S. Envoy Praises Coordination With South Korea - Associated Press

U.S. Looks to China as Talks Begin on North Korea - Reuters

South Korean Military Vows to Toughen Ranks - Voice of America

Japan to Propose Closer Military Ties With S. Korea - New York Times

Han: A Complex Feeling Tugs at Koreans - Los Angeles Times

Professional Reading

What They Are Reading: 'A Question of Command' - New York Times

U.S. Department of Defense

Navy Relieves Enterprise Captain for 'Poor Judgment' - AFPS

Capt. Owen Honors Relieved of Navy Command - Washington Post

Aircraft Carrier Captain Removed Over His Role in Videos - New York Times

Videos get USS Enterprise Captain Ousted - Washington Times

Navy Firing over Videos Raises Questions of Timing - Associated Press

If He is a Problem, then We Have a Problem - USNI Blog opinion

Army Relieves 172nd Infantry Brigade Commander - Stars and Stripes

United States

Bigger U.S. National Guard Deployment Along Mexican Border - Washington Post

Obama Aides Lean Against Bypass of Guantánamo Rules - New York Times

Netanyahu Calls for Release of Spy Pollard - Washington Post

Netanyahu Seeks Pardon for Imprisoned Spy Pollard - Washington Times

Israeli PM Appeals to U.S. to Free Convicted Spy - Associated Press

Netanyahu Asks Obama to Pardon Jailed Israeli Spy - Reuters

Citizenship for Babies Looms as Immigration Fight - New York Times

15-Year Sentence for 1968 Hijacking - New York Times

Australia

Floods Take Toll on Australia Economy - New York Times

Queensland City Rockhampton Hitting Flood Peak - BBC News

Australia Floods Cause "Catastrophic" Damage - Reuters

General Picked to Oversee Australia Flood Response - New York Times

Africa

U.S.: Ivory Coast Leader Has Little Time Left for 'Dignified' Departure - VOA

Ivory Coast Leader Softens Position in Crisis - New York Times

Gbagbo Seeks Recount in Talks on Ivory Coast Stalemate - Voice of America

Ivory Coast Crisis: Gbagbo to Negotiate 'Peaceful' End - BBC News

Gbagbo Commits to Talks But Ivorian Deadlock Remains - Reuters

Security Forces Kill 1 in Ivory Coast Attack - Associated Press

Analysis: Ivory Coast Military Op a Big Stretch - Associated Press

Sudan's Bashir Pledges to Aid South If it Secedes - Voice of America

Sudan's Leader Visits South Ahead of Independence Vote - New York Times

Sudan President: I'll Support South if It Secedes - Associated Press

South Sudan Welcomes Bashir Reassurance - BBC News

New Security Measures Follow Nigerian Bombing - Voice of America

Nigeria Ex-Military Ruler Picked For Presidency Bid - Reuters

Rwanda Rebel Mbarushimana's Extradition to ICC Upheld - BBC News

Crew Uses Safe Room to Foil Somali Pirate Attack - Associated Press

Anonymous Activists Target Tunisian Government Sites - BBC News

Americas

Venezuela: Chavez Warms to U.S. Suggestion of New Envoy - Associated Press

Venezuela: Chavez Floats Stone, Penn, Clinton For U.S. Envoy - Reuters

State Dept. Responds to Repression by Hugo Chavez - Washington Post editorial

Gunmen Kill 3 in Mexico, Including 13-Year-Old Boy - Associated Press

Mexican Police Detain Head of Death Saint Church - Associated Press

Guatemala: Bomb Caused Bus Fire That Killed 6 - Associated Press

Cash-Strapped Cuba Moves Ahead With Job Cuts - Reuters

Haiti Presidential Runoff 'Impossible' This Month - Associated Press

Asia Pacific

Japan to Propose Closer Military Ties With S. Korea - New York Times

Police Officers Killed in Rare Burst of Gun Violence in China - New York Times

China Media Report Mystery Stealth Fighter Photos - Associated Press

Stateless Minorities Struggle for Recognition, Services in Thailand - VOA

Philippine Communist Ka Bart Caught as Truce Ends - BBC News

Philippine Raid Captures Communist Rebel Commander - Associated Press

Slain Filipino Official Caught Suspect on Camera - Associated Press

Europe

Security Increased Around European Coptic Churches - Voice of America

Europe Ups Security for Copts Amid Online Threats - Associated Press

Turkey Frees 23 Suspected Militants - New York Times

U.S., Russia Plan More Anti-hijacking Exercises - Associated Press

