TODAY’S TOP 5
1. Army isolating some soldiers returning from Africa
(Military Times) The Army has begun isolating soldiers returning from the Ebola outbreak zone in West Africa, but so far the Pentagon has not imposed a new forcewide policy to quarantine all troops who participate in that mission.
2. Lockheed, Pentagon Agree on Eighth F-35 Lot
(Defense News) Lockheed Martin has reached an agreement with the Pentagon to procure the eighth lot of F-35 joint strike fighters, including the first stealthy jets for Israel and Japan.
3. Team of Bumblers?
(Michael Hirsh in Politico) Are Susan Rice and Chuck Hagel equal to today's new national-security challenges?
4. Army Intelligence: Profiting from failure
(Associated Press) The Army's $5 billion intelligence network has largely failed in its promise to make crucial data easily accessible to soldiers and analysts in the field. But for a select group of companies and individuals, the system has been a bonanza.
5. Tech made chief in 7 years despite 2006 conviction
(Air Force Times) A hard-charging senior enlisted leader finds himself suddenly sidelined in his mission and his stellar career, ordered home from the war zone amid an investigation into a criminal record arising out of a domestic confrontation a full decade ago.
ISLAMIC STATE
Watchdog: Cost of ISIS war nearing $1 billion
(The Hill) The cost of the military campaign against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is crossing the $1 billion mark, according to a group that tracks federal spending.
Children of the Caliphate
(Foreign Policy) The Islamic State is raising an army of child soldiers, and the West could be fighting them for generations to come.
Is ISIS growing?
(The Hill) The number of Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants may have grown since the U.S. began airstrikes against the terror group, according to Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.).
Pro-al Qaeda Saudi ideologue criticizes jihadist leaders in Syria, calls for unity
(Long War Journal) The ability of Abu Bakr al Baghdadi's Islamic State to garner new recruits has become such a problem that one of Baghdadi's most influential critics has been forced to weigh in.
Islamic State fears hang over Baghdad
(Al-Monitor) After it took control of Mosul on June 10, the Islamic State (IS) announced that its ultimate goal in Iraq is to control Baghdad, as the capital holds a great symbolic importance to it and its seizure would likely enhance the stability and recognition of its state by other Arab countries. IS knows how difficult this takeover will be.
Kurdish fighters in Syria are desperate for promised reinforcements
(Los Angeles Times) Mahmoud Imam draws smoke from a cigarette, squints and points to his village in the farmlands of Syria just east of the besieged Kurdish city of Kobani.
The Secret Life of an ISIS Warlord
(The Daily Beast) Abu Omar al-Shishani has a fierce, gorgeous Chechen bride. He learned intelligence operations from the U.S. And his older brother may be the real genius of ISIS.
The Syrian Civil War, Turned Into a Game
(The Atlantic) Can gaming raise awareness about the world's worst humanitarian crisis?
Syrian youth worry about draft
(Al-Monitor) During the past few days, mortar fire and arbitrary detentions were not the main source of concern for Syrian youth. A new nightmare has emerged wherein Syrian authorities started a crackdown on youth who have performed their compulsory military service, and they are forcing them to join the Syrian army as "backup" forces. The authorities did not declare these measures out of fear that the youth would consequently flee or hide.
US official urges allies to combat IS ideology
(Associated Press) The United States is pressing Arab nations and other allies to do more to counter the Islamic State group's slick propaganda campaign, with a top American envoy on Monday describing efforts to combat the extremist messages as a vital pillar in the fight to defeat the group.
Suicide car bomber strikes Iraqi town after battles to drive back Islamic State
(Washington Post) A suicide attacker driving an apparently looted Humvee triggered a blast Monday outside an Iraqi town where government forces recently drove back Islamic State militants, reports said. At least 24 people were killed and dozens injured.
Iraqi Shiites warily greet new year, watch for suicide bombers
(Los Angeles Times) First came billowing banners in yellow, green and black. Then colorful tents were raised Sunday beside tables stacked with sugar-filled tea glasses, steaming teapots and plates of biscuits.
