WAR 06-10-2017-to-06-16-2017_____****THE****WINDS****of****WAR****

[Housecarl]

Hey all, as you may have noticed I've been not posting full articles as much as replying a lot lately...Well I've been on my "smart" phone a lot due to work tempo...I'm also having to move in the next 30 days so I may well be posting even less in the near future full articles...Just letting everyone know what I've got going on...HC

(272) 05-20-2017-to-05-26-2017_____****THE****WINDS****of****WAR****
http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/show...26-2017_____****THE****WINDS****of****WAR****

(273) 05-27-2017-to-06-02-2017_____****THE****WINDS****of****WAR****
http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/show...02-2017_____****THE****WINDS****of****WAR****

(274) 06-03-2017-to-06-09-2017_____****THE****WINDS****of****WAR****
http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/show...09-2017_____****THE****WINDS****of****WAR****

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For links see article source.....
Posted for fair use.....
http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zon...tired-carrier-uss-kitty-hawk-out-of-mothballs

US Navy Looking At Bringing Retired Carrier USS Kitty Hawk Out Of Mothballs

Bringing back its last operational conventionally powered supercarrier would help the Navy make its 12 carrier fleet goal a reality.*

By Tyler Rogoway
June 8, 2017

As the US Navy struggles to figure out how it can reach its new goal of a 355 ship fleet—up from 275 ships today—as quickly as possible, it has been looking towards extending the life of the ships it already has in service. Now the service is also examining the possibility of selectively pulling ships out of mothballs, refurbishing them, and sending them back to the fleet. One ship in particular may have a better shot than others at sailing the high seas once again—the USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63)—America's last operational conventionally fueled supercarrier.


The Navy Now Says It Can Get More Service Life Out Of Its Existing Fleet
By Tyler Rogoway
Posted in The War Zone
The US Navy's Newly Delivered Supercarrier Still Needs a Ton of Work
By Joseph Trevithick
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Florida's Full Court Press to Bring a Supercarrier Back to Mayport
By Tyler Rogoway
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7 Revolutionary Hardware Changes the US Navy Should Make in the Trump Era
By Tyler Rogoway
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30 Hornets Pulled From Boneyard, Navy Eyes Ditching New Carrier Arresting Gear
By Tyler Rogoway
Posted in The War Zone


The head of the Navy's Sea Systems Command, Vice Admiral Thomas Moore, stated that while most ships in the inactive fleet are in too sorry a state to be worth reviving, the*USS Kitty Hawk may not be: "Of the carriers that are in inactive force, probably Kitty Hawk is the one that you could think about. But we studied that when we decommissioned Enterprise, and the carriers are pretty old."

USN

Certainly pulling a carrier directly back into service would go a long way to bridging America's "carrier gap" and would make President's Trump's demand for a 12 supercarrier fleet*much more obtainable. Currently the Navy has 10 operational supercarriers, and with the USS Gerald Ford's*(CVN-78)*entry into service date murky at best, that number may not increase for years to come.*

USN via USNI

Even just the possibility of Kitty Hawk returning to the fleet is likely music to the ears of those in Mayport, Florida, who have been begging the US Navy to return a supercarrier to the naval station there. The facility was never upgraded to support nuclear propulsion, so after the USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67) was retired in 2007, it has been without a resident supercarrier, which hurt the local economy and also has strategic implications as well. The*Kitty Hawk would be an ideal candidate to call the base home without the need for major infrastructure investments.

USN
Some of the other ships that would seem to be likely candidates for revival will probably be passed over—specifically the first five Ticonderoga class cruisers that sit quiet on the Delaware River. These ships didn't feature Mark 41 vertical launch systems, instead being equipped with twin-arm Mark 26 missile launchers and their associated magazines. But still, many have regarded their rickety reserve status a huge waste of latent surface warfare potential. Moore thinks otherwise, and probably for good reason.

The ships are vastly outdated compared to their active counterparts, and would take serious money to get them even close to their fleet counterparts standard. Not just that, but they have been cannibalized for spare parts in recent years. Moore says: "Most of those ships, from a combat systems perspective, are pretty obsolete...We probably wouldn’t bring them back and they’ve kind of been spare-parts lockers the last couple of years."*

Bigbird78/wikicommons
The sorry state of the USS Ticonderoga (CG-47) at naval yards in Philadelphia.*

Regenerating old ships is all about balancing the cost of bringing them back into service based on what mission sets they could provide, how degraded a capability compared to their modern counterparts is acceptable, and how long they could remain in service once the money has been invested in them.

Aside from the Kitty Hawk, the best candidates for regeneration are the ships that could take on lower-end tasks, and thus not require the huge amount of technological investment as their more advanced cousins require. Primarily this includes the Navy's mothballed logistical ships and especially its Oliver Hazard Perry*class frigates. The tough Oliver Hazard Perry class ships were*retired too soon by many accounts—a symptom of their fiscal neglect more than anything else—and were ripe for a major upgrade like many of the second-hand models operated by allied Navies around the globe have received. Some of these enhancements include the installation of Mark 41 vertical launch systems and upgrades to the ship's sensors and combat systems.*

USN
Oliver Hazard Perry class frigate USS Thatch patrols the Persian Gulf in 2009.

"We’ll go look at the FFGs, see if there is utility there... We’ll look at the combat logistics force, see if there’s utility there... So, there is limited opportunity in the inactive fleet but we’ll look at it ship-by-ship."

It is very likely President Trump would support such a plan, in fact*we predicted exactly this type of asset regeneration program would occur under his administration. Trump also has a personal history with being very comfortable with operating aging*but upgraded vehicles. He even hinted at the possibility of bringing back the*Iowa class battleship during his campaign, although that is extremely unlikely to ever happen regardless of the political will involved.

 

[Housecarl]

Can you say "yo-yo"?....

For links see article source.....
Posted for fair use.....
http://www.military.com/daily-news/...eds-up-to-74000-more-soldiers-chief-says.html

Active Army Needs up to 74,000 More Soldiers, Chief Says

Military.com | 9 Jun 2017 | by Matthew Cox

The U.S. Army's chief of staff told Congress recently that the service's active force should add up to 74,000 more soldiers over the next decade to deal with the increasing demands on the operational force.

In addition to a larger active force, Gen. Mark Milley told members of the Senate Appropriations Committee on June 7 that the National Guard should add up to 12,000 soldiers and the Reserves should increase its end-strength by up to 10,000 soldiers.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, said he believed that the demands on the Army over the next decade will only increase.

"How big should the Army be in the next decade Gen. Milley?" Graham asked.

Milley told Graham that "my guess is somewhere for the regular Army is somewhere in and around the 540,000-550,000 range."

"For the National Guard, I'd like to see them in the 350,000-355,000 range and for the Reserves somewhere around the 205,000-209,000 range," Milley said.

The Army's $166 billion budget request for fiscal 2018 continues to support the increased end-strength of all components mandated in the fiscal 2017 National Defense Authorization Act, including the move to increase the active force from a previous target of 450,000 to 476,000 in fiscal 2017.

The request funds a 343,000-member National Guard and a 199,000-member Reserve force.

Milley added, however, that Secretary of Defense James Mattis, is currently leading a strategic review to determine the future size and capabilities of the U.S. Military.

The Army's budget request is about $15 billion, or 10 percent, larger than the recently enacted fiscal 2017 spending plan. The increase in funding for the entire U.S. Military under Trump Administration's budget request, many lawmakers argue, is only made possible through dramatic cuts to several domestic agencies including the State Department.

Graham asked Milley to characterize the importance of agencies such as State Department play in the defense of the United States.

"We have to use not only the military forces, but we need the State Department, the CIA, the FBI," Milley said. "Those all participate in various capacities, so it's important to have a whole-of-government approach to the conduct of war."

Graham characterized the proposed cuts to domestic agencies to pay for increased defense spending as a "problem."

"I appreciate the increase in defense, but the cuts ... are real and they will affect our ability to defend the nation too," Graham said.

-- Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com.

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For links see article source.....
Posted for fair use.....
http://taskandpurpose.com/desperate-retain-troops-army-offers-90k-reenlistment-bonuses/

Desperate To Retain Troops, Army Offers $90K Reenlistment Bonuses

By Sarah Sicard on June 7, 2017

The Army’s inability to fill its ranks may mean mad money for soldiers considering reenlistment. As the branch struggles to increase troop levels, it’s increasing its bonus budget request for fiscal year 2018 threefold to more than $380 million, reports the Associated Press.

Roughly translated, some soldiers may be eligible to receive $90,000 up front when they sign on to serve an additional four years or more.

Army force levels are set grow by an additional 16,000 soldiers by October, bringing the total number of troops to 476,000. During his campaign, President Donald Trump had suggested he wanted to grow the Army to 540,000 active-duty soldiers.

“We’ve got a ways to go,” Gen. Robert Abrams, head of U.S. Army Forces Command, told the Associated Press in an interview from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, on June 6. “I’m not going to kid you. It’s been difficult because a lot of these kids had plans and their families had plans.”

To reach desired numbers, the Army will need to enlist 6,000 new recruits, retain an additional 9,000 current soldiers, and add 1,000 officers. Over the last two weeks, the Army has paid out over $26 million in bonuses, writes the Associated Press.

“The increased end strength of the Army will enable it to better meet the challenges of an ever-uncertain security environment but must be balanced against the readiness of the Total Force,” the Army said in a press release.

Officials tell the AP that their biggest concern between now and October will be whether they can persuade thousands of enlistees who are only months away from leaving the service to consider staying on active duty for four or more years.

They say many soldiers are looking seriously at separation plans and have already turned down a number of Army reenlistment incentives.

Who knows? Maybe sweetening the deal to $90,000 upfront will be enough to change their minds.

Sarah Sicard is a staff writer with Task & Purpose. Follow Sarah Sicard on Twitter @smsicard

sarah@taskandpurpose.com

 

[Housecarl]

For links see article source.....
Posted for fair use.....
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-40231605

Marawi siege: US special forces aiding Philippine army
1 hour ago
From the section
Asia

Media caption
An air assault by the Philippine military targets jihadists in Marawi

US special forces are helping the Philippine military retake the southern city of Marawi from IS-linked militants, the Philippine army says.

The forces are providing technical help and are not fighting, it said.

President Rodrigo Duterte had earlier threatened to throw out US troops amid strained relations since taking office.

Militants have been under siege since rampaging through the southern city on 23 May. The latest fighting has claimed the lives of 13 Philippine marines.

Hundreds of militants, who have been flying the black flag of so-called Islamic State and are led by the self-styled IS emir of the southern Philippines, Isnilon Hapilon, and the Maute brothers Omar and Abdullah, are still holed up in the city.

The latest casualties bring the number of Philippine troops killed in the fighting to 58.
At least 138 militants and 20 civilians have also been killed, the government says.

Image copyright
Reuters
Image caption
A US P3 Orion surveillance aircraft seen flying over Marawi on Friday

The BBC's Jonathan Head says there are several reports that the Maute brothers, who lead the Maute group, are among the dead, with intercepted communications from jihadist groups suggesting this.

In a press briefing, Lt Col Jo-ar Herrera said the army was checking the reports. He cited "strong indications" but gave no further details.

The brothers' parents, who are believed to have helped fund their armed group, have been captured.

Marawi is on the southern island of Mindanao, which has a significant Muslim population in the majority Catholic country and has seen a decades-long Muslim separatist insurgency.

Read more: Starving residents tell of terror in Marawi

Col Herrera confirmed for the first time that US special forces were helping the army.
"They are not fighting. They are just providing technical support," he said.

Reuters news agency earlier quoted the US embassy in Manila as verifying the presence of US forces. It would not go into operational details but said the US forces were helping at the request of the Philippine government.

The US has had a small logistical military presence in the Philippines, although a programme to advise the Philippine army on fighting the Abu Sayyaf militant group was discontinued in 2015.

Mr Duterte, a strongman who has supported the extrajudicial killing of drug users and other criminals, has been highly critical of the US since taking power last June, straining a long-time alliance.

But he had what the White House described as a "very friendly" phone call with President Donald Trump in April, and has since said his differences with the US were with President Barack Obama's administration.

Media caption
A mother talks of her family's ordeal as they hid for 11 days

Philippine army spokesman Brig Gen Restituto Padilla Jr has vowed that the national flag will be flying once again over all of Marawi by Monday - the Philippine national day.

The army has missed past deadlines to rid the city of militants amid two weeks of air and ground assaults.

Col Herrera said the militants were now restricted to three districts within the city.

"The world of terrorism inside the city is growing smaller by the day," he said.

Officials say that foreign nationals are among the militants in Marawi, with the list of countries and territories including Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Yemen, India and Chechnya.


More on this story
Starving residents tell of terror
6 June 2017
Philippines violence: Marawi civilians trapped as fire breaks truce
4 June 2017
Philippine army 'makes gains' in Marawi Islamist battle
29 May 2017
Philippines violence: 19 killed during push against jihadists
28 May 2017
Philippines violence: IS-linked fighters 'among militants in Marawi'
26 May 2017
What's happening in Marawi?
25 May 2017
Asia

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[Housecarl]

For links see article source.....
Posted for fair use.....
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-raqqa-idUSKBN1910FE

Edition: United States

World News | Sat Jun 10, 2017 | 7:13am EDT

U.S.-backed Syrian militias push into Islamic State-held Raqqa

U.S.-backed Syrian forces have advanced into opposite sides of Islamic State's so-called Syrian capital of Raqqa, the forces and a war monitor said on Saturday.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a group of Kurdish and Arab militias supported by a U.S.-led coalition, began to attack Raqqa on Tuesday after a months-long campaign to cut it off.

