TODAY’S TOP 5
1. Army chief talks new deployments; 'grave' readiness concern
(Army Times) Soldiers will soon see new deployments and rotations to hot spots around the world, even as the Army slashes its active-duty force to fit a tightening budget.
2. Navy Ready for Briefing on Small Surface Combatant, SecDef Not
(Defense News) After months of preparation, the US Navy was set Thursday morning to brief Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on its recommendations for a new Small Surface Combatant (SSC), and a delegation led by Navy Secretary Ray Mabus waited to make a personal presentation.
3. Hagel and Dempsey remind us that security, options and leadership cost money
(Andrew Borene in The Hill) The assertion that Congress is dragging its feet on strategic funding-particularly with respect to defense-is not a political talking point. On Friday, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey and Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel argued that funding allocated for combatting the ISIS threat is insufficient.
4. Army Says Troops Should Be Aware of Islamic State Threats
(Bloomberg) A U.S. Army analysis cautioned troops and their families to "be vigilant" in light of threats of terrorist attacks against American bases and facilities at home and abroad.
5. Gen. Campbell Will Recommend a Slower Drawdown in Afghanistan, If Needed
(Defense One) The commander of the war in Afghanistan said he will "reserve the right" to recommend changes to the American military's drawdown plans should the circumstances on the ground dictate the need for a change.
EBOLA
Family of Ebola patient being monitored; up to 100 at risk of exposure
(Los Angeles Times) Four close family members of the only patient to have been diagnosed with Ebola in the United States are confined to their apartment, where they are being monitored for symptoms, and up to 100 others are being assessed, public health officials said Thursday as they stepped up their efforts to deal with the Texas case.
In Dallas Schools, Fear of Possible Ebola Exposure
(New York Times) There is Ebola, and then there is fear of Ebola.
For quarantined relatives in U.S. Ebola case, extra cautions, hope and prayer
(Washington Post) Thomas Duncan shivered in the king-size bed, even though he was tucked under the covers and fully dressed - pants, socks and two shirts. It was Sunday morning, Sept. 28, and Duncan, from Liberia, had been in the United States visiting Louise Troh at her Dallas apartment for the past week. He felt weak and cold, he told Troh's daughter, Youngor Jallah.
Health officials clam up about effort to contain Ebola in Texas
(The Hill) Health officials are refusing to answer growing questions about their response to the first Ebola case in the United States.
Quarantined family in Ebola patient's apartment should be moved, judge says
(CNN) The quarantined partner of Ebola patient Thomas Eric Duncan should be moved with her family out of the Texas apartment where Duncan became sick with the virus and where his sweat-stained sheets were still on the bed, the Dallas County director of homeland security said.
How Ebola turned into an epidemic, explained in 90 seconds
(Quartz) "It is not enough that 90% have access to some basic health service, every person has to have access to health service," explains world renowned public health expert Hans Rosling.
Many sick in US Ebola patient's Liberia hometown
(Associated Press) Thomas Eric Duncan rushed to help his 19-year-old neighbor when she began convulsing days after complaining of stomach pain. Everyone assumed her illness was related to her being seven months pregnant.
Liberia threatens to prosecute Ebola patient over exposure
(USA Today) Liberian authorities are threatening to prosecute the traveler who was diagnosed with Ebola in the United States because he denied on an exit questionnaire that he had been exposed to the often-fatal virus.
NBC News Freelancer in Africa Diagnosed With Ebola
(NBC) An American freelance cameraman working for NBC News in Liberia has tested positive for Ebola and will be flown back to the U.S. for treatment.
ISLAMIC STATE
Leon Panetta: How the White House Misplayed Iraqi Troop Talks
(Time) As U.S. forces return to Iraq to counter the surging al-Qaeda splinter group Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria, President Obama's former Secretary of Defense and CIA chief recalls the White House debates that led to America's departure from the country. His new book, with Jim Newton, Worthy Fights: A Memoir of Leadership in War and Peace, from which this article is adapted, will be published on Oct. 7.
