Poll Finds Dimmer View Of Iraq War
52% Say U.S. Has Not Become Safer
[Washington Post, June 8, 2005, Pg. 1]
A Washington Post-ABC News poll finds that more than half the American
public believes the Iraq was has not made the U.S. safer. Nearly three-quarters
of Americans say the number of casualties is unacceptable, while almost
six in 10 say the war wasn't worth fighting.
Insurgents Reportedly Ready To Talk
Former Iraqi Official Says Two Groups Willing to Discuss Ending Violence
[Washington Post, June 8, 2005, Pg. 16]
Aiham Alsammarae, who was electricity minister under Iraq's interim
government, said that the leaders of two insurgent groups are ready to
discuss conditions for ending the campaign of attacks.
British Consider Partial Pullout
[Washington Times, June 8, 2005, Pg. 1]
A senior British commander in Iraq said his country's forces could
begin pulling out of one southern Iraqi province as early as this year.
Arms Fiascoes Lead To Alarm Inside Pentagon
Arsenal Of The Future: Soaring Costs, Dimming Dreams
[New York Times, June 8, 2005, Pg. 1]
Stories of failed weapons tests, costing millions of dollars, are old
hat with the Pentagon. After years of not being able to contain cost overruns,
senior officials, including Secretary Rumsfeld, are becoming increasingly
alarmed that the machinery for building weapons is breaking down under
its own weight.
Soldiers' Divorce Rates Up Sharply
[USA Today, June 8, 2005, Pg. 1]
The number of active-duty troops getting divorced has been rising sharply
with deployments Afghanistan and Iraq.
Northrop, EADS To Link Up For Bid
[Wall Street Journal, June 8, 2005, Pg. 3]
Pushing trans-Atlantic defense cooperation to a new level, Northrop Grumman
Corp. and EADS, the parent company of Europe's Airbus, have agreed
in principle to join forces in a bid to end Boeing Co.'s monopoly
on supply aerial-refueling planes to the Pentagon.
RUMSFELD TRIP
Rumsfeld To Sign New Defense Deal With Norway
[Washingtonpost.com, June 7, 2005]
Secretary Rumsfeld will sign a new agreement with Norway on Wednesday
for the U.S. to continue having weapons and other equipment in the country.
IRAQ
Within Minutes, 3 Blasts Kill 18 In Northern Iraq
[Washington Post, June 8, 2005, Pg. 17]
Nearly simultaneous suicide bombings at military checkpoints in northern
Iraq killed upwards of 18 people Tuesday---dozens more were hurt in Baghdad
by a car bomb apparently aimed at a police convoy. Meanwhile, U.S. and
Iraqi troops launched an offensive against insurgents in the volatile
northern town of Tall Afar.
Colonel Become Highest-Ranking U.S. Fatality
[Los Angeles Times, June 8, 2005]
The Army announced that Col. Theodore S. Westhusing, of Dallas, was killed
Sunday in Baghdad. He is the highest-ranking officer to die in the Iraq
war.
U.S. Marines Detained 19 Contractors In Iraq
[Los Angeles Times, June 8, 2005]
U.S. Marines forcibly held a team of security guards working for an American
firm after reportedly seeing the contractors fire at U.S. troops and Iraqi
civilians from an armed convoy.
Dozens Seized In Dawn Raid In Iraq's North
[New York Times, June 8, 2005]
U.S. forces have begun an operation to root out insurgent leaders in the
northwestern Iraqi town of Tal Afar.
Bush And Blair Deny ‘Fixed' Iraq Reports
[New York Times, June 8, 2005]
President Bush and Prime Minister Blair presented a united front Tuesday
against a recently disclosed British government memorandum that said in
July 2002 that U.S. intelligence was being "fixed" in favor
of ending Saddam Hussein's regime.
Iraqis Eye Credit To Boost Economy
[Christian Science Monitor, June 8, 2005, Pg. 6]
Shoppers in Baghdad no longer carry plastic bags full of cash, as they
did after years of international sanctions slashed the value of a 10,000-dinar
note with Saddam Hussein's likeness to less than five dollars. Some
are even beginning to flirt with the idea of using credit to make purchases.
On Raids Like This, GIs Must Be Sleuths In Armor
[Chicago Tribune, June 7, 2005]
More than 600 U.S. troops, during a nine-hour raid, stormed through house
by house to find "high value targets" in the Iraqi town of
Baiji. They searched for the "less than a couple dozen" insurgents
who are thought to have made the town a hotbed for insurgent bombers.
