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

[dump...@hotmail.com]

Afghanistan following 11 years of US combat: 'Not much different':

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/04/17180141-afghanistan-following-11-years-of-us-combat-not-much-different?lite



Afghan court sentences Kabul Bank execs to 5 years:

http://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2013/03/05/afghan-court-slaps-prison-time-on-kabul-bank-execs




Pakistani Taliban execute, behead soldiers in South Waziristan:

http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2013/03/pakistani_taliban_ex_1.php



Soviet war veteran found in Afghanistan after 33 years:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21668541



U.S. Disavows 2 Drone Strikes Over Pakistan:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/05/world/asia/us-disavows-2-drone-strikes-over-pakistan.html?hp&_r=1&



Pakistan Army rejects NYT report on drone strikes:

http://dawn.com/2013/03/05/pakistan-army-rejects-nyt-report-on-drone-strikes/




Drone Monopoly: Hope You Enjoyed It While It Lasted:

http://nation.time.com/2013/03/05/drone-monopoly-hope-you-enjoyed-it-while-it-lasted/



Army looks to iRobot for lightweight throwable robots for battlefield
situational awareness:

http://www.militaryaerospace.com/articles/2013/03/FirstLook-throwable-robot.html





Indian Navy Chetak Helicopter Crashes in Sea:

http://www.defensenews.com/article/20130305/DEFREG03/303050011/Indian-Navy-Chetak-Helicopter-Crashes-Sea?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE



India: Deployment of AWACS:

http://www.defense-aerospace.com/article-view/release/143183/india-to-develop-own-aew%26c-aircraft.html




Iran battles giant rats with sniper squads:

http://news.msn.com/world/iran-battles-giant-rats-with-sniper-squads




Yemen: Stealing The Peace:

http://www.strategypage.com/qnd/yemen/articles/20130305.aspx





Iraq – Rapiscan System Vehicles:

http://www.defense-aerospace.com/articles-view/release/3/143178/dod-plans-%24600m-rapiscan-sale-to-iraq.html



Caught In The Middle Of The Great Shia Rebellion:

http://www.strategypage.com/qnd/iraq/articles/20130305.aspx




Turkey To Buy 10 Locally Made Anka UAVs:

http://www.defensenews.com/article/20130304/DEFREG01/303040018/Turkey-Buy-10-Locally-Made-Anka-UAVs?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE





Syrian Rebels Battle Regime Holdouts in Raqqa:

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/syrian-rebels-capture-northern-city-18647439



Warplanes 'bomb Raqqa after rebel gains':

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-21666917




Israel on alert as locusts cross in from Egypt:

http://news.yahoo.com/israel-alert-locusts-cross-egypt-183421157.html;_ylt=ApsoTs_QLdP7VsosKtF05VG1qHQA;_ylu=X3oDMTR1MHZ2YWl1BGNjb2RlA2N0LmMEbWl0A01vc3QgUG9wdWxhciBXb3JsZARwa2cDYzdjOTc2ZWMtMzE3OC0zNGY1LThjODctNDc5MmE4NDQ1NWU3BHBvcwM1BHNlYwNNZWRpYUJMaXN0TWl4ZWRNb3N0UG9wdWxhckNBVGVtcAR2ZXIDNjAwZTBjNDAtODRmYS0xMWUyLWI1NDUtNWI1YWNmZDdjODM5;_ylg=X3oDMTF1cDZjaTBwBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdAN3b3JsZHxtaWRkbGVlYXN0BHB0A3NlY3Rpb25z;_ylv=3




Libyan military forces on way to Mellitah gas plant, official says:

http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=29682:libyan-military-forces-on-way-to-mellitah-gas-plant-official-says&catid=49:National%20Security&Itemid=115




Gunmen in Kenya take control of 2 polling stations:

http://news.msn.com/world/gunmen-in-kenya-take-control-of-2-polling-stations




MRTT Mali Mission:

http://www.aviationweek.com/Blogs.aspx?plckBlogId=Blog:27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a-01329aef79a7&plckPostId=Blog:27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a-01329aef79a7Post:60bf598a-840a-4b45-9d12-c592265e358f