Islamic State: Turkey MPs back Iraq-Syria deployment
(BBC) Turkey's parliament has backed a motion that could allow its military to enter Iraq and Syria to join the campaign against Islamic State (IS) militants.
Once targeted, Global Hawk drone now hidden weapon in U.S. airstrikes
(McClatchy) The squabbling between the Pentagon and Capitol Hill over whether to kill the biggest of the military's drones - the Global Hawk - is finished for the moment, with the remotely piloted surveillance aircraft and its builder emerging as the victors.
General leading anti-ISIS coalition visits Iraq
(The Hill) Retired Marine Gen. John Allen, who is coordinating the international effort against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), traveled to Iraq on Thursday to meet with local leaders.
Exclusive: U.S. Special Ops Readied Syria Attack in June
(The Daily Beast) Months before the U.S. started bombing Syria, American commandos made detailed plans to hit al Qaeda planners there. But the targeting packages weren't even sent to the White House.
Obama's Trying to Train Syrians and Iraqis to Fight ISIS. Easier Said Than Done.
(Foreign Policy) When it comes to the U.S. plan for destroying the Islamic State, American airstrikes are in, American ground forces are out. The Obama administration and its allies are instead launching efforts to train the rebel forces fighting the militants inside Syria and retrain the shattered Iraqi Army.
Pentagon: Medals for new Iraq mission to fall under Operation Enduring Freedom
(Military Times) The new U.S. mission in Iraq is part of Operation Enduring Freedom, at least according to the Pentagon's medals and awards division.
The ISIS Conflict Has Saturated the American Mind
(National Journal) In a recent NBC/Wall Street Journal poll, 94 percent of Americans said they were following the news of the horrendous and tragic beheadings of American journalists at the hands of ISIS. That number is astounding, seeing how public knowledge of the news can often be lacking.
Islamic State seizes Hit, assaults Iraqi military headquarters in Anbar
(Long War Journal) The Islamic State continues its offensive to consolidate control of Iraq's Anbar province. Today, the jihadist group is reported to have taken control of the town of Hit and has launched assaults on the Anbar Operations Command north of Ramadi and the 7th Division headquarters at Al Asad Airbase in Al Baghdadi.
Islamic State presses offensives in Iraq, Syria; defenders call for more airstrikes
(Washington Post) Islamic State fighters pressed their assault on two key towns in Syria and Iraq on Thursday as defenders on both fronts prepared for possible street-by-street battles and appealed for intensified U.S.-led airstrikes, reports and witnesses said.
Goodbye to the Last of Syria's Good Guys
(The Daily Beast) Let's dispense with wishful illusions. The idealists who started the Syrian revolution have been killed, quieted or forced out of the country.
Islamic State committing 'staggering' crimes in Iraq: U.N. report
(Reuters) Islamic State insurgents in Iraq have carried out mass executions, abducted women and girls as sex slaves, and used child soldiers in what may amount to systematic war crimes that demand prosecution, the United Nations said on Thursday.
Chechen unit from Islamic State reportedly fighting at Kobane
(Long War Journal) In a video released by 'Amaq News, an unofficial news organization affiliated with the Islamic State, several Russian-speaking fighters are shown taking positions overlooking the Kurdish city of Kobane (or Ayn al Arab in Arabic).
Iraq considering Australian airstrike request
(Associated Press) Iraq's ambassador to Australia on Thursday gave no timetable for when his government might decide on Australia's request to launch airstrikes against Islamic State targets.
INDUSTRY
US State Department Opens Door to Maritime Defense Weapon Sales To Vietnam
(Defense News) The United States will allow the sale of lethal equipment and weaponry to Vietnam for maritime defense purposes, the US State Department announced Thursday.
Report: Ships cost 3 times original estimate
(San Diego Union-Tribune) The first two Littoral Combat Ships commissioned by the Navy cost hundreds of millions of dollars more than initially budgeted and were rushed into service so quickly the Navy didn't fully test them for problems, a new government report on the troubled program says.
