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Number of U.S. casualties from roadside bombs in Afghanistan skyrocketed from 2009 to 2010 - Washington Post

The Deadly Risk of Romance on the Silk Road - Foreign Policy

More Sudans, More Problems - Foreign Policy

Admiral Calls for Broader Approach to Piracy - Associated Press

U.N. uncovers more mass rapes in DRC - UPI

In Haiti, Earthquake Survivors Pray, Lament 'A Day That Nobody Can Forget' on Disaster's Anniversary - Washington Post

Colombia Stepping Up Anti-Drug Training of Mexico's Army, Police - Washington Post

Veterans, Like Active-Duty Troops, Are Hesitant to Seek Mental Care - New York Times At War

Retaining the Best Officers - USACAC Blog

The Weather Underground: A Different Approach to Political Violence

Top Stories

Afghans Purge Hundreds of Top Cops as NATO Cheers - Danger Room

Lahore Suicide Attack Kills at Least Seven - The AfPak Channel

How Short-Term Thinking is Causing Long-Term Failure in Afghanistan - The Atlantic

Thousands Protest in Egypt - CNN

Iran Hangs Two Men Who Made Video of Post-Election Turmoil - CNN

Lebanese Sunnis stage angry protests as Hezbollah-backed candidate is appointed PM - Washington Post

First Lady to Visit Fort Jackson - Fort Jackson Public Affairs

Soldiers on Battlefield Turn Apps Into Arms - Washington Times

'All-Seeing Eye' Can See Just Fine, Air Force Insists - Danger Room

Alternative Fuels Don't Benefit the Military, RAND Study Shows - New York Times

An Uncharacteristically Upbeat General in Afghanistan - New York Times At War

Soldier's Ingenuity Makes His Dream a Reality - CJTF-101 Public Affairs

Karzai Backs Down in Afghan Parliament Dispute - The AfPak Channel

Col. Imam Executed? [Former ISI Officer Suspected Killed By Taliban] - The Express-Tribune

Extremist Intimidation Chills Pakistan Secular Society - NPR

Afghan Report Revives Concerns About Scrutiny of Private Security Firms - New York Times

Claim: Afghans *Heart* G.I.s Who Flattened Their Villiage - Danger Room

Iraq

Blair Sits Before Iraq Inquiry, This Time With Regrets - New York Times

Iraqi Tradition of Celebratory Gunfire - New York Times At War

Iran Rules Out Fuel Swap Plan - New York Times

At Least 18 Killed in Iraq Blasts - NPR

Blasts Strike Pilgrims in Karbala - BBC

Palestinians Attack 'Talks Leaks' - BBC

Quiet Desperation of Iraqi Squatter Camps - BBC

Middle East

'Disappointment' over Iran Talks - BBC

Hezbollah-Backed Candidate Has Votes to Become Lebanon Prime Minister - Washington Post

Hariri Refuses to Serve Under Hezbollah-Named PM

Palestinian Leader Sees Political Motive in Release of Files - New York Times

Palestinians React Angrily to al-Jazeera's 'Palestine Papers' - Washington Post

Al-Jazeera Releases Papers Claiming Palestinian Concessions to Israel - Washington Post

Israeli Panel Rules Flotilla Raid Legal - New York Times

Palestinian Papers May Be Blow To Peace Process - NPR

Russia

Deadly Blast at Moscow's Main Airport Seen as Terror Attack - New York Times

Moscow bombing: Carnage at Russia's Domodedovo airport - BBC News

Dozens Dead After Explosion Rocks Moscow Airport - BBC

Moscow Airport Blast Kills as Many as 35 - Washington Post

Did Moscow's Airport Bombers Dodge Security Checks? - Danger Room

Suicide Bomber Suspected in Moscow Airport Blast - NPR

US Department of Defense

Going Viral: The Pentagon Takes on Swine Flu - The New Yorker

New Terrorism Adviser Takes A 'Broad Tent' Approach - NPR

The State of Our Terrorist Detention Policy - Washington Post

Air Force's New Surveillance System for Aerial Drones Not Working as Hoped - Washington Post

