| January 5, 2014 |
THE EARLY BIRD BRIEF |
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TODAY'S TOP 5
1. Afghan president says U.S. might want to 're-examine' pullout deadline
(Reuters) Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said in an interview broadcast on Sunday that the United States might want to "re-examine" the timetable for removing the remaining U.S.-led coalition troops in the country by the end of 2016.
2. Exclusive: U.S. Drone Fleet at 'Breaking Point,' Air Force Says
(The Daily Beast) The U.S. Air Force's fleet of drones is being strained to the "breaking point," according to senior military officials and an internal service memo acquired by The Daily Beast. And it's happening right when the unmanned aircraft are most needed to fight ISIS .
3. Chinese Special Operations Forces: Not Like "Back at Bragg"
(Retired Army Lt. Col. Dennis J. Blasko in War on the Rocks) "The PLA's special forces: secrets revealed," promised Want China Times, a Taiwan-based English-language website. The article describes China's "10 major special operations forces, each with its own unique characteristics and code names" and was based on a translation of an earlier blog posting on the PLA Daily website with photos and descriptions of several People's Liberation Army (PLA) and People's Armed Police (PAP) special operations units.
4. Qaeda Suspect Facing Trial in New York Over Africa Embassy Bombings Dies
(New York Times) A Libyan suspected of being an operative for Al Qaeda who was captured by United States commandos in Libya in 2013 and brought to New York to face trial died in government custody on Friday night after complications from longstanding medical problems, prosecutors said.
5. Pentagon denies attempted Special Operations raid in Syria
(Washington Post) U.S. military officials on Friday denied reports that the U.S.-led military coalition overseeing operations in Iraq and Syria launched a Special Operations raid in the Islamic State's stronghold, following a burst of claims from activists in the region.
DEFENSE NEWS WITH VAGO MURADIAN
Venture Capital and National Security
(Defense News) Jim Hake, founder of Spirit of America, talks about applying an entrepreneurial approach to solving US troops' problems
Spirit of America's Priorities
(Defense News) Jim Hake, founder of Spirit of America, talks about applying an entrepreneurial approach to solving US troops' problems
Maritime Strategy in Asia
(Defense News) Patrick Cronin discusses the Maritime Strategy in Asia Project that he leads at the Center for a New American Security.
Vago's Notebook: Security Challenges for 2015
(Defense News) The US faces a new set of challenges on national security issues in 2015.
CONGRESS
Congress: We went too far on star-rank retirement
(Military Update) At the urging of then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Congress in 2006 took aggressive steps to raise pay and future retirement of currently serving general and admirals, particularly those serving beyond 30 years.
Major Defense Firms Donated Thousands to Embattled Rep. Scalise
(Defense News) US defense firms last year gave tens of thousands of dollars to a House Republican leader under fire for speaking to a white supremacy group in 2002.
Texas Republican announces challenge to Boehner for Speaker in new Congress
(The Hill) Rep. Louis Gohmert (R-Texas) said Sunday that he will challenge John Boehner (R-Ohio) as Speaker in the new Congress.
Chambliss: Path to Fiscal Deal is Package Both Parties Won't Love
(Defense News) A retiring US senator has some advice for both political parties: The lone way to get rid of sequestration is to accept a deal neither would like very much.
McCain's big purge
(Politico) Nearly a year ago, tea party agitators in Arizona managed to get John McCain censured by his own state party. Now, he's getting his revenge.
ISLAMIC STATE
U.S. advisers in Iraq stay out of combat but see fighting edging closer
(Washington Post) In Iraq's western Anbar province, more than 300 U.S. troops are posted at a base in the thick of a pitched battle between Iraqi forces, backed by tribal fighters, and well-armed Islamic State militants.
Iraqi general warns of military woes in fighting extremists
(Associated Press) Lt. Gen. Abdul-Wahab al-Saadi had 225 fighters, a single Abrams tank, a pair of mortars, two artillery pieces and about 40 armored Humvees when he set out to retake a strategic city in northern Iraq captured by Islamic State militants over the summer.
Obama Envoy John Allen: No 'Short-Term Solutions' for Stopping Islamic State
(Der Spiegel) General John Allen, 61, has served as special presidential envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter the Islamic State (IS) under US President Barack Obama since September. He previously served for three years as the deputy commander of the US forces in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Shi'ite militias expand influence, redraw map in central Iraq
(Reuters) Behind black gates and high walls, Iraqi national security agents watch 200 women and children.
