| November 14, 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. New commander in Afghanistan reviews drawdown plans
(Military Times) Many things have changed since President Obama announced in May that the U.S. would leave no more than 9,800 troops in Afghanistan next year. And now that decision may be getting a second look.
2. Hagel: Top-to-bottom changes needed in nuke force
(Associated Press) Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is ordering top-to-bottom changes in how the nation's nuclear arsenal is managed, vowing to invest billions of dollars more to fix what ails a force beset by leadership lapses, security flaws and sagging morale.
3. Why the US Is Losing Yemen
(Adam Baron in Defense One) Appearing at an event at the Atlantic Council on November 7th, CENTCOM's Gen. Lloyd Austin made what, for many, was a surprising admission.
4. Twelve Turkish nationalists released after attack on U.S. sailors
(Reuters) Twelve Turkish nationalists detained after an attack on U.S. sailors in Istanbul were released on Thursday but could still face charges for causing insult and injury, local media reports said.
5. Dengue Fever Researchers in Military Weigh Infecting Volunteers
(Wall Street Journal) Scientists at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research are considering resurrecting a research program that would infect healthy people with dengue fever, the potentially deadly mosquito-borne disease that has no specific drug treatment.
CONGRESS
Hagel: 'I Don't Know' When White House Will Seek AUMF for Islamic State
(Defense News) US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is unable to tell lawmakers when the Obama administration might send Congress proposed language to legally authorize America's latest military conflict.
McKeon: ISIS measure that restricts ground troops 'dead on arrival'
(The Hill) House Armed Services Committee Chairman Buck McKeon (R-Calif.) is warning the Obama administration that any authorization of force against Islamic militants that restricts the use of U.S. ground troops will be "dead on arrival" in Congress.
Congress Likely To Reject A-10 Partial Retirement Plan
(Defense News) A plan by the US Air Force to partially retire the A-10 Warthog fleet appears to be dead on arrival, based on comments made by top Senate and House members Thursday.
Obama seeks human rights waiver on war funds
(Associated Press) The Obama administration has asked Congress repeatedly to exempt its military effort against the Islamic State from a longstanding ban on U.S. assistance to torturers and war criminals, highlighting doubts about finding "clean" American allies in a region wracked by ethnic animosity and religious extremism.
Reporter's Notebook: Senate Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Claire McCaskill?
(Defense News) Congress is back in action, with members and reporters alike trying to figure out how both chambers would - if at all - address several national security issues in just five weeks.
McCain: GOP Senate will 'absolutely' look into Bergdahl swap
(The Hill) Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) says a Senate Armed Services Committee under his leadership would try to uncover more details about President Obama's decision to exchange Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl's for five Taliban prisoners.
ISLAMIC STATE
Dempsey again cites possibility of sending U.S. troops into Iraq combat
(McClatchy) Less than a week after the Obama administration announced that it would double the U.S. troop presence in Iraq, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told Congress Thursday that U.S. troops might eventually accompany Iraqi troops to the front lines in their battle to reclaim ground from the Islamic State.
Hagel Discounts Targeting Assad Now in Islamic State Fight
(Bloomberg) U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said the Obama administration doesn't plan to extend the fight against Islamic State to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime now, saying countering Islamic extremists in Iraq is the priority.
AP sources: IS, al-Qaida reach accord in Syria
(Associated Press) Militant leaders from the Islamic State group and al-Qaida gathered at a farm house in northern Syria last week and agreed on a plan to stop fighting each other and work together against their opponents, a high-level Syrian opposition official and a rebel commander have told The Associated Press.
Spring Offensive Against ISIS in Iraq 'Unrealistic'
(Foreign Policy) Iraq's former defense minister, Abdul Qader Obeidi, says the Iraqi army needs at least a year and a lot of U.S. help to take on the Islamic Stat
Islamic State Beckons and Somali Americans Again Struggle With Radicalization
(Voice of America) When Dayib Ahmed Abdi and his family arrived in the United States in 1996, his son Abdifatah already had an independent streak. The family settled in Minnesota along with thousands of other refugees from Somali's civil war and Abdifatah, known also as Abdirahman Muhumed, went in his own direction.
