L-R: George "Christy" Christopher, Quartermaster; Ensign Charles Parker; Willy Moss, Radioman; Captain Wallace B. Binghamton; Lieutenant Commander Quinton McHale; Virgil Edwards, Gunner's Mate.

Gen. Petraeus Says Progress is Faster than Expected - Washington Post

- Globe and Mail

Afghan Projects May Stop When Security Ban Begins - New York Times

Canada's PM: Taliban Deal Needs Strict Conditions - Globe and Mail

Afghan Aid Work Threatened by Private Security Ban - Associated Press

ISAF Condemns Fatal Attack on Afghan District Governor - AFPS

U.K. Aid Worker Died of Head Injuries in Rescue Bid - Associated Press

Pakistan

U.S. Gives Pakistan Long-Term Military Aid Pledge - Voice of America

U.S. Offers Pakistan Army $2 Billion Aid Package - New York Times

Expanded U.S. Military Aid Sought for Pakistan - Washington Post

U.S. Plans $2 Billion More in Military Aid for Pakistan - Los Angeles Times

U.S. Plans $2 Billion Aid Package for Pakistan - Washington Times

U.S. Seeks $2 Billion In Military Aid For Pakistan - Reuters

Pakistan Struggles to Hold Gains Against Taliban - Associated Press

Iraq

Kurdistan: The Iraq War the U.S. Won - Salt Lake Tribune

WikiLeaks

WikiLeaks Releases 400,000 Classified U.S. Military Files - Voice of America

The Iraq Documents - New York Times

The Iraq War Logs - The Guardian

The Iraq War Logs - Der Spiegel

WikiLeaks Discloses Reports From Iraq - Wall Street Journal

Wikileaks Posts Thousands of Classified U.S. Documents - Los Angeles Times

Website Claims 15,000 Unreported Iraq War Deaths - Wall Street Journal

A Grim Portrait of Civilian Deaths in Iraq - New York Times

WikiLeaks Reveals War 'Bloodbath' - Sydney Morning Herald

Leaked Reports Detail Iran's Aid for Iraqi Militias - New York Times

Iran Accused of Plotting Attack on Green Zone - The Guardian

Iran Waging Shadow War with Coalition Troops in Iraq - The Australian

Five Bombshells from WikiLeaks' Iraq War Logs - Christian Science Monitor

Detainees Fared Worse in Iraqi Hands, Logs Say - New York Times

Iraq War Leaks: U.S. Didn't Probe Abuse Allegations - Washington Post

Iraq War Documents: No U.S. Investigation of Many Abuses - Los Angeles Times

Wikileaks: U.S. Ignored Iraq Torture Allegations - Daily Telegraph

U.S. Forces 'Ignored Iraq Torture' - BBC News

Iraq War Leaks: No U.S. Investigation of Many Abuses - Associated Press

WikiLeaks Show U.S. Failed to Probe Iraqi Abuse Cases - Reuters

Iraq War Logs Disclosure Condemned by NATO and Pentagon - The Guardian

Opinion Mixed on Significance of WikiLeaks' Latest Revelations - Globe and Mail

WikiLeaks Defends Release Of U.S. Iraqi War Documents - Voice of America

Pentagon: No Surprises Seen In WikiLeaks Iraq War Data - Reuters

WikiLeaks Documents Open To Interpretation - NPR

Iran

World Powers Renew Invitation to Iran to Restart Nuclear Talks - VOA

United Nations

U.N. Urged to Set Up Panel on Ethics Of Robot Weapons - Reuters

U.S. Department of Defense

Amos Succeeds Conway as Marine Commandant - AFPS

United States

Poll Shows High Public Confidence in Military - AFPS

GAO Says 'Virtual Fence' Along Mexican Border Over Budget - Washington Times

U.S. and Canada Discuss Fate of Gitmo Detainee - Associated Press

U.S. Courts Should Not Have Say in Drone Strikes - Washington Post editorial

United Kingdom

Royal Navy Seeks Inquiry After Nuclear Sub Runs Aground - New York Times

Grounded U.K. Nuclear Submarine Freed - Associated Press

Africa

U.S. Officials: No More Time to Waste for Referenda in Sudan - Voice of America

U.S. Officials Urge Sudanese to Compromise - Washington Times

U.S. Urges Compromise Ahead Of New Sudan Talks - Reuters

Sudan Arrests Darfuris After U.N. Visit: U.S. Official - Reuters

Disputed Attack Jets Seen By U.N. Envoys In Darfur - Reuters

Guinea Electoral Commission Delays Sunday Vote - Voice of America