Sikorsky Unveils Raider Prototype
(Defense News) Sikorsky unveiled its first S-97 Raider prototype Thursday, kicking off the test flight phase of the experimental helicopter program.
Why Boeing Beat SpaceX in NASA's Space-Taxi Contest
(Wall Street Journal) Boeing Co. BA -0.40% received consistently higher rankings than Space Exploration Technologies Corp. during NASA's recent multibillion-dollar competition to build "space taxis," according to an internal agency document.
Navy Upgrades Maverick Air-to-Ground Missile
(DoDBuzz) The Navy is upgrading the guidance control systems on its inventory of 500 air-launched AGM-65 Maverick missiles in order to give the weapon semi-active laser targeting technology, Raytheon officials said.
Pentagon Must Stop Deferring to Contractors, Fox Says
(Bloomberg) Military and civilian managers of multibillion-dollar weapons systems are being prodded to shift from "deference to private industry" to a more adversarial mindset that emphasizes protecting tax dollars, according to the Pentagon's former No. 2 civilian.
Leidos wins DARPA sonar contract
(C4ISR & Networks) Leidos has received a $14 million DARPA sonar contract.
Military firms likely to benefit from airstrikes in Iraq, Syria
(Los Angeles Times) Three days after U.S. warships fired 47 cruise missiles at Sunni militant targets in northern Syria last week, the Pentagon signed a $251-million deal to buy more Tomahawks from Raytheon Co., a windfall for the military giant and its many subcontractors.
NATO General Wants Better Industry Cooperation
(Defense News) With military budgets shrinking around the globe, a top NATO official is warning the national industries of partner nations that they need to change how they do business.
Gallery: Sikorsky Reveals New S-97 Raider
(Aviation Week) Sikorsky unveiled the first of two industry-funded S-97 Raider high-speed armed scout helicopter prototypes in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Oct 2. It is due to fly by year-end. All photos by Graham Warwick unless otherwise stated.
Manufacturing Fault Suspends Typhoon Deliveries to Germany, Italy, Spain
(Defense News) Eurofighter Typhoon deliveries to Germany, Italy and Spain have been halted while the fighter company and the governments discuss commercial issues related to the discovery of a manufacturing fault on the rear fuselage of the aircraft, program sources said.
France Willing to Put Assets on Fire Sale to Keep Defense Budget Nominally Flat
(Defense Industry Daily) France's Ministry of Defense released its 2015 budget plans external link [in French]. They're looking at a nominally flat (i.e. excluding inflation) 31.4 billion euros ($39.7B) budget, within which ���5.7B go to major programs and ���2.8B are assigned to the nuclear deterrent. 1 FREMM frigate, 11 Rafale jets, 4 A400M transport aircraft, and 25 VBCI infantry vehicles are among the planned deliveries next year.
First Australian F-35A completes maiden flight
(IHS Jane's 360) Australia's first Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter completed its maiden flight on 29 September, the company announced.
Qatar Orders, Receives PC-21 Trainers
(Defense Industry Daily) Qatar is in the middle of overhauling its air force, with a competition for new fighters that has attracted interest from around the world.
Aeronautics unveils new Orbiter 3b UAV
(IHS Jane's 360) The Israeli company Aeronautics has unveiled its new Orbiter 3b unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), describing it as a significant improvement on earlier members of the Orbiter series.
General Dynamics opens Canadian anti-submarine warfare center
(C4ISR & Networks) General Dynamics Canada has opened an anti-submarine warfare center in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.
USC working on warships for Arctic operations
(IHS Jane's 360) United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) is developing a new warship concept for use by Russia's Sever (North) United Strategic Command in the Arctic and is building support and patrol ships for it, USC President Aleksey Rakhmanov said on 24 September.
