Picture of the Day

Royal Australian Navy warship HMAS Sydney cruises past the Sydney Opera House on October 4, 2013 in Sydney, Australia. Over 50 ships will participate in the International Fleet Review at Sydney Harbour to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the Royal Australian Navy's fleet arriving into Sydney. Prince Harry will take part in the fleet review during his two-day visit to Australia.

An overhead view of the battleship USS IOWA (BB-61) firing all 15 of its guns (nine 16-inch and six 5-inch) during a target exercise near Vieques Island. Careful observation of the three main turrets shows the barrels in various states of recoil.

68th anniversary. The Indonesian Army Forces or TNI AD. Indonesian Military (TNI) soldies train at Monas Park in Central Jakarta on Friday, Oct. 6. About 5,000 soldiers took part in self-defense training.

WAVES visiting the USS Missouri in an east coast port, during her shakedown period, circa August 1944. They are standing on the main deck at the bow, with the Navy Jack flying behind them U.S. Marine radio operator from the 1st Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company works a close-air support mission during exercise Mountain Roundup 2013 at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, Oct. 2, 2013.

Afghan and coalition force kneel during an operation in western Kandahar province, Afghanistan, Sep. 23, 2013. Afghan and coalition security forces arrested a Taliban facilitator involved in high profile attack against Afghan and coalition forces.

Gurkha fighting off a Taliban terrorist with his kukri, a traditional knife

A hero Gurkha has won the Military Cross after single-handedly fighting off two armed Taliban attacking an Afghan patrol base... with just his ceremonial Kukri knife.

Rifleman Tuljung Gurung tackled the gun-wielding insurgents armed only with his razor-sharp traditional Nepalese blade and forced them to flee.

Incredibly, the soldier - now an acting Lance Corporal - battled them despite being dazed after a bullet smashed directly into his helmet and he was knocked down by shockwaves from an enemy hand grenade which he threw to safety when it landed next to him.

read more

Pentagon: Shutdown Affects F-35 Test Flights, Deliveries

An F-35 joint strike fighter is rolled out of the Lockheed Martin production facility in Fort Worth, Texas. (Lockheed Martin)

Throughout the year, officials for the F-35 joint strike fighter have consistently said the program is on track. But if the US government shutdown continues for too long, a plane that has been long characterized by its historic delays could find itself falling behind once again, according to the head of the JSF program.

“The current closing of the federal government coupled with the furloughs from earlier this year has not been good for the F-35 program,” Lt. Gen. Christopher Bogdan, the head of the F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO), said in a statement Thursday.

“The shutdown is negatively affecting our ability to conduct flight tests and other areas of the program, such as development, aircraft deliveries and sustaining the fleet, are also at risk of delay and disruption,” Bogdan said. “Maintaining a stable program is one of the key drivers to keeping the F-35 on track and on budget; we look forward to a quick resolution that will enable our government to properly function again so we can continue to carry on with our mission.”


read more

International Warships Welcomed in Sydney Harbor

Warships from 17 nations including the United States and China were welcomed in Sydney Harbor on Friday as the city celebrates the centenary of the fledgling Australian navy fleet's first visit.
Thousands of spectators lined the harbor shores under blue skies to watch the warships power into Australia's largest city.
Seven Australian warships entered the harbor in line as the first Australian navy fleet of seven cruisers and destroyers did for the first time on Oct. 4, 1913.
Around 40 warships plus 16 tall ships will participate in the International Fleet Review on Saturday, which is the main event commemorating the arrival of the original Royal Australian Navy fleet a century ago.


read more

Iraq helicopter shot down as 18 killed nationwide

Militants shot down an Iraqi military helicopter on Wednesday, killing four security forces members, as at least 14 people died in other violence, officials said.

The helicopter was shot down during a large-scale operation against militants in a desert area west of Baiji, north of Baghdad, killing two crew members and two soldiers who were on board, army officers said.

Helicopters are periodically hit by gunfire during operations, including one last month in which a pilot was wounded.

In the northern city of Kirkuk, a car bomb detonated near the governorate headquarters, killing two people and wounding 15.

In Nineveh province, also in the north, attacks killed three people, and soldiers shot one militant dead. Violence in Diyala province left two people dead and two wounded.
read more

Did The NSA Hire Two Secretive Israeli Companies To Wiretap The U.S. Telecommunications Network?

Reuters

DID YOU KNOW?: Two Secretive Israeli Companies Reportedly Bugged The US Telecommunications Grid For The NSA -- Business Insider

The newest information regarding the NSA domestic spying scandal raises an important question: If America's tech giants didn't 'participate knowingly' in the dragnet of electronic communication, how does the NSA get all of their data?

