Small Wars Journal Daily Roundup
US Naval Institute Daily - USNI
Real Clear World - RCP
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Afghanistan
Arrest of Royal Marines on Murder Charges Raises Backlash Fears - AP
Platoon's Afghan Mission Ends with Boredom, Resignation, Isolation - WP
Pretrial Hearing Set for Staff. Sgt. Robert Bales - ST
ISAF Operations Summary - AFPS
Pakistan
Pakistan Police: Arrests Made in Child Activist Shooting - VOA
Pakistani Police Make Arrests in Shooting of Girl - AP
Day of Prayer for Pakistani Girl - BBC
Clerics Add Voices to Chorus of Condemnation Over Girl’s Attack - WP
Taliban Reiterate Vow to Kill Pakistani Girl - NYT
In Pakistan, Christian Teen Accused of Blasphemy - AP
Pakistani Teenager in Hiding After Blasphemy Accusation - NYT
Syria
Syria’s War Knocks Ever Harder on the Door to Turkey - NYT
Rebels, Troops Clash Over Air Base in Syria - VOA
Islamic Militants Help Seize Missile Base in Syria - AP
Hospital in Syrian City Barely Copes with the Wounded - AP
UN / Arab League Envoy to Hold Talks in Turkey - BBC
Russia: Syrian Plane Impounded by Turkey Had Radar Gear - NYT
Turkey's Frustration at Syria Led to Plane Action - AP
Turkey Scrambles Fighter Planes to Syria Border - Reuters
US Official: Russia 'Morally Bankrupt' on Syria - VOA
Secret Israel-Syria Peace Talks Involved Golan Heights Exit - NYT
Libya
US Intelligence Set Back When Libya Base Abandoned - Reuters
Romney, GOP Escalate Charges on Libya Attack - WP
Romney Criticizes Biden on Libya - BBC
New Front in Campaign as GOP Seizes on Libya Attack - NYT
Obama, Biden “Never Aware of Requests for More Security” - FP
Focus Was on Tripoli in Requests for Security in Libya - NYT
Chaos in Libya Hinders Benghazi Probe - WP
Private Security Hovers as Issue After Benghazi - NYT
The State Department’s Worst Week - WP opinion
Middle East / North Africa
Clinton Says US Must Stick by Arab World's Democracies - AP
Clinton Says US Must Embrace Arab Spring Despite Dangers - Reuters
Data on Iran Dims Outlook for Economy - NYT
Iran's Leader Says Army Ready to Deter any Attack - AP
UN Experts Ask Iran to Stop Executions - AP
Yemen: "Terrorists" Killed US Embassy Worker - AP
Clashes Hit Bahrain's Capital - AP
New Jordanian Government Sworn In - BBC
Supporters, Opponents of President Morsi Clash in Cairo - VOA
Egypt Tensions Trigger Clashes - BBC
Opponents and Supporters of Egypt’s President Clash - NYT
Egypt's Liberals, Islamists Clash, 110 Reported Injured - Reuters
Army: No Foreign Army Bases in Egypt - Reuters
How Arab Spring Helped Jihadi Cause - TA opinion
Why Netanyahu Backed Down - NYT opinion
Egypt Waits for Change - WP opinion
Terrorism / Counterterrorism
$5.8 Mil “Text Against Terror” Fails To Provide Any Tips - CC
US Department of Defense
Army Retools Training for New Threats - WP
Panetta Appeals for Stepped Up Cyber Security - VOA
Panetta Spells Out DOD Roles in Cyberdefense - AFPS
Panetta: US Can Trace Cyberattacks, Mount Pre-Emptive Strikes - S&S
US Readies Cyber-Attack Forces - BBC
Cybercom Chief: Culture, Commerce Changing Through Technology - AFPS
New Strategy to Posture Transcom for Post-war Future - AFPS
Soldier in Chen Case Pleads Guilty to Another Set of Charges - S&S
US Army Can't Stop Soldiers From Killing Themselves - TA opinion
United States
New Front in Campaign as GOP Seizes on Libya Attack - NYT
Romney, GOP Escalate Charges on Libya Attack - WP
Romney Criticizes Biden on Libya - BBC
Private Security Hovers as Issue After Benghazi - NYT
US Imposes Penalties on MS-13 Gang - VOA
US Targets El Salvador Gang Cash - BBC
Foreign Policy Failures - WP opinion
World
New Laser Technology Stirs Nuclear Bomb Proliferation Fears - Reuters
Africa
Official: DOD Seeks ‘Small Footprint’ in Africa - AFPS
French President Outlines New Approach to Africa - AP
UN Passes Mali Resolution - VOA
UN Adopts North Mali Resolution - BBC
UN Security Council Asks for Mali Plan Within 45 Days - Reuters
UN Resolution Seeks Recovery of Mali's North - AP
Two Blasts in Kenyan Capital, Policeman Wounded - Reuters
S. Africa's Traditional Courts Bill Criticized - VOA
Americas
US Rethinks a Drug War After Deaths in Honduras - NYT
US Imposes Penalties on MS-13 Gang - VOA
US Targets El Salvador Gang Cash - BBC
Colombia Armed Forces' Crucial Role in Peace Talks - AP
Colombia Indigenous Given Apology - BBC
Chavez Petrodollars Fuel Voter Worship in Venezuela - WP
Cuba: Fidel Castro Son, Sister Say He's Fine Amid Rumors - AP
Asia / Pacific
US, China to Consider Sharing Resources During Joint Missions - AFPS
China and Japan Say They Held Talks About Island Dispute - NYT
Japan, China to Hold Talks After Island Row - AP
In China, Lessons in Cronyism for Aspiring Bureaucrats - WP
Chinese Nobel Winner Calls for Dissident’s Release - NYT
China's Mo Hopes for Liu Release - BBC
Japan Utility Agrees Nuclear Crisis was Avoidable - AP
S. Korean Official Warns of ‘Existential Threat’ From North - NYT
Europe