VETERANS
Coast Guard gives WWII vet a Viking funeral at sea
(Navy Times) The Coast Guard carries out dozens of burials at sea in a given year, but one World War II veteran got a unique farewell.
From War to Work
(Government Executive) In 2011, Lauren Augustine was an Army specialist operating RQ-7B Shadow unmanned aerial vehicles from Camp Taji in Iraq. She knew that at the end of her deployment, the skills she'd learned wouldn't translate directly to civilian employment.
VA contracting official misused her position to help company, IG report finds
(Washington Post) The fast-growing Northern Virginia contractor on its way to becoming a multibillion-dollar company had inked yet another important deal with a federal agency. But then a bureaucrat at the Department of Veterans Affairs stepped in, raising troubling questions about the contract and suddenly halted all work.
VA botched handling of suicidal Marine, judge rules
(Associated Press) A federal judge in Kentucky has found that a Veterans Affairs hospital mishandled a suicidal Marine who went to a medical facility seeking help before killing himself.
In effort to end veteran homelessness by 2015, this $270 million doesn't hurt
(Washington Post) The Obama administration has announced a new round of funding to help meet its goal of ending veteran homelessness by 2015, pumping nearly $270 million into programs aimed at addressing the problem.
CONGRESS
House Intel Chief Wants To Increase Cyber Attacks Against Russia
(DefenseOne) The United States should be conducting more disruptive cyber attacks against nations like Russia, according to Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.
Lawmakers question Iran's lack of cooperation with nuclear inspectors
(The Hill) A group of 354 House members urged Secretary of State John Kerry to keep close watch on whether Iran allows nuclear inspectors to review its facilities as international negotiators work on an agreement.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Privacy advocates sue Pentagon over Internet voting test results
(Washington Post) Privacy advocates, worried that the Defense Department is sinking millions of dollars into unproven online voting systems, are suing the Pentagon for the release of long-promised test results on whether Internet-based voting is safe.
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria on DoD's radar
(Military Times) The Pentagon figures prominently in President Obama's new national plan to fight lethal, antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Pentagon Promises to Try to Cut Pay and Benefits Again
(Military.com) Deputy Defense Secretary Bob Work said Tuesday that the Pentagon will continue pressing to trim military pay, pensions, and housing allowances despite rejections by Congress.
Redux retirement: $30,000 'loan' costs you $390,000
(Military Update) Would an E-6 careerist nearing retirement accept a $30,000 car loan if forced to pay back a total of $390,000 in principal and interest?
NGA gears up for new director
(Federal Times) The National Geospatial Intelligence Agency is preparing for a changing of the guard as director Letitia Long prepares to step down as the agency's director.
ARMY
US Army Forming 'Low-High' Budget Plans
(Defense News) Amid continuing uncertainty over future defense budgets and potential budget caps, the US Army's force development chief says he has made one five-year spending plan for sequestration and one for a reprieve.
Green Beret SFC dies of combat injuries
(Army Times) Sgt. 1st Class Andrew T. Weathers, a Green Beret and Special Forces medical sergeant, died Tuesday at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany, from wounds sustained in combat, the Defense Department reported.
Can The Army Get Its Bureaucratic Act Together?
(Breaking Defense) "Everybody's got to change," Army Gen. David Perkins told me last week. But can the biggest, most bureaucratic, and most fractious service really break a 12-year streak of cancelled multi-billion-dollar programs? It turns out the Army is already taking some important steps. A new doctrine and a long-range planning process instituted two years ago have begun to make real progress in breaking down barriers within the Army between budgeteers, acquisition officials, and - as of this year - the experts who write its doctrine and requirements at the Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), which Perkins heads.
Fort Bragg school dedicated to fallen 82nd Airborne Division soldier
(Fayetteville Observer) The strength and tenacity of a fallen 82nd Airborne Division soldier will be remembered as generations of children pass through a new school on Fort Bragg.