One theory: the NSA hired two secretive Israeli companies to wiretap the U.S. telecommunications network.

In April 2012 Wired's James Bamford — author of the book "The Shadow Factory: The NSA from 9/11 to the Eavesdropping on America" — reported that two companies with extensive links to Israel's intelligence service provided hardware and software to wiretap the U.S. telecommunications network for the National Security Agency (NSA).

Read more ....

My Comment: An intriguing (and if true it is disturbing) intelligence relationship .... the Israeli are being used to spy and collect data on Americans so that U.S. agencies cannot be accused of breaking U.S. laws. I know that no one is going to confirm this publicly .... but it is a question that needs to be answered. More coverage and discussion of Israeli capabilities to penetrate U.S. communication networks can be read here.

Picture Of The Day

A paratrooper peers through his scope to observe a target during his brigade's fire support coordination exercise on Fort Bragg, N.C., June 6, 2013. The paratrooper, a sniper, is assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division's 4th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team. U.S. Army photo Sgt. Adonis Williams

What Are Polls Saying On The NSA Surveilance Scandal

Gallup, Fox News Polls: Public Opposes Broad NSA Collection Of Records -- Hot Air

I’m not going to blog every poll on this topic but some commenters were grumpy about the results of the Pew and CBS polls and I wanted to throw them a bone. If you’re waiting for a backlash, your wait might be over. First, Gallup:

And, hot on its heels, Fox News:

Read more ....

More Polls On The NSA Surveillance Programs

57% Fear Government Will Use NSA Data to Harass Political Opponents -- Rasmussen Reports
More Americans see man who leaked NSA secrets as 'patriot' than traitor: Poll -- Reuters
Fox News poll: Voters oppose NSA program, most lack trust in government -- FOX News
Polls show Obama's real worry: NSA leaks erode trust in government -- The Guardian
Majority say NSA tracking of phone records "acceptable" - Washington Post-Pew Research Center poll -- Washington Post
Why 3 Polls on NSA Snooping Produce Wildly Contradictory Results -- Media Ethics
Partisan Hypocrisy and NSA Surveillance -- Kevin Drum, Mother Jones

Yahoo Fought Against The NSA's Demands For Their Data (But They Lost)

Reuters

How Yahoo Fought PRISM — and Lost -- Atlantic Wire

Yahoo, one of the companies named as part of the NSA's PRISM data collection program, didn't go quietly, according to a New York Times scoop posted late Thursday. The company was behind a 2008 court challenge to fight a court order requiring the company to give them data without a warrant, which they lost. That, according to the Times, ushered the company into PRISM.

The court, Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court or FISC, has been in the news a lot recently for, among other things, authorizing the phone data tracking of millions of Americans. The Yahoo case was previously known as an unsuccessful challenge to the NSA's surveillance powers, but until now, no one knew the name of the company behind it. Here's how that argument went down, according to the Times:

Read more ....

My Comment: Yahoo's court case against the NSA makes the denials from Facebook, Google, Apple, etc. of NSA cooperation all the more questionable.

Who Is Spying On The U.S. Media?

CBS News Confirms Sharyl Attkisson's Computer Hacked -- CBS

CBS News announced Friday that correspondent Sharyl Attkisson's computer was hacked by "an unauthorized, external, unknown party on multiple occasions," confirming Attkisson's previous revelation of the hacking.

CBS News spokeswoman Sonya McNair said that a cybersecurity firm hired by CBS News "has determined through forensic analysis" that "Attkisson's computer was accessed by an unauthorized, external, unknown party on multiple occasions in late 2012."

"Evidence suggests this party performed all access remotely using Attkisson's accounts. While no malicious code was found, forensic analysis revealed an intruder had executed commands that appeared to involve search and exfiltration of data. This party also used sophisticated methods to remove all possible indications of unauthorized activity, and alter system times to cause further confusion. CBS News is taking steps to identify the responsible party and their method of access."

Read more ....

More News On CBS Reporter Sharyl Attkisson's Computer Being Hacked

CBS News says someone tampered with reporter Sharyl Attkisson’s computer -- Washington Post/AP
CBS News says reporter's computer was hacked -- Reuters
CBS probe finds computer of lead Benghazi reporter was hacked -- FOX News
CBS: Sharyl Attkisson computer hacked -- Politico
CBS News reporter Sharyl Attkisson’s computer intrusion a ‘sophisticated’ plot -- Washington Times
CBS News: Someone was pulling data from Sharyl Attkisson’s computer; Update: CBS report added -- Hot Air
Sharyl Attkisson's Computer Was Hacked but CBS Doesn't Know Who Did It -- Atlantic Wire
Sharyl Attkisson’s computer: What could have prompted breaches? -- Erik Wemple, Washington Post

My Comment: Considering what has been happening in the past week .... this is a very disturbing story.

