Eleven Militants And Three Georgian Special Forces Killed In Clashes Near Russian Border

Georgian Army Operation On Russian Border Leaves 14 Dead -- BBC

Three Georgian soldiers and 11 suspected militants have been killed in an army operation along the border with Russia, Georgian officials said.

Georgia deployed forces to free several people taken hostage by the gunmen.

The gunmen had crossed from the Russian republic of Dagestan, where armed Islamist insurgents operate, Georgia's interior ministry said.

Correspondents say there are fears the incident could increase tensions between Russia and Georgia.

Read more ....

More News On Today's Clashes On The Georgia - Russia Border

Georgia says 3 soldiers, 11 militants killed near Russia border -- Reuters
Georgia Frees Hostages Along Border With Russia -- New York Times
Georgian Troops Battle Militants -- Wall Street Journal
Georgia Says 11 Militants Killed, Hostages Freed Near Russia -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Georgia says 14 killed in clashes near Russia border -- AFP
Georgia says 14 killed in clashes near border -- Al Jazeera
Georgian police reportedly eliminate terrorists on Russian border -- RT

Another Afghan Soldier Kills 3 ISAF Soldiers

3 NATO Troops Killed In Afghanistan In Apparent 'Green-On-Blue' Attack -- CNN

KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Someone wearing an Afghan National Army uniform fired on NATO soldiers and killed three of them, NATO's International Security Assistance Force said Wednesday.

The shooting happened Tuesday and is under investigation, it said.

Two ISAF troops were killed in a similar attack Monday by another Afghan soldier. Fellow ISAF soldiers then shot and killed the gunman.

Read more ....

More News On Today's Killing Of 3 Afghan Soldiers

Afghan in army uniform 'kills three Nato soldiers' -- BBC
Gunman Kills 3 Coalition Troops in Southern Afghanistan -- Voice of America
Three ISAF troops killed in Afghan 'insider attack': official -- AFP
Man in Afghan uniform kills 3 NATO troops -- USA Today/AP
Afghan 'soldier' kills Nato troops -- Belfast Telegraph

UN Nuclear Agency Sets Up "Iran Task Force"

A view of what is believed to be a uranium-enrichment facility near Qom, Iran. Photograph: Digital Globe/Reuters

Report On Iran's Nuclear Capabilities To Show Increase In Enrichment Equipment -- The Guardian

International Atomic Energy Agency to put more pressure on Tehran as concerns are raised over country's nuclear aspirations

The latest International Atomic Energy Agency report on Iran's nuclear programme due out on Thursday is expected to say that Tehran has rapidly increased the quantity of equipment at an underground uranium enrichment plant but has not started using the new machinery to produce nuclear fuel.

Read more ....

Update #1: UN nuclear watchdog team to examine Iran programme -- Reuters
Update #2: IAEA establishes Iran Task Force -- Bloomberg Businessweek/AP
Update #3: UN atomic agency creates 'Iran Task Force' -- AFP

My Comment: Too little .... too late.

Syrian President Assad Says He Needs More Time To Win War

Assad Says He Needs More Time To Win War As Refugees Overwhelm Turkey, Jordan -- Christian Science Monitor

The waves of Syrian refugees seeking haven in Turkey and Jordan are testing the two countries, putting the oft-discussed idea of creating a 'safe zone' in Syria back on the table.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said he is “fighting a battle both regionally and internationally,” and his government needs more time to defeat rebel forces.

Mr. Assad's comments, made in an interview with pro-government al-Dunya TV, coincided with a renewed government effort to regain control of rebel-held areas in northern Syria and renewed interest in the international community in creating a "safe zone" inside Syria.

Read more ....

More News On Syrian President Assad's Comments On Needing More Time To Win War

Syria Needs ‘Time’ in Battle Against Rebels, Assad Says -- New York Times
Assad Calls for More Time to Defeat Opposition -- Wall Street Journal
Bashar Assad: Fight against Syria rebels "better," gov't forces "moving forward" -- CBS/AP
Bashar al-Assad says there is no end in sight to Syrian civil war -- The Guardian
Syria's Assad: Government Facing 'Global Battle' -- Voice of America
Syria crisis: Assad 'needs time to win battle' -- BBC

Afghanistan War News Updates -- August 29, 2012

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Daniel Dyk, center, provides orders to his soldiers during a firefight outside Combat Outpost Charkh in Afghanistan's Logar province, Aug. 23, 2012. Dyk is assigned to Company L, 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Alexandra Campo

Afghan President Fires Intelligence Chief -- Wall Street Journal

KABUL—Afghanistan's president fired his intelligence chief on Wednesday, just weeks after the ministers of interior and defense were ousted by parliament, revamping the country's security establishment as international troops withdraw.

National Directorate of Security director Rahmatullah Nabil will be reappointed as an ambassador to "a foreign country," the presidential palace said, without specifying the country.

Read more ....

