TODAY’S TOP 5
1. Obama: Post-9/11 GI Bill keeps promise to newest vets
(President Barack Obama in Military Times) You pick the school, and we'll help pick up the bill.
2. When drones fall from the sky
(Washington Post) More than 400 large U.S. military drones have crashed in major accidents around the world since 2001, a record of calamity that exposes the potential dangers of throwing open American skies to drone traffic, according to a year-long Washington Post investigation.
3. Troops, vets campaign to award MoH to fallen SFC
(Army Times) Sgt. 1st Class Alwyn Cashe and his soldiers were on patrol in Samarra, Iraq, on Oct. 17, 2005, when their Bradley Fighting Vehicle hit an IED.
4. Government's PTSD treatment for veterans lacking, report finds
(Los Angeles Times) Despite spending billions of dollars a year to treat military service members and veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, the government has little evidence that its efforts are working, according to a new report commissioned by Congress.
5. New horsepower for war zones: Special Forces saddle up
(USA Today) The men emerged over the crest of a ridge and guided their horses along a tree line, skirting a wide meadow. They picked their way along narrow trails, climbing higher into the Sierra until a panorama of snowcapped peaks and a broad green valley unfolded beneath them.
DEFENSE NEWS WITH VAGO MURADIAN
U.S. Support for the Iraq Government
The Iraq Crisis
Congress tries to fix the VA
Vago's Notebook
IRAQ
U.S and Iraq talking over legal immunity for troops
(Military Times) The U.S. and Iraqi governments are revisiting the controversial issue of legal immunity for American troops, the key sticking point that prompted a complete withdraw of troops in 2011.
US advisers to Iraq will earn combat pay
(The Hill) Special operators being sent to Iraq will receive combat pay, even though they will not be going as part of a combat mission, the Pentagon's press secretary said Saturday evening.
Iraqi Army Kills Civilians in Tikrit Airstrike, Say Residents
(Wall Street Journal) An Iraqi army airstrike in the country's north killed at least seven civilians and wounded 12 more, residents said Sunday, further inflaming antigovernment sentiment among the country's Sunnis that insurgents are thriving on as they continue to take territory.
Iraqi military facing 'psychological collapse' after losses, desertions
(Washington Post) The 300 U.S. advisers authorized to assist the Iraqi security forces will find an army in crisis mode, so lacking in equipment and shaken by desertions that it may not be able to win back significant chunks of territory from al-Qaeda renegades for months or even years, analysts and officials say.
Militants Take 4th Town in Iraq's Anbar Province
(Voice of America) Sunni militants have seized another town in Iraq's western Anbar province, the fourth to fall in two days, officials said Sunday, in what is shaping up to be a major offensive in one of Iraq's most restive regions.
More Than 20 Iraqi Prisoners Killed In Militant Attack
(Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) At least 23 detainees have been killed during a militant attack on an Iraqi convoy south of the capital, Baghdad.
Kerry in Baghdad to Urge Iraqis to Form New, Inclusive Government
(New York Times) Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Baghdad on Monday morning to urge the Iraqis to bridge their sectarian differences and form a new, inclusive government.
U.S. readies advisory mission in Iraq. But what will it look like?
(Washington Post) Iraq is getting a fresh influx of up to 300 U.S. troops. And while they "will not be returning to combat," as President Obama said Thursday, they will be taking on a role advising their Iraqi counterparts from the sidelines.
Secret U.S. Plan to Aid Iraq Fizzled Amid Mutual Distrust
(Wall Street Journal) Amid growing signs of instability in Iraq, President Barack Obama authorized a secret plan late last year to aid Iraqi troops in their fight against Sunni extremists by sharing intelligence on the militants' desert encampments, but devoted only a handful of U.S. specialists to the task.
Iraq Eyes Czech Mi 24 helos To Combat ISIL Militants
(Defense News) Czech Defense Minister Martin Stropnicky has announced the Czech Republic is in talks to sell Russian-built Mil Mi-24 helicopters to the Iraqi Defense Ministry.