The U.S.-led coalition estimates that Raqqa, which Islamic State seized from Syrian rebels in 2014 during their lightning advance in Syria and Iraq, is defended by 3,000-4,000 jihadists.

It has been a hub both for Islamic State's military leaders and its bureaucrats, and has been used to plot attacks in countries around the world.

The SDF said it had seized al-Mishlab district in the far east of Raqqa on Friday and al-Sabahia district in the west. The war monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said the SDF had taken Mishlab and more than half of Sabahia.

The forces are now advancing into al-Romania district in northwest Raqqa, the SDF and the Observatory said. Islamic State had turned back an earlier SDF assault on a military base on the north side, the Observatory said.

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Islamic State still has a long sweep of territory along Syria's Euphrates valley and wide stretches of desert, despite recent losses to the SDF, the Syrian army and rebel groups.

To the west of Raqqa, the Syrian army and its allies have advanced into Islamic State territory and on Friday reached SDF lines near the town of Tabqa, 40km (25 miles) from the city.

The Syrian government has described the SDF's war against Islamic State as "legitimate" and said its military priorities are further east, suggesting it does not plan to confront the group now.

(Reporting by Angus McDowall; editing by David Clarke)

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles


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[Housecarl]

Thread links.....

Anti-Sharia law marches 'for human rights' are scheduled in 28 US cities on Saturday
Started by*hunybeeý,*Yesterday*04:35 PM
http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/show...hts-are-scheduled-in-28-US-cities-on-Saturday

Possible terror situation going in Eindhoven, Netherlands /Paisley, Scotland
Started by*mzkittyý,*Yesterday*03:29 PM
http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/show...ing-in-Eindhoven-Netherlands-Paisley-Scotland

North Korea will test-fire ICBM in not too distant future - (Rogong Sinmun)
Started by*Lilbitsnanaý,*Yesterday*10:51 PM
http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/show...ICBM-in-not-too-distant-future-(Rogong-Sinmun)

Venetian suspicious package partial evacuation
Started by*annieosageý,*Today*02:48 AM
http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/showthread.php?518601-Venetian-suspicious-package-partial-evacuation

Israel preparing a plan for partial evacuation in case of conflict with Lebanon
http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/show...uation-in-case-of-conflict-with-Lebanon/page2

Saudi Arabia and Bahrain break diplomatic ties with Qatar over 'terrorism'
http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/show...plomatic-ties-with-Qatar-over-terrorism/page4

Europe: Politics, Trade, NATO. June 2017
Started by*northern watchý,*06-02-2017*09:34 PM
http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/showthread.php?518218-Europe-Politics-Trade-NATO.-June-2017

Saudi Arabia Gives Qatar 24 Hour Ultimatum; Analysts Warn Of "Military Confrontation"
http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/show...arn-Of-quot-Military-Confrontation-quot/page3

Erdogan ratifies Turkish troop deployment to Qatar
Started by*China Connectioný,*Yesterday*07:06 AM
http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/show...an-ratifies-Turkish-troop-deployment-to-Qatar

Main Russia/Ukraine invasion thread - 8/11/16 Ukraine Military On "Combat" Alert
http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/show...ne-Military-On-quot-Combat-quot-Alert/page468

Syrian Army, Allies Gain Control Over Part of Border With Jordan - Russian MoD
Started by*Possible Impactý,*Yesterday*11:57 AM
http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/show...l-Over-Part-of-Border-With-Jordan-Russian-MoD

In "Major Escalation", Syrian Drone Attacks US-Alliance Forces (full MQ-1 Predator size)
Started by*Possible Impactý,*06-08-2017*11:44 AM
http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/show...s-US-Alliance-Forces-(full-MQ-1-Predator-size)

Russia and China Plan 'Enormous' Military Events and Cooperation
Started by*rmomahaý,*Yesterday*01:28 AM
http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/show...Plan-Enormous-Military-Events-and-Cooperation

ISIS 2017 threats, rumors and attacks, etc.
http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/showthread.php?518067-ISIS-2017-threats-rumors-and-attacks-etc./page2

North Korea Main Thread - All things Korea June 3rd - June 9th
http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/show...ain-Thread-All-things-Korea-June-3rd-June-9th

Ramadan Rage 2017: The Complete List of Jihadist Attacks Around the World
Started by*Be Well‎,*06-08-2017*05:52 PM
http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/show...ete-List-of-Jihadist-Attacks-Around-the-World

Iran rejects Trump's condolences after terror attack, calls statement 'repugnant'
Started by*Dennis Olson‎,*06-08-2017*07:01 AM
http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/show...after-terror-attack-calls-statement-repugnant

AFP: US-led coalition strikes pro-regime forces in Syria: official
Started by*Possible Impact‎,*06-06-2017*03:51 PM
http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/show...n-strikes-pro-regime-forces-in-Syria-official

Terror attack in Iran, shooting at the parliament and suicide bomb at khomeinis shrine
http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/show...nt-and-suicide-bomb-at-khomeinis-shrine/page2

Pentagon: Beijing Is Arming Its Manmade Islands in South China Sea
Started by*Heliobas Disciple‎,*06-06-2017*09:32 PM
http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/show...Arming-Its-Manmade-Islands-in-South-China-Sea

N. Korea fires multiple ground-to-ship missiles
Started by*Lilbitsnana‎,*06-07-2017*03:48 PM
http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/showthread.php?518470-N.-Korea-fires-multiple-ground-to-ship-missiles

Iraqi Kurds plan independence referendum on September 25
Started by*northern watch‎,*06-07-2017*08:46 AM
http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/show...-plan-independence-referendum-on-September-25

 

[Housecarl]

For links see article source.....
Posted for fair use.....
https://www.voanews.com/a/iranian-made-drone-targeted-coalition-patrol-syria/3894474.html

Middle East

Iranian-made Drone Targeted Coalition Patrol in Syria

June 09, 2017 7:21 PM
Carla Babb

PENTAGON —*
The armed, pro-regime drone shot down by U.S. aircraft Thursday after it fired upon U.S.-led coalition members on patrol in southern Syria was Iranian-made, officials tell VOA.

Officials said a U.S. F-15 fighter jet took down the Shahed-129 drone, which can be used for combat and reconnaissance missions.

Thursday's strike marked the first time the U.S. military had shot down an enemy aircraft in air-to-air combat since February 25, 2009, when an Iranian drone was brought down over Iraq, Central Command spokesman Major Josh Jacques told VOA Friday.

It was also the first time that pro-regime forces had tried to strike coalition forces in the area surrounding al-Tanf, an army base where members of the coalition are training Syrians to fight the Islamic State militant group, according to U.S.-led coalition spokesman Colonel Ryan Dillon.

Russian action
Pentagon spokesman Navy Captain Jeff Davis said the area around the base was largely "calm" Friday, thanks to Russia's relaying of messages from an established U.S.-Russian communication line down to the fighters near al-Tanf.

"They [the Russians] are trying to get the other parties, the pro-regime, the Iranian-backed militias, to do the right thing and to prevent them from taking actions that are destabilizing," Davis said.

But while the Pentagon was thanking Russia, the commander of Russian forces in Syria, Colonel General Sergei Surovikin, criticized the U.S.-led coalition for what he described as attempts to "block" Syrian government forces from taking control of the country's southern border.

U.S. officials admitted to VOA that some of the initial U.S.-Russia conversations were tense.

Drone launched 'dud' at patrol
Local counter-IS fighters were patrolling Thursday with coalition troops about 60 kilometers east of al-Tanf when the drone, which is similar in size to an MQ-1 Predator, launched a "dud" munition that failed to detonate, military officials said.

"It hit dirt; it didn't hit any coalition forces," Dillon said, adding that the munition caused no casualties and no damage to equipment, but was "clearly meant as an attack."

American troops were part of the targeted patrol, according to officials.

About 40 pro-regime fighters have set up camp overlooking a major road northwest of al-Tanf, in an area inside an established deconfliction zone that reaches about 55 kilometers around the base, according to officials. A larger contingency of pro-regime forces is patrolling northwest of the base outside the deconfliction zone.

"Our patrols were in the opposite direction of where the regime forces were," Dillon said.

Earlier Thursday, the U.S.-led coalition said it also destroyed two pro-regime armed technical vehicles — essentially, trucks with guns attached — that were advancing toward coalition forces within the deconfliction zone.

The coalition has said its mission is to defeat IS in Iraq and Syria, but its forces always reserve the right to defend themselves against any threat.

https://gdb.voanews.com/B47E435F-76E4-4CCA-95C5-74D6824B7714_w650_r0_s.jpg

Thursday marked the third day that coalition forces had struck pro-Syrian government forces in less than one month.

Targeted
The coalition strikes on May 18 and Tuesday and Thursday of this week all targeted armed vehicles, tanks and construction vehicles that could be used to establish defensive positions. None of the strikes so far has targeted those pro-regime forces that are stationed along a major road inside the deconfliction zone, but coalition forces continue to urge those forces to leave.

"They have not presented a threat. They have not continued to move toward our forces in al-Tanf garrison, but we will continue to attempt to get them to vacate the area," Dillon said.

Michael O'Hanlon, a senior defense fellow at the Brookings Institution, a Washington policy research group, told VOA on Thursday that the U.S. and Iran were now in "direct competition for certain access points inside eastern Syria."

"We don't necessarily want that for ourselves, but we don't want it for Iran," O'Hanlon said.

He said the U.S.-led coalition didn't feel the need to concede territory there because of the lack of Iranian constituencies in the Sunni-majority area. He also said there was a need to continue developing assets there to defeat IS.

Meanwhile, Iranians sense an opportunity created from the instability in Syria to create a continuous land bridge that would span from Iran to the Mediterranean, O'Hanlon said.

Carla Babb

Carla is VOA's Pentagon correspondent covering defense and international security issues. Her datelines include Ukraine, Turkey, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq and Korea.

 

[Housecarl]

For links see article source.....
Posted for fair use.....
https://www.thecipherbrief.com/article/asia/china-can-disarm-north-korea-blink-eye-1091

Expert Commentary

China Can Disarm North Korea in the Blink of an Eye

June 9, 2017 | Gordon Chang

Ambassador Fu Ying, Beijing’s veteran diplomat, said last month that her country had “no leverage” over North Korea unless China addressed Pyongyang’s security concerns.

Whether China addresses those concerns or not, its leverage over Pyongyang is, in a word, overwhelming.

The trend of thinking these days, both inside and outside China, is that Chinese influence over the Kim regime is limited. A White House official reported that Chinese ruler Xi Jinping told his Mar-a-Lago host, President Trump, that China did not possess the sway that the U.S. believed Beijing had. Trump later implied, in comments to the Wall Street Journal, that he accepted the position of his Chinese guest on this issue.

The China-has-limited-influence view has also found favor in the U.S. intelligence community. For instance, former Acting CIA Director Michael Morell, in an interview posted on this site May 3, questioned the assumption “embedded” in statements of senior Bush and Obama policymakers “that if only China squeezed the North hard, Pyongyang would change its behavior.” Morell said he had “real doubts about that assumption.”

There are, however, reasons to doubt the doubters. As an initial matter, the Chinese have a stranglehold over the North Korean economy. China accounts for more than 90 percent of the North’s external trade. It provides more than 90 percent of North Korea’s oil, much of it on concessionary terms. Some years, China is the source of 100 percent of the North’s aviation fuel.

China supplies at least a third of the North’s foodstuffs.

Investment from China, from both government and private sources, accounts for at least half of total foreign investment in the North.

Chinese leaders “could stop North Korea’s economy in a week,” Senator John McCain told MSNBC’s Greta Van Susteren last March. “China is the one, the only one, that can control Kim Jong-un, this crazy fat kid that’s running North Korea.”

Insults aside, McCain is right. By shutting off the oil, closing the border, and prohibiting all investment, China could bring the North to its knees in months, maybe weeks.

And there is something else Beijing can do. Over time, the renminbi, or yuan as the Chinese currency is informally known, has become the currency of choice in unofficial markets throughout the North and in the areas bordering China.

This “yuanization” creates a vulnerability for the Kim regime. Beijing could collapse the North’s economy if it took its existing notes out of circulation and replaced them with new ones, exchangeable only in China. By doing so—demonetizing—Beijing would instantly destroy much of the wealth in North Korea’s most productive sector.

China’s power over North Korea is not limited to economics, of course. Beijing is Pyongyang’s primary backer in diplomatic councils, particularly the U.N.

Moreover, the Chinese supply equipment to the Korean People’s Army and components for its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs. North Korea’s solid-fuel missiles—the ones tested on August 24, February 12, and May 21—appear to be based on China’s designs. Chinese enterprises supply the mobile launchers that make Kim’s missiles a real threat.

Yes, China provides many things, but the most important is the confidence in the minds of the senior regime figures that they are safe from the U.S., safe from South Korea, safe from the rest of the world.

Beijing may not have the power to change Kim Jong-un’s mind—it’s possible no one can do so—but the Chinese could convince regime elements that it was no longer in their interests to stick with either their weapons programs or Kim himself, who, by the way, is not especially popular, after his unprecedented demotions, purges, and executions.

This would be a particularly consequential time for Beijing to act because the North Korean regime looks especially unstable.

Most analysts think that young Kim consolidated power quickly after the death of his father in December 2011. There are, to the contrary, signs of regime turbulence. For instance, in late January the minister of state security, General Kim Wong-hong, was demoted and detained. In the following weeks, five of his senior subordinates were executed.