Syria and Iraq suffer record death tolls in 2014
(France 24) More than 76,000 people were killed in Syria's brutal civil conflict in 2014, making it the bloodiest year since the country's war erupted almost four years ago, a monitoring group said Thursday.
Rebels: Obama administration ignored early plan to stop Islamic State
(McClatchy) Two months before Mosul and other cities in northern Iraq fell to the Islamic State last June, representatives of a Syrian rebel group called on the new U.S. special envoy for Syria with an outline of a plan to stop the extremists.
US vet says fighting in Syria was as easy as buying airplane ticket to Miami
(Fox News) All it took was a plane ticket, and an informal background check over Facebook. Then he was ushered to the front lines in Syria, fighting against the Islamic State.
Jordan Stops Bombing ISIS After Jet Goes Down In Syria
(National Public Radio) Robert Siegel talks to Rula Al Hroob, a member of the Jordanian Parliament, about the capture of First Lt. Moaz al-Kasasbeh by the Islamic State last week.
INDUSTRY
New U.S. Stealth Jet Can't Fire Its Gun Until 2019
(The Daily Beast) America's $400 billion Joint Strike Fighter, or F-35, is slated to join fighter squadrons next year-but missing software will render its 25mm cannon useless.
Pentagon's New Kill Vehicle Strategy Expected Soon
(Aviation Week) The U.S. Missile Defense Agency is weighing two options for the long-awaited procurement of a new Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle (EKV)-dubbed the Redesigned Kill Vehicle-for its Ground-Based Missile Defense system, a shield for the U.S. against ICBM attack.
Israel Angles to Extend US Offer for V-22s
(Defense News) Israel has asked Washington to preserve cut-rate costs and generous terms of a proposed package of up to six V-22 tilt-rotor aircraft pending an ongoing reassessment of procurement priorities driven by last summer's Gaza war.
Rescinded RFI gives insight to USN's railgun plans
(IHS Jane's 360) Clues to the direction of travel for the US Navy's (USN's) electromagnetic railgun programme have emerged via a request for information (RFI) issued in error by Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA).
Israel Seeks Space, Cyber Cooperation with Japan
(Defense News) The Israeli Cabinet on Sunday approved an investment plan aimed at strengthening trade ties with Japan across a spectrum of sectors, including space- and cyber-related research and development.
Warships delivery dependent on Ukraine situation, says France
(Radio France Internationale) French defence minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said his country would deliver two warships ordered by Russia only if there were concrete signs of lasting peace in Ukraine.
Taiwan Navy Accepts New Catamaran
(Defense News) The Taiwan Navy received the first prototype of the stealthy Tuo Jiang-class catamaran corvettes, the PGG 618, in a ceremony Dec. 23 at Suao Port, on Taiwan's east coast.
Taiwan Kicks Off Domestic Attack Sub Program
(USNI News) After waiting on the U.S. to make good on plans to develop a diesel electric attack submarine (SSK) for almost 15 years, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence announced it was kicking off its own domestic attack submarine construction program this week, the agency told Taiwan's Legislative Yuan.
India To Rely On Domestic Firms For Combat Drone
(Defense News) India will rely on domestic firms to develop and build its first unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), similar to the Predator drone built by US-based General Atomics.
Indian defence minister admits complications in Rafale talks
(IHS Jane's 360) India's long-delayed procurement of 126 Dassault Rafale fighter aircraft has once again run into "complications", defence minister Manohar Parrikar admitted on 30 December.
Sikorsky, Airbus, AW Bid For Polish Helo Deal
(Defense News) Poland's Ministry of Defense has obtained three offers in its much-awaited tender to acquire some 70 new helicopters for the country's armed forces. The bidders include Airbus Helicopters, Sikorsky, and PZL-Swidnik, a Poland-based subsidiary of AgustaWestland.
Boeing, Airbus, Korean Air Join To Bid For KF-X
(Aviation Week) Airbus and Boeing are jointly attempting to unseat Lockheed Martin from South Korea's KF-X indigenous fighter program, offering technology from Europe that could not be supplied from U.S. sources, industry officials say.
Aselsan Wins $153.9M Contract
(Defense News) Turkish military electronics specialist Aselsan has won a $153.9 million contract from the Turkish government, the company said Dec. 31.