Analysis: Obama plan leaves Iraq mostly on its own
(Associated Press) For years, the U.S. has been clear about its intent to step back from Iraq. The restrained American military aid now being offered to defend Baghdad against a ferocious Sunni insurgency reaffirms the Obama administration's mantra that Iraq is still largely on its own.
Shiite 'peace brigades' send signal of aggression with major rally in Baghdad
(Washington Post) Carrying assault rifles, homemade rocket launchers and missiles, row after row of men in combat fatigues marched through the streets of Baghdad on Saturday, signaling the resurgence of one of Iraq's most feared Shiite militias.
US should launch targeted military strikes on 'terrorist army' Isis, says General David Petraeus
(The Telegraph) America should launch "targeted" military attacks against an emerging "terrorist army" in Iraq if it jeopardises the security of the West, the former head of Coalition forces in the country said.
Iran rejects U.S. action in Iraq as militants push east
(Reuters) Iran's supreme leader condemned U.S. intervention in Iraq on Sunday, accusing Washington of seeking control as Sunni insurgents drove toward Baghdad from the Syrian border and consolidated positions in the north and west.
Iraqi Kurds Hope for a More Independent Future
(Voice of America) Kurdish leaders fear Iraq is destined for a long sectarian civil war if Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki refuses to step aside and insists on confronting militarily the Sunni Muslim uprising roiling the country.
A U.S. Playbook For Iraq and Syria
(Council on Foreign Relations) The Obama administration should collaborate, at least temporarily, with Iran and Russia in a campaign against Sunni extremist groups fighting in Iraq and Syria, says Leslie H. Gelb, a former official at the State and Defense Departments
Orchestrated tales in ex-Blackwater guards' trial?
(Associated Press) Defense lawyers for the ex-Blackwater security guards accused of killing 14 Iraqis in Baghdad nearly seven years ago are raising the possibility that prosecution witnesses, with direction from Iraqi law enforcement investigators, have orchestrated their stories.
INDUSTRY
Incoming House Majority Leader McCarthy Says He Won't Support Reauthorizing Export Agency's Charter
(Wall Street Journal) Incoming House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said on Sunday he wouldn't support reauthorizing the charter of the Export-Import Bank of the United States, placing in doubt the future of a major agency that facilitates U.S. exports.
French Scorpion Vehicle Deal Takes Shape
(Defense News) French Army planners, procurement officials and a three-company group are working on terms and conditions of a draft contract aimed at launching a 5 billion euros (US $6.8 billion) Scorpion equipment modernization this year, the biggest European program for land weapons, a company executive and defense official said.
U.S. missile defense system hits target in key test
(Reuters) The U.S. missile defense system managed by Boeing Co on Sunday hit a simulated enemy missile over the Pacific in the first successful intercept test of the program since 2008, the U.S. Defense Department said.
U.S. Rocket Company Looks to Buy Russian-Made Engine
(Wall Street Journal) Orbital Sciences Inc., ORB +1.11% the company that the U.S. government uses for many of its space launches, said on Friday it is evaluating buying a Russian-made rocket engine that has become a touchstone for concerns about the health of the U.S. space industry.
Government Services Market Undergoing Sweeping Change
(National Defense) Federal agencies' increasing reliance on technology and changing buying behaviors are shaking up the $225 billion government services market.
Artillery Experiment Shows Deepening UK-French Ties
(Defense News) London is in talks with Paris to allow British troops to train on a French system artillery system this year, according to sources, the first step in a sweeping review of all British artillery requirements, from mortars to guided rockets to 155mm artillery.
NAWCAD seeks to counter unguided anti-air threats
(IHS Jane's 360) The US Navy has invited industry and academia to propose defensive aids technologies that could safeguard helicopters and tilt-rotor aircraft from attack by rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and similar unguided munitions.
DCNS Wants Navy To Extend Lease on Adroit
(Defense News) DCNS is in talks with French authorities to stretch out a three-year lease to the Navy of the Adroit, an offshore patrol vessel the company built with its own funds and aimed at the export market, a spokesman at the naval shipbuilder said June 20.