And, at about the same time, someone ordered the assassination of Kim Jong-nam, the elder half-brother of the North Korean despot. If Kim ordered the assassination, it betrays a sense of insecurity not evident in a Kim ruler in decades. If someone else issued the order, Kim may have lost practical control of the situation.

“There is a mass of evidence to show intra-elite divisions on a scale that has not been seen since the 1950s, and there is, equally, not much evidence to suggest that Kim Jong-un has direct control over important levers of state power,” writes Hazel Smith of SOAS University of London.

Even if the infighting is not as ferocious as Smith suggests, China has an opportunity to exploit the divisions in Pyongyang and gain dominance by offering regime elements not only money and power but also personal security.

Many analysts—especially Chinese ones—argue that Kim Jong-un’s defiance of China’s wishes proves that Beijing does not have significant influence. Those arguments ignore the fact that Chinese officials don’t expect obedience all the time. Beijing supports the North Koreans, whether or not they are compliant at any particular moment, because the Chinese believe in the longer run that their friends in Pyongyang know their place. The Chinese know they have influence but prefer not to exercise it all the time, Chung Jae-ho, a Beijing watcher at Seoul National University, told me.*

When China really wants something, it lowers the boom. Beijing, anxious to start nuclear negotiations after a North Korean missile launch, cut off oil for three days in February 2003 as a warning. Pyongyang agreed to sit down for multilateral talks shortly thereafter.

When China pulls the string, the Kims show their respect by acceding to Chinese demands.

North Korea
China
United States

The Author is Gordon Chang
Gordon G. Chang is the author of The Coming Collapse of China and*Nuclear Showdown: North Korea Takes On the World*as well as a Daily Beast columnist. Follow him on Twitter @GordonGChang.

 

[vestige]

#7:

Moreover, the Chinese supply equipment to the Korean People’s Army and components for its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs. North Korea’s solid-fuel missiles—the ones tested on August 24, February 12, and May 21—appear to be based on China’s designs. Chinese enterprises supply the mobile launchers that make Kim’s missiles a real threat.

THAT ^^^^ certainly stands out.

 

[Housecarl]

For links see article source.....
Posted for fair use.....
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-security-threats-analysis-idUSKBN19026R?il=0

World News | Fri Jun 9, 2017 | 9:12pm EDT

Iran attacks expose security gaps, fuel regional tension

By Parisa Hafezi | ANKARA
When Islamic State called on members of Iran's Sunni Muslim minority in March to wage a religious war on their Shi'ite rulers, few people took the threat seriously. And yet within three months, militants have breached security at the very heart of the nation, killing at least 17 people.

This week's attacks at parliament and the mausoleum of the Islamic Republic's founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini have exposed shortcomings among the Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) which was supposed to be protecting these potent symbols of Iran's revolution.

They have also undermined Tehran's belief that by backing offensives against Islamic State across the Middle East, it can keep the militant Sunni group away from Iran.

Undaunted, officials say Iran will step up the strategy, which includes sending fighters to battle Islamic State in Syria and Iraq alongside allied Shi'ite militia groups.

And with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the IRGC blaming Saudi Arabia for the attacks, tensions are only likely to deepen between the two arch rivals competing for influence in an already chaotic region. Riyadh denies the charges, describing Tehran instead as "the number one state sponsor of terrorism".

Wednesday's killings in Tehran by Iranian members of Islamic State drew a shocked response similar to that in Western countries when they too have been attacked by locally-born jihadists. Now Iranians are worrying about how many others are out there, planning similar assaults.

One senior Iranian official told Reuters that Islamic State had established a network of support in the country, and suggested that members' motivation was as much political and economic as to do with Sunni radicals' belief that Shi'ites are infidels.

"Sunni extremism is spreading in Iran like many other countries. And not all of these young people who join extremist groups are necessarily religious people," said the official, who asked not to be named. "But the establishment is well aware of the problem and is trying to tackle it."

Most Iranian Sunnis, who form up to 10 percent of the population, reject Islamic State's ideology. But some young Sunnis seem to regard policies of Shi'ite-led Iran as oppressive at home or aggressive abroad, such as in Iraq and Syria, pushing more of them into the arms of jihadist groups.

Iran has been trying to stem the spread of radicalism into Sunni majority regions, which are usually less economically developed. Authorities said 1,500 young Iranians were prevented from joining Islamic State in 2016.

Iran's Sistan and Baluchestan province, which borders Pakistan and Afghanistan, is home to the Balouch minority and has long been a hotbed of Sunni insurgents.

Two Sunni groups, Jaish al-Adl and Jundallah, have been fighting the IRGC for over a decade. This has mostly been in remote areas but some say it was almost inevitable that violence would eventually spread to Tehran, as it did this week.

"It's not the attacks that are surprising. It's that Iran has been able to avoid one for so long. The attacks were a wake-up call for Iran's security apparatus," said senior Iran analyst Ali Vaez of the International Crisis Group. "But so too will they probably serve as one for jihadists, who will be encouraged to exploit Iran's vulnerabilities."

"STRATEGIC FOLLY"
Since its creation shortly after the 1979 Islamic revolution, the IRGC has functioned as Iran's most powerful internal and external security force, with a sophisticated intelligence and surveillance network.

The IRGC has vowed revenge on Islamic State - known by its opponents under the Arab acronym of Daesh - but a top security official said this won't be easy.

"The attacks showed the vulnerability of our security system, at the borders and within Iran," the official said, asking not to be named. However, he added: "Many planned attacks by Daesh have been foiled by our security forces in the past years. Many terrorist cells were dismantled. Our Guards have been vigilant."

Syrian rebels and Iraqi forces are closing in on Islamic State in those countries, and the official said the group appeared to have tried to strike back in Tehran.

"The attacks are the result of Daesh being weakened in the region. They blame Iran for that ... But Iran will not abandon its fight against terrorism," he added.

Also In World News
U.S. joins battle as Philippines takes losses in besieged city
Saudi and Bahrain welcome Trump's scolding of Qatar

Open discussion of security vulnerabilities is taboo in Iran. However, Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior Iran analyst at the Washington-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies, criticized the idea that Syria and Iraq could form an effective first line of defense for Iran.

"Iranian officials have long justified their country's active military presence in Iraq and Syria as a way to keep the homeland safe," he said. "Wednesday's attacks expose the folly of that strategy."

SPIRALING TENSIONS
A senior official, who also asked not to be named, said the attacks would push Iran toward "a harsher regional policy".

Sanam Vakil, associate fellow with Chatham House's Middle East and North Africa Programme, dismissed any expectation that Tehran might try to ease spiraling tensions with Riyadh. "If we are expecting to see any change in Iran's regional policy or a retreat in any way - that is not going to happen," she said.

Newly re-elected President Hassan Rouhani has said the attacks will make Iran more united. Analysts, however, believe they will exacerbate domestic tensions between Rouhani, a pragmatist, and his rivals among hardline clergy and the IRGC.

They have repeatedly criticized Rouhani's attempts to improve relations with the outside world.

Rouhani has generally lost out to the hardliners, who through the IRGC's Al Quds force - expeditionary units which are fighting in Iraq and Syria as well as organizing Shi'ite allies - continue to call the shots. In the view of the hardliners' critics, they are helping to drive alienated Sunnis toward militant groups.

(Additional reporting by Jonathan Saul in London, Writing by Parisa Hafezi; Editing by Samia Nakhoul and David Stamp)

 

[Housecarl]

For links see article source.....
Posted for fair use.....
http://www.longwarjournal.org/archi...global-jihad-warns-of-national-boundaries.php

Zawahiri lectures on global jihad, warns of national boundaries

By Thomas Joscelyn | June 10, 2017 | tjoscelyn@gmail.com | @thomasjoscelyn

Sometime in the last few years, al Qaeda emir Ayman al Zawahiri got an editor. Known for his long-winded lectures, Zawahiri has increasingly recorded shorter messages with more focused arguments. The latest of these came yesterday, when As Sahab, al Qaeda’s propaganda arm, released the seventh episode in Zawahiri’s “Brief Messages to a Victorious Nation” series. The message is titled, “One Ummah, One War on Multiple Fronts.”

Zawahiri emphasizes a core part of his organization’s ideology: jihad is an obligation for Muslims around the globe, especially when non-believers infringe of Muslim lands. Of course, many Muslim authorities are deemed illegitimate in this view of the world, as they do not adhere to the same version of Islam espoused by the jihadists.

The message opens with images of: Hassan al-Banna, the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood; Izz Ad-Deen Al-Qassam, a Syrian Islamic thinker who preached jihad; Abdullah Azzam, co-founder of the predecessor to al Qaeda and godfather of modern jihadism; al Qaeda founder Osama Bin Laden and Abu Musab al-Suri, an ideologue whose teachings are influential; Abu Muhammad al-Turkistani, a co-founder of the al Qaeda-affiliated Turkistan Islamic party; and Taliban founder Mullah Mohammed Omar.

Zawahiri and As Sahab portray these men as part of the same jihadist tradition, stretching back into the early 20th Century.

“Our Ummah today is up against a global war in which Western and Eastern (Orthodox) Crusaders, Chinese, Hindus, Safavi Rawafidh [meaning the Iranians and allied Shiites] and secular nationalists are partners in crime,” Zawahiri says. “From the coasts of al-Maghreb (Western North Africa) to Eastern Turkistan, you will find a Muslim world confronted by aggression, occupation, repression, bombardment, and international alliances working hand in gloves with client regimes, which are outside the pale of Islam and work for the interests of the leading international criminals.”

Al Qaeda has repeatedly argued that Muslims are confronted by this supposedly grand alliance. It is an enlargement of the alleged “Zionist-Crusader” conspiracy that Osama bin Laden first made the cornerstone of his thinking in the 1990s.

Zawahiri is forced to explain how so many parties, which are often at odds with one another, are really part of the same unified effort.

“In terms of peculiarities, one region may differ slightly from another, but there are obvious common denominators, namely fighting Islam in the name of the ‘Fight against Terrorism’ and subservience to an ‘International System,’ cleverly crafted by the victors of World War II for the mutual division and theft of the natural resources of the world – specifically the Muslim world,” Zawahiri says.

The al Qaeda leader argues that the US is still the main enemy. “You will find that the major role in this criminal alliance belongs to the Americans, and then the roles gradually differ as per the power wielded by each partner and its stakes in the system,” he claims.

Zawahiri preaches unity in the face of these overwhelming odds. He quotes an Islamic verse — “And hold on strongly to the rope of Allah and be not divided amongst yourselves” — that al Qaeda routinely peppers throughout its productions.

And he says the “jurists” long ago “ruled that the lands of the Muslims have the status of a single domain.”

Zawahiri continues: “There is a consensus amongst the jurists that if the disbelieving enemy occupies a Muslim land, it becomes obligatory on its residents to defend that land, and if they find themselves unable to do so, this obligation expands in a circular fashion to those nearest to them, and so on until it encompasses Muslims all over the globe.”

Muslims “have always risen up to defend their lands regardless of nationality or race,” he continues. And this was the “prevailing norm until the demise of the Ottoman state, which had defended the lands of Islam for five centuries.”

“After the fall of the Ottomans,” Zawahiri says, “the concept of nation-states with boundaries demarcated by the infidel occupiers started holding sway, and among Muslims arose some proponents of this notion. This is why the callers of the Islamic revival actively fought against this concept.” (Supporters of Abu Bakr al Baghdadi’s Islamic State were quick to point out online that Zawahiri wanted to keep the jihad in Iraq separate from the war in Syria, which they say contradicts his stance.)

The al Qaeda emir then lists the men he counts as key revivalists, pointing out that they waged jihad far outside of their native lands.

Hassan al-Banna, an Egyptian, organized “battalions for the liberation of Palestine.” Izz ad-Deen al-Qassam, a Syrian, waged “jihad in Palestine.” Abdullah Azzam, the Palestinian, awakened “the ummah to defend Afghanistan” and declared “most unequivocally that jihad has been a Fardh Ayn (a compulsory individual obligation) since the fall of al-Andalus (Muslim Spain).”

“Then emerged the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan [the Taliban’s state], and we saw Afghans and emigrants alike pledging allegiance to it,” Zawahiri says. “Osama bin Laden and Abu Musab al Suri – both Arabs – and Abu Muhammad al-Turkistani” pledged “allegiance to Mullah Muhammad Omar, the Afghani (may Allah have mercy on each one of them).”

“So may Allah reward these pioneers, who revived the spirit of one united ummah confronting a disbelieving enemy,” Zawahiri says toward the end of his talk.

He then warns that some seek to divide the jihad according to national boundaries, which is unacceptable. It is an argument he has made in other recent productions. While it is a general point that al Qaeda has made often in the past, it is likely something that Zawahiri wants to emphasize, once again, as jihadi ideologues are currently debating the appropriate course in Syria.

“But today, there are some who want to push us back behind the lines of division drawn by disbelieving occupiers…Pakistan for Pakistanis, Syria for Syrians, Palestine for Palestinians…in the interest of whom, may we ask?” Zawahiri concludes: “May Allah help us gather our strength, bring our hearts closer, unite our ranks, and not deprive us of victory because of our sins.”

Zawahiri’s message was released with an English transcript. As Sahab and al Qaeda’s regional branches have increasingly released English-language content over the previous year. It is an indication that their media efforts have been substantially improved after facing multiple disruptions in 2014 and in the years thereafter.

