TODAY’S TOP 5
1. NATO would respond militarily to Crimea-style infiltration: general
(Reuters) If Russia tries to infiltrate troops into a NATO country, even out of official military uniform as it did before it annexed Ukraine's Crimea, NATO will respond militarily, the alliance's top commander said in an interview published on Sunday.
2. U.S. Widens Air Campaign in Northern Iraq
(Wall Street Journal) The U.S. widened its air campaign against Sunni extremists in Iraq, sending bombers for the first time in support of a Kurdish ground offensive to retake the Mosul Dam and promising to keep up strikes until the strategic post is out of the hands of Islamic State fighters.
3. Essay: Censorship, Police Intimidation at Missile Defense Conference
(Marcus Weisberger in Defense News) In the back of a dimly lit banquet hall, a member of a prominent Washington think tank sat taking notes and snapping pictures of speakers' briefing slides using his mobile phone.
4. Chinese national in custody for allegedly hacking into Boeing computer
(Los Angeles Times) A Chinese national has been indicted in connection with an alleged computer hacking scheme to steal trade secrets from American defense contractors, federal prosecutors announced Friday.
5. The Evolving Obama Doctrine: Limited Bombing Raids, Stronger Partnerships
(Defense News) Iraq again has descended into sectarian violence and political chaos. An Islamic extremist group controls more land than al-Qaida ever has. Vladimir Putin appears poised to invade eastern Ukraine.
DEFENSE NEWS WITH VAGO MURADIAN
Future of the Military Health System
Helping Homeless Veterans
Eyes on the Pacific
Vago's Notebook
IRAQ
CENTCOM releases video of U.S. airstrikes near Iraq's Mosul Dam
(Military Times) U.S. Central Command released video on Sunday of American military airstrikes against extremist targets near Mosul Dam in Iraq.
Kurdish forces 'break IS hold on Mosul dam'
(BBC) Kurdish forces in northern Iraq are in near complete control of Iraq's largest dam after ousting Islamic State (IS) militants, Kurdish officials say.
Navy fighter jets ended Afghan sorties to go to Iraq
(Navy Times) Navy jets are again at the tip of the spear, striking targets inside Iraq. But they had to break off air support operations over Afghanistan to do it, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jon Greenert said.
Challenge for US forces in Iraq: align military mission with the political
(Christian Science Monitor) US troops sent to Iraq to assess the humanitarian relief operation are coming home, but that's not necessarily the end of US military operations there, Pentagon officials say.
How Haider al-Abadi became Iraq's next prime minister
(Al-Monitor) The 48 hours preceding the Aug. 11 appointment of Haider al-Abadi as Iraq's prime minister-designate were decisive. Efforts to convince a defiant Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to resign were at their peak, even if they passed in vain.
Rest of Iraq asks: where's the U.S.?
(McClatchy) As U.S. warplanes tilt the battlefield against Islamic militants in Kurdish-controlled territories, Iraqis in the rest of the country are growing resentful that the U.S. so far is not intervening more forcefully to protect Arabs who have been fighting extremists for months.
How the U.S.-favored Kurds Abandoned the Yazidis when ISIS Attacked
(The Daily Beast) Interviews with witnesses show the Kurds who are now getting weapons and air support from Washington left the Yazidis defenseless earlier this month.
Islamic State fighters kill dozens of Yazidi villagers
(Washington Post) Extremist fighters have killed more than 80 men and detained hundreds of women in a Yazidi village, Yazidis and Kurdish officials said Saturday, offering a reminder that the ancient minority sect is still at risk despite President Obama's conclusion that the threat had passed for those stranded on Mount Sinjar.
Sunni tribal leaders offer to battle Islamic State if Baghdad makes concessions
(McClatchy) Leaders of Iraq's Sunni Muslim tribes threatened Friday to rebel against the Islamic State, the first indication that a change of government in Baghdad might allow a new prime minister to rally the country's divided ethnic and religious groups against the Islamist extremists.
In Iraq, captured Yazidi women fear the Islamic State will force them to wed
(Washington Post) Hundreds of Yazidi women who were captured by Islamic extremists during their sweep through the town of Sinjar are being incarcerated at scattered locations across northern Iraq in what increasingly looks like a deliberate attempt to co-opt them into service as the wives of fighters.