Babcock wins UK submarine weapon handling and launch support contract
(IHS Jane's 360) Babcock has been awarded a five-year contract by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) to support the Weapon Handling and Launch System (WHLS) and Submerged Signal Ejector (SSE) equipment used on all classes of UK in-service submarines and their associated training rigs
Elbit Beats Rival IAI in Swiss Air Force UAV Bid
(Defense News) Elbit Systems has beaten rival Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) in a high-stakes bid for US $280 million in prospective UAV sales to the Swiss Air Force.
Indian Army kicks off final carbine trials
(IHS Jane's 360) The Indian Army began the final round of confirmatory trials in support of its requirement for 44,618 close quarter battle (CQB) 5.56 mm carbines and 33.6 million rounds of ammunition on 9 June, defence industry officials told IHS Jane's .
Fox Among the Hans: Algeria's Big Fuchs APC Order
(Defense Industry Daily) Reports out of Germany suggest that Rheinmetall Defense has just signed a EUR 2.7 billion ($3.675 billion) contract with Algeria for 980 Fuchs (Fox) 6x6 wheeled armored personnel carriers.
Webcast: Use full-motion video for situational awareness
(Defense News) Remotely sensed data is vital to planning today's missions; the challenge is developing useful information from a flood of data. Jagwire -- web-based geospatial data management software -- is helping troops put full-motion video to use. On June 24, 2 p.m. EDT, Defense News presents a free webinar showing how Jagwire can help you make faster, more informed decisions. Register at defensenews.com/jagwire.
BrahMos Aerospace appoints new CEO
(IHS Jane's 360) Senior missile scientist Sudhir K Mishra has been chosen to take over as chief executive officer and managing director of the Indo-Russian JV BrahMos Aerospace, replacing A Sivathanu Pillai.
Major Finmeccanica Companies To Become Divisions
(Defense News) As part of a bid to centralize management and cut down on wasteful overlaps, Finmeccanica's new CEO, Mauro Moretti, is to transform the group's owned companies - including AgustaWestland and Alenia Aermacchi - into mere divisions.
VETERANS
Service members can now register on burn-pit list
(Military Times) The Veterans Affairs Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry is now live.
VA falls short on female medical issues
(Associated Press) Already pilloried for long wait times for medical appointments, the beleaguered Department of Veterans Affairs has fallen short of another commitment: to attend to the needs of the rising ranks of female veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, many of them of child-bearing age.
VA health care crisis hits home for veterans in Fayetteville
(Fayetteville Observer) Mike Schultz holds his glasses away from his face and squints.
VA: 65 percent of senior executives got bonuses
(Associated Press) About 65 percent of senior executives at the Veterans Affairs Department got performance bonuses last year despite widespread treatment delays and preventable deaths at VA hospitals and clinics, the agency said Friday.
One Thing That Is Going Right for Veterans
(National Journal) Every day seems to bring more bad news for veterans. But amid the ever-growing scandal at the Veterans Affairs Department, there is one thing going right: Many more veterans are getting jobs.
A life of trouble, a moment of immortality
(Associated Press) Ruediger Richter barely recognizes himself in the yellowed military photograph hanging in his den - one of the best-known images of the Vietnam War.
CONGRESS
House OKs defense spending bill with 1.8% pay raise
(Military Times) The House approved a $570 billion defense spending proposal on Friday that would save the A-10 aircraft fleet, prohibit another base closure round and reject most of the Pentagon's planned pay and benefits trims.
US House Passes Appropriations Bill, Senate Looks Deadlocked
(Defense News) In a flurry of activity that wrapped up early on the afternoon of June 20, the US House of Representatives pushed through several controversial amendments to the $570.4 billion 2015 defense appropriations bill before handing its version off to the Senate for its own markups this summer.
Republican Critics Say Obama May Have Learned His Lesson on Benghazi
(National Journal) Criticism of President Obama's foreign policy is roiling around the Capitol, as devastation and terror quickly creep through Iraq and House Republicans prepare for yet another investigation of the 2012 attack that killed four Americans in Libya. But for all their highly charged rhetoric aimed at the administration, Republicans have one point of praise: Obama appears to be building on lessons learned in Benghazi in working to keep Americans in Iraq secure.
