Messages In This Digest (19 Messages)

6.: Russian President To Visit Turkey, Syria From: Rick Rozoff

7.: Afghanistan: Germany Back In The War Business From: Rick Rozoff

8.: German Chancellor Reiterates Afghan War Support From: Rick Rozoff

9.: Armenian Defense Minister Warns Azerbaijan Against Aggression From: Rick Rozoff

10.: Nuclear force without nuclear restraint From: linguisticresearch

11.: Afghan 'Exit Strategy' Won't Involve Removing Any Troops From: linguisticresearch

12.: Obama's Hypersonic Missiles Alarm China And Russia From: Rick Rozoff

13.: NATO In Afghanistan: Pull Out Or Be Chased Out From: Rick Rozoff

14.: Twelve NATO Oil Tankers Destroyed In Pakistan From: Rick Rozoff

15.: NATO Praises United Arab Emirates' Role In Afghanistan From: Rick Rozoff

16.: Pakistan: U.S. Missile Attack Kills Seven, Wounds More From: Rick Rozoff

17.: Report: Australian Opposition Wants 1,000 More Troops For Afghanista From: Rick Rozoff

18.: Pakistan: Multi-Billion Smuggling Racket Uses NATO Supply Route From: Rick Rozoff

19.: U.S. Preparing Most Advanced Conventional Weapon From: Rick Rozoff

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Messages

1.: Pentagon Tests Hypersonic Vehicle For Prompt Global Strike

Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff

Sat Apr 24, 2010 7:35 am (PDT)

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n1004/23minotaur/

SpaceFlight Now
April 23, 2010

New Minotaur rocket launches on suborbital flight
BY STEPHEN CLARK

-The $800 million Space Based Space Surveillance satellite will soon be shipped to Vandenberg for the July flight.
-The optical sensor will not only track spacecraft in orbit, but it will provide unrivaled insight into the missions and purposes of countless foreign satellites....
- After SBSS launches in July, two Minotaur 4 flights are planned this fall from Kodiak Island, Alaska.
The HTV 2a payload launched Thursday separated from the Minotaur high in the upper atmosphere at a velocity more than 20 times the speed of sound.
- Officials say the HTV demonstrations were supposed to test enabling technologies that could eventually be employed by an operational system capable of prompt global response missions.
- The tests are part of DARPA's Falcon project, which once included a follow-on vehicle called Blackswift, or HTV 3.
Blackswift would have demonstrated reusable hypersonic flight technologies. Engineers planned for the craft to take off from a runway, cruise at Mach 6 on an air-breathing engine, and return to a landing strip.

A new Minotaur launch vehicle derived from retired missile parts successfully blasted off from the California coast Thursday, but officials lost contact with a hypersonic glider testbed for a U.S. military quick-response global strike system.

The Minotaur 4 Lite rocket launches Thursday from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. Credit: U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Andrew Lee

The Minotaur 4 booster, flying in a downsized three-stage configuration, launched on a suborbital mission at 4 p.m. local time (7 p.m. EDT; 2300 GMT) from Space Launch Complex 8 at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.

The three-stage version of the launcher uses retired Peacekeeper missile motors. The configuration is called the Minotaur 4 Lite.

A small winged glider designed by Pentagon researchers was the payload for Thursday's launch. The craft, called the Hypersonic Test Vehicle 2a, apparently did not complete all of its planned maneuvers to demonstrate new hypersonic flight systems.

"Preliminary review of technical data indicates the Minotaur Lite launch system successfully delivered the Falcon HTV 2 glide vehicle to the desired separation conditions," the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency said in a statement. "The launch vehicle executed first of its kind energy management maneuvers, clamshell payload fairing release and HTV 2 deployment."

Thursday's launch was a key milestone before the Air Force can begin flying a building backlog of delayed satellites.

The Air Force and Orbital Sciences Corp. will add an Orion 38 fourth stage motor to the Minotaur for satellite launches beginning as early as July 8. The Minotaur 4 rocket is a more powerful model than the similar Minotaur 1 booster, which has launched military payloads eight times using decommissioned Minuteman missile components.

The Minotaur 4 rocket can launch up to 3,800 pounds of payload to low Earth orbit, according to the Air Force.

The $800 million Space Based Space Surveillance satellite will soon be shipped to Vandenberg for the July flight.

Supported by Boeing Co. and Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., SBSS will detect objects in space with a sensitive optical telescope. The data will supplement Air Force ground-based radars already tracking the increasing traffic of satellites and debris in Earth orbit.

The optical sensor will not only track spacecraft in orbit, but it will provide unrivaled insight into the missions and purposes of countless foreign satellites, according to Air Force Col. James Jordan, vice commander of the Space Superiority Systems Wing and the SBSS mission director.
....

Artist's concept of the SBSS spacecraft. Credit: Boeing

A team of government and industry engineers spent several months designing a diffuser to reduce the unintended thrust within acceptable levels.

"The team was ready to go when we discovered this third stage valve gas issue, which required a diffuser to be built," Jordan said. It had to be designed, developed, tested and validated."

A Peacekeeper SR120 third stage motor outfitted with the new diffuser was successfully fired in a ground test March 31. The results were favorable, according to Jordan.
The Air Force also added the diffuser to the Minotaur 4 Lite's third stage for Thursday's launch.

The grounding of the Minotaur 4 rocket triggered a cascade of launch delays for military satellites.

After SBSS launches in July, two Minotaur 4 flights are planned this fall from Kodiak Island, Alaska.

The HTV 2a payload launched Thursday separated from the Minotaur high in the upper atmosphere at a velocity more than 20 times the speed of sound.

But tracking assets lost contact with the triangle-shaped craft 9 minutes after liftoff. "An engineering team is reviewing available data to understand this event," DARPA said in a written statement.

After its release from the Minotaur third stage, the craft was designed to try out its aerodynamic control system and conduct sweeping turns to bleed off excess energy and demonstrate its cross-range capabilities.

The DARPA press release did not specify whether any of the test maneuvers were completed before controllers lost communications with the craft.

The HTV 2a was supposed to glide over the Pacific Ocean at more than 13,000 mph and splash down in the sea near the U.S. Army's Reagan Test Site at Kwajalein Atoll.

A sketch of the HTV 2a craft. Credit: DARPA

The HTV program is managed by DARPA, a Pentagon research and development division focusing on high-tech demonstrations.
Officials say the HTV demonstrations were supposed to test enabling technologies that could eventually be employed by an operational system capable of prompt global response missions.