Britain Says Iraq Campaign Will Last 'Weeks and Months'
(New York Times) As Kurdish forces in Iraq, backed by United States airstrikes, fought for strategic gains against Sunni militants, Britain's defense minister was quoted on Monday as telling air force personnel that the campaign against the insurgents would last "weeks and months" and was no longer simply a humanitarian affair.
INDUSTRY
ULA Leadership Move Could Be Precursor to Further Changes
(Defense News) An unexpected leadership change at the United Launch Alliance (ULA) may be just the first move for a company facing competition for the first time.
Northrop To Upgrade U.S. Army UH-60L Cockpits
(Aviation Week) Northrop Grumman has won a contract to upgrade 700-900 U.S. Army Sikorsky UH-60L Black Hawk utility helicopters, beating out teams including Elbit Systems, Lockheed Martin and Rockwell Collins.
Feds Join Whistleblower Case Against Sikorsky
(Hartford Courant; Conn.) U.S. attorneys have intervened in a whistleblower suit against United Technologies Corp.'s Sikorsky Aircraft Co. that alleges one of its subsidiaries used a sister company to illegally mark up replacement parts provided through a defense contract to the Navy.
Microsoft licensing agreement pioneers new concept
(C4ISR & Networks) When the Defense Department wanted to make Microsoft products available to multiple organizations, it settled on a joint enterprise license agreement to do it.
Too Early To Assess Indo-US Defense Ties
(Defense News) Although no defense projects were established during US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel's recent visit to India, US-Indo defense ties are developing and announcements on new initiatives are antici-pated next month, Ministry of Defence officials and defense analysts said.
Boeing ERRP surveillance aircraft cleared for international sales
(IHS Jane's 360) Boeing will begin offering global customers the Enhanced Medium Altitude Reconnaissance and Surveillance System (EMARSS) Risk Reduction Prototype (ERRP) now that the aircraft has received Supplemental Type Certification (STC) from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the company announced on 13 August.
Northrop Bomber Team Relieved Over California Legislation
(Aviation Week) The California legislature has passed a last-minute measure to equally offer a tax incentive package to both contracting teams vying for the next-generation U.S. Air Force bomber program, overturning an earlier law that gave a $420 million discount to the Boeing/Lockheed Martin team alone.
Logos takes $9.7M Army fire-detection contract
(C4ISR & Networks) Logos been awarded a $9.7 million U.S. Army contract to develop a camera-based hostile fire detection system.
Senior Merkel ally calls for common European arms export rules
(Reuters) One of Chancellor Angela Merkel's main allies in parliament has called for Europe to adopt common arms export regulations, saying there would be an increasing number of European defense companies in future.
Ukraine factories equip Russian military despite support for rebels
(Washington Post) Deep into a conflict that has sundered decades-old ties between Ukraine and Russia, Ukraine is still selling military gear over the border to its neighbor, Ukrainian defense industry officials say.
Johnston says AWD programme in 'deep, deep trouble'
(IHS Jane's 360) Australia's AUD8.5 billion (USD8.25 billion) Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD) project, the country's largest current defence programme, is in "deep, deep trouble", according to Defence Minister David Johnston.
When Will Japan's Prototype Fighter Fly?
(Defense News) When will Japan's ATD-X indigenous stealth fighter prototype make its first flight? Hard to tell.
VETERANS
Congress seeks more information on VA deaths
(Tampa Tribune) Still dissatisfied with the Department of Veterans Affairs response to questions about how many veterans suffered death and injury from delays in medical treatment and diagnoses at VA medical facilities around the country, the House Veterans Affairs Committee has widened the scope of its inquiry.
Vets seeking care died in VA limbo
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution) VA calls online access fast track to benefits. Instead, use of touted application may have caused fatal delays. An AJC exclusive investigation.
Veterans look to farming to grow and heal
(USA Today) Mike Simester had always dreamed of a being a career soldier. But after the Iraqi war veteran was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and a motorcycle accident left the Iowa native struggling to cope with severe head and leg injuries, his life changed.
