TODAY’S TOP 5
1. White separatist propaganda turns up at Fort Carson
(Army Times) White supremacists are recruiting at Fort Carson, Colorado.
2. House Appropriators Easily Kill Measure to Save A-10 Fleet
(Defense News) US House appropriators on Tuesday killed an amendment that would have kept alive the Air Force's A-10 fleet, becoming the first defense panel to endorse the service's cost-cutting plan.
3. We Are Losing the War on Terror
(David Rothkopf in Foreign Policy) The ground truth about the spread of terrorism will be a hard one for many Americans to swallow after 13 costly years of war. Terrorism is spreading worldwide. Our enemies have sustained our blows, adapted, and grown. Two questions loom large as a consequence: Where did we go wrong and what do we do now.
4. Infographic: Where Terrorists Attacked in 2013
(War On The Rocks) Terrorism's footprint is truly global. In 2013, according to data collected by START, incidents of terrorism were recorded in 94 countries around the world. But the threat is far from uniform. The map below depicts the intensity and concentration of terrorist violence in 2013.
5. Pakistani Taliban Say Airport Attack Was Aimed at Hijacking a Plane
(Global Security Newswire) The Pakistani Taliban claim their goal in Monday's attack on a major international airport was to hijack an airplane and to "destroy" government facilities.
FRIENDLY FIRE INCIDENT
Friendly fire' deaths in Afghanistan: Relatively rare, they draw attention.
(Christian Science Monitor) Friendly-fire incidents are responsible for only a small percentage of the more than 3,400 international coalition deaths (of which more than 2,175 have been Americans) in the Afghanistan war, but such deaths have often received added attention.
Mokena soldier among five killed by apparent friendly fire
(Chicago Sun-Times) Ever since he was a boy, Aaron Toppen wanted to enlist in the military.
Pasadena man killed by suspected friendly fire in Afghanistan
(San Gabriel Valley Tribune) A Flintridge Preparatory alumnus and football player died Monday in a suspected friendly fire incident that killed the Pasadena resident and four other American troops in Afghanistan.
Soldier from southern Ohio killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan
(Columbus Dispatch; Ohio) Friends of Justin Helton, an Army soldier from Pike County in southern Ohio, said he was one of five soldiers killed in what's believed to be a friendly-fire attack in Afghanistan.
Sprague soldier among troops killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan
(The Spokesman-Review; Spokane, Wash.) Justin Clouse, a 22-year-old soldier from Sprague, Washington, was among troops killed today in an apparent friendly fire incident in southern Afghanistan.
IRAQ
ISIS seizes more towns in northern and central Iraq
(Long War Journal) After seizing control of the northern city of Mosul in the past 24 hours, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham has advanced southward and taken control of territory in the provinces of Salahaddin and Kirkuk.
Exhausted and Bereft, Iraqi Soldiers Quit Fight
(New York Times) The infantryman and his colleagues were already worn down after six months of fighting militants in western Iraq, men flush with weapons and zeal. Army commanders had no answer for the daily deadly ambushes and no broader strategy for prevailing in the longer war.
As Mosul falls to ISIS militants, doubts over US-trained Iraqi security forces
(Christian Science Monitor) Insurgents overran much of the northern Iraqi city of Mosul Tuesday, seizing the provincial government headquarters, the airport, police stations, and prisons as members of the Iraqi army shed their uniforms and fled.
Video from ISIS fighter shows aftermath of 'liberation' of Mosul
(Long War Journal) The video, which was released on YouTube by an ISIS fighter who goes by the name of "Ibn al Azd," is captioned "The camera roams the streets of Mosul and the displaced return after its liberation//Islamic State [ISIS]."
U.S. can only encourage Iraq's leader as ISIS seizes Mosul
(McClatchy) The American military lost at least 200 troops in Mosul, Iraq's second largest city, during the American occupation of Iraq, almost all of them to attacks by what today is known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.
From Iraq to Syria, splinter groups now larger worry than al-Qaeda
(Washington Post) The takeover of the Iraqi city of Mosul on Tuesday illustrated an increasingly disconcerting reality for the United States: From Iraq to Syria and beyond, radical offshoots of al-Qaeda are expanding their ambitions and directly threatening American national security interests.
