Messages In This Digest (25 Messages)
- 1.
- Raytheon Tests SM-3 Interceptor Missile For European Deployment From: Rick Rozoff
- 2.
- Raytheon Tests Laser-Guided Missile For Urban, Sea Combat From: Rick Rozoff
- 3.
- Commentary: Russia Increases Kuril Defense To Ward Off War From: Rick Rozoff
- 4.
- Contact Embassy: Romania Aids Georgia's NATO, EU Integration From: Rick Rozoff
- 5.
- NATO To Approve Georgia's Annual National Program Today From: Rick Rozoff
- 6.
- U.S. Missiles In Europe: "NATO Protects NATO" From: Rick Rozoff
- 7.
- NATO Consolidates "Strategic Defense" Ties With CSTO Member Armenia From: Rick Rozoff
- 8.
- Japanese-Russian Dispute Over Kuril Islands Continues From: Rick Rozoff
- 9.
- NATO Trains Afghan Air Force For Interoperability From: Rick Rozoff
- 10.
- Stop NATO, February 2 on Egypt From: Rick Rozoff
- 11.
- Azerbaijani Defense Minister Again Threatens New War With Armenia From: Rick Rozoff
- 12.
- Afghan Guards Shell South Korean Base From: Rick Rozoff
- 13.
- Missile Shield: Rumsfeld's Ideas Alive And Being Implemented From: Rick Rozoff
- 14.
- Opposition: Saakashvili Has Turned Georgia Into Police State From: Rick Rozoff
- 15.
- Slovenia: U.S. Leads NATO Combat Drills For "Operations Worldwide" From: Rick Rozoff
- 16.
- E Mediterranean: U.S. 6th Fleet Commander Visits Carrier Strike Grou From: Rick Rozoff
- 17.
- Pentagon Shifts $1.7 Billion For Advanced SM-3 Interceptor Missile From: Rick Rozoff
- 18.
- NATO Chief: Egypt Remains Bloc's "Valued Partner" From: Rick Rozoff
- 19.
- African Standby Force Plans Military Exercise In Newborn South Sudan From: Rick Rozoff
- 20.
- U.S. Seeks Military Coup In Egypt: Iranian Parliament Speaker From: Rick Rozoff
- 21.
- Egyptian Military Takes Control From: Rick Rozoff
- 22.
- China's Ruling Party Sees U.S. Containment Plan, Anti-China Alliance From: Rick Rozoff
- 23.
- Alaska: Pentagon Expands Long-Range Interceptor Missile Program From: Rick Rozoff
- 24.
- Pakistani Police: U.S. 'Diplomat' Killed Two Civilians In Cold Blood From: Rick Rozoff
- 25.
- U.S.-Afghan-Pakistan DC Meeting In Doubt Over Davis Case From: Rick Rozoff
Messages
- 1.
-
Raytheon Tests SM-3 Interceptor Missile For European Deployment
Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff
Fri Feb 11, 2011 9:12 am (PST)
http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Security-Industry/2011/02/10/Aerojet-completes-missile-warhead-tests/UPI-90161297345352/
United Press International
Feberuary 10, 2011
Aerojet completes missile warhead tests
SACRAMENTO: A kinetic warhead system integration test for the Standard Missile-3 Block has been completed by Aerojet of California and Raytheon.
The test verified the warhead's ability to detect, track and engage a ballistic missile target.
Aerojet, a subcontractor to Raytheon Missile Systems, said the test involved a fully operational, flight-weight kinetic warhead operating on an air-bearing test stand in a high-altitude chamber at an Aerojet facility.
The warhead's seeker tracked a simulated target while the guidance computer sent information to the Throttleable Divert and Attitude Control System to fire its thrusters as if it were conducting an actual flight mission.
The TDACS fired its divert and attitude control thrusters and maintained aim on the target during the entire test sequence, the company said.
"Performing the successful test achieves an important and major TDACS milestone, further demonstrating the system's readiness for flight," said Aerojet Vice President Dick Bregard....
"Aerojet is committed … to deliver this critical system capability to the fleet in 2012."
Raytheon Missile Systems of Tucson, the prime contractor for the SM-3 program and is developing SM-3 as part of the Missile Defense Agency's Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System. SM-3 will be deployed in both a sea-based and land-based mode as part of phase two of the Phased Adaptive Approach for missile defense.
Aerojet is developing the TDACS for the SM-3 Blk IB program.
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- 2.
-
Raytheon Tests Laser-Guided Missile For Urban, Sea Combat
Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff
Fri Feb 11, 2011 9:12 am (PST)
http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Security-Industry/2011/02/11/Raytheon-tests-new-Maverick-missile/UPI-15551297422820/
United Press International
February 11, 2011
Raytheon tests new Maverick missile
BANGALORE, India: The latest variant of the laser-guided Maverick missile has completed a series of flight tests by U.S. defense company Raytheon.
The company, in a news release from a defense and aerospace exhibition in India, said that during the tests the missile's laser seeker locked on to a variety of stationary and moving targets from distances as far as 18 miles.
The tests, conducted late last year, were performed using F/A-18, F-16, and A-10C fighter aircraft.
"The combat-proven, laser-guided Maverick is an ideal weapon for urban combat and high-speed maneuvering targets, both on land and at sea," said Harry Schulte, vice president of Raytheon Missile Systems Air Warfare Systems product line. "With more than 33 customers around the globe and certified on more than 25 aircraft, Maverick is clearly the warfighter's weapon of choice for direct-attack precision engagement."
The new AGM-65E2/L Maverick, an air-to-surface weapon, will have an enhanced laser seeker and new software that reduces the risk of collateral damage and enables aircraft to use onboard, buddy and ground-based lasing to designate targets.
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- 3.
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Commentary: Russia Increases Kuril Defense To Ward Off War
Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff
Fri Feb 11, 2011 9:12 am (PST)
http://en.rian.ru/analysis/20110211/162553992.html
Russian Information Agency Novosti
February 11, 2011
Russia to boost Kuril defense to ward off war
Alexandr Grashenkov
Russia's unresolved conflict with Japan over the Kuril Islands, which has been simmering since WWII, may reach a boiling point now that Russian authorities are set to go ahead with their plan to build up the disputed territory's defense potential.
