News Update on India Part Two

Update as of 0730 Eastern Time:

From Fox News:

Indian TV reports commando teams are conducting room-to-room searches in two luxury hotels in Mumbai where Muslim terrorists are holding an unknown number of hostages.

NDTV reports gunfire and explosions at the Taj Mahal and Oberoi Trident hotels, and the release of some hostages.

Bodies reportedly are being removed from the hotels, and among them are an Australian, Japanese and British nationals.

Police reportedly are negotiating with gunmen holding hostages at the ultra-orthodox Jewish Chabad Lubavitch Center.

There were unconfirmed reports that some of the hostages at the Oberoi Trident hotel are Israeli nationals.

Reuters reports a militant at the Lubavitch Center phoned an Indian TV station with an offer to talk with government officials about the release of hostages.

The caller reportedly also complained about abuses in Indian Kashmir.

"Are you aware how many people have been killed in Kashmir?" the caller asked, speaking in Urdu. "Are you aware how your army has killed Muslims. Are you aware how many of them have been killed in Kashmir this week?"

From CNN:

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh suggests the group behind the Mumbai terrorist attacks is based outside the country as police battle gunmen in three locations to free hostages a day after more than 100 people were killed.

A standoff continued at the Oberoi Hotel, where about 100 members of a specialized unit of the Indian police undertook an operation to rescue four to five foreigners hostage on the 19th floor.

CNN producer Phil O'Sullivan reported a "very loud explosion came from right deep in the hotel" and a lot of shooting.

At the nearby Taj Mahal hotel, CNN's Sara Sidner reported another blast had rocked the building and flames could be seen.

Medics took stretchers into the hotel and brought out bodies. Police were going floor to floor to flush out gunmen. About five were believed to be holed up in the Taj; another three in Oberoi, officials said.

Maharashtra official Bhushan Gagrani said the Taj situation was "almost sorted out" and that police expected to clear the Oberoi by tonight. Hostages remained, but he didn't say how many.

Meanwhile, Singh suggested the group behind the attacks was based outside India and probably had "external linkages."

"It is evident that the group which carried out these attacks, based outside the country, had come with single-minded determination to create havoc in the financial capital of the country," he said.

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News Update on India

Update as of 0001 Eastern Standard Time:

From Fox News:

Mumbai, India's financial capital, was a city under siege Thursday morning, as authorities struggled to regain order after teams of gunmen launched a wave of deadly nighttime attacks on several sites popular with Westerners.

The group behind the attacks reportedly singled out Americans and Britons as targets. It wasn't immediately clear whether U.S. citizens were among the dead, who numbered at least 101, the Associated Press reported. At least 250 people were injured in the attacks, Reuters reported.

India's NDTV reported Thursday morning that a "desperate hostage situation" still was under way at the Taj Mahal and Oberoi hotels, with a few terrorists holed up in each hotel despite Indian forces' attempts overnight to take back control of the buildings. As the sun rose, sporadic gunfire could be heard.

It isn't clear yet what motivated the attacks, which also targeted a popular tourist attraction and a crowded train station, though eyewitnesses said gunmen were heard shouting questions seeking people with American and British passports.

Alex Chamberlain, a British citizen who was dining at the upscale Oberoi hotel, told Sky News television that a gunman ushered 30 to 40 people from the restaurant into a stairway and, speaking in Hindi or Urdu, ordered everyone to put up their hands

"They were talking about British and Americans specifically. There was an Italian guy, who, you know, they said: 'Where are you from?" and he said he's from Italy and they said 'fine' and they left him alone. And I thought: 'Fine, they're going to shoot me if they ask me anything — and thank God they didn't," he said.

Chamberlain said he managed to slip away as the patrons were forced to walk up stairs, but he thought much of the group was being held hostage.

Reuters reported 86 people had been killed, including 11 police officers, and 250 people were injured. The Associated Press, quoting a senior police official, said the chief of India's anti-terror squad was one of the dead.

Early Thursday, state home secretary Bipin Shrimali said four suspects had been killed in two incidents when they tried to flee in cars, and A.N. Roy, a top police official, said two more gunmen were killed at the Taj Mahal. State Home Minister R.R. Patil said nine more were arrested. They declined to provide any further details.

"We're gong to catch them dead or alive," Patil told reporters. "An attack on Mumbai is an attack on the rest of the country."

An organization calling itself the Deccan Mujahideen claimed it was behind Wednesday's attacks. Some analysts suggest that the little-known group is actually an amalgam of existing Indian terror groups, including the Mujahideen Kashmir.

Mumbai has frequently been targeted in terrorist attacks blamed on Islamic extremists, including a series of bombings in July 2007 that killed 187 people.

From CNN:

The morning after teams of gunmen carried out a brazen series of attacks across southern Mumbai, killing scores of people and taking hostages in three locations, the situation showed little signs of a quick resolution.

A series of gunshots rang through the air at the Oberoi Hotel Thursday morning, where about 100 members of a specialized unit of the Indian police undertook an operation to rescue four to five foreigners hostages on the 19th floor.

A few blocks away, a series of gunfire sent curious onlookers scurrying for cover at the Taj Mahal Hotel. Shortly afterward, police escorted dozens of people -- who appeared to be mostly westerners -- out of the hotel. A.N. Roy, the police chief of Maharashtra state, where Mumbai is located, said all hostages there had been freed.

A standoff at a third location -- the Cama Hospital for women and infants -- also appeared to have been resolved by Thursday morning, CNN's sister station CNN-IBN reported. It was not immediately known whether gunmen at the hospital fled or were killed.

Israel Foreign Ministry was attempting to locate about 20 Israeli nationals missing in the city as police said four suspected gunmen took cover in a building called Nariman House, where several Jewish families live.

Police said gunmen fired indiscriminately from the building throughout the night. Stray bullets killed a couple in their home and a 16-year-old boy who stepped outside, police said.

Authorities asked residents in Mumbai to stay inside, uncertain whether other attacks were planned in the city.

From Reuters:

Gunfire rang out as commandos and armed police laid siege to gunmen holding foreigners hostage in two of the plushest hotels in India's commercial capital on Thursday, after attacks that killed at least 101 people.

Scores of tourists remained trapped in the Taj Mahal hotel, a 105-year-old city landmark, and the five-star Trident Oberoi in Mumbai's downtown peninsula, its financial and tourist heart, officials said.

At least 101 people had been killed, including six foreigners, police said. Another 287 people were wounded in the attacks, claimed by the little-known Deccan Mujahideen group.

India's markets regulator said the Bombai Stock Exchange and the national exchange would not open on Thursday because of the unfolding crisis.

In one of the first responses by the Indian government, Trade Minister Kamal Nath described the attacks as "an unfortunate event" but said did not expect they would slow investment into an economy already under strain.

Small groups of militants armed with automatic weapons and grenades burst into the luxury hotels, a hospital and a railway station late on Wednesday, as well as a famous cafe popular with foreign tourists, firing indiscriminately and tossing grenades.

"There are many people trapped inside the two hotels it seems, and we are hearing reports of constant gunfire, mostly from the Taj hotel," a duty officer at the Mumbai police control room said.

The attackers appeared to target British and Americans as they sought hostages before settling in for a prolonged siege. Police later said an Israeli rabbi and his family were being held hostage in a Mumbai apartment.

Television footage showed gunmen in a pick-up truck spraying people with rifle fire as the vehicle drove down a Mumbai street.

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Soldier's Angels

I realize I talked about this before with Soldier's charities, but I ask you again that you consider one of these. Valour IT is slowing its fund raising campaign, but both Valour IT and Fisher House are always in need. If you want to, please consider one of these two.

Thank You very much from all of those who can't thank you.

God Bless America and Happy Thanksgiving

Bryan

http://www.soldiersangels.com/

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Today's News Update 25 November 2008

Update as of 0800 Eastern Time:

Bottom Line Up Front:
1. Venezuela / Russia
2. Pirates
3. Pirates and Terrorists

From Fox News (Venezuela):

Russian warships neared Venezuela's Caribbean coast on Tuesday in a show of strength meant to send a cautionary message to the United States and showcase Moscow's ambitions of making inroads in Latin America.

The deployment of a naval squadron led by the nuclear-powered cruiser Peter the Great is the first of its kind in the Caribbean since the Cold War and was timed to coincide with President Dmitry Medvedev's visit to Caracas — the first ever by a Russian president.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has eagerly welcomed the Russian ships for exercises with his navy, basking in the support of a powerful ally that has sold him billions of dollars in arms and has seen a chill in its relations with Washington.

Chavez is looking to Russia for help building a nuclear reactor, investing in oil and natural gas projects and bolstering him and his leftist allies in limiting U.S. influence in Latin America. But just as Chavez is being forced to adapt to slumping oil prices, analysts say energy-rich Russia is also feeling the pinch and for now cannot afford a major benefactor role in South America.

"This whole crisis has affected Russia," said Ricardo Sucre Heredia, a Venezuelan political scientist. However, he said, Russia still has an economic interest in selling more weapons and boosting business in Latin America, and Venezuela can help to "open the doors."