Guinea Election Chief Calls Off Sunday Poll - Associated Press

Somali Govt Asks Pirates to Release British Couple - Associated Press

Americas and Caribbean

Salvadoran Ex-guerrilla Advises Mexico's President - Los Angeles Times

Mexico Probes if Drug Lord Funded Church Renovation - Reuters

Mexico Nabs Alleged Chinese Migrant Smuggler - Associated Press

Cholera Outbreak Kills 150 in Haiti - New York Times

Haiti Cholera Outbreak Feared in Rural Areas - Washington Post

Asia Pacific

Tibetans in China Protest Proposed Curbs on Their Language - New York Times

Tibetan Student Protests Reach Beijing - Los Angeles Times

China Defends Language Policies in Tibetan Areas - Associated Press

North Korea Says U.N. Rights Talk Is Political Plot - Reuters

Indonesia Confirms Soldiers Are Shown in Torture Video - Associated Press

Effort to Rehabilitate Suharto's Reputation Grows in Indonesia - New York Times

Europe

More Than the Channel Divides Britain and France - New York Times

French Senate Passes Pension Bill - New York Times

Karadzic and Mladic Could Still Win Bosnia's War - New York Times

Swiss Official to Submit Nuke Smuggling Probe Soon - Associated Press

Middle East

Israeli Presence on Palestinian Land 'Irreversible' - BBC News

Mideast Sides Eye U.S. Midterms and Impact on Talks - Associated Press

U.N. Envoy Condemns New West Bank Settlements - Voice of America

Proposed Loyalty Oath Stirs Anger of Israeli-Arab Minority - Voice of America

Bahrainis to Vote in Parliamentary Election - BBC News

Bahrain Opposition United by Ballot Abuse Worries - Associated Press

Egypt's Ruling Party Announces President Mubarak Will Run Again - VOA

Yemen: Alleged Al-Qaida Kill Intelligence Officer - Associated Press

South Asia

Pakistan Urges U.S. to Intervene in Kashmir Dispute - Associated Press

Topics include:

1) Running out of time, Petraeus implements Biden's counterterrorism plan

2) Britain chooses to become an American auxiliary

Running out of time, Petraeus implements Biden's counterterrorism plan

Bob Woodward's latest book, Obama's Wars, discusses how, during the debate within U.S. President Barack Obama's inner circle over the best military strategy for Afghanistan, Gen. David Petraeus was the main proponent of a classic "protect the people" counterinsurgency strategy. During the debates, Petraeus railed against Vice President Joe Biden's proposal for a narrower "kinetic" counterterrorism approach that would focus on killing al Qaeda and Taliban leaders with bombs, missiles, and special-operations raids. Obama eventually gave Petraeus's plan the nod. Attempting to implement the soft touch recommended by counterinsurgency theory, former commander Gen. Stanley McChrystal severely limited the use of airstrikes and artillery and ordered U.S. ground units to disengage from firefights rather than risk firing into occupied buildings.

But that was then. Under pressure to show measureable results, Petraeus now seems to be warming up to Biden's approach more than he is likely to admit. According to the New York Times, the past three months have witnessed a sharp acceleration of airstrikes and commando raids on Taliban leadership targets. From June through September, U.S. pilots dropped 2,100 bombs and missiles on Taliban targets, a 50 percent increase from a year ago. Officers attribute the increased rate of attacks on better target intelligence, provided by a greater number of drone surveillance aircraft. Between early July and early October, special-operations forces killed 300 midlevel Taliban commanders and 800 foot soldiers, and captured another 2,000. According to Washington Post columnist David Ignatius, a recent internal study requested by Petraeus showed that 90 percent of the campaign's operational success has come from just 5 percent of the forces, led by his command's special-operations raiding teams.

