6/21/04

TOP STORIES

TOP STORIES

U.S. Said To Overstate Value Of Guantanamo Detainees
[New York Times, June 21, 2004, Pg. 1]
None of the detainees being held at Guantanamo Bay ranks as leaders or
senior operatives of al Qaeda, and only a relative handful were sworn al
Qaeda members or other extremists able to spell out the group's inner
workings, according to some officials.

Iraq Leader Says Army To Target Insurgents
Prime Minister Outlines Reorganization of Forces
[Washington Post, June 21, 2004, Pg. 1]
Iraqi's interim prime minister said the country's security forces are being
organized and all of Iraq's military resources, including the army, will be
used to combat anti-U.S. insurgents, whom he said are "enemies of God and
the people."

Iraq Government Considers Using Emergency Rule
[New York Times, June 21, 2004, Pg. 1]
Iraq's newly appointed government is considering issuing a state of
emergency that could involve curfews and ban on public demonstrations.

Iraq Leader Defends Attack
Premier says U.S. missile strike on Fallouja hit a site used by terrorists.
He plans to enlarge his nation's army to fight the insurgency.
[Los Angeles Times, June 21, 2004, Pg. 1]
Iraq's interim prime minister, Iyad Allawi, defended an American air strike
on a residence in Fallouja the left 22 people dead. He also announced plans
to restructure Iraqi security force to help combat a stubborn insurgency.

S. Korean Troops Cuts Tied To Restructuring
U.S. tailors forces to threat level
[Washington Times, June 21, 2004, Pg. 1]
The planned withdrawal of 12,500 U.S. troops from South Korea occurs amid
increased defenses against a weaker but still dangerous North Korean
military threat. The cuts are based on 10 years of upgrades of South Korean
forces and a U.S. force restructuring of fewer bases with new weapons and
equipment.

Saudis Put Dent In Terror Threat
Area's al Qaeda leader killed, but risk abounds
[USA Today, June 21, 2004, Pg. 1]
Saudi authorities killed the al Qaeda leader responsible for beheading an
American defense contractor, dealing the terror group a severe blow, even
though terrorists continue to stalk and target Americans in their campaign
to destabilize the Saudi royal family.

IRAQ

U.S. Forces Plan Lower Profile
Shift Intended to Give Iraqis ore Visibility After June 30]
[Washington Post, June 21, 2004, Pg. 15]
The changing political scene in Iraq, officially set for June 30, will be
accompanied by a major shift in military missions and tactics. U.S. forces
will still be legally authorized by the U.N. to provide security in Iraq,
although American commanders intend to reduce combat operations, concentrate
on training and assisting Iraqi forces and promote local governance and
economic development.

Iraqi Official Says U.S. Raid Aimed To Kill Foreign Rebels
[New York Times, June 21, 2004]
A senior Iraqi official said that 23 of 26 people killed in Falluja during
an American air strike were foreign terrorists, including men from Algeria,
Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

Attackers Strike Iraqi Troops Near Baghdad's Airport
2 killed in roadside blast; Al-Jazeera airs video of purported Korean
hostage
[Baltimore Sun, June 21, 2004]
A roadside bomb on the road leading to Baghdad's airport killed two Iraqi
soldiers and wounded 11 others. Elsewhere, U.S. forces clashed with
insurgents in Samarra, striking back with helicopter gunships after
guerrillas fired mortars into a residential neighborhood.

Americans Soldier On To Improve Iraqis' Lives
Infrastructure work continues despite insurgent attacks.
[Philadelphia Inquirer, June 21, 2004]
Iraqi's infrastructure, besides being battle damaged, is run-down and
outdated. Those problems haven't stopped the reconstruction of Iraq. U.S.
troops battle guerrillas not just with bullets but also with billions of
dollars in infrastructure projects that provide jobs for locals and hope for
the future.

U.S. Is Quietly Spending $2.5 Billion From Iraqi Oil Revenues To Pay For
Iraqi Projects
[New York Times, June 21, 2004]
U.S. authorities have moved quietly and quickly to spend $2.5 billion in
Iraqi oil revenues for projects employing tens of thousands of Iraqis,
especially in the country's hot spots. The spending program was undertaken
in consultation with Iraqi minister, despite misgivings that the money
belonged to Iraq and should be set aside for use when the country regains
sovereignty on June 30.

An Educator Learns The Hard Way
Task of Rebuilding Universities Brings Frustration, Doubts and Danger
[Washington Post, June 21, 2004, Pg. 1]
Rebuilding Iraq's universities has proven to be a costly, time-consuming,
sometimes deadly undertaking. Iraq's universities, once the most modern in
the Middle East before being strangled by Saddam Hussein, need $1.2 billion
to become viable centers of learning. But of the $18.6 billion approved by
Congress for reconstruction, the higher education system received just $8
million.