Air Force's 'All-Seeing Eye' Flops Vision Test - Danger Room

Africa

Democratic Movements - The New Yorker

Canadian military likely headed to Sudan: Ex-diplomat - Toronto Sun

Tunisian Protest Tear-Gassed; Teachers Strike - NPR

A Tunisian Revolution That's More Bloody Than Jasmine - Washington Post

Fear of Flareup in Sudan Border Town of Abyei - Washington Post

Southern Sudan Reaches a Decision on One Matter: Its New Name - New York Times

Somalia is Likely to Cut Ties to Mercenaries, Official Says - New York Times

One Small Revolution - New York Times

China

Was China's Stealth Tech Made in America? - Danger Room

China Stealth Jet 'From US Parts' - BBC

China's New World Order Demands Stronger US Response - Washington Post

China Grooming Deft Politician as Next Leader - New York Times

International Inequality is Alive and Well - Globe and Mail

China's Coming Fall - National Post

Around the Blogosphere

Ridiculous - Thomas Rid, Kings of War

Decisive Battles of the World: Hastings - Never Felt Better

"Reality-Based Community" Members Collide With Reality - Mudville Gazette

Another coal miner's daughter passed - my mother's sister Betty. I'm in W. Pennsylvania's former coal and steel country for the funeral and plan on spending some time here thinking about my family roots in a place that long ago was so comforting, so reassuring and so American for two families -- one from Scotland and the other Italy - but now so alien. Besides visiting some of the coal towns, I'm also going to cruise around my dad's family stomping grounds - the steel towns along the Monongalia River. You know, we used to produce and build things in this country.

I'll post some updates and pics on Facebook should you be interested.

That said, I plan on linking to articles and opinion pieces of note as time permits. The Roundup should be back in business NLT Saturday. Thanks.

Marines Pay Price Trying to Secure Afghan Hot Spot - Los Angeles Times

Taliban and Western Forces Focus on Afghan District - Los Angeles Times

Karzai Agrees to Seat New Afghan Parliament - New York Times

Afghan Gov. Cites Security Firms with U.S. Ties for Violations - Washington Post

Electoral Ruling by Iraqi High Court Riles Maliki's Rivals - Los Angeles Times

Iraq Shia Cleric Moqtada Sadr 'Returns to Iran' - BBC News

Iran Nuclear Talks End with No Agreement - Washington Post

How a Single Match Can Ignite a Revolution - New York Times

For Arabs, a Glimmer of Hope in Tunisia - Los Angeles Times

In Mideast Activism, a New Tilt Away From Ideology - New York Times

The Middle East's Growing Political Unrest - Washington Post editorial

One Small Revolution - New York Times opinion

Dictatorship for Dummies, Tunisia Edition - Washington Post opinion

North Korea Party Charter Revision Details Power Shift - Voice of America

Former Spy With Agenda Operates Own Private CIA - New York Times

Continue on for today's SWJ news and opinion links.

West Presses Karzai on Delay in Seating Parliament - New York Times

Karzai's Delay of Parliament Opening Causes U.N. 'Concern' - Washington Post

France Speaks of Resolve In Afghanistan After a Threat - New York Times

Iraq's Muqtada Sadr Reportedly Returns to Iran - Los Angeles Times

Iran Talks End With No Agreement - Associated Press

Lebanon Druze Leader Walid Jumblatt to Back Hezbollah - BBC News

South Koreans Rescue Hijacked Freighter - Los Angeles Times

Malaysia Navy Foils Ship Hijack Attempt, Seizes Pirates - BBC News

South Sudanese Vote Overwhelmingly for Secession - New York Times

Tunisian Crowds Demand Eradication of Ruling Party - New York Times

Slap to a Man's Pride Set Off Tumult in Tunisia - New York Times

Colombia's Anti-drug Training of Mexico's Army, Police - Washington Post

U.S. Revokes Visas to Pressure Haiti on Election - Associated Press

Haiti: Duvalier Breaks Silence, Offers Condolences - Los Angeles Times

McChrystal Denies Claims of Secret Military Crusade - Stars and Stripes

Continue on for today's SWJ news and opinion links.