How ISIS Uses Sexual Predators' Techniques to Lure Western Women (Podcast)
(PBS Frontline) When Aqsa Mahmood left her home in Scotland to join ISIS at the age of 19, she didn't cut off contact with the West. She tweeted regularly and kept up an active Tumblr account where she urged prospective jihadi brides to pack socks, underwear, dresses and hijabs - as well as a good pair of sneakers
Islamic State leader urges attacks in Saudi Arabia: speech
(Reuters) Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi called for attacks against the rulers of Saudi Arabia in a speech purported to be in his name on Thursday, saying his self-declared caliphate was expanding there and in four other Arab countries.
Kurds Fight Islamic State to Claim a Piece of Syria
(Wall Street Journal) A billboard of a 19-year-old Kurdish fighter brandishing a machine gun covers part of a bullet-marked building that once housed Syrian government offices. The building is abandoned and its officials long gone.
INDUSTRY
BAE Sues South Korea Over F-16 Upgrade Cancellation Fees
(Defense News) South Korea is claiming BAE owes it $43 million in punitive costs over a recently canceled F-16 upgrade program - and BAE is taking the Asian country's military acquisition arm to court in order to block those charges.
Altavian gets Army nod for UAV sensors
(C4ISR & Networks) The Army has awarded a $4 million contract to Altavian Inc. for gimbaled sensor payloads for the RQ-20 small UAV.
ULA Head: Major Reorganization Coming
(Defense News) The new head of the United Launch Alliance (ULA) is promising a major transformation of his company to reduce costs for commercial and government customers.
Heavy Lifting Down Under: Australia's Growing C-17 Fleet
(Defense Industry Daily) The US DSCA announces Australia's formal export request for up to 4 more C-17A Globemaster III heavy-lift aircraft. Boeing in Long Beach, CA would be the contractor, and the estimated cost for C-17As, support and services could climb as high as $1.609 billion. The request also includes up to:
Turkey's decision on anti-missile system likely in early 2015
(Hurriyet Daily News) A final decision on Turkey's disputed contract for the construction of the country's first long-range air and anti-missile defense system will most likely come in early 2015, a senior defense official said in an interview with the prominent U.S.-based defense journal Defense News.
VETERANS
Pittsburgh VA director fired for Legionnaires outbreak
(Military Times) The embattled director of the Pittsburgh Veterans Affairs Healthcare system was formally fired Thursday.
Misbehaving VA Execs Could Lose Some of Their Pension Benefits
(Government Executive) Senior executives at the Veterans Affairs Department engaged in misconduct leading to their removal could lose some of their pension benefits under legislation a House lawmaker plans to introduce soon.
Frustrated lawmakers blast VA for too few dismissals
(Military Times) Members of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee returned from their election break with a warning for VA leadership: Don't repeat the mistakes of the past.
Health Care Nightmares, Day 5: Veteran who needed lung transplant left in financial straits
(Arizona Republic) Howard "Butch" Gatling was desperately ill when he sought care from Veterans Affairs in 2009.
VA benefits director fires back at union over 'no confidence' vote
(Tampa Bay Times) A week after a "no confidence" vote by an employee union, the chief of the Department of Veterans Affairs regional benefits office at Bay Pines says she wants to win back the confidence of any employees who doubt her leadership.
Iraq War veterans face deadline for Ohio Veterans Bonus
(Cincinnati Enquirer) As the region and state paid tribute to military veterans on Nov. 11, supporters of local veterans issued a reminder that time is running out for Iraq War veterans to apply for the Ohio Veterans Bonus.
7-Eleven to give away a franchise to a veteran
(Military Times) One veteran will be awarded a 7-Eleven franchise worth $190,000 as part of "Operation: Take Command," the company's first franchise giveaway contest.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Military tobacco policy recommendations delayed
(Military Times) The target date for the services to recommend any changes in tobacco policies on military installations to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has been pushed back to mid-December, a defense official said.
