TODAY’S TOP 5
1. President Obama authorizes 1,500 more troops for Iraq
(Military Times) President Obama on Friday authorized up to 1,500 more U.S. troops to join the training and advise-and-assist mission in Iraq against Islamic militants, the White House announced.
2. Iraqi officials say IS leader wounded in airstrike
(Associated Press) Iraqi officials said Sunday that an airstrike wounded the leader of the Islamic State group, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Pentagon officials said they had no immediate information on such a strike or al-Baghdadi being wounded.
3. Analysis: CENTCOM draws misleading line between Al Nusrah Front and Khorasan Group
(Thomas Joscelyn and Bill Roggio in Long War Journal) US Central Command [CENTCOM] attempted to distinguish between the Al Nusrah Front, al Qaeda's official branch in Syria, and the so-called Khorasan Group in yesterday's's press release that detailed airstrikes in Syria.
4. Robert McDonald: Cleaning up the VA
(CBS News' 60 Minutes) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs tells Scott Pelley about his personal mission to reorganize the troubled agency for his fellow vets
5. Hagel Approval Rating Just 26 Percent Among National Security Workers, Troops
(Defense One) Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has just a 26 percent approval rating among individuals currently serving within the national security community, according to findings from a new survey commissioned by Defense One.
DEFENSE NEWS WITH VAGO MURADIAN
A GOP Congess and Defense, Part 1
(Defense News) Our roundtable of experts discuss what Republican control of both the House and Senate mean for Defense.
A GOP Congess and Defense, Part 2
(Defense News) Our roundtable of experts discuss what Republican control of both the House and Senate mean for Defense.
A GOP Congess and Defense, Part 3
(Defense News) Our roundtable of experts discuss what Republican control of both the House and Senate mean for Defense.
Vago's Notebook: A Defense Spending Boom is Wishful Thinking
(Defense News) The president and a Republican Congress must work together, but it is too early to count on more money for defense.
CONGRESS
Chairman McCain: Industry Girds for a 'Maverick' Armed Services Panel
(Defense News) "He's coming for all of us," said the serious voice on the other end of a late-afternoon call.That was the assessment of one lobbyist when asked about the scariest thing to the defense sector since sequestration: Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) Chairman Sen. John McCain.
Budget Battle Begins as Obama Requests Additional War Funds
(National Defense) The Obama administration and the lame duck Congress will be testing the waters of compromise as the president seeks rapid approval of additional war funds and a new authorization to continue the U.S.-led military campaign against the Islamic State.
US Lawmakers Press NATO Secretary General To Buy Ships Meant for Russia
(Defense News) Eight US lawmakers are pressing NATO's new secretary general to purchase French warships currently bound for Russia.
Lawmakers Aim to Fire More Federal Employees in 2015
(Government Executive) Some lawmakers are looking to the new Congress to pass legislation to ease the firing of federal employees, with hopes the Republican-controlled Senate will be friendlier to the idea.
Rep. McKeon Calls Obama's Islamic State Operation 'Underfunded'
(Defense News) The retiring Republican House Armed Services Committee chairman is calling a White House request for $5.6 billion more to fight the Islamic State insufficient.
ISLAMIC STATE
Obama outlines "new phase" in the fight against ISIS
(CBS News' Face the Nation) The decision to nearly double the number of American advisers deployed to Iraq "signals a new phase" in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS, or ISIL), President Obama said Sunday, but U.S. troops will still stay out of combat operations.
In the UAE, the United States has a quiet, potent ally nicknamed 'Little Sparta'
(Washington Post) Night after night for the past six weeks, U.S. fighter jets have streaked into the muggy sky from this vast desert airfield, their afterburners spewing orange flames as they head north on bombing runs over Iraq and Syria.
15,000 Foreign Fighters Have Joined Extremist Groups In Iraq And Syria. Here's Why They Went
(Huffington Post) The WorldPost spoke with Peter Neumann, a professor at King's College in London and the director of the International Centre for the Study of Radicalization, about the profile and the motivations of the foreigners who have joined groups like the Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra in Syria and Iraq. "There are certainly justified fears about this population, although there's no reason to be alarmist," Neumann says.
