Af/Pak & Other News (5/3/2013)

[dump...@hotmail.com]

Afghan Government Faces Cash Crunch:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/03/world/asia/afghan-government-faces-cash-crunch-imf-says.html?pagewanted=all



Afghan interpreters in legal bid for UK settlement:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22393458



UK May Add Brimstone to Reaper Missile Arsenal:

http://www.defensenews.com/article/20130503/DEFREG01/305030010/UK-May-Add-Brimstone-Reaper-Missile-Arsenal



Two polling stations blown up:

http://dawn.com/2013/05/03/two-polling-stations-blown-up/



Prosecutor in Bhutto Killing and Mumbai Attacks Is Assassinated in
Pakistan:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/04/world/asia/prosecutor-in-bhutto-killing-and-mumbai-attacks-assassinated-in-pakistan.html?_r=0




Pakistani Taliban praise bin Laden by 'waging jihad for the
Caliphate':

http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2013/05/pakistani_taliban_pr_1.php



Pakistan, Germany in Surplus Helo Talks:

http://www.defensenews.com/article/20130502/DEFREG/305020019/Pakistan-Germany-Surplus-Helo-Talks



Karzai Urges Obama To Close Guantanamo:

http://www.rferl.org/content/karzai-guantanamo/24975614.html




ISAF targets 'insurgent leader' linked to Haqqanis, Pakistani Taliban,
and 'Arabs':

http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2013/05/isaf_targets_insurge.php



Afghanistan: Minority Report:

http://www.strategypage.com/qnd/afghan/articles/20130503.aspx





Where China Meets India in a High-Altitude Desert, Push Comes to
Shove:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/03/world/asia/where-china-meets-india-push-comes-to-shove.html?ref=world



India receives retrofited sub INS Sindhurakshak:

http://www.spacewar.com/reports/India_receives_retrofited_sub_INS_Sindhurakshak_999.html



India Postpones Homegrown Jet Program:

http://www.defensenews.com/article/20130502/DEFREG/305020020/India-Postpones-Homegrown-Jet-Program



Procurement Nadir: India’s Murky, Messed-Up Howitzer Competitions:

http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/murky-competition-for-2b-india-howitzer-order-may-end-soon-0805/





Iraq in April: Bloodiest month since 2008:

http://news.msn.com/world/iraq-in-april-bloodiest-month-since-2008-1



Iraq still using phony bomb detectors at checkpoints:

http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Iraq_still_using_phony_bomb_detectors_at_checkpoints_999.html





Syria conflict: 'Dozens executed' in village:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-22398831



C-17 from Dover AFB “landed at an undisclosed location” to supply
Syrian rebels:

http://alert5.com/2013/05/03/c-17-from-dover-afb-landed-at-an-undisclosed-location-to-supply-syrian-rebels/





Israel May Expand Counter-Rocket, Artillery And Mortar Use:

http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=/article-xml/AW_04_29_2013_p11-567933.xml



Russian Amphibious Support Ship Arrive at Haifa for a First Visit in
an Israeli Port:

http://defense-update.com/20130502_russian-warship-on-a-first-visits-to-an-israeli-port.html





Tear gas fired as Egyptian Islamists target security HQ:

http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=30362:tear-gas-fired-as-egyptian-islamists-target-security-hq&catid=49:National%20Security&Itemid=115




More Mercenary Su-25s Slip Into Africa:

http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htairfo/articles/20130503.aspx




No rapid deployment capability for African Standby Force:

http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=30369:no-rapid-deployment-capability-for-african-standby-force&catid=56:diplomacy-a-peace&Itemid=111





Old Reliable Over Mali:

http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htlog/articles/20130503.aspx




Two generals, pro-Deby MP arrested over Chad coup plot:

http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=30355:two-generals-pro-deby-mp-arrested-over-chad-coup-plot&catid=49:National%20Security&Itemid=115





Italian Army Takes Delivery of Its First NH90 TTH Helicopter In FOC
Configuration:

http://www.defense-aerospace.com/articles-view/release/3/144729/italian-army-gets-first-fully-operational-nth90.html




Russian 'Attack' Raises Questions Over Sweden's Readiness:

http://www.defensenews.com/article/20130502/DEFREG/304290022/Russian-Attack-Raises-Questions-Over-Sweden-s-Readiness




