| January 15, 2014 |
THE EARLY BIRD BRIEF | Get the most comprehensive aggregation of defense news delivered by the world's largest independent newsroom covering military and defense.
| ADVERTISEMENT  | | ADVERTISEMENT  | TODAY'S TOP 5 1. CENTCOM Twitter hackers posted info for many retired generals
(Military Times) The Army is contacting a "significant" number of retired general officers whose personal information was posted online when hackers took over U.S. Central Command's Twitter account Monday, an Army official said.
2. USAF Launches Slate of New Acquisition Initiatives
(Defense News) The US Air Force is launching a wave of new initiatives aimed at bringing down the cost and time associated with acquiring new technologies, service secretary Deborah Lee James announced Wednesday.
3. Ohio man accused of plotting to attack US Capitol, arrested
(Associated Press) A man who plotted to attack the U.S. Capitol and kill government officials inside it and spoke of his desire to support the Islamic State militant group was arrested on Wednesday, the FBI said.
4. US Troops Continue To See Fire in Iraq
(Defense News) The 300 US soldiers and Marines at al Asad air base in Iraq's Anbar province continue to see mortar fire directed at their positions, with six more mortar rounds landing on the sprawling complex last week.
5. Hagel Visits Navy's Newest Warship That Will Carry the F-35
(DefenseOne) Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel visited the Navy's newest warship Wednesday, a massive amphibious assault ship that could carry more than 3,000 sailors and Marines.
EUROPE TERROR FEARS Paris police seek new suspect in terror attacks
(Los Angeles Times) Police are searching for a fourth suspect in connection with last week's terrorist attacks that killed 17 people.
France To Review Planned Military Job Cuts
(Defense News) French President Francois Hollande said on Wednesday the government will rethink a planned cut in military personnel due to the "exceptional situation," as he gave a New Year's address to the armed forces aboard the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier.
Disputed Claims Over Qaeda Role in Paris Attacks
(New York Times) The younger of the two brothers who killed 12 people in Paris last week most likely used his older brother's passport in 2011 to travel to Yemen, where he received training and $20,000 from Al Qaeda's affiliate there, presumably to finance attacks when he returned home to France.
Cameron and Obama: Prosperity will conquer terror
(Associated Press) U.S. President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron say strong economies and democratic institutions will defeat "those who think they can muzzle freedom of speech and expression with violence."http://bigstory.ap.org/article/ea54c25c699c4401b51e51d0d22c4caa/cameron-and-obama-prosperity-will-conquer-terror
Homegrown attacks like those in Paris worry analysts
(Associated Press) U.S. and French intelligence officials are leaning toward an assessment that the Paris terror attacks were inspired by al-Qaida but not directly supervised by the group, a view that would put the violence in a category of homegrown incidents that are extremely difficult to detect and thwart.
How Scared Should You Be of Al Qaeda's New Butt Bomb?
(DefenseOne) The most recent issue of al Qaeda's magazine Inspire contains what the editors call a special surprise: a recipe for a new kitchen-made bomb, which the magazine urges readers to use on commercial aircraft.
New Charlie Hebdo reaches global audience, dismays Muslims
(Associated Press) A week ago, Charlie Hebdo was a niche publication little known outside France, with a circulation of 60,000. On Wednesday the satirical newspaper's first issue since last week's deadly attack on its staff went on sale with an initial print run of 3 million copies and front-page coverage around the world.
Paris attack has U.S. lawmakers questioning visa waivers
(McClatchy) In the wake of last week's Paris terrorist attack, some top U.S. lawmakers want to review a visa program that they worry could enable similar attacks on American soil.
For French Muslims, a 'very insecure' life
(Al Jazeera America) Even as the country celebrates two heroes, who happened to be Muslim, many French Muslims say they now feel hostility and fear.
Al Qaeda: Zawahiri Ordered 'Charlie Hebdo' Attack
(Foreign Policy) French authorities must now confront the terrifying prospect that two of its citizens may have been in regular contact with the terrorist group's leaders.