As U.S. nuclear arsenal ages, other nations have modernized
(Los Angeles Times) The debate over how to modernize America's aging nuclear forces has taken on increasing urgency with the emergence of a newly assertive Russia and a new generation of nuclear powers with increasing technological sophistication.
Defense Department to reduce use of live animals for medical training
(Military Times) The Pentagon will scale back its use of live animals in medical training starting Jan. 1, the Defense Department's top doctor has said.
Huntsville, Alabama becoming geospatial intel center
(C4ISR & Networks) The home of Redstone Arsenal also boasts a strong GEOINT presence
AAFES website frustrates customers
(Military Times) Scores of shoppers are complaining about the Army and Air Force Exchange Service's new website, shopmyexchange.com, which launched unofficially in late September.
ARMY
Combatives gets new master trainer course
(Army Times) The Army is rolling out a new Combatives Master Trainer Course as part of an ongoing overhaul of the hand-to-hand combat program.
Grateful community says goodbye to Idaho Army National Guard pilot
(Idaho Statesman) Stien P. Gearhart was remembered Wednesday as a skilled pilot, loyal friend, devoted family man and a lover of the outdoors.
Kuna High honors pilots who died in helicopter crash
(KTVB; Boise) Kuna High School remembered the pilots who died in Friday's helicopter crash at Gowen Field and one who had a special tie to the school.
Hofstra student who is Sikh sues U.S. Army over ROTC rejection
(Newsday) A Hofstra University student who is Sikh has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Army, alleging it won't allow him to join the campus ROTC unit unless he shaves his beard, cuts his hair and removes his turban -- all requirements of his religion.
Intent is at the heart of Mayo court-martial
(Colorado Springs Gazette) Prosecutors and defense attorneys agreed Thursday that Sgt. Montrell Mayo is a killer.
NAVY
Boxer skipper harassed, bullied crew
(San Diego Union-Tribune) It appears that Capt. Wayne R. Brown, one-time skipper of the San Diego warship Boxer, didn't know how to talk to people in his command - especially women.
Navy inquiry cites complacency in sub fire
(Associated Press) Complacency about safety during shipyard repairs and dependency on firefighters who didn't specialize in fires aboard ships contributed to the severity of a blaze that crippled a $900 million nuclear submarine, Navy investigators concluded.
Former SEAL Robert O'Neill describes the raid that killed Osama bin Laden
(Navy Times) Former Senior Chief Petty Officer Robert O'Neill recounted on Wednesday night the mission that killed Osama bin Laden, saying his shots ended the al-Qaida leader's life.
Did the SEALS on the Osama bin Laden Raid Break Their Code of Silence for Fame and Fortune?
(National Journal) An interview with former SEAL Team 6 member Matt Bissonnette.
Ceremony sends frigate USS Ingraham off to retirement
(Daily Herald; Everett, Wash.) With a bright sun overhead and cold air blowing off Puget Sound, the USS Ingraham, a guided missile frigate recently returned from a seven-month deployment, was formally decommissioned Wednesday at Naval Station Everett.
U.S. Navy strategy for long warship deployment starts in Asia
(Reuters) An upcoming 16-month deployment of the USS Fort Worth, a new coastal warship built by Lockheed Martin Corp, kicks off a new strategy by the U.S. Navy that it says will save money and help maintain a presence overseas despite tighter budgets.
AIR FORCE
TACP airman joins ranks of military's most decorated
(Air Force Times) Master Sgt. Thomas Case, a tactical air control party airman, has joined the ranks of the military's most decorated troops.
Airman's body found off Monterey coast after exhaustive search
(San Francisco Chronicle) The body of a missing California Air National Guard airman was recovered Wednesday off the Monterey County coast after he was swept off the rocks the previous day while fishing with friends, officials said.