Envoy Nominee Vows To Be Active
[Washington Times, June 8, 2005, Pg. 15]
Zalmay Khalilzad, President Bush's choice to be U.S. ambassador
to Iraq, vowed not to become a "prisoner in the green zone"
and said Iraq's neighbors must do more to help Iraq succeed.
U.S. Not Assuring Iraqis Of Motives, Nominee Says
[Washington Post, June 8, 2005, Pg. 11]
Zalmay Khalilzad, the president's nominee to become the next ambassador
to Iraq, said the administration is "not doing very well"
in convincing Iraqis and others in the region that it does not have any
designs on Iraq's oil or other underhanded motives.
Iraq, Iran To Resume Oil-Pipeline Discussions
[Wall Street Journal, June 8, 2005, Pg. 13]
Iraq's newly appointed oil minister is expected to resume formal
talks about building a crude-oil pipeline linking Iraq and Iran when he
visits Tehran later this summer.
Iraq Officials Hammer Out Constitution---Delicately
[Los Angeles Times, June 8, 2005, Pg. 1]
Iraq's would-be founding fathers are working behind windows, crisscrossed
by duct tape to minimize flying glass, to draft a constitution. With nine
weeks remaining before their deadline, they are only now getting started
on a document that is meant to unify a fractious country.
Questions On Journalist's Killing
[New York Times, June 8, 2005]
A Spanish judge wants to query the U.S. about possibly questioning three
American soldiers about the killing of a Spanish journalist that occurred
when a U.S. tank fired on a hotel in Baghdad in April 2003.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Pentagon Wasted Supplies, GAO Finds
[Washington Post, June 8, 2005, Pg. D1]
DoD spent at least $400 million in recent years buying boots, tents, bandages
and other goods at the same time it was getting rid of identical items
it had paid for but never used, GAO investigators told House members.
Pentagon To Hold Emergency Drill Today
[Washington Post, June 8, 2005, Pg. B3]
Pentagon officials are asking the public not to panic today when it conducts
a "full-scale real-world" exercise simulating attacks on the
Pentagon and buildings in Crystal City in an effort to evaluate emergency
preparedness plans.
CONGRESS
House Panel Approves $408B For Defense
[Washingtonpost.com, June 7, 2005]
A House committee approved a $408 billion defense spending bill that would
shift some of the Pentagon's priorities for funding major weapons
systems.
ARMY
After Lowering Coal, Army Falls Short On May Recruits
[New York Times, June 8, 2005]
Even after reducing its May recruiting target, the Army missed it by about
25 percent. The shortfall would have been even larger if the Army had
stuck to its original goal for the month.
NAVY
Security Has Led To More Accidents
[Norfolk Virginian-Pilot, June 8, 2005]
The accidental firing of a .50-caliber machine gun Monday aboard the destroyer
Ross was one of 239 Navy small-arms mishaps in the past nine years, many
were the result of heightened port security measures.
AIR FORCE
Chaplain Group Scrutinizing AFA
[Denver Post, June 8, 2005]
A private group that helps recruit and endorse military chaplains are
visiting the Air Force Academy to conduct an outside review of the school's
religious climate, adding another layer of scrutiny to the latest challenge
facing the school.
Air Force Says Grad, Now 2nd Lieutenant, Didn't Break Rules With
Words Of Faith
[Denver Post, June 8, 2005]
A former Air Force Academy cadet commander didn't violate the Constitution
or any military policies when he e-mailed classmates 300 questions, including
30 that either mentioned God or quoted the Bible, Air Force officials
said.
NATIONAL GUARD/RESERVE
California National Guard's Chief Quits
[Contra Costa Times, June 7, 2005]
Two-star Gen. Thomas Eres, who commands California's 22,000 National
Guard troops, abruptly resigned late Monday amid allegations that he failed
to properly prove his shooting skills for a visit to Iraq and helped line
up a military flight for a Republican group planning to visit U.S. aerial
defense headquarters in Colorado.
Lawmakers Don Uniform
[Washington Times, June 8, 2005, Pg. 8]
A small group of state legislators across the country have juggled life
in uniform with politics. Unlike most civilians-turned-soldiers, lawmakers
don't completely leave their jobs behind, mindful of their status
as elected officeholders.
BASE REALIGNMENT AND CLOSURE
2 Senators Subpoena Pentagon Over Bases
[Los Angeles Times, June 8, 2005]
Two U.S senators, frustrated by Pentagon delays in releasing critical
data on military base closing decisions, issued a subpoena Tuesday to
obtain additional documents.