ISLAMIC STATE Iraqi police at Nineveh Liberation Camp aim to help free Mosul but lack food and guns
(Washington Post) The Iraqi police and special forces officers practice drills next to a cluster of tents that constitute their base. They have a grand aim: to drive Islamic State fighters out of one of their strongholds, the city of Mosul and the surrounding province of Nineveh
Iraq says U.S.-led coalition not doing enough against Islamic State
(Reuters) Iraq has told President Barack Obama's envoy that the U.S.-led coalition battling Islamic State needs to do more to help Iraq defeat the jihadists controlling large areas of the north and west of the country.
Months of Airstrikes Fail to Slow Islamic State in Syria
(Wall Street Journal) Militant Group Has Gained Territory Despite U.S.-Led Strikes, Raising Concerns of the Obama Administration's Mideast Strategy
Iraq's fight against the Islamic State draws its top Shiite cleric into key political role
(Associated Press) Since Sunni militants of the Islamic State group overran large parts of Iraq, the country's most prominent Shiite cleric has fundamentally altered his spiritual role and has plunged straight into politics, weighing in on government policy and the fight against the extremists.
CONGRESS Armed Services chief: No 'appetite' for new round of base closures
(The Hill) The chairman of the House Armed Services Committee says there is little support on his panel among Republicans or Democrats for a new round of military base closures.
Thornberry Gives Intel Oversight to Full HASC
(Defense News) The newly minted House Armed Services Committee chairman is putting his mark on the panel, shifting oversight of military intelligence to the purview of the full committee.
Iraq, Afghan war vets flood House panel
(Military Times) Less than 5 percent of Congress served in Iraq or Afghanistan, but almost one-quarter of the new House Armed Services Committee lineup boasts recent wartime credentials and experience.
House OKs Controversial DHS Funding Measure
(Defense News) The US House on Wednesday approved a homeland security spending bill with billions for defense firms - but it likely is DOA in the Senate.
House votes to fund DHS, boost border agents
(Federal Times) The House passed legislation Jan. 14 to fund the Department of Homeland Security through the end of fiscal 2015, averting the risk of a partial agency shutdown at the end of February.
House Benghazi panel meets with State, Justice departments
(Politico) The House committee investigating the 2012 terrorist attacks in Benghazi held two closed-door meetings this week with the State and Justice departments.
CIA board breaks with watchdog, clears agency of spying on Senate
(The Hill) In a break with its former inspector general and overseers on Capitol Hill, a CIA accountability board has determined that agency officials did not wrongly spy on the Senate early last year.
INDUSTRY UK Government's Defense Export Chief To Stand Down
(Defense News) Richard Paniguian is expected to leave the Defence Security Organisation in the next few weeks after an eight-year stint directing the Government's successful export support effort for industry here.
Pentagon Said to Seek Funds for 57 Lockheed F35s, Up From 55
(Bloomberg) The Pentagon will request funding in fiscal 2016 to buy 57 F-35 jets made by Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT), two more than previously planned, according to two government officials.
Israel's Elbit gets electro-optics order
(C4ISR & Networks) Israeli firm Elbit Systems has won a $54 million contract to supply and maintain advanced electro-optics systems, from Israel's Ministry of Defense, according to the company. The company's announcement offered no details about the specific systems to be provided, but the company offers a variety of laser systems, thermal imaging, heads-up displays and other electro-optics technologies.
Brazil Trades Partnership Against National Capability In Defense Programs
(Aviation Week ) Brazil faces a complex and unique set of defense, security and economic challenges and opportunities, including a 10,500-mi., ten-nation land border and a large exclusive economic zone (plus interests in the South Atlantic). It has a powerful aerospace and defense industry, but also some major internal development needs, and its diplomacy is oriented toward regional and even hemispheric influence. The nation's defense trade is consequently complex.
Ammunition Inventor Wins $15 Million Patent Infringement Case Against Army
(National Defense) Liberty Ammunition, a small business in Florida, won a $15.6 million judgment against the Army in a patent infringement lawsuit Dec. 19. The company alleged that the service passed on proprietary data and specifications for its lead-free copper-core, steel-tipped bullet technology to other vendors.