NSA's PRISM Program Reveals The Partnership Between US-UK Intelligence Services

Britain's Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) in Cheltenham, England. The British intelligence organization's close ties to the US National Security Agency have come under scrutiny amid the controversy over the NSA's PRISM surveillance program revealed by whistleblower Edward Snowden. Reuters/Handout

Another US-UK 'Special Relationship' - Between Intelligence Services --Christian Science Monitor

Edward Snowden's leaks about the NSA's PRISM program have drawn attention to the extraordinarily tight partnership between the US agency and GCHQ, its British counterpart.

A week on from revelations about the secret US eavesdropping program called PRISM, the British government has warned international airlines not to allow former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden to board flights to Britain.

The effective labeling of Mr. Snowden as a “persona non grata” over his leaks about PRISM underline how they have struck a nerve with authorities here due to the long, close historical partnership between the American NSA and the British equivalent, known as Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ).

Read more ....

My Comment: I suspect that the NSA and the GCHQ are not happy with this exposure.

NSA Leaker Edward Snowden Extradition Could Take Months To Years

Edward Snowden told the South China Morning Post that he had no intention of hiding from justice. Photograph: Bobby Yip/Reuters

John Miller: Edward Snowden Extradition Could Take Months, Years -- CBS

(CBS News) American officials are working to bring Edward Snowden, the man responsible for leaking information on U.S. government surveillance programs, to the United States to face charges.

The British government has warned airlines not to allow Snowden to fly to the United Kingdom, because he will not be permitted into the country.

CBS News senior correspondent John Miller, a former deputy director at the FBI, says getting Snowden back to the U.S. and issuing charges against him is "complicated on a number of levels."

In order to extradite Snowden from Hong Kong, where he is believed to be, the charge against him for leaking National Security Agency (NSA) documents to the press has to "fit with U.S. law but also with statutes in Hong Kong," Miller explained Friday on "CBS This Morning."

Read more ....

My Comment: It may take years to extradite .... but the U.S. is very patient.

U.K. Home Office Warns Airlines Not To Fly NSA Whistleblower Edward Snowden To Britain

Heathrow Airport in west London Credit: Press Association

Prism Revelations: Home Office Warns Airlines Not To Fly NSA Whistleblower Edward Snowden To Britain -- The Independent

Carriers who fly him to the UK are told they face fines and the costs of his detention.

Airlines have been warned by the Home Office not to fly the CIA whistleblower Edward Snowden to Britain as he would be turned away on arrival.

The move signals the Government’s determination to avoid a repeat of the controversy over the Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, who has been living in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London for nearly a year, after being granted asylum by the South American nation.

Read more ....

More News On Britain Issuing A Global Warning To Airlines To Not Let NSA Leaker Edward Snowden Fly To The U.K.

Britain to airlines: Don't let Edward Snowden fly to U.K. -- CBS/AP
Edward Snowden: UK warning aims to keep away US leaker -- BBC
Edward Snowden: Don't fly NSA whistleblower to UK, airlines told -- The Guardian
Britain issues global warning to airlines not to let CIA leaker Edward Snowden board a flight to the UK -- Daily Mail
Malaysia Airlines says UK asked carrier not to fly Snowden to Britain -- AFP

WNU Editor: Edward Snowden is not going to fly to England.

How Did NSA Leaker Snowden Steal All Of Those NSA Secrets

Snowden didn't seem to have to work very hard to grab top secret classified government info. REUTERS/Bobby Yip

How Edward Snowden Stole His Cache Of NSA Secrets -- The Week

The NSA leaker reportedly just walked out of work with some of America's big secrets on a thumb drive in his pocket.

A week after Edward Snowden's leaks about National Security Agency surveillance and data-gathering were first reported, and four days after he revealed himself as the leaker, the news media is figuring out how the 29-year-old IT systems administrator managed his potentially huge data heist.

If you're concerned about national security, the new revelations will probably dismay you; if you appreciate leaking of government secrets, Snowden's technique is likely encouraging: Theft by thumb drive.