IRAQ---ABU GHRAIB

Teaming Up With Tribes To Try To Quell Insurgents
Army commander works with influential local leaders who pledge to keep
kinsmen in line in return for a lighter American presence.
[Los Angeles Times, June 21, 2004]
Iraqi tribal and clan leaders have welcomed former detainees of Abu Ghraib
prison with open arms. The prisoners were released to the powerful Iraqi
figures under an arrangement that has the influential leaders guaranteeing
the behavior of their tribe member, former prisoners and regular Iraqis
alike. This plan, devised by an American Army officer, could be a key to
blunting Iraq's persistent insurgency.

Lawyers: Dismiss Abuse Case
[Miami Herald, June 21, 2004]
An attorney for Sgt. Javal S. Davis wants a judge to dismiss the charges his
client faces in connection with Abu Ghraib prison scandal.

Iraqi See U.S. Sham As Abuse Trials Open
'People who gave orders will never be punished'
[Baltimore Sun, June 21, 2004]
Many Iraqis believe the trials of U.S. military personnel for alleged Abu
Ghraib atrocities will be a sham. They don't think anyone higher up the
military chain of command will be brought up on charges.

Prison Releases Frustrate Police
Crime wave unprecedented
[Washington Times, June 21, 2004, Pg. 12]
The release of low-life thugs from Abu Ghraib, who were serving time for
criminal activities before the Americans ever arrived, has sparked an
increase in crime statistics for Baghdad. The Americans are responsible for
releasing some of the convicts, while many more were freed just before the
war began by Saddam Hussein as a good-will gesture.

Abuse Hearing Begins Tuesday
[Fayetteville Observer, June 21, 2004]
A preliminary hearing for Pfc. Lynndie Englund will be held at a Fort Bragg
military court on Tuesday. She has been working at the post since leaving
Iraq because of her pregnancy. Englund's hearing will be to determine if she
should face court-martial on charges that she abused detainees at Abu Ghraib
prison.

Rumsfeld ID's Secret Detainee
[New York Daily News, June 20, 2004]
The Iraqi prisoner kept under wraps by order of Secretary Rumsfeld has been
identified as a high-ranking member of the Iraqi terrorist organization
Ansar al Islam. Hiwa Abdul Rahman RAshul is believed to have been involved
in planning attacks against coalition forces in Iraq.

DEFENSE DEPARTMENT

Redefining The Front Line In Reversing War's Toll
[New York Times, June 21, 2004]
A growing number of troops who lost limbs in combat are being treated at
Walter Reed Army Medical Center, a national leader in providing patients
with the finest in prosthetic medicine. About 100 soldiers have been fitted
with artificial arms and legs since the war began last year.

Study: 770 Discharged Under 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'
[Los Angeles Times, June 21, 2004]
The military discharged 770 troops last year under the "don't' ask, don't
tell" policy. Since the policy was adopted in 1994, nearly 10,000 military
personnel have been discharged.

Rumsfeld Aide Nominated As Southcom Boss
The White House named a 33-year career Army officer to run the Pentagon's
Southern Command; next come confirmation hearings.
[Miami Herald, June 19, 2004]
President Bush nominated Lt. Gen. Banzt J. Craddock, who now serves as
Secretary Rumsfeld's senior military aid, to become the new boss of Southern
Command. If confirmed, Craddock will automatically get a fourth star.

GUANTANAMO

U.S. To Unveil Review System For Guantanamo Detainees
[Wall Street Journal, June 21, 2004, Pg. B1]
If the Supreme Court rules that Guantanamo detainees have no right to
challenge their detentions in court, DoD is preparing an alternative
procedure to decide if prisoners, classified as enemy combatants linked to
al Qaeda or the Taliban, can win release from the detention center.

Guantanamo Prisoners 'Wrongly Held'
Release of two dozen detainees earlier this year followed Pentagon lawyers
concerns
[London Financial Times, June 19, 2004]
More than two dozen prisoners released from Guantanamo earlier this year
were set free after Pentagon attorneys determined that some had been wrongly
detained for upwards of two years.

SEPTEMBER 11

9/11 Panel Members Debate Qaeda-Iraq 'Tie'
[New York Times, June 21, 2004]
Sept. 11 commission chairman Thomas H. Kean restated the panel's conclusion
that Saddam Hussein was not connected with al Qaeda's attacks against the
U.S. But he said that conclusion does not put the commission at odds with
the Bush administration's contentions that Iraq and al Qaeda did have links.