The French pilots in Mali doing battle from the sky:

http://alert5.com/2013/03/05/the-french-pilots-in-mali-doing-battle-from-the-sky/



France says 15 militants killed overnight in Mali fighting:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/05/us-mali-rebels-idUSBRE9240C220130305



France Believes French Hostages in Sahel still Alive:

http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/74368-france-believes-french-hostages-in-sahel-still-alive





Cyber-007 MiniDuke stalked Europe for at least 21 MONTHS:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/03/05/miniduke_early_variant/




Dead 60 years, Stalin's influence lingers in Putin's Russia:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/05/us-russia-stalin-idUSBRE9240O120130305




Royal Navy Commissions 2nd Astute SSN:

http://www.defencetalk.com/royal-navy-commissions-2nd-astute-ssn-47034/




AgustaWestland Unveils Revolutionary “Project Zero” Tilt Rotor
Technology Demonstrator:

http://www.defense-aerospace.com/article-view/release/143184/agustawestland-unveils-revolutionary-tilt-rotor-demonstrator.html




Tiger Down:

http://www.aviationweek.com/Blogs.aspx?plckBlogId=Blog:27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a-01329aef79a7&plckPostId=Blog:27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a-01329aef79a7Post:aae6f24a-2467-476e-a0e0-89fb395b6dc9




Russia Fears Its Troops Will Riot if Cigarette Rations End:

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2013/03/russian-cigarettes/




This Warship Radar Can Detect a Tennis Ball From 15 Miles:

http://gizmodo.com/5988557/this-warship-radar-can-detect-a-tennis-ball-from-15-miles




Tekever Conducts Successful Trials of the AR4 Light Ray UAS in
Colombia:

http://www.defense-aerospace.com/articles-view/release/3/143166/tekever-demos-ar4-light-ray-uav-in-colombia.html




The Communist Curse That Continues To Kill:

http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htun/articles/20130305.aspx





Malaysia Attacks Filipino Rebels With Jets and Mortars:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/06/world/asia/malaysia-attacks-filipino-rebels-on-borneo-island.html




China Retires Trimaran Ambitions:

http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htsurf/articles/20130305.aspx




North Korea vows to cancel cease-fire with US:

http://news.msn.com/world/north-korea-vows-to-cancel-cease-fire-with-us




Canada releases industry questionnaire on CF-18 Hornet replacement:

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/canada-releases-industry-questionnaire-on-cf-18-hornet-replacement-383007/





Bell will pitch third-gen tilt-rotor for JMR/FVL:

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/heli-expo-bell-will-pitch-third-gen-tilt-rotor-for-jmrfvl-383021/



Lockheed Martin Receives $71 Million Long Range Anti-Ship Missile
Contract from the U.S. Navy:

http://www.spacewar.com/reports/prnewswire-defense-news.html?doc=201303051030PR_NEWS_USPR_____FL70705&showRelease=1&dir=0&industries=ARO&andorquestion=OR&&passDir=0,1,2,3,4,5,6,15,17,34



Navy's New Mobile Landing Platform, Montford Point, To Revolutionize
Amphibious Warfare:

http://defense.aol.com/2013/03/04/navy-mobile-landing-platform-montford-point-amphibious-warfare/



Bell trials upgraded Kiowa Warrior prototypes:

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/heli-expo-bell-trials-upgraded-kiowa-warrior-prototypes-383031/



New X-Plane on the Horizon?:

http://www.aviationweek.com/Blogs.aspx?plckBlogId=Blog:27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a-01329aef79a7&plckPostId=Blog:27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a-01329aef79a7Post:97b15ebc-4fea-44a9-99c6-ce04fa3b8404



Bell Helicopter debuts Bell 407GT, an armed version of the Bell 407GX:

http://www.militaryaerospace.com/articles/2013/03/Bell-407GT.html



BAE’s APKWS rockets integrated on Bell’s new Model 407GT:

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/baes-apkws-rockets-integrated-on-bells-new-model-407gt-383032/