European Union Wins Nobel Peace Prize - VOA
Nobel Peace Prize Awarded to EU - BBC
EU wins 2012 Nobel Peace Prize - WP
Buffeted by Debt Crisis, EU Wins Nobel Peace Prize - AP
Despite Prize, European Union Loses Much of Its Appeal - NYT
More Disagreements Emerge Over European Debt - VOA
EU: Ukraine Elections a 'Litmus Test' of Democratic Credentials - VOA
Moscow: US Denial of Bail to Russians Unfair - AP
A Nobel for the Continent - NYT editorial
Peace Prize, While Fascism Grows in Greece - TG opinion
European Project Deserves Its Nobel - TT opinion
The EU's Nobel Peace Bribe - Commentary opinion
Comments
"We need to make our interagency process work better and make sure that we have the right experts in the right places to support strategy development and campaign plan execution. Again, had Secretary Rumsfeld not blocked the State Department experts from supporting the initial civilian-miitary task force during the initial Iraqi post-conflict and transition operations we might have had a much different Iraqi experience".
We should endeavor to improve the interagency process, yet unfortunately process effectiveness largely depends on personalities in key positions. When a personality rotates into a position that endeavors to make it work it improves temporarily when he or she moves on and the next personality moves in with an agenda to undermine the process it regresses. I really don't see that changing.
Your larger point about our civilian leadership is hardly new as you well know. Experts on the ground throughout East Asia (State, OSS, etc.) who provided what turned out to be spot on assessments were ignored and decisions instead were based on the prevailing political philosophy of the day. This continued throughout the Vietnam war and other conflicts.
I'm leery of the long line of military critics who claim we can't adapt. The military throughout history has proven to be very capable of adapting (more so than an any business organization) in response to the real threats, but it is not possible to adapt in a way that makes the world conform to the way our civilian leaders perceive it. Rumfield and administration denied their was an insurgency in Iraq for two years, and those in the military that pointed it out were told to be quiet and continue to march on with the current plan.
Sadly I think the reality is we need to develop strategy, plans and doctrine that realizes this will continue to be our operational environment and find ways to mitigate the ill effects to some extent.
Reference the article linked above and below from the Washington Post on the Army retooling training:
I am curious as to what Mr. Londono means by this paragraph:
"The soldiers involved in the exercise here are tasked with helping an allied nation push back an invading force, while battling two insurgencies. Special Forces working closely with conventional units and troops have been ordered to show deference to American civilian officials with vast experience in the country."
Perhaps it is awkwardly constructed and it is probably meant to illustrate the problem in Iraq when the Secretary of Defense refused to allow LTG (Ret) Nash's team to use the State Department's experts and their Iraq Study to prepare for their work after Iraq fell. But that was not a problem with Soldiers not showing deference to or listening to civilian experts. I do not think Soldiers need to be ordered to listen to or show deference to civilian experts, they need to be allowed to listen to them by civilian political leaders and not do what Secretary Rumsfeld did to the military in 2003.
I am however, heartened that there is emphasis on the importance of listening to US civilian government officials with expertise in the area of operations. It has become fashionable to bring in outside advisors to military units when in fact equal if not superior expertise already exists within many US government agencies. We need to make our interagency process work better and make sure that we have the right experts in the right places to support strategy development and campaign plan execution. Again, had Secretary Rumsfeld not blocked the State Department experts from supporting the initial civilian-miitary task force during the initial Iraqi post-conflict and transition operations we might have had a much different Iraqi experience.
And this is another awkwardly constructed thought:
"A key challenge, Army officials acknowledge, will be retaining top talent as mid-career officers and enlisted soldiers mull new job prospects and the era of major land wars ends."
I think we should recall Plato: "only the dead have seen the end of war." And that probably includes major land wars. I think it is a dangerous assumption to think that the era of major land war has ended.
Afghan war winds down, U.S. Army retools training for new threats
By Ernesto Londoño, Published: October 12
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/as-afghan-war-win…