From CNN (Pirates):

A Yemeni freighter has become the latest commercial vessel to be attacked in the pirate-plagued Gulf of Aden, a Kenyan maritime official said Tuesday.

The last contact with the ship was late last week, and it was unclear exactly when the hijacking took place, said Andrew Mwangura, the head of Kenya Seafarers Association.

No further details about the ship, its crew or cargo were immediately available, said Mwangura, whose organization keeps tabs on the welfare of sailors captured by the pirates.

Dozens of ships have been attacked in the Gulf of Aden by pirates based in largely lawless Somalia in recent months.

This has led to calls from commercial ship owners for a military blockade along the coast of Somalia to intercept pirate vessels heading out to sea.

Peter Swift, managing director of the International Association of Independent Tanker Owners, said stronger naval action -- including aerial and aviation support -- is necessary to battle rampant piracy in the region.

At present, warships from a number of countries patrol an international maritime corridor, escorting some merchant ships and responding to distress calls in the area. But the navies involved say it is virtually impossible to patrol the vast sea around the gulf.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for pirates holding a Saudi supertanker loaded with crude oil has told the BBC they have not set any ransom figure.

He said the group has only spoken to intermediaries of the vessel's owners but he described them as untrustworthy.

The pirate identified himself using only one name, Daybad, when he spoke late Monday to the BBC.

From CNN (Pirates and Terrorists):

U.S. military officials expressed concern Monday that Somali militants believed to be potentially affiliated with al Qaeda may become involved in the hijacking of a supertanker off eastern Africa.

Five armored vehicles loaded with al-Shabab fighters arrived in the central Somali coastal town of Harardhere this weekend, near where pirates are holding the massive Saudi Arabian oil tanker Sirius Star, said Ahmed Mohamed, a local resident.

The fighters told residents they would battle the pirates because the tanker, loaded with 2 million barrels of oil worth about $100 million, is owned by a Muslim country and should not have been taken, Mohamed said.

The al-Shabab militia is an offshoot of an Islamic party that ruled much of Somalia in the second half of 2006 and aims to impose Islamic sharia law in Somalia. It was forced from power by Ethiopian troops but continues to fight for control.

The U.S. State Department included the group on its register of foreign terrorist organizations in March of this year -- and declared it had links with al Qaeda.

"Al-Shabab is a violent and brutal extremist group with a number of individuals affiliated with al Qaeda," the department said on its Web site. "Many of its senior leaders are believed to have trained and fought with al Qaeda in Afghanistan."

"We're certainly concerned about the interest of Islamic extremists in piracy," said a U.S. military official monitoring developments Monday.

"We need to learn more about what al-Shabab is up to. Whatever influence al-Shabab is interested in, is troublesome" he said.

Another resident of Harardhere, Hassan Nor, suggested that al-Shabab's motive was to share in the multi-million dollar ransom the pirates have demanded from the supertanker's owner.

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Question of the week.....

My question for the week to all of you is: Should the United States Government continue these bailouts?

I ask the question because I am truly perplexed. My economic mind set is truly a mix of Keynesian and Hayek. Keynesian being one that advocated more government control and regulation, and Hayek who believed in zero government control and that the markets would correct itself.

I tend to believe that the correct answer is a mixture of the two, contrary to many current beliefs, because of the following reasons. Both of these very intelligent men formulated their opinions during and immediately after World War Two. How much has changed since then???

The largest issue since then has been globalization. Today, a company here in the United States is no longer in competition with other companies in the United States but rather they are in competition with countries from around the world. Some of these other countries have drastically less degrees of taxation. Most of them have drastic degrees less that they have to pay their workers. All of them have drastic degrees less of environmental standards.

Take the US Auto Big Three and the debate over a bail out for them. One side would advocate that the government must help them, or they would go bankrupt and tens of thousands would lose their jobs. Hayek supporters would say let them fail, and other better companies would take their place, or they would fail but re-emerge even stronger for it. Ronald Reagan was of this mindset and his tough love did wonders for our economy.

But I am left wondering in the age of true globalization, could a young auto company in the US, or a resurgent company be able to make headway against a firmly entrenched and profitable Toyota or Nissan? Or would they simply be outspent and out-advertised to the point of failure?

I am not sure, thus I level the question to you. What do you think? Should we continue these bailouts? Or should we take the chance and let these companies fail?

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What the Future Holds?

I posted a news article on Friday about the 2025 study that the Director of National Intelligence's office completed. I meant to talk about this Friday night but other demands of real life over-took me. But, I do believe that this is vitally important to ponder, think on, and discuss.

Basically what the study said was that the increase in regional powers (China, India, Brazil, and Iran to name a few) would slowly deplete the United States' standing in the world. That the uni-polar world that we had enjoyed since the end of the cold war was coming to an end.

This is not a new phenomenon. We can look at every period throughout history and see where a certain country / society became a single hegemon and then had to deal with the issue of growing regional or smaller powers.

Sometimes these growing powers would become a hegemon in their own rights. Other times they would ally themselves with other regional powers to combine their strength. The one true constant, is that their was always a challenge to the hegemon for good or for bad.

These factors are further compounded by the facets of globalization. We are now more interconnected for good and for bad, then any other time in our common world history. It used to be said that the flap of a butterfly's wings somewhere in the world would cause a hurricane elsewhere. Today, that flap of a butterfly's wing could spell victory or defeat for a country's economy anywhere in the world. We are all truly connected.

The issue as I see it though, is that no where within our National Security Strategy have we addressed this. I can pick the NSS apart and talk about how their is only lip service paid to solidifying our economic foundations, or how to grow our alternative energy programs along with utilizing our own domestic fossil fuels. But that's not the most important parts.

We have not addressed how the world is changing. We have not addressed how we plan to go forward into this brave new world. We have not addressed how we plan on structuring our economy, to keep us strong, viable, growing, and the American Worker safe.

More so we have not addressed how we plan to interact, work with, or deal with these growing regional powers. Some of them are obvious allies. Some of them, do not have our nations best interest in mind. This is a situation that must be examined, and a plan laid out on how we will go forward. To do anything less is irresponsible and in the end directly detrimental to our great nation. If we do not act, the morbid report of 2025 I fear, will turn out to be true.

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Army Warrior Soldier of the Week

Click on the photo to see the full blow up.

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Today's News Update 21 November 2008

Update as of 0800 Eastern Time:

Bottom Line Up Front:
1. US Report on 2025
2. Russian Presidential Terms
3. Iraq SOFA

I will be talking more about this tonight. The article I wrote two days ago about India Naval Action deals with this also. But I feel this is of vital national interest for both our leaders and every citizen of this nation to understand and discuss. From Fox News (US 2025):

The next two decades will see a world living with the daily threat of nuclear war, environmental catastrophe and the decline of America as the dominant global power, according to a frighteningly bleak assessment by the U.S. intelligence community.

"The world of the near future will be subject to an increased likelihood of conflict over resources, including food and water, and will be haunted by the persistence of rogue states and terrorist groups with greater access to nuclear weapons," said the report by the National Intelligence Council.

The analysts said that the report had been prepared in time for Barack Obama's entry into the Oval office on January 20, where he will be faced with some of the greatest challenges of any newly-elected president.

"The likelihood that nuclear weapons will be used will increase with expanded access to technology and a widening range of options for limited strikes," the 121-page assessment said.

The analysts draw attention to an already escalating nuclear arms race in the Middle East and anticipate that a growing number of rogue states will be prepared to share their destructive technology with terror groups.

"Over the next 15-20 years reactions to the decisions Iran makes about its nuclear program could cause a number of regional states to intensify these efforts and consider actively pursuing nuclear weapons," the report Global Trends 2025 said. "This will add a new and more dangerous dimension to what is likely to be increasing competition for influence within the region," it said.

The spread of nuclear capabilities will raise questions about the ability of weak states to safeguard them, it added. "If the number of nuclear-capable states increases, so will the number of countries potentially willing to provide nuclear assistance to other countries or to terrorists."

The report, a year in the making, said that global warming will aggravate the scarcity of water, food and energy resources. Citing a British study, it said that climate change could force up to 200 million people to migrate to more temperate zones. "Widening gaps in birth rates and wealth-to-poverty ratios, and the impact of climate change, could further exacerbate tensions," it said.

The report says the warming earth will extend Russia and Canada's growing season and ease their access to northern oil fields, strengthening their economies. But Russia's potential emergence as a world power may be clouded by lagging investment in its energy sector, persistent crime and government corruption, the report says.

"The international system will be almost unrecognizable by 2025, owing to the rise of emerging powers, a globalizing economy, a transfer of wealth from West to East, and the growing influence of non-state actors. Although the United States is likely to remain the single most powerful actor, the United States' relative strength -- even in the military realm -- will decline and US leverage will become more strained."

Global power will be multipolar with the rise of India and China, and the Korean peninsula will be unified in some form. Turning to the current financial situation, the analysts say that the financial crisis on Wall Street is the beginning of a global economic rebalancing.