[For context on the debate regarding the jihadist project in Syria, see FDD’s Long War Journal reports: Pro-Al Qaeda ideologue criticizes joint bombings by Russia and Turkey in Syria; Hay’at Tahrir al Sham leader calls for ‘unity’ in Syrian insurgency; and Ayman al Zawahiri warns against ‘nationalist’ agenda in Syria.]

Screen shots from “One Ummah, One War on Multiple Fronts”:

Gallery

Thomas Joscelyn is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Senior Editor for FDD's Long War Journal.

 

[Housecarl]

For links see article source.....
Posted for fair use.....
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/20...ur-mission-south-china-sea-guam/#.WTv2mYWcHIU

Asia Pacific

U.S. sends bombers on 10-hour mission to South China Sea from Guam

by Jesse Johnson
Staff Writer

Jun 9, 2017
Article history

Two U.S. Air Force B-1B bombers flew a 10-hour mission Thursday from Guam through the disputed South China Sea in an operation with a Navy guided-missile destroyer, the U.S. military said.

The joint training, organized under the U.S. Pacific Command’s “continuous bomber presence” program in Guam, was aimed at bolstering interoperability between the Navy and Air Force “by refining joint tactics, techniques and procedures while simultaneously strengthening their ability to seamlessly integrate their operations,” according to a statement by the U.S. Pacific Air Forces.

It did not say where exactly the flights took place, and did not refer to the exercise as a “freedom of navigation operation” that challenges what the U.S. calls Beijing’s excessive claims to the South China Sea.

China said in a statement Friday that it was monitoring the situation.

“China always maintains vigilance and effective monitoring of the relevant country’s military activities in the South China Sea,” the Defense Ministry said in a statement, referring to the United States.

“China’s military will resolutely safeguard national sovereignty, security and regional peace and stability,” it added.

China has ramped up its naval and air operations in the strategic waters of the South China Sea, sending bombers and fighter jets on “combat patrols” that Beijing has called a “regular practice.”

The Pentagon said this week in its annual report on China’s military that Beijing was constructing 24 fighter-sized hangars, fixed-weapons positions and other military-grade infrastructure on each of the three major features it occupied in the South China Sea as of late last year.

“China’s Spratly Islands outpost expansion effort is currently focused on building out the land-based capabilities of its three largest outposts — Fiery Cross, Subi and Mischief Reefs — after completion of its four smaller outposts early in 2016,” the report to Congress said.

“Once all these facilities are complete, China will have the capacity to house up to three regiments of fighters in the Spratly Islands” in the strategic waterway.
China claims virtually the entire South China Sea, through which more than $5 trillion in annual trade passes. Last month, Washington twice complained of “unsafe” encounters between U.S. reconnaissance planes and Chinese fighter jets in the skies above the waters.

The U.S. has also recently sent the B-1B to the Korean Peninsula and surrounding area for joint exercises with the South Korean military and Japanese Self-Defense Forces as part of a warning to nuclear-armed North Korea over its recent provocations, including a spate of missile tests.

Originally developed to carry atomic weapons, the bomber — converted to its exclusively conventional combat role in the mid-1990s — is no longer nuclear-capable. It can, however, carry the largest payload of both guided and unguided weapons in the U.S. Air Force’s inventory.

 

[Housecarl]

For links see article source.....
Posted for fair use.....
https://lasvegassun.com/news/2017/jun/10/indian-army-says-it-has-killed-6-insurgents-in-kas/

Indian army says it has killed 6 insurgents in*Kashmir

By the Associated Press
Saturday, June 10, 2017 | 5:55 a.m.

SRINAGAR, India — The Indian army said Saturday that it foiled infiltration bids by suspected militants from the Pakistani side along a heavily militarized de facto border dividing Kashmir between the two countries and killed six intruders in two days.

Col. Rajesh Kalia, an army spokesman, said the soldiers spotted a group of heavily armed militants in western Uri sector Friday and an exchange of gunfire left five intruders dead.

Kalia said there was another exchange of gunfire with another group of intruders in northwestern Gurez sector Saturday that killed one militant.

He said there were no casualties on the Indian side. There was no independent confirmation of the Indian claim.

India accuses Pakistan of arming and training insurgents who allegedly cross over and attack Indian forces and other targets. Pakistan denies the charge. The rebels have been fighting for independence of Kashmir or its merger with Pakistan since 1989.

Nearly 70,000 people have been killed in the armed uprising and ensuing Indian military crackdown.

Rebel groups have largely been suppressed by Indian forces in recent years. However, public opposition to Indian rule remains deep and is now principally expressed through street protests marked by youths hurling stones at government forces.

 

[Lilbitsnana]

Steve Herman‏Verified account @W7VOA 2h2 hours ago

Steve Herman Retweeted The Associated Press

"We are aware of an incident in Eastern Afghanistan. We will release more information when appropriate," states @USFOR_A.

Steve Herman added,

The Associated PressVerified account @AP
Two U.S. soldiers killed after an Afghan army solider opens fire on them, Afghan official says. http://apne.ws/2s8dYFP

posted for fair use
https://apnews.com/a3e2c6c959704927...n=SocialFlow&utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=AP

Afghan official: Afghan soldier kills 2 US soldiers

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Two U.S. soldiers were killed Saturday when an Afghan army solider opened fire on them in eastern Afghanistan, an Afghan official said.

Attahullah Khogyani, spokesman for the provincial governor in Nangarhar province, said that two other U.S. soldiers are wounded in the attack, which took place in the Achin district. He said the Afghan soldier was killed after the attack.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement that a Taliban loyalist had infiltrated the Afghan army “just to attack foreign forces.”

A statement from the U.S. military said merely that the military was “aware of an incident in eastern Afghanistan.”

White House spokesman Raj Shah told reporters traveling with the President Donald Trump in New Jersey that Trump was “following the emerging situation in Afghanistan.”

Such insider attacks have happened before in Afghanistan. In March, another Afghan soldier was killed after he opened fire on foreign forces at a base in Helmand province, wounding three U.S. soldiers.

 

[Lilbitsnana]

The Intel Crab Retweeted
Maxim A. Suchkov‏ @Max_A_Suchkov 25m25 minutes ago

#Russia Ambassador in #Doha says the row b/n #Qatar & #SaudiArabia is just in its "fighting reconnaissance" stage now.


The Intel Crab Retweeted
Hasan Sari‏Verified account @HasanSari7 1h1 hour ago
Replying to @HasanSari7

�� #German foreign minister Gabriel tells newspaper that #Qatar crisis 'could lead to war', still sees chance to defuse tensions-Reutets.


The Intel Crab Retweeted
Ragıp Soylu‏Verified account @ragipsoylu 22h22 hours ago
Replying to @ragipsoylu

#BREAKING Erdoğan, "We know who was happy in #Gulf when there was a coup attempt in Turkey. If they have Intel agencies, we have too"

 

[Housecarl]

http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/show...*WINDS****of****WAR****&p=6493605#post6493605

Shacknasty Shagrat
Veteran Member

Join Date
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Location
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Posts
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The top dogs are telling each other to back off.
SS

' Aldin Abazović ����‏ @CT_operative 14m14 minutes ago

Russia Lavrov in a phone conversation with #US Tillerson warned him not to strike #Syria pro-government forces again.
5 replies 26 retweets 18 likes
https://twitter.com/CT_operative

 

[Housecarl]

Steve Herman‏Verified account @W7VOA 2h2 hours ago

Steve Herman Retweeted The Associated Press

"We are aware of an incident in Eastern Afghanistan. We will release more information when appropriate," states @USFOR_A.

Steve Herman added,


posted for fair use
https://apnews.com/a3e2c6c959704927...n=SocialFlow&utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=AP

Afghan official: Afghan soldier kills 2 US soldiers

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Two U.S. soldiers were killed Saturday when an Afghan army solider opened fire on them in eastern Afghanistan, an Afghan official said.

Attahullah Khogyani, spokesman for the provincial governor in Nangarhar province, said that two other U.S. soldiers are wounded in the attack, which took place in the Achin district. He said the Afghan soldier was killed after the attack.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement that a Taliban loyalist had infiltrated the Afghan army “just to attack foreign forces.”

A statement from the U.S. military said merely that the military was “aware of an incident in eastern Afghanistan.”

White House spokesman Raj Shah told reporters traveling with the President Donald Trump in New Jersey that Trump was “following the emerging situation in Afghanistan.”

Such insider attacks have happened before in Afghanistan. In March, another Afghan soldier was killed after he opened fire on foreign forces at a base in Helmand province, wounding three U.S. soldiers.

Report from an hour ago stated that one of the wounded US soldiers has died....

 

[Housecarl]

I wonder how well this is going to work?.....

For links see article source.....
Posted for fair use.....
http://www.dw.com/en/asian-security-alliance-brings-india-and-pakistan-fully-on-board/av-39194683

Asian security alliance brings India and Pakistan fully on board

India and Pakistan have nuclear weapons and a bloody history. Now they are full members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a Chinese-led economic and security alliance that seeks to build stability for the region.

Video

Date 10.06.2017
Duration 00:47 mins.

 

[Lilbitsnana]

I read that the other day (yesterday?) and it doesn't bode well. Just another group that will be fighting against us (more like firing nukes at us) when WW3 or whatever number people want to call it, kicks off.

I also read that Pakistan is sending the 20,000 troops to Qatar at the demand of China.

I wonder how well this is going to work?.....

For links see article source.....
Posted for fair use.....
http://www.dw.com/en/asian-security-alliance-brings-india-and-pakistan-fully-on-board/av-39194683

Asian security alliance brings India and Pakistan fully on board

India and Pakistan have nuclear weapons and a bloody history. Now they are full members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a Chinese-led economic and security alliance that seeks to build stability for the region.

Video

Date 10.06.2017
Duration 00:47 mins.

 

[Housecarl]

I read that the other day (yesterday?) and it doesn't bode well. Just another group that will be fighting against us (more like firing nukes at us) when WW3 or whatever number people want to call it, kicks off.

I also read that Pakistan is sending the 20,000 troops to Qatar at the demand of China.

If that's the case, the Saudis aren't going to be happy in the least and the PRC is going to either have to step up to replace the aid the Saudis have been supplying Pakistan else run an enlarged risk of a nuclear failed state on their western border.

 

[Housecarl]

For links see article source.....
Posted for fair use.....
http://www.militarytimes.com/articles/rights-groups-many-casualties-in-mosul-from-heavy-weapons

Rights groups: Many casualties in Mosul from heavy weapons

By: Balint Szlanko, The Associated Press, June 10, 2017 (Photo Credit: Karim Sahib/AFP via Getty Images)

MOSUL, Iraq — Large numbers of civilians are being killed and injured in western Mosul because Iraqi and U.S.-backed coalition forces are relying on the use of heavy weapons as they struggle to push Islamic State group militants from the city, human rights organizations warned.

Heavy ordnance, such as 500-pound (227-kilogram) air-delivered bombs, are causing excessive and disproportionate damage to civilian life and property, which is prohibited under international humanitarian law, organizations including Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and the Center for Civilians in Conflict warned.

Their combined report released Thursday also pointed to the use of artillery systems, including heavy mortars and locally fabricated rocket launchers that lack a guidance mechanism, and are therefore inherently imprecise and indiscriminate.

"Such disproportionate military attacks are prohibited under international humanitarian law," the report said.

Backed by the U.S.-led international coalition, Iraq last October launched a wide-scale military offensive to recapture Mosul and the surrounding areas, with various Iraqi military, police and paramilitary forces taking part in the operation. The city's eastern half was declared liberated in January, and the push for the city's western section, separated from the east by the Tigris River, began the following month.

Iraqi forces are in their last push to drive IS militants from the remaining pockets of territory they still hold in the Old City where narrow streets and a dense civilian population are complicating the fight.

The use of powerful and often inaccurate weapons is problematic because a very large number of civilians — as many as 180,000, according to the United Nations — remain in the IS-controlled areas of the city, now little more than 1.5 square miles (4 square kilometers). The situation is made more difficult by IS' practice of using civilians as human shields and stopping people from leaving.

Many of the recently retaken areas of western Mosul are reduced to rubble, in some cases with entire families killed in airstrikes or shelling.

Amran Waabdullah Jumaa, 35, said his mother was killed on 12 May in an airstrike outside their house in the 17 Tammouz district. They buried her in the garden along with another woman who had died in the same strike.

"She was killed by these American smart bombs or whatever they call them," he said.

Ahmed Najim Abdullah, 27, a resident of the Zanjili district of western Mosul, lost three members of his family when their house collapsed on them after an airstrike. He was trying to dig the rest of them out from under the rubble when another rocket hit, injuring him in several places.

"It's well known that the houses there are very old, the missiles weigh over 200 kilos (440 pounds), it hits the house and when it hits one house the next four or five houses will collapse with it too," he said in his hospital bed in Irbil.

Military analysts say that Iraqi and coalition forces rely on these weapons because they are trying to minimize their own casualties, which have been considerable. According to a recent U.S. Defense Department report, Iraqi special forces have suffered a staggering 40 percent casualty loss in Mosul so far.

The U.S.-led coalition estimates that its airstrikes unintentionally killed at least 484 civilians between the start of the Mosul campaign and June 2. Airwars, the United Kingdom-based non-governmental organization that monitors airstrikes, believes the real number may be as high as 3,800. These numbers do not include the number of people who have been killed by artillery shelling, for which there is no reliable estimate.

