| January 8, 2014 |
THE EARLY BIRD BRIEF |
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TODAY'S TOP 5
1. Hepatitis C drug costing VA, DoD millions
(Military Times) One of the costliest drugs on the market threatens the Veterans Affairs Department's health budget - to the point that VA, which added the medication to its formulary in April, provides it to only the sickest patients who need it.
2. Report: Paris Shooting Reprisal for ISIS Airstrikes
(Defense News) France may have paid a deadly price for its military strikes against Islamist fundamentalists in Africa and the Middle East, after three men killed 10 journalists and two police officers here, Reuters television reported on Wednesday.
3. RAF Mildenhall to close amid other Europe consolidations
(Stars and Stripes ) A major U.S. Air Force base in the United Kingdom and 14 other installations scattered across Europe will close as part of sweeping reorganization of forces on the Continent, the Pentagon announced.
4. Empty commissary shelves in Europe, Pacific
(Military Times) Troops and families in some areas of Europe and the Pacific have been frustrated by empty shelves in commissaries over the last few weeks - empty for different reasons.
5. Little Chance Of New Budget Deal On Hill, Analysts Say
(Defense News) Several leading defense analysts have little confidence in the ability of Congress to produce another Ryan-Murray type budget deal that would partially stave off the effects of sequestration in the fiscal 2016 budget and beyond.
CONGRESS
Conservative Senator Wants Balanced Budget Amendment to Constitution
(Defense News) A conservative US senator is pushing a measure that would add a Constitutional amendment requiring a balanced federal budget, legislation that would complicate hawks' efforts to raise military spending caps.
Rape cases to be handled differently
(Military Times) Among the changes to military personnel policy included in the fiscal 2015 defense policy law signed Dec. 22 are provisions to change the way the Pentagon handles sexual assault and rape cases.
GOP's McSally wants military leaders held accountable
(USA Today ) Arizona Rep. Martha McSally, the first female fighter pilot to fly a combat mission and command a fighter squadron, says she was the victim of sexual harassment during her 26 years in the Air Force. But the newly elected congresswoman opposes a proposal to take sexual assault cases out of the chain of command.
Congress Blocks Reduced Housing Allowance for Student Veterans
(Military.com ) Without the provision, student vets would have seen their housing assistance lowered because their housing stipends are tied to the Basic Allowance for Housing rates of the active duty force.
McCain Talks Carter Confirmation Timing, Vows LCS Review
(Defense News) Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Sen. John McCain is signaling that final confirmation of Ash Carter as defense secretary could come later than expected. And he is making clear he wants to review the Navy's plans for its shallow-water combatant.
Clay Hunt veteran suicide bill returns in new Congress
(Stars & Stripes) A bill to overhaul veteran suicide prevention programs is getting another chance in Congress after being scuttled last month by a retiring Senate budget hawk.
Rand Paul introduces bill to defund Palestinian Authority
(Politico) Sen. Rand Paul introduced legislation on Wednesday aiming to block U.S. funding to the Palestinian Authority until its leaders withdraw their request to join the International Criminal Court.
Corker In Talks With White House, DoD on Islamic State AUMF
(Defense News) A key GOP senator is meeting with White House and Pentagon officials about the wording of a measure to legally authorize US operations against the Islamic State.
ISLAMIC STATE
Airstrikes against Islamic State total 1,867 in December, highest in five-month campaign
(Air Force Times) The U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq dropped 5,886 bombs from August through the end of 2014, more than in any recent year in Afghanistan.
Islamic State crisis: Religious police 'kidnapped' in Syria
(BBC ) Reports from Syria say that some members of the religious police force set up by the militant group Islamic State (IS) have been kidnapped.
IS airstrike targets include barracks, boats, Humvees
(Military Times) Buildings, fighting positions and light vehicles top the list of targets for the more than 3,200 airstrikes that the U.S. and its coalition partners have unleashed on Iraq and Syria since last summer.