DARPA says the HTV craft features a high lift-to-drag aerodynamic shape, lightweight thermal protection structures and autonomous guidance, control and flight safety systems.

The HTV was built by Lockheed Martin Corp.
A second test vehicle was scheduled for launch in early 2011 on a similar flight, according to a DARPA spokesperson.
But that schedule was announced before Thursday's mishap.

The tests are part of DARPA's Falcon project, which once included a follow-on vehicle called Blackswift, or HTV 3.

Blackswift would have demonstrated reusable hypersonic flight technologies. Engineers planned for the craft to take off from a runway, cruise at Mach 6 on an air-breathing engine, and return to a landing strip.

After Congress reduced the program's budget, DARPA announced Blackswift's cancellation in late 2008.
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2.: Raytheon: World's Largest Missile Maker Thrives On Interceptors

Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff

Sat Apr 24, 2010 7:36 am (PDT)

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-04-22/raytheon-net-falls-1-5-as-missile-intelligence-sales-decline.html

Bloomberg News
April 22, 2010

Raytheon Profit Exceeds Estimates, Aided by Patriot
By Gopal Ratnam

Raytheon Co., the worldâ€™s largest missile maker, posted first-quarter profit that exceeded analystsâ€™ estimates, aided by higher sales of Patriot weapons.
....
Revenue at the Integrated Defense Systems unit, Raytheonâ€™s largest, rose 5.9 percent to $1.34 billion, while operating income rose about 12 percent to $210 million. The unit was aided by sales of Patriot missiles and an initial order from the U.S. Navy for the third ship in the Zumwalt class of destroyers.

Sales at the Space & Airborne Systems unit rose 4.7 percent to $1.1 billion, led by orders from the U.S. military and intelligence agenciesâ€™ secret programs, the company said.
----------------------------------------------------------
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/raytheon-looks-to-sensors-training-for-growth-2010-04-22?reflink=MW_news_stmp

MarketWatch
April 22, 2010

Raytheon looks to sensors, training to drive profit

NEW YORK: Soaring U.S. military demand for surveillance equipment and new ways to prepare soldiers for wars helped drive first-quarter growth at Raytheon Co., the company's chief financial officer said Thursday.
....
Earnings at the company's two largest units, missile systems and network centric systems, were relatively flat. But space and airborne systems, which builds ISR platforms for unmanned aircraft, and technical services such as military training, climbed sharply.
....
Space and airborne systems profit climbed 14% to $159 million with sales up 5% to $1.1 billion.

Missile systems, which include the Standard Missile-3 and other missile-defense systems, saw its profit hold steady at $158 million....
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3.: NATO Cyber Warfare Center In Estonia: Fifth Battlespace

Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff

Sat Apr 24, 2010 7:37 am (PDT)

http://www.physorg.com/news191300641.html

PhysOrg.com
Agence France-Presse
April 24, 2010

NATO's cyber-brains gaze at the future of war
by Jonathan Fowler

Behind the walls of a high-security lab, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's top cyber-minds are trying to predict the evolution of conflict in an Internet-dependent world

While they play down disaster-movie scenarios of total meltdown, experts warn cyber-attacks will be part and parcel of future fighting.

Tallinn is home to a cutting-edge unit known in NATO-speak as the Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence. The city is the capital of Estonia, whose flourishing hi-tech industry has earned it the label "E-Stonia".

"Definitely from the cyber-space perspective, I think we've gone further than we imagined in science fiction," said Ilmar Tamm, the Estonian colonel at its helm.

Its base is a 1905 building where military communications experts have toiled away since the days of carrier pigeons and the telegraph.

The centre's dozens of experts second-guess potential adversaries, gazing into what they dub the "fifth battlespace", after land, sea, air and space.

"The whole myriad and complex area makes it a very difficult problem to solve, and at the same time it keeps a very convenient grey area for the bad guys," explained Tamm.

"Many states have realised that this is really something that can be used as a weapon....That we should not ignore. It will have a future impact," he said.

"I'm not so naive that I'd say conventional warfare will go away. But we should expect it to be more combined," he added.

Bitter experience taught Estonia - one of the world's most wired places and a NATO member since 2004 - all about cyber-conflict.

The minnow country of 1.3 million people suffered blistering attacks in 2007 which took down business and government web-based services for days.

"It clearly heralded the beginning of a new era," its Defence Minister Jaak Aaviksoo told AFP.

"It had all the characteristics of cyber-crime growing into a national security threat. It was a qualitative change, and that clicked in very many heads," he added.

The assault came as Estonian authorities controversially shifted a Soviet-era war memorial from central Tallinn to a military cemetery.

The monument, erected when Moscow took over after World War II, following independence in 1991 became a flashpoint for disputes about the past with Estonia's ethnic-Russian minority.

Tallinn was rocked by riots as the memorial was moved. Estonia blamed Russia for stoking the strife, and also claimed the cyber-offensive had been traced to official servers in Moscow.

Russia, whose relations with Estonia are rocky, denied involvement.

For Aaviksoo, cyber-attacks may "present a stand-alone security threat or a combined security threat".
....
"Cyber-security, cyber-defence and cyber-offence are here to stay. This is a fact of life," Aaviksoo said.
....
"We're seeing opportunism in terms of citizens bandwagoning on these big events. The role of the state in this is all rather mysterious," said Rex Hughes of the Chatham House think-tank in London.

"I'm sceptical that we'll see an actual cyber-war, where countries will exclusively attack one another over the Internet," he said.

"It remains to be seen if the great cyber Pearl Harbor or 9/11 comes," he added.
==========================
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4.: NATO Nod To Bosnia "Political Message To Entire Region"

Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff

Sat Apr 24, 2010 7:39 am (PDT)

http://www.financiarul.ro/2010/04/24/formin-backs-bosnia-and-herzegovinas-inclusion-in-nato-membership-action-plan/

The Financiarul
April 24, 2010

ForMin backs Bosnia and Herzegovinaâ€™s inclusion in NATO Membership Action Plan

Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Baconschi pronounced for Bosnia and Herzegovinaâ€™s inclusion in the NATO Membership Action Plan (MAP) at an informal meeting of the Alliance foreign ministers in Tallinn on Friday.

â€˜We must encourage the Euro-Atlantic aspiration of Bosnia and Herzegovinaâ€™s population by significant political gestures and now is the time to do it. By granting the MAP weâ€™ll send a firm political message not only to that country but to the entire region, by ensuring NATOâ€™s enhanced influence in the Allianceâ€™s extended neighbourhood, by means of the open doors policy includedâ€™, a press release quotes Baconschi as saying.