Here is the latest edition of my column at Foreign Policy:

Topics include:

1) Is China's military under civilian control?

2) Red flags for the U.S. strategy in Afghanistan.

Is China's military under civilian control?

Chinese President Hu Jintao has completed his state visit to Washington, having received the welcoming ceremony and state dinner that he is said to have long sought. But the "deliverables" from the visit seem scant -- a few trade deals and some bland remarks promising better cooperation. If little was expected and even less delivered at the summit, it may be because Hu lacks the authority to produce significant results from his own government. On the eve of Hu's arrival in Washington, a New York Times article questioned the Chinese president's authority over a wide range of controversial issues, including China's exchange rate policy, its trade barriers, and its influence over North Korea.

If that is so, does the Chinese president's weakness extend to his control over the military? There have been numerous instances over the past 15 years of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) running on a seemingly very long leash. In 1995 and 2005, Chinese generals made specific threats, in the presence of the U.S. ambassador to China and to foreign journalists visiting Beijing, of nuclear attacks against U.S. cities. In 2001, when a U.S. patrol plane made an emergency landing on Hainan Island after colliding with a Chinese fighter, China's military leadership did not cooperate with its civilian counterparts in quickly resolving the incident. And the PLA's destruction in 2007 of a weather satellite using a ground-launched missile took the government by surprise and left the Foreign Ministry unable to respond to international concerns for 10 days. These cases of apparently roguish behavior by the PLA are most likely the result of the military's bureaucratic independence. But they are also carefully calculated attempts to bolster the credibility of China's military deterrence.

Click through to read more ...

Afghan Political Crisis Grows, Legislators Defy Karzai - New York Times

Parliament to Defy Karzai's Delay Order - Washington Post

Stavridis Expresses Optimism on Afghanistan - AFPS

Victoria Cross Awarded to Digger for Afghan Action - Daily Telegraph

Medics Treating Children with Suspicious Burns - Stars and Stripes

Setbacks Plague U.S. Aid to Pakistan - Wall Street Journal

Pakistan: Islamic Hard-liners Expanding Grip on Society - Los Angeles Times

Terrorist Leader Blacklisted by U.S. for Mass Murders - Washington Times

Car Bombings Kill Dozens on Pilgrims' Route in Iraq - New York Times

Iran Nuclear Talks in Istanbul Start - New York Times

Premier Defies Hezbollah as Talks on Lebanon Fail - New York Times

U.S., Allies Press Iran for Action at Talks - Wall Street Journal

Opposition in Tunisia Finds Chance for Rebirth - New York Times

Tunisia: Grievances Leading to Revolution - Washington Post

U.S. Cautious in Responding to Tunisian Crisis - Washington Times

Continue on for today's SWJ news and opinion links.

Desert Storm: 20 Years On

'Band of Brothers' Mark Gulf War Anniversary - New York Times

20 Years After Gulf War, Architects Talk of Lessons - USA Today

In '91, Hussein Sought Soviet Help to Head Off U.S. - New York Times

Desert Storm Reunion a Curtain Call on History - Houston Chronicle

The Gulf War in Retrospect - Foreign Policy

20 Years after Desert Storm, No Regrets - Associated Press

The Gulf Gap - Los Angeles Times

20 Years On: Memories of Desert Storm - Guardian

Major General Remembers Start of the Gulf War - BBC News

Speaking of Anniversaries... - Time

The Eve of War: Four Days of Diplomacy - New York Times

The Gulf War - Wikipedia

Operation Desert Storm - The National Security Archive

Persian Gulf War - History.com

Desert Storm - DesertStorm.com

Operation Desert Storm - GlobalSecurity.org

Operation Desert Storm: President George H. W. Bush Announces Beginning of the Ground War