ISIS 'number-one threat' to US, McCaul says
(The Hill) House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mike McCaul (R-Texas) on Sunday warned that extremists' training grounds in Iraq are more pronounced than those in the lead-up to 9/11.
Behind Dianne Feinstein's Calculated Rebuke of the White House
(National Journal) The Intelligence chair has been a defender of administration practices. But when Obama failed to warn her about the Bergdahl swap, he met the limit of her patience.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Wormuth Confirmed as DoD Policy Chief
(Defense News) The US Senate has confirmed Christine Wormuth to become the Defense Department's policy chief.
Dempsey on smoking ban: Chiefs need to weigh in
(Military Times) A forcewide review of tobacco that could result in new restrictions on the sale and use of cigarettes is drawing some skepticism from the Defense Department's top officer.
JIEDDO To Change Name as Mission Broadens
(Defense News) The Pentagon will keep its counter-IED office but broaden its mission to respond to terrorist and insurgency surprises on the battlefield, in addition to combating roadside bombs.
The Admiral Who's Fond of the Word 'Zorch'
(Wall Street Journal) When Pentagonpress secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby held a news conference last week to discuss developments in Iraq, he used a word you rarely hear in such a formal setting: "zorch."
The Military Now Has X-Ray Guns
(DefenseOne) Superman had X-ray vision. Now, so does the United States military, in the form of an X-ray gun that can see through fabric, rubber and aluminum to find drugs, money, explosive liquids and even people.
Canadian Lawmakers Push For Part in US BMD
(Defense News) The Canadian government is studying a recommendation that it become a partner in the US continental missile defense system, either by contributing locations for radars or by conducting research into improving the system.
World Cup matches happen a day later for Guantanamo detainees
(Miami Herald) Guards revealed that detainees get to watch the World Cup - the fourth for many in U.S. custody - on a one-day delay to give staff time to scrub recordings of incendiary material.
ARMY
Army demotes general two grades; will retire as lieutenant colonel
(Army Times) Army Secretary John McHugh has stripped Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Sinclair of two grades, forcing him to retire from service as a lieutenant colonel.
JBLM soldier killed in California training accident
(Tacoma News Tribune) A Joint Base Lewis-McChord soldier was killed Saturday in an accident at the Army's National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif.
Bergdahl to stay in S.A. as outpatient
(Los Angeles Times) Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl's long road to recovery took another step forward Sunday when military officials announced that the former prisoner-of-war had become an outpatient at the Texas military base where he is being treated.
ACU change: new shoulder pockets with zippers
(Army Times) The Army is putting new shoulder pockets with zippers on the ACU in hopes of making the uniform more user-friendly.
Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolf reunited with canine partner from Afghanistan tours
(Fayetteville Observer) Sgt. 1st Class Iras has ended his military career and reunited with a Fort Bragg soldier who served as his partner for two deployments.
Army drawdown continues: 1,100 captains to be cut
(Stars & Stripes) The Army drawdown continues this week, when about 1,100 Army captains will receive word that their military careers are about to end. Another 500 majors will get the same news in early July.
Water pollution resurfaces at Fort Jackson
(The State in Columbia, S.C.) The U.S. Army is working to protect private drinking water supplies near Fort Jackson after finding elevated levels of a seizure-causing chemical in wells that serve five homes near the expansive military site.
Sgt. Grills wants you to 'rebuild America'
(Army Times) A former sergeant and Iraq veteran is calling on all veterans to help rebuild America, and he hopes to make his case in a new book.
Army moves Apache helicopters to Hawaii for new initiative
(Stars & Stripes) Eight of the U.S. Army's most advanced attack helicopters arrived in Hawaii on Friday for this summer's Rim of the Pacific joint exercises, after which half of those Apache Guardians will be sent deeper into Asia as part of the Army's Pacific Pathways initiative.
Sgt., staff sgt. promotion names for July are out
(Army Times) July will be an off month for sergeant and staff sergeant promotions, with only 1,619 Regular Army soldiers advancing to those ranks this year.
Army announces July officer promotions
(Army Times) Download here the names of active-component officers chosen for promotion to the ranks of chief warrant officer two through colonel in July.
