Bush Confronts New Challenges On Issue Of Iran
[New York Times, November 19, 2004, Pg. 1]
President Bush is putting together a national security team to deal
with
what could be the biggest headache of his second term---how to prevent
Iran
from going nuclear and keep Tehran from supporting violence in Israel
and
insurgents in Iraq.
Nuclear Disclosures On Iran Unverified
U.S. Officials Checking Evidence Cited by Powell
[Washington Post, November 19, 2004, Pg. 1]
Colin Powell told reporters about Iran's nuclear program, using information
that was classified and based on an unvetted, single source whose
reliability has yet to be verified. Intelligence officials are being
careful
about accepting the new information at face value; fully aware of the
weapons of mass destruction fiasco that led to war with Iraq.
U.S. Declares Insurgency 'Broken'
Military also says bin Laden is cut off
[Washington Times, November 19, 2004, Pg. 1]
Marine Lt. Gen. John Sattler, the top Marine officer in Iraq, said that
Fallujah is secure, but not yet safe. His troops are engaged in a
"search-and-clear phase," he added. He also said that intelligence
indicates
U.S. forces have "broken the back of the insurgency, and we have
taken away
this safe haven."
Iraq Factions Urge Delay Of Election
At summit, politicians cite ongoing strife
[Boston Globe, November 19, 2004, Pg. 1]
Leading Sunnis politicians and representatives of Iraq's prime minister
and
president want elections postponed until order is restored in the
violence-wracked Sunni Arab heartland, the strongest signal yet that
voting
might not occur in January as planned.
Bodies Of Four Iraqis Are Brought To U.S.
Autopsies scheduled as part of probe of taped shooting
[Baltimore Sun, November 19, 2004]
Autopsies will be conducted on the bodies of four Iraqi insurgents who
died
in Fallujah. The procedures are part of an expanding investigation into
whether they were killed by U.S. forces after they stopped fighting.
IRAQ
House In Fallujah Seems To Have Been Base For Jordanian Terrorist
[New York Times, November 19, 2004]
U.S. military officials say they have discovered a house in Fallujah
that
seems to have been a headquarters for guerrillas of the Jordanian militant
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.
Insurgent Base Discovered In Fallujah
U.S. Troops Find Ammunition, Written Orders in House Used by Zarqawi's
Network
[Washington Post, November 19, 2004, Pg. 18]
American troops found a house in southern Fallujah that appears to have
been
a headquarters for the terrorist network of Abu Musab Zarqawi.
Fallujah Yields Up Weapons, Videos
On patrol Tuesday, marines find largest arms cache yet, hid in a nondescript
building.
[Christian Science Monitor, November 19, 2004]
U.S. Marines discovered a vast weapons cache and safe house operating
under
the cover of an Islamic medical charity in Fallujah. Flags of Abu Musab
al-Zarqawi were also found, prompting Marine commanders to urge pushing
their offensive further.
U.S. Reservists Gingerly Start To Rebuild Fallujah
[Chicago Tribune, November 18, 2004]
Marine, Army and Navy reservists have begun the chore of rebuilding
war-torn
Fallujah, albeit with considerable attention to the possibility that
snipers
are still in the town and improvised explosive devices have been found
all
over the area.
Troops Round Up Corpses, Weapons In Fallujah
Their operation in the city has shifted to cleanup and rebuilding, amid
sporadic fighting.
[Los Angeles Times, November 19, 2004]
The battle for Fallujah has shifted to cleanup and reconstruction, even
though pockets of resistance remain in the city.
Road Rules For Surviving On The Streets Of Baghdad
On a day a car bomb hits a police station, never travel alone and never
stop, a reporter learns.
[Los Angeles Times, November 19, 2004]
Insurgents in Baghdad have had a chance to regroup since the town first
fell
to U.S. forces over a year ago. Now, Westerners no longer roam the streets
in safety and favorite dining places are shut down because of the threat
of
suicide bombers.