Military Official Vows Bases' Quick Closure
[Denver Post, June 7, 2005]
A Pentagon official said that military bases scheduled for closure in
the U.S. would be shut down as quickly as possible in order to let communities
begin redeveloping the vacated properties.
State Bases Most Likely Lost Cause
[Atlanta Journal-Constitution, June 7, 2005, Pg. 1B]
Four bases in Georgia, which are on the Pentagon's base closure
recommendation list, likely won't survive, former Gov. Zell Miller
said.
Fort Monroe's Chances Slim, Experts Say
[Newport News Daily Press, June 6, 2005, Pg. 1]
Veterans of previous base closing rounds say there is little chance that
Fort Monroe and the other 32 major installations slated for closure will
remain open.
Gov. Talks With Air Force Boss To Save Cannon
[Albuquerque Journal, June 7, 2005, Pg. 1]
Gov. Bill Richardson met with acting Air Force Secretary Michael Dominguez
to argue against closing Cannon AFB.
MILITARY
Report: Military Spending Tops $1 Trillion Mark
[New York Times on the Web, June 7, 2005]
Global military spending in 2004 broke the $1 trillion mark for the first
time since the Cold War. The U.S. war on terror and the growing defense
budgets of China and India contributed hefty shares to the total.
INTELLIGENCE
Intelligence-Transfer Proposal Withdrawn
[Washington Post, June 8, 2005]
The chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence will
remove language he approved last week on the FY 2006 intelligence authorization
that would have limited the authority of the new director of national
intelligence, John D. Negroponte, to transfer CIA, Pentagon, FBI or other
intelligence specialists within the community.
CIA Is Reviewing Its Security Policy For Recruiting Translators
[New York Times, June 8, 2005, Pg. 7]
The CIA is examining security procedures that have led the agency to turn
away large numbers of the Arab-language linguists and other potential
recruits avidly sought by the agency since the attacks of Sept. 11.
BUSINESS
Details On Boeing Deal Sought
[Washington Post, June 8, 2005, Pg. 19]
Senators urged the Pentagon's inspector general to release more
information about the involvement of White House officials and Secretary
Rumsfeld in an aborted $30 billion air-tanker deal that exposed gaping
holes in the government's controls on large purchases
Maker Of Tubes For Osprey Aircraft Is Indicted
[New York Times, June 8, 2005]
Anco-Tech, a maker of titanium tubing for military aircraft that is now
out of business, and two of its former executives were indicted and accused
of falsely certifying equipment sold to Boeing and Bell Helicopter from
1995 to 2002.
Defense Firm SAIC Might Go Public
[Los Angeles Times, June 8, 2005]
San Diego-based Science Applications International Corp., an employee-owned
firm that ranks as one of the nation's biggest defense contractors,
is considering going public.
AFGHANISTAN
Afghan Mosque Attack Seen As Effort To Hinder Political Process
[New York Times, June 8, 2005]
The bombing of a Kandahar mosque on Wednesday that killed 20 people was
part of a series of attacks aimed at disrupting the political process
in Afghanistan, according to a government spokesman.
NATO May Send More Troops For Afghan Election
[Baltimore Sun, June 8, 2005]
NATO has almost completed plans for a major strengthening of its peacekeeping
force in Afghanistan during September's parliamentary elections,
with Romania, Spain and the Netherlands providing hundreds of extra troops.
NORTH KOREA
North Korea Said To Offer To Rejoin Nuclear Talks
[New York Times, June 7, 2005]
The U.S. and China said that North Korea had committed itself to returning
eventually to multinational negotiations over its nuclear program, but
officials said Pyongyang has not set a date for that prospect.
GUANTANAMO
Carter Says U.S. Should Close Detention Center At Guantanamo
[New York Times, June 8, 2005]
Former President Jimmy Carter said the U.S. should shut down the detention
facility at Guantanamo Bay in order to demonstrate America's commitment
to protecting human rights.
Prisoners Delayed In Release
[New York Times, June 8, 2005]
Fifteen Guantanamo detainees, cleared of being "enemy combatants,"
remain in custody because the U.S. has been so far unable to arrange for
them to return to their home countries.
ASIA/PACIFIC
Rights Group: Uzbek Crackdown Was A ‘Massacre'
[Washington Post, June 8, 2005, Pg. 14]
Human Rights Watch said that a U.S. plan for a permanent base in Uzbekistan,
which brings along with it an injection of cash and investment that would
benefit the government, "would be utterly inappropriate for a government
that has just slaughtered hundreds of its citizens."