 

[Housecarl]

For links see article source.....
Posted for fair use.....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/worl...2ab5745db2e_story.html?utm_term=.06d21bb9aa21

Qatari capital brims with fear, uncertainty and resilience as Arab crisis intensifies

By Sudarsan Raghavan June 10 at 3:09 PM

DOHA, Qatar — Hanan bought extra suitcases on Friday. The Egyptian doctor, who has lived in this energy-rich nation for four years, had already gone to her bank and transferred some of her savings to Egypt. And she went to her children’s schools to get their academic records.

She’s taking them — and any valuables she can carry — when she and her family fly to Cairo to see relatives in a few days. That’s because they may not return.

“All the Egyptians here are feeling unstable,” said the doctor, who declined to give her family name because she feared repercussions. “We don’t know what will happen. Maybe Qatar will ask us to leave or Egypt might ask us to come back.”

It’s been a week since several Arab countries — led by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt — severed ties and imposed an economic blockade on Qatar after they accused it of supporting terrorism. The mood in this waterside Persian Gulf capital is a mix of fear, uncertainty and resilience as residents struggle to cope with a political and diplomatic crisis few imagined would so dramatically upend their world.

On Friday, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson urged the Saudi-led bloc to immediately ease the blockade, saying it has led to “unintended consequences” including food shortages, separated families and children being “pulled out of school.” He added that the blockade was also harming American and international businesses, while “hindering U.S. military actions in the region and the campaign against the Islamic State.”

[Trump seems to undercut Tillerson’s remarks on Qatar]

Less than an hour later, President Trump appeared to undermine Tillerson’s plea by telling reporters in Washington that Qatar has historically been a “funder of terrorism at a very high level”, an accusation Qatar’s government has strongly denied.

Members of the Saudi-led bloc welcomed Trump’s demand that Qatar end its “funding and its extremist ideology,” but they have kept silent on Tillerson’s call to ease the economic pressure on the Gulf state. The UAE government in a statement Friday praised Trump’s “leadership in challenging Qatar’s troubling support for extremism.”

Saudi Arabia’s official news agency reported Saturday on Tillerson’s briefing but made no mention of his description of the blockade as harmful to ordinary residents in Qatar or U.S. business and the fight against the Islamic State.

The Saudi-led bloc has severed links to Qatar — a nation heavily dependent on imports of food and other necessities — by land, sea and air. Member states have also given Qatari nationals living abroad two weeks to leave their countries, as well as for any of their own citizens to return from Qatar.

Human rights watchdog Amnesty International in a statement Friday said Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE “are toying with the lives of thousands Gulf residents as part of their dispute with Qatar.”

“These drastic measures are already having a brutal effect, splitting children from parents and husbands from wives,” said James Lynch, deputy director of the group’s global issues program. “People from across the region — not only from Qatar, but also from the states implementing these measures — risk losing jobs and having their education disrupted.”

“We are worried about losing access to our relatives in other GCC countries,” said Walaa El-Kadi, a Lebanese woman who has lived much of her life in Qatar. She was referring to the Gulf Cooperation Council, a body of six Persian Gulf countries that includes Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.


Mustafa, also from Lebanon, is worried, too. He’s a manager in a construction company, which this week has already faced delays in several projects. The firm used to bring raw materials and other goods over the border from Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Now, with the border with Saudi Arabia closed and shipping lanes shut, the company is forced to turn to Germany, India and other nations for raw materials.

“We’re facing delays of at least two to three weeks,” said Mustafa, who also feared giving his family name.

[Bahrain and UAE criminalize ‘sympathy’ for Qatar]

Both Bahrain and the UAE have publicly declared it a crime, punishable by multiyear prison sentences, to show sympathy for Qatar or to criticize their governments’ policies toward Qatar on social media or any other means of communication.

At several supermarkets, there were some shortages of foods imported from Saudi Arabia, such as milk and yogurt. But the panic-driven long lines and hoarding seen earlier in the week was gone. There were now milk and juice from Turkey, a key ally of Qatar, on the shelves, mitigating the lack of products from Saudi Arabia and the UAE.


Still, there remain some concerns about the future availability of some foods.

“Just now, when I was buying 12 kilograms of onions, they asked me if I really needed that much onions,” said Haithem Elgamal, 19, referring to the workers in the Al Meera supermarket.

At Doha’s Hamad International Airport, taxi drivers were fuming. Dozens of flights, mostly those of the national carrier Qatar Airways, had been suspended or rerouted. That meant fewer passengers arriving and fewer fares for the drivers. “It’s really bad,” lamented one.

While some residents fear that war could erupt between Qatar and its neighbors, many Qataris were resilient, even defiant. Some patriotically placed Qatar’s flag in front of their houses, and there was a sense the diplomatic dispute could create long-term animosities.

“I will never buy Saudi Arabian and UAE products again,” said a Qatari man leaving the Al Meera supermarket. “I will stay loyal to the people who support us now.”

Elgamal was born in Qatar, but holds Egyptian citizenship. He said Qatar should remain independent and not kowtow to the demands of the Saudi-led bloc. “I will not leave Qatar even if Egypt calls us back,” he said. “This is my first country.”

For Hanan, the pressure is building day by day.

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Her family and friends in Egypt are sending emails and Facebook messages every day, concerned about her safety.

A lot of her friends have postponed their trips, fearing they may not be able to return. That’s why she’s carrying her most treasured possessions.

“I could postpone the trip, but I am too scared to stay,” she said.

Jia Naqvi in Doha also contributed to this report.

Read more

Three maps show how the Qatar crisis means trouble for Qatar Airways

Trump jumps into worsening dispute between Qatar and powerful Arab bloc

A day in Libya’s capital, just as the civil war reignites

Today’s coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news

6 Comments

Sudarsan Raghavan is The Post's Cairo bureau chief. He was previously based in Nairobi, Baghdad and Kabul for the Post. Follow @raghavanWaPo

 

[Housecarl]

Hummm....

For links see article source.....
Posted for fair use.....
https://www.rferl.org/a/qatar-hires-lawyer-boycott-terrorism-allegations-saudis-trump/28539933.html

NEWS

Qatar Hires Former U.S. Attorney General To Rebut Terrorism Allegations

June 10, 2017 17:56 GMT

The government of Qatar has hired former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft to help the country challenge accusations from its Arab neighbors and U.S. President Donald Trump that it supports terrorism.

Qatar will pay the Ashcroft Law Firm $2.5 million for 90 days of work as the country seeks to confirm its efforts to fight global terrorism and comply with financial regulations including U.S. Treasury rules.

The revelations about the hiring of Ashcroft's law firm were contained in a filing with the U.S. Justice Department that was made on June 9 in accordance with the Foreign Agents Registration Act.

A letter submitted in the filing by Ashcroft Law Firm partner Michael Sullivan said the firm's work would "include crisis response and management, program and system analysis, media outreach, education and advocacy regarding the client's historical, current and future efforts to combat global terror and its compliance goals and accomplishments."

Qatar faces isolation by fellow Arab countries after Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.), and Egypt severed ties with Doha on June 5, accusing it of supporting Islamist militants and their adversary Iran.

Qatar denies the allegations.

On June 8, Arab states led by Saudi Arabia issued a list of Qatar-linked people and organizations it said were "terrorists" as they ratcheted up their boycott of the peninsular state.

Included on the "terrorist" list were the Egyptian leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, Yousef al-Qaradawi, and 12 Qatari-funded charities.

Trump on June 9 said Qatar "has historically been a funder of terrorism at a very high level."

Trump's remarks came shortly after U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called on Saudi Arabia and its allies to ease their land and sea "blockade against Qatar.

Saudi Arabia on June 10 praised Trump for his remarks about Qatar.

Moscow on June 10 called for dialogue to resolve the dispute.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on June 10 that Ankara hopes the rift between the "Muslim countries" would end "through peaceful dialogue before the religious holiday," referring to Eid al-Fitr which marks the end of Ramadan.

Turkey, like Qatar, has supported the Muslim Brotherhood, which led an elected government in Egypt in 2013 but was ousted from power by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

The human rights advocacy group Amnesty International, meanwhile, warned of "heartbreak and fear" suffered by ordinary people caught in the diplomatic crossfire.

With reporting by Reuters and AP

 

[Possible Impact]

http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/show...*WINDS****of****WAR****&p=6493605#post6493605

The top dogs are telling each other to back off.
SS

' Aldin Abazović ??‏ @CT_operative 14m14 minutes ago

Russia Lavrov in a phone conversation with #US Tillerson warned him not to strike #Syria pro-government forces again.
5 replies 26 retweets 18 likes
https://twitter.com/CT_operative

New thread with Reuters article on the topic:
Reuters: Russia says tells U.S. not to strike Syrian pro-government forces again
http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/show...-to-strike-Syrian-pro-government-forces-again

 

[Housecarl]

New thread with Reuters article on the topic:
Reuters: Russia says tells U.S. not to strike Syrian pro-government forces again
http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/show...-to-strike-Syrian-pro-government-forces-again

Thanks for linking the thread...HC

 

[Housecarl]

For links see article source.....
Posted for fair use.....
https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/...-missile-shelters-as-north-korea-threat-grows

Japan Weighs Adding Missile Shelters as North Korea Threat Grows

by Isabel Reynolds and Yuki Hagiwara
June 7, 2017, 11:09 PM PDT

- Ruling party submits proposal to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
- Comes hours after North Korea’s latest missile volley

Video - Why a U.S. Missile Defense System Is Angering China

Japan’s ruling party urged Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to consider building missile shelters and carrying out more evacuation drills in response to the growing threat from North Korea.

Television and other advertising should also be used to increase public awareness of the need to evacuate to a robust building or underground shopping center if a ballistic missile heads for Japan, the Liberal Democratic Party said in a proposal submitted to Abe on Thursday, hours after Kim Jong Un’s regime fired another volley of missiles.

Abe told the lawmakers submitting the proposal that he wanted to deal properly with making sure the public knows what to do in the event of a missile falling on Japan.

Nuclear-armed North Korea, which already possesses rockets that can reach Japan, has accelerated its missile-testing program this year. Abe’s government is considering how to bolster its existing two-layer missile-defense system, and his party has previously proposed obtaining the capacity to counter-attack.

“The country must take rapid and effective action to deal with the new level of threat from North Korea,” the LDP said in the document. A wide variety of evacuation drills should be held, including in densely populated areas, it said. They should include training on dealing with chemical attacks and Japan’s Self-Defense Forces need to be involved, it added.

Local governments need to designate existing buildings and underground shopping centers as evacuation points, calculate the number of people they can hold and consider building new shelters, according to the proposal. It recommends the central government formulate a plan for evacuating Japanese citizens from South Korea in an emergency.

‘Reduced to Ashes’

North Korea regularly threatens Japan with nuclear annihilation. The regime’s official KCNA news agency warned Thursday that the country may be “reduced into ashes” if it “behaves wickedly.”

Kim has conducted 10 missile tests this year in defiance of United Nations sanctions. The rockets fired on Thursday were thought to be anti-ship cruise missiles that don’t present a direct threat to the Japanese mainland.

A ballistic missile launched from North Korea would probably take about 10 minutes to fly the 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) to Japan’s southern island of Okinawa, according to the government’s civil protection website, leaving little time to evacuate. The government already provides information on a website about how to proceed if the missile early-warning system, called J-Alert, is activated, but the party said most people are unaware of it.

 

[Housecarl]

For links see article source.....
Posted for fair use.....
http://www.dw.com/en/us-backed-forces-seize-parts-of-raqqa-from-islamic-state/a-39201274

US-backed forces seize parts of Raqqa from 'Islamic State'

An alliance of Kurdish and Arab forces have made significant gains in their offensive to liberate the Syrian city. Human rights groups have warned of the challenges presented by 160,000 civilians still living in Raqqa.

Date 11.06.2017

The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Sunday said it captured a northwestern neighborhood of Raqqa as part of the alliance's offensive to uproot the self-styled "Islamic State" militant group from its de facto capital in Syria.

The SDF "liberated the neighborhood of al-Romaniah on the western front of Raqqa after two days of continued clashes," the Arab-Kurdish alliance said in a statement.

Read more: The Middle East's complex Kurdish landscape

On June 6, the Kurdish-led SDF began its offensive to recapture Raqqa from the "Islamic State." The alliance has surrounded the city, and launched a multi-pronged assault with the help of aerial support from the US-led coalition against the "Islamic State."

Strategic assault
Al-Romaniah marks the second district captured by the SDF. In the eastern part of Raqqa, the Kurdish-led forces managed to seize control of al-Meshleb.

However, in the northern part of the city, the SDF has witnessed less progress. The military alliance has struggled to capture the Division 17 military base and an adjacent sugar factory. The former Syrian military facility has served as a strategic base of operations for the "Islamic State."

The SDF formed in 2015 and spent the past seven months preparing for the operation to recapture Raqqa.

http://www.dw.com/en/us-backed-forces-seize-parts-of-raqqa-from-islamic-state/a-39201274

Civilians in crossfire
In recent months, thousands of civilians have fled Raqqa in anticipation of the offensive. However, the UN humanitarian office estimates that roughly 160,000 civilians remain in the city.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which relies on a network of on-the-ground informants in Syria, said that the civilian death toll has hit 58 since the battle for Raqqa began on June 6.

Read more: US plan to 'annihilate IS' raises questions over civilian toll, larger strategy

Human rights groups have warned of the potential of high civilian casualties during the assault, calling for the US-led coalition to ensure it would minimize risks for civilians as much as possible.