South Korea receives its third Incheon-class FFX frigate
(IHS Jane's 360) The Republic of Korea Navy (RoKN) has received its third Incheon-class guided-missile frigate, delivered under the Future Frigate Experimental (FFX) programme, news agency Yonhap reported on 31 December.
LM Canada Seeks Overseas Sales of Naval Combat System
(Defense News) Lockheed Martin is eyeing future sales in South America and Europe for the naval combat system it designed as part of the modernization program for Canada's frigates.
VETERANS
2015 goal for VA claims backlog appears out of reach
(Military Times) The Veterans Affairs Department boasted another dramatic drop in its backlog of benefits claims in 2014, but will need an extra boost in coming months to meet its goal of zeroing out the payout delays by the end of 2015.
Veteran suicide tracking faulted
(San Diego Union-Tribune) The Department of Veterans Affairs is incorrectly reporting suicide data and poorly tracks and cares for vets at risk of suicide who are prescribed antidepressants, a new report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office suggests.
50,000 Homeless Veterans Nationwide
(ABC News) Efforts to end homelessness among veterans.
Consultant fired over gifts to ex-boss of Phoenix VA
(Arizona Republic) A health-care industry consultant and lobbyist who provided gifts worth thousands of dollars to former Phoenix VA hospital Director Sharon Helman has been fired by his Washington, D.C., firm for ethical violations, according to the company's chief executive.
Report delayed as probe expands at Philadelphia VA
(Philadelphia Inquirer) Two parallel probes into mismanagement and other problems at the Philadelphia VA benefits office have expanded because of a continuing stream of allegations from employees, according to a source familiar with the reviews.
VA facing new congressional crackdown after Colorado hospital boondoggle
(Fox News) A congressional battle is brewing over the Department of Veterans Affairs' admitted mismanagement of construction projects across the country -- including an over-budget, billion-dollar hospital in Colorado that was, briefly, abandoned by the contractor.
Lawsuit claims Veteran's Affairs sexual harassment cover-up
(Denver Post) A Department of Veterans Affairs employee claims she was sexually harassed by an official who had been bounced from location to location because of prior similar allegations.
VA whistleblower suspended from job, won't be terminated
(Washington Times) A Department of Veterans Affairs credentialing official who said VA supervisors sought to fire him for reporting the arrest of a high-ranking VA executive has been suspended from his job but won't be fired.
Veterans Respond to The Atlantic's Scathing Military Critique
(US News & World Report) Warrior-bloggers say civilian James Fallows' tome, while partly accurate, missed some basic military tenets.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Major Study of Bereaved Military Families Underway
(Associated Press) With his wife and child close at hand, Army Maj. Chad Wriglesworth battled skin cancer for more than a year before dying at age 37.
Aspiring Yodas: Apply to Fill Andy Marshall's Shoes on USAJOBS
(War On The Rocks) On his last day, Andy Marshall left work early. Yesterday, people gathered to watch the Director of the Office of Net Assessment (ONA) take his last walk out of the Pentagon as a civil servant. Marshall walked down the A ring, down a stairwell, and out through the River Entrance, marking the end of a 42-year career as one of the most influential employees in the history of the Department of Defense.
DARPA UAVs Would Be Fast, Light and Fly Themselves
(Defense News) The Pentagon's advanced RandD arm wants to help drones fly the crowded skies-using a new class of algorithms.
The Military's New Year's Resolution for Artificial Intelligence
(Defense One) In November, Undersecretary of Defense Frank Kendall quietly issued a memo to the Defense Science Board that could go on to play a role in history.
The Great Cyber Convergence in 2015: AFCEA Speaks
(Breaking Defense) Cybersecurity is no longer its own specialized function for tech geeks to take care of off to one side while the rest of the organization gets on with the real mission. To the contrary, cybersecurity is becoming an increasingly central concern for more and more institutions, from Sony Pictures to the US Army, from Marine Corps drone units to Pentagon cloud computing contractors. Integrating the new technology into operations will require new concepts, sustained funding, and open communications between government and industry - none of which is guaranteed in 2015.
Defense Agency Faulted for Wrongful Challenge to Contractor
(Government Executive) The Defense Contract Audit Agency's decision to reject $6.6 million in a contractor's claimed costs in fiscal 2008 did not comply with generally accepted government auditing standards, the Defense Department's watchdog found.
ARMY
O-5 fired for wearing unearned tabs still in uniform
(Army Times) An officer fired from his Army National Guard leadership post at Fort Benning, Georgia, in Octoberafter investigators found he'd worn unearned Ranger and Sapper tabs remains on administrative duty at the base more than a month after the investigation concluded.