The U.S. dollar's role as the major world currency will weaken to the point where it becomes a "first among equals."

"Strategic rivalries are most likely to revolve around trade, investments and technological innovation, but we cannot rule out a 19th-century-like scenario of arms races, territorial expansion and military rivalries." The report, based on a global survey of experts and trends, was more pessimistic about America's global status than previous outlooks prepared every four years. It said that outcomes will depend in part on the actions of political leaders. "The next 20 years of transition to a new system are fraught with risks," it said.

The analysts also give warning that the kind of organized crime plaguing Russia could eventually take over the government of an Eastern or Central European country, and that countries in Africa and South Asia may find themselves ungoverned, as states wither away under pressure from security threats and diminishing resources.

From CNN (Russia):

The Russian parliament approved a constitutional amendment Friday to extend the presidential term from four to six years.

There is widespread speculation in Russian media that the change is aimed at paving the way for a return to the Kremlin by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who remains a popular and powerful figure since leaving the president's office in May.

The Kremlin maintains the amendment -- along with other proposed changes to the terms in office for elected officials -- is necessary to ensure the stability of future Russian governments.

President Dmitry Medvedev announced the measures just two weeks ago, in his first state-of-the-nation speech on November 5.

The lower house of the Russian parliament had its third and final reading Friday before putting the measures to a vote. It passed by a vote of 392 to 57, with those against representing the Communist Party faction. There were no abstentions.

Further approval is needed from the upper house of parliament and regional councils before the changes become law. The amendments will come into force when at least two-thirds of the nation's 83 regional parliaments and assemblies -- or 56 -- approve them.

From CNN (Iraq SOFA):

A security pact between the U.S. and Iraqi governments will allow U.S. troops to finish the work it needs to do before leaving the country, a Pentagon spokesman said Wednesday.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates was briefing Congressional members on the Status of Forces (SOFA) agreement, which gives troops the authority and time they need to conduct operations and train Iraqi forces to a sufficient level, Geoff Morrell said.

"The security situation has improved so dramatically, and the Iraqi security forces have improved so dramatically, that we are confident that if things continue to trend as they have been, our services will not be needed in Iraq come 2012," Morrell said.

President George W. Bush has already signed off on the agreement, which sets legal jurisdiction over U.S. troops and contractors and lays out timetables for withdrawal of U.S. forces.

The SOFA calls for all U.S. forces to fall back out of Iraqi cities by June 2009 and to be out of Iraq by the end of 2011. It is also being debated by the Iraqi Parliament.

"We believe this is an agreement that respects Iraqi sovereignty, which was paramount here, but at the same time provides us with the authorities to do the work we still need to do in Iraq," Morrell said.

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This is Truly Amazing.....

Today on the Bloggers Round table we had a chance to talk with Colonel Robert Vandre, the director of the Armed Forces Institute of Regenerative Medicine (AFIRM). This organization has been handed the mantle of further finding ways to heal our battle wounded soldiers, and they are truly working through some amazing discoveries.

I am not going to pretend I understand all of it, but when he said that they had new techniques to treat burns I was all ears. Combining genetic therapy, skin creation on site, and a healing spray that fosters growth, with further testing they believe that manufacturing of a human body's worth of skin in a two week period may not be that far off. For our wounded soldiers with severe burns at Brook Army Medical Center I know that would be an absolutely outstanding improvement. Brook is awesome, but treating burns is a very hard thing, and very painful. By the sounds of this, it could improve recovery time greatly and decrease the amount of time and pain they are in.

For our wounded soldiers who have amputations, they are exploring all sorts of exciting prospects. The one that really struck me was limb transplant or restoration. Where they are able to transplant a limb for a soldier with an amputation. This is supposedly not very new, but it had problems due to all of the drugs the person had to take. Now they have found new ways to reduce that drug regiment and make it feasible. This is outstanding.

Finally in conjunction with DARPA, they are working on prosthetic devices that could be covered in living tissue. Making it less obvious, and more part of the soldiers body. That seems to still be a ways off, but it is at times like this, that I am struck by how far our leadership goes to do anything they can to help our soldiers.

These are truly amazing developments in Military Medicine. I am honestly in awe of what these doctors are doing, and my heart felt thanks goes out to them for all the help they are and will be giving to our soldiers.

God Bless America

Bryan

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Today's News Update 20 November 2008

Update as of 0800 Eastern Time:

Bottom Line Up Front:
1. Iran
2. Piracy
3. Pakistan

From Fox News (Iran):

Iran has now produced roughly enough uranium to make a single nuclear bomb, according to atomic experts analyzing the latest report from the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency, The New York Times reported Wednesday.

To date, Iran had enriched about 1,400 pounds of low-enriched uranium suitable for nuclear fuel, according to two confidential reports from the International Atomic Energy Agency that were obtained by The Associated Press.

Several experts told The Times the milestone was enough for a bomb, but Iran would have to further purify the uranium fuel and put it into a warhead design — a technical advance that experts in the West are unsure Iran has been able to achieve.

"They clearly have enough material for a bomb," Richard L. Garwin, a top nuclear physicist who helped invent the hydrogen bomb and has advised Washington for decades, told the newspaper. "They know how to do the enrichment. Whether they know how to design a bomb, well, that’s another matter."

The report found the Islamic Republic was installing, or preparing to install, thousands more of the machines that spin uranium gas to enrich it — with the target of 9,000 centrifuges by next year.

From CNN (Piracy):

Russia will send additional ships to the Horn of Africa in an effort to crack down on the recent wave of hijackings by Somalia-based pirates, its navy chief said Thursday.

The Russian frigate Neustrashimy is already in the region and has helped repel pirate attacks on at least two ships. Adm. Vladimir Vysotsky told the official news agency Ria Novosti that more ships would be joining it soon.

"After Neustrashimy, Russia will be sending warships from other fleets to this region," Vysotsky said. No additional details were provided.

A NATO-led international fleet has attempted to crack down on the attacks. An Indian frigate battled a pirate ship in the Gulf of Aden on Tuesday, leaving the ship ablaze and likely sunk, the country's defense ministry reported.

In September, Vysotsky said Russian ships would be operating on their own. But the crews of the Neustrashimy and the British frigate HMS Cumberland teamed up to chase off pirates who attacked a Danish ship in the gulf earlier this month.

More than 90 ships have been attacked off eastern Africa so far this year, according to the International Maritime Bureau, which monitors piracy. The pirates, who operate from largely lawless Somalia, still hold 17 vessels -- including the Saudi-owned supertanker Sirius Star, the largest ship captured to date.

From CNN (Pakistan):

Pakistan's foreign ministry summoned U.S. Ambassador Anne Patterson on Thursday to lodge a formal protest against another suspected U.S. missile strike on its territory, an act the country's prime minister called a violation of his nation's sovereignty.

The strike in the Bannu region of Pakistan's North West Frontier province left five dead and seven wounded Wednesday. It was deeper inside Pakistani territory than previous attacks.

It targeted a home outside the tribal areas that U.S. intelligence says have become a haven for Taliban and al Qaeda fighters battling U.S. and NATO troops in neighboring Afghanistan.

The attack was the third suspected U.S. strike on Pakistani soil in November and the first to hit outside the tribal districts. At least three non-Pakistanis were believed to be living at the home that was the target of the raid, local official Abdul Hameed, told CNN.

The U.S. government has not acknowledged hitting targets within Pakistan, an ally in the war on al Qaeda launched after the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington. But Pakistan's government has repeatedly complained about the strikes.

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Indian Naval Actions

This morning in the news update, we saw a Somali Pirate, "Mother-Ship", destroyed by the Indian Navy. Just in case you missed it, here is a link to the story on CNN.

While I applaud the Indian Naval Vessel and her crew, this has two very large, "so whats", to be asked. The first is what is the world community in general going to do about the issue of piracy. This is just not a Horn of Africa issue. You see these same activities taking place near Indonesia on an almost daily basis.

But the second and larger issue that this brought to the forefront today, is this was an Indian Naval Vessel that conducted the attack. India is firmly becoming a regional power, and starting to gain a decent power projection capability within their region. There are other countries like India, that are up and coming powers. As I review our current National Security Strategy I see no mention of how we are going to specifically handle this.

I am by no means saying that India is a threat to us, or a potential enemy. But, how are we as a nation going to handle these growing regional powers? Hopefully our next National Security Strategy chooses to address this.

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Today's News Update 19 November 2008

Update as of 0800 Eastern Time:

Bottom Line Up Front:
1. Iraq/ US/ Iran
2. Pakistan
3. India and the Pirates

From Fox News (Iraq / US/ Iran):

The U.S. military says it has arrested an alleged senior member of the Iranian security forces suspected of funneling weapons into Iraq.

The military says in a statement released Wednesday that the alleged member of Iran's Revolutionary Guards' elite Quds force was detained at Baghdad Airport while trying to leave the country on Tuesday.

The military says the suspect was using a job building and repairing religious sites in Iraq as cover to funnel weapons into the country.

The U.S. alleges the Iranian was smuggling weapons into Iraq in legitimate shipments of building materials.