Peshmerga plan to rescue foreign diplomats in Mosul
(BasNews) Kurdish Peshmerga plan to enter Mosul to relocate diplomats following a breakout in violence in the city, says Head of Mosul Province Council Bashar Kiki.
INDUSTRY
SpaceX's Musk Slams US Air Force Certification Process
(Defense News) If SpaceX CEO Elon Musk had his way, the US Air Force would certify his company for national security launches this minute - and he made his frustrations clear with the service's long process of certifying his Falcon 9 rocket.
Elon Musk on Russian Assassins, Lockheed Martin and Going to Mars
(Intercepts) The founder and CEO of launch company SpaceX, previously known for his roles in the creation of PayPal and electric car company Tesla, doesn't have much of a filter. He also doesn't seem to have a fear of a press scrum. Combine those two with a dash of controversy and you get something like the wide-ranging, twenty minute long impromptu QandA session he held Tuesday night in Washington, DC.
Exclusive: European, U.S. helicopter makers bid for $2-billion Japan deal - sources
(Reuters) Japan is in early talks with top global helicopter makers and their Japanese partners about a deal worth around $2 billion to build transport aircraft for its military that would also be sold overseas, sources with knowledge of the discussions said.
Airbus Defence To Test-Fly Upgraded A330 Tanker in 2016
(Defense News) The military aircraft arm of Airbus Defence and Security will start test-flying an enhanced version of the A330 MRTT tanker transport in the second half of 2016 and intends to adopt the new standard with the delivery of the first platform to Singapore, its latest customer.
Lockheed Says It Can 'Easily' Improve LCS
(Breaking Defense) In the race to replace the Navy's controversial Littoral Combat Ship, the leading contender seems to be.... a better Littoral Combat Ship. That's the clear implication of what we've been hearing from Navy leadership, and it's clear from press briefings today that LCS contractor Lockheed Martin feels pretty confident it can do the job. (Lockheed builds the Freedom-class LCS; the Independence variant is by Austal and General Dynamics).
Lockheed and Raytheon Working On Integrating Next Generation Radar With Aegis
(USNI News) Lockheed Martin is in discussions with Raytheon on how best to integrate the Air and Missile Defense Radar (AMDR) into the Aegis combat system for the Flight III Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers (DDG-51).
In Lean Market, Lockheed Martin Eager for Combat Vehicle Contracts
(National Defense) Opportunities to sell combat vehicles to the military are thin on the ground, but Lockheed Martin continues to push its offerings for two remaining programs: the Army and Marine Corps' joint light tactical vehicle and the newly revived amphibious combat vehicle, also to be operated by the Marines.
Global Hawk needs USD1.9 billion in upgrades before U-2 can retire
(IHS Jane's 360) The Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned surveillance aircraft still needs nearly USD2 billion in upgrades so that it can complete all the missions done by the manned Lockheed U-2, which the US Air Force (USAF) wants to retire to save money, a top service official said on 9 June.
SAIC sees revenue drop but profits rise
(Washington Post) Sales at the new Science Applications International Corp. declined in the first quarter but profits rose as a drop in defense business was offset by the absence of restructuring costs this year, the company said Tuesday.
All Four AEHF Countries Now Connected
(Defense News) The United Kingdom has officially connected with the advanced extremely high frequency (AEHF) protected satellite communications network, becoming the last partner nation on the program to go operational.
Lockheed sees U.S. Navy revamping naval proposal for Saudis
(Reuters) The U.S. government is revamping proposals for a multibillion-dollar modernization of Saudi Arabia's navy after leadership changes in the kingdom, but no decisions are expected in the near-term, industry and government officials said this week.
First AgustaWestland Attack Helos Join Turk Army
(Defense News) The first batch of three T-129 attack helicopters coproduced by the Italian-British AgustaWestland and Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) joined the Turkish Army's inventory at a high level ceremony here on Tuesday.
Rostvertol appoints managing director
(IHS Jane's 360) Russian helicopter maker Rosvertol has appointed Pyotr Motrenko as managing director in a move to streamline the company's management, Russian Helicopters (RH) announced on 10 June.
Philippines extends deadline for ASW helicopter bidding
(IHS Jane's 360) First stage bidding for the Philippine Department of National Defense's (DND's) PHP5.4 billion (USD123 million) acquisition of two anti-submarine warfare helicopters has been reset to 24 June, DND undersecretary Natalio Ecarma has said.