The UAV video problem: using streaming video with unmanned aerial
vehicles:

http://www.militaryaerospace.com/articles/print/volume-20/issue-7/features/viewpoint/the-uav-video-problem-using-streaming-video-with-unmanned-aerial-vehicles.html



U.S. sentences two over plot to ship aircraft parts to Iran:

http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/u-s-sentences-two-over-plot-to-ship-aircraft-parts-to-iran-1.507414




Armchair Generals Wanted: Army Outsources Criticism of New Defense
Strategy:

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2013/03/army-shock/



Gray Eagle Completes Initial Operational Testing, Evaluation:

http://www.defense-aerospace.com/articles-view/release/3/143176/gray-eagle-uav-completes-initial-opeval.html

[Andrew Swallow]

On 05/03/2013 18:02, dump...@hotmail.com wrote:
> Armchair Generals Wanted: Army Outsources Criticism of New Defense
> Strategy:
>
> http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2013/03/army-shock/

Soldiers are the only force that can enter human sized buildings and
stay. (Counting the Marines as a sea going regiment.) They are also
the only force that can arrest and interrogate people.

Drones can be controlled by soldiers.

I do not believe that war is over. Mali shows that there are still
plenty of anti-Western Muslims out there. China is having arguments
with its neighbours.

Andrew Swallow

[dump...@hotmail.com]

Update:

Davos 2013: Kissinger says Iran nuclear crisis close:

"Former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger
has warned that a crisis involving a nuclear Iran
is in the "foreseeable future"."

"He said nuclear proliferation in the region
triggered by an armed Iran would increase the
chances of an atomic war - "a turning point in
human history"."

""The danger is that we could be reaching a point
where nuclear weapons would become almost
conventional, and there will be the possibility of a
nuclear conflict at some point... that would be a
turning point in human history," he said."

See:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-21177535

[dump...@hotmail.com]

Update 2:

Hugo Chavez, fiery Venezuelan leader, dies at 58:

"He died Tuesday in Caracas at 4:25 local time after his prolonged
illness."


See:

http://news.yahoo.com/hugo-chavez-fiery-venezuelan-leader-dies-58-220210262.html

[Andrew Swallow]

On 05/03/2013 23:22, dump...@hotmail.com wrote:
> Hugo Chavez, fiery Venezuelan leader, dies

This could be a good time to make friends with the new rulers of
Venezuela. They will need a few days to settle in and work out who is
the boss.

Otherwise we are going to be in for a long period of cold relations with
this South American oil state.

Andrew Swallow

[willshak]

The Venezuelan VP, Nicolas Maduro, is saying that Chavez's cancer was an
attack by the US and other imperialist enemies.
His type of cancer was not made public, yet.


--
Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
In the original Orange County. Est. 1683
To email, remove the double zeros after @

[Andrew Swallow]

On 06/03/2013 00:56, willshak wrote:
> dump...@hotmail.com wrote the following on 3/5/2013 6:22 PM (ET):
>> Update 2:
>>
>> Hugo Chavez, fiery Venezuelan leader, dies at 58:
>>
>> "He died Tuesday in Caracas at 4:25 local time after his prolonged
>> illness."
>>
>>
>> See:
>>
>> http://news.yahoo.com/hugo-chavez-fiery-venezuelan-leader-dies-58-220210262.html
>>
>
>
> The Venezuelan VP, Nicolas Maduro, is saying that Chavez's cancer was an
> attack by the US and other imperialist enemies.
> His type of cancer was not made public, yet.
>
>

So not taking the responsibility for any of his own mistakes.

Such governments are weak but can be nasty.

Andrew Swallow

[Jeffrey Hamilton]

willshak wrote:
> dump...@hotmail.com wrote the following on 3/5/2013 6:22 PM (ET):
>> Update 2:
>>
>> Hugo Chavez, fiery Venezuelan leader, dies at 58:
>>
>> "He died Tuesday in Caracas at 4:25 local time after his prolonged
>> illness."
>>
>>
>> See:
>>
>> http://news.yahoo.com/hugo-chavez-fiery-venezuelan-leader-dies-58-220210262.html
>
>
> The Venezuelan VP, Nicolas Maduro, is saying that Chavez's cancer was
> an attack by the US and other imperialist enemies.
> His type of cancer was not made public, yet.