More News On Afghanistan

ISAF Joint Command morning operational update, Aug. 29 -- ISAF
War in Afghanistan News - 29 Aug 2012 -- War On Terror News

Afghanistan intelligence chief Nabil removed by Karzai -- BBC
Afghan President Removes Intelligence Chief -- Voice of America
Karzai dismisses intelligence chief, nominates new defense and interior ministers -- Foreign Policy
Afghan President Moves to Replace Security Chiefs -- ABC News/AP
Karzai Is Overhauling Top Cabinet Posts, Western Officials Say -- New York Times
Afghan President risks deeper row with MPs over appointments -- Reuters
Afghan lawmakers criticize Karzai for dismissing NDS chief -- Khaama Press

Five Afghan Soldiers Killed In Suicide Attack -- Radio Free Europe
Afghanistan: Village slaughter rocks even the Taleban leadership -- Scotsman
Green-on-blue attacks: a shared nightmare for U.S., Afghans -- Al Arabiya News
ISAF trainers told to get closer to Afghan partners to prevent insider attacks -- Stars and Stripes
Quran burning report a window on growing Afghan-on-US violence -- Howard LaFranchi, Christian Science Monitor

Book By Navy SEAL Contradicts The White House Account On How Bin Laden Was Killed

Commando: A photo purported to be of Matt Bissonnette was published by Business Insider on Thursday. MailOnline has decided to blur the image so as not to show the soldier's face; he is now facing death threats from al Qaeda in addition to possible criminal prosecution. Daily Mail

Osama bin Laden Book By Navy SEAL Reveals al-Qaeda Leader Unarmed And Shot In Doorway -- The Telegraph

Osama bin Laden was shot in the head as he peeked out of his bedroom, according to the No Easy Day book by a Navy SEAL, contradicting previous official accounts of the raid on the former al-Qaeda leader.

The terror mastermind was hit in the head when he looked out of his bedroom door in the compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, according to the book - a copy of which has been obtained by The Associated Press.

The former Navy SEAL writing under the pseudonym Mark Owen in No Easy Day, says he was directly behind the “point man” as they made their way up the stairs of the two-storey house.

Read more ....

More News Of A Different Account On How Bin Laden Was Killed

'Osama Bin Laden was unarmed and ALREADY DYING when Navy SEALs burst into bedroom': Shocking claim by retired soldier that threatens to debunk official story of raid -- Daily Mail
'No Easy Day': SEAL Memoir Contradicts Official Account of Bin Laden's Death -- Forbes
SEAL book raises questions about bin Laden's death -- AP
Navy SEAL's book gives different account of bin Laden death -- Reuters
Bin Laden book No Easy Day 'contradicts official account' -- BBC
Navy Seal account of Bin Laden raid contradicts White House claims -- The Guardian
SEAL Book Describes Grisly Death of Osama Bin Laden: Reports -- ABC News
Osama bin Laden was killed by bullet to the brain before Navy SEALs arrived, book reveals -- New York Daily News
Former Navy SEAL's Account Of Bin Laden Raid Differs From Govt. Version -- NPR
SEAL book offers different account of bin Laden's death -- CBS News
Navy SEAL book on bin Laden raid contradicts White House accounts -- Christian Science Monitor
Release of Book on Bin Laden Raid Is Moved Up a Week -- New York Times
Bin Laden Raid Became Re-Election Mission, SEAL Book Says -- Danger Room

World News Briefs -- August 29, 2012

Assad Claims Syrian Forces Gaining Ground -- Al Jazeera

In television interview, president says battle is "progressing" and talk of buffer zones is "not on the table".

The Syrian government's battle to put down the mass uprising that began last year is moving forward, and the situation has become "better," President Bashar al-Assad said in a television interview to be broadcast on Wednesday.

In brief excerpts aired by the privately owned but pro-government Al Dounia channel, Assad disparaged the idea of foreign countries creating buffer zones in Syrian territory and said that citizens who have fled the country and officials who have defected are helping "cleanse" Syria.

Read more ....

MIDDLE EAST

Assad acknowledges struggle to win Syria civil war.

Turkish military is key factor in Syria planning.

Turkey urges U.N. to protect refugees inside Syria.

Numbers of Syrian refugees strain neighboring countries.

U.N. nuclear watchdog sets up "Iran Task Force".

Israel calls Iran the greatest nuclear threat.

ASIA

Militants attack Pakistan army post, kill 8 troops.

Notorious Pakistan A-bomb scientist tries politics.

Former India state minister faces death for role in massacre.

Report: Burmese army continues rights violations in Karen state.

Christians flee their homes in Pakistani capital.

Typhoon hits N. Korea, still reeling from floods.

Japan and N Korea hold talks in Beijing.

Huge Nankai quake could kill 320,000 in Japan: gov't.

AFRICA

U.S. reports that piracy off Africa has plunged.

Al Shabab flees Somali port of Merca ahead of African Union troops.

Sudan, South Sudan prepare for talks, as they support rebels.

Egyptian authorities defuse explosive device planted next to a university in Sinai Peninsula.

Report reveals that Egypt refused U.S. request to inspect vessel in Suez Canal.

South Africa seeks mine peace, wage deal may be elusive.

EUROPE

More than a dozen die in 2 attacks in a Russian republic.

3 commandos, 11 militants killed in Georgia.

Tymoshenko loses appeal, stays in Ukraine jail.

Amsterdam airport reopens after bomb, hijack scares.

Amnesty urges Balkans to probe war disappearances.

AMERICAS

Isaac pounds Gulf Coast; New Orleans levees hold.

Colombia seeking peace with FARC rebels.

Argentine leader could face criminal fraud probe.

Bolivian police seize 2 tons of Uranium.

TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR

CIA balked at chance to kill bin Laden in ‘99, Polish ex-spy says.