Unending war
More than 300,000 people have been killed and half the population displaced since the Syrian conflict erupted in 2011, when government forces launched a brutal crackdown on peaceful protesters calling for the release of political prisoners and President Bashar al-Assad to step down.

Since then, the war has developed into a multi-faceted conflict involving global superpowers, non-state actors, regional forces and terrorist groups.

Gallery

DW RECOMMENDS

US plan to 'annihilate IS' raises questions over civilian toll, larger strategy
The US has announced more aggressive tactics to wipe out the "Islamic State." But the shift poses larger strategic questions as populations are displaced and civilian casualties mount. (21.05.2017)
US arms Syrian Kurdish militia in fight against 'Islamic State' (IS)
The US has started distributing arms to Syrian Kurdish militia fighting the so-called "Islamic State" (IS) in northern Syria. Tensions with Turkey are likely to rise as a result. (31.05.2017)
Turkey wary as US-backed SDF militia target IS in Raqqa
The US-backed alliance of Arabs and Kurds has launched a long-awaited attack on the Islamic State's stronghold in Raqqa. The coalition expects a long, bloody battle for the city. (06.06.2017)
The Middle East's complex Kurdish landscape
Conflicts in Iraq, Syria and Turkey have unleashed a tangle of political and military organizations among the Kurds. DW explains who's who in a struggle that is shaping the Middle East. (17.05.2017)
Civilian casualties surge as anti-'Islamic State' coalition prepares to capture Raqqa
Civilian casualties from US-led coalition strikes have increased sharply, according to data from the Pentagon. Rights groups have warned of increased casualties ahead of an operation to recapture Raqqa in Syria. (02.06.2017)
Just who is fighting in the Syrian conflict?
Syria's civil war erupted out of Arab Spring protests that swept much of the Middle East and North Africa in 2011. In six years, the conflict has become an intricate web of new alliances and old grudges. (06.04.2017)
What is the 'Islamic State'?
IS has gone from an obscure al Qaeda splinter group to a dominant militant movement. DW takes a look at the defining aspects of the jihadist group - from territory to tactics. (14.12.2016)
How did Europe's refugee crisis start?
From escalating violence in the Middle East and Africa to incoherent asylum policy at home - DW looks at how the EU has found itself in the midst of a refugee crisis. (19.12.2016)
AUDIOS AND VIDEOS ON THE TOPIC

SDF move into IS stronghold of Raqqa
Date 11.06.2017
Homepage DW News -
Keywords SDF, Raqqa, Islamic State, Syrian Democratic Forces

 

[Housecarl]

For links see article source.....
Posted for fair use.....
http://www.dw.com/en/us-and-somali-forces-strikes-al-shabab-command-post/a-39200955

US and Somali forces strikes Al-Shabab command post

The Pentagon estimates that eight militants were killed in the attack, which both the US and Somalia deemed a success. A limited US military presence in the Horn of Africa has been battling militants there for years.

Date 11.06.2017

US and Somali forces carried out a joint attack against an al-Shabab command post on Sunday, destroying one of the jihadi group's primary training and command centers.

The US contribution to the attack was an airstrike, while the Somalis committed special-forces to the attack, which took place about 185 miles (300 km) southwest of the capital, Mogadishu.

The Pentagon said the operation occurred at approximately 0600 GMT/UTC "in coordination with regional partners as a direct response to al-Shabab actions, including recent attacks on Somali forces."

The base was located in southern Somalia, in the Middle Juba region, according to the Somali government. President Mohamed Abdullahi called the military strike a success.

"Earlier today, I authorized our special forces with the support of our international partners to conduct a strike against an al-Shabab training camp near Sakow," his statement said.

"The mission, which ended successfully, destroyed an important training camp where the group used to organize violent operations," said Mohamed. "This undermines their ability to mastermind more attacks."

The Pentagon estimated the attack killed eight militants, but here was no immediate comment from al-Shabab.

Black Hawk Down
The Pentagon emphasized that the strike was carried out as part of US President Donald Trump's recent authorization of American forces "to conduct legal action against al-Shabab within a geographically defined area of active hostilities in support of (the) partner force in Somalia."

In early May an American soldier was killed in a nighttime raid in Somalia. It was the first US military death in combat there since 1993 when 18 American soldiers died in the so-called Battle of Mogadishu.

But it was the downing of a US military helicopter the precipitated the deadly fight that gave the battle its more infamous nickname: "Black Hawk Down."

Al-Shabab was pushed out of Mogadishu, and most of Somalia's cities and towns, in 2011. But it maintains a tight grip over much of the south and center of the country, and still launches major gun and bomb attacks from its outposts.

US special-forces have been deployed in Somalia for many years. Drone and missile strikes have also been used against al-Shabab commanders and foot soldiers.

Since 2007, al-Shabaab, an al-Qaida linked group, has been battling to overthrow the internationally backed government in Somalia.

bik/rc (AFP, Reuters)
DW RECOMMENDS

First US soldier killed in Somalia since 'Black Hawk Down'
A US soldier has been killed in a special operations mission with Somali forces against al-Shabab. It is the first US military casualty in Somalia in 24 years as it steps up involvement in the country. (06.05.2017)
Tackling the security crisis in Somalia
As Somalia continues to suffer from ongoing violence and a possible famine in the near future, the international community is working together to address the country's poor state of affairs. (17.05.2017)
AFRICOM: 'Terrorist groups' remain a challenge across Africa
The United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) is maintaining a consistent presence across Africa in order to address security concerns. But terrorist groups continue to pose a threat in many countries with weak governance. (18.05.2017)
Deadly car bomb rocks Mogadishu after commander killed
At least fifteen people, including two lawmakers, have been killed in a car bomb and gun attack at a hotel in Mogadishu. Separately, the US has said it killed a senior al-Shabab leader in a drone strike. (01.06.2016)
AUDIOS AND VIDEOS ON THE TOPIC

Somalia has a new president: Tesfalem Waldyes (DW African Service) provides some analysis
Deadly twin bombings hit Mogadishu hotel (25.01.2017)
Date 11.06.2017
Related Subjects al-Shabab, Donald Trump
Keywords US, Somalia, Mogadishu, al-Shabab, Donald Trump, Mohamed Abdullahi, Black Hawk Down

 

[China Connection]

And it all marches on.

 

[Housecarl]

And it all marches on.

Yup, and with the kerfuffle in DC mostly out of sight of the MSM....

 

[Housecarl]

Molotov Cocktail Thrown Into Paris Restaurant, Multiple Injuries
Started by mzkitty‎, Today 02:39 PM
http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/show...hrown-Into-Paris-Restaurant-Multiple-Injuries

Russia: Big barricades going up in Moscow. Anti-gov protest tomorrow (June 12)
Started by mzkitty‎, Today 01:44 PM
http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/show...in-Moscow.-Anti-gov-protest-tomorrow-(June-12)

Quebec: 19-yr-old nutbag killed by cops after he stabs 4 people to death.
Started by mzkitty‎, Yesterday 02:11 PM
http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/show...led-by-cops-after-he-stabs-4-people-to-death.

Reuters: Russia says tells U.S. not to strike Syrian pro-government forces again
Started by Possible Impact‎, Yesterday 03:56 PM
http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/show...-to-strike-Syrian-pro-government-forces-again

----------
For links see article source.....
Posted for fair use.....
http://www.longwarjournal.org/archi...rgence-strikes-command-and-logistics-node.php

US military warns of Shabaab resurgence, strikes ‘command and logistics node’

BY BILL ROGGIO | June 11, 2017 | admin@longwarjournal.org | @billroggio

While announcing an airstrike that targeted a Shabaab “command and logistics node” in southern Somalia, the US military warned of al Qaeda’s resurgence in the country and said it has “taken advantage of safe haven.” The strike is the first announced by the US military since the Trump administration declared that it would expand operations against al Qaeda’s branch in Somalia.

US Africa Command, or AFRICOM, announced that it targeted a “command and logistics node at a camp located approximately 185 miles southwest of Mogadishu in a stronghold for the al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Shabaab organization” in an airstrike. AFRCOM assessed that eight Shabaab operatives were killed.

AFRICOM’s worrying assessment of Shabaab’s revival in Somalia is an admission that efforts by the US, African Union, and Somali government to contain and defeat the group over the past several years have failed. The US Department of Defense admitted as much in late March, when it announced that the Trump administration approved “additional precision fires” to target Shabaab throughout Somalia.

The Pentagon’s desire to actively target Shabaab reflects the growing concern that al Qaeda’s branch in East Africa is gaining strength despite the presence of both African Union and US forces, and it is plotting to attack the West. Shabaab used a sophisticated laptop bomb in an attempt to down a Somali airliner in 2016. This attack was cited by the US government as one of the reasons that electronics have been banned in the cabins of airplanes departing from 10 airports in the Middle East. [See What’s really behind Trump’s laptop ban.]

Today’s strike is part of an overarching effort to “degrade the al-Qaeda affiliate’s ability to recruit, train and plot external terror attacks throughout the region and in America.”

The AFRICOM statement also acknowledged that African Union and Somali forces have suffered significant losses at the hands of Shabaab:

In the last eight months, al-Shabaab has overrun three African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) Forward Operating Bases by amassing large numbers of fighters and attacking in overwhelming numbers. Al-Shabaab has also increased its combat capability by seizing heavy weaponry, armored vehicles, explosives, small arms, ammunition, and other miscellaneous supplies during its operations overrunning Burundian National Defense Forces FOB Leego, Ugandan People’s Defense Force FOB Janaale, and Kenyan Defense Force FOB Ceel Ad.

The terror organization has taken advantage of safe haven. The group has cemented its control [sic] southern and central Somalia, they have used this area to plot and direct terror attacks, steal humanitarian aid, and to shelter other radical terrorists.

Shabaab has successfully overrun Somali and African Union bases in the past and inflicted a large number of casualties on troops based there. In Jan. 2016, Shabaab fighters assaulted a base in Al Ade in the south and killed at least 100 Kenyan soldiers. In June 2015, Shabaab killed an estimated 60 Ethiopian soldiers in the south. That same month, Shabaab fighters killed more than 50 Burundi soldiers in Leego.

Shabaab has been resurgent in Somalia since losing ground to a combined African Union and Somali offensive in 2011. The jihadist group has slowly but methodically retaken several towns and villages that it lost, including the coastal town of Marka.

However, Shabaab’s efforts have not been confined to southern and central Somalia. Late last week, Shabaab fighters overran a base manned by Puntland forces in northern Somalia. Upwards of 60 troops were killed and Shabaab seized a large number of weapons and vehicles as well as a quantity of ammunition.

Today’s strike is the first reported by the US military against Shabaab since the Department of Defense announced that it would expand military operations. AFRICOM released a statement on April 17 to refute press reports that US forces launched airstrikes in southwestern Somalia.

Bill Roggio is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Editor of FDD's Long War Journal.

Tags: Al Qaeda, Shabaab, Somalia

 

[Lilbitsnana]

WarMonitor Retweeted
DefenceTalk.com‏ @defencetalk 36m36 minutes ago

#Turkey Agrees to Send Up to 3,000 Troops to #Qatar http://dlvr.it/PLcCn0




WarMonitor Retweeted
Pakistan Defence‏Verified account @defencepk 33m33 minutes ago

Pakistan not deploying its troops in Qatar: Foreign Office - https://goo.gl/iNrwmK


posted for fair use and discussion
https://defence.pk/pdf/threads/pakistan-not-deploying-its-troops-in-qatar-foreign-office.501105/

Pakistan not deploying its troops in Qatar: Foreign Office
By Our Correspondent
Published: June 11, 2017

[​IMG]
Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakara. PHOTO: AFP

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has refuted reports that it was deploying its troops in Qatar in the wake of the oil-rich country’s current standoff with other Gulf countries including Saudi Arabia.

A statement issued by the Foreign Office on Sunday described the reports that appeared in some foreign media outlets about the deployment of Pakistan army in Qatar as “completely fabricated and baseless”.

“These false reports appear to be part of a malicious campaign aimed at creating misunderstanding between Pakistan and brotherly Muslim countries in the Gulf,” Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakria said.

PM expected to fly to Qatar, Kuwait to help resolve Gulf crisis

Last week, Saudi Arabia along with several Gulf states severed diplomatic ties with Qatar after accusing it of supporting terrorist groups.

While Gulf countries vowed to isolate Qatar, Turkey decided to side with the oil rich state by deploying troops there. Some foreign media organisations reported that Pakistan would also follow Turkey’s suit and deploy around 20,000 troops in Qatar.

The brewing crisis in the Middle East has put Pakistan in an awkward situation as Islamabad enjoys close ties both with Riyadh and Doha.

Besides strong political ties, Pakistan has close economic cooperation with Gulf countries that are also home to millions of Pakistanis who significantly contribute to the country’s economy in the form of foreign remittances.

NA condemns Iran attack, urges Pak role over Gulf crisis

At the last weekly briefing, when asked to explain Pakistan’s stance on the current unrest in the Gulf nations, the foreign office spokesperson said Pakistan was increasingly concerned over the development.

“Pakistan believes in unity among Muslim countries. We have made consistent efforts for its promotion. The situation, therefore, is a matter of concern,” said Zakria while suggesting that the government would not take sides in a conflict that can have huge implications for the country.

Officials said that the government is making efforts to play some kind of a role to defuse the crises between Qatar and other neighbouring countries.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is expected to undertake a visit to Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia as part of Pakistan’s diplomatic manoeuvers to break the stalemate.