The plan, unveiled by President Dmitry Medvedev and Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov as part of a comprehensive development program for Russia's Pacific Coast, envisages, among other things, the deployment of modern armaments to defend the country's eastern borders against a hypothetical military attack.
Historical parallels
The Kuril dispute is, in a sense, similar to the one Britain had with Argentina over the Falkland Islands. This latter conflict ended in a brief war, preceded by years of diplomacy and numerous attempts to implement joint economic projects....
It would be wrong to draw any direct parallels between today's Japan and the Argentina of the 1950-1980s. But in the rapidly changing world, the South Kuril Islands, referred to by the Japanese as the Northern Territories, may well be chosen one day as a soft target by Russia's eastern neighbor, seeking to vent out aggression.
The archipelago's attractiveness as a politicking tool will become more apparent to Tokyo if Moscow continues to drag its feet on the upgrading and expansion of the Russian Pacific Coast's economic and military infrastructure. The defense capabilities of that area could be enhanced by sending in new warships and aircraft, building airfields and launching grounds, and, most importantly, by deploying competent personnel who could remain on the ground on a permanent basis rather than working under seasonal, back-to-back schemes.
Analyzing the developments that led to the Falkland war, one can say in retrospect that the Argentine government's decision to launch a military operation was prompted by a dramatic weakening of Britain's armed forces, notably the Royal Navy, in the late 1970s and the early 1980s. The British had by then written off most of their ageing big-sized warships without replacing them with new vessels, and this weakened the country's aircraft carrier fleet. As a result, the Navy found itself without modern aircraft carriers, and had to make do with ships designed to carry aircraft with vertical takeoff only.
Russia's defense arsenal in the Far East
Similarly, Russia's defense arsenal is not at its strongest these days. In conventional armaments, Japan now enjoys numerical supremacy over the Russian Far Eastern forces, and it also boasts a higher percentage of modern hardware in the navy, the air force, and the army.
In the Kuril Islands, homeland defense relies on a single machine gun artillery division (incidentally, this is the only division remaining in the country's ground forces, with all the others already reconfigured into brigades). But this unit can hardly provide efficient defense on its own, without any support from AF, ABM, and Navy forces.
Clearly, the deployment of additional service personnel in the Kuril Islands will not make the Russian Pacific Coast better protected against a potential military attack. It is a qualitative change that needs to be brought about.
It is vitally important to improve the archipelago's infrastructure, which would enable the Air Force and the Navy to act more effectively in the Pacific area.
Russia's ageing Pacific Fleet, where most of the ships currently in service will have to be scrapped in the next 15 years, needs urgent refitting. The fleet has already been pledged two French-made Mistral ships, but that is not enough. It also needs new corvettes and frigates to perform tasks ranging from escorting bigger vessels to combating submarines and providing support for paratroopers.
Another key priority is to enhance the Air Force presence off Russia's Pacific Coast and to restore the permanent deployment of a combat jet fleet on the Sakhalin Island. This will make Russia better equipped for a prompt response.
The construction of a forward-based airfield in the Kuril Islands would let us have a squadron of jet fighters on standby. But there is no point in creating a permanent air base here, since such a base will be too vulnerable to potential enemy attacks.
The deployment of multifunctional and combat helicopters is one more possibility to consider.
Si vis pacem, para bellum (If you want peace, prepare for war)
All these plans to reinforce the Kuril Islands' defense potential should be translated into reality so as to discourage the most radical of Japanese politicians from contemplating regaining the possession of the South Kuril Islands through the use of military force.
Luckily for Russia, there is no imminent threat. At the moment, Japan seems to be more concerned about the intra-Korean conflict, which puts its national security in jeopardy, as well as by the growing military might of its old arch rival, China.
A dramatic buildup of Russia's defense capabilities in the Kuril Islands could make Japanese politicians put this long-running territorial dispute on the backburner and concentrate on more urgent challenges to its homeland security.
It should be kept in mind that no military arsenal, however strong, can provide adequate national defense unless there is a political will. Yet, even relatively modest armed forces can make a difference if political and military leaders are really determined to uphold the interests and the dignity of their country.
....
Russian authorities are facing a different challenge today, one that is simpler and trickier at the same time. They need to demonstrate - without resorting to military force - their determination to uphold Russia's interests and its territorial integrity. And doing so in such a way that no ill-wisher would want to put that resolve to test.
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- 4.
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Contact Embassy: Romania Aids Georgia's NATO, EU Integration
Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff
Fri Feb 11, 2011 9:12 am (PST)
http://en.trend.az/news/politics/1827629.html
Trend News Agency
February 11, 2011
Parliamentary Speaker: Romania ready to support Georgia in its integration into NATO and EU
N. Kirtskhalia
Tbilisi: Romania is ready to render practical assistance to Georgia in its integration into the European Union and NATO, Speaker of Upper Chamber of the Romanian Parliament Mircea Geoană said at a meeting with Georgian Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze in Bucharest.
During the meeting the sides discussed the political and economic relations between the two countries. They stressed the importance of cooperation and partnership in various fields and discussed the progress of infrastructure and energy projects.
Vashadze once again thanked the Romanian side for the resolution adopted by the Senate on Georgia.
According to Mircea Geoană, Georgia after the war with Russia was able to make progress and Romania is ready to intensify its efforts toward Tbilisi's integration with the European Union and NATO.
....
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- 5.
-
NATO To Approve Georgia's Annual National Program Today
Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff
Fri Feb 11, 2011 9:13 am (PST)
http://en.trend.az/news/politics/1827738.html
Trend News Agency
February 11, 2011
NATO Council to approve Georgian annual national program today
N. Kirtskhalia
Tbilisi: A Georgian governmental delegation will participate in the work of the NATO Council in Brussels. "The Georgian annual program will be finally approved at the NATO Council meeting," Georgian First Deputy State Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Elena Khoshtaria told journalists.
The Georgian delegation includes the State Minister for Reintegration Eka Tkeshelashvili and Deputy Foreign Minister Tornike Gordadze.
Work on the National Cooperation Program between Georgia and NATO for 2011 was completed last week.
