OFF THE WIRE :

• Colombia rescues hostages in daring raid
[AFP, 02 Jul 08]
• Israel in Jerusalem dilemma after bulldozer attack
[Reuters, 03 Jul 08]
• China confirms meeting with Dalai Lama envoys
[Reuters, 03 Jul 08]
• Islamic Jihad says Israel violated Gaza ceasefire 13 times
[Xinhua, 03 Jul 08]
• Police foil terror attack on Indonesian capital
[AP, 03 Jul 08]
• Hezbollah says prisoner swap with Israel within two weeks
[AFP, 02 Jul 08]
• Pakistani forces round up militants
[AP, 02 Jul 08]
• 11 militants and 1 soldier killed in clashes in Indian Kashmir
[AP, 02 Jul 08]
• Medvedev: Russia is not leaving the G-8
[AP, 03 Jul 08]
• Lawyers make huge pro bono effort for Guantánamo detainees
[Boston Globe, 02 Jul 08]
• Rice urges China to back UN action on Zimbabwe
[AP, 30 Jun 08]

IRAQ :

International Herald Tribune, 02 Jul 08, by Sabrina Tavernise
U.S. agrees to lift immunity for contractors in Iraq
'Iraq's foreign minister said Tuesday that the United States had agreed to lift immunity for foreign security contractors operating in Iraq, making them subject to prosecution under Iraqi law, according to Iraqi politicians.'

Washington Post, 03 Jul 08, by Sudarsan Raghavan
Progress Cited on U.S.-Iraq Pacts
'The United States and Iraq are making progress on complex political and security agreements that would allow U.S. troops to operate in the country next year, Iraq's foreign minister said Wednesday.'

Christian Science Monitor, 30 Jun 08, by Sam Dagher
U.S. forces to hand over hard-won Anbar Province
'The Americans are set to transfer control of the once-restive Sunni province to Iraq, but many in Anbar question just how much real power the US is willing to relinquish.'

International Herald Tribune, 30 Jun 08, by Andrew E. Kramer
U.S. advised Iraqi ministry on oil deals
'A group of American advisers led by a small State Department team played an integral part in drawing up contracts between the Iraqi government and five major Western oil companies to develop some of the largest fields in Iraq, American officials say. The disclosure, coming on the eve of the contracts' announcement, is the first confirmation of direct involvement by the Bush administration in deals to open Iraq's oil to commercial development and is likely to stoke criticism.'

International Herald Tribune, 03 Jul 08, by James Glanz and Richard A. Oppel Jr.
U.S State Dept. role in Iraq oil deal questioned
'Bush administration officials knew that a Texas oil company with close ties to President George W. Bush was planning to sign an oil deal with the regional Kurdistan government that runs counter to American policy and undercut Iraq's central government, a congressional committee has concluded.'

International Herald Tribune, 01 Jul 08, by Michael Kamber
Wounded Iraqi forces say they've been abandoned
'In the United States, the issue of war injuries has revolved almost entirely around the care received by the 30,000 wounded American veterans. But Iraqi soldiers and police officers have been wounded in greater numbers, health workers say, and have been treated far worse by their government.'

[ recent stories from Iraq ]

AFGHANISTAN & PAKISTAN :

International Herald Tribune, 02 Jul 08, by Mark Mazzetti
Coalition deaths in Afghanistan hit a record high
'More American and coalition troops died in Afghanistan last month than during any other month since the U.S.-led invasion began in 2001, the latest evidence of a strengthening Taliban insurgency that has menaced NATO forces and reclaimed control over some southern and eastern parts of the country.'

Christian Science Monitor, 03 Jul 08, by Gordon Lubold
Afghanistan death toll pressures U.S., allies
'Record U.S. fatalities there last month highlight the need for more troops, but reserves are few.'

BBC News, 03 Jul 08
Britain doubles aid to Pakistan
'Britain is substantially increasing its aid to Pakistan and outlining a new strategy for how it is spent.'

International Herald Tribune, 30 Jun 08, by Jane Perlez and Pir Zubair Shah
Pakistani forces appear to push back militants
'... Despite its policy of negotiating with militant Islamic groups rather than using military force, the civilian government formed after elections in February ordered the action on Saturday against the Army of Islam and other militant groups in Khyber agency, which is part of Pakistan's lawless tribal area.'

[ recent stories from Afghanistan and Pakistan ]

IRAN :

Associated Press, 02 Jul 08, by Barbara Surk
US Navy: Iran won't be allowed to close Hormuz
'The U.S. Navy and its Gulf allies will not allow Iran to seal off the strategic Strait of Hormuz, the commander of U.S. naval forces in the Persian Gulf said Wednesday.'