Middle East

Anti-Christian Drumbeat Loud Before Egypt Attack - Associated Press

Christians Demonstrate in South Egypt - Associated Press

Israel Challenges Account of Palestinian Woman's Death - New York Times

Fall of Palestinian Leader Shows President's Power - Associated Press

Young Gazans Rage at Hamas and Israel - New York Times

Indictment Could Damage Lebanon's Hezbollah - Associated Press

Kuwait Lawmakers Gather on Fate of Prime Minister - Associated Press

Also see two Small Wars Journal reviews of A Question of Command; A Question of Command by Matthew Caris and A Third COIN Course of Action by LtCol Adam Stickland; and Dr. Moyar's SWJ article Counterinsurgency and Professional Military Education.

Purchase A Question of Command at Amazon.com here.

BLUF: "We have a crisis of leadership in America because our overwhelming power and wealth, earned under earlier generations of leaders, made us complacent, and for too long we have been training leaders who only know how to keep the routine going. Who can answer questions, but don't know how to ask them. Who can fulfill goals, but don't know how to set them. Who think about how to get things done, but not whether they're worth doing in the first place. What we have now are the greatest technocrats the world has ever seen, people who have been trained to be incredibly good at one specific thing, but who have no interest in anything beyond their area of exper­tise. What we don't have are leaders.

What we don't have, in other words, are thinkers. People who can think for themselves. People who can formulate a new direction: for the country, for a corporation or a college, for the Army—a new way of doing things, a new way of looking at things. People, in other words, with vision."

Much more at The American Scholar

The most interesting feature of this article is what it reveals about Taiwan's expanding missile design and production capability. Taiwan's new MLRS is designed to fire 40 rockets within a minute at targets up to 45 kilometers away. This salvo is designed to suppress at area equal to 80 football fields. According to the article, Taiwan's military intends to use this system to defend against a hypothetical amphibious assault.

The MLRS is not the only new indigenous missile from Taiwan. In December, Taiwan's deputy defense minister claimed that Taiwan was mass-producing two cruise missile models. The first is a long-range land attack cruise missile, similar to the U.S. Tomahawk. The second is a supersonic anti-ship cruise missile. We can assume that the land attack cruise missile is designed to hold at risk important fixed targets on the mainland. The anti-ship missile would be used with the MLRS to counter amphibious assaults.

The growth of Taiwan's indigenous missile industry says several things about the Taiwan government's evolving defense doctrine. First, the fact that the government paid the extra expense for indigenous design and production indicates that it concluded that there was little chance of obtaining these capabilities elsewhere, including from the United States.

Second, Taiwan is placing a greater emphasis on missiles for both offense and defense because it may have concluded that neither the United State nor any other country will sell it new fighter aircraft to replace its aging F-16 fleet. In May 2010, the chief of Taiwan's air force expressed a desire to buy the short-takeoff vertical-landing (STOVL) version of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, instead of an updated version of the F-16. This request reflected a new fact-of-life -- that the mainland's overwhelming missile inventories can now shut down Taiwan's conventional runways, rendering its F-16s and other conventional takeoff aircraft useless. But there is almost no chance the U.S. government will approve a sale of F-35s to Taiwan. Given the disruption to U.S.-China relations caused by the last Taiwan arms sale, even an F-16 sale looks doubtful. Thus, Taiwan's enthusiasm for indigenously produced missiles, in the hope these missiles will perform missions previously performed by fighter-attack aircraft.