Under the program, Georgia is committed to continuing reforms in politics, the economy, defense and security, as well as to develop legal and educational fields.
In 2008, the alliance did not provide Georgia with a Membership Action Plan. Afterward, Georgia and NATO began to cooperate on the basis of annual plans.
The draft annual national program for 2011 contains a plan for reforms in the political, economic, legal and educational spheres, as well as in defense and security.
The program, along with the NATO-Georgia Commission, is the main instrument for Georgia to join the alliance.
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- 6.
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U.S. Missiles In Europe: "NATO Protects NATO"
Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff
Fri Feb 11, 2011 9:13 am (PST)
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/11/us-usa-missiledefence-poland-idUSTRE71A3OI20110211
Reuters
February 11, 2011
U.S. reassures Poles on Russia missile defense role
WARSAW: A senior U.S. arms control negotiator said Friday she had reassured Poland and the Baltic republics that plans to involve Russia in developing European missile defense would not compromise their security.
President Barack Obama has scrapped Bush-era plans for radar and interceptor missiles in eastern Europe that Moscow saw as a threat to its own security and has invited Russia to join a revised blueprint that involves shorter-range interceptors.
Russia has cautiously accepted the offer but says it must have significant input, raising concerns among ex-Soviet satellites such as Poland, now NATO members, that Moscow may have a de facto veto over the development of missile defense.
"I have really stressed in my talks that the guiding principle, as set out by President Obama in Lisbon, is that NATO protects NATO," Rose Gottemoeller, assistant secretary of state for arms control, told reporters after meeting Polish officials.
"We have resolved, and NATO has resolved, to develop robust cooperation with Russia on missile defense... There is a will in all NATO capitals to make this work," said Gottemoeller, who has also visited Ukraine and NATO members Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in the past few days.
....
At a NATO summit last November, the allies agreed to develop a new missile defense shield linking systems in the United States and Europe....
The plans involve the stationing of ship-based interceptors in the Mediterranean from this year, followed by land-based interceptors in Romania from 2015 and in Poland from 2018.
Despite its agreement to take part in the initiative, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has said Russia could deploy nuclear weapons and "strike forces" if it were shut out of the Western missile shield.
(Reporting by Gareth Jones, editing by Paul Taylor)
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- 7.
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NATO Consolidates "Strategic Defense" Ties With CSTO Member Armenia
Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff
Fri Feb 11, 2011 9:13 am (PST)
http://news.am/eng/news/47605.html
NEWS.am
February 11, 2011
2011-2012 Armenia-NATO IPAP under development
At its February 11 sitting in Yerevan, the interagency commission set up to coordinate work under the Armenia-NATO Individual Partnership Action Plans (IPAP) reported on the work carried out under IPAP last year. Secretary of the National Security Council Artur Baghdasaryan chaired the sitting.
The press service of the RA National Security Council informed Armenian News-NEWS.am that the program involves political, security, defense public awareness, prevention of civil and environmental crises and information security.
Baghdasaryan expressed his satisfaction with the accomplishment of most of the 122 tasks set under IPAP in 2010. "Active cooperation with NATO under strategic defense revision has produced appreciable results," he said.
"The creation of a crisis management center, as well as a seismic security concept and national cyber-terrorism control program, are of importance for the country," Baghdasaryan said.
He also pointed out the need for speeding the elaboration of a concept of reforming the Armenian rescue service, military training doctrine and national program of improving organized crime control.
The commission members made proposals concerning the Armenia-NATO Individual Partnership Action Plan for 2011-2012.
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- 8.
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Japanese-Russian Dispute Over Kuril Islands Continues
Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff
Fri Feb 11, 2011 9:30 am (PST)
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2011-02/11/c_13727950.htm
Xinhua News Agency
February 11, 2011
Russia, Japan remain divided on disputed islands
MOSCOW: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov Friday told his Japanese counterpart that Japan's recent actions over the disputed Southern Kuril islands, which are also claimed by Japan, were "unacceptable."
During their over two-hour meeting, Lavrov described Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara's current visit to Moscow as "timely," but also said he had hoped the visit could take place in a more favorable political environment.
"Frankly speaking, I hoped that I would meet with you in a more favorable backdrop than the one emerged in recent days," Lavrov told Maehara.
"The recent backdrop was attributed to a number of (Japan's) unacceptable actions, including the so-called 'Northern Territories Day'," Lavrov added.
Lavrov also noted Japan's behavior during the so-called Northern Territories Day does not facilitate the development of relations between Moscow and Tokyo.
"The celebration of the so-called Northern Territories Day in Japan certainly overshadowed the general atmosphere of our relationship and do not facilitate its constructive development," he said.
For his part, Maehara thanked Lavrov for having the meeting with him, but stressed that the two countries should overcome territorial problems in accordance with the interests of both sides.
"There is a divergence in approaches toward this problem, but we must look for a mutually acceptable solution on the basis of legitimacy and fairness," Maehara said.
"We must hold this discussions in a quiet atmosphere," he added, stressing the two countries' positions "remain parallel."
"The Northern Territories are Japan's historic territories. I describe them both from the point of history and international perspective," he said.
Russia and Japan have long been at odds over the sovereignty of the four Pacific islands, which are called the Northern Territories in Japan and the Southern Kurils in Russia.
....
However, Maehara still rejected any foreign investments to the Southern Kuril islands.
"Any other countries' investments in the Northern Territories are totally not match the position of the Japanese side and complicate the situation," Maehara told the news conference.
"Russia and Japan could consider business cooperation on the islands at a high level, if no harm is done to Japan's position from the point of view of the law," he said.
Such cooperation has already been discussed since 2005, the Japanese minister added.
Russian President Medvedev visited Kunashiri Island in November, becoming the first Russian leader to travel to any of the disputed islands. Japan temporarily recalled its ambassador from Moscow to protest Medvedev's visit.
Related:
Japan's FM insists Russian-held islands are Japanese territory
TOKYO, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- Japan's Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara on Thursday reiterated his government's stance on disputed islands it holds claim to off Hokkaido, northeastern Japan, saying that they are sovereign Japanese territory from a point of law.