Iraq vets on Hill call for stronger response to ISIS
(The Hill) Reps. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) and Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii), both Iraq war veterans, on Sunday called for a robust U.S. response to a terrorist advance in Iraq by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
CONGRESS
Senate to review surplus military gear grants to local police
(Military Times) The chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee says Congress will review Defense Department transfers of unused military equipment to local police to ensure the weaponry is being used "as intended," in light of the recent problems in Missouri.
GOP: Senate Takeover Would Break Gridlock
(Defense News) US Republican lawmakers and insiders are banking that a GOP takeover of the Senate would break the chamber's years-long deadlock. But the party must first win several key races.
Ernst Says She Was Sexually Harassed in the Military
(Time) Republican State Sen. Joni Ernst, who is running for Senate and served more than 20 years in the military, said Friday that she was sexually harassed in the military and, given her experience, is backing the removal of cases of sexual assault from the military chain of command, a position that puts her at odds with much of the GOP.
Senators to Obama: Send more weapons to Ukraine
(The Hill) Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.) told President Obama he should send more defensive weapons to Ukraine and share intelligence.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
The Pentagon Wants You to Help Them Find the Next Pandemic
(DefenseOne) Ever heard of Chikungunya? It's a mosquito-borne virus that causes joint pain and fever and can be debilitating. It's also spreading fast, having hit the Americas for the first time in decades at the end of last year and new cases were reported in Florida this last month. There is no official cure, yet, but recent research into a vaccine shown promise.
TRANSCOM deploys teams to sort out vehicle shipment problems
(Military Times) The four-star chief of U.S. Transportation Command has ordered survey teams into the field to verify the location of every service member's vehicle that is in transit in an effort to restore confidence in the government's shipping process for privately-owned vehicles.
Software could be a solution for DoD's saturated networks
(C4ISR & Networks) The Defense Department's move to software defined networks will bring with it a set of code-writing guidelines for contractors, acting chief information officer Terry Halvorsen said Aug. 13.
ARMY
Army moves ahead with Apache plan, inactivates Kiowa unit
(Army Times) The 4th Attack Reconnaissance Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment was inactivated Thursday, making it the first Kiowa unit to be shut down as part of the Army's aviation restructuring initiative.
General Gets 3 More Weeks for Bergdahl Report
(Time Warner Cable News) A general investigating the disappearance of U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl missed his deadline, so he's getting a few more weeks to finish the job.
Fort Carson community remembers two soldiers who died in combat in Afghanistan
(Colorado Springs Gazette) Gray clouds billowed over Fort Carson on Friday, but a touch of sunlight made its way through the stained-glass windows of Provider Chapel to cast soft rainbows on the pews as two fallen soldiers were memorialized.
Life after Iraq: Refugee begins career in uniform
(Army Times) As a young girl, Mari Hamid wanted to be in uniform because she "thought soldiers were badass."
Fort Bragg soldier charged with kidnapping child
(Fayetteville Observer) A Fort Bragg soldier was charged Wednesday with kidnapping a juvenile in Hoke County, the Hoke County Sheriff's Office said.
Army Officer Recycles Military Surplus and Creates Fashionable Bags
(ABC News) Serving in the military while also being the CEO of a fashion company can be an intimidating but also a rewarding experience. It's also a perfect match for U.S. Army 1st Lt. Emily Nunez, 24, who saw a need and filled it, helping her fellow veterans along the way.
For some recruits, Army eases its hard line on tattoos
(Kansas City Star) To prevent otherwise qualified people from being kept out of the Army because of new restrictions on certain tattoos, the Army wants to make clear that exceptions will be granted.
National Guard deployed to Ferguson
(USA Today) Missouri Governor Jay Nixon early Monday ordered the National Guard into Ferguson hours after police said escalating violence led to shootings, arrests, and "pre-planned" acts of aggression by protesters.
NAVY
Sub CO fired following domestic abuse arrest
(Navy Times) The commanding officer of the attack submarine Newport News was arrested Sunday and charged with domestic assault and battery, according to a Navy report obtained by Navy Times.
Chinese Checkers In The Pacific
(Aviation Week) This was the first time the Chinese had ever been invited to take part in the annual Rim of the Pacific (Rimpac) exercise, which took place in international waters off the Hawaii coast last month, and also the first known incident in which a participant nation spied on the event.