India-Russian Project Helps Boost Export Capacity
(Aviation Week ) After becoming known as the world's most aggressive importer of weapons, India is slowly building its ability to export indigenously developed weapons systems to its Asian neighbors.
Northrop wins U.S. deal worth up to $963.5 mln for ICBM support
(Reuters) Northrop Grumman Corp beat out Boeing Co to win a contract worth up to $963.5 million to maintain the U.S. stockpile of intercontinental ballistic missiles, the Pentagon announced on Wednesday.
UK reveals full extent of Afghan hail damage
(IHS Jane's 360) A freak hailstorm that struck southern Afghanistan in 2013 cost the UK government nearly GBP13 million (USD20 million) in damaged aircraft, IHS Jane's has learned.
Employment is booming in the U.S. solar industry
(Washington Post) The U.S. solar industry continues to expand, with its workforce growing by 22 percent in the past year, according to a report the Solar Foundation released Thursday. Since 2010 solar employment has almost doubled from 93,000 jobs to 173,807.
South Korean Defense 2014 Exports Hit $3.6 Billion
(Aviation Week) South Korea is becoming a player in defense exports. In eight years since 2006 its annual foreign sales have grown relentlessly from an almost negligible $250 million to a far-from-negligible $3.6 billion.
Indian defence minister hints at MMRCA cancellation
(IHS Jane's 360) Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar reiterated on 12 January that upgrading Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighters with electronic warfare (EW) suites would make the platform a viable alternative to buying 126 Dassault Rafale for the stalled Medium Multirole Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) requirement.
VETERANS Without Help, Navigating Benefits Can Be Overwhelming For Veterans
(National Public Radio) The latest data from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs show Indiana - which has the 35th highest number of veterans in the U.S. - receives $4,935 per veteran each year. If they received as much as Utah - which has the 35th highest return - Indiana vets would receive on average another $558. And if they received the national average of $6,088, that's another $1,153.
Veterans bond in Wounded Warrior Project's Soldier Ride
(Miami Herald) Veterans bond in Wounded Warrior Project's Soldier Ride
Brothers, terminally ill, granted dream vacation
(Dayton Daily News) Greg and Roger Poston have shared childhood memories, years of military service, and now, a battle with terminal cancer.
Jewish soldier's WWII letter, written on Hitler's stationery, goes to museum
(Miami Herald) Danny Jacobson was a 26-year-old Army sergeant, thousands of miles away from his hometown of Muskogee, Oklahoma, when he penned a four-page letter to his wife back in the states. World War II was winding down, Hitler had committed suicide six days earlier, and half a dozen administrative clerks from the 179th Infantry had set up shop in a Munich apartment.
Clint Eastwood: 'Sympathetic to veterans'
(BBC) Clint Eastwood, director of 'American Sniper', told BBC arts editor Will Gompertz that he was not fond of the war in Iraq but was "always sympathetic to veterans."
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT U.S. spent $500,000 on Afghan training center that was 'melting,' watchdog finds
(Washington Post) Shortly after the U.S. spent nearly half a million dollars to build a training center for Afghan forces, the adobe-style brick buildings began to crumble, literally "melting" away, according to a new watchdog report released Thursday.
German police call into question validity of USAREUR license
(Stars & Stripes ) Some German police say they will not recognize military-issued driver's licenses if the bearer doesn't also possess a valid stateside license, a situation that raises concerns about whether many U.S. troops and civilians could face penalties for driving illegally.
British hacker linked to attack on Pentagon Twitter feed: sources
(Reuters) The "CyberCaliphate" hacking group that attacked a Twitter account belonging to the Pentagon on Monday was founded by a Briton who was once jailed for hacking the personal address book of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, according to government sources and private sector security experts.
US general meets with Syrian rebels
(The Hill) A U.S. general met with moderate Syrian rebels and civilian leaders this week, the first high-level meetings between the Pentagon and opposition forces.
2016 Budget To Bring U-2 Stay Of Execution
(Aviation Week) The Pentagon is, once again, reversing its own position on which platform to use for its high-altitude reconnaissance mission-the venerable U-2 or the new Global Hawk unmanned aircraft.