Effort to arm Sunni tribes in Iraq against Islamic State faces hurdles
(Washington Post) The mass killings of Sunni tribesmen battling the Islamic State have added urgency to Iraqi government efforts to support pockets of resistance against the insurgents. But distrust, a lack of financing and corruption threaten to slow the process, tribesmen and officials say.
Spies Warned White House: Don't Hit Al Qaeda in Syria
(The Daily Beast) The U.S. is opening another front in its ISIS war-despite promises of a limited operation. Months ago, American analysts cautioned the conflict could get out of hand.
INDUSTRY
US Combat Ship Decision Coming in 'Very Near Future'
(Defense News) Senior US Navy leaders have made their final presentations to the Pentagon's top leadership on their choice for a small surface combatant (SSC), and a decision by Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on what sort of ship to build after the littoral combat ship (LCS) could come soon.
Raytheon begins DARPA CAS programme tests, plans live fire
(IHS Jane's 360) PCAS is designed for soldiers, Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTACs), and aircrews to digitally share situational awareness and weapons data. DARPA's goal is to shorten the timeline for soldiers, JTACs, and aircrews to identify targets and select weapons from 60 to 6 minutes using any available combat aircraft.
BAE Lands $142M Follow-On Howitzer Contract
(Defense News) BAE Systems received a $142 million contract from the US Army to continue low-rate initial production on the M109A7 self-propelled howitzer and M992A3 ammunition carrier, the company announced this week.
Booz Allen wins $53 million C4ISR contract
(C4ISR & Networks) The Air Force has awarded a $53 million C4ISR support contract to Booz Allen Hamilton Engineering Services.
US to study counters to road-mobile ICBMs
(IHS Jane's 360) The US Office of Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics (OUSD ATandL) held a classified Time Critical Targeting industry day at Scitor Corporation, Reston, Virginia, on 5 November, to discuss possible methods of defeating road-mobile ballistic missile threats of up to intercontinental range.
France to Canada: Buy Weapons From Us, Not From Americans
(Defense News) France, concerned that US firms have the inside track on billions of dollars worth of future naval contracts, is lobbying the Canadian government to consider all options for its new surface fleet.
JSF Program Office Looks At Canada F-35 Swap
(Aviation Week) A radical fast-track plan to jump-start Canada's stalled effort to buy the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is revealed in a briefing document obtained by Aviation Week.
Israel Fortifies Iron Dome for Future War
(Defense News) Israel is using generous funding from Washington and lessons from its 50-day anti-rocket war in Gaza to fortify Iron Dome against far more formidable threats looming beyond its northern border.
Indian MoD opts for Seahawk in navy's MRH tender
(IHS Jane's 360) India's Ministry of Defence (MoD) has chosen Sikorsky's S-70B Seahawk over the NH Industries (NHI) NH90 helicopter to fulfill the Indian Navy's (IN's) long-pending Multi-Role Helicopter (MRH) programme.
Israel, India To Conclude Anti-Tank Missile Deal
(Defense News) India and Israel will soon conclude a contract for an Indian government-approved anti-tank missile procurement and licensed-production deal estimated at US $500 million, sources here say.
With an eye on economy and defense, India's Modi expands cabinet
(New York Times) India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi beefed up his cabinet on Sunday, appointing a separate defense minister to spur military modernization and free Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to focus on the budget and reforms to revive the economy.
Britain, France Move Forward in UCAS Deal
(Defense News) Britain and France have awarded contracts worth 150 million euros (US $187 million) to teams of British and French firms for a two-year feasibility study for a combat drone, a step forward in a search for successors to the Typhoon and Rafale fighter jets.
Saab Story: Sweden's New A26 Submarines
(Defense Industry Daily) Saab CEO Hakan Bushke will be unveiling Saab's offer to Australia at the Submarine Institute of Australia's centenary conference, but Australia's government confirms that it has already received the unsolicited bid.
Britain Struggles With Costs for New Frigates
(Defense News) Britain's Defence Ministry will miss the deadline to award a contract to BAE Systems to build the Royal Navy's new Type 26 frigate, according to sources, who say it could take months before the two sides are in a position to agree to a deal.
Egypt to get more Swiftships
(IHS Jane's 360) Egypt has awarded a second contract to Swiftships Shipbuilding to build six 35 m patrol boats, the US company announced on 5 November.