The U.S. has long accused Iran of training and arming Shiite extremist groups in Iraq and fueling the insurgency.

From CNN (Pakistan):

A suspected U.S. missile strike in northwestern Pakistan left five dead and seven wounded early Wednesday, a local official said.

The strike targeted a home outside the tribal areas that U.S. intelligence says have become a haven for Taliban and al Qaeda fighters battling U.S. and NATO troops in neighboring Afghanistan, and was deeper inside Pakistani territory than previous attacks.

At least three non-Pakistanis were believed to be living at the home that was the target of the raid, local official Abdul Hameed, told CNN.

It occurred about 3:30 a.m. Wednesday (8:30 p.m. Tuesday ET) near Jani Khel, in the Bannu region of Pakistan's North West Frontier province, he said.

The U.S. government has not acknowledged hitting targets within Pakistan, an ally in the war on al Qaeda launched after the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington.

But Pakistan's government has complained about the strikes, describing them as a violation of its sovereignty and lodging a formal complaint with the U.S. Embassy in October.

Wednesday's attack was the third suspected U.S. strike on Pakistani soil in November and the first to hit outside the tribal districts.

On Tuesday, the NATO-led alliance in Afghanistan said its troops fired at militants inside Pakistan in coordination with Pakistani soldiers.

The distinction is a noteworthy one because Pakistan has, in recent months, complained that international forces were violating the country's sovereignty by going after militants inside its borders.

The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force said Monday that the artillery fire Sunday was in response to an attack on an allied base in Paktika province, in eastern Afghanistan. Militants twice fired rockets into the base from across the border, the alliance said.

Once ISAF soldiers pinpointed the origin of the rocket launches, they fired 20 artillery rounds in coordination with the Pakistani military.

From CNN (India and the Pirates):

An Indian warship has exchanged fire with a pirate "mother vessel" off the hijacking-plagued Horn of Africa, leaving the ship ablaze in the Gulf of Aden, an official said Wednesday.

The skirmish took place Tuesday evening about 525 kilometers southwest of Oman's Salalah port when the frigate INS Tabar spotted a suspected pirate ship with two speedboats in tow, India's Defense Ministry reported.

"This vessel was similar in description to the 'Mother Vessel' mentioned in various piracy bulletins," the ministry said in a written statement.

The battle follows a recent surge in piracy off the Horn of Africa, including the weekend hijacking of a Saudi-owned supertanker by pirates based in largely lawless Somalia.

Three other vessels have been captured since then in what a London-based maritime official called a "completely unprecedented" situation.

When the Tabar's crew hailed the ship and demanded it stop for inspection, the pirates threatened to destroy the Indian ship, the ministry reported.

"Pirates were seen roaming on the upper deck of this vessel with guns and rocket-propelled grenade launchers. The vessel continued its threatening calls and subsequently fired upon INS Tabar," the ministry said.

The Indian frigate returned fire, setting the pirate ship ablaze and setting off explosions on board, the statement said. Two speedboats in tow behind the ship fled; one was found abandoned after a pursuit by the Tabar.

It was not clear Wednesday whether the mother ship sank after the fighting, naval spokesman Prem Raj Rawat told CNN.

Michael Howlett, assistant director of the International Maritime Bureau in London, which tracks pirate attacks, said the recent upsurge in activity was unprecedented. "We've never seen a situation like this," he said.

On Tuesday, pirates hijacked a Thai fishing vessel and a Chinese-flagged Iranian cargo ship carrying wheat in the waters off the Horn of Africa.

A third ship -- a Chinese fishing vessel -- was hijacked Saturday, but word did not reach authorities until Tuesday, Howlett said.

Noel Choong, who heads the IMB's Piracy Reporting Center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, said 95 pirate attacks have taken place so far this year in the Gulf of Aden.

Of those, 39 resulted in successful captures; 17 of those vessels and their crews -- a total of about 300 sailors -- remain in the hands of the pirates.

But the seizure of the 300,000-ton supertanker Sirius Star took place well south of the gulf, in the Indian Ocean off Kenya.

More on Piracy from Fox News:

The Somali pirates who hijacked a Saudi supertanker carrying $100 million in crude oil demanded a ransom from the ship's owners, a man believed to be one of the masterminds behind the attack said on al-Jazeera television Wednesday.

"Negotiators are located on board the ship and on land. Once they have agreed on the ransom, it will be taken in cash to the oil tanker," said the man identified as Farah Abd Jameh, who did not indicate the amount to be paid.

"We assure the safety of the ship that carries the ransom. We will mechanically count the money and we have machines that can detect fake money," the man said on an audio tape produced by the Dubai-based television network.

The message came as two more ships were seized by Somali pirates in the past 24 hours: a Greek bulk carrier and a Thai fishing boat, despite a large international naval presence in the waters off their lawless country. An Iranian cargo ship was also hijacked earlier in the week.

Meanwhile, a major Norwegian shipping group ordered its tankers to sail around Africa rather than use the Suez Canal because of the hijack risk.

The U.S. and other naval forces decided against intervening in the seizure of the supertanker, which was carrying $100 million in crude. The pirates captured an Iranian cargo ship Tuesday — the eighth ship seized in 12 days.

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Just another example of corruption.....

Take a quick look at this news story before you read on. The key excerpts are included below: (From Fox News)

The U.N. Human Rights Council, frequently accused of coddling some of the world's most repressive governments, threw itself a party in Geneva Tuesday that featured the unveiling of a $23 million mural paid for in part with foreign aid funds.

In a ceremony attended by U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Spanish artist Miquel Barcelo told the press that his 16,000-square-foot ceiling artwork reminded him of "an image of the world dripping toward the sky" — but it reminded critics of money slipping out of relief coffers.

"In Spain there's a controversy because they took money out of the foreign aid budget — took money from starving children in Africa — and spent it on colorful stalactites," said Hillel Neuer, executive director of U.N. Watch.

Ban himself praised the piece and thanked Barcelo for putting his "unique talents to work in the service of the world." The artwork will soar above the Human Rights Council's chambers at U.N.'s European headquarters in Geneva, which may soon undergo a $1 billion renovation — but only after a $1.9 billion facelift of the U.N.'s New York offices is completed.

Meanwhile, international humanitarian groups pleaded with the human rights panel to take time out from their party to address the worsening human rights "catastrophe" in the Congo, where the government is fighting a deadly battle with several rebel groups.

"Mass displacement, killings and sexual violence — involving hundreds of thousands of victims, if not more — require an urgent response," according to a statement issued jointly Tuesday by Freedom House and U.N. Watch.

Congo has been off the radar at the Human Rights Council, which removed its monitor from the African country in March when the Congolese government and a group of neighboring nations applied pressure on the council to expel the monitor.

"When the Human Rights Council was established two years ago there were about 12 or so monitors, and gradually one after another has been scrapped," said Neuer. "The other ones are all on the chopping block."

Wow....I don't even know where to begin. Let's see, the first issue is we have a United Nations Organization that doesn't want to do its job. Second they want to spend more time on fancy parties and new murals then on doing the actual job they were constructed to do. Third, I'm glad to see the United Nations has all of this excess money to revamp its offices in NY and Europe to the tune of billions of dollars.

I'm not an expert on foreign aid, but I have seen those infomercials that claim for twenty dollars a month you can save a family in Africa. For a hundred dollars a month a village can get water, food, and some health care. I don't know if those figures are exactly right, I've never researched it, but making the assumption that they are.....that's 10 million villages helped in a month, OR 833,333 villages helped for a year. All for the price of half of what the UN is paying to upgrade their offices in New York. Does anyone else think that this is wrong?

The United Nations was formed to be a place that Nation-States could come together and discuss problems before they became a war. It was set in place to provide some degree of order over the anarchy that exists between Nation-States. It was also put in place to help developing countries when no-one else was looking out for them. Looking at this, and articles I have seen in the past, the only thing the UN is looking out for is themselves. The worst part is, where do you think the majority of that money they are spending has come from???

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Today's News Update 18 November 2008

Update as of 0800 Eastern Time:

Bottom Line Up Front:
1. Afghanistan and Pakistan
2. Iraq

From CNN (Afghanistan and Pakistan):

The NATO-led alliance in Afghanistan said its troops fired at militants inside Pakistan in coordination with Pakistani soldiers.

The coordination, announced Monday by the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force, was noteworthy since Pakistan has, in recent months, complained that international forces were violating the country's sovereignty by going after militants on its soil.

ISAF said Sunday's artillery fire was in response to an attack on an allied base in Paktika province in eastern Afghanistan. Militants twice fired rockets into the base from across the border, the alliance said.

Once ISAF soldiers pinpointed the origin of the rocket launches, they fired 20 artillery rounds in coordination with the Pakistani military.

"ISAF and Pakistani soldiers observed all fired artillery rounds," an alliance statement said. "The Pakistan soldiers assured ISAF that they would engage any insurgents attempting to flee deeper into Pakistan."

No NATO soldiers were hurt in the rocket attack.