Rapid Equipping Force to Expand Reach Globally
(National Defense) The Rapid Equipping Force cut its teeth during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan rushing new technology to troops in days or weeks instead of months or years. Now, with fewer boots on the ground in the Middle East, the REF will turn to other parts of the globe, said its director Oct. 2.
Vilseck soldier treated at Landstuhl after rampage in German hospital
(Stars & Stripes) An American soldier shot last week by German police in the emergency room of a hospital in Munich is in good condition at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, officials said Thursday.
Fort Irwin soccer team wins Army's first Defender's Cup
(Army Times) Army football had a rough September. Army futbol, at least at the installation level, didn't.
NAVY
This Could Be the Navy SEAL's Boat of Tomorrow
(DefenseOne) A boat that water skis on torpedoes could offer a Learjet-like ride for Navy SEAL teams moving into rough enemy waters. It may also prove to be a more stable platform for next-generation weapons systems like the Navy's direct energy gun (or laser) that target better on stable seas. One day, it could be patrolling the Strait of Hormuz alongside much bigger, more expensive ships. But before that can happen, Juliet Marine Systems, the New Hampshire-based company marketing the system to military, has to make it run faster.
Navy test-fires upgraded Tomahawk
(Fox News) The Navy and Raytheon recently flight tested software upgrades to the Tomahawk missile with two sea-launched test-firings near China Lake, Calif., designed to shoot the weapon up to high altitudes and assess the weapon's improved maneuverability.
Lemoore Navy base to be home for new F35-C jet fighters
(Fresno Bee) Lemoore Naval Air Station will be the West Coast home base for the new F-35C fighter jets, the Navy announced Thursday.
SPAWAR workers relocated due to fumes
(San Diego Union-Tribune) More than 150 employees of the Navy's SPAWAR facility in Old Town have been moved to temporary offices elsewhere to avoid toxic vapors that are a vestige of the building's history as a missile and aircraft production plant.
Navy mom making waves over airline losing son's seabag
(Chicago Sun-Times) Seaman recruit Thomas Tudisco Jr., fresh out of boot camp at Naval Station Great Lakes, boarded the first flight of his life Saturday from O'Hare en route to his new assignment at Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas.
AIR FORCE
Air Force rebuts Defense Department report on planned Reaper buys
(Air Force Times) The Air Force issued a quick rebuttal to a Defense Department Inspector General report on its MQ-9 Reaper acquisition program, saying the agency used outdated information to criticize the service's purchase of the drones.
U.S. Sending A-10 Plane to Combat While Trying to Kill It
(Bloomberg) Another batch of Cold War-vintage A-10 "Warthogs" is on its way to Afghanistan, even though the Pentagon says it no longer needs the plane.
Air Force to resume flyovers this month
(Air Force Times) After being grounded by Defense Department budget cuts, the Air Force has been cleared to conduct four flyovers at major sporting events in October.
USAF to modernise DCGS into an open architecture system
(IHS Jane's 360) The US Air Force (USAF) is seeking to make its Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS) into a non-proprietary capability and improve the acquisition process to keep pace with advances in technology, as well as threats.
7 enlisted, 3 officer career fields are eligible for bonuses
(Air Force Times) Airmen in 10 career fields - seven enlisted and three officer jobs - are eligible for bonuses aimed at improving morale in the nuclear community, the Air Force announced Thursday.
ICBM bonus pay now in effect
(Great Falls Tribune; Mont.) Incentives for airmen in nuclear career fields kicked in Wednesday, but it will take months for airmen to see the pay adjustments.
4 specialties now qualify for extra pay; others phased out or reduced
(Air Force Times) The Air Force is offering new special duty assignment pay to airmen in four specialties, the Air Force Personnel Center said Thursday.
MARINE CORPS
Navy calls off search for missing Osprey crew member
(Marine Corps Times) A Marine who jumped from a MV-22 Osprey helicopter that lost power over the Arabian Gulf Wednesday is presumed dead and the Navy has called off the search.