TACP Association joins lawmakers in opposing A-10 cuts
(Air Force Times) For the first time, the largest group of tactical air control party airmen have joined with lawmakers to publicly oppose the Air Force's plan to retire the A-10 Thunderbolt II, a jet beloved by troops on the ground but in the budget cross hairs of the service.
Columbus man plans wife's funeral while Postal Service searches for lost remains
(Columbus Dispatch; Ohio) Every time they hear a car door slam, every time the phone rings, they jump. She was supposed to be there by noon on Saturday. Now it's Thursday, and no one seems to know where she is.
Colonel's call for better leadership touches a nerve
(Air Force Times) Some current and former airmen think a commentary by Col. Donald Grannan has hit on serious problems with the Air Force's leadership that they see every day.
MARINE CORPS
Instructor awarded medal for saving Marine from grenade
(Marine Corps Times) All that stood between a Marine School of Infantry student and a live grenade was Sgt. Joseph Liefer.
Lejeune vets gain by knowing details of toxin law
(Military Update) A 2012 law that requires VA to cover health care of former Marines, sailors and family members with ailments linked to 1957-to-1987 water contaminations at Camp Lejeune, N.C., continues to surprise segments of the impacted population.
Marine major dies after collapsing during training run
(Marine Corps Times) A Marine supply officer died last week after collapsing during unit training in Germany.
Missing Marine ring returned thanks to Facebook
(Montgomery Advertiser) Once their son's Marine ring was missing for more than a week, the Comtoises assumed it was lost for good.
AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN
Afghan Leaders Miss Goal for Choosing Cabinet
(New York Times) President Ashraf Ghani's honeymoon with the Afghan public is not over yet, but he has now officially broken his first campaign promise - to form a new government within 45 days after his inauguration.
UK withdraws Tornados from Afghanistan
(IHS Jane's 360) The United Kingdom has ended manned fixed-wing combat operations over Afghanistan with the return of the final Panavia Tornado GR.4 detachment to its home base in England, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 11 November.
Pakistani army chief's trip to U.S. likely to be marked by greater optimism, trust
(Washington Post) The last time a Pakistani army chief visited Washington, he got an earful from U.S. leaders worried that he was not a reliable partner in efforts to combat militant groups responsible for devastating attacks in Afghanistan.
Pakistan Wins Approval To Purchase Mi-35 Helo
(Defense News) Pakistan's attempts to acquire new helicopter gunships appear to be nearing success with news that a deal for Mi-35 Hind helicopters has been approved.
EUROPE
Fighters head to Eastern Europe as tensions rise
(Air Force Times) Russia's disruptive behavior in Ukraine has prompted pushback from NATO leadership and has sparked U.S. and EU members to meet in Brussels today to discuss further sanctions against its economy.
Naples command trains to lead NATO response force
(Stars & Stripes) Ground forces in Germany, air assets in France, maritime forces off the coast of Spain - assembling NATO's parts into a single fighting force is complicated by distance and communication.
Russia to Curtail Nuclear Security Efforts With U.S.
(New York Times) Russia has informed the United States that it is planning to reduce its participation next year in a joint effort to secure nuclear materials on Russian territory, a move that could seriously undermine more than two decades of cooperation aimed at ensuring that nuclear bomb components do not fall into the hands of terrorists or a rogue state.
ASIA-PACIFIC
Leaders of U.S., Australia, Japan to Meet, With Eye on China
(Wall Street Journal) The U.S. is expected to urge Japan and Australia to step-up military and security cooperation to help contain simmering territorial tensions in Asia, as the leaders of the three allies meet for the first time in seven years on the sidelines of summit of the Group of 20 major economies in Brisbane this weekend.
US Envoy: No Rewards Offered for N. Korean Release of Americans
(Voice of America) The United States says it did not offer any rewards to North Korea in return for Pyongyang's releasing two American detainees last week.
North Korea to Send Senior Envoy to Russia
(New York Times) North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-un, plans to send a senior envoy to Moscow, state-run media announced on Friday, as the country seeks to improve its relations with Russia.