Lebanon's once-mighty Hezbollah is facing attacks in Syria - and also at home
(Washington Post) Hezbollah has won grudging respect, even from some foes, for its tenacious guerrilla campaigns against Israel. But now Lebanon's most powerful military organization is losing its aura of invincibility.
Sectarian Wedge Pushes From Syria Into Lebanon
(New York Times) Recent outbreaks of fighting and growing sectarian tensions in northern Lebanon have heightened fears that the civil war in neighboring Syria is spilling over with new momentum, threatening the country's fragile stability.
Islamic State video shows hostage John Cantlie apparently inside Kobani
(Los Angeles Times) The video, whose authenticity was under examination by the British government and other Western authorities, shows journalist-hostage John Cantlie delivering apparently scripted remarks as he walks and gestures in front of the camera, with what is purportedly the Turkish border - a short distance from the town --- visible in the background.
EBOLA
Nurse quarantined in New Jersey after returning from Ebola mission is released
(Washington Post) After a weekend of exchanging sharp barbs with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), a nurse who was detained and placed in isolation in the state after returning from West Africa was released.
The Military's Ebola Screening Machine Just Got Approved for US Hospitals
(Defense One) Rapidly screening for Ebola at U.S. hospitals has just gotten easier thanks to military-funded technology. Salt Lake City-based BioFire announced over the weekend that they had received emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration for hospital workers to use their polymerase chain reaction (PCR) screening machine, the FilmArray, to screen for Ebola.
Joint Base Langley-Eustis hospital acquires 'germ-zapping' robot
(Air Force Times) The Air Force acquired its second machine that can help stop spread deadly viruses - including Ebola.
Ramstein taking extra precautions for personnel returning from Ebola-stricken West Africa
(Stars & Stripes) Ramstein officials are implementing extra precautions for personnel returning from Ebola-afflicted regions in West Africa, procedures that in some situations are more stringent than those required by the Defense Department or recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
CDC Rejects Mandatory Ebola Quarantines
(Wall Street Journal) The Obama administration laid out new guidelines Monday calling for voluntary isolation and monitoring of travelers exposed to Ebola, to counter a proliferation of divergent state rules over how to contain the outbreak.
INDUSTRY
Brazil Signs Deal With Saab To Buy 36 Gripens
(Defense News) Brazil has signed a 39.3 billion Swedish krona (US $5.4 billion) deal with Saab to take delivery of 36 of the Swedish defense company's new Gripen NG fighter.
UK selects Affinity to conduct fixed-wing training under UKMFTS
(IHS Jane's 360) Affinity has been selected as the preferred bidder in the Aircraft Service Provider (ASP) competition for the fixed-wing programme within the UK Military Flying Training System (UKMFTS), it was announced on 24 October.
Army seeks intel trainer
(C4ISR & Networks) The Army is preparing to acquire an intelligence and electronic warfare trainer.
US Military Sales to Allies Tops $34B in 2014
(Defense News) The US government helped facilitate the sale of $34.2 billion worth of defense equipment to allies during fiscal 2014, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced on Monday, a slight uptick from the roughly $30 billion in sales in 2013.
NGA picks Harris for $770M data contract
(C4ISR & Networks) Harris Corp. has won a National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) data contract worth up to $770 million.
Lockheed Martin Signs Deal with Turkish Missile Maker
(Defense News) Lockheed Martin and Turkey's state-controlled missile maker, Roketsan, have signed a deal to produce the Turkish company's SOM-J cruise missile for the international Joint Strike Fighter program.
Teledyne reaches deal for Oceanside
(IHS Jane's 360) Teledyne has acquired Oceanscience, both based in California, the company announced on 23 October. Teledyne declined to provide the value of the deal, but will bring Oceanscience's technologies in oceanographic and hydrographic equipment under Teledyne's business.
Former EDA Chief Urges Review of EU Security and Defense Policy
(Defense News) Former European Defence Agency Chief Executive Nick Witney has urged incoming European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini to set up a review commission of the European Union's Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP).
Spike Served: India's New ATGM
(Defense Industry Daily) India has been looking for a modern anti-tank/ infantry strike missile to take the place of MBDA Milan missiles that have been produced under license by Bharat Dynamics. The finalists in this competition were the American fire-and-forget Javelin, and Israel's Spike with its combination of wire guided or fire-and-forget modes. As of October 2014, Spike appears to have won, despite offers from the USA to involve India in developing the next version of Javelin.