UPDATED: US Air Force Boeing KC-135 crashes in Kyrgyzstan:

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/updated-us-air-force-boeing-kc-135-crashes-in-kyrgyzstan-385462/




Drones for the German Military Stir Controversy:

http://www.defense-aerospace.com/articles-view/release/3/144728/controversy-as-germany-plans-predator-purchase.html





US study sees China 'coercive power' on Japan:

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/US_study_sees_China_coercive_power_on_Japan_999.html




USAF F-16 Wild Weasels train with JGSDF surface-to-air missile
batteries:

http://alert5.com/2013/05/03/usaf-f-16-wild-weasels-train-with-jgsdf-surface-to-air-missile-batteries/




Canberra commits to new Growlers, but remains coy on F-35s:

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/canberra-commits-to-new-growlers-but-remains-coy-on-f-35s-385444/





Pentagon tells Congress that NKorea is working toward goal of nuke
missile that could reach US:

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/05/02/pentagon-tells-congress-that-nkorea-is-working-toward-goal-nuke-missile-that/




Pentagon Warns North Korea Could Become a Hacker Haven:

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2013/05/north-korea-cyber/




South Korea moves closer to buying SM-3:

http://alert5.com/2013/05/03/south-korea-moves-closer-to-buying-sm-3/





Heron, Reaper and Hermes 900 Compete for Canada’s Arctic mission:

http://defense-update.com/20130503_iais-heron-will-compete-in-canada-for-arctic-missions.html



Victoria Class Submarine Fleet Creating Canadian Controversies:

http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/sub-support-contract-creating-canadian-controversy-04563/





Suspend killer robots until rules made: UN report:

http://news.msn.com/world/suspend-killer-robots-until-rules-made-un-report



US Air Force Monitors Commercial SATCOM Channels to Locate Jamming:

http://defense-update.com/20130503_someone-is-jamming-my-satellite-2.html



The Navy’s Hull Game:

http://nation.time.com/2013/05/03/the-navys-hull-game/



General Dynamics Team to Develop Second Radar System for the U.S. Army
Range Radar Replacement Program:

http://www.defense-aerospace.com/articles-view/release/3/144723/gd-to-develop-second-rrrp-radar.html



USMC presidential helicopter squadron starts flying MV-22:

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/usmc-presidential-helicopter-squadron-starts-flying-mv-22-385449/



X-51A Waverider Achieves Hypersonic Goal On Final Flight:

http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=/article-xml/awx_05_02_2013_p0-575769.xml




The Best Military Bribes Can Buy:

http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htmurph/articles/20130503.aspx




Meet Drone Shield, an ambitious idea for a $70 drone detection system:

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/05/meet-drone-shield-an-ambitious-idea-for-a-70-drone-detection-system/

[dump...@hotmail.com]

Update:

Pentagon Bulks Up 'Bunker Buster' Bomb to Combat Iran:

"The Pentagon has redesigned its biggest "bunker buster"
bomb with more advanced features intended to enable it to
destroy Iran's most heavily fortified and defended nuclear
site."

"The newest version of what is the Pentagon's largest
conventional bomb, the 30,000-pound Massive Ordnance
Penetrator, or MOP, has adjusted fuses to maximize its
burrowing power, upgraded guidance systems to improve
its precision and high-tech equipment intended to allow it
to evade Iranian air defenses in order to reach and
destroy the Fordow nuclear enrichment complex, which is
buried under a mountain near the Iranian city of Qom. The
upgraded MOP designed for Fordow hasn't been dropped
from a plane yet."

See:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324582004578459170138890756.html

[Andrew Swallow]

On 03/05/2013 17:25, dump...@hotmail.com wrote:
> Pentagon Warns North Korea Could Become a Hacker Haven:
>
> http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2013/05/north-korea-cyber/

Make sure we know where all North Korea's internet connections to the
world are, so we can physically disconnect it within minutes. Include
little used WiFi points in South Korea.

Time to make North Korea distrust its hackers. Include rude comments
about the fat pig ruler and how to assassinate him in websites they may
hack into.

Andrew Swallow

[dump...@hotmail.com]

Update II:

U.S. believes Israel has conducted an airstrike into Syria: CNN:

"The United States believes Israel has conducted an
airstrike into Syria, CNN reported on Friday, citing
two unnamed U.S. officials.