AFRICA
France completes Operation Tudelle in northern Mali
(IHS Jane's 360) France completed its Operation 'Tudelle' in Mali's Ifoghas mountains, 500 km north of Gao and close to the Algerian border in early November. The operation saw a shift in both jihadist and French military tactics, while behind the scenes all the indications are that France's military involvement in Mali is set for the long term.
Car Bombs Explode Near Egyptian and U.A.E. Embassies in Libya
(New York Times) Car bombs exploded outside the embassies of Egypt and the United Arab Emirates in Tripoli, Libya, early on Thursday, apparently in a backlash against the two countries for their role in a regional proxy war playing out in Libya.
Military chopper crashes in northeast Nigeria
(Associated Press) A military helicopter crashed and exploded next to a college dormitory in northeast Nigeria, the zone where troops are fighting an Islamic insurgency, police and witnesses said Friday. They saw no survivors.
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
China and the United States Are Preparing for War
(Michael Pillsbury in Foreign Policy) Despite the Obama-Xi handshake deal, the probability of confrontation will only heighten as long as the PLA remains a black box.
The Rise of the Feral Adversary
(Alon Paz in War on the Rocks) The recent war in Gaza was a glimpse of one type of conflict that Israel - and likely other Western countries - can expect to fight in the Middle East. This form is the outcome of three major trends: glocalization, when local power is amplified by global connectedness; littoralization, the rapid urbanization in coastal zones; and feralization, the gradual replacement of state-order by local violent armed actors. These trends set the conditions for the emergence of a new type of enemy - the feral adversary. Avoiding conventional warfare altogether, this enemy has found an effective formula to force its Western opponents into a kind of war that defies orthodox definitions and categories - one where war and peace merge, diffusing into every domain of human activity.
Putin Sends His 'Leopard' to the Battlefield of Eastern Ukraine
(Michael Weiss and James Miller in Foreign Policy) Russia's invaded Ukraine -- again. Though this time, it appears to be moving in weapons systems hitherto unseen on the battlefield, signaling perhaps the next, more deadly, phase in a six-month war which Vladimir Putin's government continues to deny it is a party t
No More Russian Engines on American Rockets
(Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., in Defense One) An invisible battle is raging between those who believe the U.S. military should rely only on secure defense suppliers and those who are willing to turn a blind eye, in the interest of globalization, to the dangers of foreign dependence.
Clapper, Kerry Plane Delays A Non-Story; Air Force Just Being Careful
(Colin Clark in Breaking Defense) When the the Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, was delayed by a day-and-a-half on his mission to secure the release of the two American hostages in North Korea because his plane wasn't ready to fly, it sounded like a pretty good story.
The Last Thing the US Needs are Mobile Nuclear Missiles
(Tom Z. Collina and Jacob Marx in Defense One) The U.S. Air Force is in a bit of a slump. Leaders of the nuclear missile force were caught on drunken benders in Moscow and using counterfeit poker chips in Iowa casinos. The officer corps has been rocked by a cheating scandal and a 60 Minutes investigation of its missile silos. The Air Force's image is so bad that the missileers are the brunt of jokes on late night TV.
Is there an economic rationale for socialized medicine for veterans?
(Vivian Ho in The Hill) Each fall, I teach an undergraduate class in health economics at Rice University. It's important to discuss the many ways that government intervenes in the healthcare sector and measure the costs and benefits of these interventions. Often this exercise works best with references to articles and editorials from the media. As I was going through the collection of media pieces I saved from last year, I came across one on socialized medicine. It was written in 2012 by Uwe Reinhardt, who is one of the most thoughtful and well-known health economists in the country.
Revisiting the First 102 Days of the War on Terror
(Cicero Magazine Editors) The phrase "Tora Bora" became a tagline for anti-Bush stump speeches by John Kerry during his 2004 presidential run. Over a decade later you've written a book about what happened there. First, why did you want to document this moment in history, and second, what is its larger significance, besides the obvious ten-year hunt for America's most wanted man?
|
No comments:
Post a Comment