Argentina Buying Gripens? Brits Say 'No Way'
(Defense News) Argentina's Defense Minister Agustin Rossi surprised just about everybody when he announced on Oct. 21 that his government intended to buy 24 Saab Gripen E fighters to re-equip his nation's ancient Air Force.
Brazil's Embraer says strike blocking 'critical operations'
(Reuters) Brazilian planemaker Embraer SA (EMBR3.SA) said on Saturday that a strike that began this week stopped it from delivering planes, processing bills and conducting other "critical operations" after union workers blocked factory doors.
Turkish-German Submarine Deal Faces Setbacks
(Defense News) Turkey's largest ever single naval contract, a US $3.5 billion deal with a German shipyard for the co-production of six submarines, is facing major delays and disputes over modality, Turkish officials and industry sources said.
Naval gun support hub deal - Indo14-Day3
(IHS Jane's 360) BAE Systems Bofors (Hall A, Stand AP301) of Sweden and Banyuwangibased PT Lundin (Hall D, Stand 025) have signed an industrial cooperation agreement that paves the way for PT Lundin to establish a service and support hub in Indonesia for Bofors naval guns.
Cinven Axes Plan To Sell Avio Space Stake
(Defense News) UK fund Cinven has killed plans to sell its control of Italy-based firm Avio Space - a key player in the fast-evolving European space sector - ending months of speculation about the firm returning to Italian control.
VETERANS
Justice Department's influence in VA cases up for debate
(Military Times) When Congress passed new rules for firing Veterans Affairs executives in July, the goal was to get rid of problem employees faster and without bureaucratic confusion. So far, it's done neither.
VA chief: 1,000 workers face disciplinary action
(Associated Press) The Veterans Affairs Department is considering disciplinary action against more than 1,000 employees as it struggles to correct systemic problems that led to long wait times for veterans seeking health care and falsification of records to cover up delays, VA Secretary Robert McDonald said.
Unemployment rate for post-9/11 vets at 7.2 percent
(Military Times) The unemployment rate for the newest generation of veterans jumped by 1 full percentage point in October, according to new federal data, but the figure of 7.2 percent is about average for 2014 and actually a marked improvement from last year's overall unemployment rate of 9 percent for that group.
As Iraq, Afghanistan fade, veterans of both conflicts fight a new war
(San Antonio Express-News) Former Army Sgt. Serena Hayden is constantly reminded of her 15 months in the Iraq war and the costs of being a leader.
The lingering stigma of the 'troubled vet'
(Stars & Stripes) They came home without leaving Vietnam, angry and depressed, retreating from the world and burdened by memories of the dead.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Pentagon Denies Rumors Hagel On His Way Out
(DoDBuzz) The Pentagon on Friday sought to dispel rumors fueled by opinion columns that Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel had lost favor with the White House and would soon be replaced.
Pentagon names military bases as Ebola troop quarantine sites
(Stars & Stripes) The Pentagon said Friday it has designated five military bases inside the U.S. and two in Europe as quarantine areas for troops returning from the Ebola-response mission in West Africa.
Shipping delays appear to be easing for troops' personal vehicles
(Military Times) The backlog of troops' privately owned vehicles has almost been cleared, according to an analysis of numbers provided by the contractor responsible for shipping troops' cars on reassignment moves to and from overseas.
ARMY
Report into 2013 parachute death tackles 'VIP culture'
(Army Times) An investigation into the death of Col. Darron Wright in a 2013 training jump at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, found the experienced jumper became entangled in his parachute after an improper exit from the aircraft, never gained control of the spinning parachute, and didn't deploy his reserve "until it was too late."
With exercises in Asia, U.S. Army searches for relevance
(Washington Post) First came the whistle, then the thud and the plumes of dust as the "mortar" landed in the area where the "enemy" had been spotted.
Two Guard pilots killed in Apache crash in Idaho
(Army Times) Two chief warrant officers who were killed when their Apache attack helicopter crashed during a training mission near the airport in Boise, Idaho, were identified on Friday.
Congressman wants probe of former Army official
(Associated Press) A member of the House Armed Services Committee is calling for an investigation of a former Army official who played a key role in the service's struggling intelligence program_and made millions of dollars in the process_while allowing people to believe he earned a Ph.D. that he does not hold.