Two Panelists Detail Allies' Al Qaeda Ties
Saudi Arabia and Pakistan paid 'a kind of blackmail' to the group before
Sept. 11, one commissioner says.
[Los Angeles Times, June 21, 2004]
The Sept. 11 commission has turned up evidence that blames Saudi Arabia and
Pakistan for turning a blind eye to al Qaeda operations and operatives in
their countries for years before U.S. targets were hit.

Iraqi Officer In Al Qaeda, Papers Show
Intelligence learned after 9/11 report still to be confirmed
[Washington Times, June 21, 2004, Pg. 1]
A senior officer in Saddam Hussein's security service was a member of al
Qaeda, according to Sept. 11 commission member John Lehman. The intelligence
about a Fedayeen lieutenant colonel, Ahmed Hikmat Shakir, is "still to be
confirmed." Lehman said the commission has confirmed that there were
numerous contacts between Iraq and al Qaeda before the Sept. 11 attacks, but
there is nothing to connect Baghdad with the attacks on American targets.

NORTH KOREA

U.S. Stays Firm On Tough Stance With North Korea
Bush Maintains Hard Line As Allies Urge Flexibility; Kerry Comments Play
Role
[Wall Street Journal, June 21, 2004, Pg. 14]
The U.S. will not concede anything to North Korea as an inducement to
persuade Pyongyang to forgo its nuclear ambitions. The Bush administration
is increasingly doubtful that anything of substance will be decided when
multilateral negotiations take place next week in Beijing. Democratic
presidential candidate John Kerry injected an option into the debate that
has piqued North Korea's interest. Kerry would pursue two-way talks
Pyongyang has wanted all along but Washington has resisted. North Korea's
leaders are liable to sit back and agree to nothing until after the November
elections, hoping that Kerry wins.

AFGHANISTAN

7 Killed In Afghan Fighting
[Los Angeles Times, June 20, 2004]
Seven people died when Taliban insurgents attacked a government office in
southern Afghanistan. Just north of Kandahar, two U.S. soldiers were wounded
and their Afghan interpreter killed when their vehicle hit a land mine.

Afghans Sour On Yielding Arms
Promises of help unkept, disarmed militiamen say
[Chicago Tribune, June 20, 2004]
Afghan militiamen who have surrendered their arms are sorry they did so. The
new government hasn't produced the money and help it pledged to help the
militiamen find new ways for earning a living.

ASIA/PACIFIC

Seoul To Send Troops To Iraq Despite Kidnapping
[New York Times, June 21, 2004]
South Korea won't change plans to deploy 3,000 soldiers to Iraq despite the
recent kidnapping of a South Korean man in that country.

India, Pakistan To Set Up Hotline
Talks End With Agreement to Maintain Moratorium on Nuclear Testing
[Washington Post, June 21, 2004, Pg. 12]
Pakistan and India will establish a hotline between their foreign ministries
to help reduce the threat of accidental nuclear war. The two countries also
agreed to continue a moratorium on nuclear weapons tests.

NATO

Gun-Shy NATO Is Wary Of Iraq
Afghan Theater Teaches Alliance a Hard Lesson It Its Military Limitations
[Wall Street Journal, June 21, 2004, Pg. 14]
NATO isn't anxious to help the U.S. stabilize Iraq because of its difficult
experience in securing Afghanistan. Increased violence in Afghanistan,
leading up to national elections, has put NATO under pressure to furnish
more troops and hardware in Afghanistan, just as Washington tries to get the
alliance involved in Iraq.

Balkan Nations' Efforts To Join NATO Supported
[Baltimore Sun, June 19, 2004]
Secretary Rumsfeld encouraged Albania, Croatia and Macedonia to press on
with their efforts to join NATO.

MIDEAST

Iran Reiterates Pledge Not To Enrich Uranium
[Washington Post, June 21, 2004, Pg. 16]
Iran said it has no immediate plans to resume uranium enrichment. Tehran, in
a tough message meant to avoid a major crisis, said it may merely suspend
its pledge to stop building uranium centrifuge parts---a commitment to which
Iran had not fully complied anyway.

NUCLEAR WEAPONS

Report Faults U.S. Nuclear Steps
Study Recommends More Aggressive Anti-Proliferation Moves
[Washington Post, June 21, 2004, Pg. 12]
The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace said the U.S. has not done
enough to secure vulnerable nuclear facilities. Nor has America criminalized
the transfer of weapons technology or meted out punishments for countries
that renege on their commitment to stay nuclear-free.