MIDEAST
Outside Iraq But Deep In The Fight
A smuggler of insurgents reveals Syria's influential, changing role.
[Washington Post, June 8, 2005, Pg. 1]
Syrians have been actively helping young Arab men to cross the border
into Iraq to join the insurgents who have killed hundreds of U.S. troops
and thousands of Iraqis. The stream of fighters has sustained and replenished
the hardest core of the Iraqi insurgency, and supplied many of its suicide
bombers.
In Mideast Elections, Militants Gain
Both Hamas and Hizbullah, deemed terror groups by the U.S., are making
political gains in their newly democratic regions.
[Christian Science Monitor, June 8, 2005, Pg. 1]
Recent electoral successes for Hamas and Hizbullah have the Bush administration
considering the previously unthinkable---dealing with those it deems are
terrorists.
Turkey Calls For U.S. Help On Rebels
Premier to Meet With Bush Today
[Washington Post, June 8, 2005, Pg. 15]
Trying to end two years of diplomatic tensions, Turkish Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan will meet with President Bush today and push for
a joint counterterrorism crackdown on a Turkish rebel group now operating
out of northern Iraq.
AMERICAS
China Seen Averse To Haiti-Taiwan Ties
[Washington Times, June 8, 2005, Pg. 6]
China has been pressing Haiti to cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan as a
condition for approving a lengthy extension of the U.N. peacekeeping force
in the Caribbean nation.
UNITED NATIONS
U.S. Drops Opposition To IAEA Chief
[Washington Post, June 8, 2005, Pg. 13]
The Bush administration has given up efforts to force out Mohamed ElBaradei
as director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, according
to U.S. officials.
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
Federal Workers Win Job Contests
[Washington Post, June 8, 2005, Pg. 19]
The federal government last year spent $110 million to determine whether
12,473 federal jobs could be done more efficiently by private firms, with
in-house workers winning 91 percent of the time, according to an Office
of Management and Budget report.
OININON
The Gathering Threat
Cal Thomas
[Washington Times, June 8, 2005, Pg. 19]
America is rightly preoccupied with the war on terror, including what's
going on Iraq. That may be obscuring the gathering threat of China as
a formidable enemy. China has defined the U.S. as its "main enemy"
and is capable of launching nuclear weapons capable of killing 100 million
of us. China is committed to expanding its empire by intimidation and
force. America had better take China's intentions seriously if we
are to confront and expel them.
Far >From Media Focus: Steady Democratic Progress In Iraq
A. Heather Coyne
[Christian Science Monitor, June 7, 2005, Pg. 9]
International journalists are focused on the violence in Iraq. They don't
give enough coverage to the country's political process, except
when reporters feel the need to illustrate how the hopes of brave Iraqi
voters are being squandered by inflexible politicians. Count on this---the
Iraqis will take up the chore of drafting a constitution by using the
same serious dedication and undiminished enthusiasm they have shown at
each step of the process so far.
Amnesty's Amnesia
Anne Applebaum
[Washington Post, June 8, 2005, Pg. 21]
Amnesty International once really knew what a gulag was. It also once
understood the meaning of political neutrality. When all that changed
is uncertain, but surely Amnesty's use of "gulag" to
describe the Guantanamo detention center marks some kind of turning point.
For all it flaws, the U.S. remains the world's best hope for the
promotion of human rights. Amnesty leaders should push U.S. democratic
institutions to influence American policy for the good of the world, and
not bully the U.S. government for the satisfaction of their own political
faction.
Militarizing Space
Peter Brooks
[New York Post, June 7, 2005]
Every time the U.S. suggests developing a new strategic weapons system,
the left whine and moans. The latest liberal hysteria came about in reaction
to the Bush administration's soon-to-be released National Space
Policy. The new document will reportedly permit the development of weapons
to protect U.S. satellites. If we don't maintain space superiority,
rest assured that Russia and China will gladly replace us.
Advice On BRAC From Those Who Know
Paul Tauer and Patrick J. O'Brien
[Aurora Sentinel, June 6, 2005]
Tauer and O'Brien, who have been through previous base closings
urge communities stop complaining about their fate and start looking for
ways to capitalize on the properties that will be left behind. They recommend
that the whole community get involved and stay focused on what it takes
to succeed.
Source: Defense News
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