3 receive Soldier's Medal for rescue
(Army Times) Three soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, New York, received the Soldier's Medal for helping to save a boater on a river earlier this year.
Fresh perspective for Alaska guard soldier victimized in wake of rape
(Alaska Dispatch News) An Alaska Army National Guard sergeant who in the last six years has survived two sexual assaults, an abusive husband and a year of workplace harassment is finally seeing the system work the way it should.
A lasting legacy: From charity to world travel to NYC marathon, fiancee honors fallen SSG's memory
(Army Times) Staff Sgt. Marc Small would return from Afghanistan, where he served with 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), and marry his fiancee, Amanda Charney. He'd hit the books and become a physician assistant. She'd run a home-based speech and language pathology practice for children - Small Steps in Speech would be a good name, he figured. They'd start a family outside of Philadelphia.
NAVY
Spec ops community responds to bin Laden raid revelations
(Navy Times) As television and internet headlines explode with the revealed identity of the Navy SEAL who claims to have shot and killed Osama bin Laden, members of the special operations community are reacting with a mix of disappointment and tempered support, sometimes in the same breath.
US Navy SEAL Robert O'Neill backs off claim that he was bin Laden 'shooter'
(Christian Science Monitor) "The most important thing that I've learned in the last two years is to me it doesn't matter anymore if I am 'The Shooter.' The team got him," Mr. O'Neill said in an audio interview with freelance journalist Alex Quade, a former CNN correspondent that aired Friday on CNN's "AC360."
Telling the Untold Story of the Navy SEALs
(Military.com) Navy SEALs: Their Untold Story is the first comprehensive history of the special operations force and it's the companion book to a new PBS documentary by the same name. Written by former SEAL Dick Couch in collaboration with William Doyle (who also co-authored Chris Kyle's American Gun), the book goes all the way back to the World War II underwater demolition teams and continues through the formal creation of the SEAL program in 1962 all the way up to the present day.
Navy jet gets 2nd career in retirement
(Navy Times) Thousands of retired sailors have had second careers as teachers. Now a piece of military hardware is going to get the same chance.
Seabees soon to leave Liberia, likely will quarantine at Langley
(Sun Herald; Miss.) A detachment of 15 Gulfport-based Seabees sent to Liberia to help build hospitals is scheduled to leave the African country soon.
Philippines liberty canceled amid rising tensions
(Navy Times) Sailors on Western Pacific cruises shouldn't plan on liberty stops in the Philippines any time soon.
Sailor's court-martial in rape case pivots on consent
(Virginian-Pilot) There's one thing that both sides can agree on. Petty Officer 3rd Class Brian Fleck and his accuser - both young sailors - were drinking at a party that night, and she was very drunk.
Joint High-Speed Vessel turns heads during Bold Alligator
(Navy Times) The joint high-speed vessel is a sight to behold, but that's not why this newest member of the blue-green team has heads turning. The civilian crewed catamaran has served as a launch pad for special operators, riverine and diving teams, and has delivered a host of fuel trucks - all within one week.
Expert says claims that war games will harm thousands of animals are 'overblown'
(Washington Post) No humans will be harmed in the war games the Navy is conducting in the Pacific Ocean near California and Hawaii for the next four years.
Energy research finds home in Hawaii
(Honolulu Star-Advertiser) Hawaii has become ground zero for a Pentagon research drive to develop alternative energy in areas including Asia and the Pacific, where the need to travel long distances -- and use lots of fuel oil to do it -- has been identified as a national security risk.
AIR FORCE
Pilot of F-16 that crashed in the Gulf of Mexico identified
(Air Force Times) The pilot of an F-16 that crashed Thursday in the Gulf of Mexico has been identified as Matthew J. LaCourse, a Department of the Air Force civilian pilot assigned to the 82nd Aerial Targets Squadron.
Air Force chaplain named Fairbanks bishop
(Alaska Dispatch News) Rev. Chad W. Zielinski, named Saturday as the new leader of the diocese, is currently an active-duty chaplain at Eielson Air Force Base outside Fairbanks, according to the Catholic Anchor, the newspaper published by the Archdiocese of Anchorage.
New education rules for Air Force officers begin Dec. 1
(Air Force Times) Lieutenant colonels hoping to make colonel must have a master's degree beginning Dec. 1, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh said in a video released Thursday.