From Egypt's leader, an ambitious call for reform in Islam
(Associated Press) Egypt's president opened the new year with a dramatic call for a "revolution" in Islam to reform interpretations of the faith entrenched for hundreds of years, which he said have made the Muslim world a source of "destruction" and pitted it against the rest of the world. The speech was Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi's boldest effort yet to position himself as a modernizer of Islam. His professed goal is to purge the religion of extremist ideas of intolerance and violence that fuel groups like al-Qaida and the Islamic State - and that appear to have motivated Wednesday's attack in Paris on a French satirical newspaper that killed 12 people.
INDUSTRY
SpaceX EELV Certification Expected By Midyear
(Defense News) SpaceX has completed over 80 percent of the requirements for military space launch certification, and the Air Force says the company is "nearing completion" on the process - although at a slower rate than officials for both the company and service had projected.
With Succession In Mind, Raytheon CFO Wajsgras To Lead IIS; O'Brien Named New Finance Chief
(Defense Daily ) Raytheon [RTN] Chairman and CEO Thomas Kennedy on Wednesday said that Dave Wajsgras, the company's chief financial officer (CFO), will take over as president of the Intelligence, Information and Services (IIS) segment on March 2.
Pentagon Unmanned Review Set to Inform UCLASS Bid
(USNI News) The review of the Pentagon's unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) portfolio that stalled the acquisition of the Navy's first operational carrier-based UAV has completed its early phase, the Navy's chief acquisition official said on Wednesday.
F-35 Program Office: Gun Remains On Schedule
(Defense News) The gun on the F-35 joint strike fighter remains on schedule to go operational in 2017, the Pentagon said Wednesday.
Lockheed Gives Status Report on BMD. Aegis Ashore Programs
(Seapower) The Lockheed Martin program manager for the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) systems said Jan. 7 that 2014 was "a very exciting year," with successful tests of both the ship-based BMD systems and the emerging Aegis Ashore program, and outlined a series of additional tests and developments for both programs this year.
U.S. Arms Exporters Not Yet Panicking Over Oil Prices
(National Defense) U.S. defense and aerospace firms eventually might have to starting worrying about falling oil prices, but not quite yet. While $50-a-barrel oil is good news for airlines and for consumers in general, if prices stay low for the foreseeable future it could put a damper on U.S. exports to the Middle East, analysts have warned. Oil producing countries in the Middle East are among the biggest buyers of U.S. high-tech weaponry and commercial aircraft.
VETERANS
Authorities: VA clinic shooter was ex-worker, soldier who had threatened psychologist before
(Associated Press) An Army veteran who fatally shot a psychologist at a West Texas veterans' hospital before killing himself was a former clerk at the clinic and had threatened the doctor in 2013, the FBI said Wednesday.
Emails: Michigan county VA director sought cash, gifts from veterans
(Stars and Stripes ) A county's Veterans Affairs director in Michigan resigned Monday after emails were published in which he is shown to be demanding payment or other favors of veterans whom he had been helping with their health benefits.
Shooting at VA clinic underscores frustrations between some VA workers and veterans
(Washington Post) Within moments of an attack at a Veterans Affairs clinic Tuesday that left the gunman and a VA doctor dead, the conversation took a turn to the disagreements and misunderstandings between U.S. military veterans and the VA employees responsible for serving them
Lincoln Awards and concert honor service to veterans
(Associated Press) Nick Jonas is joining forces with Jerry Lewis, Gavin DeGraw and other entertainers Wednesday to honor those who serve and support U.S. veterans and military families with a new award.
Injured vet launches business to empower other vets
(The Day of New London via The Associated Press) Air National Guard Technical Sgt. Steve D'Amico founded Broken Gear "on the principle of disabled athletes empowering themselves to get back into sports, whether they're disabled veterans or disabled civilians,"
Military health: The insurmountable gulf
(Nature ) Twenty-four years after the conflict ended, scientists and veterans are still fighting for recognition of Gulf War illness.