ISAF also re-released a statement from September that said its forces can return fire on militants in self-defense under a deal with Pakistani authorities.

From Fox News (Afghanistan and Pakistan):

Taliban militants attacked Pakistani tribal leaders near the Afghan border, triggering a gunbattle and an explosion that killed seven people, an official said Tuesday.

The clash happened late Monday in Bajur, a lawless region in Pakistan's northwest where troops and tribal militias have been battling Taliban guerrillas for more than three months.

Israr Khan, a government representative in the semi-autonomous region, said Taliban gunmen surrounded a group of elders from the Mamund tribe in a fortress-like compound in the village of Inayat Kili.

An hourslong gunbattle between the two sides killed a commander of the Taliban fighters as well as two guards in the compound, Khan said. Four elders also died when an explosion hit the compound, he said. It was unclear what caused the blast.

Taliban spokesman Maulvi Umar confirmed the death of a militant commander in Monday's clash.

Pakistani and U.S. officials have applauded efforts by some tribal leaders to establish militias to fight Taliban and Al Qaeda militants blamed for attacks on foreign troops in Afghanistan as well as targets in Pakistan.

The militias' emergence in Bajur and other parts of Pakistan's northwest has drawn comparisons with so-called Awakening Councils that helped turned the tide against Al Qaeda in Iraq.

However, some observers warn that arming more groups in the impoverished border region will only sustain the anarchy in which violent extremism has flourished.

Militants have repeatedly attacked pro-government elders in shooting and suicide bomb attacks in recent months, killing scores.

He claimed that the Taliban captured seven elders and said their fate will be decided by Maulvi Faqir Mohammed, the Taliban leader in Bajur.

From Fox News (Iraq):

Iraqi lawmakers Monday began debate over a pact with the United States that will allow U.S. forces to remain for three more years, while an Iranian official close to that country's leadership praised the Iraqi Cabinet for approving the deal.

The comments from Iran's judiciary chief marked the first time that the deal has met with clear-cut approval in neighboring Iran. Meanwhile, Syria, target of a deadly cross-border raid by U.S. forces in recent weeks, criticized the deal as virtual surrender to America.

More than two-thirds of the 275-seat legislature attended Monday's session, raising confidence that parliament will be able to muster a quorum for the Nov. 24 vote. The session ended after the agreement's text was read to lawmakers, the first step to adopt legislation.

Lawmakers are expected to meet again on Tuesday.

The Cabinet approved the pact Sunday, meaning the political parties in Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's coalition government are expected to have similar success in securing parliamentary support. If parliament approves, President Jalal Talabani and his two deputies must ratify it.

Under the agreement, U.S. forces must vacate Iraqi cities by June, leave Iraq by the end of 2011 and grant Iraqi authorities extensive power over the operations and movements of American forces. It also prohibits the U.S. from using Iraqi territory to attack Iraq's neighbors, like Syria and Iran.

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Today's News Update 17 November 2008

Update as of 0800 Eastern Time:

Bottom Line Up Front:
1. Iraq SOFA
2. Afghanistan
3. Economy
4. California Wild Fires

From Fox News (Iraq):

Iraq's Cabinet overwhelmingly approved a security pact with the United States on Sunday, ending prolonged negotiations to allow American forces to remain for three more years in the country they first occupied in 2003.

The deal detailing the conditions of the U.S. presence still needs parliamentary approval, and lawmakers could vote as soon as Nov. 24. For Iraqis, the breakthrough was bittersweet because they won concessions from the Americans but must accept the presence of U.S. troops until 2012.

"It's the best possible, available option," said government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh. He was referring to the conflict between Iraq's desire for full sovereignty and control over security and its need for American support and cooperation to achieve that goal.

Al-Dabbagh described the pact — intended to supplant the U.N. mandate expiring Dec. 31 — as an "agreement on the withdrawal of U.S. troops," and Washington welcomed the Cabinet's approval.

"While the process is not yet complete, we remain hopeful and confident we'll soon have an agreement that serves both the people of Iraq and the United States well and sends a signal to the region and the world that both our governments are committed to a stable, secure and democratic Iraq," said Gordon Johndroe, spokesman for the White House's National Security Council.

From CNN (Afghanistan):

A White House official Monday cast strong doubt on the willingness of the Taliban's reclusive leader to spurn his group's violent ways and back the Afghan government.

National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe reacted bluntly to an offer from Afghan President Hamid Karzai to "go to any lengths" to provide protection to Mullah Omar if the militant agrees to enter peace talks. Karzai said international forces can go home if they disagree.

"No one has heard from Mullah Omar in sometime, and given attacks like last week's when some Taliban threw acid on girls going to school, many don't seem to show a willingness to negotiate," Johndroe said.

"We're not seeing any indication from Mullah Omar that he is ready to renounce violence, break all ties to al Qaeda and support the Afghan government and constitution."

Johndroe said the United States maintains "good relations" with Afghanistan and emphasized that Karzai is committed to establishing "a secure, stable democracy." He said the United States and the international community must continue its support for the Afghan government.

"Ultimately, we're hopeful that reconcilable Taliban will lay down their arms and choose to play a productive part in Afghan society, but sadly, so far, they continue to attack innocent civilians and coalition forces on a regular basis," Johndroe said.

Karzai told reporters in Kabul on Sunday that if he learns that Mullah Omar is "willing to come to Afghanistan or to negotiate for peace and for the well-being of the Afghans, so that our children are not killed anymore, I, as the president of Afghanistan, will go to any length to provide him protection."

From CNN (Economy):

Japan -- the world's second-largest economy -- is in a recession, government officials announced Monday.

Japan's Cabinet Office confirmed that its economy shrank another 0.1 percent in the third quarter, following a 0.9 percent drop in the second quarter. The country's gross domestic product -- second to the United States -- has fallen by 0.4 percent this year, pushing Japan into its first recession since 2001.

Major indexes around the globe have plummeted over the last two months. The Russian stock market has lost 65.5 percent of its value since the start of the year. Stocks in Japan and the United States have been equally hard hit, falling 42 percent and 33 percent, respectively.

In Europe, the pain has been particularly acute. The European Union on Friday officially declared that the 15-nation group had entered into a recession, with its gross domestic product declining 0.2 percent for the second straight quarter.

Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso was among the Group of 20 world leaders who met in Washington over the weekend, unveiling a set of sweeping plans aimed at tackling the ever-expanding economic crisis, which has roiled financial markets worldwide.

The G-20 members at the historic two-day meeting managed to find some common ground on the causes of the crisis and areas that need to be fixed.

The plans include interest rate cuts by central banks around the globe or potential economic stimulus packages, and boosting developing countries struggling under the weight of the crisis.

From Fox News (California):

Firefighters aided by Mother Nature continued to make gains early Monday on three raging wildfires that reduced hundreds of homes to ash and cinders and forced thousands of residents to flee in Southern California.

Ferocious Santa Ana winds finally abated after fanning the blazes that have destroyed more than 800 houses, mobile homes and apartments since Thursday night from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles and counties to the east. In all, the fires burned more than 35,000 acres or 55 square miles.

In Orange and Riverside counties, the fires chewed through nearly 24,000 acres and were pushing toward Diamond Bar in Los Angeles county. A major aerial attack on Sunday raised containment to 19 percent.

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Today's News Update 14 November 2008

Update as of 0800 Eastern Time:

Bottom Line Up Front:
1. Usama bin Laden
2. Afghanistan

From Fox News (Osama):

Usama bin Laden is isolated from the day-to-day operations of Al Qaeda, but the terrorist organization he built is spreading its influence in Africa and the Middle East, CIA Director Michael Hayden said Thursday.

Al Qaeda remains the single greatest threat to the United States, Hayden said in a speech to the Atlantic Council. "If there is a major strike on this country, it will bear the fingerprints of Al Qaeda."

"He is putting a lot of energy into his own survival — a lot of energy into his own security," Hayden said in a speech at the Atlantic Council in Washington.

"All the threats we have to the West have a thread that takes it back to the (Afghanistan/Pakistan) border," Hayden added.

Hayden said there has been no spike in terrorist "chatter" to suggest an attack on the United States linked to the presidential transition.

"But we don't know what we don't know," he said.

He said the intelligence agencies have received "very clear direction" to make this the smoothest transition in history "so there is no diminution in the ability of the republic to defend itself." It is the first wartime transfer of power in 40 years.

From CNN (Afghanistan):

A suicide bomber targeting a U.S. military convoy with an explosives-laden vehicle crashed into a market instead, killing at least seven civilians and a U.S. soldier in eastern Afghanistan on Thursday, a provincial government official said.

The blast wounded 75 other people, the official said.

The attack took place in the town of Bati Kot, just outside of Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar province.

Merchants trade animals and goods at the market on Thursdays. Families picnic there.

The attacker apparently intended to ram his vehicle into a U.S. military convoy but swerved and crashed into the market instead, the U.S. military said.

The wounded people were transported to at least three hospitals.

Meanwhile, two British marines were killed Wednesday in an explosion in southern Afghanistan, authorities said.