Report: Va. guardsman punished for abuse allegation
(Virginian-Pilot) A Pentagon investigation has substantiated a Virginia National Guardsman's allegation that he suffered retaliation after accusing the commanding officer of his Virginia Beach-based unit of sexual harassment of a female guardsman.
First female C-17 command pilot closes Air Force chapter
(Air Force Times) Lt. Col. Deborah Rieflin earned the distinction of first female C-17 command pilot, one of the highlights of a 31-year Air Force career that came to a close Oct. 27.
Air Force Academy cadets win DARPA contest
(Air Force Times) A new fuel-efficient aircraft engine designed in part by Air Force Academy cadets has won an innovation contest sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.
Eielson chips away at the mystery of a submerged WB-29 bomber
(Air Force Times) The mystery of the Lady of the Lake, an abandoned B-29 bomber sitting at the bottom of a pond not far from the flight line here, has been partially solved, but officials are looking for more information on how the bomber mysteriously came to be in the water.
MARINE CORPS
Grunts continue guarding embassies in high-risk locations
(Marine Corps Times) Hundreds of infantry Marines continue quietly deploying to some of the world's diciest cities to bolster security at U.S. Embassies that are vulnerable to violent protests or attacks.
Navy Cross recipient says in lawsuit he was roughed up by Sequoia park ranger
(Fresno Bee) A disabled combat Marine who received the Navy Cross for heroism in Iraq is suing the federal government in a dispute over a Sequoia National Park handicap parking space in which he says a ranger handcuffed him and roughed him up in front of his family.
New Marine Corps commandant joins Twitter
(Marine Corps Times) Less than a month after taking command of the Marine Corps, Gen. Joe Dunford has become the first acting commandant to send a Tweet.
Last large unit of Marines comes home from Afghanistan
(Stars & Stripes) After handing over control of the Camp Leatherneck-Camp Bastion compound in Helmand province to Afghan forces, the Marines of Marine Expeditionary Brigade-Afghanistan - the last large unit of Marines expected to deploy to Afghanistan - have come home.
Remembering Fallujah 10 years later
(Marine Corps Times) It has been a decade since Marines fought for their lives - and their brothers-in-arms - in Iraq's bloodiest battles, which would spark a turning point in the eight-year war.
Another death penalty in newlywed Marine couple murders
(Desert Sun; Palm Springs, Calif.) A man who joined three accomplices in tormenting and killing a Marine sergeant and his wife during a home invasion robbery near Murrieta was sentenced Friday to death.
Hundreds of Marines gather to remember historic battles in Fallujah
(Marine Corps Times) About 500 Marines gathered here Friday from across the country to remember one of the Corps' deadliest battles in Iraq.
Grieving father sends wounded soldiers to the Marine Corps Birthday Ball
(Star-Telegram; Fort Worth, Texas) For Doug Robinson, the arrival of the Marine Corps Birthday Ball each November carries a duffel bag's worth of bittersweet emotions. The formal affair was beloved by his son, Ryan - a Marine who delighted in the pomp and circumstance of the ball until his death in 2008.
Corps fills key role in Ebola mission
(Marine Corps Times) Marines with a Spain-based task force were some of the first U.S. troops dispatched to West Africa to help combat the spread of Ebola, and since arriving in early October they've been kept busy laying the foundation for what's expected to become a large-scale, long-term humanitarian mission.
AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN
3rd ID commander readies his troops for Afghanistan
(Army Times) The war in Afghanistan may be coming to a close, but the commanding general of the 3rd Infantry Division is calling on his soldiers to stay focused as they prepare to deploy.
Explosions rock Afghan capital, killing senior police official
(Washington Post) Two explosions rocked the Afghan capital Sunday, including a brazen suicide attack on the heavily fortified police headquarters that killed at least one senior officer and injured six other people inside the building.
1-star has confidence in Afghan security after leaving Helmand
(Marine Corps Times) Days after handing over all security duties to local forces, the head of the Marine Expeditionary Brigade - Afghanistan said he believes that Afghans have good control of their country.
There Is Nowhere We Can Live in Peace': Visiting an Afghan Hospital Overwhelmed by War
(VICE News) For a second I thought I must have misunderstood. I was looking at two children who were alive, conscious, and looking back at me. But I was also looking at their X-rays, which clearly showed that both of them had bullets in their heads.