Green Berets involved in friendly fire won't be punished
(Air Force Times) Two Green Berets who were involved in a deadly friendly fire incident earlier this year in Afghanistan will not be punished.
Group of 100 soldiers now in Ebola quarantine at JBLM
(Tacoma News Tribune) A group of 100 soldiers returning to the states from an Ebola-response mission in West Africa arrived at Joint Base Lewis-McChord on Friday to begin a mandatory quarantine.
First sergeant earns ARCOM for calling out online antics
(Army Times) First Sgt. Katrina Moerk said she never sought recognition for correcting soldiers' unethical behavior online, but received it anyway, and from high places.
Victim identified in fatal New Year's Day shooting near Lacey
(Tacoma News Tribune) The Thurston County Coroner's Office has identified the man who was killed on New Year's Day during a fight with his brother and two neighbors.
Army touts 'brain thermometer' as front-line tool
(Army Times) Army medics will soon use what's been dubbed a "brain thermometer": a mobile phone application that can, within minutes, provide health professionals data to help diagnose and measure a soldier's injuries.
Judge temporarily blocks Parnell termination of Alaska National Guard officer
(Alaska Dispatch News) A state judge issued a last-minute reprieve Wednesday for Brig. Gen. Catherine Jorgensen, one of three Alaska National Guard officers fired in October by then-Gov. Sean Parnell as the National Guard scandal threatened to overtake his reelection bid.
Costs for high-performance Army PT gear
(Army Times) Soldier PT gear will continue its drastic makeover in 2015. Over the next few years, more and more soldiers will work out in black threads with gold lettering. Touted highlights include lightweight moisture-wicking/quick-drying fabric, tag-less design, and better fit (including female-specific sizing).
NAVY
Amid Criticism, US Navy Confident in New Arresting Gear System for Next Carrier
(Defense News) A host of new technologies and systems will begin to enter service when the new aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) is delivered in the first half of 2016, and for over a decade it's been a good question whether all the new whiz-bang technology will be ready in time.
USS Sampson Recovers 12 Bodies from Wreckage
(DoDBuzz) A U.S. Navy warship has recovered a dozen bodies from the AirAsia flight that crashed into the Java Sea, the service said.
Navy safety boss grapples with '14 spike in aviation mishaps
(Navy Times) Fresh off its safest year on record, the Navy saw its manned aviation Class A mishaps - the most serious type of mishap - more than triple
Vice admiral: Navy should expand sabbatical program
(Virginian-Pilot) Thousands of sailors get out of the Navy every year because they want to start a family. Or to enroll in school. Or because they are burned out on frequent deployments and months away from home.
Training begins for UAV launch system
(C4ISR & Networks) General Atomics system to be delivered in 2015.
For a former Navy SEAL, newly unveiled statue is symbol of his mission in life
(St. Louis Post-Dispatch) It was seeing the statue of David in person for the first time that caused Stephen Otten, a former Navy SEAL, to break down in tears after years of post-traumatic stress.
AIR FORCE
Lawyer in trouble for speaking out on sex assault policy
(Air Force Times) On her final day as an Air Force lawyer, Capt. Maribel Jarzabek figured she could finally speak out.
Former Air Force major gets 3 years for child porn possession
(Alaska Dispatch News) Former Air Force Maj. Peter Christopher Davis, 36, was sentenced Friday to three years in prison on a consolidated child porn possession charge. A Superior Court judge granted the sentence recommended by the state, which argued Davis misrepresented his crimes to friends and family.
Texas man who police say drove to Florida to kill girlfriend's family trained at Lackland
(San Antonio Express-News) A 23-year-old airman who police say drove from his home in Venus, Texas, to Florida to kill his 18-year-old girlfriend's father before killing himself on Christmas trained at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland months prior to his shooting spree, an official with the military base said.
USAF Leaders Say F-35 Simulator Increasingly Important
(Defense News) Proponents of the F-35 joint strike fighter highlight the plane's immense data-fusion capabilities, its stealth technologies and its overall connectivity.
Could cyber squadron come to Hampton Roads?
(C4ISRNet) Lawmakers lobby Lt Gen Stanley Clarke III to pick Joint Base Langley-Eustis
U.S. Cyber Command is recruiting
(Air Force Times) U.S. Cyber Command this year is recruiting and training airmen to join one of the Air Force's 39 cyber mission force teams that will be established over the next two years.