Iraq Veteran, Now a West Point Professor, Seeks to Rein In Disability Pay
(New York Times) Nearly 200 sick and wounded soldiers in a gym at Fort Carson last month listened silently as Lt. Col. Daniel Gade offered a surprising warning: The disability checks designed to help troops like them after they leave the service might actually be harmful.
Fayetteville Army veteran wins $1 million lottery prize; plans to buy house, rescue dog
(Fayetteville Observer) An Army veteran from Fayetteville plans to use the money from his $1 million lottery prize to help others, rescue a dog and buy a house.
Teenager pleads guilty in beating death of WWII veteran
(Associated Press) A 17-year-old pleaded guilty Wednesday to murder in the beating death of 88-year-old Delbert Belton, a World War II veteran who survived the battle of Okinawa but was killed in a robbery outside a Washington state bar in 2013.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Watchdog: Afghan commando camp plagued with electricity and refueling problems
(Washington Post ) The Defense Department has awarded $57.1 million in contracts to build and renovate a military base in Afghanistan for the country's Special Operations troops, but the facility is still plagued with generators that do not work well, fueling points that are unused and a dining facility that is drastically overcrowded.
US To Send More Troops to Iraq To Train Iraqi Forces
(DefenseOne) The Pentagon's mission to train Iraqi forces to fight the Islamic State is gaining momentum as officials prepare to send more U.S. troops to Iraq.
EUCOM: No new security measures due to Paris shooting
(Air Force Times) U.S. military bases in Europe are not taking additional security precautions in response to a mass shooting in Paris, a spokesman for U.S. European Command told Military Times on Wednesday.
US to lead next decade's C4ISR spending
(C4ISR & Networks) Asymmetric warfare and increased counterterrorism will fuel spending
The Pentagon Wants To Extend the Range of One of Its Missile Interceptors
(DefenseOne) The Pentagon wants to extend the range of one of its missile interceptors designed to shoot down weapons launched by North Korea and Iran today so it could target super fast Russian and Chinese missiles of the future.
Special Report: People and Programs To Watch in 2015
(Defense News) Despite all of the talk in the Pentagon and among the defense intelligentsia in Washington about the "new normal"- the present era of battling Islamic extremists while putting out security and humanitarian brushfires across the globe - there has really never been a "normal" year when it comes to national security.
ARMY
SFCs in 10 MOSs face involuntary separation from AGR
(Army Times) The zone of vulnerability for the Qualitative Service Program retention board that meets in February has been expanded to include some prominent combat arms specialties for sergeants first class of the Active Guard and Reserve (Army Reserve).
Some Fort Drum housing being opened to military retirees, federal civilian workers
(Watertown Daily Times) A small amount of on-post housing will now be available to military retirees, federal civil service and Department of Defense civilian workers
How US Special Forces Uses Google Maps
(DefenseOne) In 2010, Army Col. Stuart Bradin (retired) was in Afghanistan along with special forces operatives from France and other NATO countries, Drug Enforcement Agency operatives and elite units from the Afghan National Directorate of Security. They shared the same broad objective, disrupting the Taliban's operations, but they originated from different forces, agencies and armies. But the amount of information that could be shared between them, including satellite and drone pictures, was severely limited.
Army Chief Adds to Confusion over New Camouflage Pattern
(Military.com) It's been about eight months since the U.S. Army selected a new camouflage pattern, but even service's top uniformed officer still can't remember its name.
Boyer represents Army, Texas at Medal of Honor Bowl
(Army Times) Pro football scouts have descended on Charleston, South Carolina, in advance of Saturday's Medal of Honor Bowl, evaluating more than 100 college seniors during workouts in a process that could lead to the realization of dozens of NFL dreams.