Speaking at a press conference, Maehara said that regardless of how many Russian dignitaries visit the islands or how much Russia' s military presence grows in the area, the islands are originally Japanese territory from an international legal standpoint. Full story
Medvedev vows to deploy sufficient weapons in disputed islands
MOSCOW, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- President Dmitry Medvedev on Wednesday ordered the deployment of sufficient weaponry to secure the disputed Southern Kuril islands also claimed by Japan, local media reported.
"The additional weapons to be deployed there must be sufficient and modern, in order to ensure the security of the islands as an integral part of Russia," Medvedev told the Russian defense minister in a meeting.
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- 9.
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NATO Trains Afghan Air Force For Interoperability
Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff
Fri Feb 11, 2011 9:30 am (PST)
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2011-02/11/c_13727874.htm
Xinhua News Agency
February 11, 2011
12 Afghan airmen graduate from basic intelligence course: NATO
-"Without these skills, the Afghan Air Force cannot be a part of NATO....[I]t gives the Afghan Air Force the ability to work with other nations on the level that NATO operates."
KABUL: A dozen Afghan airmen including a woman have graduated from basic airman intelligence course inside the country, a statement of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) received here Friday said.
"Twelve members of the Afghan Air Force, including the first female student and two civilians, graduated from the basic airman intelligence course at Pohantoon-e-Hawayee, the Afghan Air Force's "Big Air School", February. 3," the statement added.
Each of the graduates completed 210 hours of classroom instruction covering more than 50 topics, the statement further said.
"Topics range from critical thinking and analysis, mission planning, classified information protection and security, to the creation and delivery of a professional military intelligence brief in support of Afghanistan Air Force flying operations," the statement quoted Lee Marsters, Afghan Air Force Intelligence adviser, with the NATO Air Training Command-Afghanistan Advisory Group as saying.
Marsters said the training was conducted because there was a need to develop a professional intelligence capability in Afghanistan air force.
"Without these skills, the Afghan Air Force cannot be a part of NATO. This is only the second four-month course that has been taught. Other intelligence courses being taught by coalition partners were not capable of addressing Intelligence Support to air operations," Marsters noted in the statement.
"Additionally, it gives the Afghan Air Force the ability to work with other nations on the level that NATO operates," the statement quoted Marsters as saying.
Afghan air force at present is made up of a Corpse with several Russian-made helicopters and transport planes provided by some nations contributed troops to Afghanistan within the framework of NATO-led ISAF.
However, Afghan air force has no jet fighters and Afghan government has been emphasizing for proper equipment of its air force to independently safeguards the country's boundaries after completion of transferring security responsibility from NATO-led troops to Afghan security forces.
....
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- 10.
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Stop NATO, February 2 on Egypt
Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff
Fri Feb 11, 2011 9:52 am (PST)
http://rickrozoff.wordpress.com/2011/02/02/egypt-will-u-s-and-nato-launch-second-suez-intervention
Stop NATO
February 2, 2011
Egypt: Will U.S. And NATO Launch Second Suez Intervention?
Chief of the U.S. General Staff Admiral Michael Mullen spoke by phone with Egyptian chief of staff Lieutenant General Sami Enan on [January 31], after the latter and the high-level military delegation he led hastily left Washington, D.C. ahead of the completion of scheduled week-long consultations at the Pentagon. The Internet is rife with speculation that Enan may be slated to head an interim government should President Mubarak be prevailed upon to exit the scene in the imminent future.
....
Egypt is too strategically important to the U.S. and its European and Israeli allies to permit its citizens to exercise control over the nation's military and energy policies, over what passes through the Suez Canal. Before that will be permitted to occur, the threats of a military takeover and intervention loom over the nation.
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- 11.
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Azerbaijani Defense Minister Again Threatens New War With Armenia
Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff
Fri Feb 11, 2011 1:44 pm (PST)
http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=5685278&c=EUR&s=LAN
Agence France-Presse
February 11, 2011
Azerbaijan, Armenia May Go To War Over Territory
BAKU, Azerbaijan: Azerbaijan is seriously preparing for war with Armenia over the disputed region of Nagorny Karabakh, the country's defense minister told international peace mediators Feb. 11.
"Azerbaijan is seriously preparing to liberate its territories," Defense Minister Safar Abiyev said in comments published by the ministry's news service.
This is not the first occasion that a top Azerbaijani official has used tough rhetoric over a possible conflict.
Azerbaijan has repeatedly threatened to use force to win back Karabakh if peace talks do not yield results, while Armenia has warned of large-scale retaliation if Baku launches military action.
Abiyev said that Armenia must end what he called its "occupation policy" in Karabakh....
"Only in this context is a peaceful settlement of the conflict possible," Abiyev said.
Abiyev was speaking to peace mediators from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, whose efforts to find a negotiated solution to the Karabakh dispute have continued for more than a decade.
....
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- 12.
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Afghan Guards Shell South Korean Base
Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff
Fri Feb 11, 2011 1:44 pm (PST)
http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=5685290&c=MID&s=LAN
Agence France-Presse
February 11, 2011
Afghan Guards Suspected Of Attacking S. Korea Base
SEOUL: A rocket attack on a South Korean base in Afghanistan this week was apparently carried out by disgruntled former Afghan security personnel, a senior South Korean official said Feb. 11.
Five rockets were fired at the base housing South Korean aid workers and troops in the northern province of Parwan late Feb. 8 and two landed inside.
No one was hurt.
The suspected culprits were former Afghan security personnel who had their jobs guarding the base given to other guards, Deputy Defence Minister Chang Kwang-Il said.
"Afghan authorities believe the former security personnel were responsible," Chang said.
The attack coincided with a visit to the base by Defence Minister Kim Kwan-Jin.
....
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- 13.
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Missile Shield: Rumsfeld's Ideas Alive And Being Implemented
Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff
Fri Feb 11, 2011 2:07 pm (PST)
http://english.ruvr.ru/2011/02/11/43938139.html
Voice of Russia
February 11, 2011
Donald Rumsfeld's ideas alive
Interview with high-ranking Defense Ministry official Lieutenant-General Evgeny Buzhinsky.
Donald Rumsfeld is considered to be one of the architects of national security strategies of different US administrations. What was his role in spelling out the ABC of American security?