VETERANS
Los Borinqueneers Awarded Congressional Gold Medal
(Hartford Courant) President Barack Obama signed a bill Tuesday honoring the 65th Infantry Regiment, a unit of soldiers largely from Puerto Rico known as Los Borinqueneers with the Congressional Gold Medal.
Report: Benefits claims related to sexual assault treated unevenly
(Military Times) Veterans Affairs benefits workers are still wildly inconsistent in their handling of claims related to military sexual assault despite years of emphasis on the issues, a new Government Accountability Office report has found.
House passes VA overhaul bill ... twice
(The Hill) The House on Tuesday twice passed legislation to allow veterans to seek medical care outside the Department of Veterans Affairs if wait times are too long.
House Votes to Ban Bonuses for All VA Employees Through 2016
(Government Executive) The House on Tuesday unanimously approved a measure that would ban bonuses for all Veterans Affairs Department employees for the next three years.
5 questions: Cutting benefits for military retirees
(Military Times) Retired Army Lt. Col. Tom Slear has touched the third rail of military and veterans' issues with an opinion piece arguing that a "very small decrease in pay" for military retirees would be reasonable, considering the need for the U.S. government to cut spending.
CONGRESS
House Panel Approves Massive Pentagon Spending Bill
(Defense News) A US House panel on Tuesday approved $570 billion in Pentagon spending for 2015, but became the first committee to support retiring the A-10 fleet.
House GOP leader Eric Cantor defeated by Tea Party foe
(USA Today) The demise of the Tea Party has been greatly exaggerated.
Graham holds off challenge from right in S.C. Senate primary
(Washington Post) Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (S.C.) comfortably won his Republican primary Tuesday, defeating a field of six lesser-known challengers who failed to gain any traction against the backdrop of a tea party movement unhappy with the second-term senator.
Hagel Made Final Call on Bergdahl Swap, Congress Told
(ABC News) Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel - not President Obama - executed the administration's final call to proceed with the prisoner exchange of five ranking Taliban detainees for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, administration officials told Congress today in a classified briefing today.
Obama, not Hagel, responsible for Bergdahl, says White House
(The Hill) President Obama was responsible for the decision to swap five Taliban militants for Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, the White House said Tuesday.
Lawmakers reject 'legal end' to Iraq war
(The Hill) The House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday batted down two pieces of legislation on authorizations for use of military force (AUMF), including one that tried to end the authority in Iraq years after the last U.S. troops returned.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Where Will CENTCOM's Post-War Funding
(DefenseOne) U.S. Central Command is responsible for some of the most volatile places in the world, including Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Pakistan, Iran, Yemen and Egypt, so not surprisingly its budget has increased greatly since 2001. Most of the command's funding has come from the Pentagon's Overseas Contingency Operations budget, a separate pot of money set aside to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan over the past decade.
What to do with Bergdahl? Options all carry pros and cons
(Military Times) In strictly tactical terms, the recovery of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl after five years in captivity was flawless - a single helicopter touched down at the meeting spot in eastern Afghanistan, followed by a few handshakes under a makeshift white flag. About a minute later, the special operations team lifted off again with Bergdahl back in U.S. hands.
New wrinkle in 2015 pay raise debate
(Military Times) Some House lawmakers have launched one more push to give troops more cash next year.
ARMY
Retired sergeant major to fight Canada gun charges in court
(Army Times) A retired sergeant major who spent his Army career in the Judge Advocate General's Corps is fighting to clear his name after being charged with unauthorized possession of a weapon and smuggling goods into Canada.
Accuser describes photos of alleged altercation between herself and Capt. Richard Camacho during court-martial
(Fayetteville Observer) On a wall-mounted monitor tacked between a military judge and a panel of ranking Army officers Monday, prosecutors showed dozens of photos of bruises and cuts.
Fort Drum soldier dies in Afghanistan from non-combat injuries
(Watertown Daily Times) Spc. Terry J. Hurne, 34, of Merced, Calif., died in Logar province, the Defense Department confirmed Tuesday.
82nd Airborne Division soldier dies while on leave
(Fayetteville Observer) Spc. Vince E. Gaillard Jr., 23, of Cross, South Carolina, was running in St. Stephen, South Carolina, a city near Charleston, when he collapsed on June 7, according to officials.