Russia to Help Support Afghanistan Post-2014
(Tolo News) Russian President Vladimir Putin at a meeting with foreign officials from a number of regional countries on Thursday said the people of Afghanistan can count on Russia's support after the withdraw of NATO troops from Afghanistan in December.
New Afghan Leader Seeks to Mend Fences with Pakistan
(Wall Street Journal) Afghanistan's new President Ashraf Ghani will travel to Islamabad later this week in a bid to reset ties with Pakistan, part of what Afghan and international officials describe as a multipronged effort to revive moribund peace talks with the Taliban.
MIDDLE EAST
Port Authority Officer Kept Sources With Ties to Iran Attacks
(New York Times) After a car bombing in southeastern Iran killed 11 Revolutionary Guard members in 2007, a C.I.A. officer noticed something surprising in the agency's files: an intelligence report, filed ahead of the bombing, that had warned that something big was about to happen in Iran.
Militant Leader Explains Targeting Egypt Soldiers
(Associated Press) A leader of a Sinai-based extremist group has said his militants killed Egyptian soldiers because they serve an apostate army and those who are fighting Islam and killing Muslims.
Egyptian Militant Group Pledges Loyalty to ISIS
(New York Times) An Egyptian militant group that has waged a deadly campaign mostly against local security forces released an audio statement early Monday pledging its allegiance to the Islamic State, the extremist group fighting in Iraq and Syria.
Iran touts successful test of US drone replica
(Associated Press) Iran's state TV is reporting that the country has successfully tested its own version of a U.S.-made drone based on one it captured in 2011.
EUROPE
Worst east Ukraine shelling for month as ceasefire looks in doubt
(Reuters) East Ukraine's rebel stronghold Donetsk was pummeled on Sunday by the heaviest shelling in a month, and the OSCE said it spotted an armored column of troops without insignia in rebel territory that Kiev said proved Moscow had sent reinforcements.
Report Outlines Tense Episodes Between Russia and West With Echoes of Cold War
(New York Times) A Scandinavian passenger jet heading for Rome lifts off from Copenhagen with 132 passengers on board. Only the alertness of its crew prevents a midair collision with a Russian surveillance plane that had not transmitted its position.
NATO Hews To Strategic Ambiguity On Cyber Deterrence
(Breaking Defense) NATO is now taking cyber threats as seriously as the Russian tanks and nuclear weapons it was created to deter. But the alliance has a long way to go just to shore up its own network defenses, and it explicitly eschews any role on the offense. NATO has not even written a formal policy on how it would deter a cyber attack. The net result is a certain degree of strategic ambiguity - but then NATO has survived and even thrived on ambiguity for decades.
ASIA-PACIFIC
Gruff former general right man for Korean mission
(Associated Press) The North Koreans passed word they wanted a high-ranking U.S. government official for the job, so President Barack Obama sent a gruff former general to spirit home two Americans held captive by the hard-line communists. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper is no diplomat by training, and that's perhaps just why he earned the clandestine call.
China and Japan leaders break ice with first meeting, but no sign of warmth
(Washington Post) China's President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe finally broke the ice between their two nations on Monday, an uncomfortable handshake marking the pair's first meeting at a regional summit in Beijing.
India's Aging Military Equipment Claims Another Life
(Wall Street Journal) Indian warships and aircraft are continuing to scour the seas off the country's southeastern coast in search of four sailors who went missing after a torpedo recovery vessel sank on Thursday evening claiming the life of one sailor.
AFRICA
French military kills 24 jihadists in north Mali
(Radio France Internationale) French forces have killed 24 armed Islamists in a two-week operation in northern Mali, the army announced on Saturday. They also seized a large quantity of arms and bomb-making equipment, a military statement said.
How a Libyan city joined the Islamic State group
(Associated Press) On a chilly night, bearded militants gathered at a stage strung with colorful lights in Darna, a Mediterranean coastal city long notorious as Libya's center for jihadi radicals. With a roaring chant, they pledged their allegiance to the leader of the Islamic State group.