With time running out until the December strategy review and July's scheduled drawdown, Petraeus has cast away McChrystal's soft touch. Furthermore, the counterinsurgency mantra of "clear-hold-build-transfer" no longer seems relevant given the time pressure to deliver credible progress. Petraeus's strategy now appears to be pure coercion, directed at mid- and higher-level Taliban leaders. Perhaps Petraeus has removed the Counterinsurgency Field Manual from his nightstand, and replaced it with Thomas Schelling's Arms and Influence, the Cold War-era primer on the utility of military coercion.

Petraeus's tactical shift may be getting results. According to the New York Times, the general is sending in aircraft and clearing the roads to shuttle high-level Taliban leaders who are now seeking an audience with Afghan government representatives. The fear of a Hellfire missile, a laser-guided bomb, or the nighttime arrival of commandos seems the most logical explanation for the growing willingness of some Taliban commanders to talk. The metrics of counterinsurgency success -- growing acceptance by the population of the legitimate government, improved policing, falling corruption, etc. -- have not arrived and could not account for the changed calculations of these Taliban leaders.

The Afghan government and the Taliban are obviously a long way from a truce. The negotiating authority of the Taliban envoys is in question. And, according to the New York Times, the Taliban emissaries must remain anonymous, lest they be killed by the Pakistani intelligence service, which apparently has yet to sanction the idea of a settlement. In spite of these frailties, Petraeus seems eager to arrange these talks -- they seem to be the best way of showing results before the December policy review.

Obama is no doubt equally eager for progress toward a truce, if only to get another chance at resetting his Afghanistan policy. If he gets that chance, it won't be due to counterinsurgency theory but rather to tried-and-true coercion, enabled by a surprisingly small number of drone handlers, intelligence operators, and special-operations raiders. Could that make Joe Biden Obama's best military advisor?

Britain chooses to become an American auxiliary

In a recent column, I discussed the choices the new Conservative-Liberal Democrat government in Britain faced as it completed a review of its defense planning. If the top priority for British leaders was to retain the capacity for an independent foreign and defense policy, they would give top priority to nuclear deterrence and naval and air power. Ground forces would get the chop. If by contrast, British leaders were —to defer to the foreign-policy leadership of the United States, the European Union, or some other larger alliance, Britain should then choose to structure its forces to be a good partner and cut military capabilities that its friends would provide instead.

The results of the government's strategic review cum budget-slashing exercise are now in. The Strategic Defense and Security Review largely protects military capabilities most useful to allies like the United States, while taking large risks with the British military's ability to operate alone.

The Defense Ministry will suffer an 8 percent cut in real terms over the next four years. Prime Minister David Cameron has chosen to largely protect the Army, Britain's special-operations forces, and the country's purchase of the U.S.-built Joint Strike Fighter. This outcome is no doubt highly pleasing to the Pentagon. Getting the axe will be Britain's surface and amphibious naval forces, which will be hard-pressed to respond on short notice or again mount a significant independent expedition. Cameron also deferred a final decision on modernizing Britain's nuclear deterrent until after the next general election; Cameron's Liberal Democrat allies will thus get another chance to permanently kill this capability.

Cameron and his colleagues were constrained by three difficult factors. First was the government's requirement to economize across entire budget, with defense slated to do its part. Second was Cameron's pledge to sustain Britain's contribution to the land war in Afghanistan until 2015. Third was the previous Labour government's commitment to build two new large aircraft carriers, with much of their funding having already been spent. The annoying result for Cameron was that it would cost more to terminate the aircraft carrier program than to complete the two ships. The funding absorbed by the carriers has effectively sunk much of the rest of the Navy and shot down many of Britain's aircraft. The consequence of these three constraints is that more than a decade will elapse with numerous large gaps in British military capability which will include, embarrassingly, an aircraft carrier sailing with no aircraft.