The NSA and other spy and military agencies have long known the dangers of the innocent-seeming portable USB flash drive. In October 2008, the NSA discovered that a thumb drive loaded with malware had infected the military's secure internal network. The Pentagon then (at least temporarily) banned the use of thumb drives — NSA commanders even reportedly ordered USB ports filled in with liquid cement.

Read more ....

Update #1: Snowden smuggled out data on thumb drive, officials say -- L.A. Times
Update #2: NSA leaker Ed Snowden used banned thumb-drive, exceeded access -- Washington Times

My Comment: Someone was asleep on the job .... permitting an active USB port was just an open invitation for someone like Edward Snowden to grab what he wanted. Then again .... Edward Snoeden does not strike me as a stupid guy .... he probably knew what he had to do in order to obtain the information that he wanted.How Did NSA Leaker Snowden Steal All Of Those NSA Secrets

Israel And U.S. Coordinating How To Target Assad’s Military Arsenal

Syrian Civil War: Israel and U.S. Coordinating How to Target Assad’s Arsenal -- Time

52 days after an Israeli general publicly declared that Syria has used chemical weapons against rebels, the Obama administration reached the same conclusion, and used the finding to justify announcing it would send small arms to the side of the victims. “I will not say ‘We told you so,’ only, okay, the proof is there, so there’s no more question about it,” says Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor, taking with a smile the easy part of the equation now laid before Israel. As for the hard part: “Now, what should be done? It’s not for Israel to say, because the international involvement in this should not include Israel. Israel follows very closely developments there. It’s very concerned about activity on its borders. But we’re not aspiring to be involved in any action about what’s happening in Syria.”

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Here's a map of the 23 places the U.S. will bomb if there's a Syria no-fly-zone.

President Obama To Speak On Syria Next Week

 

White House: Obama To Speak On Syria In Coming Days -- Politico 

President Obama hasn't spoken publicly about his administration's evidence that Bashar al-Assad's Syrian regime has crossed his "red line" with its use of chemical weapons, but the White House indicated Friday that he will soon speak out.

 "I'm certain he's going to have opportunities to speak to it, for instance, over the course of the several days that he'll be traveling to Europe. He himself is the one who laid out the red line publicly," deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes told reporters Friday.

He later added: "You can fully expect that the president will be heard on these issues repeatedly in the coming days, and the announcement we made yesterday very much reflected his guidance because he was the one who directed the intelligence community to pull together this assessment and directed us to make it public." But Rhodes didn't indicate that Obama has any plans to address the nation in domestic remarks before he heads to Europe.

Read more ....  

My Comment: Before reading this article from the Politico, I was just about to write a post on "Where is President Obama?". President Obama will also need to address the NSA surveillance scandal, and explain why has he expanded this policy when he vowed as candidate Obama in 2007 that he was going to abolish it.

Hollowing Out The U.S. Military Again

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, center, Deputy Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, left, and Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, meet with senior Defense Department and combatant commanders at the Pentagon, June 14, 2013. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo

A Hollow Military Again? -- James Kitfield, National Journal

The looming postwar drawdown of the U.S. armed forces will prove the most challenging of modern times.

Even in the best of times, U.S. leaders have stumbled trying to manage the tricky transition between war and what comes after. Following every “war to end all wars,” the American people demand a “peace dividend” that often cuts defense spending too deep for too long, eroding military preparedness. Congress resists shuttering unneeded bases, stopping unnecessary weapons production, or decommissioning excess reserve units that represent jobs in home districts. The result is military forces that are unbalanced and inefficient. The Pentagon plans to fight the last war, only with a smaller force, rather than adjusting adequately to new limitations and threats on the horizon.

Read more ....

My Comment: A depressing read .... because hollowing out the U.S. military is happening .... compounded further by the huge debts and obligations that the U.S. government is now faced with but not willing to confront.

It Will Take More Than Giving Small Arms To The Rebels To Change The Direction Of The Syrian Civil War

A general view shows damaged buildings and debris in Deir al-Zor, June 13, 2013. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi

Analysis: Transforming Syria's War Could Take More Than Arming Rebels -- Reuters

(Reuters) - - If the United States and allies genuinely want to change the course of the war in Syria, it may take considerably more than simply supplying the faltering opposition with weaponry.

Western officials say they still believe the ultimate endgame - and possibly the exit of Bashar al-Assad - will be through a negotiated settlement.

In the meantime, however, they say the war is increasingly tilting in what they see as the wrong direction, with Iranian-backed Hezbollah fighters entering the fray on Assad's side. With government forces advancing on Aleppo, time may also be running out.