Almost 8,000 chiefs face the ax
(Navy Times) Almost 8,000 senior enlisted must go before a continuation board later this year, which will determine whether they can continue to serve or must retire.
X-47B Drone and Manned F-18 Take Off and Land Together In Historic Test
(Breaking Defense) Robots may be the future of war, but for now they're going to have to share the battlefield with humans and human-operated vehicles.
Deployed submariner loses a round in custody battle
(Navy Times) A Michigan judge who threatened to put a deployed sailor in jail and transfer custody of his daughter to his ex-wife when he didn't show for a custody hearing in court has ordered an unscheduled two-week visitation with the child's mother.
Loud, dangerous and careful work for yellow shirts aboard USS George H.W. Bush
(Stars & Stripes) When flight operations aboard an aircraft carrier end, the work on the flight deck goes on.
Navy working on better fitting uniforms for female sailors
(Navy Times) Navy women were asked what they like - and don't like - about their uniforms, and their answers are driving a number of key changes.
Hundreds welcome USS Iwo Jima, USS Fort McHenry to their new homes in Mayport
(Florida Times Union) Lisa Hart couldn't contain her excitement glancing side-to-side at the sailors manning the rails of the USS Iwo Jima as the amphibious assault ship inched closer to its new home at Mayport Naval Station early Sunday afternoon.
Post-board scrubs ensure eligibility for advancement
(Navy Times) If you're picked for advancement or promotion by one of the Navy's many annual selection boards, big Navy will no longer look at your physical fitness record before giving you its stamp of approval - that will now be up to your command.
AIR FORCE
Air Force crews deliver 114,000 meals, 35,000 gallons of water in Iraq
(Air Force Times) One C-17 and two C-130s flew through the night Aug. 8 to unload the first of several drops of food and water on Mount Sinjar in Iraq, where starving and dehydrated refugees were stranded by threat of death at the hands of Islamic State militants if they descended.
Operation Shower: Filling a need for moms-to-be
(Air Force Times) LeAnn Morrissey never set out to found Operation Shower. She'd mailed care packages to her soldier uncle during his deployments to Iraq but was never quite sure if she was sending the right things. She also felt she could do more to support the military.
No rest in final week for DAFB commander
(News Journal; Wilmington, Del.) Even as Col. Rick Moore prepared last week to relinquish command of Dover Air Force Base and the 436th Airlift Wing after two years on the job, he was overseeing a vitally important task: prepping his aircraft, fliers and aerial port for a four-month blitz to retrieve military equipment from Afghanistan.
Death of working dog under investigation
(Air Force Times) Officials at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, are investigating the weekend death of a military working dog.
MARINE CORPS
Voluntary separations accelerate for officers
(Marine Corps Times) Recent revisions to the Voluntary Separation Pay program for officers will push those declining orders and then requesting VSP out of the service more quickly.
Retrial for Marine convicted in Iraq killing set for early 2015
(Stars & Stripes) The retrial for a Marine who served six years for the 2006 killing of an Iraqi civilian has been set for Jan. 26.
Earlier re-enlistment opportunity gives career Marines a jump
(Marine Corps Times) Marines who have already served at least one enlistment and have a fiscal 2015 end-of-current-contract date are strongly encouraged to apply for re-enlistment immediately.
Marine Corps lodges keep Bibles
(Daily News; Jacksonville, N.C.) Bryan Driver, the public affairs officer of the Nonappropriated Business and Support Services Division for Marine Corps Community Services, said temporary lodging facilities on Marine Corps bases were not affected by the U.S. Navy's original decision to remove religious literature from Navy lodges.
Marines train with troops from across Latin America
(Marine Corps Times) Marines from across the Corps are training with Latin American partners as the service displays its partnership with the Navy aboard a new amphibious ship in the region, at the same time eight nations kick off an international exercise.
MEB-level exercise pits Marines against a highly skilled enemy
(Marine Corps Times) Thousands of Marines got a look at how the Corps will fight against a more sophisticated and well-trained enemy as the service shifts its focus from years of combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, as they trained here for a week in August.
Here's what every Marine should know about 3-D printed food
(Marine Corps Times) It sounds like science fiction, but the Army is taking a real look at 3-D printing food, an idea that may lead to customizable meals for the battlefield with nutrient yields tailor-made to the individual service member, on demand.