The government's analysis of future threats contributed to its decision to emphasize its ties and interoperability with the United States. It judged the top tier of risks to include mass-destruction terrorism, cyberthreats, natural disasters, and international crises where Britain would act within a coalition. The government threat assessment downgraded the risks of conventional war, state-on-state conflict, and a replay of the 1982 Falklands campaign.

Mitigating the top-tier threats requires international intelligence cooperation, partnerships on cybersecurity, coordination with foreign partners on special-operations training and employment, and interoperability within multilateral military command structures such as NATO. It is thus no surprise that the defense review directs the British Army to reorganize its brigades to more similarly match their U.S. counterparts. Cameron also decided to scrap some battlefield intelligence capabilities (under the assumption the Americans will provide the data) while increasing funding for cybersecurity.

In spite of the relative chill of late between Washington and London, Cameron has decided to increase Britain's dependence on the Pentagon. He's counting on the relationship to never get too cold. And on the Pentagon not doing any of its own deep bone-cutting.

U.S.-led Afghan Reconstruction Projects to End - Washington Post

Firms Halting Afghan Projects Over Security Ban - Reuters

Taliban Leaders in Talks Lack 'Influence' - Washington Times

Afghan Insurgents Say "No Hope" For Peace Talks - Reuters

Invisible Enemy Stalks Marines in Afghan Town - Associated Press

'Wolfpack Wall' Designed to Push Insurgents Into Open Terrain - Stars and Stripes

Australian Parliament Debates Afghan War For First Time - Voice of America

Training Puts Afghan Police on Track to Take Over Security - AFPS

Combined Forces Kill Insurgents, Detain Numerous Suspects - AFPS

Afghanistan Today - New York Times editorial

Could Airstrikes Save Lives in Afghanistan? - Washington Post opinion

Pakistan

U.S. to up Pakistani Military Aid by $2B - Associated Press

U.S. to Announce Major Military Aid Package for Pakistan - BBC News

Pakistani Troops Linked to Abuses Will Lose Aid - New York Times

Pakistani Justices Resist Control - New York Times

Pakistan's Press Piles on President - Washington Post

Officials Say Bomb Kills 6 Pakistani Soldiers - Associated Press

Iraq

Maliki Concludes Trip Seeking Support for 2nd Term - Washington Post

'Sticky' Bombs, Guns With Silencers Take Toll In Iraq - NPR

Iraq Province Says Foreign Gas Firms Are Unwelcome - Reuters

Iran

Report: Berlusconi Doubts Effect of Iran Sanctions - Associated Press

Stability and Security

Report: Western Presence Fuels Yemen, Somalia Insecurity - Voice of America

What Triggers the Suicide Bomber - Los Angeles Times opinion

WikiLeaks

WikiLeaks Plans 'Major' Announcement in Europe - Associated Press

U.S. Department of Defense

Graphic Novel as an Afghanistan War Primer - Los Angeles Times

General Sees Progress in Counter-IED Fight - AFPS

Appeals Court Issues Stay on 'Don't Ask' Order - AFPS

Gates Memo Changes Discharge Authority for 'Don't Ask' Law - AFPS

'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Procedures Change - Washington Post