That, some analysts and officials believe, may now push Washington and others towards much more direct military action, perhaps targeted airstrikes or a limited "no-fly zone" over rebel held areas near the Jordanian border.

What happens next may come down to a personal decision for President Barack Obama.

Read more ....

My Comment: I do not see or understand the vision, goals, objectives, end game, strategy, purpose .... well you get the point .... from what the White House hopes to accomplish with this intervention. But what I do see is the U.S. getting directly involved in another Middle Eastern conflict which will only exacerbate the bloodshed and involve an even greater intervention of outside powers i.e. Hezbollah, Iran, and (of course) Russia. Bottom line .... the entire region is unstable with religion and sectarianism being the main driving force for this conflict .... and the U.S. wants to get involved in this mess with no end game sketched out?!?!?!

And where is the President of the United States? For crying out loud .... he is getting the U.S. involved in another war .... and he has disappeared???? No speech. No address to the nation. No comment. No press conference. Nothing. Just a promise that he will say something next week ?!?!?!?

Trust me on this one .... this is not going to end well.

Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- June 14, 2013

Syria’s Civil War: The Regime Digs In -- The Economist

President Bashar Assad and his forces have won a new lease of life.

“YA GHALI,” says a driver greeting the soldier manning a checkpoint of concrete blocks painted with the Syrian flag and plastered with pictures of Bashar Assad in regime-controlled central Damascus. This salutation was never in use in the capital before the war but is now standard at checkpoints. “Ghali”, or precious, is used in the coastal homeland of the Alawites, the sect from which Mr Assad hails. It is a sign both that the president is in control here and that, for all its talk of a state for all of Syria’s communities, his regime has been largely reduced to a sectarian militia, though the most powerful in the country.

Read more ....

Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials

Viewpoints: Arming the rebel groups in Syria -- BBC

US military aid to Syria rebels: Why Obama is starting with the minimum -- Howard LaFranchi, Christian Science Monitor

Peace untenable with Al Assad around -- Khalid Saleh, Gulf News

Peace in Syria? Talk to Iran -- Banafsheh Keynoush, Special for CNN

Iran elections: there's room for surprise, but the system will win out -- Michael Axworthy, The Guardian

Turkey’s agony – how Erdogan turned a peaceful protest into a violent nightmare -- Claire Berlinski, The Spectator

The reluctant hegemon: If Europe’s economies are to recover, Germany must start to lead -- The Economist

Nicaragua still thinks it can build a better canal than Panama after 200 years of trying -- Simone Foxman, Quartz

The ‘Cubanization’ of Venezuela -- Jose R. Cardenas, Washington Times

Can the NSA convince Americans to surrender privacy concerns? -- Aliyah Frumin, MSNBC

James Clapper’s ‘least untruthful’ answer -- Ruth Marcus, Washington Post

Edward Snowden's worst fear has not been realised – thankfully -- Glenn Greenwald, The Guardian

As public concerns grow, Congress spooked over spying -- David Lightman, McClatchy Washington Bureau

Why America's Shale Oil Boom Could End Sooner Than You Think -- Christopher Helman, Forbes

World News Briefs -- June 14, 2013 (Evening Edition)

Voting Closes in Iran Presidential Election -- Voice of America

Polling stations have closed across most of Iran, where officials extended voting by several hours to accommodate what they described as a large turnout in the country's presidential election. State-run news agencies say the vote count is underway, with results expected to be announced in several hours.

Millions of Iranians voted Friday to choose a successor to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Western news agencies reported long lines at some polling stations even as the vote was scheduled to end.

Read more ....

MIDDLE EAST

Iranians await presidential election results, following extension of polling hours. Iran presidential election: second round forecast after late flurry at polls.

Iran's presidential elections: polling day live. Iranians vote in key presidential elections. Voting hours extended in Iran Presidential election.

Syria and Russia slam US over weapons charge.

US: Syria's Assad crossed 'red line' with chemical weapons.

Syria: US chemical weapons charges 'full of lies'. Syria, Russia push back over U.S. chemical weapons claims.

Syrian rebels say they need heavy weaponry, not small arms, from U.S..

U.S. arms vow draws skepticism from Syria rebels.

Erdogan makes conciliatory move to end Turkish protests.

Thousands protest Yemen security force 'excesses'.

Yemen struggles to keep the lights on amid frequent power line sabotage.

Deadly virus spreading from the Middle East.

ASIA

Chinese paper: Snowden could be useful to China.

India Maoists: Three die in attack on train in Bihar.

Japan's Defense Ministry to fortify SDF with a special island assault unit.