Yemeni military officials say drone airstrike kills 2 suspected militants.

Dangerous Pakistani Taliban commander thought killed.

ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS

Chinese banks step up lending in the US.

Apple/Samsung dispute not yet made it to China: Xinhua.

Second-quarter U.S. growth revised up, Fed still seen in play.

Military And Intelligence News Brief -- August 29, 2012

You Can Lie About Getting a Purple Heart, But Don’t Wear It -- Wall Street Journal

You can falsely claim military decorations, but don’t try to wear them on your chest. The first is likely to be considered protected speech; the second, according to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, is a crime.

In June, the Supreme Court held in U.S. v. Alvarez that lying about being a war hero was protected speech. In doing so, the court struck down a portion of the Stolen Valor Act. The Ninth Circuit was asked to consider whether wearing a medal that a veteran obtained under false pretenses was also protected by the First Amendment.

Read more ....

MILITARY AND INTELLIGENCE NEWS BRIEFS

U.S. Hails Russia’s Readiness for Nuclear Cuts -- RIA Novosti

Russia wants a hypersonic bomber -- Defense Tech

China building new Type 052D guided missile destroyer -- Taipei Times

Swedish Intelligence Agency Blows $800,000 On James Bond Themed Party -- Business Insider

Italian Armored Vehicles To Be Tested in Russia -- Defense News

Former Israeli Commandos Dominate Politics -- ABC News/AP

Analysis: China's aircraft carrier: in name only -- Reuters

Air and Missile Defense Could be the U.S. Army’s Role in the Asia-Pacific Theater -- Defpro

U.S.-Brazil Relations and the Role of the Defense Industry -- Defpro

Defense industry’s life preserver -- DoD Buzz

Marines Consider Increased Role for Women in Corps -- Military.com/American Forces Press Service

Marines testing women in combat jobs -- AP

Amos: Some male Marines anxious about women in combat jobs -- Stars and Stripes/AP

Study: Half of Military Crashes in Humvees -- Military.com/UPI

Electronic Weapons: America Hires The Decepticons -- Strategy Page

Navy sought to stifle concerns of radiation on S.F. Bay island, emails show -- NBC

Marines vs. Zetas: U.S. Hunts Drug Cartels in Guatemala -- Danger Room

Lawyers in WikiLeaks case argue over email access -- CBS

Experts: Fort Hood suspect's beard might bias jury -- Stars and Stripes/AP

Why Pentagon's progress against sexual assault is so slow -- Anna Mulrine, Christian Science Monitor

VA officials: Veterans being tricked into paying for benefits help -- Stars and Stripes/AP

US Military Deaths in Afghanistan at 1,971 -- AP

Editor's Note

Stuck in meetings this morning. Regular blogging will return 13:00 EST

Military Families Plan For The Worst

U.S. Marines depart a checkpoint and patrol back to Forward Operating Base Geronimo, Afghanistan, May 30, 2010. The Marines are assigned to Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Mark Fayloga

Amid A Defense Budget Fight, Military Families Plan For The Worst -- At War/New York Times

My husband doesn’t whisper. So when he leaned into me before his 2009 deployment and whispered that soldiers – many soldiers – were going to die where they were going in Afghanistan, I listened. Yet I am the kind of practical woman who could hear his fear and chalk it up to predeployment jitters.

My husband was right about that deployment. In four months, 20 members of our unit, the 1-17 Infantry Battalion, Fifth Brigade, Second Infantry Division, out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash, died. I spent every other Wednesday at a military memorial sitting behind friends whose husbands were now among the fallen.

Read more ....

My Comment: A post that puts everything into perspective.

Wife Of British Soldier Posted To Helmand Discusses The Emotional Toll

Chicks Dig The Uniform -- Crooked Timber

My husband, E, has been deployed to Afghanistan for six months. He’s in Helmand province and spends most of his time working with the Afghanistan National Army, near Camp Bastion. He should be home by the end of September. Before he came back on R&R last month, I hadn’t seen any image or recent picture of him since March. That felt particularly strange, in this age of Skype and camera-phones. But even odder are the approximately dozen people who’ve asked me during E’s tour if I’m going out there to visit him. Overall, it’s astonishing the number of people, from acquaintances to call centre staff, who think the level of contact and risk of an infantry officer deployed to a war zone is about the same as someone making a business trip to Barcelona.

So here – more by way of personal expression than public education – are some observations about being the wife of a deployed British soldier.*

Read more ....

My Comment: This is a must read for families (and their friends) who have loved ones posted overseas.

No Radioactive Disaster If Israel Conducts An Airstrike On Iran's Nuke Facilities

Israeli Airstrike On Iran Would Not Cause Radioactive Disaster, Say Experts -- Haaretz/Reuters

Though it could release toxic chemical that would adversely affect people's health and the environment.

Iran's nuclear facilities are unlikely to cause a Fukushima-scale disaster unless a Russian-built reactor is destroyed, experts say.

They could, however, release toxic chemicals - rather than high levels of radiation - causing local contamination affecting health and the environment. That was also the case from U.S.-led strikes on nuclear facilities in Iraq during the Gulf Wars.

"I doubt that the radiation effects would be great," said Hans Blix, a former head of U.N. nuclear watchdog the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Iran says all its facilities are for peaceful purposes.

Read more ....

My Comment: These experts sound very sure of themselves .... especially since much of Iran's nuclear program is still unknown.