Gates 'Don't Ask' Memo Limits Discharge Policy - New York Times

Death for Hasan - Washington Times opinion

United States

Democrats Show Little Enthusiasm for Gun Trafficking Treaty - Washington Post

FBI Two Years Behind on Computer System - USA Today

Our Nation's Secrets, Stuck in a Broken System - Washington Post opinion

United Kingdom

Clegg on the Offensive Over Cuts - BBC News

U.K. Releases Secret File on Weapons Scientist Death - Associated Press

Dr Kelly's Death 'Self-inflicted' - BBC News

Nuclear Submarine HMS Astute 'Grounded on Rocks' - BBC News

Canada

Canadian Colonel Is Given 2 Life Jail Terms - New York Times

Africa

Activists Say Sudan Arrested Darfuris After U.N. Trip - Reuters

World Blockade on Somalia Urged - BBC News

African Union Seeks Air, Naval Blockade of Somalia - Associated Press

Somalia: Civilian Casualties Mount in Mogadishu - Los Angeles Times

Nigerian Bombing Suspect Bail Hearing Resumes Friday - Voice of America

Nigeria Holds Secret Bomb Hearing - BBC News

Guinea Run-off Election in Doubt - BBC News

Americas and Caribbean

Mexico Arrests Man Who Directed Fatal Juarez Bomb Attack - Los Angeles Times

Mexico Arrests Man Accused of Detonating Car Bomb - Associated Press

Trial Starts in CentAm Parliament Killings - Associated Press

Rousseff Extends Lead as Brazil Runoff Vote Nears - Reuters

Cuban Dissident Wins E.U. Human Rights Prize - Voice of America

Cuba Agrees to Release Five More Dissidents - BBC News

Report Assails Haiti Officers in Prison Killings - New York Times

Suspected Cholera Kills Nearly 140 In Haiti - Reuters

Asia Pacific

China Has Ability to Hijack U.S. Military Data - Bloomberg

U.S. Cites Differences With China Over Nobel Winner - Voice of America

Tokyo Says Japan And China Should Avoid Tit-For-Tat - Reuters

Language Protests Spread Among Tibetan Students - Associated Press

Tibetan Student Protests 'Spread' - BBC News

U.N. Envoy Defends Falun Gong, "Evil Cult" For China - Reuters

U.S. Admiral Warns Against Another N. Korea Nuke Test - Associated Press

Activity Detected At N. Korea Nuclear Test Site - Reuters

U.N. Doubts Fairness of Election in Burma - New York Times

U.N. Casts Doubt Over Burma Election - BBC News

U.N. Envoy Asks Myanmar for 'Signal' Before Election - Associated Press

Indonesia Military Confirms Papua Torture - BBC News

Thai Flooding Is Called Worst in Decades - New York Times

Europe

French Government Debates Reforms as Unions Ponder More Strikes - VOA

French Leader Vows to Punish Violent Protesters - New York Times

French Police Break Key Blockade - BBC News

Serbia Tested as War Crimes Suspect Roams Free - New York Times

Spanish Police Arrest 13 ETA Youth Members - Reuters

Middle East

Clinton Reaffirms U.S. Commitment to Middle East Solution - VOA

Settlers Race to Build Units in West Bank - New York Times

Settlers Start 600 New Homes After Ban Ends - BBC News

Fearing New Freeze, West Bank Settlers Rush to Build - Reuters

Turkey's Nemesis, Greece, New Friend to Israel - Washington Times

Jordanian Election Doubts Raised - BBC News

Egypt's Hosni Mubarak to Seek Sixth Term - BBC News

South Asia

Communists in India Fight to Hold On to Mission - New York Times

Sikhs Lament Obama Plan to Bypass India Temple - New York Times

The wait and the flight gave me time to consider all I'd heard from the many fine professionals working to stabilize southern Afghanistan. People mostly believed in their work and that they were making a difference at the local level. But nobody has a good answer when we ask about the corrupt power brokers like Ahmed Wali Karzai (AWK), Abdul Rahman Jan (ARJ), Gul Agha Sherzai, and Sher Mohammad Akhundzada, not to mention President Karzai himself.

These men wield immense power in Afghanistan, controlling large economic enterprises, political patronage organizations, private militia, local security forces, narcotics trade, and official government posts. They are often protected by Karzai himself, due to their relationships or their danger to the Afghan President (or both). They live in huge garish mansions and own dozens of firms that scoop up American aid contracts while also (allegedly) fueling corruption, intimidation, and narcotics trafficing. They are feared and despised by much of the population, sapping the legitimacy of both GiROA (for whom they work) and ISAF (who showers them with money). Some of them may have ties to the Taliban and collaborate when it suits their interests.