CNN quoted the officials as saying Israel most likely
conducted the strike "in the Thursday-Friday time
frame" and that Israel's warplanes did not enter
Syrian airspace."

See:

http://news.yahoo.com/u-believes-israel-conducted-airstrike-syria-cnn-001333448.html

[David E. Powell]

On May 3, 7:00 pm, Andrew Swallow <am.swal...@btinternet.com> wrote:

Oh that could be fun.

Also, try to find high level ones and create false bank transfer
records indicating they may be selling intelligence they pick up to
other sources. Or grift off NK gov't accounts and insert electronic
trails that go back to their own hackers.

[Keith W]

Andrew Swallow wrote:
> On 03/05/2013 17:25, dump...@hotmail.com wrote:
>> Pentagon Warns North Korea Could Become a Hacker Haven:
>>
>> http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2013/05/north-korea-cyber/
>
> Make sure we know where all North Korea's internet connections to the
> world are, so we can physically disconnect it within minutes. Include
> little used WiFi points in South Korea.
>

Are you planning on a war with China ?

We know the Chinese provide their main internet and telecoms feed
and they wouldnt take kindly to your destroying their assets.
Most of the DPRK hackers are known to be working in Shenyang
China.

Keith

[dott.Piergiorgio]

Il 04/05/2013 01:00, Andrew Swallow ha scritto:
> On 03/05/2013 17:25, dump...@hotmail.com wrote:
>> Pentagon Warns North Korea Could Become a Hacker Haven:
>>
>> http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2013/05/north-korea-cyber/
>
> Make sure we know where all North Korea's internet connections to the
> world are, so we can physically disconnect it within minutes. Include
> little used WiFi points in South Korea.

the latter sounds problematic, but OTOH, looking at Wi-Fi frequencies &
propagation, all counter-measures (and dissuasion, thru a notice @
panjunmom) needed is some good ESM vans running parallel to that 38th
parallel...

and I'm confident that 100% of 'net cable connection are thru China, and
last time US and China have a misunderstanding on military ops around
that border, well, all outstanding issues in korea stems from it...

(and I'm of the opinion that the abuse of wi-fi spots ought to be
seriously assessed, esp. considering that NK will surely try to generate
an huge refugee wave if the powderkeg actually exploded)

> Time to make North Korea distrust its hackers. Include rude comments
> about the fat pig ruler and how to assassinate him in websites they may
> hack into.

knowing the few "point of entry" is feasible this type of clandestine
ops, whose can be truly successful if we consider the stalinist paranoia
of juche regime...

Best regards from Italy,
dott. Piergiorgio.

[dott.Piergiorgio]

what a shit... now an no-fly zone IS needed and the margins for drawing
solid RoE are nearby nil...

The Divine bless the middle-east,
Dott. Piergiorgio.

[Bill]

On Sat, 04 May 2013 00:00:40 +0100, Andrew Swallow
<am.sw...@btinternet.com> wrote:

>On 03/05/2013 17:25, dump...@hotmail.com wrote:
>> Pentagon Warns North Korea Could Become a Hacker Haven:
>>
>> http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2013/05/north-korea-cyber/
>
>Make sure we know where all North Korea's internet connections to the
>world are, so we can physically disconnect it within minutes. Include
>little used WiFi points in South Korea.
>

Don't be silly.

They can but a satellite connection over the counter in for a few
pounds.

Stopping that isn't trivial.

[Andrew Swallow]

Anything done in China can be controlled by the Chinese Government. The
counter question is - do the Chinese want to go to war with the USA over
the actions of the North Koreans?

Andrew Swallow

[Andrew Swallow]

North Korea may know how to launch satellites but making them is too
advanced. Any satellite link would have to be attached to the internet
at a point outside North Korea.

Andrew Swallow

[peter skelton]

"Andrew Swallow" wrote in message
news:QvOdnQ4ZDM0lzxjM...@bt.com...

Perhaps anything cam be controlled, but everything can't.
The question is "do China and the USA want to go to war".

[jonathan]

"dott.Piergiorgio" <chied...@ask.me> wrote in message
news:Fc5ht.7901$iY1....@tornado.fastwebnet.it...