The NATO foreign ministers decided to invite Bosnia and Herzegovina to join the Membership Action Plan, with the country to begin the first preparation cycle after it resolves the internal issue of the transfer of military property to the Defence Ministry....

At the Tallinn meeting, Baconschi promoted the goals pursued by Romania as part of the process on the working out of the new NATO Strategic Concept.

â€˜The strengthening of allied unity, of solidarity, of the allied commitment and a strong Trans-Atlantic link should be the basic priority of the North Atlantic Alliance. We should strengthen NATOâ€™s capability of coping with the security challenges inside allied territory, in the Alliance neighbourhood and at a strategic distanceâ€™, the Romanian foreign minister told the North Atlantic Council meeting.
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5.: Defense Minister: Azerbaijan Able To Annihilate All Targets In Armen

Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff

Sat Apr 24, 2010 7:55 am (PDT)

http://en.apa.az/news.php?id=120784

Azeri Press Agency
April 24, 2010

Defense Minister of Azerbaijan: â€œAzerbaijani Armed Forces are able to annihilate targets in all territory of Armeniaâ€

-â€œAzerbaijan signed agreements and memorandums, including four documents in 2009, which will serve as a legal basis of defense relations with 27 countries. [The U.S., other NATO nations and Israel.] Now we are negotiating similar agreements with 27 more countries....The main goal of strengthening the armed forces is to liberate the occupied lands from the enemy, to restore the territorial integrity of our country...."

Baku: â€œArmenia continues to delay the process of solution to the
Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Nagorno Karabakh. not paying attention to the norms of international law and reached agreements.

"The complicated military-political situation in the region makes it necessary for Azerbaijan to strengthen the combat capability of its armed forces to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity and liberate the occupied territoriesâ€ , said the Defense Minister of Azerbaijan, Colonel-General Safar Abiyev, at the Defense Ministry meeting on April 23.

The minister said a new quality progress was achieved towards the development and improvement of the armed forces in current year. â€œThe first operational serial are taking constructive measures to secure sustainable defense. The defense system was improved and the force performance of the troops is at high level. The united command system, control, communication and automated command system was implemented to improve a comprehensive united command system of the armed forcesâ€ .

The Defense Minister spoke about the increase of combat capability, strengthening of operational preparation and improvement of administration. He said about 70 command-staff exercises were held in an academic year. Different troops were involved in these exercises. They actively used modern stimulators and computer networks.

Abiyev said joint exercises conducted by the armed forces, state border service and internal troops of Azerbaijan in 2009 demonstrated the high combat capability of the troops and strengthened their skills and knowledge about offensive operations and combat techniques in mountainous areas.

In order to improve opportunities of strategic and tactical intelligence forces in 2009, unmanned aircraft, radio-intelligence collection, night and daytime remote observation, as well as individual night vision equipment were purchased, said the minister, and added that special training courses, as well as courses on the Armenian language were organized for officers and soldiers.

â€œIn 2009, as a result of the recruitment of professional artillery troops, procurement of modern arms and technical equipment, an automated command system, including a salvo fire reactive system, an opportunity was created for the annihilation of close and far enemy targets in a large territory.

"Meteorological stations were created for more accurate artillery fire. The troops were equipped with optical calculating devices, as well as radar stations to identify the enemyâ€™s mobile and immobile targets in a short time. The ammunition used until the end of last year was provided with new optical night vision shooting-marks. Armored vehicles are modernized. Anti-armored missile systems were purchased. Our armed forces are able to annihilate targets in all the territory of Armenia. Mr. President, I notify you that the Azerbaijani Armed Forces are able to hit any target in the territory of Armeniaâ€ .

Abiyev said about 1 billion USD of arms and technical equipment were given to the armed forces in 2009.
....
Abiyev spoke about the work done for the increase of combat capability and modernization of the equipment. â€œPurchase of new air defense equipments increased the air combat activity of the troops. New flight stimulators increased preparation of aircraft crews. New communication channels were opened for digital information exchange in the modernized combat techniques of the air forcesâ€ .

The minister also spoke about the strengthening of navy potential. Modern navigation, communication, radar and hydro-acoustic quipment was installed in the ships and engines of the warships were replaced with new ones. â€œA 200-ton patrol boat was constructed in the ship-building sector. 21 guard boats will be repaired and equipped with new ammunitionsâ€ .

Abiyev said concrete work has been done for the strengthening of international relations of the Azerbaijan Armed Forces. â€œAzerbaijan signed agreements and memorandums, including four documents in 2009, which will serve as a legal basis of defense relations with 27 countries. Now we are negotiating similar agreements with 27 more countriesâ€ .

The minister said Azerbaijan had an army with high-level combat capability and discipline. â€œThe main goal of strengthening the armed forces is to liberate the occupied lands from the enemy, to restore the territorial integrity of our country, to return refugees and internally displaced persons to their homelandsâ€ .
===========================
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6.: Russian President To Visit Turkey, Syria

Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff

Sat Apr 24, 2010 8:01 am (PDT)

http://en.trend.az/regions/met/arabicr/1675814.html

Trend News Agency
April 24, 2010

Russian President to visit Syria in May

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will pay a working visit to Syria May 11, Syria's news portal Cham Press reported.

Medvedev will be the first Russian president who will visit the Syrian capital on a working visit after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Medvedev will visit Syria after talks in Ankara, which are scheduled for early May.

During the meeting with President Bashar al-Assad, Medvedev will discuss the situation in the Middle East, military cooperation between the countries, as well as joint projects in the sphere of energy and health.

Bashar al-Assad visited Moscow in 2005 and 2006.

Traditionally, Russia is a supplier of weapons to Syria.

Damascus sees Russia as the main source of investment and the main military-technical partner. The possibility of placement of Russian naval base in the Mediterranean port of Tartus is not ruled out.
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7.: Afghanistan: Germany Back In The War Business

Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff

Sat Apr 24, 2010 8:17 am (PDT)

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,5502649,00.html

Deutsche Welle
April 24, 2010

Memorial service held for four German soldiers slain in Afghanistan

Germany's defense minister told the families of the four servicemen killed in Afghanistan that they "did not die for a lost hope." But opinion polls show flagging public support for the mission.

Four German soliders killed in a Taliban ambush in Afghanistan on April 15 were laid to rest on Saturday, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and several cabinet members attending the services.

Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg offered his condolences to the families of the four, stressing that their deaths were not in vain.