More Questions Being Raised On The F-35's Testing Program

F-35

Pentagon's Testing Czar Questions F-35 Program's OTE Plan -- Aol Defense

WASHINGTON: The head of Operational Test and Evaluation tells the Joint Strike Fighter program in a memo that he will not approve a comprehensive testing plan for the aircraft, raising significant questions about the F-35's progress. The memo may invite close congressional scrutiny as well.

Michael Gilmore wrote an Aug. 21 memo to Frank Kendall, undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, Vice Adm. David Venlet, head of the JSF program office, and several other senior military testing officials. Gilmore's office was created by Congress and professional staff pay close attention to anything coming from it.

Read more ....

My Comment: Here is some sound advice from an F-35 critic.

Documentary About Dutch Commandos Working In Southern Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan

Rape In The Armed Forces

Rape In The Armed Forces: Three Brave Soldiers Share Horror Stories Of A Nation's Shame -- New York Daily News

The Daily News begins a two-part series about a staggering secret inside the U.S. military.

It is the armed forces’ hidden epidemic. And the nation’s shame.

The statistics for military sexual trauma — three words that barely hint at the horror — are both astounding and stomach-turning.

In 2011, there were 3,191 reports of sexual assaults ranging from wrongful touching to rape — but even Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says he believes that because it is such an underreported crime, there were actually as many as 19,000 such attacks.

The underreporting reflects how the majority of victims are too fearful to report the abuse, as many of the perpetrators are their superiors.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: More news and info here.

Picture Of The Day

ROCKET LAUNCHER
A special operations forces soldier fires an AT-4 shoulder-fired rocket launcher at the heavy weapons firing range on a base in the Tarin Kowt district in Afghanistan's Uruzgan province, Aug. 22, 2012. The soldier is assigned to Special Operations Task Force Southeast U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class James Ginther

Ex-SEAL's Comrades Say He Decked Jesse Ventura 6 Years Ago In A Bar Fight

Ex-SEAL's Pals Say He Decked Jesse Ventura 6 Years Ago -- Star Tribune

The former governor is suing the author of American Sniper over his description of a bar fight that allegedly erupted during the wake for a former SEAL.

If former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura didn't like what Navy SEAL Chris Kyle wrote about him in his memoir, "American Sniper," he's going to positively hate what five fellow SEALs -- and the mothers of two of their fallen comrades -- have to say about him.

Kyle's friends and associates have rallied to his defense in a defamation lawsuit Ventura filed in Hennepin County in January. Ventura, whose real name is James Janos, sued over Kyle's portrayal of a bar fight he claims they had six years ago in Coronado, Calif.

Read more ....

My Comment: I cannot believe that this story is still ongoing .... I did a few posts on it a little while back believing the story would die. Hmmmm .... it appears that I was wrong. Former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura should stop .... it's his word against a lot of credible witnesses .... but it appears that his ego has different ideas.

The 20 Aircraft Carriers In Service Today

Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta departs the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis in Bremerton, Wash., Aug. 22, 2012. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo

These Are The 20 Aircraft Carriers In Service Today -- Business Insider

Despite aircraft carriers immense cost, the Navy believes there is no replacing a well-armed, aircraft equipped, sovereign piece of U.S. territory, powered by dual nuclear reactors.

Former Defense Secretary William Cohen was fond of saying that without "flattops" the U.S. has "less of a voice, less of an influence."

Perhaps, but there is another school of thought that questions the wisdom of floating something that expensive within range of an attack that may send it to the bottom of the sea.

Read more ....

My Comment: Only 20?

Germany's History Of Appeasing Palestinian Terrorists

One of the terrorists appears on the balcony of the Israeli quarters in the Olympic Village in this Sept. 5, 1972 photo. DPA

1972 Olympics Massacre: Germany's Secret Contacts to Palestinian Terrorists -- Spiegel Online

Eleven Israelis and one German police officer died in the Munich massacre of 1972, when Palestinian terrorists took Israeli athletes hostage at the Olympics. Now, government documents suggest that Germany maintained secret contacts with the organizers of the attack for years afterward and appeased the Palestinians to prevent further bloodshed on German soil.

Read more ....

My Comment: And we are learning about this only now?

Meet The Arm Suppliers For The Syrian Rebel Movement

Abdul Hakim Yasin, a rebel commander, inspecting a homemade artillery shell. Bryan Denton for The New York Times

Many Hands Patch Together Syrian Rebels’ Arsenal -- New York Times

TAL RIFAAT, Syria — As the midsummer sun blazed over this partially deserted Syrian city one recent afternoon, two young men appeared in a pickup truck in an alley near several auto repair workshops. Protruding from the truck’s bed was a steel pipe about three feet long and two and a half inches wide, resting on a simple frame.

The pipe was not for plumbing. It was a locally made mortar that had been used in July in the battle for Azaz, a city in northern Syria where antigovernment fighters drove away the army of President Bashar al-Assad.

Read more ....

My Comment: The Syrian rebels are following the same playbook that Libya's rebels had to follow .... relying on local machine shops and mechanics to make weapons to combat a professional army.