Taiwan's eventual abandonment of fixed-wing aircraft in the face of mainland air and missile superiority foreshadows an evolving military doctrine that may by necessity have to abandon traditional high-tech, high-value weapons and their support structures, which will simply be targets for mainland missile barrages. Taiwan will increasingly have to rely on dispersion and decentralization, something easier to achieve with missiles than with fixed-wing aircraft (the STOVL F-35 being for Taiwan an unobtainable exception to this rule). If the missile gap continues to expand in the mainland's favor, Taiwan might ultimately have to adopt a defense doctrine centered on low-tech "insurgency." Does such an approach to defense in any way match the culture of modern Taiwan? That seems doubtful -- which illuminates the dispiriting problem facing Taiwan's defense planners.

U.S. Sees Progress in Eastern Afghanistan - National Journal

U.S. General: Deal with Tribe in Taliban Bastion - Associated Press

Afghan Tribe Promises Peace for Foreign Aid - Wall Street Journal

U.S. Marines Report Peace Deal with Tribe - McClatchy Newspapers

Agreement in Afghanistan Offers Hope - USA Today

Afghanistan Hopes Tribal Uprising will Bring Peace - The Guardian

U.S.-built Infrastructure is Deteriorating - Washington Post

NATO: No Pause in Afghan Winter Fighting - Voice of America

Violence in Afghanistan 'Had to Get Worse Before it Gets Better' - Daily Telegraph