NAVY
Sailor's duty to country puts him at risk of losing daughter in Adrian custody battle
(Detroit Free-Press) A U.S. Navy sailor could lose custody of his 6-year-old daughter to his ex-wife on Monday because he's serving on a nuclear-powered submarine somewhere in the Pacific Ocean.
Pinned at the peak: Sailors take ceremony to Africa's tallest mountain
(Navy Times) Pinning on a warfare qualification is a milestone for any sailor, but most don't do it 19,341 feet above sea level.
Kickback scheme lands Beach man, friend, in prison
(Virginian-Pilot) Two friends were sentenced to federal prison Friday for their roles in a kickback scheme involving Navy contracts.
Coverall complaints and changes
(Navy Times) The fleet's new coveralls may stand up to a fire, but they're also ill-fitting and stuffy.
AIR FORCE
Airmen from U.S., 8 African nations find bonds in classroom - and soccer
(Air Force Times) A day before the June 16 World Cup match between Ghana and the United States, airmen from both countries sat together in a classroom in Senegal and traded banter over the upcoming game.
Combat air controllers: Skydiving with dirt bikes and guns
(CNN) Airmen toss dirt bikes out the rear of an airborne plane.
House spending bill blocks A-10 retirement
(Air Force Times) The House of Representatives on Thursday evening, during deliberation on the fiscal 2015 defense spending bill, voted to block the Air Force's plan to cut the entire A-10 fleet.
Historic fighter squadron at Hill is coming back
(Standard-Examiner; Ogden, Utah) If you ask Maj. Eric Fiederer, he'll tell you he knew the Rude Rams of the 34th Fighter Squadron couldn't be kept down for too long.
MARINE CORPS
For MoH recipient Kyle Carpenter, instant fame has its burdens
(Marine Corps Times) Retired Marine Cpl. William Kyle Carpenter was sitting at home in South Carolina on March 5 when Marine Corps Times broke the news that he was slated to receive the Medal of Honor.
Brandon Garabrant, Marine who tried to wear uniform to HS graduation, killed in action
(Fox News) A Marine whose request to wear his uniform at his high school graduation last year was refused by school officials has been killed in Afghanistan.
Seasoned CSOs to get huge bonuses
(Marine Corps Times) Senior Marine special operators are now eligible for even more generous bonuses. At a time when cash is drying up for most jobs, gunnery sergeants or above with Marine Corps Special Operations Command can take home tens of thousands of dollars for re-enlisting.
Williams takes command of Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island
(Island Packet) The first female commander of Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island gave way Friday to its first African-American commander.
Nakaima to drop call to kick out U.S. air base
(Japan Times) Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima will not include a call to kick Futenma air base out of the prefecture at next week's ceremony commemorating the 69th anniversary of the end of the Battle of Okinawa, prefectural officials said Thursday.
Corps to improve LAVs' mobility and reliability
(Marine Corps Times) The Marine Corps has awarded General Dynamics a $52 million contract to upgrade the suspension, driveline, steering system and electrical components of the service's light armored vehicles.
Watch These Marines Fast-Rope out of this MV-22 Osprey
(War On The Rocks) At a recent exercise, these infantry Marines fast-roped out of a hovering MV-22 Osprey. They used to say it couldn't be done - that the force of the downdraft made it too risky. Well these Marines are the latest to prove the naysayers wrong.
Iraqi civilian killing case back in court
(San Diego Union-Tribune) As President Barack Obama announced Thursday that the U.S. is sending 300 military advisers to Iraq, a Marine was back in court at Camp Pendleton to face retrial for leading his squad in the killing of an Iraqi civilian.
AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN
Air advisers halfway through mission to train Afghans
(Air Force Time) The mission of the NATO personnel tasked to train the Afghan air force is to no longer have a job within three years, and they are well on their way, the top officer in charge said.
Candidate Says Recordings Show Afghan Election Was Rigged
(New York Times) One of the candidates in Afghanistan's disputed presidential election released on Sunday what his campaign said were recordings of phone calls in which a top election official, other election officials and aides of a rival candidate speak about stuffing ballot boxes and rigging the vote.