COAST GUARD
USCG Cutter Program Hits Its Stride
(Defense News) It's not often the US Coast Guard takes center stage at the sprawling Ingalls shipyard in Pascagoula, Mississippi. The huge facility builds more different kinds of ships for the US Navy than any other yard.
Coast Guard and N.J. National Guard still feeling effects of Sandy, two years after the storm
(Newark Star-Ledger; N.J.) Two years after Hurricane Sandy pounded the New Jersey coast, the USCGC Sailfish has yet to return home.
MUOS undergoes Arctic tests
(C4ISR & Networks) Lockheed Martin engineers are aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Healy in the Arctic to test the Mobile User Objective System at the edge of its satellite network range. The testing will go on from 65 degrees north latitude to 82.5 degrees.
U.S. Coast Guard swabs overcome obstacles in team challenges
(The Day; New London, Conn.) Members of Hotel Company of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy Class of 2018, climb the ropes to open their obstacle course challenge during their "Sea Trials" that conclude the seven-week Swab Summer indoctrination Friday, Aug. 15, 2014.
AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN
Afghan special forces say in talks on deal with Taliban in Helmand
(Reuters) After months of intense fighting in southern Afghanistan where hundreds of Taliban fighters have battered Afghan troops in daily attacks, the special forces commander in Helmand province is seeking a deal with the insurgents.
Taliban laud Afghan soldier who killed US general
(Long War Journal) The Taliban have praised the Afghan soldier who turned his weapon on a group of senior-level Coalition officers on Aug. 5 and killed a US Army major general and wounded more than a dozen troops. The Taliban described the insider, or green-on-blue attack, as "a heroic act" and called on other Afghan security personnel "to take advantage of their positions and their important functions in contributing in jihad against the disbelievers."
Improved Security Measures Thwart Attack on Pakistani Airbases
(Defense News) An attack in the very early hours of Friday morning on two Pakistani air bases was thwarted largely due to improved security measures that show the military has learned lessons from previous attacks, say analysts.
Quetta airbase attacks carried out by Pakistani Taliban, IMU
(Long War Journal) A spokesman for the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan's branch in the tribal agency of Mohmand has claimed that the group executed the recent suicide assaults on two Pakistani airbases in Quetta in conjunction with the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan.
Former Cricket Star Imran Khan Urges Mass Civil Disobedience
(Wall Street Journal) Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan called for widespread civil disobedience in Pakistan, urging supporters to stop paying taxes and utility bills in a bid to oust the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
MIDDLE EAST
Israel Lauds New Capabilities in Gaza
(Defense News) On July 8, the first day of Operation Protective Edge, five Hamas frogmen attempted an amphibious assault on an Israeli military base bordering northern Gaza.
Netanyahu Issues Warning to Hamas on Rocket Fire From Gaza
(Wall Street Journal) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Sunday that no long-term deal to end the Gaza conflict was acceptable unless the territory's Hamas rulers stopped rocket and mortar fire.
Israeli Troops Demolish Homes of Kidnapping Suspects
(Voice of America) Israeli troops have demolished the homes of two Palestinians suspected in the kidnapping and killing of three Israeli teens in June, which helped sparked a war that has left more than 2,000 people dead.
Dual Threat Has Mainstream Syrian Rebels Fearing Demise
(New York Times) Far from being depleted by its recent sweep into Iraq, the extremist Islamic State in Iraq and Syria is pressing deeper into Syria, regaining territory it had lost to the mainstream Syrian insurgents just as the Syrian Army has come within five miles of encircling the insurgent-held section of Aleppo, Syria's largest city.
Syrian airstrikes target Islamic State group
(Associated Press) Syrian government warplanes pounded an Islamic State group stronghold as well as other towns controlled by the extremists, conducting a wave of airstrikes Sunday that killed at least 11 people, activists said.
Magnitude 6.2 quake strikes western Iran
(Los Angeles Times) There were no immediate reports of deaths from the quake, which measured 6.2 magnitude and was felt across a broad swath of western Iran and eastern Iraq, officials said. At least 80 people were injured, according to Iranian news reports.