Envoy: We'll Deal With Marine
[New York Daily News, November 18, 2004]
U.S. Ambassador John Negroponte said the Marine who killed an unarmed
wounded Iraqi in a Fallujah will be dealt with. Prime Minister Iyad
Allawi
is concerned about the incident, but backs U.S. efforts to handle the
ongoing investigation.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
U.S. Expected To Boost Troop Levels In Iraq
Some question whether it will be enough to quell the violence and worry
about the impact of prolonged tours.
[Christian Science Monitor, November 19, 2004]
The U.S. military is planning to increase combat forces in Iraq to secure
the country for the scheduled January elections.
NSA Director Sees 'Long War' On Terrorism
Hayden's remarks come at ceremony honoring vets
[Baltimore Sun, November 19, 2004]
Lt. Gen. Michael V. Hayden, National Security Agency director, said
the war
on terrorism will be a prolonged conflict, and it will be a fight to
the
finish.
Pentagon's Reliance On Civilians Surges, Death Claims Show
[Bloomberg.com, November 18, 2004]
Total death insurance claims by contractors in Iraq have grown more
than
sixfold from 2003, indicating that nearly as many civilians are working
overseas as soldiers. Over half the 157 civilians killed abroad worked
for
Halliburton Co. or Titan Corp.
Pentagon Updates Rules On Post-Government Work
Move Follows Boeing Recruitment Scandal
[Washington Post, November 19, 2004, Pg. E5]
The Pentagon has adopted new procedures that ensure senior officials
seeking
employment in industry abide by rules governing post-government work.
Pentagon TV
[TelevisionWeek, November 15, 2004, Pg. 2]
DoD has begun an effort to recruit cable and satellite television operators.
Officials want to expand the 24/7 military news and information service
called Pentagon Channel that currently reaches fewer than half the 2.6
million military members in the U.S. and abroad.
ARMY
Army: Troops Getting Hurt Overseas Getting Rare Blood Infection
[USA Today, November 19, 2004, Pg. 8]
U.S. soldiers injured in Afghanistan and elsewhere in the Middle East
are
testing positive for a rare, hard-to-treat blood infection in military
hospitals.
MARINE CORPS
A Brother Hopes To Remain At Arms
[New York Times, November 19, 2004]
Marine Cpl. Kevin Johnston doesn't want the Corps to transfer him from
his
unit in Iraq, even though his parents are concerned for Johnston's safety
after his brother, another Marine, lost an arm and a leg in Iraq.
Hassoun's Things Found In Fallujah
ID, uniform: The belongings of the Utah Marine, who says he was abducted,
were discovered during a search by U.S. soldiers.
[Salt Lake Tribune, November 18, 2004, Pg. 1]
U.S. troops searching buildings in Fallujah have found personal belongings
of Utah Marine Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun, who claimed to have been abducted
from his base near the city last summer.
AIR FORCE
Air Force Top Brass Sued Over Vaccine
Dover AFB sergeant says free speech right violated
[Wilmington News Journal, November 19, 2004, Pg. 1]
Air Force Sgt. Jason Adkins filed a civil rights lawsuit against military
officials and Secretary Rumsfeld that alleges his constitutional guarantee
of free speech was violated after he was punished for speaking out about
the
military's anthrax vaccination program.
NATIONAL GUARD/RESERVE
GI Trainers Upbeat On Iraqi Army
Dublin reservists back after 6 months
[San Francisco Chronicle, November 18, 2004, Pg. 1]
Army reservists returning home to Camp Parks in Dublin are confident
that
the Iraqi soldiers they have helped train will be able to do the job
and
contribute to stabilizing Iraq.
GUANTANAMO
Court Vows To Rule Soon On Guantanamo Trials
[Miami Herald, November 19, 2004]
A federal court in Washington has agreed to a quick timetable for the
Bush
administration's appeal of a ruling that has frozen Guantanamo war crimes
trials.