Karzai Delays Parliament's Inauguration for Election Probe - Washington Post

Sadr Return Complicates '11 Iraq Withdrawal Strategy - Associated Press

Thou Shalt Steal, al Qaeda Tells Militants - Washington Times

Tunisian Opposition Pushes for Coalition Changes - New York Times

Arab League Chief Says Tunisia's Unrest May Spread - Voice of America

Tunisia Casts Shadow Over Arab Summit Meeting - New York Times

Split from North Sudan Favored by South - Washington Times

Landslide Swells for Southern Sudan Independence - Voice of America

U.N. Votes to Add 2,000 Peacekeepers in Ivory Coast - Washington Post

Mexico's Sinaloa Gang Grows Empire, Defies Crackdown - Reuters

Aristide Says He Is Ready to Return to Haiti, Too - New York Times

U.S., China Seek New Balance - Wall Street Journal

DoS Officials: WikiLeaks Revelations Not Damaging' - New York Times

Military 'Mentors' Quit Over Disclosure Rules - USA Today

U.S. Prepares to Lift Ban on Guantánamo Cases - New York Times

Continue on for today's SWJ news and opinion links.

Click through to read more ...

Afghan Attorney General Expects Court to Void Election - New York Times

Afghan Tribunal: Delay Parliament Opening 1 Month - Associated Press

Marines See Stark Improvement in Deadly Helmand Province - Washington Post

Kinder Prison, Swifter Justice for Detainees in Afghanistan - Boston Globe

Iraq: Suicide Bomber Kills Dozens in Tikrit - Washington Post

Southern Sudan: U.N. Security Council Praises Referendum - BBC News

Unity Government in Tunisia Fractured by Resignations - New York Times

Arab Leaders Keep a Wary Eye on Tunisia - New York Times

Arab World: Revolution will be Televised, on Al Jazeera - Los Angeles Times

Lebanon Shows Shift of Influence in Mideast - New York Times

Political Chaos in Lebanon Ravages Economy, Instills Fear - Washington Times

Iran Ramps Up Security for Nuclear Scientists - Washington Times

Mexico Says Zetas Drug Gang Figure Arrested - Los Angeles Times

Haiti Charges Ex-leader Jean-Claude 'Baby Doc' Duvalier - BBC News

Piracy Reached Record Level in 2010, Monitors Say - New York Times

Continue on for today's SWJ news and opinion links.

Plan for Thousands More Afghan Forces Draws Concerns - Washington Post

In Afghanistan, Insurgents Let Bombs Do Fighting - New York Times

Afghan Tax on Foreign Contractors Hits Resistance - New York Times

Afghan Underworld Shows Challenges for Stability - Associated Press

Pakistan's Failure to Hit Militant Sanctuary Has Positive Side - New York Times

U.N. Prosecutor Files Sealed Indictment in Hariri Tribunal - Washington Post

Lebanon Delays Talks on New Government - New York Times

Barak's Break With Party Shakes Up Israeli Politics - New York Times

Tunisia Forms National Unity Government Amid Unrest - BBC News

Tunisia Unrest Stirs Passions Across N. African - New York Times

South Sudan Officials Prepare for Referendum Result - Voice of America

Observers Approve South Sudan Independence Vote - Reuters

China, U.S. Eager to Put a Happy Face on Relations - Los Angeles Times

U.S. to Take Bolder Tack for Chinese Leader's Visit - New York Times

Duvalier Meets With Advisers as Haiti Holds Its Breath - New York Times

Continue on for today's SWJ news and opinion links.