Defense lawyers cry foul over rule change requiring war court judges to move to Guantanamo
(Miami Herald) Lawyers for the alleged planner of the USS Cole bombing filed a motion Tuesday accusing senior Pentagon officials of unlawfully meddling in the Saudi prisoner's coming death-penalty tribunal by ordering the judge to move to Guantanamo until the trial is over.
DISA Shrinks Cybersecurity To Grow It
(Breaking Defense) The day before Islamic radicals hijacked Central Command's Twitter account, the Defense Information Systems Agency officially launched a major overhaul intended, among other things, to increase cybersecurity. But it doesn't mean the office is getting bigger or getting more money: DISA's cybersecurity office will actually get smaller.
U.S. releases 5 more prisoners from Guantanamo
(USA Today) The government has released five men from Yemen from the U.S. Navy base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, after more than a dozen years of captivity, the Department of Defense announced Wednesday. There are now 122 detainees held at Guantanamo.
New DISA organization to lighten CYBERCOM's load
(C4ISR & Networks) With reorganization underway at the Defense Information Systems Agency, officials plan to alleviate pressure on U.S. Cyber Command by taking over some operational duties.
ARMY South Korean troops form combined division with U.S. Army
(Army Times) About 30 officers from the South Korean army will become part of the 2nd Infantry Division headquarters Thursday as part of a sweeping and unprecedented restructuring of the American headquarters.
March 27 deadline to apply for test pilot school
(Army Times) Commissioned and warrant officer aviators who have a yen to fly near the edge of the envelope have until March 27 to submit an application for the Army's Experimental Test Pilot Program.
Suspicious package spurs evacuation at military base
(Associated Press) The commissary at a southern New Jersey military base was evacuated after a suspicious package was found at the building.
Soldier found dead after return from W. Africa identified
(Army Times) Fort Hood, Texas, officials Wednesday released the name of a soldier found dead at his home in nearby Killeen on Tuesday, less than a week after he'd returned to the U.S. from a mission to West Africa.
Pegasus Cypher: American, British paratroopers strengthen bonds
(Fayetteville Observer) The exercise involving parts of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, and a battery from the Royal Horse Artillery was a precursor to a larger training exercise this spring that will involve thousands of U.S. and United Kingdom troops.
Chief warrant board convenes April 22
(Army Times) More than 1,000 warrant officers of the active component will be considered for promotion to the senior warrant officer grades by a selection board that convenes April 22.
SF three-star tapped for CIA job
(Army Times) A former commander of U.S. Army Special Operations Command is the new associate director for military affairs at the CIA.
Congressmen to Army: Review LT's murder conviction
(Army Times) Three members of Congress are calling for the Army to further review the case against Clint Lorance, a former first lieutenant convicted of murder in the 2012 deaths of two Afghan men.
Temporary outage for online personnel systems on Jan. 25
(Army Times) Several of the Army's online personnel services systems will be taken down temporarily on Sunday, Jan. 25, for maintenance work on the Human Resources Command data center at Fort Knox, Kentucky.
NAVY U.S. Navy attack sub integration starts
(Navy Times) The next phase of the Silent Service's five-year integration effort has arrived as women report to the the attack submarine force for the first time.
Navy seeks nighttime coastla sensor
(C4ISR & Networks) The current sensors for the COBRA program can't see in the dark.
FFC boss: Shorter CSG deployments are two years away
(Navy Times) The fleet's new top officer promises to rein in deployments and forge more predictable maintenance schedules.
CNP: Boost enlisted training, overhaul officer promotion
(Navy Times) The Navy has been using the same promotion system since 1947 and the service's top personnel officer thinks it's time for a change.
Navy sex-assault program gives victims a voice
(The Florida Times-Union) The Navy's Victim Legal Counsel program, headed by Mayport's Capt. Karen Fischer-Anderson, became fully operational on Jan. 1, 2014. Since that time, the office has seen 980 alleged victims of sexual assault.