CONGRESS
Agreement May Be Near On 9/11 Bill
[New York Times, November 19, 2004]
House/Senate negotiators are very close to a deal for enacting the major
recommendations made by the Sept. 11 commission. They continue to haggle
over a handful of issues that could still block agreement on a compromise
intelligence bill.
Congressional Aides Expect 3.5 Percent Pay Raise In Bill, Over Bush
Objections
[Washington Post, November 19, 2004, Pg. B2]
Key legislators and aides worked into the night to complete a 2005 spending
package for federal agencies. It is expected the measure will contain
a 3.5
percent pay hike for federal employees, which exceeds President Bush's
request by $2.2 billion.
Bill Aims To Improve Military Policy On Violence Against Women
[Denver Post, November 19, 2004]
Rep. Louise Slaughter has introduced legislation designed to reform
the
military's response to violence against women, proposing broad measures
for
improving investigations and victim services.
Democrat Warns On CIA Changes
Senator criticizes Goss note to staff
[Boston Globe, November 19, 2004]
Sen. Dianne Feinstein warned CIA Director Porter Goss that his efforts
to
make major changes in the spy agency could have a "significant
and negative
effect" on the Langley facility.
AFGHANISTAN
U.S. Plans To Eradicate Afghan Opium Crop
[London Financial Times, November 18, 2004]
U.S. officials have unveiled a controversial economic and military campaign
to end Afghanistan's opium poppy production based on crop eradication
and
development projects.
Afghan Poppy Growing Reaches Record Level, U.N. Says
[New York Times, November 19, 2004]
Poppy crops in Afghanistan were sharply up this year, reaching the highest
level in the country's history and in the world.
NORTH KOREA
Powell Presses For Nuclear Talks With North Korea
[New York Times, November 19, 2004]
Secretary of State Powell opened a new effort to enlist Russia, China,
South
Korea and Japan to press North Korea to rejoin talks aimed at ending
its
nuclear arms program.
North Korea's Nukes At Top Of U.S. Agenda
[Washington Times, November 19, 2004, Pg. 4]
President Bush's diplomacy at the Asia-Pacific summit that starts tomorrow
will center on pressuring North Korea to give up its nuclear ambitions
and
strengthening the coalition in the war on terror.
U.S. Recovery Missions To Continue In N. Korea
[Baltimore Sun, November 19, 2004]
U.S. and North Korean officials agreed to conduct recovery missions
for
remains of American servicemen missing from the Korean War for a 10th
consecutive year.
MIDEAST
Iraq Parley In Egypt Will Test Bush
[Wall Street Journal, November 19, 2004, Pg. 14]
U.S. officials will attend a much-touted international conference on
Iraq
next week in Egypt. The event shapes up as a major test for President
Bush's
effort to secure the kind of help U.S. forces need to succeed in Iraq.
Iran Denies Having Secret Nuclear Plan
[New York Times, November 19, 2004]
Iran vigorously denied accusations by an exiled dissident group that
it is
running a secret nuclear operation on the outskirts of Tehran.
Iran Condemns Attack On Fallujah But Offers To Help U.S. Out
[London Financial Times, November 19, 2004]
Iran criticized the U.S. attack on Fallujah while also offering to help
America extricate itself from the "quagmire" of Iraq.
ASIA/PACIFIC
S. Korean Air Force Mulls U.S. Request On Iraq
[Pacific Stars and Stripes, November 19, 2004]
Korea's Air Force is considering an American request to provide transport
missions from its temporary base in Kuwait to "nondangerous areas"
of Iraq.
EUROPE
French Official Envisions Strong EU Combat Force
[Wall Street Journal, November 19, 2004, Pg. 14]
French Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie said the European Union
will be
capable of sending a large combat force comprising tens of thousands
of
troops to fight their way into hostile territory, a more ambitious goal
than
usually cited for the EU's nascent military arm.
Chirac Hints France Will Help Rebuild Iraq
[New York Times, November 19, 2004]
French President Chirac said that France is ready to cooperate with
the U.S.
and Britain to make the world more stable, just and prosperous. His
offer
was interspersed with continued criticism of the U.S.-British war in
Iraq
and, more generally, America's global posture.