Peyton Manning makes sure Indiana couple has night to remember
(The Indianapolis Star) Imagine if the sports icon you wanted to meet more than anyone on the planet went above and beyond to meet you? Brookville, Ind., native, Kristen Patterson requested meeting Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning on behalf of her husband, Army Sgt. Ryan Patterson of the 1/25 Stryker Brigade Combat Team, but forgot to include her contact information.
A look into the Beretta M9A3 Handgun
(Military Times, GearScout) GearScout's Rob Curtis takes a look at Beretta USA's newly released M9A3, an improvement on the M9 platform.
Army officer died of natural causes during August training exercise at Fort Gordon
(Augusta Chronicle ) An Army officer found dead in August during a training exercise at Fort Gordon died of natural causes, according to an Army investigation.
NAVY
Naval Air Force Atlantic to get new commanding officer
(Associated Press) The Navy command responsible for training Naval Air Force Atlantic is getting a new leader.
Leyte Gulf returns home early, a 'second Christmas'
(Navy Times) The only thing better than coming home is a homecoming that happens one month ahead of schedule. That was the case for the cruiser Leyte Gulf, which returned to Norfolk, Va., on Jan. 7 after a six-month deployment to U.S 6th Fleet.
Navy finishes Deep Drone upgrades
(C4ISR & Networks) Unmanned underwater system now has a new control system.
Stackley: Navy Needs to Develop Weapons Faster, Congress Should Rollback Restrictive Legislation
(USNI News) The Navy's chief weapons buyer called on Congress to rollback restrictive legislation that creates unnecessary bureaucracy and slows the development of next-generation military capabilities during a Wednesday appearance at the Atlantic Council.
No liberty rule changes in Turkey 2 months after attack
(Navy Times) It's liberty as usual for sailors visiting Turkey, two month after protesters attacked sailors from the destroyer Ross during a port visit in Istanbul.
Kona resident donates U.S. Navy bell to West Hawaii Veterans Cemetery
(West Hawaii Today) The brass piece, which has a 1950 date written on it, was never used on a naval vessel, but rather was affixed to a fire engine and rung as it responded to incidents, Kailua-Kona resident Cyndy Dyal said. During the 1930s and '40s, Dyal said, the Navy supplied many of the bells and equipment for fire departments.
USS Constellation nears final destination
(Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, Wash. (TNS)) The USS Constellation is expected to complete its 16,000-mile trip Thursday from Bremerton to Brownsville, Texas, provided the weather cooperates. International Shipbreaking Ltd., which the Navy is paying $3 million to tow the Vietnam-era ship away and dismantle it, had planned a ceremony upon its arrival.
AIR FORCE
4 airmen disciplined after June friendly fire incident in Afghanistan
(Air Force Times) Four airmen were disciplined through administrative means for their role in a friendly fire incident last June in Afghanistan.
AFN murder trial set to start Monday
(Stars & Stripes) An airman accused of killing a co-worker is to go on trial Monday, more than a year after he was found driving through Kaiserslautern with the dead man in the passenger seat of his car.
30 months, dishonorable discharge for AF medical tech who groped patient
(Air Force Times) An Air Force medical technician convicted of assaulting a patient as she came out of anesthesia at a San Antonio military hospital in June 2013 was sentenced Wednesday to 30 months in prison and a dishonorable discharge.
Drone pilots take center stage in 'Good Kill'
(FlightLines ) The Air Force has had cameos in the films like 'Godzilla,' 'Iron Man,' and an episode or two of 'Homeland.' But in 'Good Kill,' audiences can zero-in on the drone pilot realm where war becomes an arbitrary arena.
MARINE CORPS
Former 'Marine of the Year' to receive Silver Star
(Marine Corps Times) A MARSOC sergeant who was named "Marine of the Year" by the USO in 2013 will receive the military's third-highest award for valor, officials said.
