Monday, October 18, 2010

DTN News: Pakistan TODAY October 19, 2010 - Six Militants Killed In US Pakistan Drone Strike: Official

Defense News: DTN News: Pakistan TODAY October 19, 2010 - Six Militants Killed In US Pakistan Drone Strike: Official
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources including AFP & DAWN News (Pakistani Media)
(NSI News Source Info) MIRANSHAH, Pakistan - October 19, 2010: US drones fired missiles at a compound and vehicle in a village in Pakistan’s North Waziristan region on Monday, killing at least six militants, a senior security official told AFP.

“The identities of those killed in the strike are not yet known,” the official said on condition of anonymity.

“There are still four drones flying over Datta Khel,” he said.

A second security official confirmed the strike which took place in Sunzalai village near Datta Khel, a town 45 kilometres (28 miles) west of Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan — a renowned hot-bed of Taliban and Al-Qaeda linked militants.

Six missiles were fired at the compound and vehicle, injuring another five militants, a local security official said.

The compound belongs to a local tribesman, the official said.

RELATED NEWS

DTN News: Afghanistan TODAY October 19, 2010 - The Trouble With Talking To The Taliban

Defense News: DTN News: Afghanistan TODAY October 19, 2010 - The Trouble With Talking To The Taliban
*As in Vietnam, compromise is not in the insurgents' playbook.
(NSI News Source Info) KOTTAKKAL, Kerala, India - October 19, 2010: So the U.S. has now given safe passage to senior Taliban commanders for parleys with the Afghan government in Kabul. That's good for Hamid Karzai, who must look to his own post-American world, good for the Obama administration, which wants a politically graceful exit from Afghanistan, and excellent for the Taliban, which seeks to return to power. Too bad it also risks turning Afghanistan into another Vietnam.

By late 1967, the U.S. had been fighting in Vietnam for seven years, combat deaths were at the 10,000 mark, and pundits and policy makers (though not yet the public) were concluding the war was unwinnable. The Johnson administration had undertaken a bombing campaign of the North but had refused to go after communist sanctuaries in neighboring Laos or Cambodia, or to disrupt the supply of Soviet arms. Nor would the U.S. invade the North out of a misplaced fear of Chinese intervention.

Under those restrictive conditions, the war really was unwinnable. But rather than change the military strategy, the administration opted to change the diplomatic one. In September 1967, Johnson announced his willingness to halt the bombing in exchange for "productive discussions" with the North. Productive meaning what? Hanoi's idea of diplomacy was first to object to the shape of the negotiating table, and then to insist that the U.S. collude in overthrowing the government of South Vietnam.

It would be another five years before an agreement was reached. It was less the product of the talks themselves than of a series of sharp military reversals for the North. And even then the agreement proved meaningless: The North refused to honor its terms, and the U.S. lacked the political will to enforce them. And so Vietnam was lost.

What, then, did the talks accomplish? Politically, they were supposed to demonstrate that the U.S. wanted peace. The antiwar movement was not impressed. Strategically, they were supposed to offer the U.S. an alternative to a victory that U.S. policy makers had concluded was beyond reach. But as Henry Kissinger would later observe, "Hanoi's leaders had launched their war in order to win, not to cut a deal."

On the other hand, what the talks did do was provide the North with innumerable opportunities to pocket U.S. concessions, forestall U.S. military actions, and manipulate U.S. public opinion. If negotiations were, for Washington, an effort to end the war, for Hanoi they were a form of warfare by other means.

Now to Afghanistan. Plainly the war there is not Vietnam redux. The Taliban has a more limited base of popular support and no superpower patron. Their sanctuaries in Pakistan are nothing like North Vietnam itself. The U.S. military has internalized the lessons of counterinsurgency doctrine. American combat deaths over nine years of war are barely half of what the U.S. lost in May 1968 alone. The war remains eminently winnable.

But all that is put at risk the moment the U.S. embarks on the same talk-and-fight strategy it adopted in Vietnam. If winning over the Taliban's "reconcilables" were the goal, we could simply adopt an amnesty strategy on the same generous terms Colombia offered FARC deserters. High-level negotiations are another story.

How shall we expect the Taliban to negotiate? Their first tactic—disavowing that the commanders who went to Kabul speak for the Taliban itself—is straight out of the guerrilla's playbook: By creating the illusion of a gap between their negotiators and fighters (think Sinn Fein and the IRA), they permit the negotiators to maintain a veneer of credibility without compromising their military options.

Second, they will make maximalist demands, in the expectation that Mr. Karzai or the U.S. will moderate their own negotiating stance. This was the experience of the U.S. in Vietnam, just as it is now between the West and Iran.

Third, they will seek to exploit latent divisions between Mr. Karzai and the Obama administration. What happens in the event that Mr. Karzai is prepared to accept terms unacceptable to the U.S., such as sharing power with Mullah Omar? Ultimately, we are in Afghanistan to defend core U.S. interests, not the whims of its capricious president.