New Zealand Soldiers Performing The Maori Haka For Their Fallen Comrades

New Zealand Infantry Performs Maori Haka In Spine-Tingling Farewell To Fallen Comrades -- Daily Mail

* Video of moving tribute goes viral after being released by NZ Defence Force
* Shows 200 soldiers performing ancestral war cry at funeral in Christchurch
* Corporal Luke Tamatea, Lance Corporal Jacinda Baker and Private Richard Harris were killed by roadside bomb in Afghanistan
* Haka illustrated men's 'outpouring of emotion', says NZ army spokesman

A spine-tingling video showing around 200 New Zealand soldiers performing the Maori haka at the funeral of three fallen comrades has gone viral.

Members of the 2nd and 1st Battalion Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment took performed the ancestral war cry to show their 'collective grief' at the deaths of Corporal Luke Tamatea, 31, Lance Corporal Jacinda Baker, 26, and 21-year-old Private Richard Harris.

Read more ....

My Comment: Wow.

Commandant James Amos: Marines Must Live With 'Good Enough'

Photo: Marine Commandant James F. Amos. Wikipedia

Marines Must Live With 'Good Enough' As Budget Shrinks: Amos -- Aol Defense

NATIONAL PRESS CLUB: As war funding goes away, Marines must learn to live with "good enough" in an era of austerity, Commandant James Amos declared today at the National Press Club, saying that even top-priority programs like the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter and the V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor face the budget axe.

Even without sequestration, the half-trillion in cuts over 10 years already imposed by last year's Budget Control Act are "going to have an impact on the amount of things we're able to buy," Gen. Amos said. "Right now we've not adjusted the top numbers, the program of record, [for] what we plan on buying on V-22s and JSFs. [But] over time, especially if sequestration hits, we're going to have to take a look at the total numbers."

Read more ....

My Comment: He is preparing the Marines for sequestration.

The U.S. Navy's Biofuels Project Draws Criticism

The aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan travels through the Pacific Ocean with other ships assigned to the Rim of the Pacific 2010 exercise, north of Hawaii, July 24, 2010. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Dylan McCord

Military Spending On Biofuels Draws Fire -- New York Times

When the Navy put a Pacific fleet through maneuvers on a $12 million cocktail of biofuels this summer, it proved that warships could actually operate on diesel from algae or chicken fat.

“It works in the engines that we have, it works in the aircraft that we have, it works in the ships that we have,” said Ray Mabus, secretary of the Navy. “It is seamless.”

The still-experimental fuels are also expensive — about $27 a gallon for the fuel used in the demonstration, compared with about $3.50 a gallon for conventional military fuels.

Read more ....

My Comment: In a time of tight budgets .... they spend money on this?

Should We Do Business With Despots?

Doing Business With Despots? -- Walter Pincus, Washington Post

The United States has been quietly deepening relationships in Central Asia, but in the process is embracing two authoritarian, lifetime presidents who don’t have great records on human rights. The State Department has repeatedly criticized both for those records and for their generally harsh treatment of domestic opponents.

In carrying out a policy that began during the George W. Bush administration, President Obama appears to be rewarding the dictatorial leaders of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan for their short-term assistance in Afghanistan and the fight against terrorism. At the same time, Washington seems to be seeking potential long-term footholds in these two countries, which are adjacent to Russia, China and Iran.

Read more ....

My Comment: Fortunately .... there are a lesser number of despots today than a few decades ago. But unfortunately .... many of these despotic regimes and/or stateless organizations are in possession of weaponry that can bring great harm and carnage to millions. To contain these dangerous situations .... treaties and security agreements coupled with private understandings has forced the West to unfortunately align itself with some unsavory regimes .... the best of some very bad choices.

A Viewpoint From One Who Knew Syrian President Bashar Assad

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Reuters

The Bashar al-Assad I Know -- David Lesch, CNN

High expectations are both a blessing and a curse. They are the former in that usually something worthwhile about someone has raised the expectations in the first place. They are the latter when someone fails to meet those expectations. Heightened, maybe even unwarranted, expectations were a serious problem for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from the very beginning of his rise to power in 2000 following the death of his father, Hafiz al-Assad.

As I noted in Middle East Policy Council a couple of years back, I half jokingly told Bashar the first time we met in 2004 that I thought he had made a mistake in letting the media know that he enjoyed Phil Collins’ music. This anecdote fed into an emerging narrative of the relatively unknown al-Assad that he was a pro-West modernizer who was very different from his father. Indeed, Bashar was also the chairman of the Syrian Computer Society and was actually a bit of a geek himself.

Read more ....

My Comment: Power and all of it's attractions have changed Bashar Assad .... and unfortunately for Syria .... they are now paying the price.

Syria's Worst Massacre

Syria's Worst Massacre: Daraya Death Toll Reaches 400 -- The Guardian

If opposition group figures are correct, Saturday's action would be worst single atrocity by regime forces in 17-month-old civil war.

Opposition groups in Syria on Tuesday said up to 400 bodies had been found in the town of Daraya, south-west of the capital Damascus, in what appears to be the worst single massacre by government forces in the country's 17-month-old civil war.

At least 200 bodies were found among the Sunni community on Saturday, after Syrian troops stormed the town and carried out house-to-house searches. On Tuesday following the army's withdrawal residents reported the death toll was higher. They said that government troops and pro-government shabiha militia raided some streets 'two or three times', in some cases demanding hospitality and then killing their hosts when they left.

Read more ....

My Comment: This Washington Post editorial is correct .... this marks a new tactic by the Syrian regime to terrify the civilian population.