Killed in an ambush were Major Joern Radloff, 38, Colonel Doctor Thomas Broer, 33, Sergeant Major Marius Dubnicki, 32, and Sergeant Josef Kronawitter, 24.

Their funeral, with full military honors, was held in a cathedral in the city of Ingolstadt on Saturday. Individual burials in the soldiers' hometowns were scheduled for later on Saturday.

Thousands of people came to the service in the Bavarian city. Besides Merkel and Guttenberg, Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle and Afghan Foreign Minister Salmai Rassul were in attendance.

The four died protecting "the lives of our families, of our born and unborn children," Guttenberg said. "The encounter at Baghlan on April 15 brought it home how dangerous our mission in Afghanistan is."

He added that the soldiers knew about the dangers of a war zone and that they had fulfilled their duties "responsibly and with bravery."

"Our promise to the Afghan people stands. We will help this stricken land to be at peace - and this serves our own security," Guttenberg said.

His remarks echoed those made on Thursday by Merkel in a speech to parliament in which she linked security in Afghanistan to security in Europe and in Germany.

Deaths and doubt

The four soldiers are among seven German troops killed this month. Forty-three have been killed in Afghanistan since 2001.

A poll by German broadcaster ZDF published on Friday revealed that about 53 percent of Germans do not believe German security is being served by the Afghan mission.

Another recent poll indicated about 62 percent want German troops to return home.
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8.: German Chancellor Reiterates Afghan War Support

Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff

Sat Apr 24, 2010 8:21 am (PDT)

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,5491899,00.html

Deutsche Welle
April 22, 2010

German chancellor defends Afghanistan mission

Following the recent deaths of seven Bundeswehr soldiers, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has reiterated the importance of the mission in Afghanistan. She said to pull out now would "encourage extremists."

Chancellor Angela Merkel has reiterated Germany's commitment to the war against Taliban Islamist militants in Afghanistan, saying to withdraw Bundeswehr troops from the country at this time would be "irresponsible."

Thursday's plenary session in the Bundestag opened on a somber note, as tributes were paid to the 43 German soldiers who have been killed in Afghanistan, and Polish President Lech Kaczynski who was recently killed in a plane crash.
....
Chancellor Merkel...said "no one was underestimating" how dangerous this mission is for Germany's soldiers.

'Be courageous'

She urged the people and parliament to support the mission: "We cannot expect our soldiers to act courageously, when we lack the courage to stand up for our decision," she said.
....
Merkel's address was met with sporadic applause from her parliamentary colleagues, although several members shouted out dissent during the speech and opposition leaders voiced concern.

Call for withdrawal

Left Party parliamentary leader Gregor Gysi repeated his partyâ€™s call for Germany to pull its troops out of Afghanistan. "Our demand for an immediate and unilateral withdrawal of German troops would prevent more casualties on all sides," said Gysi. "In view of so many German soldiers dying, we believe it's time for people to stand up and raise their voices in outrage."

Social Democrat leader Sigmar Gabriel voiced concern that Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg had referred to a "war" situation.
....
Unpopular war

This dissent in the chamber reflects the unpopularity of the war in Afghanistan. The government has been under increasing pressure to justify efforts in Afghanistan to a skeptical German public.

In the most recent public opinion poll, 62 percent of those asked said they wanted Germany to withdraw troops from NATO's Afghanistan campaign.

In recent weeks, seven German soldiers have been killed in Taliban attacks. Three soldiers were killed on Good Friday and then a further four soldiers died in a rocket attack on April 16. Several more soldiers have been seriously wounded while patrolling the area of northern Afghanistan where Bundeswehr troops are based.
....
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9.: Armenian Defense Minister Warns Azerbaijan Against Aggression

Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff

Sat Apr 24, 2010 8:29 am (PDT)

http://www.interfax.com/newsinf.asp?id=160849

Interfax
April 24, 2010

Armenian defense minister warns Azerbaijan against aggression

YEREVAN: If Azerbaijan resorts to force against Armenia, this will lead to a disaster for Baku, Armenian Defense Minister Seiran Oganian warned on Saturday.

"Our army is more than combat prepared today, and it is ready not only to defend the country but also to take preemptive measures. We should understand that our advantage over Azerbaijan is that we try to resolve the existing problems and conflicts in a peaceful way," Oganian told journalists at a memorial complex for the victims of the Armenian massacre in the Ottoman Empire.

Azerbaijan has been regularly making militant remarks, Oganian said. "They are trying to put psychological pressure on us and on the international community. But this is impossible. If Azerbaijan tries to put pressure and use force against our people, this will turn out badly for Azerbaijan itself and will lead to a disastrous situation, because we have the second advantage: we defend our homeland," he said.

Azeri President Ilham Aliyev criticized the negotiating process on settling the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict on Friday. He said Azerbaijan should be ready to use force at any moment to liberate its lands.

"The war is not over, and only its first stage has been finished, and we should make sure to be able to liberate our land by military force at any moment," Aliyev said

Azeri Defense Minister Safar Abiyev said recently that, after purchasing and deploying new weapons, the Azeri armed forces can now hit targets on the entire territory of Armenia.
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10.: Nuclear force without nuclear restraint

Posted by: "linguisticresearch" LinguisticResearch@gmx.de

Sat Apr 24, 2010 8:42 am (PDT)

http://warincontext.org/2010/04/23/nuclear-force-without-nuclear-restraint/

Nuclear force without nuclear restraint

by Paul Woodward on April 23, 2010

Military organizations, like muscles, atrophy unless they get regular
exercise. And as much as the destructive power of the Cold War's nuclear
arsenals is credited with having prevented their use, there is no form
of deterrence that can have as much appeal to the military as an actual
show of force. The fear of disarmament is less a fear of military
vulnerability than it is a fear of military redundancy.

So, when it comes to the prospects of global nuclear disarmament it
should come as no surprise that the Pentagon won't support the
elimination of one class of weapons without first winning support for an
alternative. Prompt Global Strike promises to be such an alternative and
one with what to the military must seem like an irresistible appeal:
/the prospect that it can be put into use/.

The /New York Times/
<http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/23/world/europe/23strike.html> now reports:

In coming years, President Obama will decide whether to deploy a new
class of weapons capable of reaching any corner of the earth from
the United States in under an hour and with such accuracy and force
that they would greatly diminish America's reliance on its nuclear
arsenal…

Called Prompt Global Strike, the new weapon is designed to carry out
tasks like picking off Osama bin Laden in a cave, if the right one
could be found; taking out a North Korean missile while it is being
rolled to the launch pad; or destroying an Iranian nuclear site —
all without crossing the nuclear threshold. In theory, the weapon
will hurl a conventional warhead of enormous weight at high speed
and with pinpoint accuracy, generating the localized destructive
power of a nuclear warhead.