Fourth, the Taliban will create security problems that it will then offer to "solve" at the price of this or that concession. Kim Jong Il is the master of this style of bargaining.

Finally, the Taliban will never honor any agreement it makes. Like most modern insurgencies, its grievances are all pretexts: What it seeks is absolute power, exercised without restraint. We know how that movie ends.

There's one way—and only one way—the U.S. could get the Taliban to come to terms: a series of decisive military blows that give them no other option. At that point, who would want to rehabilitate them? Surely not an administration intent on avoiding, as this one so keenly is, "another Vietnam."

Write to bstephens@wsj.com

About Bret Stephens

Mr. Stephens writes the Journal's "Global View" column on foreign affairs, which runs every Tuesday in the U.S. and is also published in the European and Asian editions of the paper. He is a deputy editorial page editor, responsible for the editorial pages of the Asian and European editions of the paper, the columnists on foreign affairs, and the Far Eastern Economic Review. He previously worked for the paper as an op-ed editor in New York and as an editorial writer in Brussels for The Wall Street Journal Europe.

From March 2002 to October 2004 Mr. Stephens was editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post, a position he assumed at age 28. At the Post, he was responsible for the paper's news and editorial divisions. He also wrote a weekly column.

In 2004, Mr. Stephens was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, where he is also a media fellow.

Raised in Mexico City and educated at The University of Chicago and the London School of Economics, Mr. Stephens is married and has three children.

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DTN News: Aerospace/Defense Headlines - News Dated October 18, 2010

Defense News: DTN News: Aerospace/Defense Headlines - News Dated October 18, 2010
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources including latest updates Defense News, Aerospace/Defense Headlines - News & Yahoo
(NSI News Source Info) KOTTAKKAL, Kerala, India - October 18, 2010: Comprehensive daily news related to Aerospace/Defense for the world of TODAY.

*Comprehensive daily news related on Aerospace/Defense for the world of TODAY.

Monday October 18, 2010

Sunday October 17, 2010

DTN News: World Top Stories / Headlines - News Dated October 18, 2010

Defense News: DTN News: World Top Stories / Headlines - News Dated October 18, 2010
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources
(NSI News Source Info) KOTTAKKAL, Kerala, India - October 18, 2010: Comprehensive daily news related to World Top Stories for the world of TODAY.
*Comprehensive daily news related to World Top Stories for the world of TODAY.

AFP News Headlines

Mumbai attacks gunman begins death sentence appeal

MUMBAI ATTACKS GUNMAN BEGINS DEATH SENTENCE APPEAL

AFP - 5 hours 16 mins ago

MUMBAI (AFP) - Lawyers for the only surviving gunman of the deadly 2008 Mumbai attacks began a high court appeal on Monday against his death sentence, amid tight security. More »

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    SUPER TYPHOON SMASHES INTO NORTHERN PHILIPPINES

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    BAGUIO, Philippines (AFP) - Super Typhoon Megi smashed into the northern Philippines on Monday, causing landslides in mountainous areas, whipping up huge waves along the coast and killing at least one person. More »

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    ISRAEL ARRESTS HAMAS MP IN WEST BANK

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  • Gaza tunnellers turn former lifeline into export channel

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  • China-Japan row simmers after street protests

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    AFP - 8 hours 54 mins ago

    TOKYO (AFP) - Japan's Prime Minister Naoto Kan urged China on Monday to guarantee the safety of Japanese companies and citizens after a wave of rowdy weekend protests sparked by a bitter territorial row. More »

  • One dead as typhoon whips northern Philippines

    ONE DEAD AS TYPHOON WHIPS NORTHERN PHILIPPINES

    AFP - 9 hours 51 mins ago

    MANILA (AFP) - Super Typhoon Megi slammed into the northern Philippines Monday causing landslides in mountainous areas, tearing roofs off houses, whipping up huge waves along the coast and killing at least one person. More »

  • Australia FM defends Catholic abuse response

    AUSTRALIA FM DEFENDS CATHOLIC ABUSE RESPONSE

    AFP - 11 hours 23 mins ago

    SYDNEY (AFP) - Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd defended the Catholic church's record on tackling child abuse within its ranks, as a nun who once exposed a paedophile priest became the nation's first saint. More »

  • Japan PM voices regret over protests in China

    JAPAN PM VOICES REGRET OVER PROTESTS IN CHINA

    AFP - Today, 04:12 am

    TOKYO (AFP) - Japan's Prime Minister Naoto Kan voiced regret Monday over a wave of angry anti-Japanese protests in China at the weekend, sparked by a tense territorial row between the Asian economic giants. More »

  • US says Chinese firms ignoring Iran sanctions

    US SAYS CHINESE FIRMS IGNORING IRAN SANCTIONS

    AFP - Today, 04:07 am

    WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States believes some Chinese firms are helping Iran improve its missile technology and develop nuclear weapons and has asked Beijing to prevent such activity, The Washington Post reported. More »