U-2 demos open systems architecture
(C4ISR & Networks) the successful test shows the ability to rapidly upgrade mission systems architecture.
Women complain of shortage of maternity ABUs
(Air Force Times) Recently reported plans to improve the maternity version of the airman battle uniform is good news, some women say. But their bigger concern is a shortage of the current maternity ABU.
MARINE CORPS
Report highlights political tension surrounding sniper scandal
(Marine Corps Times) Lt. Gen. Thomas Waldhauser, originally tasked with overseeing the cases of five scout-snipers investigated for their roles in a war-zone scandal, had intended to discipline them through non-judicial punishment, according to a Pentagon inspector general's report.
Iran Denies Report That US Offered Prisoner Swap
(Associated Press) Iran has denied reports that Washington offered to trade Iranian prisoners for a former U.S. Marine jailed since 2011.
Corps surveys Marines about smartphone habits
(Marine Corps Times) Marine officials in charge of the computer and communications networks are conducting a survey to help expand the use of personal mobile devices to all Marines who want smartphone access to job-related information, like unclassified emails, calendars and notes.
Susquehanna crash victim was Marine, father of two
(The Times-Tribune; Scranton, Pa.) A 27-year-old Susquehanna County native killed Friday when a water tanker truck smashed into his SUV was an active-duty Marine and father of two boys, a family member said.
Five Marine sergeants major tapped to fill new billets
(Marine Corps Times) In a message across the service, Commandant Gen. Joe Dunford named five senior enlisted Marines to important sergeant major billets across the Corps.
Marine couple charged for alleged abuse of infant boy
(WCTI; New Bern, N.C.) A 7-month-old boy suffered a broken rib, bleeding in the lungs, and injuries to his tongue and eyes, and arrest warrants state his mother, a U.S. Marine, is to blame. A man, also a Marine, was arrested in the case as well.
Researchers want service members for leg brace study
(Marine Corps Times) After an improvised explosive device blast mangled both of his legs, leaving him unable to run, and able to walk only with crutches, Marine Maj. Erik Quist faced an all-or-nothing decision.
Active duty Marine arrested at Augusta Mall on Child Molestation charges
(WRDW-TV; Augusta, Ga.) A marine stationed in North Carolina has been arrested in Augusta on child molestation charges, according to a GBI spokesperson.
More junior officers to be tapped for career in uniform
(Marine Corps Times) There's good news for junior officers vying for career designation in 2015. About 75 percent of first lieutenants could be designated at the first Officer Retention Board, a 15 percent bump from last year's board.
Dead Marine's memory lives in Gold Star Dad
(Houston Chronicle) This is the ninth holiday season that Carson George will spend without his son at his side.
Recon Marines sport SEAL-designed boots
(Marine Corps Times) A new boot designed by a former Navy SEAL has caught the attention of elite operators across the military including some West Coast reconnaissance Marines and members of Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command.
AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN
Full Interview: Gen. John Campbell
(ABC News) ABC's Martha Raddatz interviews Army Gen. John Campbell, commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan
Amid fighting, Afghan Army corps in Helmand gets new commander
(Marine Corps Times) The seasoned commander of Afghan National Army troops in Helmand province has been replaced by another general from a command in eastern Afghanistan as Taliban fighting in the war-torn district continues.
2014: The deadliest year for Afghan civilians on record
(Deutsche Welle) The number of civilian casualties in Afghanistan is to exceed 10,000 in 2014 - the highest since records began. UNAMA's Georgette Gagnon tells DW the figures reflect how civilians are bearing the brunt of the violence.
Frustrated Afghans wonder who is in charge amid cabinet delays and Taliban attacks
(Washington Post) As Afghanistan begins an uncertain new phase of coalition governance and self-defense against Taliban insurgents, protracted delays in forming a cabinet and filling most top posts in the three-month-old administration have left public agencies in disarray and Afghans wondering who is in charge.
US renews contractor airlift support in Afghanistan to end of April 2015
(IHS Jane's 360) The US Department of Defense (DoD) has awarded contracts valued at around USD40 million for continued contractor rotary-wing airlift in Afghanistan, it was announced on 31 December.
US drones hit 'good Taliban' commander's compound in North Waziristan
(Long War Journal) The US launched the first drone strike in Pakistan this year in an attack targeting fighters loyal to a Taliban commander who is favored by Pakistan's government as well as its military and intelligence establishment.