Indian government clears private firms to grow defence activities
(IHS Jane's 360) Three Indian companies have been given the go-ahead to expand defence industrial activities as New Delhi continues its emphasis on promoting private-sector participation in military development and production.
DCNS Chairman Interested in 'Bits and Pieces' of Atlas Elektronik
(Defense News) DCNS is interested in bidding for parts of Atlas Elektronik, and the French warship builder is interested in restarting talks on torpedoes with the German specialist in underwater systems, chairman Herve Guillou said Monday.
Navantia gets deal to study frigates for Australia
(IHS Jane's 360) Navantia, the Spanish state-owned ship builder, announced on 23 October that it had signed a deal to study the SEA 5000 future frigate programme.
DCNS: No Backup Plan if Mistral Sale Is Canceled
(Defense News) French shipbuilder DCNS is awaiting the government's decision on whether to deliver a Mistral-class helicopter carrier to Russia, but the company has not drawn up contingency plans for the warship, Chairman Herve Guillou said Monday.
Slovakia to replace ageing Antonov transports with C-27J Spartans
(IHS Jane's 360) Slovakia has agreed to purchase a pair of Alenia Aermacchi C-27J Spartan tactical transport aircraft, national media reported on 23 October.
Israeli Firm Adapts Iron Dome for Intercepts at Sea
(Defense News) Rafael Ltd. is developing ship-based versions of Iron Dome, the system credited with intercepting nearly 90 percent of the thousands of Gaza-launched rockets designated as direct threats to the Israeli home front in last summer's 50-day war.
VETERANS
VA secretary defends pace of disciplinary actions
(Military Times) Critics of the Veterans Affairs Department want to know why the director of the agency's Phoenix medical center - and dozens of other problem executives - still haven't been fired.
Does the VA Have a Women Veterans Problem?
(National Journal) Both inside and outside of the department, there's one consensus: More work needs to be done.
Veteran's canceled appointment drips with irony
(Military Times) In October, Army Reserve Maj. Leslie Haines walked into the Fort Wayne campus of the Northern Indiana VA Health Care System for her regularly scheduled appointment at the PTSD clinic.
VA silent over 'pill mill' concerns; Charleston team to study veteran pain management
(Post and Courier; Charleston, S.C.) The Department of Veterans Affairs has been giving South Carolina's congressional delegation the silent treatment in response to their concerns that VA hospitals here and across the country have become "pill mills."
Veterans Court in Fayetteville to begin getting cases next week
(Fayetteville Observer) The special court, conceived to funnel veterans with mental health or substance abuse problems to treatment rather than jail, will begin taking cases Nov. 4. A grand opening ceremony is scheduled for a week later, at 2:30 p.m. on Nov. 13 in Courtroom 2B at the Cumberland County Courthouse.
VA reaches settlement in retaliation lawsuit
(Tampa Tribune) The Department of Veterans Affairs has reached a settlement in a federal lawsuit filed by current and former members of the police department at the C.W. Bill Young VA Medical Center.
A new choice for veterans' health care
(WAVY-TV; Hampton Roads, Va.) Local veterans say they are looking forward to the beginning of a new program that will enable those who qualify to get treatment from civilian doctors.
CONGRESS
Five ways GOP Senate can challenge Obama on national security
(The Hill) Republican candidates are hammering Democrats on national security issues, looking to gain an edge ahead of Election Day.
McCain: Shaheen is not 'a serious member' of the Senate Armed Services Committee
(NH Journal) In an usually stark assessment of a U.S. Senate colleague, Arizona Sen. John McCain on Monday said Sen. Jeanne Shaheen has not been "a serious member" of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Dem: Paying ISIS ransom would be 'poor policy'
(The Hill) A Democratic lawmaker is urging the administration to maintain its policy of not paying ransom money to free American hostages held by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), despite criticism.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Pentagon watchdogs scrutinize states' push toward online voting
(McClatchy) Nevada's election chief says the state's much-ballyhooed new system for electronically delivering absentee ballots to troops and other citizens overseas isn't an "online" voting system, even if it offers those abroad the option of emailing marked ballots to county clerks.