New York Times, 02 Jul 08, by Helene Cooper
Softer Tone From Iran Has Experts Guessing
'Iranian officials on Tuesday continued their long history of befuddling Western diplomats, as two top officials sounded conciliatory notes about the prospects of eventually breaching the impasse between the West and Tehran over the country's nuclear ambitions.'

International Herald Tribune, 01 Jul 08, by Brian Knowlton
Bush says U.S. prefers diplomacy in Iran standoff
'With tension and warnings continuing to swirl around Iran and its nuclear program, President George W. Bush said again Wednesday that the United States continued to prefer diplomacy but that, as always, "all options are on the table."'

The New Yorker, 07 Jul 08 issue, by Seymour M. Hersh
Preparing the Battlefield
'The Bush Administration steps up its secret moves against Iran.'

[ recent stories from Iran ]

ASIA & THE PACIFIC :

International Herald Tribune, 01 Jul 08, by Jim Yardley
Tibet talks resume, but with few hopes for breakthrough
'Chinese officials and senior envoys of the Dalai Lama opened their latest round of negotiations over Tibet on Tuesday amid international pressure for a breakthrough less than six weeks before Beijing is host to the Olympic Games.'

New York Times, 01 Jul 08, by Somini Sengupta
India Leader Struggles to Complete Nuclear Deal
'The Indian government is desperately trying to salvage a landmark nuclear deal with the United States that has emerged not only as a personal test for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, but also as a symbol of the difficulties of enacting policy in India’s system of coalition politics.'

International Herald Tribune, 01 Jul 08, by Jake Hooker
Unearthed in quake: Flaws in Chinese military capability
'... China's broadest deployment of its armed forces since it fought a border war with Vietnam in 1979 ... offered analysts the best chance since the nation's rising economy starting pumping tens of billions of dollars into the military to assess the Chinese military's performance in a crisis. The army got good marks for public relations domestically, but left some veteran PLA-watchers underwhelmed.'

Christian Science Monitor, 02 Jul 08, by Simon Montlake
Trouble brews in two Asian democracies
'Newly elected leaders in Thailand and Malaysia face mounting domestic discontent.'

[ recent stories from Asia and the Pacific ]

BRITAIN, EUROPE & RUSSIA :

International Herald Tribune, 02 Jul 08, by John Vinocur
A Sarkozy spin as France rejoins NATO command
'... Sarkozy, 42 years after Charles de Gaulle's decision to pull out of NATO's integrated military structure, thinks there's no more profit in France being seen as a reflex antagonist of the United States on issues like Iran, the Middle East, Russia and China.'

International Herald Tribune, 02 Jul 08, by Judy Dempsey
Poland's snub of EU is all about local politics
'When President Lech Kaczynski of Poland said Tuesday that it was "pointless" for him to sign off on a new European Union treaty now that the Irish had rejected it, he opened a new chapter in his struggle with the center-right government over Poland's future role in Europe and its relations with the United States.'

International Herald Tribune, 02 Jul 08, by James Kanter
EU tries to ease fears on data-sharing talks with U.S.
'The European Union is under pressure from the United States to make it possible for the American authorities to obtain information about EU citizens - particularly about those who travel to the United States - as part of a fight against terrorism and international crime.'

International Herald Tribune, 02 Jul 08, by Elaine Sciolino
French counterterrorism system under attack
'France prides itself on having the most efficient counterterrorism strategy in Europe. French counterterrorism officials insist that the flexibility of the country's laws and judicial system has been crucial in their ability to respond to the threat of international terrorism and has helped prevent attacks on French soil.'

[ recent stories from Europe, Britain and Russia ]

ON TERROR :

Christian Science Monitor, 03 Jul 08, by Warren Richey
Guantánamo Detainees: shorter wait?
'Last month's Supreme Court ruling sets new rules for judges examining habeas corpus challenges from detainees.'

[ recent stories on terror ]

NEW MILITARY TECHNOLOGY :

Green Bay Press-Gazette, 03 Jul 08, by Rachel Rivard
USS Green Bay clears test run
'The USS Green Bay will carry a crew of 363 and also will be able to carry almost 700 Marines.'

[ recent stories on new technology ]

COMMENTARY & ANALYSIS :

The National Interest, 01 Jul 08, by J. Peter Pham
Hanoi’s Coming-Out Party
'After meeting with President Bush last week, [Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan] Dung said his government "took note with great pleasure of rapid development in the Vietnam-U.S. relationship toward a friendly and constructive partnership, multifaceted cooperation on the basis of equality and mutual respect and mutual benefit."� No matter who wins in November, the next administration will need to build on this foundation, reinforcing ties with a country which was a dogged adversary in war but which, in peace, has proven an increasingly significant geopolitical actor.'