Egypt Halts Sinai Anti-Terror Push

Egypt Halts Sinai Anti-Terror Push, Will Open Talks With Bedouin -- Haaretz

KEREM SHALOM - Egypt's army has suspended the operation it has been conducting over the past three weeks throughout the Sinai peninsula.

News of the military campaign's cessation was reported yesterday by Egyptian media outlets. During this operation, Egyptian troops tried to bear down on Islamic terror groups in northern areas of Sinai, particularly in El Arish and the Sheikh Zuweid locales. According to these media reports, the military campaign has been halted as a result of discussions in recent days between Morsi and delegates of the radical Islamic organizations. While the military operation in Sinai has been frozen, Egyptian army activity around the tunnels at the Rafah border continues. According to the reports, the Egyptian army is utilizing engineering equipment to destroy tunnels that cross between the Egyptian and Palestinian sides of Rafah.

Read more ....

Update: Egypt leader said to reach out to Sinai radicals -- USA Today/AP

My Comment: I suspect that the Israelis are not optimistic that anything of substance will come from these "talks".

Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- August 28, 2012

Syria’s Escalating Slaughter -- Washington Post editorial

EVIDENCE IS emerging of yet another horrific massacre by the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad, this time in the suburbs of Damascus. According to opposition sources, at least 300 people were slaughtered in the town of Daraya late last week. Videos posted on the Internet showed rows of bodies of young men and some children who had been shot in the head, execution-style.

The newest war crime, like those before it, reflects a deliberate strategy. As the Post’s Liz Sly has reported, the Assad regime is seeking to regain control over opposition-held areas by teaching their residents that harboring the rebels will be punished with mass murder. In Daraya, opposition accounts said, government soldiers first drove the forces of the Free Syrian Army from the town with artillery and air attacks, then went house-to-house, rounding up people and shooting them in groups.

Read more ....

Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials

On Syria, Everyone’s Waiting for Obama -- Max Boot, Commentary

FSA rebels - accused of war crimes - shape Syria's future -- Amal Hanano, The National

In Turkish border city, Erdogan's backing of Syrian rebels draws ire -- Alexander Christie-Miller, Christian Science Monitor

Don't Count Out an October Surprise -- Michael Hirsh, National Journal

Iran’s Nuclear Quest -- New York Times editorial

The Talkfest in Tehran -- David Bosco, Foreign Policy

Iran Drives Spike in US Arms Sales -- Ted R. Bromund, Commentary

Iraq at the Crossroads -- Dov S. Zakheim, National Interest

Putin's Law of Repression May Force His Demise -- Lilia Shevtsova, The Moscow Times

Spain may seek additional euro aid next month -- Rick Moran, American thinker

An Exploding Refinery and Imploding Economy in Venezuela -- Raul Gallegos, Slate

Do other countries have debt clocks? -- Uri Friedman, Passport/Foreign Policy

World News Briefs -- August 28, 2012 (Evening Edition)

Deadly Car Bomb Hits Damascus Funeral -- Al Jazeera

Twelve killed in blast in capital, while Turkey warns it has limited space to cope with growing influx of refugees.

At least 12 people have reportedly been killed and dozens wounded when a car bomb exploded at a funeral in Damascus, Syrian state television said.

The bomb targeted a funeral procession in the mainly Druze and Christian suburb of Jaramana on the southeastern outskirts of the Syrian capital on Tuesday, state TV said.

Read more ....

MIDDLE EAST

Romney campaign: No to Syria no-fly zone for now.

Christian archbishop flees Syria: report.

Deadly car bomb hits funeral in Damascus suburb.

Warplane attacks on Damascus suburbs kill 60: activists.

Growing number of Syrian refugees worries UN officials.

Nine Iraqi soldiers killed in north Baghdad attacks.

Iran denies plans to show nuclear sites to diplomats.

Visit by Egypt’s Morsi to Iran reflects foreign policy shift.

Gaza 'will not be liveable by 2020' - UN report.

Israeli army cleared in Rachel Corrie death.

ASIA

Teens set themselves on fire, take Tibet burnings over 50: group.

NATO may need more troops to ship home Afghan gear.

ASEAN struggles to cope with rival claims in the South China Sea.

India's Gandhi slams opposition MPs over deadlock.

India: One killed in fresh Assam violence.

Myanmar president reshuffles cabinet.

China invests £235 billion to tackle pollution.

AFRICA

Egypt president hires women, Christians as aides in nod to diversity.

State Dept to Americans: Don’t go to Libya.

Somalia's al-Shabab loses control of Merca port to army.

Riots grip Kenyan port city after killing.

Disease, malnutrition plague growing South Sudan refugee camp.

Pirates seize Greek oil tanker off Togo.

Rich-poor divide scars Angola as it heads for polls.

EUROPE

Suicide bomber kills Muslim cleric as Putin urges unity.

Yasser Arafat: France opens murder inquiry.

Catalonia seeks 5bn-euro bailout from Spain. Spain's Catalonia asks Madrid for financial help.

Russian opposition activist jailed for 8 years on drug charge.

Russian eco-warrior turns to politics to challenge Putin.

Marc Dutroux ex-wife Michelle Martin released from jail. Belgian pedophile accomplice on cusp of freedom.

AMERICAS

Republicans nominate Romney as presidential candidate.

Colombia confirms Farc peace talks.