Q and A With Gen Tony Zinni on His New Book "Before the First Shots Are Fired"
(Marine Corps Association) Gen Tony Zinni, USMC(Ret), sits down with Col John Keenan, USMC(Ret), editor of the Marine Corps Gazette, at The MARINE Shop in Quantico, Va., Oct. 1, 2014, and talks about his new book "Before the First Shots Are Fired."
Commandant on proposed uniform changes: No way
(Marine Corps Times) Junior enlisted Marines will just have to keep squinting when a staff non-commissioned officer walks by.
LCS, JHSV 'Marginal' For Marine Ops: Gen. Pexton
(Breaking Defense) Even as the Navy pursues cheaper ships such as LCS and JHSV, the Marines' message is: Amphibious Warships; Accept No Substitutes. There's real interest and opportunity in non-traditional ways to deploy Marines, assistant commandant Gen. John Paxton said today, but a purpose-built amphibious ship remains the Marine's top choice to go to war with. The Navy's two most innovative ship classes in particular, the Joint High Speed Vessel (JHSV) transport and its armed cousin the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), are "marginal" for Marine Corps purposes.
Marine's gritty account of being shot in Afghanistan goes viral
(Washington Post) Marine veteran Matthew W. Mcelhinney was patrolling through Afghanistan when the rifle round hit him. Fired by a Taliban insurgent, it ripped into his back just below his body armor and tore through his internal organs.
Watch a Tearful Montel Williams Urge Obama to Help a Marine in Mexican Custody
(National Journal) Montel Williams is begging the government for help on behalf of a marine who has been kept in Mexican custody for the past six months.
Search called off for Okinawa Marine missing off Tinian
(Stars & Stripes) The Coast Guard's Guam sector is coordinating the search for a Camp Foster Marine reported missing Friday after wading into heavy surf on the northwestern shore of Tinian.
Lejeune Marine remains in critical condition following wreck
(Jacksonville Daily News) A Camp Lejeune Marine remains in critical condition in a hospital in Ohio after he was involved in a wreck while on his way back to North Carolina this week.
AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN
U.S. Balks at Bills for Afghanistan's Treacherous Salang Tunnel
(Wall Street Journal) It had already taken Abdul Wali all morning to make the trip, hauling fuel some 200 miles from the border of Uzbekistan along a potholed highway. But the worst part of his journey was ahead: crossing the Salang Tunnel, some 2 miles above sea level.
Morale boost comes after election, but Afghan forces face rise in casualties
(Stars & Stripes) The confidence of Afghan security forces is surging after a peaceful transition of government, but their casualties in battles with insurgents are spiking as well, the top U.S. commander in the country said Thursday.
Britain's Cameron on surprise visit to Afghanistan
(USA Today) Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron has made a surprise visit to Afghanistan to support the country's newly sworn-in president.
Pakistani Fighter Likely To Have Long Service Life Despite Crash
(Defense News) Analysts say the crash of a Pakistani fighter jet Wednesday outside the city of Quetta will not affect the likely service life of the aircraft type, although it may be relegated to the role of lead-in fighter trainer.
TV-Smashing Army Chief Seen Keeping Pakistan PM On Edge
(Bloomberg) Aboard a private bus heading to the funeral of a Pakistani army instructor, Raheel Sharif fumed as a small television set showed provocative dancers. Finally he took matters into his own hands.
Pakistan Welcomes Afghan-US Bilateral Security Pact; Analysts Uncertain
(Defense News) Pakistan's civil and military leadership has welcomed the signing of the Afghan-US Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) and pledged support for the new Afghan government, but analysts are doubtful of the long-term regional security and stability.
Bombing in Pakistan and a Wave of Attempts Point to a New Drive by Militants
(New York Times) Amid a wave of bombing attempts in this northwestern Pakistani city on Thursday, a bomb rigged to a timer exploded inside a passenger van, killing seven and wounding six, the police said.