Of course, Donald Rumsfeld's role in formulating the military strategy of the United States is considerable. He was the defense secretary under Presidents Ford and Bush Sr. In this capacity he played a significant role in this sphere. He also is considered to be one of the principal supporters, and I would say lobbyists and promoters, of the missile defense system. Even when he left the post of the secretary of defense in between his civil service, he was very actively engaged in lobbying ABM system priorities among the US military and political circles. So, he has always been an influential and respected person.
As Russia's top military official you participated in negotiations with Donald Rumsfeld and his team. In Russia, he is often portrayed as one of America's notorious hawks. How relevant are these general observations? Can you share some personal experience with us?
First of all regarding the hawks and the doves. This clichés and terms were used by journalists. I would say, as Donald Rumsfeld characterized himself - and I heard this with my own ears, - he is an old Cold War warrior. That's true, just as the fact that I participated in negotiations as part of the delegation accompanying then Defense Minister of Russia Sergei Ivanov. He seemed to be quite a reasonable man but he was not cooperative as regards the ABM issues. He was rather stubborn and did not hear us at all. Neither did he while the two defense ministers negotiated the Moscow Treaty. He did not hear our reasons and arguments, while his arguments were the following: the Cold War is over, we are not enemies, we are practically partners and can become allies in the future; don't be afraid of us, we will do what we want and plan. That's all.
And, of course, you could not accept such an approach.
Of course we couldn't. Negotiations and negotiations and that was in our favor that he was not speaking about the Moscow Treaty and wasn't the one who determined its future - it was President Bush's Secretary of State Colin Powell.
Donald Rumsfeld was a Republican serving under a Republican administration. Now, amid the ongoing reset of US-Russian relations, how relevant are his ideas for the democratic administration of President Obama? Is there any consensus on the ABM and other issues?
As for his ideas about arms control, they are no longer relevant, since the Obama administration has other priorities. Arms control was one of Mr. Obama's priorities when he was running for presidency and the SALT Treaty is a good proof for that. As for ABM-related issues, you see, there is actually a bipartisan consensus on ABM. Of course, the approaches of the current administration are a little bit different but the general course of creating a global ABM system is still relevant. I would say Donald Rumsfeld's ideas are alive and being implemented.
Did I get you right that as regards the ABM, the changes are only in style, not in substance?
The change is in some forms of implementing this project. The sweet is the same, while the paper around it is a bit different.
So, it still remains an uphill battle for us, doesn't it?
I still do hope that our political and military leaders will find a way to cooperate. In this case, it will be easier for us to accept.
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- 14.
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Opposition: Saakashvili Has Turned Georgia Into Police State
Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff
Fri Feb 11, 2011 2:07 pm (PST)
http://www.interfax.com/newsinf.asp?pg=2&id=221893
Interfax
February 11, 2011
Saakashvili turned Georgia into police state - opposition
TBILISI: On Friday about 100 Georgian opposition supporters held protests outside the parliament building where President Mikheil Saakashvili was due to make an annual report on the domestic and foreign policy two hours later.
"Once again Saakashvili is going to tell his parliamentarians what a beautiful country they live in, but the reality in Georgia is different. The overwhelming majority of the population is on the brink of poverty. Nothing is working in Georgia, except for the police," Lasha Chkhartishvili of the opposition Conservative Party and one of the protest organizers told journalists.
"Saakashvili's dictatorship regime is bound to collapse because there is an end to people's patience," he said.
The demonstration passed without incidents.
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- 15.
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Slovenia: U.S. Leads NATO Combat Drills For "Operations Worldwide"
Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff
Fri Feb 11, 2011 2:37 pm (PST)
http://www.usafe.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123242065
U.S. Air Forces in Europe
February 10, 2011
8th ASOS conducts coalition training with Slovenian TACPs
by Staff Sgt. Nadine Y. Barclay
31st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
POSTOJNA, Slovenia: Airmen from Aviano Air Base, Italy, partnered with members of the Slovenian army from Jan. 31 to Feb. 4 to conduct a NATO coalition combat capability training exercise at Pocek A-G Range in Postojna, Slovenia.
The exercise consisted of Close Air Support training between nine 8th Air Support Operations Squadron Airmen and Slovenian army joint terminal attacks controllers and tactical air control party operators, as well as Slovenian PC-9M aircraft.
"The objective of this training is to refine the techniques and procedures used in graduate-level close air support scenarios," said Tech. Sgt. Eduardo Ramos, JTAC with the 8th ASOS. "Our goal here is to train the Slovenian JTACs in our practices to better equip them for their upcoming deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom."
During the weeklong exercise, a PC-9M scattered the mountainside with live ordnance to provide realism to the training scenarios. Both the Aviano and Slovenian JTACs practiced common tactics, techniques and procedures used in CAS missions.
"Equipment, planes, bombs, and JTACS all add to the realism of the training," Sergeant Ramos said.
According to Slovenian army Sgt. 1st Class Sergej Savov, 1st Brigade TACP leader, building the JTAC capability is not only important because it saves lives downrange, but it also fosters partnership with the U.S. in the future.
"These training events are very useful for us," Sergeant Savov said. "We are starting to build the TACP capability for the Slovenian armed forces for all the missions and deployments we have. Since this is new for our army, we are striving for expertise. The best thing is to rely on those who are actually leading this activity in the war. It's great for us to train with USAFE, and since it's close to Aviano, it's easy for 8th ASOS to provide us with instructors, teach us, and mentor us on how to perform our tasks."
One of the tasks the Slovenian TACP operators and PC-9M pilots learned during the exercise was how to conduct night missions. This marked the first time the Slovenian army accomplished night operations using actual aircraft. The Slovenian army also received training on calling in live airstrikes.
In addition, the training provided Aviano Airmen with the unique ability to execute live CAS training missions using live ordnance close to home station. To maintain currency, U.S. JTACs must conduct at least one live CAS mission every six months.
"This training afforded our Airmen the opportunity to hone their skills to hit targets that the ground commanders want destroyed," said Maj. Bryan Trinkle, 8th ASOS operations officer....
Both U.S. and Slovenian participants agreed that conducting this type of training also highlights the partnership between U.S. and coalition forces. Col. Jean Vite, 4th Air Support Operations Group commander, coined three of Slovenia's first-ever JTACs in recognition of their hard work.