Prompt Global Strike should be seen not merely as an alternative to
nuclear weapons but as a means through which the US military can free
itself from what is known as the /nuclear taboo/.

In his acceptance speech for the Nobel Prize in 2005
<http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/economics/laureates/2005/schelling-lecture.pdf>,
the nuclear strategist Thomas Schelling said:

There has never been any doubt about the military effectiveness of
nuclear weapons or their potential for terror. A large part of the
credit for their not having been used must be due to the "taboo"
that Secretary of State [John Foster] Dulles perceived to have
attached itself to these weapons as early as 1953, a taboo that the
Secretary deplored.

The weapons remain under a curse, a now much heavier curse than the
one that bothered Dulles in the early 1950s. These weapons are
unique, and a large part of their uniqueness derives from their
being perceived as unique. We call most of the others
"conventional," and that word has two distinct senses. One is
"ordinary, familiar, traditional," a word that can be applied to
food, clothing, or housing. The more interesting sense of
"conventional" is something that arises as if by compact, by
agreement, by convention. It is simply an established convention
that nuclear weapons are different.

True, their fantastic scale of destruction dwarfs the conventional
weapons. But as early as the end of the Eisenhower administration
nuclear weapons could be made smaller in explosive yield than the
largest conventional explosives.

There were military planners to whom "little" nuclear weapons
appeared untainted by the taboo that they thought ought properly to
attach only to weapons of a size associated with Hiroshima, or
Bikini. But by then nuclear weapons had become a breed apart; size
was no excuse from the curse.

This attitude, or convention, or tradition, that took root and grew
over these past five decades, is an asset to be treasured.

If Obama pushes forward with Prompt Global Strike — and all the
indications seem to be that he will — then his promise of guiding the
world towards a nuclear weapons-free age, will not only have been
hollow, it may have signaled a new age of destruction.

And with a military that still espouses a belief in the value of
full-spectrum dominance
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full-spectrum%20dominance>; that operates
a Space Command
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air%20Force%20Space%20Command> (with an
insignia
<http://apture.s3.amazonaws.com/000001282bb3a5227cee41e7007f000000000001.Air_Force_Space_Command.jpg>
inspired by Star Trek); that has just launched the X-37B
<http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/04/air-force-launches-first-reusable-unmanned-space-vehicle/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+wired/index+%28Wired:+Index+3+%28Top+Stories+2%29%29>
that (denials notwithstanding) appears geared towards the weaponization
of space — no one should imagine that the Pentagon's appetite for
exercising global power is any less now than it was while the
neoconservatives were in charge.

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11.: Afghan 'Exit Strategy' Won't Involve Removing Any Troops

Posted by: "linguisticresearch" LinguisticResearch@gmx.de

Sat Apr 24, 2010 8:46 am (PDT)

1)

http://news.antiwar.com/2010/04/23/afghan-exit-strategy-wont-involve-removing-any-troops/

Afghan 'Exit Strategy' Won't Involve Removing Any Troops
<http://news.antiwar.com/2010/04/23/afghan-exit-strategy-wont-involve-removing-any-troops/>

Road Map Will Involve 'Decades' of Additional Deployments

by Jason Ditz, April 23, 2010
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A NATO summit in Estonia has culminated with the much-hyped "road map,"
an exit strategy for the alliance from Afghanistan after nearly a decade
of war. It will detail the alliance's new strategy for the conflict and,
as is so often the case, lower the bar for what constitutes 'success' in
the nation.

Amazingly, initial indications are that the "exit strategy" won't
involve actually removing any troops, but instead will hand over select
provinces to the Karzai government while keeping the NATO troops there
too for support
<http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/allies-to-turn-blind-eye-to-corruption-as-afghan-exit-strategy-agreed-1952987.html>.
This "handover" is expected to last decades, though officials were quick
to note it was "not calendar-driven."

The public announcement has yet to come
<http://www.wtop.com/?nid=105&sid=1939951>, but it looks as though the
big winner in the strategy is President Karzai, as NATO civilian chief
Mark Sedwill 's comments suggested the alliance will basically shrug off
his government's massive corruption, apparently in the hope that it will
eventually grow into a responsible regime.

NATO Chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen warned that no exit strategy could
involve a "run for the exits," and there seems to be no danger of that,
as the alliance's plan seems to cement NATO's presence as an occupying
power over much of Afghanistan for untold decades to come.

-------------

2)

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/allies-to-turn-blind-eye-to-corruption-as-afghan-exit-strategy-agreed-1952987.html

Allies to turn blind eye to corruption as Afghan exit strategy agreed

Troops will remain in place 'for decades' after handover to support
local forces

By Kim Sengupta, in Tallinn

/Saturday, 24 April 2010/

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US Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton said she believed that with
sufficient mentoring the Afghans could support themselves against the
Taliban, but was aware there was a 'shortfall of trainers'
<http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/allies-to-turn-blind-eye-to-corruption-as-afghan-exit-strategy-agreed-1952987.html?action=Popup>

*AP*

US Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton said she believed that with
sufficient mentoring the Afghans could support themselves against the
Taliban, but was aware there was a 'shortfall of trainers'

* Photos enlarge
<http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/allies-to-turn-blind-eye-to-corruption-as-afghan-exit-strategy-agreed-1952987.html?action=Popup&gallery=no>

Nato has agreed on its long-awaited road map for the future of
Afghanistan amid warnings that the process risks tolerating corruption
and the power of the warlords for the sake of security.

The Alliance's summit in the Estonian capital ended last night without
the details of the framework for a handover of security to President
Hamid Karzai's forces being made public. The Independent has learned,
however, that an area will be deemed ready for transfer if serious
violence has been in abeyance for a period of time, if there is access
to power by different ethnic and tribal elements and if the conditions
are present for development projects taking place in relative safety.

According to senior diplomatic sources, clusters of provinces, rather
than individual ones, will be transferred to "provide critical mass"
able to withstand the Taliban. The decisions on the locations for
handover and the timeframe involved will be made at a Nato conference
later this year after talks between Western and Afghan government
officials.

The start of the handover will not, however, mean that troops can start
to withdraw, Nato officials stressed. British troops in particular will
have to wait before pulling out as the areas in the south where they are
based – the main battleground with the Taliban --– will be among the
last to be transferred to Afghan control. Gordon Brown had stated that
the handover process will start this year, allowing UK forces to begin
returning home.