Pakistani Turkish Defense Ties Continue to Deepen
(Defense News) The Pakistan-Turkey defense industrial relationship continues to deepen with more bilateral projects being promoted and undertaken such as aircraft, ships and tanks.
MIDDLE EAST
Saudi King Abdullah's condition 'stable'
(Al Jazeera) Monarch, who is suffering from pneumonia, temporarily needed help to breathe through tube, royal court says.
Israel Lists 14 Programs Introduced in 2014
(Defense News) From its newest nuclear-capable submarine to vegan-considerate, leather-free boots and berets, here is a year-end list of 14 programs fielded during 2014, as translated from the official Israel Defense Forces (IDF) website:
Fatah official: Israel settlement policy 'ultimate test' for peace
(Al-Monitor) A senior official in the Palestinian Authority government told Al-Monitor this week that he and his colleagues were closely watching the Israeli election campaign. However, he said, "We have very little hope for a change in Israel. Even if [Labor Chair Isaac] Herzog and [former Minister Tzipi] Livni win these elections, what kind of government will be formed? Are policy changes possible? We are tired of left-wing Israelis telling us to wait for better times in your government. Since [Prime Minister Yitzhak] Rabin's assassination we have seen everything and everybody from all political colors, yet we are now further away from statehood than we have ever been before."
Yemen's Shiite rebels reject plan for federal system
(Washington Post) The leader of Yemen's Shiite rebel Houthi movement on Saturday rejected an agreement reached last year to divide the country into six federally organized regions, a major blow to efforts to unite the divided country.
EUROPE
Marines train in anti-armor tactics alongside Moldovan troops
(Marine Corps Times) As Moldova's pro-European political parties celebrated an electoral victory against Russian-backed rivals, Marines headed into the small, former Soviet republic to talk anti-armor best practices with local troops.
A Retired Russian Army Officer Sends Paid 'Volunteers' to Fight in Ukraine
(The Atlantic Council) In Yekaterinburg, the main city of Russia's Ural region, retired army officer Vladimir Yefimov organizes army veterans to fight for Russia in southeastern Ukraine, more than 1,000 miles away. While Russia's deployment of army troops and non-official Russian "volunteer" fighters in Ukraine is not news, Yefimov describes in new detail how Russian army vets are selected, organized and paid to join the war. His account underscores that the army of Russian "volunteers" is run with at least the tacit help of the Kremlin.
Ukraine Leader Was Defeated Even Before He Was Ousted
(New York Times) Ashen-faced after a sleepless night of marathon negotiations, Viktor F. Yanukovych hesitated, shaking his pen above the text placed before him in the chandeliered hall. Then, under the unsmiling gaze of European diplomats and his political enemies, the beleaguered Ukrainian president scrawled his signature, sealing a deal that he believed would keep him in power, at least for a few more months.
Norway Unlikely To Lift Ban on Russian Cooperation
(Defense News) The Norwegian government is unlikely to review or revoke its new 12-month ban on bilateral military cooperation with Russia unless it sees a significant change in the Kremlin's aggressive, tension-building behavior and actions in Ukraine, the Norwegian government has said.
ASIA-PACIFIC
North Korea blasts U.S. for 'hostility,' sanctions
(USA Today) North Korea lashed out at the U.S. on Sunday for imposing new sanctions in retaliation for its suspected role in the cyberattack against Sony Pictures, saying the move shows the White House's "inveterate repugnancy and hostility" toward the nation.
Reports of Kim Jong Un's Sister Marrying Son of Key Official Suggest North Korean Dictator Is Consolidating Power
(Bloomberg) Kim Jong Un's younger sister married the son of one of North Korea's most powerful officials last year, Yonhap News reported, citing two people in China it didn't identify.
Kim Jong Un Makes Apparent Summit Offer to South Korea
(Wall Street Journal) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made an apparent offer on Thursday to hold a summit with South Korea's president, a move that seemed intended to pressure Seoul to make concessions to advance the countries' frosty relations.
AFRICA
Boko Haram overruns Multinational Joint Task Force base
(Long War Journal) Boko Haram overwhelmed Nigerian and allied troops and overran the Multinational Joint Task Force base in northeastern Nigeria yesterday.