....
Sergeant Ramos said that, even though the main objective for this live fire training was to solidify coalition capabilities, the training helped set the stage for U.S. and Slovenian partnership in today's fight and real-world situations in the future.
"The partnership we've been working over the past few years to strengthen (capabilities) is coming to fruition in the form of realistic CAS training, opportunities to attend multinational specialized courses, and unifying the TACP concept capable of supporting any contingency operation worldwide," said Sergeant Ramos.
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- 16.
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E Mediterranean: U.S. 6th Fleet Commander Visits Carrier Strike Grou
Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff
Fri Feb 11, 2011 2:37 pm (PST)
http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=58463
Navy NewsStand
February 11, 2011
6th Fleet Commander Visits Enterprise
From Enterprise Strike Group Public Affairs
USS ENTERPRISE, At Sea: Commander, U.S. 6th Fleet, visited USS Enterprise (CVN 65) to meet with senior carrier strike group (CSG) leadership, and to thank the crew at the beginning of their deployment, Feb. 4.
Vice Adm. Harry B. Harris, Jr., and Command Master Chief (AW/SS/SW/FMF/DV/PJ) Jay R. Wood Jr., command master chief of U.S. 6th Fleet headquarters; flew aboard the deployed aircraft carrier as the CSG continued theater security cooperation efforts in the Mediterranean.
"What you are doing is important," said Harris. "You have already visited Portugal and will soon arrive in Turkey, and these visits are important to our nation and important to 6th Fleet. Later, you will be supporting our combat troops in Afghanistan in the 5th Fleet [area of operations]...."
....
Enterprise Strike Group consists of Enterprise, the guided-missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55), the guided-missile destroyers USS Bulkeley (DDG 84), USS Barry (DDG 52) and USS Mason (DDG 87), USNS Arctic (T-AOE 8), Carrier Air Wing 1 and Destroyer Squadron 2.
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- 17.
-
Pentagon Shifts $1.7 Billion For Advanced SM-3 Interceptor Missile
Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff
Fri Feb 11, 2011 2:46 pm (PST)
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-02-11/missile-defense-interceptor-gets-1-7-billion-u-s-budget-boost.html
Bloomberg News
February 11, 2011
Missile Defense Interceptor Gets $1.7 Billion U.S. Budget Boost
By Tony Capaccio
The Missile Defense Agency identified $2.4 billion of budget savings and seeks to shift most of that for an upgrade of the Standard Missile
The Pentagon has shifted $1.7 billion in efficiency savings through 2016 to pay for development of a new interceptor intended to let U.S. forces hit long-range...missiles, according to a congressional memo obtained from a staff member who didn't want to be identified.
The Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency identified $2.4 billion of budget savings and seeks to shift most of that for an upgrade of a weapon known as the Standard Missile, according to a Jan. 24 memo prepared for House Armed Services Committee members by the panel's staff....
The missile program will be announced Monday as part of the $75.7 billion research and development budget in the Defense Department's overall $553 billion budget request for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced Jan. 6 that he would propose more money for "long-range interceptors." He didn't identify the program or disclose how much he would propose to spend.
Lockheed Martin Corp., of Bethesda, Maryland, Chicago-based Boeing Co., and Los Angeles-based Northrop Grumman Corp. announced they are competing for three Missile Defense Agency early concept contracts to be awarded by June 30. Raytheon Co. also submitted a bid, said John Patterson, a spokesman for the Waltham, Massachusetts-based company.
A single company will be selected in 2013 to proceed with full development and flight testing, according to Missile Defense Agency officials.
Air Defense Units
The new missile is intended to be fielded by 2020 for land- and sea-based Aegis air-defense units in southern Europe and the Persian Gulf region....
The so-called SM-3 IIB is intended to be the latest variation of Raytheon's Standard Missile program with an improved warhead, new rocket motors and a redesigned nose cone using lighter weight material to increase velocity.
Missile Defense Agency spokesman Richard Lehner declined to comment until the budget is released.
"This competition is in the proposal-evaluation phase," he said.
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- 18.
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NATO Chief: Egypt Remains Bloc's "Valued Partner"
Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff
Fri Feb 11, 2011 2:46 pm (PST)
http://www.iloubnan.info/politics/actualite/id/56235/titre/NATO-Chief-Sure-Egypt-Will-Remain-'Force-For-Stability'
Agence France-Presse
February 11, 2011
NATO Chief Sure Egypt Will Remain 'Force For Stability'
BRUSSELS: North Atlantic Treaty Organization Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Friday he was optimistic that Egypt's power transition wouldn't destabilize Middle East security.
"I am confident Egypt will continue to be a force for stability and security," Rasmussen said after the Egyptian military took control following president Hosni Mubarak's decision to quit.
"I have consistently called for a speedy, orderly and peaceful transition to democracy, respecting the legitimate aspirations of the people of Egypt," the Dane added of a planned countdown to elections following 18 days of massed protests.
"Egypt is a valued partner in our Mediterranean dialogue and a pivotal country in the region," he underlined.
Some leaders have expressed concerns over the future of Egyptian relations with Israel, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel urging those who form an incoming government in Cairo to "keep the peace" and respect a key peace treaty with Israel.
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- 19.
-
African Standby Force Plans Military Exercise In Newborn South Sudan
Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff
Fri Feb 11, 2011 3:24 pm (PST)
http://www.eturbonews.com/21076/eastern-african-standby-force-exercise-south-sudan
eTurboNews
February 10, 2011
Eastern African Standby Force to exercise in South Sudan
By Wolfgang H. Thome
Information was just received that the Eastern African Standby Force has agreed to hold an exercise later in the year in South Sudan, most likely soon after independence has become a reality.
Key member states of the group are, of course, also members in the East African Community, which itself, as in more recent times, created a military standby brigade composed of units from the presently 5 members.
....
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- 20.
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U.S. Seeks Military Coup In Egypt: Iranian Parliament Speaker
Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff
Fri Feb 11, 2011 3:24 pm (PST)
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/164748.html
Press TV
February 11, 2011
'US seeks military coup in Egypt'
Iran's Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani says the United States is seeking a military coup in Egypt, calling on Cairo to respect the Egyptian people's will for democracy.