Yep, they'll probably blame it on Monsanto or such.

cheers....Jeff

[dott.Piergiorgio]

first and foremost, keeping a *very* low profile during the "working out
who is the boss" is crucial, and keeping greed in check when thing
return to normality.

OTOH, Fidel still not dead (and also doing a public appareance) and he
and Raul will watch (scrutiny can be more exact) the .vn transition....

Best regards from Italy,
dott. Piergiorgio.

[jonathan]

"dott.Piergiorgio" <chied...@ask.me> wrote in message
news:rqzZs.40549$5b....@tornado.fastwebnet.it...

> Il 06/03/2013 01:51, Andrew Swallow ha scritto:
>> On 05/03/2013 23:22, dump...@hotmail.com wrote:
>>> Hugo Chavez, fiery Venezuelan leader, dies
>>
>> This could be a good time to make friends with the new rulers of
>> Venezuela. They will need a few days to settle in and work out who is
>> the boss.
>>
>> Otherwise we are going to be in for a long period of cold relations with
>> this South American oil state.
>
> first and foremost, keeping a *very* low profile during the "working out
> who is the boss" is crucial,

I don't doubt the sincerity of Chavez in wanting to help
his people, and agree moving to the left is long over due in
many countries including American, but left or right aside, his
true legacy is in how he dismantled democracy in Venezuela
so he could stay in power until his death.

We're going to see now the true damage done to the
people by autocrats or dictators like Hugo Chavez.
The new self appointed boss, Maduro, is already wiping
his ass with the constitution. Since Chavez 'proclaimed'
recently that Maduro should take over if he's incapacitated,
Maduro is claiming he, as VP, should take over now, but
most there say the constitution gives power to the Assembly
President, not the VP.

Maduro will take power and keep it.

Then he'll change whatever rules he needs to win and stay in power
indefinitely. They'll call a quick election, before the opposition
can organize, and if any opposition rises to challenge
they'll be arrested for something or another. Remember
a politician can be removed from the ballot by the
mere accusation of a crime, and the Supreme Court
is a rubber stamp body, while the ruling party can spend
unlimited money on campaigns and controls almost all
the media, all thanks to Chavez.

Chavez's and Maduro's families and friends will have a
field day stripping the nation of what's left of it's wealth.

And once in power, they'll keep the opposition down
by becoming more radical with US relations, nothing
like the prospect of a war to help silence the opposition.
And the more radical the dictator becomes, the more
isolated and poor the people become.

Dictatorships, of any kind, are very predictable viscous cycles
that end in nothing but misery and wars. Regardless of
whether they start out, left or right, the end is the same.


s

[Gernot Hassenpflug]

"jonathan" <wr...@gmail.com> writes:

> "dott.Piergiorgio" <chied...@ask.me> wrote in message
> news:rqzZs.40549$5b....@tornado.fastwebnet.it...
> > Il 06/03/2013 01:51, Andrew Swallow ha scritto:
> >> On 05/03/2013 23:22, dump...@hotmail.com wrote:
> >>> Hugo Chavez, fiery Venezuelan leader, dies
> >>
> >> This could be a good time to make friends with the new rulers of
> >> Venezuela. They will need a few days to settle in and work out who is
> >> the boss.
> >>
> >> Otherwise we are going to be in for a long period of cold relations with
> >> this South American oil state.
> >
> > first and foremost, keeping a *very* low profile during the "working out
> > who is the boss" is crucial,
>
>
> I don't doubt the sincerity of Chavez in wanting to help
> his people, and agree moving to the left is long over due in
> many countries including American, but left or right aside, his
> true legacy is in how he dismantled democracy in Venezuela
> so he could stay in power until his death.

I suspect his true legacy will be that he repatriated gold to his country.
--
Gernot Hassenpflug
Aunkai