Hoke County man charged in fatal shooting of soldier
(Fayetteville Observer) A Hoke County man has been arrested in the October slaying of a Special Forces soldier after breaking into his home on Beaver Run Drive, Fayetteville police said.
Tacoma couple charged after explosive device blew up in their home
(Tacoma News Tribune) They spent a year collecting used ammunition around Joint Base Lewis-McChord and melting it to sell as scrap metal - until one of the rounds exploded at a Tacoma home, injuring the couple and tipping police off to what they'd been up to.
NAVY
Cruiser CO, CMC canned for poor performance
(Navy Times) Navy officials fired the commanding officer and command master chief of the San Diego-based cruiser Cowpens on Tuesday for poor performance in a number of inspections and visits - a highly unusual move that came only two months after the ship returned from a seven-month Western Pacific deployment.
Navy: Human error led to submarine collision
(Associated Press) The primary reason a submarine and a guided-missile cruiser collided off the coast of Florida during a 2012 training exercise was human error and poor teamwork by the submarine's watch team, according to a Navy investigation released on Tuesday.
Mikulski: Bill with $120 million for Naval Academy cyber center could get vote soon
(Capital Gazette; Annapolis, Md.) Legislation with $120 million for a planned Center for Cyber Security Studies at the Naval Academy could reach the U.S. Senate floor for a vote within the next month, U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., told the Naval Academy Board of Visitors on Monday.
Navy sub returns from rare 'surge' deployment
(Associated Press) A Navy submarine has returned to its Connecticut base from a rare spur-of-the-moment deployment, completing a secret 11-week mission that sent it to European waters.
AIR FORCE
Airmen participate in joint exercises in Poland, Baltic nations
(Air Force Times) Airmen are participating in four joint combat training exercises underway in Poland and the Baltic states - one week after President Obama called for Congress to approve a $1 billion plan to boost a U.S. troops' rotational presence and further reassure Eastern European partners of "America's unshakeable commitment" to its NATO allies.
Airmen come up clean in Yokota drug sweep
(Stars & Stripes) Servicemembers at Yokota Air Base passed last month's mass drug tests with flying colors, officials report.
Air Force launching fixes to nuke missiles corps
(Air Force Times) The Air Force is launching an ambitious campaign to repair flaws in its nuclear missile corps, after recent training failures, security missteps, leadership lapses, morale problems and stunning breakdowns in discipline prompted Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel to demand action to restore public confidence in the nuclear force.
MARINE CORPS
Investigation: MARSOC insider attack may have been motivated by Pashtunwali
(Marine Corps Times) A Defense Department investigation into a 2012 insider attack that killed a MARSOC Marine and corpsman in Farah province, Afghanistan, found the perpetrator was a newly minted Afghan policeman who may have felt slighted by American troops and estranged by his village.
Meet the Marines' newest mascot: Wiggly, wrinkly Pvt. Smedley Butler
(Stars & Stripes) Like many Marine recruits, Pvt. Smedley Butler hasn't quite grown into his feet, his drill technique could use work, and he eats whatever is put in front of him.
Wanted: Good home for Marine Corps working dogs
(Marine Corps Times) Think you could provide a good home to a retiring Marine Corps IED detection dog?
COAST GUARD
Fears in wake of Coast Guard sex assaults
(San Francisco Chronicle) A U.S. Coast Guardswoman looked down while using a restroom stall on the military service's Alameda base to see a man peering up.
Costa Rica approves joint US patrols and docking permits to fight drug war
(The Tico Times; Costa Rica) Lawmakers on Monday evening voted to extend permission to the U.S. Coast Guard to participate in joint drug patrols in Costa Rican waters and to dock in the country's ports.
Coast Guard celebrates 200th anniversary of Battle of Fort McHenry
(Capital Gazette; Annapolis, Md) The clank of chains could be heard on the Patapsco River Thursday morning as a Coast Guard crew raised a star-spangled buoy off the deck and slowly lowered it into the water near the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN
Officials Predicted Detainees in Bowe Bergdahl Swap Would Rejoin Taliban
(Wall Street Journal) Before the U.S. transferred five Afghan Taliban detainees to secure the freedom of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, American intelligence officials predicted that two of the men would return to senior positions with the militant group, according to U.S. officials.