Exchange stores again pull fitness supplements
(Stars & Stripes) Exchange stores at military bases around the world again pulled fitness supplements from shelves earlier this month after concerns they contained a potentially dangerous and untested stimulant.
Lawmakers Urged to Reverse Planned Cuts to Some Travel Per Diems
(Government Executive) Federal employee unions are urging Senate appropriators to reverse planned cuts to the per diems of Defense civilians on long-term travel.
ARMY
Suspended helicopter unit leaders return; report recommended they be fired
(Army Times) The suspended top officer and top enlisted soldier of a Colorado-based helicopter battalion returned to work over the past two months despite a report recommending they be fired.
Army Officials: Modernization Plans About to Go Off the Rails
(National Defense) The Army's equipment modernization accounts are being drained faster than had been anticipated when the post-war drawdown began. Purchases of new combat vehicles, helicopters and drones are being terminated or deferred indefinitely in order to fund more pressing needs such as troop training, officials said.
Former Fort Bragg soldier Timothy B. Hennis files new appeal
(Fayetteville Observer) A 1985 triple murder that has been the subject of three trials and numerous appeals is again before a panel of judges.
Radioactive gas, chlorine to be released on Army's Utah testing range
(Salt Lake Tribune) The radioactive-gas releases are supposed to roughly equal the exposure a person would receive from some X-rays or body scans, according to a presentation given here Thursday. The radiation then is expected to dissipate below naturally occurring levels within 3 miles.
NAVY
Navy falls behind on maintenance, deployments
(Virginian-Pilot) The Navy's recent decision to swap two scheduled aircraft carrier deployments revealed a problem plaguing the service: After years of conflict in the Middle East, its aging fleet of warships has been overtasked and under-cared for, leading to a growing maintenance backlog that threatens its ability to respond to future threats.
CNO Greenert: 7-month deployments 'achievable and sustainable'
(Navy Times) The Navy's top admiral said he wants to bring deployments down to a seven-month standard - a call that stands in stark contrast to recent deployment lengths.
Navy commander from Oceanside killed overseas
(KSWB-TV; San Diego ) A 49-year-old Navy commander from Oceanside was killed in a non-combat-related incident in Qatar, the Department of Defense announced Sunday.
New spot promote rules take effect
(Navy Times) New spot promotion rules took effect Oct. 1 that expand eligibility for hard-chargers and create an annual time window for all command advancements - promotions that aren't based on passing the Navy-wide test.
Bush carrier strike group enters 6th Fleet at Suez Canal, headed home
(Navy Times) The aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush is out of Central Command and is heading home.
AIR FORCE
SecAF: Air Force working with lawyers to solve VSP mix-up
(Air Force Times) The Air Force is working with lawyers to fix a medical benefit mix-up and notify the roughly 1,000 airmen who have voluntarily separated who used Tricare benefits and may be faced with footing the bill.
86th Airlift Wing airman dies
(Stars & Stripes) An airman assigned to the 86th Airlift Wing at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, died Sunday in Schwedelbach, according to a wing release.
Staff sergeant cleared twice of child sex abuse charges
(Air Force Times) A staff sergeant who faced prosecution by the military after civilian authorities dropped child sex abuse charges against him was acquitted at court-martial last week.
Global Strike Challenge returns to Barksdale
(Shreveport Times) Risen like a phoenix after the sequester and austerity cuts, Air Force Global Strike Command's fourth Global Strike Challenge competition will wind up months of competition with team arrivals, a symposium and score posting events at Barksdale Air Force Base early next week.
Airmen wait and worry over VSP mix-up
(Air Force Times) As the Air Force's medical benefit mix-up continued into at least its fourth week, frustration built among affected separated airmen.
MARINE CORPS
Sgt. Major speaks out: 'My career was defaced'
(Marine Corps Times) Sgt. Maj. Paul Archie was fuming.
For Marines, exercise represents a return to sea
(Virginian-Pilot) A Dutch warship shipped out from Norfolk Naval Station this morning, the first in a series of departures expected this week as a sizable international armada gathers off the East Coast.