The marines were on a patrol with Afghan forces when their vehicle hit an explosive device in the Garmsir district of Afghanistan's Helmand province, the British Ministry of Defense said Thursday.

The ministry said investigators have not yet determined what kind of explosive device was involved.

Also Thursday, the coalition said in a statement that coalition troops were acting in self-defense when they fired at a civilian vehicle in western Afghanistan on Wednesday, killing one civilian and wounding another.

The incident -- which occurred near the site of a suicide bombing that led to the deaths of two Spanish soldiers on Sunday -- unfolded as an erratically moving vehicle "inserted itself into a military convoy," the coalition said.

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Today's News Update 13 November 2008

Update as of 0800 Eastern Time:

Bottom Line Up Front:
1. Mosul, Iraq
2. Afghanistan

From Fox News (Iraq):

It's not a pretty sight: Sagging skeletons of two- and three-story buildings under a threatening gray sky. Abandoned shops with corrugated iron fronts riddled by bullet holes. And amid the garbage heaps and pools of fetid rainwater, a roadside bomb set to explode.

Five years after the U.S.-led invasion and following a significant drop in violence nationwide over the past year, the battle for Mosul, Iraq's third largest city, still waxes and wanes.

"This is our hottest area," says Sgt. 1st Class Ron Corella, a decorated combat veteran in this war-scarred quarter of the ancient city where moments before his troops spotted — and disarmed — that roadside bomb.

"The enemy knows that if we gain a foothold and they can't push us out, it's another safe haven they have lost. So they have to fight," Corella added.

Lt. Col. Robert Molinari, executive officer of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, says Mosul "looks like Baghdad about 18 months ago" at the height of violence in the Iraqi capital.

It was the generally successful pacification of Baghdad — the fruit of the so-called troop surge — that drew al-Qaida and other insurgents to this hub of northern Iraq to open a new battleground and safeguard their infiltration and supply routes.

But on-off security clampdowns, a lack of aid money and a power struggle between Kurds and Sunni Arabs are also blamed for Mosul's woes.

In the city's version of the Baghdad surge, 22,000 U.S. forces and Iraqi troops and police have spread out in an operation called "Mother of Two Springs" — taken from an Arab nickname for Mosul — that began in May and went into a new phase Oct. 15.

Armored vehicles snake through mile-long lines of traffic, backed up behind checkpoints. Soldiers man sandbagged positions atop houses and mosques. Iraqi and U.S. troops stage patrols around the clock from some 40 makeshift bases in the city of 1.8 million people.

U.S. and Iraqi commanders cite some progress after months of struggling to root out insurgents in street-by-street battles.

Attacks, they say, are down to fewer than 70 a week, compared to about 130 before May. Insurgents have had to switch from well-coordinated attacks to hit-and-run strikes and hurried planting of roadside bombs. Some city quarters are relatively safe, with commerce reviving and shops staying open after dark.

"The people feel more secure, so some dare to come forward with tips about the bad guys," says police Lt. Col. Adel Kader, hunkered down in the Hadba district, one of the city's most violence-ridden.

From CNN (Afghanistan): If you ever questioned us being in Afghanistan, heres a perfect example of why we are there fighting to help the Afghan People and destroy these extremist thugs.

Two men on a motorcycle used water pistols to spray acid on girls walking to school Wednesday in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar, blinding at least two of them, military spokesmen said.

U.S. Col. Greg Julian said Afghanistan's National Military Command Center told him that four girls were hurt in the incident. Two were blinded and remain hospitalized, and two were treated and released, he said.

The men escaped after the attack, and no one claimed responsibility for it, but Arab-language network Al-Jazeera said Taliban militants were suspected to be responsible.

The incident occurred about 8 a.m. near Mirwais Nika Girls High School in the Meir Weis Mena district.

Kandahar government spokesman Parwaz Ayoubi gave different figures on the number of girls injured, saying six were burned, one of them severely. He called the attackers "enemies of education."

Girls were forbidden to attend school under the Taliban, which ruled the country from 1996 to 2001, when U.S.-led forces removed them from power.

According to Al-Jazeera, the girls were attacked with battery acid. Two teenage sisters, one of whom suffered serious burns, were among the victims.

"We were on the way to school when two men on motorbikes stopped next to us. One of them threw acid on my sister's face. I tried to help her, and then they threw acid on me, too," Latefa, 16, told the Qatar-based satellite network.

"We were shouting, and people came to see what was going on. Then the two men escaped," she said.

Latefa told Al-Jazeera that she was hurt, and her 18-year-old sister was in serious condition with acid burns on her face.

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Army Warrior Soldier of the Week

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Today's News Update 12 November 2008

Update as of 0800 Eastern Time:

Bottom Line Up Front:
1. Afghanistan Raid
2. Iran
3. Russia

From Fox News (Afghanistan):

An American engineer held hostage by Islamic militants in Afghanistan was freed in a daring nighttime raid by a Special Operations team last month, a rare move in a country where hostages often pay ransoms — or don't come home at all.

A team of about 30 special operators composed mostly of Navy SEALs flew into the mountains outside Kabul on October 14 to retrieve the 61-year-old American businessman, killing his captors and returning him to safety after nearly two months in captivity, according to an account in the Army Times.

"In my mind I'd given a military intervention a one out of a hundred chance," the unnamed engineer told the Army Times. The Taliban have kidnapped aid workers and journalists in recent years, and aggressive crime syndicates target wealthy Afghans and foreigners for ransom money.

"These fellows wanted either blood or money, and they weren't getting it that way," the engineer said.

The captive, who has lived and worked in Afghanistan for eight years, didn't have much to offer.

"This guy didn't have any money at all. It was like a personal life mission for him to help others," said Bruce J. Huffman, a spokesman for the Army Corps of Engineers in Afghanistan.

Militants from the Hezb-i-Islami (Party of Islam) kidnapped the man and an Afghan business partner August 20 on a road west of Kabul, according to the Army Times. He was treated "reasonably well" and was even allowed four cell phone calls to his wife, to whom he passed information in English, which the kidnappers did not understand.

The Afghan hostage was sold for a ransom. The American hostage told the Army Times he tried to escape, breaking free from his padlocks and running for cover in the nearest house, but was quickly spotted and caught by guards he said were 40 years his junior.

But when the kidnappers left him in one location for a stretch of days, the special ops group choppered in, climbing thousands of feet toward a mud hut where the engineer was being kept, while a select team approached and killed the militants before they could fire back.

From CNN (Iran):

Iran has successfully test-fired a new generation of surface-to-surface missile that uses solid fuel, making it more accurate than its predecessors, the defense minister announced Wednesday.

Mostafa Mohammed Najjar said on state television that the Sajjil was a high-speed missile manufactured at the Iranian Aerospace department of the Defense Ministry.

He said it had a range of about 1,200 miles, which could easily reach arch-foe Israel and even travel as far as southeastern Europe.

Solid fuel missiles are more accurate than the liquid fuel missiles of similar range currently possessed by Iran.

The official IRNA news agency said the test was conducted Wednesday and television showed the missile being fired from a launching pad in a desert region.

"This missile is a two-stage weapon with two combined solid-fuel engines and has an extraordinary high capability," the television quote Najjar as saying. He didn't elaborate.

Najjar said the missile was a defensive weapon and not a response to threats against Iran. He didn't name any country but Israel has recently threatened to take military action against Iran to stop Tehran from developing a nuclear bomb.

"This missile test was conducted within the framework of a defensive, deterrent strategy ... and specifically with defensive objectives," Najjar added.

The name "Sajjil" means "baked clay," a reference to a story in the Quran, Islam's holy book, in which birds sent by God drive off an enemy army attacking Mecca by pelting them with stones of baked clay.

From NY Times and Reuters (Russia):

The Kremlin on Wednesday rejected U.S. proposals aimed at easing concerns over a missile defense system in Europe and said it would try again to resolve the row once Barack Obama is in the White House.

Russia says the planned U.S. system will threaten its national security and that the administration of George W. Bush, which leaves office in January, has failed to allay its concerns.

"Russia is ready to cooperate with the United States on European security but considers the proposals that were sent are insufficient," Itar-Tass news agency quoted an unidentified Kremlin source as saying.

"We will not give our agreement to these proposals and we will speak to the new administration," said the source, who was quoted by Russia's three main news agencies, an indication the remarks reflect official policy. The Kremlin press office declined to comment.

The Bush administration "is intent on putting the new U.S. president in a hopeless situation, so that he should take responsibility for what they concocted without him," Tass quoted the source as saying.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said last week he planned to deploy missile systems near Poland's border in retaliation for U.S. plans to install elements of the proposed missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic.

Washington says the missile system is needed to protect the United States against missile strikes from what it calls rogue states, specifically Iran.

President-elect Obama has said he would make sure the system had been proven to work before deploying it -- a more cautious approach than the Bush administration, which has been pressing to have the system operational as soon as possible.

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Happy Birthday to the USMC

A long time ago, I started off my journey in the military. It was not in the Army though, I started off as a Marine. So today, I say Happy Birthday to all of my friends who stayed. Happy Birthday, Good Luck, God Speed, and always follow Chesty's words of wisdom. Semper Fi.