The Nato secretary general, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, warned: "The future
of this mission is clear and visible: more Afghan capability and more
Afghan leadership... But it will not be a pullout. It will not be a run
for the exit... Our soldiers will move into a more supportive role. So
it will be a gradual process. This is conditions-based and not
calendar-driven.''

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said: "We believe that with
sufficient training and mentoring, the Afghans themselves are perfectly
capable of defending themselves against insurgents. Does this mean it
will be smooth sailing? I don't think so, just look at Iraq. A lot of
progress has been made there but there are still problems with terrorism."

Mrs Clinton said she appreciated that there was a shortfall of staff to
train the Afghan security forces. However, she added: "We have a gap
that we're still working to fill. I'm convinced we'll get that filled.
For me, the glass is way more than half full."

Although Afghan forces will take the lead, Western troops will be
available to provide firepower and back-up if the insurgents appear to
be making a comeback. If an area which has been handed back shows signs
of suffering from endemic corruption or depredations of warlords the
local people could protest through shuras – public meetings – said Nato
officials. Mr Rasmusson, however, has said the handover process would be
"irreversible" and a senior Western diplomat acknolwedged that a degree
of corruption will necessarily have to be tolerated as long as it does
not threaten the security of Nato forces. "It is not for us to detemine
whether a particular district's governance is working or not, it is
whether there is a threat to the area to a point that the insurgency
threatens to take over," he said.

The diplomat pointed out that the policy of transfers remained
uncertain. "Unless we are saying that we will stay and colonise the
country we can't say everything is irreversible for ever and we will
probably need to remain in support for several decades."

Nato officials also said that the Afghan side in the talks to decide
which provinces or districts were suitable for transfer would be
represented by officials of the Karzai government at national and local
levels and there would be no input from independent groups on the matter.

Some Afghan observers pointed out that Nato's seemingly relaxed attitude
about corruption was in marked contrast to the public condemnation by
the US and British governments of the corruption in President Karzai's
government and his link to warlords such General Abdul Rashid Dostum and
Marshal Muhammad Qasim Fahim.

Syed Ali Laghmani, a political analyst based in Kabul, said: "There is a
big danger that areas will be given over to strongmen because they can
deliver security for the right side and keep out the Taliban. If the
West does not make sure that people do not suffer from corruption in
these districts then there will be a lot of trouble in the future.''

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12.: Obama's Hypersonic Missiles Alarm China And Russia

Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff

Sat Apr 24, 2010 4:36 pm (PDT)

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article7107179.ece

Sunday Times (London)
April 25, 2010

Hyperfast missile to hit anywhere in an hour
Tony Allen-Mills in Washington

...US military planners have won President Barack Obamaâ€™s support for a new generation of high-speed weapons that are intended to strike anywhere on Earth within an hour.

Obamaâ€™s interest in Prompt Global Strike (PGS), a nonnuclear weapons programme, has alarmed China and Russia and complicated nuclear arms reduction negotiations.

White House officials confirmed last week that the president, who won the Nobel peace prize last year, is considering the deployment of a new class of hypersonic guided missiles that can reach their targets at speeds of Mach 5 â€" about 3,600mph.
....
â€œThe ability to attack a wide range of targets at intercontinental range, promptly and without resort to nuclear weapons, is of central importance to US national security,â€ said Daniel Goure, a defence analyst at the Lexington Institute in Virginia.

The White House has requested almost $250m in congressional funding next year for research into hypersonic technologies, some of which harness the shock waves generated by a fast-moving missile to increase its speed further.

The new weapon could be launched from air, land or sea on a long-range missile travelling at suborbital altitudes above 350,000ft. The missile releases a hypersonic pilotless plane that receives updates from satellites as it homes in on its target at up to five times the speed of sound, generating so much heat that it has to be shielded with special materials to avoid melting.

Depending on the version the Pentagon chooses, the warhead would either split into dozens of lethal fragments in the final seconds of its flight or simply smash into its target, relying on devastating kinetic energy to destroy anything in its path....

The development of PGS has won praise and criticism as the president seeks to reduce the strategic US nuclear arsenal in favour of tactical weapons that can be used swiftly to counter terrorists or rogue states. â€œConventional weapons with worldwide reach ... enable us to reduce the role of nuclear weapons,â€ said Joe Biden, the vice-president, recently.

Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, warned earlier this month that â€œstates will hardly accept a situation in which nuclear weapons disappear, but weapons that are no less destabilising emerge in the hands of certain members of the international communityâ€ .

General Yuri Baluyevsky, a deputy secretary of the Russian National Security Council, complained that US concessions at nuclear arms reduction talks were not because of Americaâ€™s love of peace, but because â€œthey can kill you using conventional high-precision weaponsâ€ .

US analysts have also warned of the risk that Chinese or Russian monitors might mistake a hypersonic launch for nuclear attack. â€œThe short flight time...leaves very little time for an assessment of the situation, putting an enormous strain on national decision-making mechanisms and increasing the probability of an accident,â€ argued Pavel Podvig of Stanford University.

General Kevin Chilton, the US air force commander supervising the PGS programme, told The New York Times that the Pentagonâ€™s current options were not fast enough.

â€œToday we can present some conventional options to the president to strike a target anywhere on the globe that range from 96 hours to maybe four, five, six hours,â€ he said. â€œIf the president wants to act faster than that, the only thing we have that goes faster is a nuclear response.â€

The Pentagon has already begun testing missile systems that might be used in a PGS programme. Last week the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa) launched a test flight of a prototype labelled the Hypersonic Technology Vehicle 2 (HTV-2), also known as the Falcon.

The prototype was launched from Vandenberg air force base in California on a solid-fuel rocket booster made from a decommissioned ballistic missile. There was no comment from US Strategic Command, which controls the programme, on either the success of the test or a timetable for future deployment.
....
The Washington Times reported last week that Darpa is building two Falcon vehicles, the second of which is scheduled for launch early next year.
....
===========================
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13.: NATO In Afghanistan: Pull Out Or Be Chased Out

Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff

Sat Apr 24, 2010 9:05 pm (PDT)

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/4/25/focus/6128337&sec=focus

The Star (Malaysia)
April 25, 2010

Pullout or chased out
Bunn Nagara

Foreign occupation troops in Afghanistan are caught between an anticipated withdrawal and an expected rout.

TWO days ago, Nato came to an inevitable conclusion: start handing control of Afghanistan back to the Afghan people later this year. That was the thrust of the Nato meeting in Tallinn, Estonia, during the week.