Marines' howitzers leave an impression during training at Fort Bragg
(Fayetteville Observer) The familiar yet unmistakable booms that have rattled Fayetteville homes over the past two weeks will be winding down as the Marines wrap up artillery training this week.
COAST GUARD
Ex-US frigate gun components recovered for US Coast Guard
(IHS Jane's 360) Mk 75 Mod 0 76 mm/62 calibre gun components are being recovered from five decommissioned US Navy (USN) FFG 7 Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided-missile frigates for re-use by the US Coast Guard (USCG).
Hilton Head couple help boaters for half-century with Coast Guard Auxiliary
(Island Packet) Henry and Mary Pratt have spent more time volunteering in the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary than most people have spent in their paid careers.
AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN
After base handoff, last Marines depart Afghanistan
(Marine Corps Times) The final Marine Corps contingent remaining in southern Afghanistan departed the region today to begin the journey home.
Attack Punctuates Taliban's Advances in an Afghan Province
(New York Times) Four Taliban insurgents dressed in police uniforms stormed government offices in the northern provincial capital of Kunduz on Monday, killing eight people and wounding 10 others amid a sustained offensive that has put residents and the security forces under siege.
ISAF: Level of air support for Afghan forces yet to be decided
(Stars & Stripes) The NATO coalition said on Monday that the main goal of the post-2014 mission in Afghanistan will remain training, advising, and assisting Afghan national security forces, despite discussions over possible continued air support.
New Afghan President Ghani To Visit China
(Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) New Afghan President Ashraf Ghani is expected to begin a three-day official trip to China on October 28.
Pakistan's Polio Eradication Efforts Slammed
(Wall Street Journal) A global body issued a scathing report Monday on Pakistan's efforts to eradicate polio, saying the country was the biggest obstacle to the goal of stopping world-wide transmission of the disease by the end of 2014.
MIDDLE EAST
Investigating Abandoned Chemical Weapons in Iraq
(New York Times) An investigation by The New York Times found that during the Iraq War, American troops encountered aging chemical weapons abandoned years earlier, and that some servicemen injured by these munitions received inadequate care. Readers submitted a range of questions for the journalists who wrote the story, including why the United States government kept the discovery of these munitions largely secret. C.J. Chivers, a Times reporter, and John Ismay, a contributor, responded to selected readers' questions
White House Undermines Top Israeli Official at Home
(Foreign Policy) The Obama administration's decision to snub Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon by denying him meetings with top American officials may have had one more purpose beside wanting to punish him for his harsh criticism of Secretary of State John Kerry: to weaken him politically at home.
Iran's naval chief visits Beijing
(IHS Jane's 360) The leaders of the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy's (IRIN) and the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) met in Beijing on 23 October to strengthen naval relations between both countries, a PLA-sponsored news outlet has reported.
Egypt's leader grants military broad powers to put civilians on trial
(Washington Post) Egypt's president expanded the powers of the country's armed forces Monday to enable the prosecution of civilians in military courts, a move that rights activists fear will intensify an already searing government crackdown on dissent.
EUROPE
APNewsBreak: Poland to move 1,000s of troops east
(Associated Press) Poland will move thousands of troops toward its eastern borders in a historic realignment of a military structure built in the Cold War, the country's defense minister told The Associated Press on Monday.
Ukraine Unspun: Chechnya War Pic Passed Off As Ukraine Atrocity By Hackers, Russian TV
(Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) A day before the October 26 parliamentary elections in Ukraine, hackers accessed electronic billboards in Kyiv and broadcast gruesome images of what they portrayed as civilian carnage wrought by Ukrainian forces battling pro-Russian separatists in the east of the country.
Interview: Adm. Sir George Zambellas, First Sea Lord, UK Royal Navy
(Defense News) Despite budget cuts, Britain's Royal Navy is modernizing with new cutting-edge destroyers, nuclear attack submarines, two new giant aircraft carriers, frigates and other systems on the way, like the short-takeoff and vertical-landing version of Lockheed Martin's F-35 joint strike fighter.