Saudi and Bahrain welcome Trump’s scolding of Qatar

It is, however, not clear if Saudi Arabia is willing to reconcile and accept any mediation at this stage. The oil-rich kingdom has so far given a lukewarm response to efforts by Kuwait to mediate between Riyadh and Doha.

The evolving situation in the Mideast has added another dimension to already difficult situation Pakistan is facing when it comes to the Saudi-led counter-terrorism alliance.

Policymakers in Pakistan fear that if the situation worsens it would further compound the foreign policy challenges for the country.

“Therefore, we are concentrating on mediation,” commented a senior Foreign Office official while requesting anonymity.

 

[Lilbitsnana]

Steve Herman‏Verified account @W7VOA 2h2 hours ago

Steve Herman Retweeted Flightradar24

#aviation #Bahrain #Qatar

Steve Herman added,

Flightradar24Verified account @flightradar24
Per updated NOTAM, Bahrain has eased routing restrictions on Qatar-registered flights in the Bahrain FIR. https://blog.flightradar24.com/blog...lights-in-uae-saudi-arabia-bahrain-and-egypt/ …

 

[Possible Impact]

The Battles of Deir al-Zor and al-Qaem
will mark the end of the Syrian war

Published here: http://alrai.li/fxvdp9w via @AlraiMediaGroup

Damascus by Elijah J. Magnier: @EjmAlrai
https://elijahjm.wordpress.com/2017...-al-qaem-will-mark-the-end-of-the-syrian-war/

Reaching the Syrian-Iraqi border close in the US forces in Al-Tanf

The Syrian army and its allies reached the Syrian-Iraqi border, 70 km
north of the crossing point of Al-Tanf, following a failed attempt by US
forces to impose new “rules of engagement” and a “buffer zone”
to prevent the Syrian-Iraqi interconnection on both sides of the border.

With the arrival of the Syrian forces and their allies north of Al-Tanf,
the American forces and their allies – stationed on the Syrian side of
the border – were cut off from the north of Syria and were prevented from
marking the partition point of Syria.

Moreover, the US forces were stopped from reaching the besieged city
of Deir Al-Zour, al-Mayadeen and southwest towards ​​al-Bu Kamal.
The US and its European and Syrian allies can no longer include
the entire east of Syria in their control, as it is happening today
in Raqqah and al-Hasaka provinces.

As the Syrian forces moved east of Palmyra towards the Iraqi border,
the contact with the so-called ” Shiite crescent” has been established:
from Tehran through Baghdad and Damascus to Beirut.

In reality, this connection has never been interrupted since the US
occupation of Iraq in 2003, a virtual and moral connection rather than
a geographical one. It has been a busy commercial road between Iraq,
Syria and Lebanon before the increase of insurgency during the US
occupation of Iraq since the road Tanaf-Baghdad crosses al-Anbar
province, an ISIS (called then al-Qaeda in Iraq and later the Islamic State
in Iraq) stronghold.

The US forces wished to break this virtual connection but Iran took on
the US challenge. In fact, it was the Iranian General Qassem Soleimani,
head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) who orchestrated,
with Russia and Damascus’s approval, the push of forces north of the US
forces stationed in al-Tanaf.

Moreover, Damascus and Baghdad agreed to close the al-Tanaf crossing
from the Iraqi side, rendering the US presence useless by any means.

The Iraqi security forces, al-Hashd al-Sha’bi (better known as Popular
Mobilisation Units- PMU) are moving on the Iraqi side to meet the Syrian
forces (without crossing the border). Their mission –as agreed by Baghdad
and Damascus – is to pursue the remnants of the “Islamic State” inside
Syrian territory should the battle impose it.

Thus, in the coming days the Syrian forces are expected to push north
of the city of Palmyra towards the Arak rich oil field, controlled to-date
by ISIS, and from it towards the city of As-Sukhna.

On another nearby front, the Syrian Army is advancing south of Maskana
to enlarge the Khanasir road (southeast Aleppo) and create a robust front
to recover more territories from ISIS while advancing. The ultimate aim
would be to reach the city of Deir Al-Zour and the entire area named
“the Euphrates buffer”, the ISIS main stronghold in Syria.

In fact, all ISIS forces escaping from Iraq and other cities in Syria
are meeting in this area where the main battle is expected.

Once engaged, this battle is expected to mark the end of the war against
ISIS and the beginning of a political negotiation to discuss the fate of
the rest of Syria, still occupied by Turkey (north), the USA(northeast)
and where al-Qaeda is barricaded in the northern city of Idlib along with
other rebels.

Of course, it is self evident that the city of Raqqah will fall to the US-Kurds
alliance, offering the US President the “Victory” he has been looking for
since he set foot in the White House.

This must coincide with the advance of the Syrian forces in the Syrian
semi-desert (al-Badiyah) and the securing of the provinces of Daraa –
Sweida.

The Syrian war is heading towards its final stages, as witnessed by
a heated race between Washington and Russia to secure the necessary
elements to conclude the war and start serious negotiations in Geneva,
where the two sides will be negotiating with territories under each one’s
control.

Of course, al-Qaeda remains in Syria. It is based in the city of Idlib
and is the strongest military force in a city of more than one million
people, especially after the return of a large number of Syrians from
Turkey to this northern city. As long as Ahrar al-Sham, the largest Syrian
rebel group that includes among its rank foreign fighters, is committed to
avoiding infighting, al-Qaeda is governing through its military commander,
Abu Muhammad al-Julani, the ex-ISIS commander converted to al-Qaeda.

However, co-existence between the Syrians and al-Qaeda will not be easy
and may lead to internal conflicts. Damascus, Moscow or Washington may
not be concerned with sorting out Idlib internal problems and the task
maybe given to Ankara due to its influence (with differing degrees) on
all groups present in the city.

Turkey with definitely be part of any future peace negotiation since its
troops occupy territory and hold the logistic support to Idlib: it controls
the only supply line to this northern Syrian city.

The main question remains: What will happen to the several thousands
of foreign fighters within Ahrar al-Sham and al-Qaeda?

Would they be allowed to settle down as dorment force ready to raise
again or they are expected to leave? Foreign fighters came to Syria
under the demand of al-Qaeda Leader Ayman al-Zawaheri and to oust
President Bashar Assad but not to settle in a new country – the Levant –
where they might not be all welcome : just as happened in Bosnia
in the 90s when the war ended.

Yes, the war is heading towards its final chapter without necessarily ending
the internal struggle and partition of parts of the country. Territories are
not expected to be handed to the central government in Damascus without
concession. Therefore, Syria may remain for long years divided until an
international settlement is reached, allowing Bilad al-Sham to be united
as it was before 2011.

​

 

[Housecarl]

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http://dailysignal.com/2017/06/12/challenge-modernizing-nuclear-weapons/

Security
Commentary

The Challenge of Modernizing Nuclear Weapons

Michaela Dodge / @MichaelaTHF / June 12, 2017 / comments

Michaela Dodge
@MichaelaTHF

Michaela Dodge specializes in missile defense, nuclear weapons modernization and arms control as policy analyst for defense and strategic policy in The Heritage Foundation’s Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies. Read her research.


The Senate Armed Services Committee hosted a hearing last week on defense nuclear acquisition programs and doctrine.

Gen. Robin Rand, commander of the Air Force Global Strike Command, offered a robust defense of the United States’ follow-on intercontinental ballistic missile. He argued that extending the life of the currently deployed Minuteman III ICBMs would not be cheaper than building a follow-on ICBM.

Reliability and survivability are increasingly challenged in the current system, which was*developed during the 1960s and 1970s. Rand mentioned how U.S. ICBMs complicate adversaries’ targeting because of their quantity and geographic dispersion, also mentioning how they provide the president with a timely response option.

In combination with other elements of the nuclear triad, strategic submarines, and bombers, the system forces adversaries to spread their resources to take into account each of the legs of the triad as opposed to focusing on defeating one or two strategic systems.

Later, Robert Soofer, deputy assistant secretary of defense for nuclear and missile defense policy, argued that Russian violations of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty are not sustainable and that the United States must take action and increase pressure on Russia on this issue.

He is correct. Russia has been using its violation to sow political discord within NATO in an effort to drive a wedge between the United States and its allies. Allies continue to be critical to U.S. national security interests.

Additionally, in the upcoming Nuclear Posture Review, the administration will have a unique opportunity to reassess a number of the Obama administration’s misguided nuclear weapon policies insofar as they were based on an assumption of a fundamentally different, and friendlier, relationship between the two countries.

North Korea’s ballistic missile program has been a focus of concern for the committee as well. With its latest ballistic missile test, North Korea demonstrated progress on the re-entry vehicle that could be used to deliver a nuclear weapon.

The United States finds itself consistently underestimating North Korea’s ballistic missile capabilities and the speed with which they are developed.

The United States currently fields the ground-based midcourse defense interceptors, the only system to protect the U.S. homeland from the North Korean long-range ballistic missile threat. The program achieved a successful intercept last week, for the first time ever demonstrating a capability to shoot down an ICBM target.

Vice Admiral Terry Benedict, director of the U.S. Navy Strategic Systems Programs, offered a strong defense of the sea-based strategic deterrent. The United States is planning on replacing the Ohio-class strategic submarine with the Columbia-class strategic submarine in the future.

Submarines are the most survivable leg of the strategic triad. To help manage cost concerns, the Navy and the Air Force are exploiting missile commonality. Additionally, the United States and the United Kingdom continue their cooperation on the Trident D-5 submarine-launched ballistic missiles.

Finally, James MacStravic, performing the duties of undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology, and logistics, offered a strong defense on the need to continue nuclear weapons modernization and recapitalization of the nuclear triad.

If modernization efforts do not continue, the United States runs “the risk of creating critical capability gaps as legacy systems reach the end of sustainability—negatively affecting the credibility of the nation’s strategic deterrent.”

Stability of the supply chain and modernization of the command, control, and communications networks were other topics of a great interest to members of Congress. Rightfully so. The United States must ensure secure and reliable communications, including in crisis situations.

Similarly, it is essential that microchips and electronics in the upcoming modern systems are not compromised.

In sum, there is no shortage of challenges for the Department of Defense, the administration, and Congress as modernization of the nuclear enterprise continues.

The hearing outlined important challenges that the nuclear weapons modernization program will face in the future. The administration and Congress must work together to ensure the U.S. nuclear arsenal remains safe, secure, reliable, and militarily effective.

 

[Housecarl]

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https://www.project-syndicate.org/c...-road-grand-strategy-by-joseph-s--nye-2017-06

JUN 12, 2017 | Comments 1

Xi Jinping’s Marco Polo Strategy

Video - One Belt, One Road: China’s Big Bet

CAMBRIDGE – Last month, Chinese President Xi Jinping presided over a heavily orchestrated “Belt and Road” forum in Beijing. The two-day event attracted 29 heads of state, including Russia’s Vladimir Putin, and 1,200 delegates from over 100 countries. Xi called China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) the “project of the century.” The 65 countries involved comprise two-thirds of the world’s land mass and include some four and a half billion people.

Originally announced in 2013, Xi’s plan to integrate Eurasia through a trillion dollars of investment in infrastructure stretching from China to Europe, with extensions to Southeast Asia and East Africa, has been termed China’s new Marshall Plan as well as its bid for a grand strategy. Some observers also saw the Forum as part of Xi’s effort to fill the vacuum left by Donald Trump’s abandonment of Barack Obama’s Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement.

China’s ambitious initiative would provide badly needed highways, rail lines, pipelines, ports, and power plants in poor countries. It would also encourage Chinese firms to increase their investments in European ports and railways. The “belt” would include a massive network of highways and rail links through Central Asia, and the “road” refers to a series of maritime routes and ports between Asia and Europe.

Marco Polo would be proud. And if China chooses to use its surplus financial reserves to create infrastructure that helps poor countries and enhances international trade, it will be providing what can be seen as a global public good.

Of course, China’s motives are not purely benevolent. Reallocation of China’s large foreign-exchange assets away from low-yield US Treasury bonds to higher-yield infrastructure investment makes sense, and creates alternative markets for Chinese goods. With Chinese steel and cement firms suffering from overcapacity, Chinese construction firms will profit from the new investment. And as Chinese manufacturing moves to less accessible provinces, improved infrastructure connections to international markets fits China’s development needs.

But is the BRI more public relations smoke than investment fire? According to the Financial Times, investment in Xi’s initiative declined last year, raising doubts about whether commercial enterprises are as committed as the government. Five trains full of cargo leave Chongqing for Germany every week, but only one full train returns.

Shipping goods overland from China to Europe is still twice as expensive as trade by sea. As the FT puts it, the BRI is “unfortunately less of a practical plan for investment than a broad political vision.” Moreover, there is a danger of debt and unpaid loans from projects that turn out to be economic “white elephants,” and security conflicts could bedevil projects that cross so many sovereign borders. India is not happy to see a greater Chinese presence in the Indian Ocean, and Russia, Turkey, and Iran have their own agendas in Central Asia.

Xi’s vision is impressive, but will it succeed as a grand strategy? China is betting on an old geopolitical proposition. A century ago, the British geopolitical theorist Halford Mackinder argued that whoever controlled the world island of Eurasia would control the world. American strategy, in contrast, has long favored the geopolitical insights of the nineteenth-century admiral Alfred Mahan, who emphasized sea power and the rimlands.