"From the remarks made by US officials it is understood that they are after a military coup d'état in Egypt while the revolutionary Egyptian nation has chanted slogans day and night in [Cairo's] Liberation Square calling for freedom," Mehr News Agency quoted Larijani as saying on Friday in the holy city of Qom.
"By such clumsy moves they will inflict more suffering on themselves, as they will not be able to stop the Egyptian people's revolution," he underlined.
On Thursday, Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood opposition party warned of a military coup by the country's army amid speculations about President Hosni Mubarak's decision to bow to popular pro-democracy protests and step down.
Larijani drew an analogy between the 1979 revolution in Iran and the recent developments in Egypt, especially the people's million-plus presence in Cairo's Liberation Square in the past two weeks.
....
The Iranian official voiced support for the independence-seeking movement in Egypt, describing the uprising as the voice of the people who "refuse to be oppressed and humiliated."
"The Egyptian government must accept the will of the people of the country," he urged.
Larijani also warned Egyptian protesters against deviation from their true cause under the influence of liberals and the infiltration of US-backed elements among them.
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- 21.
-
Egyptian Military Takes Control
Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff
Fri Feb 11, 2011 3:24 pm (PST)
http://www.voanews.com/english/news/middle-east/Egypt-Military-Takes-Control-115935744.html
Voice of America News
February 11, 2011
Egyptian Military Takes Control
A body of Egyptian military leaders took control on Friday of the country following the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak.
Egypt's Supreme Council of the Armed Forces represents the heads of the various branches of the armed forces, as well as the chief of staff and the mininster of defense.
Here are some key members:
Defense Minister Mohamed Hussein Tantawi
Head of the Supreme Council, Tantawi was appointed minister of defense and commander-in-chief of the armed forces In 1991. During recent protests, he was also promoted to deputy prime minister, while retaining his title as minister of defense.
The 75-year-old Field Marshal has been mentioned as a possible candidate for presidency. On Thursday, Tantawi chaired a meeting of the Supreme Council with neither President Hosni Mubarak nor Vice President Omar Suleiman present. He also visited Cairo's Tahrir Square on Friday.
Armed Forces Chief of Staff Sami Hafez Anan (Enan)
He has held his current position since 2005. Anan has specialized training in air defense. He has risen through the military ranks since serving as a battalion commander in 1981.
In late January, he cut short a visit to the United States and returned to Cairo in the wake of growing anti-government unrest.
Air Force Commander Reda Mahmoud Hafez Mohamed
In 1991, he served as an air wing chief of staff. He continued to move up the military's ranks, holding positions that included eastern and southern Air Zone Commander between 2003 and 2005. He became the air force Chief of Staff in 2007 and Air Force Commander the following year.
Other members include: Navy Commander Mohab Mamish and Air Defense Commander Abd El Aziz Seif-Eldeen.
Two other military leaders were prominent members of the Mubarak government. Their role in the country's affairs is now unclear. But the Egyptian military plans to issue a statement on Friday explaining how governance of the nation will move forward.
Vice President Omar Suleiman
A close ally of Mr. Mubarak, he served as head of Egyptian intelligence since 1993 before being appointed vice president in January. Suleiman studied at an Egyptian military academy and became head of the Armed Forces' General Operations Authority in 1992.
Also, he earned international respect for his role as a mediator in Middle East affairs and for curbing Islamic extremism. He has dealt with diplomacy involving the Middle East peace process and has had extensive discussion with U.S. and Israeli officials.
Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq
He is a former air force commander who had served as the minister of civil aviation since 2002. He was a fighter pilot who served as commander of the Egyptian air force between 1996 and 2002.
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- 22.
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China's Ruling Party Sees U.S. Containment Plan, Anti-China Alliance
Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff
Fri Feb 11, 2011 3:30 pm (PST)
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article1413573.ece
The Hindu
February 12, 2011
China's Communist Party sees India as part of U.S. "containment" strategy
Ananth Krishnan
China's Communist Party has expressed concern at the country's neighbours, including India, being drawn into a United States-led "anti-China alliance," suggesting a seven-step strategy, from using China's economic clout better to building new alliances to counter American influence in the region.
An article published in the latest issue of Qiushi (Seek Truth), the party's official magazine and an influential journal that is circulated among its members, called for a review of China's foreign policy and for the country to come up with an adequate response to new challenges posed by the U.S.
Last year has been seen by many in China as a particularly testing period for its diplomacy, with rising tensions with many of its neighbours and concerns at the U.S.'s renewed engagement in the Asia-Pacific.
"The U.S. seems highly interested in forming a very strong anti-China alliance. It not only made a high-profile announcement of its return to East Asia but also claimed to lead in Asia," said the article, whose author was named as Xu Yunhong.
"What is especially unbearable is how the U.S. blatantly encourages China's neighbouring countries to go against China," it added.
"Countries like Japan, India, Vietnam, Australia, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Korea are trying to join the anti-China group because they either had a war or another conflict of interest with China."
The journal is perhaps China's most influential publication on policy issues, published by the Communist Party and often used to articulate policy positions in clearer terms than the diplomatic language used by government officials.
While it remains unclear whether the article reflected the government's views, many Chinese strategists in official think-tanks have increasingly voiced similar anxieties about the U.S. attempting to "contain" a rising China by courting its neighbours.
Many of China's neighbours, including Japan and even Vietnam, have recently sought closer military alliances with the U.S., blaming an increasingly assertive Chinese military for creating tensions. Last year saw territorial disputes between China and several of its neighbours resurface. China's relations with Japan deteriorated over disputes over islands in the East China Sea, while new Chinese claims over the entire South China Sea triggered concerns among its South-East Asian neighbours.
India, too, has been increasingly perceived by some strategists in China — particularly in military circles — as moving closer to the U.S. and as a key element in this supposed "containment" strategy.
The article said, "The probability for India to cooperate with China is also not great," referring to the potential for the two countries to work together on economic issues to counter the U.S.
"India has stayed closely allied with the U.S. in recent years, and [U.S. President Barack] Obama promised to support India for a permanent membership in the UNSC [United Nations Security Council]," it said.