EUROPE
UK RAF begin transferring Merlin helicopters to RN
(IHS Jane's 360) The United Kingdom's (UK's) Fleet Air Arm's 846 Naval Air Squadron (NAS) was stood up at RAF Benson on 30 September with the AgustaWestland AW101 Merlin, while the Royal Air Force's (RAF's) 78 Squadron was disbanded.
NATO official says Russia could stay in eastern Ukraine
(The Hill) Russia could move to hold territory in eastern Ukraine permanently, as it did following a military conflict with Georgia in 2008, NATO's senior military officer said Thursday.
Ukraine rebels renew Donetsk airport offensive
(BBC) Rebel forces in eastern Ukraine are conducting an offensive to capture the government-held airport in Donetsk, officials say.
Ukraine's refugees in Russia are there to stay, in new twist for conflict
(Washington Post) First the war in eastern Ukraine sent Anna Gurova's family running to Russia. Now most of the residents on her old street have departed - and she said few of them plan to return, even if peace settles over the industrial region they once called home.
Alarm Over Russia Draws Volunteers to Defend Estonia
(Wall Street Journal) On a recent weekend in an Estonian forest, a group of new recruits in army fatigues practiced maneuvers. A sergeant major barked out instructions and the unit changed formation, sometimes crawling in the dirt between birch trees.
Belarusian Activist Vinahradau Detained Again, Faces Trial
(Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) A Belarusian activist who has been in and out of jail many times has been detained again.
ASIA-PACIFIC
Indonesian Navy inducts third PC-43 patrol vessel
(IHS Jane's 360) Indonesian defence minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro commissioned the Indonesian Navy's (Tentera Nasional Indonesia - Angkatan Laut: TNI-AL's) third PC-43 patrol craft on 27 September.
IG report finds health hazards in Japan base housing, questions Pentagon policy
(Stars & Stripes) Mold and inadequate radon gas detection are posing "serious health hazards" to servicemembers living on military bases, the Defense Department Inspector General said in a report detailing 1,057 code violations in Japan base housing.
Exclusive: North Korea envoy says door is open on nuclear issues, rights, abductees
(Reuters) North Korea is ready to resume six-party talks on its nuclear program but must maintain its readiness in the face of joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises, a senior envoy in Geneva said on Thursday.
Hong Kong chief vows to remain as tensions deepen with pro-democracy protesters
(Washington Post) Staring down the student demonstrators who had demanded he resign by the end of the day Thursday, Hong Kong's chief executive told a late-night news conference that his government was willing to talk with the protesters, but that he had no intention of quitting.
Hong Kong government shuts central office as protests enter sixth day
(Los Angeles Times) As democracy protesters continued their sit-in for a sixth day Friday, the Hong Kong government closed its central office and asked civil servants to work from home or at alternative locations.
AFRICA
Pentagon opens Ebola-testing lab in Africa
(USA Today) U.S. troops opened an Ebola-testing laboratory in Liberia Thursday, the first of several medical facilities it has sent to battle the virus in Africa.
Libya's runaway parliament seeks refuge in Tobruk bubble
(Reuters) Trucks fitted with anti-aircraft cannon, troops and cement roadblocks protect the five-star hotel in Tobruk that is now the surreal last bastion of Libya's fugitive parliament.
U.S. Effort to Help Liberia Finds Much Work to Do Before It Gets Started
(New York Times) In the furious battle against time and a rampaging Ebola epidemic, the gravel crusher joined a long list of enemies.
97 Nigerian Soldiers Accused of Refusing to Fight
(Associated Press) A court-martial Thursday began hearing charges against 97 soldiers, including 16 officers, accused of mutiny, assault, cowardice and refusing to fight in the country's northeastern Islamic uprising.
Boko Haram denies emir Shekau killed, releases video
(Long War Journal) Boko Haram, the al Qaeda-linked jihadist group that controls large areas in northern Nigeria, released a video showing Abubakar Shekau, the group's emir. In the video (an excerpt from AFP is above), Shekau mocks recent claims by Nigerian officials of his death. Shekau is shown firing a machinegun from the back of a technical, or armed pickup truck, as well as speaking while standing in front of several technicals.