At World War II’s end, George F. Kennan adapted Mahan’s approach to develop his Cold War strategy of containment of the Soviet Union, arguing that if the US allied with the islands of Britain and Japan and the peninsula of Western Europe at the two ends of Eurasia, the US could create a balance of global power that would be favorable to American interests. The Pentagon and State Department are still organized along these lines, with scant attention paid to Central Asia.

Much has changed in the age of the Internet, but geography still matters, despite the alleged death of distance. In the nineteenth century, much of geopolitical rivalry revolved around the ��Eastern Question” of who would control the area ruled by the crumbling Ottoman Empire. Infrastructure projects like the Berlin to Baghdad railway roused tensions among the Great Powers. Will those geopolitical struggles now be replaced by the “Eurasian Question”?

With the BRI, China is betting on Mackinder and Marco Polo. But the overland route through Central Asia will revive the nineteenth-century “Great Game” for influence that embroiled Britain and Russia, as well as former empires like Turkey and Iran. At the same time, the maritime “road” through the Indian Ocean accentuates China’s already fraught rivalry with India, with tensions building over Chinese ports and roads through Pakistan.

The US is betting more on Mahan and Kennan. Asia has its own balance of power, and neither India nor Japan nor Vietnam want Chinese domination. They see America as part of the solution. American policy is not containment of China – witness the massive flows of trade and students between the countries. But as China, enthralled by a vision of national greatness, engages in territorial disputes with its maritime neighbors, it tends to drive them into America’s arms.

Indeed, China’s real problem is “self-containment.” Even in the age of the Internet and social media, nationalism remains a most powerful force.

Overall, the United States should welcome China’s BRI. As Robert Zoellick, a former US Trade Representative and World Bank president, has argued, if a rising China contributes to the provision of global public goods, the US should encourage the Chinese to become a “responsible stakeholder.” Moreover, there can be opportunities for American companies to benefit from BRI investments.

The US and China have much to gain from cooperation on a variety of transnational issues like monetary stability, climate change, cyber rules of the road, and anti-terrorism. And while the BRI will provide China with geopolitical gains as well as costs, it is unlikely to be as much of a game changer in grand strategy, as some analysts believe. A more difficult question is whether the US can live up to its part.

 

[Housecarl]

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...hreat-to-u-s-security/?utm_term=.51efd3f9fa79

Checkpoint

Pentagon chief declares North Korea the new top threat to U.S. security

By Dan Lamothe June 12 at 8:40 PM

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis declared North Korea the “most urgent and dangerous threat to peace and security,” before the House Armed Services Committee on Monday night, moving Kim Jong Un’s regime past Russia as the No. 1 threat that the United States faces.

The statement was included in the defense secretary’s prepared opening statement, five months after Mattis identified Russia as first among threats facing the United States. The change comes as Pyongyang moves forward with what the United States calls an unprecedented number of tests on nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles and as the Trump administration’s connections to Russia are scrutinized by the FBI.

[During confirmation hearing, Mattis places Russia first among threats that the U.S. faces]

“North Korea’s continued pursuit of nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them has increased in pace and scope,” Mattis said. “The regime’s nuclear weapons program is a clear and present danger to all, and the regime’s provocative actions, manifestly illegal under international law, have not abated despite United Nations’ censure and sanctions.”

But Mattis still identified Russia as a threat, along with China, Iran and terrorist organizations. Russia and China, he said, are both “resurgent and more aggressive” and have placed the “international order under assault.” The secretary has sought to reassure allies in both Europe and the Pacific in recent months that the United States still stands with them, after President Trump repeatedly raised questions about whether he was committed to long-standing military alliances.

Mattis appeared alongside Marine Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Pentagon comptroller David Norquist. In Dunford’s prepared testimony, he did not list a No. 1 threat, but labeled Russia, China, Iran, North Korea and terrorist groups as “key challenges” that the United States faces.

Several senior defense officials aside from Mattis have declared Russia the top threat the United States faces in the past few years, including Dunford. But the United States and Russia have forged an uneasy, limited relationship in some areas over the past year, including deconflicting aviation operations over Syria as the Pentagon goes after Islamic State militants and Russia backs the Syrian regime.

Senior U.S. officials have sought recently to get China, a strong trade partner of North Korea, to put diplomatic and economic pressure on Pyongyang to get them to back down from moving ahead with their weapons programs. But it’s uncertain if they will, and Trump has threatened that the United States will take care of the North Korean threat on its own if China won’t help.

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Last week, Navy Vice Adm. James Syring, the director of the Missile Defense Agency, declined to say before the House subcommittee on strategic forces that the United States is “comfortably ahead” of the threat North Korea poses with an intercontinental ballistic missile.

“It is incumbent upon us to assume that North Korea today can range the United States with an ICBM carrying a nuclear warhead,” he said. “Everything that we are doing plans for that contingency … in addition to looking ahead to what might be developed or what is possible over the next five to 10 years.”

Mattis, asked Monday about the threat posed by ballistic missiles, said that the threat is growing but that existing missile-defense systems stationed at Fort Greely in Alaska and Vandenberg Air Force Base in California pose an adequate amount of protection as the Pentagon examines long-term options. Among them is adding a missile-defense site somewhere on the East Coast, he added.

“Every time they fire one of these, they’re learning something more, so it’s a worsening situation,” Mattis said. “But we can buy the time right now.”

Dunford, asked about the threat, said the United States balances its missile-defense systems with other ways to counter North Korea, including cyberwarfare, Navy weapons and intelligence collection.

41 Comments
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Dan Lamothe covers national security for The Washington Post and anchors its military blog, Checkpoint. Follow @danlamothe

 

[Housecarl]

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http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-islamic-state-idUSKBN1932DD

WORLD NEWS | Mon Jun 12, 2017 | 3:51pm EDT

Islamic State calls for attacks in West, Russia, Middle East, Asia during Ramadan

An audio message purporting to come from the spokesman of Islamic State called on followers to launch attacks in the United States, Europe, Russia, Australia, Iraq, Syria, Iran, and the Philippines during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which began in late May.

The audio clip was distributed on Monday on Islamic State's channel on Telegram, an encrypted messaging application. It was attributed to the militant group's official spokesman, Abi al-Hassan al-Muhajer.

The authenticity of the recording could not be independently verified, but the voice was the same as a previous audio message purported to be from the spokesman.

"O lions of Mosul, Raqqa, and Tal Afar, God bless those pure arms and bright faces, charge against the rejectionists and the apostates and fight them with the strength of one man," said al-Muhajer. Rejectionist is a derogatory term used to refer to Shi'ite Muslims.

"To the brethren of faith and belief in Europe, America, Russia, Australia, and others. Your brothers in your land have done well so take them as role models and do as they have done."

(Reporting by Ali Abdelaty; Writing by Ahmed Aboulenein; Editing by Alison Williams)

 

[Housecarl]

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Munich shooting: Several hurt at suburban train station

21 minutes ago
From the section Europe

A German policewoman has been seriously wounded in a shooting at a Munich suburban railway station, police say.

Several others were also wounded in the incident at Unterföhring S-Bahn station. One person has been arrested. The circumstances remain unclear.

Bavarian state radio, BR, quoted police as saying it was not a terrorist incident.

A huge police operation is under way in the northern suburb of Unterföhring, and rail services have been disrupted.

 

[energy_wave]

Panama cuts ties with Taiwan in favor of China

Panama has cut long-standing diplomatic ties with Taiwan and established relations with China, in a diplomatic coup for Beijing.

The Panamanian government said it recognised there was "only one China" and considered Taiwan part of it.

Taiwan expressed "anger and regret", and accused Panama of "bullying".

China regards Taiwan as a breakaway province. A few countries maintain ties with Taipei instead of Beijing, and Panama is the latest to switch sides.

In December last year, the African island nation of Sao Tome and Principe made a similar move. Now only 20 countries have diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

In recent years China has intensified its economic investment into the Central American country - home of the economically vital Panama Canal.

Taiwan's foreign ministry said in a statement that it expressed "anger and regret" over what it called a "very unfriendly" diplomatic turn by Panama that "yielded to economic interests by the Beijing authorities".

It accused Panama of "bullying" Taiwan while "ignoring the many years of friendship" between the two countries, and added it would "not compete with the Beijing authorities for money diplomacy".

It was as recently as June last year that Taiwan's leader Tsai Ing-wen visited Panama, on her first overseas trip as president.

Following Panama's announcement, China's state media published photos of the two countries' foreign ministers in Beijing signing a document establishing diplomatic relations and toasting with champagne.

Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela said in a televised address that he was "convinced that this is the correct path for our country".

China's foreign ministry also released a statement (in Chinese) saying that "the Chinese government and its people highly appreciate and warmly welcome" the move by Panama.

The United Nations in 1971 switched diplomatic recognition to Beijing's People's Republic of China (PRC) and most countries have since followed that lead in order not to antagonise the resurging economic giant.

Many of Taipei's remaining backers are small island states or in Central and South America - regions that in the past had limited economic ties with China.

This is perhaps the biggest blow Taiwan has suffered since relations with Beijing began deteriorating last year.

Beijing's luring away of Panama is due to political rather than economic reasons. China could have continued investing in Panama without official ties.

Beijing has lost patience with Tsai Ing-wen, suspecting her of trying to wean Taiwan away from the mainland, economically and politically, with the aim of independence.

So China has raised the pressure, cutting off dialogue with Ms Tsai's administration and reducing the number of Chinese tourists visiting Taiwan. It's also keeping Taiwan out of international and regional groups.

Beijing's moves may strengthen anti-unification sentiment in Taiwan, but it sees not losing Taiwan as a crucial part of its national identity and seems willing to take this risk.

If the current stalemate continues, Taiwan risks further economic and political isolation.

Given China's rapid growth as an economic and political superpower, it has been increasingly easy for Beijing to sway countries to its side.

In the case of Sao Tome and Principe, Taiwan's foreign ministry condemned the move, alleging the island nation had demanded a huge amount of financial support.

Panama did not give any reason for changing its diplomatic allegiance but there has been growing economic co-operation with China in recent years.

Chinese companies are developing ports in Panama, and Chinese state firms are said to have expressed interest in developing the land around the Panama Canal once the country opens a tender for it later this year.

The Panama Canal is a vital shipping route. As China expands its global trade ambitions with its One Belt One Road infrastructure-building initiative, access to the eastern coasts of both South America and the US is expected to be of growing importance for Beijing.

The switch by Panama leaves Taiwan with a handful of nations with whom it has diplomatic ties. They are:

In Latin America and the Caribbean: Belize, El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent & the Grenadines, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Paraguay, Honduras and Saint Lucia
In Africa: Burkina Faso and Swaziland
In Europe: The Holy See
In the Pacific: Kiribati, Nauru, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, the Marshall Islands and Palau

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-40256499

 

[Housecarl]

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https://www.wsj.com/articles/can-the-u-s-afford-modern-nukes-1497395359

Opinion Commentary Commentary (U.S.)

Can the U.S. Afford Modern Nukes?
Forty billion dollars a year isn’t much for America’s survival.

By Matthew R. Costlow
June 13, 2017 7:09 p.m. ET

25 COMMENTS

When President Obama left the White House, he punted on a tough choice: how to modernize the U.S. nuclear force. In the coming weeks, the Congressional Budget Office is expected to release a report that estimates modernization as currently proposed would cost $1.2 trillion over 30 years, or about $40 billion a year. Congress and the Trump administration shouldn’t be intimidated by the ostensibly big number.

The plan analyzed by the CBO would replace the nuclear delivery systems of bombers, missiles and submarines with new ones that incorporate the latest safety and survival features. These changes would enable some systems to perform well into the 2080s. It’s ambitious, but this program isn’t the budget buster nuclear disarmament supporters describe.

Under the plan, spending on the nuclear arsenal would peak in the late 2020s at about 6.5% of the Defense Department budget, up from 3.2% today. Recall that military spending consumes only about 15% of the federal budget.

But determining whether modernization is affordable involves more than cost considerations. The Pentagon simultaneously has to consider its priorities and the costs of weapons systems when determining the best way to protect U.S. interests. According to the Defense Department, the two highest priorities of U.S. strategy are “the survival of the nation” and “the prevention of a catastrophic attack against U.S. territory.” The Pentagon’s Quadrennial Defense Review lists “a secure and effective nuclear deterrent” at the top of a list describing how to achieve such priorities.

Given that the U.S. nuclear arsenal helps to deter the only existential threat to the U.S., major nuclear war, its value can’t be measured by traditional dollar metrics alone. Budgets are about trade-offs and priorities. As the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Paul Selva, testified earlier this year, “We are emphasizing the nuclear mission over other modernization programs when faced with that choice.”

Critics will cry that every dollar spent on nuclear weapons, which have not been set off in anger since World War II, is a dollar taken from those who are fighting wars right now. But as then-Defense Secretary Ash Carter explained in a speech last year, U.S. nuclear forces are the “bedrock” of American security and the “highest priority mission” of the Defense Department. They enable current war fighters to achieve their missions.

Even those in the military who could stand to miss out on spending increases because of nuclear modernization efforts, like U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley, support modernization: “It’s not even an Army system and it needs to be overhauled and brought back up to the level of readiness.”

The federal government can afford to spend less than 1% of its multitrillion-dollar budget on nuclear modernization. And with Russia, China and North Korea all upgrading their nuclear weapons capabilities, just about the only thing the U.S. can’t afford is to end its modernization efforts before they begin.

Mr. Costlow, a doctoral student at George Mason University, is a policy analyst at the National Institute for Public Policy.

Appeared in the June 14, 2017, print edition.