"India's purchasing power of foreign exchange reserves is very limited anyway, so it cannot influence the overall situation much," it added, suggesting China needed to use its economic clout to challenge the dominance of the U.S. currency.
U.S. measures
The article, which was translated by the website Chinascope, identified six measures used by the U.S. to contain China: trade war, an exchange rate war, a public opinion war, military exercises, an anti-China campaign and developing alliances with neighbours.
It called for a seven-pronged response, from using China's rising economic influence and better-organised military exercises to building alliances with countries that were not close to the U.S., with a focus on Europe and South America. "What is the most powerful weapon China has today? It is our economic power, especially our foreign exchange reserves. The key is to use it well," it suggested.
China needed "to send a clear signal to our neighbouring countries that we don't fear war, and we are prepared at any time to go to war to safeguard our national interests."
China's neighbours, it added, needed "China's international trade more than China needs them." China's economic strength was "the most effective means to avoid a war."
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- 23.
-
Alaska: Pentagon Expands Long-Range Interceptor Missile Program
Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff
Fri Feb 11, 2011 3:34 pm (PST)
http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/021111/loc_accmc.shtml
Alaska Journal of Commerce
February 11, 2011
Alaska Command chief: military continues to grow its mission
By Tim Bradner
The military continues to add infrastructure and new units to bases in Alaska, and so far units in the state have escaped the federal budget knife.
Alaska's major selling points in sustaining the military here are huge air and land training spaces available, which Lower 48 bases can no longer provide, Lt. Gen. Dana Atkins said. A strategic location, in relation to potential trouble spots in East Asia, is also important.
....
Atkins was in Juneau Feb. 8, briefing the Legislature's Joint Armed Services Committee. He heads the Alaskan Command, and is responsible for U.S. Air Force and Army units in Alaska.
....
Construction continues at the missile interceptor launch facility at Fort Greely, in Delta Junction. There are now 26 operational interceptor missiles in their silos at Fort Greely – another four interceptors are at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California – but construction is under way this year on an additional eight silos at Fort Greely, Atkins said.
....
A $280 million upgrade of ballistic missile warning radar facilities at Clear Air Force Station south of Nenana will begin in 2013 and will be two years in construction.
About $200 million of this is for installation of advanced new radar systems and most of the remainder is intended for an upgrade of the power plant at Clear, which uses coal as a fuel.
A $35 million upgrade of the coal-fired power plant at Eielson Air Force Base east of Fairbanks is also under way this year, and will install the latest in coal combustion systems. Atkins said managers of the Eielson plant told him that coal is still the most cost-effective way of producing electric power in the Interior.
Atkins touched on the planned Tanana River bridge project east of Fairbanks, which is being built by the Alaska Railroad Corp. as part of a long-range plan for an extension of the railroad but which, in the short term, will give the Army year-round access to training areas south of the Tanana River.
The project encountered a glitch when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency intervened in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer's consideration of a Section 404 permit for the bridge. Atkins said he thinks the EPA's concerns can be accommodated.
"There is a high likelihood that we will get this permit, but the process takes time," Atkins told the legislators.
There is, however, a funding gap for the project. Its cost is now estimated to be between $186 million and $207 million, and $144.2 million are the funds now in hand. Atkins said there are discussions under way of downsizing the project to fit the available funding.
....
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- 24.
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Pakistani Police: U.S. 'Diplomat' Killed Two Civilians In Cold Blood
Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff
Fri Feb 11, 2011 3:47 pm (PST)
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\02\12\story_12-2-2011_pg7_3
Daily Times
February 11, 2011
American killed two men in cold blood: police
LAHORE: Police alleged on Friday that the American held in double murder case committed "cold-blooded murder," while a judge ordered his detention extended for 14 days.
"Raymond Davis carried out an intentional and cold-blooded murder. The investigation into the shootings was carried out on pure merit and led the police to a conclusion that Davis was not defending himself," Lahore police chief Aslam Tareen told a news conference.
He said the police had submitted a provisional challan requesting the court to take action against him under Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code.
He said there were no fingerprints on the trigger of the pistol found on the bodies of the two men and that tests showed the bullets were still in the weapon's magazine, and not the chamber. "Davis directly shot at the men and kept shooting even when one of them was running away," Tareen quoted eyewitnesses as saying.
Davis was taken to the Kot Lakhpat Jail after a lower court ordered that the accused be taken from police custody and held in in a jail for at least two more weeks. Judge Anik Anwar also directed the government to tell the court whether Davis had diplomatic immunity.
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- 25.
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U.S.-Afghan-Pakistan DC Meeting In Doubt Over Davis Case
Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff
Fri Feb 11, 2011 3:47 pm (PST)
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\02\12\story_12-2-2011_pg7_23
Reuters
February 11, 2011
US-Afghan-Pakistan meeting in doubt amid US prisoner row
KABUL: A meeting scheduled this month between Pakistani, Afghan and US officials in Washington is in doubt as a rift grows between Islamabad and Washington over US citizen Raymond Davis, accused of killing two men.
The Obama administration is insisting diplomatic immunity should cover Raymond Davis, who shot dead two Pakistani men last month in what he said was an attempted robbery on a street in the Pakistani city of Lahore
The case has become a lightning rod for anti-American sentiment in Pakistan....The Afghan embassy in Washington said Afghan Foreign Minister Zalmay Rasul and other ministers would attend the meeting as scheduled from February 23 to 25, and the US State Department indicated this week that planning continued for the gathering.
However, a Pakistani diplomatic source said no decision had been made about whether the meeting would go ahead or whether it would be cancelled.
One Afghan minister also said his plans to travel to the United States for the meeting were now up in the air. The trilateral meetings have been held periodically in a bid to foster stability in Afghanistan, where around 100,000 US troops are fighting...and in Pakistan....
The controversy over Davis, who shot the two men on January 27, is the latest issue pitting Pakistani officials against their US counterparts even as they struggle to project an image of cooperation on security. On Friday, a Pakistani court jailed Davis for 14 more days, threatening to prolong a row that has put many high-level dealings on hold, including official visits to Pakistan, and could threaten US assistance to Pakistan.
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