Christian Science Monitor, 02 Jul 08, by Shlomo Ben-Ami and Trita Parsi
The alternative to an Israeli attack on Iran
'Serious diplomacy, not military action, will bring regional security.'

AllAfrica.com/The New Times (Kigali), 02 Jul 08
Africa: AU Right on Universal Jurisdictions
'The heads of state should be commended for finally kick-starting a scrutiny campaign that is likely to exert peer pressure on politicians who seem to relish excesses, thereby holding them accountable to their nationals and to Africa as a whole.'

The Guardian, 01 July 08, by Janine di Giovanni
Interventionism's moral imperative
'Foreign policy experts have plenty of reasons not to get involved, but they should try meeting civilians in mortal terror.'

International Herald Tribune, 01 Jul 08, by Stephen F. Cohen
Wrong on Russia
'Neither of the two major American presidential candidates has seriously addressed, or even seems fully aware of, what should be our greatest foreign policy concern - Russia's singular capacity to endanger or enhance our national security.'

The New Yorker, 07 Jul 08 issue, by George Packer
Obama's Iraq Problem
'... The same pragmatism that prompted [Obama] last month to forgo public financing of his campaign will surely lead him, if he becomes President, to recalibrate his stance on Iraq. He doubtless realizes that his original plan, if implemented now, could revive the badly wounded Al Qaeda in Iraq, reënergize the Sunni insurgency, embolden Moqtada al-Sadr to recoup his militia's recent losses to the Iraqi Army, and return the central government to a state of collapse.'

Christian Science Monitor, 03 Jul 08, by editorial staff
High hopes abroad for a new U.S. president
'The rest of the world can't vote for the next American president, but many certainly follow the US campaign as if they could. They also hold high hopes that a new leader – no matter who wins – will change Washington's foreign policy. They may well be disappointed.'

Christian Science Monitor, 30 Jun 08, by editorial staff
France's military about-face
'He may not have de Gaulle's physical stature, but President Nicolas Sarkozy is standing up to Le Général's long-obeyed policy of military independence for France. The US and Europe need to welcome this historic shift.'

Familly Security Matters, 28 Jun 08, by Peter Brookes
Korean Nukes: Don't Get Giddy
'North Korea gave the world some good news this week - finally handing over a declaration about its nuclear program and promising to blow up the cooling tower at its Yongbyon nuclear facility. But don't break out the best bubbly just yet. These moves are only a first step in what is likely to be a drawn-out, slippery, pot-hole-filled road in a (possibly futile) attempt to roll back Kim Jong Il's membership in the nuclear-weapons club.'

The Heritage Foundation, 30 Jun 08, by Baker Spring
U.S. Should Defy Chinese-Russian Attack on Missile Defense
'During their meeting in Beijing on May 23, 2008, Chinese President Hu Jintao and new Russian President Dimitry Medvedev issued a joint statement criticizing the establishment of a global missile defense system. ... This statement was a not-so-veiled criticism of the United States and its allies, which are cooperating in fielding missile defense systems, and should be seen for what it is: an attempt to drive a wedge between the U.S. and its allies.'

[ recent commentary and analysis ]

AFRICA :

Christian Science Monitor, 02 Jul 08, by Jonathan Adams
How much of a threat is Al Qaeda in North Africa?
'Despite Algerian insurgents' stated intentions to strike in Europe, some officials remain skeptical that an attack outside Africa is possible.'

New York Times, 01 Jul 08, by Souad Mekhennet, Michael Moss, Eric Schmitt, Elaine Sciolino and Margot Williams
A Threat Renewed : A Ragtag Insurgency Gains a Qaeda Lifeline
'Today, as Islamist violence wanes in some parts of the world, the Algerian militants – renamed Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb – have grown into one of the most potent Osama bin Laden affiliates, reinvigorated with fresh recruits and a zeal for Western targets.'
• Timeline: Islamists in Algeria

New York Times, 02 Jul 08, by Kennedy Abwao and Alan Cowell
African Leaders Seek Solution to Zimbabwe Impasse
'Facing pressure from the United States for expanded sanctions against President Robert Mugabe, African leaders gathered here for a second day on Tuesday to seek a less confrontational way out of Zimbabwe’s political impasse following elections widely condemned as a sham.'