The eventual pullout might not have been part of the original plan when US forces invaded and ejected the Taliban regime in 2001. After all, Afghans live in a strategic region with layers of intrigue overlaid with oil pipelines in or around Central Asia, the Caspian, and certain transnational corporations running through some nations while bypassing others.

Oil as a geopolitical factor has been as influential as it has been invisible, and the Bush administration that invaded Iraq and Afghanistan has been the most informed by oil interests yet. Besides, like Saddam Husseinâ€™s Iraq, Taliban Afghanistan had posed as such a convenient and tempting target when they refused to â€œcooperateâ€ quietly.

Nonetheless, a projected winding down of US-led occupation forces later this year accords with US President Barack Obamaâ€™s plan to withdraw US troops from July 2011. Officially, this would first need to be approved by the Afghan government this July.

However, the proposed schedules are still very tentative when seen from either the Nato or the US standpoint. Realities on the ground indicate that various militant groups in Afghanistan or in neighbouring Pakistan are regrouping, and raring to â€œtestâ€ local government strength once the occupying forces withdraw.

Equally, the presence of foreign forces does not discourage militant attacks on them or on local villagers in the way. The status of foreign troops as occupiers only affirms their role as legitimate targets, for nationalistic, religious, local political or some self-interested purposes.

Then when the occupation forces retaliate against suspected insurgent hideouts, innocent bystanders often get maimed or killed as well. Militant groups and local communities have different reasons for ridding their country of foreign occupiers, that being a hallmark of Afghan history.

Such are some of the undercurrents of the occupation that the foreign forces have had to improvise to stay ahead, or just stay alive. This constant need to evolve policy in the field is crucial, albeit seldom appreciated in central headquarters in Washington.

The latest need involves deciding the future of small, remote military outposts that come under frequent militant attack. These attacks resulted in the troop withdrawal from Korengal Valley in mid-April, and now the issue is whether to maintain positions like Combat Outpost (COP) Spera in eastern Khost province.

Militant attacks usually involve a mutual exchange of fire with some casualties, without the insurgents defeating the occupation troops. But the larger questions are how long these outposts can continue to endure a war of attrition, and whether remote outposts are worth the trouble.

Operationally, the militants know where the occupation troops are, but not vice-versa. The militants then attack at will, usually at night, making the troops sitting ducks before melting away in the darkness.

Whatever the balance of casualties, the insurgent attacks do exact a toll in terms of morale. And what do the small remote outposts actually achieve anyway?

The standard answer is that they help check the cross-border passage of militant fighters and their weapons. Khost is only a little over 100km from Kabul, and when outposts there are referred to as â€œremoteâ€ , it shows how much more of the country the Afghan government does not control.

More significantly perhaps, Khost is only some 25km from the Pakistan border. The fact that many of the Afghan Taliban as well as Osama bin Ladenâ€™s al-Qaeda fighters are now based in Pakistan, and make border crossings with apparent ease, also shows how little effective policing is done.

It also shows that militant threats can no longer be contained within separate national jurisdictions.

Militancy and defending against it are practically seamless in this version of a â€œborderless worldâ€ , as acknowledged by the now-common collective term â€œAfPakâ€ .

Defensive actions by the authorities, however, are different in generally remaining inadequate. The asymmetrical, unstreamlined, non-harmonised policies between the Afghan and Pakistan governments instead only encourage militants to be bolder.

And yet the situation could still get worse: besides al-Qaeda and the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban, others like Lashka-e-Taiba, the so-called â€œIndian Mujahideenâ€ and assorted others might yet coordinate and cooperate among themselves more than they have ever done.

The Taliban themselves have already shown a greater resilience and tenacity than any of the occupation forces had expected or thought possible.

For example, after Pakistan and occupation troops celebrated action that â€œflushedâ€ the Taliban from South Waziristan, the result was only that they moved to North Waziristan.

Politically, occupation troops would look better leaving on their own terms on schedule rather than get chased out like so many others in Afghan history. The challenge then becomes leaving before things get too rough, making withdrawal look like defeat; but would the militants oblige?

Amid these developments, Nato is talking the long talk. It said its forces would not leave before the job of soundly defeating the militants is done, and that the transfer of control to Afghan authorities must be sustainable and irreversible.

Doing all that may require abandoning all known deadlines for withdrawal. Natoâ€™s hopes amount to little more than a pep talk, but when troop morale is declining even a pep talk should help.
===========================
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14.: Twelve NATO Oil Tankers Destroyed In Pakistan

Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff

Sat Apr 24, 2010 9:05 pm (PDT)

http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/90851/6962184.html

Xinhua News Agency
April 25, 2010

4 policemen killed, 12 NATO oil tankers destroyed in Pakistan

Four policemen were killed and 12 oil tankers of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) forces were set on fire in Pakistan's Punjab province on Saturday.

Unknown militants attacked the NATO's tankers near the city of Chakwal in Punjab province, police sources said.

Police officer Aslam Tarenn confirmed the death of the policemen in the attack. He said that the attackers had come by Land Cruiser. Nearby petrol station also caught fire due to the attack on the oil tankers.

Most oil supply to NATO forces in Afghanistan is transferred through Pakistan. But militants frequently attack the NATO oil tankers in the country.
===========================
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15.: NATO Praises United Arab Emirates' Role In Afghanistan

Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff

Sat Apr 24, 2010 9:06 pm (PDT)

http://www.wam.org.ae/servlet/Satellite?c=WamLocEnews&cid=1267001337453&p=1135099400124&pagename=WAM%2FWamLocEnews%2FW-T-LEN-FullNews

Emirates News Agency
April 24, 2010

Abdullah bin Zayed partakes in NATO foreign ministers' meeting

Tallin, Estonia: Foreign Minister H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan participated today the NATO foreign ministers meeting in Tallinn, Estonia which was attended by 46 ministers.

The meeting discussed means to support stability in Afghanistan and speeding up the transfer of security responsibilities to the Afghanistan's national forces.

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen praised UAE's efforts in Afghanistan which he described as exceptional and inspirational.

Sheikh Abdullah met on the meeting's sidelines with the foreign ministers of Montenegro, Bulgaria and Albania. He discussed with them ways to strengthen UAE's relations with their respective countries.
===========================
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16.: Pakistan: U.S. Missile Attack Kills Seven, Wounds More

Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff

Sat Apr 24, 2010 9:06 pm (PDT)

http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=124298§ionid=351020401

Press TV
April 24, 2010

US drone attack kills 7 in Pakistan

A US drone aircraft fires three missiles into the troubled northwestern Pakistan, killing at least seven people and injuring several others.