Pakistan Attacks Taliban Hide-Outs After Militants Again Hit Karachi
(Wall Street Journal) Pakistan launched airstrikes on Tuesday against hide-outs of militants in the tribal areas, as security forces repelled a fresh attack near Karachi's airport, two days after the Taliban's assault on the country's busiest air hub.
Pakistan summons Afghan ambassador following attack on Karachi airport
(Khaama Press) The foreign ministry officials said Tuesday that the Afghan ambassador to Pakistan was summoned following militants attack on Karachi airport
Iran Reportedly Fires Mortars Inside Pakistan
(Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) Iranian forces are reported to have fired mortar shells inside Pakistani territory.
Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan vows to defend 'good Taliban'
(Long War Journal) In a statement claiming the suicide assault on a civilian airport in Karachi, Shahidullah Shahid, the spokesman for the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, said that his group would fight alongside Hafiz Gul Bahadar, the leader of an independent Taliban group that is based in North Waziristan.
MIDDLE EAST
Iran nuclear talks have 'hit a wall,' French foreign minister says
(Los Angeles Times) France's foreign minister said Iran and world powers have "hit a wall" in nuclear negotiations over how much sensitive equipment Tehran would be permitted to keep under a comprehensive deal.
At least 630 killed in jihadist offensive in Syria
(Associated Press) An offensive by a breakaway al-Qaida group in eastern Syria against Islamic rebel factions has killed more than 630 people and uprooted at least 130,000 since the end of April, an activist group said Tuesday.
Hard-liner Rivlin to become Israel's next president, after much political drama
(Washington Post) Israelis, who are quite familiar with rough-and-tumble politics, were taken aback to see the race for president - a strictly ceremonial post in this parliamentary system, with lots of red carpets, windy toasts and wreath laying - turn into a political brawl.
EUROPE
Despite Clash in Ukraine, Cease-Fire Talks Advance
(New York Times) The foreign ministers of Russia, Poland and Germany on Tuesday signaled progress toward a cease-fire in Ukraine, even as up to 40 separatists were reported to have been killed in a fierce battle for control of an airport in the east of the country.
In Germany, Anti-American Sentiment Fuels Push to Tread Softly on Ukraine
(Wall Street Journal) Max Ebert, a 53-year-old local businessman, sees little difference between how Washington conducts foreign policy and the way Moscow does
Russia Welcomes Creation Of Humanitarian Corridors In Eastern Ukraine
(Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow welcomes Ukraine's decision to establish humanitarian corridors in eastern Ukraine where government forces continue fighting pro-Russian separatists.
Young Russians never knew the Soviet Union, but they hope to recapture days of its empire
(Washington Post) Oksana Chernysheva, a first-year journalism student at the International University in Moscow, shares the view of her president, Vladimir Putin: The collapse of the Soviet Union was a disaster.
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
Grading the White House on Bergdahl
(Ryan Evans in War on the Rocks) This Administration has been accused of failing to understand both the world in general and politics as they are rather than how it wishes them to be.
Michael Gerson: The White House's Bergdahl mess
(Michael Gerson in The Washington Post) It would be difficult, even if intended and planned, to cram more hubris, incompetence and mendacity into a humane and sympathetic act.
The New FM 3-24: What Happens When the Host Nation Is the Problem?
(Dr. Walter C. Ladwig III in Small Wars Journal) Incorporating the experience gained in Iraq and Afghanistan, the new edition of FM 3-24: Insurgencies and Countering Insurgencies reorients American strategy towards supporting a host nation's counterinsurgency efforts rather than intervening in a conflict directly.
Why We Need the Advanced Hypersonic Weapon
(Timothy Walton in War on the Rocks) While $71 million may not seem like much in Washington, a recent approval of this tidy sum by Congress continues the Army's rapid development of the cutting-edge boost-glide Advanced Hypersonic Weapon (AHW) missile program.
Arm Syria's Opposition
(Former Ambassador Robert S. Ford in The New York Times) In February, I resigned as the American ambassador to Syria, after 30 years' foreign service in Africa and the Middle East. As the situation in Syria deteriorated, I found it ever harder to justify our policy. It was time for me to leave.
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