[ recent stories from Africa ]

THE AMERICAS :

International Herald Tribune, 01 Jul 08, by William Glaberson
U.S. court overturns Pentagon's case against Guantánamo detainee
'In the first case to review the U.S. government's secret evidence for holding a detainee at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, a U.S. appeals court found that accusations against a Chinese man held for more than six years had been based on bare and unverifiable claims.'

The Economist, 03 Jul 08
Colombia's hostage triumph
'The government scores a big success against the FARC, freeing Ingrid Betancourt and other hostages.'

International Herald Tribune, 01 Jul 08, by Janine Zacharia, Bloomberg News
U.S. forced to confront its Bolivian problem
'As the United States has shifted its focus to hot spots like the Middle East and North Korea, coca growth has increased in Latin America, defying U.S.-funded eradication efforts. And President George W. Bush hasn't been able to get Congress to pass free- trade deals with Colombia and Panama, disappointing these allies.'

NewsHour, 27 Jun 08, with Kwame Holman et al
Long Legislative Fight Led to Iraq War Funding Bill
'In 2006, Democrats took over Congress with a promise to bring U.S. troops home. Kwame Holman looks at what's happened since then and the legislative fight over a bill to fund the Iraq and Afghan wars.'

[ recent stories from the Americas ]

US MILITARY, THE PENTAGON, &
INTELLIGENCE :

NewsHour, 01 Jul 08, with Paul Solman et al
After Delays and Criticism, Pentagon Shifts Priorities to Protect Soldiers
'Beginning in 2007 the Pentagon shifted its spending priorities to meet the deadly threat of roadside bombs leading to the procurement of the MRAP, or 'Mine Resistant Ambush Protected'. The fourteen-ton vehicle is credited for a drastic decline in roadside bomb fatalities, but why did it take so long?'

Christian Science Monitor, 03 Jul 08, by Sam Dagher
A 'surge' unit sees change, but questions its permanence
'As the US Army soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment prepare to return home this month, many question whether the sacrifices they made will have been worth it in the end.'

The Telegraph, 02 Jul 08, by Tim Shipman
CIA given green light to bomb Osama bin Laden
'The US intelligence agency does not have to ask permission from the Pakistani government to attack his hideout, presumed to be in the lawless tribal areas on Pakistan's border with Afghanistan.'

International Herald Tribune, 02 Jul 08, by Scott Shane
U.S. interrogators were taught Chinese coercion techniques
'The military trainers who came to Guantánamo Bay in December 2002 based an entire interrogation class on a chart showing the effects of "coercive management techniques" for possible use on prisoners ... What the trainers did not say, and may not have known, was that their chart had been copied verbatim from a 1957 air force study of Chinese techniques used during the Korean War to obtain confessions, many of them false, from American prisoners.'

NewsHour, 01 Jul 08, with Gwen Ifill et al
New G.I. Bill Aims to Provide Expanded Educational Benefits to Troops
'A new G.I. bill signed into law Monday doubles funding for education benefits available to military personnel who have served since Sept. 11, 2001, and allows transfer of benefits to a spouse or children. Analysts discuss the law and its meaning for veterans.'

NewsHour, 01 Jul 08, with Ray Suarez et al
U.S. Lacked Clear Plan for Postwar Iraq, Army Report Says
'The U.S. Army released a report Monday outlining the problems that kept it from being able to stabilize Iraq after the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003. Military experts discuss the report's findings.'

NewsHour, 27 Jun 08, with Jeffrey Brown et al
Resurgent Taliban May Step Up Attacks, Pentagon Says
'A report released by the Pentagon Friday showed growing instability in Afghanistan and a continuing rise in Taliban forces. A reporter and a regional expert size up new security threats and discuss the new report.'

International Herald Tribune, 30 Jun 08, by Rachel L. Swarns
A step up for women in the U.S. military
'Last week, President George W. Bush asked [Lieutenant General Ann] Dunwoody to take over a new army command as a four-star general. If confirmed by the Senate, she would become the first woman in the armed services to achieve that rank.'

Stratfor, 11 Jun 08, by George Friedman
The U.S. Air Force and the Next War
'U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates ... has sharply criticized the Air Force for failing to reorient itself to the types of conflict in which the United States is currently engaged. Where the Air Force leadership wanted to focus on deploying a new generation of fighter aircraft, Gates wanted them deploying additional unmanned aircraft able to provide reconnaissance and carry out airstrikes in Iraq and Afghanistan. These are not trivial issues, but they are the tip of the iceberg in a much more fundamental strategic debate going on in the U.S. defense community.'

[ recent stories about the US military,
the Pentagon and intelligence ]