According to Pakistani intelligence officials, the missiles landed in the country's North Waziristan tribal area near the Afghan border on Saturday.

The death toll is expected to rise as some of the injured are reported to be in critical condition, sources said.

Washington claims the raids target militants in Pakistan, but hundreds of civilians have fallen victim to the US drone attacks since 2008.

Islamabad has repeatedly condemned the strikes, saying they threaten the country's sovereignty and fuel public anger.
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17.: Report: Australian Opposition Wants 1,000 More Troops For Afghanista

Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff

Sat Apr 24, 2010 9:07 pm (PDT)

http://www.smh.com.au/national/abbotts-troop-surge-reckless-and-erratic-rudd-20100424-tkhx.html

Sydney Morning Herald
April 25, 2010

Abbott's troop surge reckless and erratic: Rudd
STEPHANIE PEATLING

Tony Abbott's commitment to send more troops to Afghanistan is ''characteristically reckless'' and will cost taxpayers $1 billion a year, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has said.

In a speech on national security yesterday Mr Rudd accused the Opposition Leader of having a policy committing at least another 1000 Australian Defence Force personnel to the conflict without proper consideration of the consequences.
....
Mr Abbott said on Friday that Australia should be prepared to take control of Afghanistan's Oruzgan province when the Dutch leave in August.

''A commitment to do more in Afghanistan would be one sign that Australia is entirely serious about its overseas responsibilities,'' Mr Abbott said.
....
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18.: Pakistan: Multi-Billion Smuggling Racket Uses NATO Supply Route

Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff

Sat Apr 24, 2010 9:07 pm (PDT)

http://www.thenews.com.pk/print1.asp?id=235913

The News (Pakistan)
April 25, 2010

Multi-billion dollar smuggling in garb of Nato, ISAF supplies
By By Ikram Hoti

ISLAMABAD: A massive multi-billion dollar smuggling racket exploiting the ISAF-Nato supply route through Pakistan was busted on Friday. The ISAF, Nato and US Army authorities in Kabul confirmed to the Pakistan Customs Intelligence last week that its suspicions regarding an international syndicate operating to transport billions of dollars worth contraband goods into Pakistan under the protection of the ISAF food shipments were correct. A search at the Karachi Port on Friday further confirmed the suspicion when a consignment of 28-ton alcoholic beverage was seized, its items were listed and investigations were launched against the involved elements.

According to sources, there are 30 more shipments on the list, and the Customs Intelligence (CI) is carrying out exhaustive investigations. Some arrests have already been made in this connection, the details of which are likely to surface within the next few days. The CI officials are in the process of making more arrests, and their teams are already in the field to apprehend the involved criminals.

According to intelligence sources, one suspected company (name withheld) which was a sub-contractor was operating under the cover of ISAF-transporter of food items to Kabul from the Pakistani ports. The Customs Intelligence authorities are now scanning records from Karachi to Torkham Border Customs Post on such shipments.

They have already obtained proof that 31 such shipments were made by this company and other companies, while it has also been confirmed that a container-parking on the Ring Road Peshawar was used as a workshop till last week for not only disposing the shipments but also for breaking up the containers in which they were transported from Karachi to remove all criminal evidence.

William F Ping, a Nato officer authorised at Kabul on behalf of the ISAF, had in June 2009 confirmed that the nabbed company was listed as transporter of ISAF food shipments but refused to respond to a query this month that the company named in an FIR in Peshawar (by Customs Intelligence) on April 8, 2010 was their authorised transporter. Reportedly, the top Customs authorities of South and Appraisement Department were reluctant to cooperate in examining a suspected container in Karachi on Friday. They were approached by CI with a copy of the Peshawar FIR and a list of the ISAF transporters but they still resisted until the Customs Intelligence issued a warning that their inspectors would simply barge into the premises where the suspected container was parked. Following this threat, the inspection was allowed reluctantly.

The FIR at Peshawar was lodged after the confirmation that the Customs Intelligence had found the suspected containerâ€™s seal after a search from Karachi to Torkham.

This was an arduous search in the April heat at truck-stands along the up-country highways, and the Torkham Customs Station had confirmed it to the intelligence that a number of other consignments never reached the border for onward transportation to Kabul.

When asked what kind of goods were being smuggled into Pakistan under the ISAF cover, the relevant authorities said more important was listing the companies involved in the syndicate that makes it possible for them to perpetrate international crimes.

Previously, they said, the Diplomatic Bonded Warehouses in Islamabad were being used for cover, and then the Afghan Transit Trade Agreement (ATTA). Now these companies have ganged up to exploit the ISAF-Nato-US Army shipments. â€œThese are thoroughly connected gangs and they have penetrated the Pakistan Customs, without the connivance of which they cannot operate so boldly.â€

These authorities said they would be focusing on three aspects of the entire racket: a) the shipments that were made (they could be in hundreds; 31 were confirmed); the companies involved; c) the Customs officials involved. They also said this syndicate had been operating over the past couple of years, and there had been complaints about it, but only a couple of months ago did the Customs Intelligence move to bust it and come out with tangible proof which can withstand the grilling of the defence in a court of law.
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19.: U.S. Preparing Most Advanced Conventional Weapon

Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff

Sat Apr 24, 2010 9:08 pm (PDT)

http://www.ndtv.com/news/world/us-preparing-most-advanced-conventional-weapon-20881.php

Press Trust of India
April 25, 2010

US preparing most advanced conventional weapon?

New York: The US is devising an advanced conventional weapon of new strength called 'Prompt Global Strike' which can reduce dependence on atomic weapons, as it aims to accomplish great tasks without crossing nuke threshold, a media report said today.

President Barack Obama, in the coming years, will have to decide whether to deploy such weapons cutting the US reliance on nuclear weapons, the New York Times said in its report.
....
In a previous interview with the daily, Obama alluded to the concept, saying it was part of an effort "to move towards less emphasis on nuclear weapons" while insuring that our conventional weapons capability is an effective deterrent in all but the most extreme circumstances.

The Obama national security team scrapped the idea of putting the new conventional weapon on submarines, the Times said. "Instead, the White House has asked Congress for about USD 250 million next year to explore a new alternative, one that uses some of the most advanced technology in the military today as well as some not yet even invented."

Under the Obama plan, the Prompt Global Strike warhead would be mounted on a long-range missile to start its journey toward a target. It would travel through the atmosphere at several times the speed of sound, generating so much heat that it would have to be shielded with special materials to avoid melting, according to the report.
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