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Today's News Update 8 November 2008

Update as of 1600 Eastern Time:

Bottom Line Up Front:
1. Obama / Medvedev
2. Iraq
3. Iran

From Fox News (Medvedev):

President-elect Obama spoke to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Saturday as the future American leader had another round of phone calls with counterparts in other nations.

A Kremlin statement said Obama and Medvedev "expressed the determination to create constructive and positive interaction for the good of global stability and development" and agreed that their countries had a common responsibility to address "serious problems of a global nature."

To that end, according to the Kremlin statement, Medvedev and Obama believe an "early bilateral meeting" should be arranged.

Obama's office did not issue a statement describing the call.

A Bush administration plan for setting up a missile shield close to Russia's borders has been a sore point with the Kremlin and has served as another dent in its battered relationship with the U.S.

On Wednesday, the day after Obama's election, Medvedev threatened to move short-range missiles to Russia's borders with NATO allies even as the U.S. offered new proposals on nuclear arms reductions as well as missile defense. Allowing Russian observers at planned missile defense sites in Poland and the Czech Republic were among them, U.S. officials said.

During the presidential campaign, Obama expressed skepticism about the system, saying that it would require much more vigorous testing to ensure it would work and justify the billions of dollars it would cost.

Obama foreign policy adviser Denis McDonough said Saturday that Obama had "a good conversation" with Polish President Lech Kaczynski about the American-Polish alliance but that Obama had made no commitment on the missile shield plan.

"His position is as it was throughout the campaign, that he supports deploying a missile defense system when the technology is proved to be workable," McDonough said.

That was in contrast to a statement issued by the Polish president. Kaczynski said Obama "emphasized the importance of the strategic partnership of Poland and the United States and expressed hope in the continuation of political and military cooperation between our countries. He also said that the missile defense project would continue."

President Bush wanted construction of a European missile shield -- installations would be in Poland and the Czech Republic -- to begin before he left office in January with a completion date of 2012. Experts in the Defense Department believe more interceptor testing is required, according to reports over the summer. Additional tests could delay the program for years.

From Fox News (Iraq):

Iraq's deputy prime minister said Saturday his country still needs the U.S. military to ensure security and warned that time is running out to approve a new security deal with Washington.

West of Baghdad, a suicide bomber killed eight people and wounded 17 more at a police checkpoint near the former Sunni insurgent stronghold of Ramadi in Anbar province, police said.

The bomber stepped out of his car at the checkpoint and blew up his explosive vest, said police Col. Yassin Duweich. Seconds later the car exploded, apparently detonated remotely by an accomplice nearby.

Three more people died in roadside bomb attacks in Baghdad and in Madian, south of the capital.

The attacks come as U.S. and Iraqis officials have been working to finalize a deal that would remove U.S. troops from Iraq's cities by June 30 and withdraw them from the country by 2012.

Deputy Prime Minister Barham Saleh cautioned that Iraq will enter a "period of a legal vacuum" if the U.N. mandate under which US troops operate in Iraq expires by year's end without the agreement having been approved.

Without a deal or new U.N. mandate, the U.S. would have to cease all operations in the country.

From CNN (Iran):

Iran's parliament speaker has criticized U.S. President-elect Barack Obama for saying that Iran's development of a nuclear weapon is unacceptable.

Ali Larijani said Saturday that Obama should apply his campaign message of change to U.S. dealings with Iran.

"Obama must know that the change that he talks about is not simply a superficial changing of colors or tactics," Larijani said in comments carried by the semi-official Mehr News Agency.

"What is expected is a change in strategy, not the repetition of objections to Iran's nuclear program, which will be taking a step in the wrong direction."

In his first post-election news conference Friday afternoon, Obama reiterated that he believes a nuclear-armed Iran would be "unacceptable." He also said he would help mount an international effort to prevent it from happening.

Larijani said that U.S. behavior toward Iran "will not change so simply" but that Obama's election showed internal conditions in the United States have shifted.

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Today's News Update 7 November 2008

Update as of 0800 Eastern Time:

Bottom Line Up Front:
1. Iran
2. Pakistan
3. Pentagon

From CNN (Iran):

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad congratulated U.S. President-elect Barack Obama -- the first time an Iranian leader has offered such wishes to a U.S. president-elect since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

One analyst said the welcome was a gesture from the hard-line president that he is open to a more conciliatory relationship with the U.S.

Ahmadinejad said Tehran "welcomes basic and fair changes in U.S. policies and conducts," according to the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency on Thursday.

Relations between the United States and Iran have historically been chilly, and have been further strained in recent years over Iran's nuclear program.

Tehran insists the program exists for peaceful purposes, but the United States and other Western nations are concerned by Iran's refusal to halt uranium enrichment activities.

"I hope you will prefer real public interests and justice to the never-ending demands of a selfish minority and seize the opportunity to serve people so that you will be remembered with high esteem," Ahmadinejad told Obama in his statement, IRNA said.

"The Americans who have spiritual tendencies expect the government to spend all its power in line with serving the people, rectify the critical situation facing the U.S., restore lost reputation as well as their hope and spirit, fully respect human rights and strengthen family foundations.

"Other nations also expect war-oriented policies, occupation, bullying, contempt of nations and imposing discriminatory policies on them to be replaced by the ones advocating justice, respect for human rights, friendship and non-interference in other countries' internal affairs," Ahmadinejad said.

"They also want U.S. intervention to be limited to its borders, especially in the Middle East. It is highly expected to reverse the unfair attitude toward restoring the rights of the Palestinians, Iraqis and Afghans. The great nation of Iran welcomes basic and fair changes in U.S. policies and conducts, especially in the region."

Saeed Leilaz, an independent analyst in Tehran, told The Associated Press that Ahmadinejad's message was a "positive step" that now leaves Washington with the responsibility for the next one.

From Fox News (Pakistan):

A suspected U.S. missile strike killed at least 13 people near the Afghan border Friday, security officials said, the latest in a surge of attacks that a top American general said has eliminated three militant leaders.

The strikes are likely to trigger fresh anger from Pakistan's civil and military leaders, who say they undercut support for their anti-terror efforts, and from many of its 170 million people.

The suspected cross-border attack took place in Kam Sam village in North Waziristan region, a stronghold of Taliban and Al Qaeda militants blamed for attacks on U.S. troops in neighboring Afghanistan and rising attacks within Pakistan.

A Pakistani intelligence official said an agent who visited the village reported that 13 suspected militants had died.

The official said the targeted house belonged to a local Taliban commander and that authorities were still trying to determine who exactly was killed.

A government representative in the region also put the toll at 13.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. They said they received information from informants and agents on the ground.

Unmanned U.S. aircraft from Afghanistan are believed to have carried out at least 18 missile strikes since August in Pakistan's wild border area, a possible hiding place for Usama bin Laden and Al Qaeda No.2 Ayman al-Zawahri.

Friday's attack was the first since the installation of Gen. David Petraeus as head of the U.S. Central Command on Oct. 31, giving him overall command of the wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

Petraeus told The Associated Press in an interview in Afghanistan on Thursday that the strikes had killed three "extremist leaders" in recent months. He did not identify them.

Pakistani leaders said they told Petraeus to stop the cross-border strikes when he visited the country earlier this week. He said he would "take on board" what they said, but gave no promise the attacks would stop.

The United States rarely confirms or denies firing the missiles and the identities of those killed are rarely confirmed. Locals frequently say civilians, sometimes women and children, are among the dead.

From CNN (Pentagon):

Pentagon officials have begun preparing for the first transfer of power during war since Vietnam. They insist that the complicated transfer from the Bush administration to the Obama administration will go smoothly.

President Bush met Thursday with members of his Cabinet, including Defense Secretary Robert Gates, and urged them to cooperate.

"We're in a struggle against violent extremists determined to attack us, and they would like nothing more than to exploit this period of change to harm the American people," Bush said.

"For the next 75 days, all of us must ensure that the next president and his team can hit the ground running."

Teams in Gates' office and that of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, have been working on the transition for months, according to Pentagon officials.

With ongoing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, it will mark the first time a transfer of power has taken place during wartime since 1968, when Lyndon Johnson handed over power to Richard Nixon while the Vietnam War raged.

"We are preparing to make this as smooth a transition as we can," Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said this week.

Although officials say the transition is in good hands, little is being said about what discussions will occur between the Pentagon teams and President-elect Barack Obama's transition teams when they begin showing up within days or weeks.

"There is a recognition that given that we are a nation at war, that energy and effort [should] be sufficiently placed to ensure that we don't drop any balls, because national security and supporting our fielded forces that are engaged in combat is of paramount importance to this country," Whitman said.

Robert Rangel, special assistant to Gates and the deputy secretary of defense, is in charge of the transition process in the Pentagon, while Marine Brig. Gen. Frank McKenzie, who reports to Rangel, is leading the effort for the Joint Chiefs.