Three Chinese ships in disputed waters: Japan.

India to become world's most populous nation around 2028: UN.

Crackdown filling N. Korean prisons with defectors.

South Korean former spy chief accused of election meddling.

Host sacked for asking if Australia PM's partner gay.

AFRICA

South Sudan 'preventing aid to Jonglei victims'.

Mali 'suicide-vest workshop found’.

Egypt says citizens free to join fight in Syria.

TV channel offices attacked in Libya's Benghazi.

US military pays close attention to Boko Haram militants.

Analysts: West Africa attractive Hezbollah destination.

Wife of ousted Madagascar leader stands by bid for power.

Anti-Mugabe hackers attack website of South Africa's ruling ANC.

Mugabe calls elections – and Tsvangirai rejects them as illegal.

EUROPE

Anti-G8 activists rally in London banking district.

Merkel tells young Europeans to move to find work.

Pope Francis tells Archbishop of Canterbury to stand firm on traditional family values.

Euro zone inflation off three-year lows, fall in employment deepens.

Czech prosecutors charge seven in scandal threatening PM.

Thousands protest in Greece over ERT shutdown.

Spain's public debt hits record high.

EU seeks to ease French fears over Hollywood in U.S. trade talks.

Russians flee the Caucasus anyway.

AMERICAS

Killer Colorado wildfire feeding off wind, lightning as thousands flee.

City of Detroit defaults on it's loans.

Argentine ex-president jailed for arms deals.

U.S. agencies said to swap data with thousands of firms.

Residents flee as historic Colorado wildfire burns out of control.

Nicaraguan assembly OKs $40 billion Chinese canal to rival Panama's.

Brazil: Sao Paulo transport fare protest turns violent.

Argentina train crash leaves hundreds of casualties.

Commander in SS-led unit living in US.

TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR

UK: Al-Qaeda groups tried to get chemical weapons.

Guantanamo judge orders first closed session of Obama war court.

Terrorists could use fire as new tactic against United States.

Terrorists change behavior after leaks, lawmaker says.

ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS

IMF urges repeal of 'ill-designed' U.S. cuts.

Analysis: Bombardier gambles on big order payoff with new jet.

Airbus A350 makes maiden test flight.

US Supreme Court says human DNA cannot be patented.

The UN Prepares To Go To War For The First Time

The UN Prepares To Go To War For The First Time, With A 3,000-Strong Task Force Sent To Fight Rebels In The Congo -- Daily Mail

* 3,000 UN troops are being deployed to the central African nation
* It is the first time that the UN will be in direct control of a fighting force
* Even normally-reluctant Russia and China voted in favour of the action
* Mineral-rich Congo has been wracked by years of civil war
* Conflict was originally sparked by the genocide in neighbouring Rwanda

The UN is about to go to war for the first time in its history after the Security Council voted unanimously to intervene to fight rebels in the Congo.

Around 3,000 UN troops wearing the blue insignia, are being deployed to the central African nation which has been wracked by years of civil war and lawlessness.

The UN has led a 14-year-long peacekeeping in a bid to end the ethic conflict which was sparked by the genocide in neighbouring Rwanda when thousands of Hutus fled into the Congo to evade justice.

Read more ....

My Comment: Considering the size of the area and the scope of the problem .... this is just a drop in the bucket. But it is the first time that the UN is directly commanding a fighting force, and that is what observers are looking at.

Iran's Presidential Election: A News Roundup

Iran Extends Presidential Voting Hours Citing Big Turnout -- Voice of America

Millions of Iranians are voting Friday to choose a new president and officials have extended voting hours twice in response to what they describe as a large turnout.

Iran's state run news agencies said the polls would stay open an additional three hours with the possibility of additional extensions.

Analysts say the high interest in the carefully orchestrated campaign may be due to the candidacy of moderate cleric Hassan Rowhani. Iran's former nuclear negotiator picked up the endorsements of leading reformists.

Former president Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, another reformist leader, has also urged his supporters not to boycott the election.

Read more ....