With Schoolgirls Taken by Boko Haram Still Missing, U.S.-Nigeria Ties Falter
(New York Times) Soon after the Islamist group Boko Haram kidnapped nearly 300 teenage girls in Nigeria in April, the United States sent surveillance drones and about 30 intelligence and security experts to help the Nigerian military try to rescue them. Gen. David M. Rodriguez, the top general for American missions in Africa, rushed from his headquarters here to help the commanders in the crisis.
Al-Shabab claims deadly Somalia car bombing
(Al Jazeera) A suicide bombing has struck Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, killing five people including the bomber, with the armed group al-Shabab quickly claiming responsibility.
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
20 Questions with Doctrine Man!!
(Doctrine Man) Turning the tables on Doctrine Man, Army Major Luke Richards steps in as a special guest blogger, offering a rare interview with the mad doctor of snark himself. Major Richards is an EOD officer serving as a Strategic Planner in the US Army Combined Arms Center Commander's Initiatives Group. He has served in EOD positions since 2005, including deployments to Iraq as an EOD Company Commander and EOD Battalion S3. He began his service as an Infantry officer, serving in multiple leadership positions within 25th Infantry Division.
Oakland Tribune editorial: Military justice on assault needs major overhaul
(Oakland Tribune) The U.S. military justice system has been rightly pilloried in recent years for its horrendous record in handling sexual-assault cases. In the wake of those criticisms some strides finally have been made toward improving the system for assault victims, but events this week clearly show much more needs to be done.
This RAND Employment Report Has Some Good News And Advice For Vets
(Kevin Bell in Task & Purpose) In 2011, 11 major companies founded the 100,000 Jobs Mission to create a forum to advocate for veteran employment. Since then, the coalition has obliterated its original goal of hiring 100,000 veterans by 2020. To date, over 190,000 veterans have been hired as the coalition has grown to include more than 170 companies. In 2014, the RAND Corporation published a report based on analysis of interviews with 26 of the member companies, representing a diverse set of industries, "from retail trade to health care to finance and insurance."
China Expert: Improving Relationships With the US
(Wang Dong, director, School of International Studies, Center for Northeast Asian Strategic Studies, Peking University, in Defense News) Long regarded as the weakest spot in the bilateral relationship, US-China military-to-military relations have progressed considerable in recent years.
Legitimate Deliberate Democracy in Transition: Failure in the Democratization of Iraq by the United States from 2003-2014
(U.S. Army Capt. Daniel Tyler Brooks in the Small Wars Journal) Why did Democratization fail in Iraq? This question is important because as the United States continues to maintain a preponderance of power in the world, it is expected that the US will continue to pursue the development of democracies throughout the world in accordance with ideas contained in the Bush Doctrine informed by Democratic Peace Theory (Fiala, 2007, p. 28).
Analyst: Russia Prepares for Lengthy Confrontation With West, Economic Restructuring
(Vasily Kashin, analyst, Centre for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, Moscow, in Defense News) Russian politics in 2015 will continue to be shaped by two simultaneous crises, external and internal. While the external crisis affecting Russia - the conflict with the West over Ukraine - is attracting global attention, the internal crisis goes largely unnoticed or, even worse, is erroneously viewed as the result of Western sanctions.
The Foreign Policy Story of the Year
(David Rothkopf in Foreign Policy) The top foreign-policy story of 2014 sneaks up on you. It generated precious few headlines. It is even a bit counterintuitive. But if you measure the importance of foreign-policy stories in any given year in terms of their likely impact on international relations in the years ahead, this one stands out from the other candidates. It is not a runaway winner. But it is a story the world would do well not to underestimate, oceans of rhetoric and punditry to the contrary notwithstanding.
Koda: Chinese Regional Relations Key to Pacific Security
(Yoji Koda, former commander in chief, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Fleet, in Defense News) Two of the key factors that will shape security issues across the Pacific in 2015 will be China's changing tactics regarding high seas confrontations in the South China Sea, and the steady development of submarine fleets among various countries.
The Afghan President's Overreach
(New York Times Editorial Board) President Ashraf Ghani of Afghanistan is known for occasionally being hot-tempered. But it was nonetheless baffling to Western diplomats when, in recent days, he abruptly demanded that the United Nations Development Program, the agency that manages hundreds of millions of dollars provided by Western donors to run the police force, relinquish responsibility for the fund within six months.
Mousavian: Time for a Mideast Grand Bargain
(Seyed Hossein Mousavian, former Iranian diplomat and head of foreign relations at the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, in Defense News) In the last 60 years, there have been many different alliances among the US, Western countries, Arab countries and Israel.
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