The clock is winding down to save the USS Ranger
(Navy Times) The decommissioned supercarrier Ranger is headed to the scrapyard unless a Southern California organization can convince the Navy to spare it in the next few weeks.
US Navy aircraft join Scottish coastal search
(Stars & Stripes) The U.S. Navy contributed maritime patrol aircraft for operations with the Royal Navy off Scotland's coast last month in what British and American media have described as a hunt for a foreign submarine.
Military exosuits have unrecognized potential at sea, report finds
(Washington Post) It's no secret that U.S. armed forces are working on high-tech robotic suits, known as exosuits, to enhance the average service member's capabilities and develop the military's very own Iron Man. But while many are excited about the potential of an army of Tony Starks vanquishing the free world's enemies, a new report by the Center for a New American Security suggests exosuits have unrecognized potential when it comes to humanitarian assistance and ship-based operations.
First female officer reports to submarine USS Minnesota
(Stars & Stripes) The first woman to serve aboard a Navy fast-attack submarine has reported to the USS Minnesota. She is one of six officers expected to join fast-attack crews in the months ahead.
Carrier John Stennis underway after 16-month overhaul
(Associated Press) The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS John Stennis has left Puget Sound for a training mission after a $240 million overhaul.
Installations boss: Improvements coming to base life
(Navy Times) As the service adds ships to the fleet, Navy Installations Command must develop space and update facilities to accommodate them, all while keeping budget constraints and energy savings in mind.
Fat' Leonard to plead guilty in bribery case
(San Diego Union-Tribune) The Singapore-based contractor at the center of a far-reaching U.S. Navy bribery scandal is set to plead guilty Thursday.
AIR FORCE Opening arguments begin in airman's murder trial
(Air Force Times) Opening arguments began Wednesday at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, in the court-martial of an airman accused in the December 2013 killing of his American Forces Network colleague.
NASA: Space station crew safe after evacuation
(Floriday Today ) Two American astronauts safely took shelter in the Russian segment of the International Space Station after an alarm prompted the evacuation from the U.S. section, according to NASA.
Columbus Air Force Base to train Afghan pilots in Georgia
(The Columbus Dispatch) The 14th Flying Training Wing at Columbus Air Force Base will activate the 81st Fighter Squadron during a ceremony Thursday at Moody Air Force Base in Valdosta, Georgia, and several Columbus residents will have a front-row seat.
MARINE CORPS Hagel says Marines will return to maritime roots
(Marine Corps Times) Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told Marines here Tuesday that they should expect to return to their service's maritime roots and said future missions will not involve forcing American values "down anybody's throat."
2-star: Despite challenges, Marines headed back to sea
(Marine Corps Times) The Marine Corps is returning to its roots as a sea-based strike force after 13 years of ground wars, but getting there in fighting shape requires flexibility and resourcefulness, warned Maj. Gen. Robert Walsh.
Marines not returning to Helmand
(San Diego Union-Tribune) Despite heavy fighting since coalition forces withdrew from southwestern Afghanistan a few months ago, there are no plans to redeploy Marines to Helmand Province, a Marine spokesman said Wednesday.
Marine Corps to end local search and rescue missions
(Marine Corps Times) Budget cuts are pushing Marine aviators out of the search and rescue business.
Marines prep for unpredictable amphibious operations
(Marine Corps Times) The Marine Corps is refining its new concept of operations - Expeditionary Force 21 - as it begins to apply the new doctrine to real-world missions and large-scale military exercises, a Marine general told a gathering of Naval officers Wednesday.
AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN USAID launches modern medical record keeping system in Afghanistan
(Khaama Press) United States Agency for International Development (USAID) launched a modern medical record keeping system in Afghanistan.
Pakistan school attack: Suspects arrested in Afghanistan
(BBC) Five men suspected of involvement in last month's massacre at a school in Peshawar, Pakistan, have been arrested across the border in Afghanistan.
MIDDLE EAST Israel's Elbit gets electro-optics order
(C4ISR & Networks) The company won a $54M contract from Israel's Ministry of Defense.