More News On Iran's Presidential Election

Iran election: reports of late surge for more moderate candidate Hassan Rowhani -- The Telegraph
Turnout appears strong in Iranian presidential vote -- McClatchy News
Voters split but turnout high in Iran election -- Reuters
Iran votes in key presidential contest -- AFP
Iran votes for president, Khamenei slams U.S. -- Reuters
Moderate in Iran elections complicates matters for voters -- CBC/AP
Inside Iran's Presidential Election and Beyond -- AP
Iran elections: the world hopes for change, but is likely to be disappointed -- Ian Black, The Guardian

Hezbollah Vows To Continue The Fight In Syria

Hezbollah's leader Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah speaks on a TV screen during a ceremony in Beirut's southern suburbs, Friday, June 14, 2013. (The Daily Star/Hasan Shaaban)

Hezbollah Will Keep Fighting In Syria: Nasrallah -- Daily Star

BEIRUT: Hezbollah will continue fighting alongside forces loyal to President Bashar Assad against Syrian rebels, the head of the resistance group said Friday, adding that his party’s decision to intervene in Lebanon’s neighbor had been a calculated one.

Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah also said recent steps taken by Gulf Cooperation Countries targeting Hezbollah loyalists in the Gulf would not deter his group from its objectives in Syria.

“If anyone thinks that through lies, killings, and threats we will change our stances, they are wrong. Wherever we need to be, we will be. What we started taking responsibility for, we will continue to be responsible for, and there is no need to give details," Nasrallah said in an event commemorating wounded members of Hezbollah.

Read more ....

More News On Reports That Hezbollah Will Continue To Fight In Syria

Hezbollah will stay involved in Syria war: Nasrallah -- AFP
Lebanon's Hezbollah Says to Keep Fighting in Syria -- ABC News/AP
Hezbollah leader says will keep fighting in Syria -- Reuters
Hezbollah leader vows to keep fight in Syria -- Al Jazeera
Nasrallah: Hezbollah’s intervention in Syria was ‘late’ -- Al Arabiya

Could Syria Ignite World War 3?

The conflict in Syria has already claimed 93,000 lives and left 1.6million people refugees

Could Syria Ignite World War 3? That's The Terrifying Question As The Hatred Between Two Muslim Ideologies Sucks In The World's Superpowers -- Daily Mail

* Syrian conflict could engulf region in struggle between Sunni and Shia
* Already claimed 93,000 lives and made 1.6million people refugees
* UK, France and U.S. taken different side to China and Russia

The crisis in Syria may appear to be no more or less than a civil war in a country many people would struggle to place on a map.

But it’s much more than that: it is rapidly becoming a sectarian struggle for power that is bleeding across the Middle East, with the potential to engulf the entire region in a deadly power struggle between two bitterly opposed Muslim ideologies, Sunni and Shia.

Already, the war inside Syria has resulted in 93,000 dead and 1.6 million refugees, with millions more displaced internally. And those figures are escalating rapidly amid reports of appalling atrocities on both sides.

Read more

My Comment: Another must read post on this centuries old conflict of Sunni versus Shiite is here. As to what is my take .... no one is the Middle East is interested in peace right now. The centuries old animosities and hatreds are now on full display, and unlike 2007-2008 when US forces were deployed to stop the sectarian bloodshed that broke out in Iraq, there is no such military force in the Middle East today. What we now have is the opposite .... major powers supplying weapons to their allies that are only further fueling this conflict.

I expect Syria's civil war to continue, and I also expect it to spread into neighboring states. And as the body count continues skyward in Syria, ethnic cleansing and sectarian enclaves will be the result. The only thing that I do not know for sure is if this sectarian and religious conflict will spread with the same intensity into Lebanon and Iraq. Iraq is certainly suffering a sectarian terrorism campaign that they are unable to stop, and Lebanon has a very long history of Christian-Sunni-Shiite battles. It will not take much to have these countries pushed into an implosion that will make the Syrian civil war a "walk in the park" in comparison .... and if that should happen .... all eyes will then be on Iran and on what it will then do. And if they (Iran) should become involved with boots on the ground .... expect Israel/U.S./Europe/and the Gulf states to jump in ... and jump in quickly. As to counties like Russia and China .... I do not expect them to get involved (aside from supplying weapons).

Commentaries, Analysis, And Reactions To The U.S. Commitment To Arm Syria's Rebels

US Decision To Arm Syria Rebels 'Will Be Greeted With Horror In Russia' -- The Telegraph

President Barack Obama's open-ended commitment to provide weapons to Syrian rebels will place the US and Russia on opposite sides of a Middle Eastern regional war, says Damien McElroy, the Telegraph's Foreign Affairs Correspondent.

President Barack Obama has authorised sending weapons to Syrian rebels for the first time.

The announcement comes after the White House disclosed that the US has conclusive evidence President Bashar Assad's government used chemical weapons against opposition forces trying to overthrow him.

Mr Obama has repeatedly said the use of chemical weapons would cross a "red line," suggesting it would trigger greater US intervention in the two-year crisis that has killed 93,000 people.

Read more ....