2 teens in Japanese police custody after illegally entering Camp Kinser
(Stars & Stripes) Two members of a local Okinawan motorcycle gang were taken into custody early Monday morning after illegally entering and hiding out on Camp Kinser, Japanese police officials said. Marine officials do not consider the incident a major breach of security, saying the pair were apprehended close to the gate.
Marines jump in to help woman confronted by robbers
(KING 5 News) Despite their reputations as tough guys at the "tip of the spear," daily life for many members of the Marine Corps is pretty dull. "It can get tedious," said SSGT. Ben Shoemaker. ""There's a lot of paperwork." Tuesday, however, three Marines were called to duty outside the Alderwood Mall.
AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN
Heroin addiction spreads with alarming speed across Afghanistan
(Washington Post) The scene beneath a crumbling overpass in this capital city was a vision from hell. Hundreds of figures huddled together in the shadows, crouching amid garbage and fetid pools of water. Some injected heroin into each other's limbs or groins in full view; others hid under filthy shawls to cook and inhale it.
India pledges support in developing textile industry in Afghanistan
(Khaama Press) The government of India has vowed to assist in developing the textile industry of Afghanistan as part of New Delhi's reconstruction efforts and help assist the Afghan economy.
In Pakistan, a TV show focuses on a topic once taboo: Sex
(Associated Press) In religiously conservative Pakistan, a television call-in advice show is tackling an issue rarely discussed in public: Sex.
MIDDLE EAST
Iran's Supreme Leader Is Skeptical of Nuclear Talks With U.S.
(New York Times) Iran's supreme leader said on Wednesday that his country should find internal solutions for dealing with economic sanctions and that the United States could not be trusted to lift sanctions in the event that a nuclear agreement is reached.
Israeli bombs sowed grief for Gaza farmers
(Al Jazeera America ) The summer offensive devastated the 2014 growing season, threatening Gaza's food supply.
Violence Grows in Yemen as Al Qaeda Tries to Fight Its Way Back
(New York Times) When Houthi fighters swept into this town and broke the grip of Al Qaeda, they were greeted by grateful residents, relieved that a months-long ordeal of bombings and assassinations by the militants might be coming to an end.
Yemeni authorities again fail to bring American detainee to court appearance
(Washington Post) Yemeni authorities failed to bring an American who has been held for nearly five years to a scheduled court appearance for the seventh successive time on Wednesday, according to his lawyers.
EUROPE
New Paris shooting as French police hunt magazine attack suspects
(USA Today) A police officer was injured in a shooting in southern Paris on Thursday, the day after an attack at a French satirical weekly magazine left 12 people dead, police said. Two of the suspects in the attacks on Charlie Hebdo were identified as brothers and remain at large; the third suspect, Mourad Hamyd,18, surrendered at a police station in Charleville-Mezieres, a small town in France's eastern Champagne region. Paris police said it was too early to draw any connection between the shootings.
Russia Enables Foreigners To Serve In Armed Forces
(Defense News) Russia's President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree enabling foreign nationals to serve in the Russian military.
Turkish Marxist group claims Istanbul suicide bombing
(BBC) A banned Marxist group in Turkey says it carried out Tuesday's suicide bombing in Istanbul in which the female bomber and a policeman died.
Charlie Hebdo shootings: Europe's latest deadly terror attack
(Associated Press ) A gun assault on the Paris offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo Wednesday was the deadliest terrorist attack in France for half a century. The Associated Press looks at nine other terror attacks in Western Europe.
Turkey To Order 4 More F-35s, 5 More Chinooks
(Defense News) Turkey's top procurement panel decided Wednesday to order four more F-35 fighter jets and five more CH-47F Chinook heavy transport helicopters, the government announced.
Pro-Russian group claims cyber attack on German government websites
(Al Jazeera America) German government websites, including Chancellor Angela Merkel's page, were hacked Wednesday in an attack claimed by a group demanding Berlin end support for the Ukrainian government, shortly before their leaders were to meet.