NATO completes largest naval exercise in five years
(IHS Jane's 360) NATO completed its largest naval exercise in five years on 26 October, with the Ukraine crisis, the end of combat operations in Afghanistan, and the outcomes of the Wales summit all driving changes in NATO training.
Germany offers asylum-seekers safety from violence at former US Army post in Heidelberg
(Stars & Stripes) Hundreds of refugees are taking temporary shelter in a former U.S. Army post here as Germany scrambles to handle a flood of asylum-seekers from wars in the Middle East and Africa.
UK experiencing delays in fielding Tornado collision avoidance system
(IHS Jane's 360) The UK's plans to field a new collision warning system (CWS) for its fleet of Panavia Tornado GR.4 strike aircraft before the end of the year have been hit by development problems, it was disclosed on 24 October.
MH17 prosecutor open to theory another plane shot down airliner: Der Spiegel
(Reuters) Dutch prosecutors investigating the crash of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 believe the aircraft might have been shot down from the air but that a ground-to-air missile attack is more likely, a senior prosecutor said in a German media interview.
ASIA-PACIFIC
Researchers identify sophisticated Chinese cyberespionage group
(Washington Post) A coalition of security researchers has identified a Chinese cyberespionage group that appears to be the most sophisticated of any publicly known Chinese hacker unit and targets not only U.S. and Western government agencies but also dissidents inside and outside China.
China Maybe Surprising Winner in Ukraine Turmoil
(USNI News) The surprising winner in the turmoil engulfing Ukraine is turning out to be China, a top U.S. expert on Central Europe and Russia said on Monday.
India grounds Su-30 fleet due to possible ejector-seat fault
(IHS Jane's 360) The Indian Air Force (IAF) has grounded its fleet of Sukhoi S030MKI 'Flanker' combat aircraft while it investigates the cause of an apparent ejection-seat misfire that resulted in the loss of an aircraft earlier in the month, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 22 October.
Japan, North Korea start talks on abductions
(Associated Press) Japanese and North Korean officials started two days of talks Tuesday to assess progress in Pyongyang's investigation into the fates of Japanese citizens who were abducted in the 1970s and '80s.
AFRICA
Tunisia's costly battle against its militants
(Al-Monitor) Tunisia's streets filled Oct. 26 with voters keen to participate in the national elections for the 217-member National Assembly, but while the country's political and ideological center rejoices, the shadow cast by its extremist border militias is not receding
Islamist Party in Tunisia Concedes to Secularists
(New York Times) The secular Nidaa Tounes party won the largest number of seats in Tunisia's parliamentary elections on Monday, defeating its main rival, the Islamist party Ennahda, which just three years ago swept to power as the North African nation celebrated the fall of its longtime dictator in the Arab Spring revolution.
Report sheds light on misery of kidnapped Nigerian girls
(Los Angeles Times) In a disturbing look at the abuses endured by 219 Nigerian schoolgirls abducted by Islamist insurgents, a report issued Monday describes victims being forced to convert to Islam and marry their captors, being raped and made to cook, clean, carry ammunition and looted goods.
In a Liberian slum swarming with Ebola, a race against time to save two little girls
(Washington Post) The two girls had nursed their mother as she died, cleaning up her vomit and curling up against her feverish body on the family's only mattress. They braided her hair until a truck came for the corpse.
Wish to Do More in Ebola Fight Meets Reality in Liberia
(New York Times) Garmai Sayon endured more than anyone should have to bear. First, her husband died at the Ebola treatment center here, falling ill after rushing to help a stranger who had collapsed in their village. Five days later, their child - a 1-year-old boy whose two older siblings had been lost earlier to illness and accident - died in her arms while she was delirious from the disease.
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
Defeating ISIS: With Whose Boots on the Ground?
(Graham Allison in The Atlantic) America is partnering with Iran to fight the Islamic State, whether the U.S. admits it or not.
Opinion: How ISIS Funds Terror Through Black Market Antiquities Trade
(Retired Army Brig. Gen. Russell D. Howard, Jonathan Prohov and Marc Elliott in USNI News) As coalition airstrikes attempt to curb the expansion of Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS or ISIL), the radical Islamist group is digging in militarily as it is simultaneously digging out priceless and irreplaceable historical antiquities-in some cases with heavy earth-moving machinery-which it sells on the black market to fund its Caliphate ambitions. By doing so, a significant amount of ISIS assets are out of reach from traditional counter terror finance measures.