Support Expected for Plan to Beef Up Afghan Forces - New York Times

Afghan Tax Effort Targets U.S. Firms - Washington Post

Air Strikes by Drones Effective in Waziristan - Washington Times

Authorities Struggle to Restore Order in Tunisia - Washington Post

Military Backs New Leaders in Tunisia - New York Times

Former Tunisia Government Figures Arrested - Los Angeles Times

Arab Leaders to Grapple With New Order Post-Tunisia - Reuters

In Sudan, Early Results Strongly Lean to Secession - New York Times

Hezbollah Defends Bringing Down Lebanon's Government - Washington Post

Hezbollah Vows Defense in Inquiry -New York Times

U.S., Israeli Computer Program Slows Iran's Nuclear Ambitions - Voice of America

Iran's Nuclear Program and a New Era of Cyber War - Los Angeles Times

Chinese President Hu Looks for 'Common Ground' with U.S. - Washington Post

China Leader's Limits Come Into Focus as U.S. Visit Nears - New York Times

U.S. Military and Facebook are Now Friends - GlobalPost

Continue on for today's SWJ news and opinion links.

General Martin E. Dempsey; Commanding General of the US Army Training and Doctrine Command, Chief of Staff of the Army nominee, and SWJ blogger; sings "New York, New York" at the International Reception, 23 April 2010, Bay Breeze Community Center, Fort Monroe, Virginia.

Start spreading the news, I'm leaving today...

These corfram shoes, are longing to stray...

I wanna wake up in a building, that doesn't sleep...

These Ft. Monroe blues, are melting away...

I'll make a brand new start of it...

If I can make it there, I'll make anywhere...

Uptick in Violence this Winter Coincides with Less Snow - Washington Post

U.S. Fighting to Build. Afghan Business Culture? - Christian Science Monitor

Attacks Down Almost 20 Percent in Pakistan - Associated Press

Overthrow of Tunisian President Jolts Arab Region - Washington Post

Will Revolt in Tunisia Inspire Others? - Los Angeles Times

Mideast Asks After Tunisian Riots: Where Next? - Associated Press

Unity Government Is Sought in Tunisia After Days of Clashes - New York Times

Tunisia Gets Another President, its Third in 24 Hours - Los Angeles Times

Tunisia's Revolution Should be a Wake-up Call - Washington Post editorial

Three U.S. Soldiers Killed in Iraq - Los Angeles Times

Israel Tests on Worm Called Crucial in Iran Nuclear Delay - New York Times

Major Powers Decline Iran's Invitation to View Nuclear Sites - Voice of America

Vote on Secession in Sudan Comes to a Close - New York Times

Sudan Referendum: Early Results Show Vote for Split - BBC News

'The Longest War' - New York Times book review

Continue on for today's SWJ news and opinion links.

In Afghanistan, Less Snow Coincides with Uptick in Violence - Washington Post

Officials in Afghanistan Begin Investigation Into Possible Fraud - New York Times

Tunisia Leader Flees and Prime Minister Claims Power - New York Times

Tunisian President Flees Amid Unrest; PM Takes Reins - Washington Post

Arab Activists Hope Tunisia Uprising Brings Change - Associated Press

Tunisia Riots Offer Warning to Arab Governments - Reuters

U.S. Is Not Trying to Contain China, Clinton Says - New York Times

U.S. Prepares to Engage China on Human Rights - Washington Post

Gates Reaffirms American Support for South Korea - New York Times

Gates Insists on North-South Korea Bilateral Talks - Washington Times

14 Killed in Army Raid in Mexico's Veracruz State - Los Angeles Times

Holbrooke Remembered With Affection and Humor - New York Times

World Leaders Gather for Richard Holbrooke Memorial - BBC News

Congressional Commission Studies Women in Combat - AFPS

Reactions Mixed on Women in Combat Arms - Stars and Stripes

Continue on for today's SWJ news and opinion links.