A Veteran Who Captured Imaginations on D-Day Anniversary Dies at 90
(New York Times) A Royal Navy veteran of World War II who slipped away from a nursing home in England last year to attend the celebrations of the 70th anniversary of D-Day in France has died at the age of 90. Bernard Jordan, who became known as the Great Escaper after his escapade last June, died peacefully at The Pines, a care home in Hove, East Sussex, the hospital said in a statement.
Ukraine returns refurbished combat aircraft to service
(IHS Jane's 360) Ukraine has returned to service four combat aircraft that have recently undergone refurbishment work, the office of the president announced on 5 January. A pair of MiG-29 'Fulcrum' and two Sukhoi Su-27 'Flanker' fighters were handed back to the Ukrainian Air Force (Povitryani Sily/PS) during a ceremony at Ozerne Airbase attended by President Petro Poroshenko.
Dangerous Liaison: One Man's Tangle With Islamic State Recruiters In Russia
(Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) Hundreds of people from Central Asia have traveled to Syria to join Islamic State militants. But many of them were radicalized and recruited while working as migrant laborers in Russia.
ASIA-PACIFIC
Okinawa development budget may be smaller than requested, Tokyo warns​
(Japan Times ) The central government, irked by the election of a new Okinawa governor opposed to its plan to build a new military base in the Henoko district of Nago, has indicated that the prefecture's development budget for fiscal 2015 could be less than it originally requested. However, the government has also said it plans to increase construction-related funding in the next fiscal year for the base, which will serve as a replacement facility for U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in central Okinawa.
At least 25 wrong arrests mar Philippines anti-terror work
(Associated Press ) More than a decade ago, the military declared they had killed an Abu Sayyaf kidnapping suspect named Abdulmukim Idris. Yet a man authorities accuse of being Idris continues to languish in a maximum-security jail where the Philippines holds some of its most notorious terror suspects.
Reports of Army Deployment in Sri Lanka Investigated Ahead of Election
(New York Times) The Sri Lankan election authorities are investigating reports that the military has troops standing by, ready to deploy during the presidential election Thursday, the country's election commissioner said on Wednesday.
AFRICA
Uganda Confirms Surrender of Rebel Leader Sought by U.S.
(Wall Street Journal ) The Ugandan military on Wednesday confirmed the surrender of the second-in-command of the Lord's Resistance Army, a significant step in the U.S.-backed pursuit of the rebel group's commander, Joseph Kony.
Tunisia urged not to try blogger in military court
(Middle East Eye) Human rights organisations have called for the release of Tunisian blogger Yassine Ayari, who is facing a military trial for defaming the army.
Somalia's al-Shabab kills 'CIA and Ethiopian spies'
(BBC ) Somalia's militant Islamist group al-Shabab has killed by firing squad four men accused of spying for the CIA and other intelligence agencies.
Congo tells UN its troops are ready to act against rebels
(Associated Press) Congo's president assured Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday that his army is ready to take military action with U.N. troops against a rebel group in that failed to surrender by a Jan. 2 deadline.
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
Terrorists who attacked French magazine displayed professional training
(Long War Journal ) The attack appears to have been executed by hardened and well-trained fighters who may have received instructions at a training facility overseas, or locally in France. The attackers may also be ex-military.
How to make surveys in war zones better, and why this is important
(Andrew Shaver and Yang-Yang Zhou in Washington Post ) Surveys are now a common, though largely unacknowledged, counterinsurgency tool of the contemporary battlefield. Afghanistan Nationwide Quarterly Assessment Research (ANQAR), Foghorn and BINNA Household surveys have played an important role in the U.S.-led campaign in Afghanistan, where coalition forces have used survey responses to gauge civilian attitudes on a variety of topics, often as a means of assessing the effectiveness of strategies carried out by coalition forces.