Could the United States Ever Release Aafia Siddiqui?
(Michael Kugelman in war on the Rocks) In recent months, the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) offered to release American hostages James Foley and Steven Sotloff in exchange for Aafia Siddiqui-an MIT-trained Pakistani neuroscientist convicted in an American court in 2010 of trying to kill Americans. She now is serving an 86-year sentence in a Texas federal prison.
Who's Going to Get Rich Fighting the Islamic State?
(William D. Hartung in Foreign Policy) Obama's small war means big profits -- and little oversight -- for defense contractors and hired guns.
What Was a Russian Sub (Possibly) Doing in Swedish Waters?
(John T. Kuehn in Cicero Magazine) The Cold War came roaring back last week, albeit briefly. To recap: On October 16th the Swedish military intercepted a distress signal being transmitted to the Russian city of Kaliningrad. Sweden determined, based on other reports, that there was potentially a submerged object or vessel inside its territorial waters just west of the island of Uto, which is about 60-70 kilometers south of Stockholm. Russia, of course, has denied that anything belonging to them is in the area. However, their track record on denying things is not so good of late.
Commentary: Nordic-Baltic Progress
(Magnus Nordenman in Defense News) The recent Swedish hunt for a suspected Russian submarine, perhaps in distress, deep into Swedish territorial waters says much about the changing security climate in the Nordic-Baltic region, and the need for more Nordic-Baltic defense spending and a long-term NATO focus on the region.
The Cold War May Be Over, But the Fight Against Russia Isn't
(Mark Seip in Defense One) Last week Sweden hunted down what was widely believed to be a Russian submarine in its waters, and Estonia accused Russia of once again violating its airspace. These incidents are just two in a long list of Russian actions designed to coerce its neighbors through intimidation, creating increased tension throughout the region. In acknowledging old-school geopolitics, the United States and NATO must use lessons from the Cold War to check Russian aggression and instill resolve into the alliance.
Editorial: Stand Up to Russia
(Defense News) Six weeks ago, NATO leaders convening for their biennial summit in Wales vowed the alliance would never allow its borders to be violated.
Rethinking Taiwan's Submarine Dream
(Evan Braden Montgomery in Real Clear Defense) Are subs the best answer to China's growing military power?
"Warm and Fuzzy with the North Koreans"
(Benjamin Wittes in Lawfare) The other day, I posted this video of the North Korean Ambassador to the United Nations giving a talk at the Council on Foreign Relations:
"Passing it On": Two SFAAT Teams in Afghanistan and Lessons Learned for Future Advisors
(Army Capt. Thomas McShea and Capt. Kyle Harnitchek in Small Wars Journal) In November 2012, when First Brigade of the 101st Airborne deployed to Kunar and Nangarhar provinces of Afghanistan, we were charged with employing Security Force Advise and Assist Teams (SFAAT) in order to facilitate the transfer of security responsibilities to Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) in the region. While this mission removed US Forces from the primary roll of fighting and winning the counterinsurgency, it came with its own set of challenges. Chief among these were re-tasking a large portion of the Brigade to become advisor teams, developing a framework for them to effectively operate within, and rapidly employing that system in order to make the most out of a nine-month deployment.
Opinion: Bumbling Caused B-52 Reengining Delay
(Bill Sweetman in Aviation Week) The U.S. Air Force is taking a serious look at reengining the Boeing B-52. The question is not whether it makes sense, but why it hasn't been done. The answers include poor planning, budgetary procedures that defied economic logic and at least one bone-headed accounting error.
Commentary: Climate Change Increases Instability for All
(Retired Adm. Stuart Platt in Defense News) Recently, former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke at Sen. Harry Reid's Clean Energy Summit in Nevada, where she announced that climate change is "the most consequential, urgent, sweeping collection of challenges" facing us today. She is right on point. It was a strong statement, in line with her past actions. But what many people might not know is that climate change isn't just an issue for environmentalists. It is also an important one for the armed forces and national security communities.
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