It's getting out of hand, when around a thousand Syrian troops
are being killed a month, and even more rebels, that's a
large war going on, not just an insurgency.


Rate of killings in Syria peaks in April amid government
counteroffensive

MCCLATCHY FOREIGN STAFF
ANTAKYA, Turkey -- The pace of killing in Syria's civil war reached a new
high in April, with one human rights group counting an average of 196 deaths
daily for the month.

Overall, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported 5,889 deaths in
April, slightly lower than the 5,896 it tracked in March. But because April
has one fewer day than March does, the rate of killing was higher: 196 per
day in April versus 190 in March.

More importantly, there was a sharp increase in civilian deaths. Of the
deaths recorded in April, half of them _ 2,994 _ were of civilians, 1,677
were rebel fighters and 1,009 belonged to the army. The allegiances of the
remainder couldn't be determined.

In March, the observatory had reported 1,780 civilians dead, just over 30
percent of the total.
Read more here:
http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/05/03/3378910_rate-of-killings-in-syria-peaks.html#storylink=cpy

http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/05/03/3378910_rate-of-killings-in-syria-peaks.html

[Bill]

On Sun, 5 May 2013 18:25:52 -0400, "jonathan" <wr...@gmail.com> wrote:

>
>"dott.Piergiorgio" <chied...@ask.me> wrote in message
>news:Fc5ht.7901$iY1....@tornado.fastwebnet.it...
>> Il 04/05/2013 04:15, dump...@hotmail.com ha scritto:
>>> Update II:
>>>
>>> U.S. believes Israel has conducted an airstrike into Syria: CNN:
>>>
>>> "The United States believes Israel has conducted an
>>> airstrike into Syria, CNN reported on Friday, citing
>>> two unnamed U.S. officials.
>>>
>>> CNN quoted the officials as saying Israel most likely
>>> conducted the strike "in the Thursday-Friday time
>>> frame" and that Israel's warplanes did not enter
>>> Syrian airspace."
>>>
>>> See:
>>>
>>> http://news.yahoo.com/u-believes-israel-conducted-airstrike-syria-cnn-001333448.html
>>
>> what a shit... now an no-fly zone IS needed and the margins for drawing
>> solid RoE are nearby nil...
>
>
>It's getting out of hand, when around a thousand Syrian troops
>are being killed a month, and even more rebels, that's a
>large war going on, not just an insurgency.

Seeing as how Israel is busy cleaning up the really nasty stuff (with,
it seems, US approval) and making sure Hezbollah isn't getting their
ghastly hands on it, who cares?

As far as I can make out everyone on both sides would slit my throat
as soon as they saw me...

[jonathan]

"Bill" <black...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:m4odo8d2lf1mrep7i...@4ax.com...

I agree, let Israel do what they need to keep Hezbollah from
getting advanced weapons. All Assad could do in responding
is give the world an excuse to get involved. But the Iranians and
Hezbollah are firmly on Assad's side, even if the rebels are
half extremists it's still in our interest to see Assad go if for
no other reason than to stop Iran and Syria arming Hezbollah.
And ending that connection could go a long way towards
ending the Palestinian problem.

Ya know, World War 2 isn't really over, a lot of this crap
is leftover issues dating from that era. The world really needs
to come together and get f'ing rid of some of these worst case
dictators. The Iranians in particular, they're the biggest troublemakers
of all imo.


s

[Bill]

On Tue, 7 May 2013 18:20:33 -0400, "jonathan" <wr...@gmail.com> wrote:

>
>"Bill" <black...@gmail.com> wrote in message

=

> it's still in our interest to see Assad go if for
>no other reason than to stop Iran and Syria arming Hezbollah.

As far as I can see if Assad goes it changes nothing.

Hezbollah is just a proxy.

>And ending that connection could go a long way towards
>ending the Palestinian problem.

We are talking about LEBANESE Hezbollah.

>Ya know, World War 2 isn't really over, a lot of this crap
>is leftover issues dating from that era.

Syria was a French colony.

The world really needs
>to come together and get f'ing rid of some of these worst case
>dictators. The Iranians in particular, they're the biggest troublemakers
>of all imo.

Iran actually has reasonably free elections.

What's at fault is the system for selecting the candidates. They have
to be approved by the clerical authorities.

The main sponsor of Islamic terror in the world remains Pakistan, a
US ally.