Isaac hits hurricane strength as it nears New Orleans. Storm surge, rainfall biggest concern as Isaac nears.

Venezuelan state television reports that a refinery fire has been extinguished.

Daughter of Cuban vice president 'defects' to US.

Mexico keeps 12 police officers in jail in ambush of U.S. vehicle.

TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR

Indonesian security forces turn to Islamic clerics to uproot terrorism.

Kenyan Muslims riot after murder of Shabaab-linked cleric.

Al Qaeda denies Maghreb commander killed in clashes.

Saudi Arabia claims to foil 'al-Qaeda' plot.

'American Taliban' Lindh fights group prison prayer ban.

ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS

Post-‘pinch’? Apple patent-case win could point to new digital age for smartphones.

What the Apple vs. Samsung verdict means for you.

GM suspending Chevy Volt output, retooling for Impala.

Australia's Qantas posts huge loss.

The Growing Politicization Of America's Military Community

SEAL Team Six Veteran Says 'Special Operations Community' Wants Obama Out Of The White House -- Daily Mail

* Ryan Zinke, a Montana state senator and retired Navy veteran, has formed an anti-Obama political group called Special Operations for America PAC
* New ad called 'Bow to Nobody' criticizes the president for bowing to foreign leaders and calls for a chance in administration
* Zinke says Obama's Osama bin Laden ad 'Once Chance' uses the lives of special operations troops as a political football|

In Tampa, Florida: A former officer in SEAL Team Six, the unit that killed Osama bin Laden, said that ‘veterans and special forces community’ are determined that President Barack Obama be voted out in November.

Ryan Zinke, who retired in the rank of commander in 2008 after 23 years of service, said that Obama was guilty of a 'despicable' attempt to divide veterans and discredit those who, like him, opposed the White House’s policies.

Read more ....

Update: GOP plank decries ‘social experimentation’ in military -- Washington Times

My Comment: In all the years that I have followed US election politics, I have never seen the military divided as much as it is today. Oh well .... this election cycle ends in 10 weeks. The Obama "One Chance" ad that has upset some in the "Special Operations Community" is below.

France Opens A Murder Inquiry Into The 2004 Death Of Yasser Arafat

Yasser Arafat: France Opens Murder Inquiry -- BBC

French prosecutors have opened a murder inquiry into the death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in 2004.

His family launched a case last month over claims that he was poisoned with polonium-210, a radioactive element.

Swiss scientists hired by a documentary crew say they found traces of polonium on some of Arafat's belongings.

The medical records of Arafat, who died at a military hospital near Paris in 2004, said he had a stroke resulting from a blood disorder.

Read more ....

More News On France Opening An inquiry In the Death Of Yasser Arafat

France opens murder inquiry into Arafat's 2004 death -- Reuters
France Opens Inquiry Into Arafat's Death -- Wall Street Journal
French court opens murder inquiry into Arafat's death -- NBC
France reportedly opens murder probe in Arafat death -- FOX News/AP
French prosecutors launch murder inquiry in Arafat's death -- CNN
Yasser Arafat 'murder investigation launched’ -- The Telegraph
France opens enquiry into claims of Arafat poisoning -- AFP
France opens Yasser Arafat murder inquiry -- RT
France opens murder investigation into Arafat's death -- Deutsche Welle

Russia Reinforces Its Troops Deployed In The Kuril Islands

Russia To Complete Kuril Troops’ Reinforcement By 2014 -- RT

A top Russian military commander has said the country is reinforcing its troops deployed in the Kuril Islands – the Russian territory in the Far East that is claimed by Japan.

The reinforcement goes in accordance with the schedule earlier approved by the Russian President, Chief of the General Staff General Nikolay Makarov told the press. Two modern garrisons are being built on the islands, the general added.

Read more ....

My Comment: This will not please Japan, as well as reinforcing the awareness that many islands in Asia are involved in territorial disputes.

Israel Develops A Bullet Proof Grenade

New grenade developed by IDF won't explode when hit by a bullet. Photo credit: IDF Spokesperson's Unit

IDF Develops Innovative Bullet-Proof Grenade -- Israel Hayom

The first-of-its-kind grenade was developed following an incident on the Gaza border in March 2010 in which two IDF soldiers were killed when a bullet set off one of their grenades • "There is no grenade like this anywhere else in the world," says IDF officer.

The Israel Defense Forces have developed a first-of-its-kind grenade that doesn't explode when struck by a bullet.

Read more ....

Update #1: Israel Military Industries develops bullet, shrapnel and fire proof grenade -- Washington Post/AP
Update #2: Israel Military Industries (IMI) Develops Bulletproof/Bullet-Resistant Grenade (Defensive Grenade?) for IDF -- Defense Review

Refugees Fleeing Syria's Civil War Flood Into Turkey And Jordan

New Syrian refugees rest as they arrive at a stopover facility for breaking fast near the Turkish border town of Reyhanli in Hatay province August 9. Umit Bektas/Reuters

More Syrian Refugees Flooding Into Jordan And Turkey -- New York Times

BEIRUT — The United Nations refugee agency said on Tuesday that the number of Syrian refugees fleeing to Jordan last week had more than doubled from the previous week, raising further fears of a growing exodus from Syria that threatens to overwhelm international relief efforts.