Afghans protest alleged election fraud
(Washington Post) Supporters of Afghan presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah took to the streets of the capital Saturday to protest alleged electoral fraud and what they say is the government's failure to take it seriously.
Pakistani soldiers operate in Afghanistan in civilian clothes
(Khaama Press) The Pakistani soldiers have increased to their presence and attacks in eastern Kunar province of Afghanistan, the defense minister said Sunday.
Pakistani military claims 257 'terrorists,' 0 civilians killed in North Waziristan offensive
(Long War Journal) The Pakistani military has claimed that more than 250 "terrorists" and zero civilians have been killed during the first week of military operations in the Taliban-controlled tribal agency of North Waziristan.
JF-17 Developments Indicate Aircraft Is Still On Track
(Defense News) Contrary to speculation, development of the JF-17 aircraft continues apace with avionics and weapons carriage capability improvements, work ongoing on future variants, and impending establishment of the third squadron.
MIDDLE EAST
Israeli military carries out airstrikes in Syria
(Associated Press) Israeli warplanes bombed a series of targets inside Syria early Monday, the Israeli military said, in response to a cross-border attack that killed an Israeli teenager the previous day.
Fate of 3 Kidnapped Israelis Raises Tensions on Many Fronts
(New York Times) Three Israeli teenagers kidnapped from the West Bank have been missing for more than 10 days now, their names - Naftali, Gilad, Eyal - becoming staples of synagogue prayers and cafe chatter across this tiny country. Four Palestinians, one of them 15, have been killed by Israeli troops, their photos hoisted at mass funerals as martyrs in the liberation struggle.
Israel Claims $3B in Cyber Exports; 2nd Only to US
(Defense News) Israeli exports of cyber-related products and services last year reached $3 billion, some 5 percent of the global market and more than all other nations combined apart from the United States, according to Israel's National Cyber Bureau (NCB).
GCC Nations Remain Vigilant, but Little Action Expected on Iraq
(Defense News) With the threat of the Iraqi Sunni insurgency spilling over to neighboring countries, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members are unlikely to engage in direct action but will maintain a vigilant security posture, experts say.
ISIS and the threat to Turkey
(Long War Journal) The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) seized the Turkish consulate in Mosul, Iraq last week, abducting 49 people, including several diplomats, guards, and others. Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu stated that Turkey would retaliate if any Turkish citizen were harmed, warning ISIS should not "test Turkey's resolve."
Kerry seeks repair of frayed Egypt ties
(Washington Post) The Obama administration implicitly endorsed Egypt's new military-backed government Sunday with a visit from Secretary of State John F. Kerry, sealing the repair of a crucial Mideast bond and a return of American partnership with Egyptian authoritarianism after the tumult of the Arab Spring.
Egypt sentences 3 Al-Jazeera reporters to 7 years
(Associated Press) An Egyptian court has convicted three journalists for Al-Jazeera English and sentenced them to seven years in prison each on terrorism-related charges.
Saudi Arabia announces 20% defence budget increase
(IHS Jane's 360) Saudi Arabia has increased expenditure on defence and security by 20.5% to SAR302.9 billion (USD80.8 billion for 2014), the largest nominal annual increase in the budget since 2007.
EUROPE
Ukraine Says Rebels Ignoring Unilateral Cease-Fire
(Wall Street Journal) Ukrainian authorities on Monday accused pro-Russia separatists in the east of blatantly disregarding a unilateral cease-fire declared by Kiev on Friday and continuing attacks on government forces.
Putin Backs Cease-Fire in Ukraine Amid Russia Army Drills
(Bloomberg) Russian President Vladimir Putin voiced support for a cease-fire in Ukraine declared by his counterpart, calling for all sides to halt military activities even as he put more than 65,000 troops on combat alert.
U.S. official reports new Russian troop movements near Ukraine
(Military Times) Russian tanks are on the move even as Ukraine's president on Friday announced a week-long unilateral ceasefire in fighting with pro-Russian militants.
Ukrainian army fights rebels and neglect
(Washington Post) The cellphone photo showed a young Ukrainian soldier lying in a hospital bed, seemingly unconscious, with his head heavily bandaged and a feeding tube sticking from his mouth.