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
How to Improve Drone Strike Policy
(Diane Vavrichek in War on the Rocks) The initial salvos in Syria against the Islamic State last week included missiles fired from overhead drones by operators who were hundreds or even thousands of miles away. This method of warfighting has gone from inception-with the first use of armed drones just over 10 years ago-to being an integral component of the United States' arsenal.
Hey, Not All Drones Are Combat Killers
(Melissa Hersh in Defense One) After reading Patrick Tucker's provocative article on "Fighting Ebola with Data, Satellites, and Drones," I'm reminded that semantics do matter. I am decidedly pro-drone. However, making a distinction between intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, or ISR, drones and combat drones is important.
How to Defeat ISIL From The Air
(Retired Air Force Gen. Charles F. Wald in Politico Magazine) A week before Sept. 11, 2001, I happened to be in the Khyber Pass, on a mission related to U.S. sanctions against Pakistan. I remember thinking when I came back from that rugged, mountainous place: "I'm sure glad we don't have to fight over there." After all, neither the Soviets nor the British had succeeded militarily in Afghanistan - in fact, no nation ever had. Then, suddenly, we suffered the devastating attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and less than a month later we Americans found ourselves fighting in that very place I had just left. Not only that-now I was placed in command of the air campaign against the Taliban.
How a Blonde Tattooed Texas Girl Became an ISIS Twitter Star
(Jennifer Williams in Lawfare) Last Monday, I had 60 followers on Twitter. Today, I have more than 4,300. Not to brag or anything, but that's more than Benjamin Wittes; more than Bobby Chesney; more than Jack Goldsmith; more than my boss, Daniel Byman. But here's the problem: A healthy number of them are Islamic extremists, including no small number of supporters of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). A lot of them live in Saudi Arabia.
Don't forget about Afghanistan
(Anna Borshchevskaya in The Hill) September marked two historic events in Afghanistan's history: a peaceful transition of power followed by signing a long-overdue security agreement with the U.S. Elected on Sept. 21, Ashraf Ghani was sworn in as president on Sept. 29 after signing a power-sharing agreement with his rival presidential candidate, Abdullah Abdullah.
Will Afghanistan Turn the Tables on Pakistan?
(Michael Rubin in Commentary) Flying into Kabul earlier this week just before Afghanistan's presidential inauguration, a number of embassy cars sat waiting to pick up VIPs and visitors from their respective nations.
Iran, the Thinkable Ally
(Roger Cohen in the New York Times) Breakfast last week in New York with President Hassan Rouhani of Iran was a cordial affair, bereft of the fireworks of his predecessor, whose antics made headlines and not much more. Rouhani, flanked by his twinkly-eyed foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, was composed, lucid and, on the whole, conciliatory
How Iran Scammed America Out of a Nuclear Deal
(David Frum in The Atlantic) A year ago, Tehran was in crisis. Now it's on the verge of a diplomatic triumph.
The White House has a Policy Problem, not an Intelligence Problem
(William Inboden in Foreign Policy) The controversy du jour centers on President Obama's recent 60 Minutes interview where, among other comments, he singled out Director of National Intelligence James Clapper for the intelligence failures that allegedly missed the Islamic State (IS) threat. This raises a larger and more important set of issues, specifically whether this is in fact an intelligence failure, or a policy failure? It is both, but primarily the latter.
The Danger Assuming Every Veteran Who Does Something Crazy Has PTSD
(Mallory Newman in Task & Purpose) Major news organizations have a long history of tying acts of violence to military service and post-traumatic stress disorder regardless of their relevance to the events that unfold. In 1995, after Timothy McVeigh bombed a federal building in Oklahoma City, reports about his service and potential stress as a result of his involvement in the Iraq War filled the headlines
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