Hollande Condemns Slow Reaction to Syria
(Agence France-Presse) French President Francois Hollande on Wednesday criticized the international community for the slow response to the conflict in Syria, in a speech to troops aboard the Charles De Gaulle aircraft carrier.
Iran indicts Washington Post reporter on unspecified charges
(Los Angeles Times) A Washington Post journalist detained for almost six months in Iran has been indicted on unspecified charges, the country's official news agency said Wednesday.
Oppressive policies unite Egypt activists
(Al Jazeera America) Ahead of the January uprising anniversary, is rapprochement likely between Egypt's 'revolutionary' forces?
US, Iran hopeful on speeding up nuclear talks
(Associated Press) The United States and Iran are expressing hope that nuclear talks can be accelerated in order to meet a March target for a framework agreement, as the countries' top diplomats met Wednesday ahead of a resumption of full negotiations.
Syria refugees: UN warns of extreme poverty in Jordan
(BBC) The UN refugee agency has urged the international community to help alleviate the "desperate living conditions" of Syrian refugees living away from Jordan's main camps.
EUROPE Lack of aid deepens suffering in conflict-hit east Ukraine
(Stars & Stripes) Valentina Dudareva's voice cracks with despair as she stands in the snow, surveying the bombed-out windows of her apartment block in Donetsk, the separatist capital in eastern Ukraine.
Italian Reaper drones to be used for crowd monitoring
(C4ISR & Networks) As their deployment to Afghanistan comes to an end, unarmed Italian Reaper UAVs are to be used to monitor soccer games and demonstrations in Italy's cities, following a deal struck between the Italian Air Force and the country's police forces.
US pushes Bulgaria on energy dependence, corruption
(Associated Press) U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is urging Bulgaria to wean itself from its near-total dependence on Russia for energy and calling for the NATO member to boost anti-corruption efforts.
Ukraine mourns 13 victims of bus blast in restive east
(Associated Press) Ukraine is holding a day of mourning after 13 people were killed when a bus was hit by what the government says was a shell fired by Russian-backed separatists.
NATO sends rapid-reaction forces to Russia's neighbors
(Los Angeles Times) An interim force of German, Norwegian and Dutch troops has been deployed in Eastern Europe to respond to any security threat from the east, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters in Berlin on Wednesday.
ASIA-PACIFIC Director General of India's DRDO Fired
(Defense News) Avinash Chander, director general of India's Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and scientific adviser to the defense minister, was removed from office 16 months before his term was to end.
Turks Are Held in Plot to Help Uighurs Leave China
(New York Times) The police in Shanghai have arrested 10 Turkish citizens and two Chinese citizens and accused them of providing altered Turkish passports to terrorist suspects from the western region of Xinjiang, a state-run newspaper reported on Wednesday.
Japan Defense Budget Rises 0.8%
(Defense News) Japan's defense budget for fiscal 2015 has edged up 0.8 percent to ���4.82 trillion yen (US $41.12 billion), according to figures released Wednesday by the Ministry of Defense, bringing defense spending closer to 1990 levels.
Sri Lanka fires military governor in Tamil-controlled north
(Associated Press) Sri Lanka's new president has replaced an ex-military with a civilian governor in the Tamil-controlled north in a sign of improving ties with the ethnic minority following the end of the civil war.
Journey to Jihad
(New York Times) Malaysian Muslims travel to Syria to fight Assad.
Groups urge Thailand not to send prisoners on fishing boats
(Associated Press) Human rights groups and labor organizations across Asia urged Thailand's military government on Thursday to scrap a proposal to send prisoners onto Thai fishing boats to fill labor shortages.
AFRICA Fearing 'Total Chaos' in Libya, U.N. Plans New Peace Talks
(New York Times) The United Nations said Wednesday that it was starting a new round of talks here aimed at ending the chaos and violence in Libya, as international concern grows over the widening influence of Muslim extremists there.
Kenya launches ambulance service for security forces
(BBC) Kenya has launched its first national air ambulance service to evacuate security forces wounded in battle.
New Ebola cases drop to lowest levels in months
(Al Jazeera America) WHO sees improvement but says it will take some time before Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea are completely free.