Judges Set to Rule on Afghan Election Complaints - New York Times

Fleeing Violent Husbands Lands Afghan Women in Prison - Time

Karzai Spokesman to Resign - Washington Post

Afghan Police: 1 Killed, 3 Hurt in Afghan Bombing - Associated Press

The Way Out of Afghanistan - The New York Review of Books opinion

Pakistan

Pakistan's Premier Fights to Save Government - New York Times

Government in Crisis after Coalition Loss - Washington Post

Pakistan PM Gilani in Crisis Talks with Opposition - BBC News

Troubled Pakistan Faces Ruling Coalition Collapse - Associated Press

Main Pakistan Opposition Says Will Not Move Against PM - Reuters

U.S. Official: Pakistan Government Crisis Internal Issue - Reuters

Pakistani President Vows Support For Embattled PM - Reuters

Pakistan: 39 Suspected Insurgents Detained - Associated Press

Iraq

Two Americans Killed in Iraq - New York Times

Iraq And Jordan Agree on Building Oil Pipeline - Reuters

Iran

Iran Invites Some Nations, Not U.S., for Nuclear Tour - New York Times

Iran Invites Nations to Tour Nuke Sites - Associated Press

Iran Invites Ambassadors to Tour Nuclear Sites - Reuters

WikiLeaks: Iran Can Attack Israel With Less Than 12 Minutes Warning - VOA

Iran May Drop Stoning Sentence - New York Times

Report: Iran Jails Nuke Scientist After U.S. Return - Associated Press

Korean Peninsula

Top U.S. Envoy Wants Serious Talks on N. Korea - Associated Press

U.S. Says Hopes For Early Nuclear Talks on North Korea - Reuters

South Korea Stands Firm Against North's 'Adventurism' - BBC News

U.S. Department of Defense

Decision on Europe-based Brigades Expected Soon - Stars and Stripes

White House Picks Special-ops Chief - Associated Press

Army will Evaluate Suspect in WikiLeaks - Washington Times

Defense Dept., Private Industry to Trade Workers for a While - Washington Post

Pentagon Issues Conflict of Interest Rule for Contractors - Washington Post

Former U.S. Official Found Dead in Delaware Landfill - Washington Post

Former U.S. Official's Body Found in Del. Landfill - Associated Press

Navy Captain Is Investigated Over Videos - New York Times

United States

Obama May Bypass Guantánamo Rules, Aides Say - New York Times

What it Took to Get the Defense Spending Bill Passed - Washington Post

WikiLeaks: U.S. Diplomats Help Boeing Sales - Voice of America

Shield Bill a Clear Danger to Free Speech - New York Times opinion

How Little the U.S. Knows of War - Washington Post opinion

Don't Deny Detainees their Day in Court - Los Angeles Times opinion

Australia

Flooding in Australia's Queensland 'to Last Weeks' - BBC News

Australia Flood Death Toll Rises; Rains Cause More Havoc - Los Angeles Times

Australia Rushes Aid to Flooded Areas as Toll Rises - New York Times

Australian Floods Submerge Towns - Reuters

Africa

U.S. Offers Ivory Coast's Laurent Gbagbo 'Dignified Exit' - BBC News

Diplomacy Again Falls Short in Tense Ivory Coast Standoff - New York Times

Africa Heads Offer Amnesty to Ivory Coast's Gbagbo - Associated Press

African Leaders Meet Gbagbo, Urge Him to Go - Reuters

Organizers '100 Percent' Ready for South Sudan Poll - Voice of America

Southern Sudan '100% Ready' for Independence Referendum - BBC News

Nearly 4 Million Sudanese to Vote in Referendum - Associated Press

Nearly 4 Million Sudanese to Vote on Independence - Reuters

Sudan President Bashir to Visit South Before Referendum - BBC News

Sudan's al-Bashir Vows to Accept Referendum Outcome - CNN News

Nigeria's President Sets Out Anti-Terror Plans - Reuters

Africa Migrants Drown Off Yemen as Boats Sink - BBC News

Americas

Out of Prison and into Mortal Danger in Mexico - Los Angeles Times

Official: Mexico's Zetas Drug Gang Had Base in Guatemala - Associated Press

Severed Head Hung From Bridge in Tijuana, Mexico - Associated Press

Colombian Soldiers Accused of Killing 3 Civilians - Associated Press

A Year Later, Haiti Struggles Back - New York Times

Asia Pacific

Japan to Propose Closer Military Ties With S. Korea - New York Times

China 'in Nuclear Power Advance' - BBC News

Japan And South Korea to Discuss Defence Ties And North Korea - Reuters

Europe

Germany Calls Last Conscripts as Army is Reformed - BBC News

France Tries Eight Men Accused of Funding Militants - BBC News

Arrests in Russia Signal Divisions Over Dissent - New York Times

Russia: Pro-democracy Activists Arrested after 'Reset' - Washington Times

Leaked Cables Show U.S.-German Spy Satellite Program - Voice of America

Germany Denies It Plans Secret Spy Project With U.S. - Associated Press

Greece Plans Anti-Migrant Fence At Turkish Border - Reuters

Belarus Releases Detained Presidential Candidate - Reuters

Consequences for Belarus - Washington Post editorial

Middle East

Copts' Anger Escalates in Wake of Egypt Attacks - Los Angeles Times

Bombing Opens Vein of Christian Anger in Egypt - Associated Press

Alexandria Church Bomb: Egypt Police on High Alert - BBC News

Egypt Sees Qaeda Link to Blast; Europe Warns Copts - Reuters

U.S. Renews Mideast Peace Bid After Holiday Break - Reuters

Israel's Labor: We'll Quit if No Progress to Peace - Associated Press

Israel Arrests U.K. Consulate Staff over 'Stadium Plot' - BBC News

Israel Arrests 2 U.K. Consulate Workers in Jerusalem - Associated Press

U.S. Military Aid Is Available for Hire in Yemen - Wall Street Journal

South Asia

Sri Lanka: Tamil Tiger Releases Hit by Rehabilitation Problems - BBC News

U.S. General: Deal with Tribe in Taliban Bastion - Associated Press

Afghan Tribe Promises Peace for Foreign Aid - Wall Street Journal

U.S. Marines Report Peace Deal with Tribe - McClatchy Newspapers

Agreement in Afghanistan Offers Hope - USA Today

Afghanistan Hopes Tribal Uprising will Bring Peace - The Guardian

U.S.-built Infrastructure is Deteriorating - Washington Post

NATO: No Pause in Afghan Winter Fighting - Voice of America

Violence in Afghanistan 'Had to Get Worse Before it Gets Better' - Daily Telegraph

Afghan Panel to Reassess Fall Votes - New York Times