EUROPE
Ukraine says its forces take police station in Luhansk, raise national flag
(Reuters) Ukrainian government forces have taken a police station in Luhansk, a city on the border with Russia which has been under the control of pro-Russian separatists since April, and raised the Ukrainian flag there, a military spokesman said on Sunday.
Analysis: Ukraine attack on convoy sends tough message
(USA Today) A Ukrainian attack on a suspected convoy of Russian military vehicles sent Moscow a tough new message: Ukraine's military is more confident about protecting its territory, and a full-scale Russian invasion could be prolonged and bloody.
Russia denies its vehicles destroyed in Ukraine
(Associated Press) NATO on Friday said a Russian military column ventured overnight into Ukraine, and the Ukrainian president said his forces destroyed most of it. Russia denied all of this, but the reports spooked global markets and overshadowed optimism driven by agreement over a Russian aid convoy bound for eastern Ukraine.
Separatists shoot down Ukraine fighter plane
(Associated Press) Separatists have shot down a Ukrainian fighter plane amid fighting between pro-Russian rebels and Ukrainian government forces in the eastern part of the country, a Ukrainian military spokesman said Sunday.
Russian Missile Launchers 'Cross Into Ukraine'
(Sky News) A Ukrainian military spokesman said at least three Grad missile systems were among the weapons being sent to the separatists in the east of the country, who are battling a Ukrainian government offensive.
Ukraine separatist leader says rebels getting tanks and reinforcements
(Reuters) Ukrainian rebels are receiving new armoured vehicles and fighters trained in Russia, with which they plan to launch a major counter-offensive against government forces, a separatist leader said in a video released on Saturday.
Ukraine discusses defence industrial co-operation with NATO
(IHS Jane's 360) Ukrainian national military holding group Ukroboronprom has expressed its willingness to enter into defence industrial co-operation agreements with NATO.
ASIA-PACIFIC
Fishing Vessels in China Serve as Proxy Enforcers
(Defense News) China's use of swarming tactics with fishing vessels to project and protect Beijing's territorial claims in the South China Sea appears unstoppable, experts say.
Japan and India to continue search-and-rescue aircraft talks
(IHS Jane's 360) Japan and India are set to continue talks early next month about the Indian Navy's proposed USD1.65 billion procurement of Japan's ShinMaywa US-2i search-and-rescue aircraft.
Russian choppers in China for multinational drills
(Associated Press) Russian army helicopters have landed in northern China to take part in multinational anti-terrorism drills, underscoring the close ties between Beijing and Moscow despite tensions with the West over Ukraine.
South Korea running out of spent nuclear fuel storage space - advisory body
(Reuters) South Korea needs to quickly find additional space where it can store its spent nuclear fuel because some of its temporary storage capacity will be full by 2016, an independent body that advises the government on nuclear issues said on Monday.
AFRICA
Nigeria Air Force Institute Develops Aircraft Trainer, but Funding Short
(Defense News) The Nigeria Air Force Institute of Technology (NAF-IT) says it has designed and developed the country's first indigenous light trainer aircraft, intended to replace the service's fleet of aircraft imported from the 1970s and 1980s, now grounded by a lack of spare parts.
In Nigeria, child beggars are easy recruits for Boko Haram extremists
(Los Angeles Times) Known as the almajiri, the youngsters, some no older than 5, have flooded the streets for the nearly 15 years since a tsunami of cheap Chinese imports and a dysfunctional electrical system began destroying the region's once-thriving textile manufacturing industry. Many more children have streamed in from rural areas since similar collapses of the fishing and agriculture sectors left their parents unable to feed them.
Families of embassy staff in Sierra Leone leaving, while Marines remain
(Marine Corps Times) Family members of embassy personnel in Sierra Leone have been ordered to leave the country due to the Ebola crisis, but the Marine security guards and the rest of the embassy staff are staying put, a State Department official said Friday.
Two UN peacekeepers killed in attack in northern Mali
(BBC) Two UN peacekeepers have been killed and seven others were injured in a suicide attack on a UN patrol base in northern Mali.
With Aid Doctors Gone, Ebola Fight Grows Harder
(New York Times) When people started dying of Ebola in Liberia, Clarine Vaughn faced a wrenching choice: Should she send home, for their own health and safety, four American doctors working for Heartt, the aid group she led there? Or should she keep them in the country without proper supplies or training to fight the virulent, contagious disease, which was already spreading panic?