TERRORISM
Rivalries, Divisions Take Toll On Taliban
Militia Weakened, but Seen as Threat
[Washington Post, November 19, 2004, Pg. 24]
The Taliban took a body blow when it failed to disrupt Afghanistan's
elections last month. But the radical Islamic militia still presents
a
formidable military threat, with one faction mounting daring, al Qaeda-style
urban terrorist attacks.
BUSINESS
In Boeing Probes, Prosecutors Weigh Role Of Rocket Pacts
[Wall Street Journal, November 19, 2004, Pg. 5]
Prosecutors are probing to determine if a broad weapons-buying scandal
linked to Boeing and the Air Force has connections with a separate criminal
investigation into how Boeing beat out Lockheed Martin for rocket contracts
valued at more than $1 billion.
OPINION
Nuclear Shell Game
Henry Sokolski
[Wall Street Journal, November 19, 2004, Pg. 16]
Is Iran's agreement with European countries to temporarily freeze its
uranium enrichment program a bluff? We had better find out fast if we
hope
to prevent Iran's nuclear ambitions from becoming a new international
norm.
Caring For Those Left Behind
Soldiers' survivors need real benefits more than yellow ribbons.
Frank Schaeffer
[Washington Post, November 19, 2004, Pg. 29]
The military needs to look into the paltry benefits accorded to survivors
of
soldiers killed in combat. It appears as if America doesn't feel that
the
supreme sacrifice soldiers too often make amounts to very much.
No Way To Treat Our Soldiers
Peter G. Chronis
[Denver Post, November 18, 2004]
Reservists are doing their duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. But when they
come
home, they too often find that employers don't feel obliged to honor
a law
that stipulates soldiers must be given the jobs they left. It takes
a letter
from federal prosecutors to get the attention of too many employers.
For Bush, Confidence Can Cut Two Ways
David Ignatius
[Washington Post, November 19, 2004, Pg. 29]
President Bush has answered any questions about who is in charge of
U.S.
foreign policy---he is running the show. The president has to be careful
not
to fall victim to hubris bred of overconfidence. Bush is in position
to
properly enforce discipline among his senior aides, or pull a Dick Nixon
and
circle the wagons while rooting out "enemies."
Troops In Fallujah Are The Best Since World War II
Daniel Henninger
[Wall Street Journal, November 19, 2004, Pg. 16]
U.S. troops fighting in Iraq are the best America has ever seen. They
are
better educated, more motivated and capable of accomplishing various
missions without constant supervision.
Marine Just Doing His Job
Media unjustly condemns soldier
Diana West
[Washington Times, November 19, 2004, Pg. 23]
The media has hung a young Marine out to dry. His crime, shooting an
unarmed
Iraqi militant in a mosque, cries out for retribution, they claim. The
Marine was just doing his job---a hellishly dangerous job that doesn't
always allow for uncertainties, which can be fatal. There is nothing
that
has come out of this incident to counter the fact that the Marine did
anything other than protect life and limb for his unit.
EDITORIAL
Taking Stock Of Fallujah
U.S. triumph is a victory for Iraq
[Dallas Morning News, November 19, 2004]
The good guys won decisively in Fallujah. The insurgents were routed,
with
1,200 terrorists killed and 1,000 more taken prisoner. They have lost
their
main sanctuary and Marines inspecting the city continue to find evidence
of
the horrors perpetrated by the terrorist thugs. The battle of Fallujah
will
go down as a landmark victory on the road to Iraqi freedom.
Breaking It
[Baltimore Sun, November 19, 2004]
The difference between Grozny and Fallujah is that U.S. forces proved
far
better at holding down their own casualties in Iraq than Russians did
in
Chechnya. Grozny is still a wreck, with insurgents still smoldering
and
ready to take on the Russians. The U.S. has a chance to do better with
Fallujah. But it will eventually fall to the Iraqis to handle their
own
security issues.
Source: Defense News