Commentaries, Analysis, And Reactions To The U.S. Commitment To Arm Syria's Rebels

Is Obama Prolonging The War In Syria? -- Massimo Calabresi, Time
In Syria, U.S. may find war centuries in the making -- Mona Alami, Special for USA TODAY
Obama’s Syria Aid: Too Late? -- Josh Rogin, Daily Beast
Will US arms fix Syrian 'problem from hell'? -- Jonathan Marcus, BBC
Syria chemical weapons accusations ‘a means of justifying further military action’ -- RT
U.S. Says Syria Crossed 'Red Line'; Now What? -- Eyder Peralta, NPR
Global Insight: The US and Syria – it’s about time -- Roula Khalaf, Financial Times
Syria: Obama's red line has been crossed – it's time to act -- Ian Black, The Guardian
The West must act on Syria -- The Australian
Syria crosses 'red line' on chemical weapons. How will Obama respond? -- Brad Knickerbocker, Christian Science Monitor
Experts: Syria rebels need weapons before diplomacy -- Oren Dorell, USA TODAY
Is it too late to get involved in Syria? -- FOX News (Video)
Obama's half-hearted push into Syria -- Mark Mardell, BBC
Obama's support for the Syrian rebels is far too little, far too late -- Con Coughlin, The Telegraph
Syria aid: Unconscionably late and an object lesson -- Jennifer Rubin, Washington Post
Obama’s Betrayal On Syria -- The Dish
Why we should support the rebels in Syria -- Moshe Ma'oz, Haaretz
Analysis: New urgency for Obama’s Syria choices -- Michael Wilner, Jerusalem Post
First Thoughts: What's the endgame for Syria? -- Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro, NBC News
America’s ‘red lines’ aren’t what they used to be -- Matt Gurney, National Post
Obama proceeds cautiously in Syria, for good reason -- Paul Mirengoff, Powerline
Red Lined: White House Says It Knows For Sure That Assad Used Chemical Weapons -- John Hudson, The Cable/Foreign Policy
'Long overdue': Reactions to White House announcement on Syria -- Elisha Fieldstadt, NBC News
White House plan to arm rebels raises warnings in Congress -- FOX News
John McCain: Delay on Syria ‘disgraceful’ -- Politico
On Syria, Bill Clinton says Obama decision 'trending in right direction' -- CNN

U.S. To Arm Syria's Rebels (Updated)

US Offers Syrian Rebels 'Military Support,' Alleges Assad Used Chemical Weapons -- NBC

The United States and its allies have concluded that the government of Bashar Assad has used chemical weapons in Syria's protracted civil war, leading President Barack Obama to broaden aid — including military support — to opposition groups.

The intelligence community concluded with "high confidence" that the Assad regime had used chemical weapons — including the nerve agent sarin — "on a small scale against the opposition multiple times in the last year."

"The intelligence community estimates that 100 to 150 people have died from detected chemical weapons attacks in Syria to date; however, casualty data is likely incomplete," said Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications Ben Rhodes.

Read more ....

Previous Post: U.S. To Provide Military Support To Syria's Rebels

More News On The U.S. Preparing To Provide Military Assistance To Syria's Rebels

Syria Live Blog -- Al Jazeera
US to arm Syrian rebels - live updates -- The Guardian
Syria: US 'to arm rebels' - latest -- The Telegraph

Analysis: U.S. military options in Syria remain challenging -- David Alexander and Phil Stewart, Reuters
Obama adviser: US to increase military support to Syria rebels -- The Telegraph
Obama Said to Order Arming Syrian Opposition Amid Setbacks -- Bloomberg Businessweek
US grapples with how much weaponry to give Syrian rebels -- AP
Obama to arm Syrian rebels -- MSNBC
Obama Plans to Arm Syrian Rebels -- Voice of America
U.S. says Syria used chemical weapons, will send military support to rebels -- McClatchy News
U.S. to start arming Syria rebels but still moving warily -- Reuters
US agrees to arm Syria rebels amid chemical weapons claims -- The Australian/AFP
US offers 'military support' to Syrian rebels -- Al Jazeera
Officials: US Planning to Arm Syrian Rebels -- Voice of America
U.S. considers no-fly zone after Syria crosses nerve gas "red line" -- Reuters
Jordan key to Pentagon plan for no-fly zone -- The Australian
France says U.N. backing for Syria no-fly zone 'unlikely' -- Reuters
Syria rebels want heavy weapons and no-flyzone from US -- Financial Times
Getting weapons to Syrian rebels not that hard -- USA Today