Nigeria's Boko Haram: Baga destruction 'shown in images'
(BBC) Satellite images of Nigerian towns attacked by Boko Haram show widespread destruction and suggest a high death toll, Amnesty International says.
THE AMERICAS Immigrants can now get Mexican birth certificates in US
(Associated Press) The Mexican government on Thursday will start issuing birth certificates to its citizens at consulates in the United States, seeking to make it easier for them to apply for U.S. work permits, driver's licenses and protection from deportation.
Cuba, EU agree new talks in March: European sources
(Agence France-Presse) Cuba and the European Union have agreed to meet in early March for a third round of negotiations aimed at normalising ties, EU sources said Wednesday, less than a month after a historic breakthrough between Havana and Washington.
Businesses Push White House for More Cuba Access
(Wall Street Journal) Industries are eager to recover lost ground in the formerly off-limits nation.
20 state officials investigated in Mexico military slayings
(Associated Press) At least 20 Mexico state officials are under investigation in the cover-up of threats and torture of women who were witnesses to the alleged killing of prisoners by soldiers last year, state authorities said Wednesday.
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS No Avoiding Moral Responsibility in War: Is There Ever a Time to Resign?
(Retired Lt. Gen. James M. Dubik in Army Magazine) When fighting a war, soldiers and their leaders are not mere instruments, automatons or programmed killing machines. Even in battle, they remain capable of making moral judgments and retain responsibility for their decisions and actions. Abiding by these principles is what separates legitimate killing from butchery, murder and massacre.
'We Are Fighting an Enemy, and the Enemy Is Ebola'
(Brian Castner in Foreign Policy) Maj. Gen. Gary Volesky's 2,500 soldiers have spent months battling a rampant killer in Liberia. Is the fight over, or has the front line shifted?
Should Intelligence Officers be 'Hunters' or 'Gatherers'?
(Retired Col. Philip Lisagor in Cicero Magazine) Senior American leaders, from President Obama on down, and the U.S. intelligence community as a whole were caught flatfooted by the seemingly sudden appearance, rise, and rapid expansion of the Sunni extremist organization known as Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, or ISIS. How is this possible, given the massive budgets and superior capability of American intelligence gathering organizations in the post-9/11 era?
The coming fall of the house of ISIS
(Jim Sisco in Foreign Policy ) The chinks in ISIS's armor are already starting to appear and it is only a matter of time before ISIS is defeated.
"Coffee, Wi-Fi, and the Moon" - How the Next Great War Will Start
(Nikolas Katsimpras in War on the Rocks) CLICK! CLACK! DING! After more than 40 years, the vintage thumping sound of dusty Underwood, Olivetti and Remington typewriters filled, once again, the New York Gazette editorial room. Looking down the rows of desks, the gloomy floor is filled with the flickering light of hundreds of candles bouncing off the lifeless, pitch-black computer screens.
Meet the Star-Crossed Lovers Behind the Islamic State's Centcom Hack
(Foreign Policy) When a group calling itself the "CyberCaliphate" breached Centcom's Twitter and YouTube accounts and flooded both with pro-Islamic state messages and videos earlier this week, American law enforcement officials raced to find out who was responsible for the attack. The main suspects: a group led by Junaid Hussain, a 20-year-old who moved from Britain to Syria - accompanied by his 45-year-old alt-rock girlfriend - to kick-start the Islamic State's hacking campaign.
The Case Against Being Condescending
(Task & Purpose) Recently, Task and Purpose published an article by Chris Hernandez entitled "The Case Against Being Too Sensitive." He describes several mentally tough individuals who are able to experience horrific traumas and bounce back with a positive attitude and optimism. Instead of ruminating over a helicopter crash, facial burns, and the tragic loss of several friends, his friend took control of his trauma and was able to talk about it in a healthy way. Hernandez describes horrors most people can't even imagine experiencing: consoling a man who helplessly watches a building burn with his elderly mother inside, seeing the head of a decapitated two-year-old on a car's floorboard after a traffic accident, murder scenes, a young friend's suicide, combat. In all of these anecdotes, he was able to respond to trauma with resilience.
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