The "T Zone" - where all Zawia is committed to the fight
(Libya Herald) Libyan military operations are all about Kikla and Benghazi front-lines. However, the future of Libya could be decided in the so-called T Zone, 80 kilometres north-east of Zintan and 50 kilometres south of Zawia. It was retaken last week by Zawia brigades, which support Libyan Dawn. Zawia's fighters, civilians, businessmen - even Bengladeshis working in the town - are involved in trying to keep hold of the T Zone.
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
Obama's fourth-quarter agenda for foreign policy
(David Ignatius in The Washington Post) President Obama looked almost relieved after Tuesday's election blowout. A man who has been perhaps the least political president in modern U.S. history doesn't have to worry about elections anymore.
The New Republican Congress (II): In Foreign Policy Debates Ahead, Look to Echoes of '06
(Janine Davidson and Emerson Brooking in the Council on Foreign Relations) As Democrats lick their wounds following Tuesday's midterms, President Obama will no doubt be contemplating the messages the electorate was trying to send. Breaking gridlock and "getting stuff done" might be a good place to start. This seems to have been where President Obama's predecessor, George W. Bush started eight years ago following a similar shellacking in the midterms during his second term. Bush seized the moment for one of the most significant foreign policy shifts of his tenure. It's worth the look back as we contemplate the Obama administration's next steps.
Column: Keep Calm and PowerPoint On
(John T. Bennett in Defense News) A post-midterms message for defense professionals: Sen. John McCain is not coming to cancel your weapons program.
How Obama Took the Brakes Off the War Machine
(Conor Friedersdorf in The Atlantic) Barack Obama has "dramatically expanded" the notion of when presidents can use force without permission. He has left "an extraordinary legacy of war powers." History will assign far more importance to these precedents than we do. They make it significantly easier for future presidents to wage war unilaterally.
Five myths about military suicides
(Yochi Dreazen in The Washington Post) Jeremy Sears, a Marine who had served multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, walked onto a shooting range outside San Diego on Oct. 6, placed a handgun to his head and calmly pulled the trigger. It was a local news story but didn't attract attention outside San Diego for the most tragic of reasons. Military suicides have become so common - since 2001, more active-duty U.S. troops have killed themselves than have been killed in Afghanistan, and suicides among reservists and National Guard members are spiking - that they are now background noise to many Americans, unpleasant reminders of wars most of us have forgotten about. But we won't be able to solve the problem until we understand it. Let's get rid of some myths.
Robert O'Neill Is Not The Hero Of The Bin Laden Raid
(Brian Adam Jones in Task & Purpose) Though he may have been the man to pull the trigger, bin Laden is not dead because of Robert O'Neill. Bin Laden is dead as a result of a decade of tireless work from countless faceless members of the military, intelligence, and diplomatic communities. O'Neill is not solely responsible for killing bin Laden; rather, he is someone who fortuitously found himself at the end of a very long kill chain.
Commentary: The Army is what you make it, and more advice from an 'Ole Soldier'
(Retired Army Command Sgt. Maj. Donna Brock in Army Times) Op-ed: Command Sgt. Maj. Donna Brock is the Army's longest serving female enlisted soldier. A career combat medic, she retired from the service in October as command sergeant major of Army Medical Command. She was also senior enlisted adviser to the Army surgeon general.
Why the U.S. Military Needs a Surge In Psychology
(Michael D. Matthews in Foreign Affairs) Science and technology have always been decisive factors in war. Archers were capable of killing more effectively than warriors armed with spears. Armies equipped with repeating rifles claimed a distinct advantage over those armed with muskets. The United States' ability to produce the atomic bomb led to the surrender of Japan at the conclusion of World War II. It is obvious, in other words, that science, technology, engineering, and math have an important role to play in guiding the evolution of national militaries. What may be less obvious is that advances in psychology may have an even more important role to play, particularly in the types of conflicts increasingly common in the twenty-first century.
A Soldier's Best Friend
(Cicero Magazine Editors) When most of us think of war dogs, we probably think of the Bin Laden raid and the role a dog played on that mission. How do you train a dog for such a thing, to detect an IED, and so forth?
A Primer on Japan's Constitutional Reinterpretation and Right to Collective Self-Defense
(Sean Mirski in Lawfare) By the end of the year, the United States and Japan are expected to release revised Guidelines for Defense Cooperation. For the first time in seventeen years, the two nations will modernize the framework that governs the U.S.-Japan alliance in times of both peace and war.
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