Merci, Monsieur Snowden: NSA Fallout Is Good News for European Cyber Firms
(Defense News) As European defense firms jump into the cybersecurity business to compensate for dipping military spending, they're benefiting from the work of one man: Edward Snowden.
Report: Polish minister calls US ties worthless
(Associated Press) A Polish magazine said Sunday it has obtained recordings of a private conversation in which the foreign minister says Poland's strong alliance with the U.S. was worthless and "even harmful because it creates a false sense of security."
Russian Training on Mistral Ship Delayed Again
(Defense News) A planned training of 400 Russian sailors for the Mistral-class helicopter carrier has been pushed back again, as the Russian Navy training ship Smolny is now due to arrive June 30, the planning schedule of the Saint-Nazaire harbor shows.
Russia Tightens Requirements For Tajiks To Enter
(Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has signed a resolution tightening the requirements for Tajik nationals to enter the country.
HMS Tireless at Rest
(USNI News) The British Royal Navy decommissioned HMS Tireless (S88), its oldest nuclear attack submarines, on Thursday in Plymouth, England.
ASIA-PACIFIC
Were GIs in fatal incidents afraid to get help while disobeying liberty rules?
(Stars & Stripes) It's Friday night, and curfew is looming for U.S. servicemembers across Japan and South Korea.
Abu Sayyaf operative thought killed in US drone strike spotted in Philippines
(Long War Journal) According to reports, Abdul Basit Usman, an Abu Sayyaf Group operative and master bombmaker, has been spotted in the Philippines. The reports are interesting because Usman was rumored to have been killed in a US drone strike in North Waziristan, Pakistan on Jan. 14, 2010.
Indian Industry Divided on Foreign Investment Limits
(Defense News) While India's defense industry has welcomed the new government's plan to increase foreign direct investment in defense deals, it is divided on how high that investment level should go.
India increases its uranium enrichment programme
(IHS Jane's 360) Using commercial satellite imagery, IHS Jane's experts have identified a possible new uranium hexafluoride plant at the Indian Rare Metals Plant (IRMP) near Mysore
Soldier Accused of Killing 5 Is Captured in South Korea
(New York Times) A South Korean Army sergeant accused of fleeing his unit on the border with North Korea after killing five fellow soldiers was caught alive with a self-inflicted wound on Monday, ending a manhunt that involved a shootout and shocked the country over the weekend.
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
OpEd: Stop saying vets sacrificed 'for nothing' in Iraq
(Geoffrey Ingersoll in Marine Corps Times) I hate talking about it, but I will because people are doing a terrible job interpreting Iraq's collapse.
U.S. soldiers watch as Iraqi comrades struggle against ISIS
(Retired Army Maj. Gen. Robert H. Scales in The Washington Post) The next time you see an Army officer on television, look at his or her right sleeve. Odds are that you will see a stack of "hash marks," each signifying six month's service in a combat zone. I earned two in Vietnam, and that was more than enough for me.
Understanding Iraq's Disappearing Security Forces
(James Kitfield in National Journal) The Iraqi security forces were always America's ticket out of Iraq, so after many early disappointments, U.S. military leaders built the forces in their own image.
It's not too late to reengage with Iraq
(Former Ambassador Ryan Crocker in The Washington Post) The news from Iraq is, quite frankly, terrifying. And it was utterly predictable.
Why Congress Fights the President on Defense
(Roger Zakheim in Real Clear Defense) Two years into sequestration and the Congress acts as if the steep budget cuts imposed on the Pentagon do not exist. Where's the strategic thinking? Why can't Capitol Hill jettison parochialism and entrenched interest and embrace a reform agenda for the military? So goes the latest cry from pundits and budgeteers alike as the House passed the annual defense appropriations bill last week.
Hero worship of the military is getting in the way of good policy
(Army Capt. Benjamin Summers in The Washington Post ) I have worn an Army uniform for the past eight years and deployed twice to Afghanistan. This doesn't make me a hero.
OpEd: Where Carpenter goes, so too should Yale and Haerter
(Marine Corps Times) Now is a good time to reconsider the case of Cpl. Jonathan Yale and Lance Cpl. Jordan Haerter.
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