There Are Some Important Questions We Need To Ask About The Fight Against ISIS
(Task & Purpose ) After 13 years of continuous war in Afghanistan, in addition to eight years during the same period in Iraq, Congress and the American public are understandably wary of U.S. involvement in yet another conflict. Former officials have pointed to the lack of clear direction in the previous wars in Afghanistan and Iraq as a sign that while U.S. military intervention may solve an immediate problem, a continued presence only brings diplomatic and political troubles. Now, with the the existence of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, aka ISIS, positive solutions are seemingly few and far between.
If Cyberattacks Are Terror, Who's the Biggest Terrorist?
(Council on Foreign Relations) There is no question that North Korean agents engage in any number of malicious and even violent actions in South Korea and beyond, which might be labeled by some as acts of "terrorism." However, the U.S. Secretary of State, who is empowered under the 1979 legislation to determine which countries should be included on the list, concluded that North Korea should not be on the list, and, in fact, the Bush administration removed the country in 2008.
A Congressional Commission to Bolster the Prosperity in Asia-Pacific | Commentary
(RollCall) As many analysts have pointed out, cross-straits issues concern not only the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, but also the Asian-Pacific region, because it may be the only issue that could provoke a conflict between the United States and China. At a deeper level, China still presents a distinct challenge to the United States. The 114th Congress leaders in the House and the Senate must focus on how the nation will deal with it's rebalancing in the Asia-Pacific, their associated security concerns, and regional evolving security realities.
The Case Against Being Too Sensitive
(Task & Purpose ) When I joined the Marines, I met a man who had survived a helicopter crash during a training exercise. The first time I saw him, his head and face were covered in burn scars. A balloon filled with saline that looked like a dinosaur's crest was implanted in his scalp to stretch the skin so hair could grow. Something that looked exactly like the checkered buttstock of an M16A2 was imprinted on one side of his head. He greeted me when I checked into my unit, and totally ignored the shocked expression I must have had when he approached. He shook my hand, asked a few questions, then left with a friendly "See you later, PFC." His demeanor left me with the absurd thought, Maybe he doesn't know how strange he looks.
The Tea Party Comes to Moscow
(Mark Lawrence Schrad in Foreign Pollicy ) Putin enthusiasts and the Republican Party's libertarian fringe make for strange but oddly appropriate bedfellows.
International Perceptions of the U.S. Military, Revisited
(The Diplomat) I've received quite a lot of feedback on my post yesterday, "What Do Chinese and Russians Think of the U.S. Military?" Some made the point that my argument seemed shallow and belabored the obvious ("Chinese and Russians see the U.S. military as a threat" - Oh, really? ). In fact, I was trying to make a deeper point, one that deals with perceptions and misperceptions of the United States Armed Forces abroad.
The Unraveling Journey Through The Central African Republic Crisis
(Peter Bouckaert and Marcus Bleasdale in Human Rights Watch ) In November 2013, the photographer Marcus Bleasdale and I began a year-long journey to document the Central African Republic's descent into horrific bloodshed. We wanted to draw the world's attention to a massive crisis in a country that few people in the world even knew existed.
Not So Chickenhawk: Pushing Back Against Fallows
(War on the Rocks ) "The country thinks too rarely, and too highly, of the 1 percent under fire in our name," so says Jim Fallows in a 10,000-word cri de couer in this month's Atlantic that bemoans the growing cultural and social divisions that separate the American people from its armed forces. This lack of inquiry, and growing distance, Fallows argues, is responsible for not only the promiscuous deployment of U.S. troops around the world, but for Pentagon excesses of which War on the Rocks readers are all too familiar.
Iran, Afghanistan's nightmare continues
(Massud Ebady in Khaama Press) The use of Afghans in Iranian proxy wars is another concern, recently in the Syrian civil war there are many reports of the Iranian government arresting Afghans from poor neighborhoods in Iran to fight in the Syrian civil war for the al-Assad government.
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