Liberia: Ebola fears rise as clinic is looted
(Associated Press) Liberian officials fear Ebola could soon spread through the capital's largest slum after residents raided a quarantine center for suspected patients and took items including bloody sheets and mattresses.
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
Time to rein in the Pentagon's mysterious slush fund
(Los Angeles Times) As if monitoring the Pentagon's enormous budget were not difficult enough, every year Congress also has to deal with a separate war budget. Known in Washington-ese as the Overseas Contingency Operations, or OCO, account, it is submitted separately. It was originally meant to cover the costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but it has grown into an all-purpose funding mechanism for almost anything the Pentagon wants.
The coming disintegration of Iraq
(Army Col. Joel Rayburn in The Washington Post) Nouri al-Maliki may have agreed to step down as prime minister of Iraq on Thursday, but the damage he has wrought will define his country for decades to come. The stunning collapse of the Iraqi state in its vast northern and western provinces may be Maliki's most significant legacy. After nine decades as the capital of a unitary, centralized state, Baghdad no longer rules Kurdistan, nor Fallujah, nor Mosul, and might never rule them again.
Opinion: The Two Sides of The Third Iraq War
(Navy Cmdr. Daniel Dolan in USNI News) America announced its overt military support of the struggling Iraqi government in Baghdad with F/A-18 Hornets dropping two 500 lb. bombs on Iraq and Syria Islamic State (ISIS or ISIL) targets near Irbil, Iraq, on Aug. 7.
David Cameron: Isil poses a direct and deadly threat to Britain
(British Prime Minister David Cameron in the Telegraph) Stability. Security. The peace of mind that comes from being able to get a decent job and provide for your family, in a country that you feel has a good future ahead of it and that treats people fairly. In a nutshell, that is what people in Britain want - and what the Government I lead is dedicated to building.
Our Own Worst Enemy: Lessons Learned from Recent Negotiating Successes with the Afghan Ministry of Defense
(Michael B. Chase in Small Wars Journal) The United States has spent more than $641 billion on the war in Afghanistan, a substantial portion of which went to building up and sustaining the Afghan Ministry of Defense (MoD) and Afghan National Army (ANA).1
Experts are predicting a famine in South Sudan. Why can't we stop it?
(Rick Noack in The Washington Post) If governments and NGOs have known about the looming catastrophe in South Sudan for months and if early reactions could have saved thousands of lives, why were they waiting? The problem is that South Sudan is following a standard pattern for these kinds of problems: The help only really arrives once it's too late.
Chinese Fighter Jocks Fly at Russia's Top Gun
(Thomas Newdick in Real Clear Defense) Chinese and Russian fighter pilots have been testing their skills in an unprecedented series of maneuvers in southeast Russia. Some observers have billed the Aviadarts exercise as a Russian Top Gun-a reference to the U.S. Navy's fighter tactics schoolhouse, which the sailing branch established after losing a shocking number of pilots during the Vietnam War.
A (Mostly) Rationalist Critique of the Gaza Blockade
(Chad Levinson in Cicero Magazine) In my professional circles, supporters give three reasons to maintain the blockade, all of which fail to persuade me. I express my argument mostly in rationalist terms, leaving moral questions aside (for the most part), because that's my job as I see it, a job I have chosen because it just might make me capable of contributing something other than hopeless expressions of rage or despair.
You Are Not Nearly Scared Enough About Ebola
(Laurie Garrett in Foreign Policy) Aention, World: You just don't get it. You think there are magic bullets in some rich country's freezers that will instantly stop the relentless spread of the Ebola virus in West Africa? You think airport security guards in Los Angeles can look a traveler in the eyes and see infection, blocking that jet passenger's entry into La-la-land? You believe novelist Dan Brown's utterly absurd description of a World Health Organization that has a private C5-A military transport jet and disease SWAT team that can swoop into outbreaks, saving the world from contagion?
Even Jihadists Love Robin Williams
(Alex Horton in Foreign Policy) I spent a year in Iraq fighting Islamic militants. Then one of them contacted me on Twitter to talk about how much he loved Mrs. Doubtfire and Jumanji.
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