Speaking to reporters in Geneva, Melissa Fleming, the chief spokeswoman for the refugee agency, said that 10,200 Syrians had crossed into northern Jordan between Aug. 21 and Aug. 27, compared to 4,500 the week before. The refugees, she said, included an increasing number of unaccompanied children, among them orphans and children sent ahead by parents, sometimes without passports.

Read more ....

More News On Syria's Refugee Crisis

Syria refugee numbers 'surpass 200,000' -- Al Jazeera
Syrians Fleeing to Jordan Could Signal Larger Influx -- Voice of America
Turkey to open new Syria refugee camps for up to 120,000 -- Reuters
Syrian refugees in Turkey could top 200,000: U.N. -- Reuters
Refugee backlog builds on border with Turkey -- The Australian/AP
Turkey calls for international assistance to aid Syrian refugees -- L.A. Times
Number of Syrian refugees seeking safety in Jordan doubles and expected to grow – UN -- UN News Centre
Jordan calls for help with Syrian refugees -- Reuters
Syria refugee exodus raises pressure for buffer zone -- Reuters
Turkey wants safe haven for refugees in Syria. Will UN – or NATO – oblige? -- Howard LaFranchi, Christian Science Monitor

The World Does Not Care About The U.S. Election

Why World Doesn't Care About U.S. Election -- Annette Heuser, Real Clear World

"Not really interested."

That's the refrain I have heard about this year's U.S. presidential campaign during my recent overseas travels. The indifference stands in stark contrast to the international mega-hype that the election created four years ago. Then, millions worldwide closely followed the Obama-McCain matchup. Friends, family and colleagues far and wide constantly called, seeking insight into America's upcoming vote. My e-mail inbox was flooded. As Election Day approached, it seemed everyone I knew wanted to camp out at my home to be a part of history. Even those who previously saw the U.S. as a shopping and tourist destination developed a sudden interest in the country's politics.

Read more ....

My Comment: I live next door in Canada, and interest in the U.S. election comes only from news junkies and certain parts of the media .... beyond that .... Annette Heuser is right when she states that no one cares.

Urgent Request Sent From Afghanistan For Palantir system

Military Leaders Urgently Push For New Counterterrorism Software -- Washington Times

A U.S. military command has sent an urgent request to the Pentagon to fund counterterrorism intelligence computer software for special operations troops globally, including the Palantir analytical system.

Palantir is at the center of two investigations in Washington. Rep. Duncan Hunter, California Republican, has accused the Army of making it difficult for conventional soldiers in Afghanistan to buy Palantir off the shelf because the Pentagon is protecting its own system.

Read more ....

My Comment: Politics and returning favors to corporate supporters trumps working systems that the soldiers want every-time.

Riots Continue For A Second Day In Kenya

Fighting Continues In Mombasa After Death Of Radical Islamist Preacher -- The Guardian

Grenade attack leaves seven injured as running battles continue for second day following death of Aboud Rogo Mohammed.

Police and protesters fought running battles as a violent backlash to the killing of a radical Islamic preacher carried into a second day in Kenya's second-largest city of Mombasa. The fighting has left several people hospitalised including seven injured in a grenade attack, police and human rights officials have said.

Read more ....

More News On the Continuing Riots In Kenya

Kenya cleric killing: Grenade attack on Mombasa police -- BBC
Three killed in Kenya's Mombasa riots after cleric shot dead -- Reuters
Rioting in Kenyan Port of Mombasa Breaks Out for Second Day -- Bloomberg Businessweek
One dead after protesters throw grenade at police in Kenya, official says -- CNN
Mombasa riots stretch into second day as extremist group tries to rally Muslims -- Christian Science Monitor
Official: Kenya Police tear-gas youth protesting the killing of a radical Islamic preacher -- Washington Post/AP
Grenade kills policeman, wounds dozens as Kenya riots rage -- AFP
Kenyan rioters and police clash for second day -- Deutsche Welle
In pictures: Mombasa riots over Kenya cleric Rogo's death -- BBC

Exploratory Peace Talks Between FARC And Colombia

Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos Photo: Reuters

Colombia Agrees To Hold Peace Talks With Farc Rebels -- BBC

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has confirmed his government is holding exploratory talks with the country's largest rebel group, the Farc.

In an address on state TV, Mr Santos said he was fulfilling his "duty to seek peace". Media reports say a deal on further talks was reached in Cuba.

The Farc has been fighting the Colombian government since 1964.

The president said the second biggest rebel group, the ELN, had also indicated a readiness to talk.

Read more ....

More News On Peace Talks Between Colombia And FARC

Colombia confirms Farc peace talks -- The Telegraph
Colombia and FARC Have Opened 'Exploratory' Peace Talks, Santos Says -- FOX News
An end to war? Colombian government seeks peace with FARC rebels -- NBC
Colombian government seeking peace with FARC rebels -- Reuters
Colombia Explores Talks With FARC -- New York Times
Colombia's Santos says government, rebels in talks -- CNN
Colombia's FARC rebels agree to peace talks -- The Australian/AP
Colombia in 'exploratory' talks with FARC rebels -- AFP
Colombia’s Santos confirms peace talks with FARC -- Miami Herald
Colombia-Farc peace talks being arranged, says president -- The Guardian
Colombia embarks on rocky road to peace again -- Thomas Sparrow, BBC
Five facts about Colombia's FARC rebels -- CNN
Profile: The FARC -- Al Jazeera