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Today's News Update 6 November 2008

Update as of 0800 Eastern Time:

Bottom Line Up Front:
1. Iraq Troop Strength Numbers
2. Pakistan
3. Afghanistan

From Fox News (Iraq):

Spurred by a continued decline in violence, the U.S. military will reduce its presence in Iraq from 16 combat brigades to 14 this month, at least two months earlier than planned.

Military officials say two brigades from the 101st Airborne Division will leave Iraq this month, and only one will be replaced. A brigade is roughly 3,500 soldiers. Initially the 3rd Brigade, 101st Division, was scheduled to leave this month, and the 2nd Brigade, 101st Division, was to leave by February.

On Wednesday, the military announced the 2nd Brigade will instead return this month to its home base, Fort Campbell, Kentucky, after serving 13 months in Iraq rather than the expected 15.

The unit served in northwest Baghdad, where violence has plunged, including a 50 percent decline in overall attacks in the area and a more than 90 percent drop in murders.

U.S. forces also have seen a dramatic decline in troop fatalities, with deaths falling to their second lowest monthly level in October. Fourteen U.S. troops killed last month, including seven in combat. That total was one more than the 13 deaths in July, the lowest monthly level of the war.

From CNN (Pakistan):

An airstrike killed 15 militants in northwestern Pakistan, while two rockets landed near the region's main airport, officials said Thursday.

The strike hit a compound in Airab, a village in the semiautonomous Bajur region that borders Afghanistan.

Jamil Khan, the No. 2 government representative in Bajur, said the 15 dead included a Pakistani militant commander called Wali Rehman. Khan claimed that Rehman was known to shelter foreign militants linked to al-Qaida.

Pakistan launched an offensive in Bajur three months ago to dismantle what they said was a virtual Taliban mini-state from where militants were flowing into Afghanistan.

The army claims to have killed some 1,500 insurgents. At least 73 troops and 95 civilians have also died, it says. Insecurity and government restrictions mean accounts of the fighting cannot be verified.

U.S. officials praise the operation, saying it has reduced violence on the other side of the frontier.

From Fox News (Afghanistan):

U.S. and Afghan forces killed "several" insurgents during an extended patrol in southern Afghanistan where villagers say some 40 civilians in a wedding party were killed, the U.S. military said Thursday.

The military said insurgents attacked a coalition patrol that was moving through the Shah Wali Kot region of Kandahar province between Monday and Wednesday.

The U.S. said that civilians "reportedly attempted to leave the area, but the insurgents forced them to remain." The brief statement did not say where the U.S. got that report from. It also did not say precisely how many insurgents the U.S. forces killed.

Villagers in Wech Baghtu said that around 37 people — mostly women and children — died in a Monday afternoon bombing run by jetfighters after U.S. forces and Taliban fighters battled nearby. That home was hosting a wedding party at the time, the reason so many people died, the villagers said.

President Hamid Karzai's office said around 40 people died and 28 were wounded.

Karzai on Wednesday called on U.S. President-elect Barack Obama to ensure that Afghan civilians are not killed in operations by U.S. forces.

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News From Russia

President Medvedev had the following to say in his state of the nation speech in Moscow:

From Fox News:

Russia will deploy missiles near NATO member Poland in response to U.S. missile defense plans, President Dmitry Medvedev said Wednesday in his first state of the nation speech.

Medvedev also singled out the United States for criticism, casting Russia's war with Georgia in August and the global financial turmoil as consequences of aggressive, selfish U.S. policies.

He said he hoped the next U.S. administration would act to improve relations. In a separate telegram, he congratulated Barack Obama on his election victory and said he was hoping for "constructive dialogue" with the incoming U.S. president.

Medvedev also proposed increasing the Russian presidential term to six years from the current four, a major constitutional change that would further increase the power of the head of state and could deepen Western concern over democracy in Russia.

The president said the Iskander missiles will be deployed to Russia's Kaliningrad region, which lies between Poland and the ex-Soviet republic of Lithuania on the Baltic Sea, but did not say how many would be used. Equipment to electronically hamper the operation of prospective U.S. missile defense facilities in Poland and the Czech Republic will be deployed, he said.

He did not say whether the short-range Iskander missiles would be fitted with nuclear warheads and it was not clear exactly when the missiles would be deployed.

"Mechanisms must be created to block mistaken, egoistical and sometimes simply dangerous decisions of certain members of the international community," he said shortly after starting the 85-minute speech, making it clear he was referring to the United States.

The president said Georgia sparked the August war on its territory with what he called "barbaric aggression" against Russian-backed South Ossetia. The conflict "was, among other things, the result of the arrogant course of the American administration, which did not tolerate criticism and preferred unilateral decisions."

Medvedev also painted Russia as a country threatened by growing Western military might.

"From what we have seen in recent years, the creation of a missile defense system, the encirclement of Russia with military bases, the relentless expansion of NATO, we have gotten the clear impression that they are testing our strength," Medvedev said.

He announced deployment of the short-range missiles as a military response to U.S. plans to deploy missile-defense facilities in Poland and the Czech Republic — former Soviet satellites that are now NATO members.

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Question For You

I've been listening this morning to many of the political analysts, and it seems that they are all in agreeance on one thing. That the Republican Party needs to go back and evaluate what they stand for.

Well I'm not sure yet, what I believe about that. But I wonder if it is a larger issue then just that. Do we as Americans still have a similar definition of what it means to be an American? If I walked down main street in any given town and asked 100 people what do they define as being an American, would I get the same answer, or at least a similar answer?

I'm not asking that question because I have the answer, rather I'm curious what you think. Let me know if you think that question is valid or if you think its way off base.

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Today's News Update 5 November 2008

Update as of 0600 Eastern Time:

From Fox News:

After clinching an historic victory, President-elect Barack Obama wakes up Wednesday morning to the task of uniting a divided country and laying the groundwork for an ambitious presidential agenda.

Obama will inherit on Jan. 20 the worst financial crisis in 70 years, as well as the task of winning the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Within minutes of taking the stage in Chicago Tuesday night to acknowledge becoming the first black president of the United States, Obama cautioned voters of the tough road ahead.

"Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there," Obama said in Grant Park.

And to those who did not back his candidacy, Obama said, "I will be your president, too," and noted the need to "heal the divides that have held back our progress."

With his victory, Obama, the Hawaiian-born son of a black man from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas, is poised to turn the page on Republican policies of the last eight years, as well as some racial barriers that have stood for generations.

The 47-year-old Democratic junior senator from Illinois swept to a landslide victory over his Republican opponent, Arizona Sen. John McCain, building an Electoral College majority of at least 349 votes.

"If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer," Obama told the massive crowd of cheering supporters in Grant Park Tuesday night.

"It's been a long time coming, but tonight because of what we did on this day, in this election, on this defining moment, change is coming to America."

From CNN:

Barack Obama told supporters that "change has come to America" as he claimed victory in a historic presidential election

"The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America -- I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you -- we as a people will get there," Obama said in Chicago, Illinois, before an estimated crowd of up to 240,000 people.

With Obama's projected win, he will become the first African-American to win the White House.

Obama had an overwhelming victory over Sen. John McCain, who pledged Tuesday night to help Obama lead.

"Today, I was a candidate for the highest office in the country I love so much, and tonight, I remain her servant," McCain said.

McCain called Obama to congratulate him, and Obama told the Arizona senator he was eager to sit down and talk about how the two of them can work together.

President Bush also called Obama to offer his congratulations.

Bush told Obama he was about to begin one of the great journeys of his life, and invited him to visit the White House as soon as it could be arranged, according to White House spokeswoman Dana Perino.

Obama will be working with a heavily Democratic Congress. Democrats picked up Senate seats in New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina and Virginia, among others.

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US National Election Update 4

Update as of 1730 Eastern Time:

From Fox News:

A federal judge has ordered election officials in Virginia to preserve late-arriving absentee ballots that Republican John McCain's campaign claims should be counted.

The McCain campaign says in a lawsuit that absentee ballots weren't mailed on time to many military members serving overseas. The complaint asks the court to order the state to count absentee ballots from overseas troops postmarked by Tuesday and received by Nov. 14.

The deadline for ballots to be received is 7 p.m. on Election Day.

U.S. District Judge Richard Williams said Tuesday that he will hear the lawsuit on Nov. 10. He ordered election officials to keep the late-arriving ballots until then.

From CNN:

Sixty-two percent of voters said the economy was the most important issue. Iraq was the most important for 10 percent, and terrorism and health care were each the top issue for 9 percent of voters.

The economy has dominated the last leg of the campaign trail as Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain have tried to convince voters that they are the best candidate to handle the financial crisis.

Voters expressed excitement and pride in their country after casting their ballots Tuesday in what has proved to be a historic election.

When the ballots are counted, the United States will have elected either its first African-American president or its oldest first-term president and first female vice president.

Besides choosing between McCain and Obama -- or a third-party candidate -- voters were making choices in a number of key House and Senate races that could determine whether the Democrats strengthen their hold on Congress.

Poll workers reported high turnout across many parts of the country, and some voters waited hours to cast their ballots.

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