BUSINESS

Boeing Employees Exposed To Radiation At Naval Base
[Washington Post, June 21, 2004, Pg. 20]
At least two Boeing Co. workers were exposed to potentially harmful doses of
radiation at the Fallon Naval Air Station. The exposure occurred over a
three-month period when the men were working near an X-ray machine used to
check Navy fighters for metal fatigue. The machine malfunctioned and stayed
on when it was supposedly turned off.

Iraq Oil Pipeline Still Being Fixed
[Los Angeles Times, June 21, 2004]
Repairs on a sabotaged oil pipeline in Iraq are running behind schedule,
preventing a resumption of exports. Oil could begin flowing overnight if
tests prove the pipeline is fixed.

OPINION

The Zelikow Report
William Safire
[New York Times, June 21, 2004]
Blame Philip Zelikow, head of the Sept. 11 commission's staff, for creating
the headlines that said the administration lied about alleged links between
Saddam Hussein and al Qaeda. Given the tempest created by Zelikow, it is
going to be difficult for the commission to regain its nonpartisan
credibility.

Killers With Cameras
Ralph Peters
[New York Post, June 21, 2004]
What if the Nazis had been able to film Omaha Beach on D-Day, and U.S.
soldiers couldn't interfere. And what if the Germans had invented American
atrocities against French civilians. That's essentially what we have now
with al-Jazeera's coverage of events in Iraq. The Qatar-based television
station is so consumed by hatred of the U.S. and the West that it would
rather see Iraq sink into a bloodbath than become a thriving democracy. We
need to put the brakes on al Jazeera. Its broadcasts not only spur the
murders of U.S. soldiers, it also poisons the entire Arab world by
reinforcing the fatal Arab addiction to blaming others for every home-brewed
disaster.

In Vietnam, A Clear Line To Avoid
John Stuart Blackton
[Washington Post, June 21, 2004, Pg. 19]
The Justice Department has advised the White House that President Bush, and
his aides, may contravene treaties, U.S. law and international law under the
broad doctrine of "necessity." That isn't how Lyndon Johnson was advised
during the Vietnam War. Sadly, however, that war did not present the U.S.
military at its best when it came to avoiding atrocities. Vietnam was not
the military's finest hour, but the occupation of Iraq, because of the
covert operations taking place there, could be seen as one of our darkest.

What's Going Right In Iraq
Jeff Jacoby
[Boston Globe, June 20, 2004]
The media would have us believe everything is chaos in Iraq. That isn't the
truth. There are plenty of good news stories to report in Iraq, including
that radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's uprising is kaput. He didn't get the
mass support he wanted---indeed, he was taken to the woodshed by Grand
Ayatollah Ali Sistani. In combat, an Iraqi soldier braved a hail of enemy
fire to drag a wounded U.S. marine to safety. The press would have us
believe all Iraqis hate Americans. But many appreciate the sacrifices made
by U.S. troops. They appreciate it so much that they are willing to put
their own lives on the line when an American soldier is in danger.

Washington's Blind Spot In Afghanistan
Masood Farivar
[Wall Street Journal, June 21, 2004, Pg. 17]
The Taliban are doing their best to influence the elections set for
September in Afghanistan. Crushing the Taliban insurgency is critical, but
the U.S. must abandon its single-minded focus on military operations against
radicals. Afghanis in some parts of the country have not benefited from
reconstruction and won't see how their lives can improve until that occurs.
It might be wise to postpone the elections until after more reconstruction
is done. That would give Afghanis a chance to see what they are really
voting for.

Rebuilding Air Defenses
September 11 and the 'peace dividend'
Darl Stephenson
[Washington Times, June 21, 2004, Pg. 19]
The "peace dividend" that came with the Soviet Union's collapse caused
America's air defenses to go dormant. Since Sept. 11, many changes have been
made. We have learned that threats could come from within this country.
Never again can America take for granted our continental air defense system.
More disasters could be too close to home.

EDITORIAL

A Transition Under Fire In Iraq
[New York Times, June 20, 2004]
Iraqis are being protected by American troops they don't want in their
country. Iraqi soldiers show a disturbing tendency to disappear during
combat. Developing a reliable security apparatus in Iraq will take time, and
will depend on how well Iraq's interim leaders can establish their own
authority and win the trust of a highly skeptical Iraqi citizenry.

Torture Policy (Cont'd)
[Washington Post, June 21, 2004, Pg. 18]
The damage caused by the prisoner abuse scandal in Iraq is enormous and not
finished. We need a full and independent investigation of the issue,
including decisions made by Secretary Rumsfeld and other senior officials,
and a forthright and unambiguous commitment by President Bush to strictly
observe U.S. and international law in the future.

Source: Defense News