  • Al-Qaeda reaches out armed with English, Internet

    AL-QAEDA REACHES OUT ARMED WITH ENGLISH, INTERNET

    AFP - Today, 04:00 am

    DUBAI (AFP) - Al-Qaeda has combined the global reach of both the English language and the Internet as cyber-terrorism tools to win over non-Arab sympathisers. More »

DTN News: Defense News / Latest Press Releases Dated October 18, 2010

Defense News:
DTN News: Defense News / Latest Press Releases Dated October 18, 2010
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources
(NSI News Source Info) KOTTAKKAL, Kerala, India - October 18, 2010: Comprehensive daily news related to Defense News / Latest Press Releases for the world of TODAY.*Comprehensive daily news related to Defense News / Latest Press Releases for the world of TODAY

*Sources - Defense News, Defense-Aerospace.com

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DEFENSE NEWS


U.S. ARMY BUYS 45 DOUBLE V-HULL STRYKERS

BY KATE BRANNEN

The U.S. Army is directing General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) to use the double V-hull design in the production of 45 more Stryker troop-carrying vehicles, according to an Oct. 13 contract announcement. ... full story
14 Oct 18:31 EDT (22:31 GMT)

Europe »

BAE-Iveco Team To Compete for S. African Truck Bid

BY ANDREW CHUTER

LONDON - BAE Systems has joined forces with Iveco Defence Vehicles to compete for a South African National Defence Force requirement to modernize its logistics capabilities with a new fleet of tactical trucks. ... full story
12 Oct 12:46 EDT (16:46 GMT)

Russia To Import 'Outdated' Arms: Minister

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

MOSCOW - Russia will import arms rather than buy outdated Russian models, the defense minister said Oct. 4, slamming the failure of the domestic defense industry to meet modern standards. ... full story
4 Oct 11:24 EDT (15:24 GMT)

German Conservative Parties Agree To End Conscription

BY ALBRECHT MÜLLER

BERLIN - The executive committees of Germany's Christian Democratic Party (CDU) and Christian Social Party (CSU) agreed to allow the end of military conscription. ... full story
29 Sep 16:22 EDT (20:22 GMT)

Americas »

U.S. Army Buys 45 Double V-Hull Strykers

BY KATE BRANNEN

The U.S. Army is directing General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) to use the double V-hull design in the production of 45 more Stryker troop-carrying vehicles, according to an Oct. 13 contract announcement. ... full story
14 Oct 18:31 EDT (22:31 GMT)

U.S. Army Looks to Lighten Troops' Load

BY KATE BRANNEN

Weight remains a major obstacle for the U.S. Army as it tries to equip soldiers with all of the gear needed to remain safe and connected to other soldiers on the battlefield. ... full story
12 Oct 16:01 EDT (20:01 GMT)

Efficiency Push Could Threaten U.S. JLTV

BY KATE BRANNEN

Plans to develop the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle may be at risk as the Defense Department puts new emphasis on efficiency. ... full story
7 Oct 16:29 EDT (20:29 GMT)

Asia & Pacific Rim »

Pakistani Taliban Destroys Some 40 NATO Vehicles

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

PESHAWAR, Pakistan - More than 40 NATO vehicles were destroyed in two separate Taliban attacks in Pakistan on Oct. 6 as the militants stepped up their efforts to disrupt supply routes into Afghanistan. ... full story
6 Oct 14:36 EDT (18:36 GMT)

Half Of Indian Air Force Equipment Called Obsolete

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

NEW DELHI - Half of the weapons and equipment used by the Indian Air Force are obsolete and need urgent replacement, a top Indian defense official has said. ... full story
5 Oct 12:53 EDT (16:53 GMT)

U.S., Indian Minister Meet; Defense Deals Pending

BY AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

WASHINGTON - U.S. and Indian defense chiefs met Sept. 28 amid efforts by Washington to step up arms sales to New Delhi and ease restrictions on hi-tech weaponry. ... full story
28 Sep 17:26 EDT (21:26 GMT)

Middle East & Africa »

British Forces Hand Over Flashpoint Afghan District To U.S.

BY DANNY KEMP, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

LONDON - British troops transferred responsibility for security in the Sangin district of southern Afghanistan to U.S. forces Sept. 20, leaving an area where Britain suffered its worst losses since the invasion. ... full story
20 Sep 10:55 EDT (14:55 GMT)

Iraq To Spend $13B On U.S. Arms, Equipment

BY JIM MICHAELS, USA TODAY

BAGHDAD - Iraq is preparing to buy as much as $13 billion in American arms and military equipment, a huge order of tanks, ships and hardware that U.S. officials say shows Iraqi-U.S. military ties will be tight for years to come. ... full story
1 Sep 05:55 EDT (09:55 GMT)

U.S. Combat Brigades Stay in Iraq Under Different Name

BY KATE BRANNEN

As the final convoy of the Army's 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, based at Fort Lewis, Wash., entered Kuwait early Aug. 19, a different Stryker brigade remained in Iraq. ... full story
19 Aug 14:14 EDT (18:14 GMT)