Afghanistan's so called leaders seem to value greed and short term power over the long term peace and prosperity for the Afghan people. So what can be done? This is where tough political work is necessary. My experience is in the Balkans where the generation of post-Dayton leaders were just as unsavory as those in Afghanistan. What we did was to offer a very clear vision of post-Dayton integration into Europe and backed it with political, economic, and military leverage on each group. Leaders in the Balkans had a choice: 1) get with the program and become a post-war leader of their nation, 2) obstruct and find political isolation (at best) or be detained for war crimes (at worst). Biljana Plavsic is one example. An extreme Serb Nationalist and war criminal, Plavsic responded in a pragmatic way to this choice (and the more moderate political mood in her political base of Banja Luka), helping to pass some key measures to strengthen the new Bosnian government.

Leverage in Afghanistan appears harder to come by, but perhaps we're just not —to use what we have. Money is an obvious one. We currently throw assistance money at parts of Afghanistan that need help. And we're giving the money to contractors owned/controlled by the power brokers in these areas that are generally not helping. Maybe we want to spend money in areas and on companies controlled by leaders that are helping. Cancel some contracts tied to a guy that is being obstructionist. Let's see if that changes the behavior in Afghanistan.

We need to balance some of the structural and community based objectives with this political approach but that is doable — having political leadership that knows we will use leverage is worth that sacrifice. We also need to better leverage political relationships. It starts with establishing leverage on Karzai who can then put pressure on provincial level officials. For both Karzai and others, we can leverage our influence with neighboring states, global business interests, and global media. Finally, we have all the tools and influence of our military and intelligence presence in Afghanistan. There have to be ways we can better leverage our hard power advantage.

This is not to imply that we should try to remove these guys. Much better to co-opt or push these guys into being constructive than to challenge their survival. But we need to be —to do that if they are an enemy of the peace. Being part of the solution offers its own advantages: political recognition, access to US and international officials, direct and indirect financial rewards, and most important, the chance to be remembered in Afghan history as a leader not a criminal. Until Afghanistan gets more leaders and fewer criminals, our mission there is difficult.

SWJ Editors' Note: Nick Dowling is a small wars policy wonk with experience in OSD, the NSC Staff, NDU, and the contracting sector. He has worked on stability operations for 16 years, most prominently on Bosnia and Kosovo as a Clinton Administration appointee and Iraq and Afghanistan as a DoD contractor. He is currently President of IDS International, a leader in interagency and "soft power" types of support to the US military. He is a graduate of Harvard, got his masters at Georgetown, and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

In a recent essay, I discussed why a containment and deterrence strategy is the path of least resistance in response to Iran's future nuclear weapons capability. I also explained why executing such a policy won't be easy.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates has hoped that Iran's leaders would figure out that their nuclear program is reducing, not increasing, Iran's security. The U.S. government's massive sale of offensive armament to Saudi Arabia is designed to be as clear a signal to Tehran as is possible.

No one should expect Iran's leaders to change course at this point. The question is whether Saudi Arabian F-15s armed with JDAMs and HARMs can by themselves provide effective deterrence against Iranian nuclear-armed surface-to-surface ballistic missiles. If not, U.S. leaders will face difficult questions about what additional measures might be necessary to create strategic balance around the Persian Gulf.

The video from last week's

Conversation and Book Signing with Dave Kilcullen is now posted, on the

Marine Corps Association

YouTube channel.  Part one of eight below, the other parts are accessible

through the related videos links or: 

2,

3,

4,

5,

6,

7,

8. 

Dave Kilcullen kicks off 1:42 into the clip, after we acknowledge the sponsors that

made the event possible.

There's a synopsis of the discussion in

this post at the Gazette.

There was a great demand for Dr. Kilcullen's latest book,

Counterinsurgency.  All that book signing was thirsty work; fortunately,

no one went thirsty or hungry.  We're also glad we were able to present Dave

a small token of our appreciation of his long support for and involvement with Small

Wars Journal.

Again, our thanks to: