Sunday, November 28, 2010
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
90,000 Classified Documents Leak
On July 25, Internet-based watchdog organization WikiLeaks posted more than 90,000 classified military accounts of the war in Afghanistan. The website's founder, Julian Assange, had shared the documents with several newspapers weeks before publishing them, on the agreement that they not report any of the information until after it appeared on WikiLeaks. The papers consist primarily of secret reports from troops in the field covering local intelligence and recounting clashes — including a number of missives detailing civilian casualties often at the hands of coalition forces. Most notably, some of the numbers noted are not in line with what the military had reported during the near decade-long conflict in Afghanistan. Another important — though not altogether surprising — revelation was that members of the U.S. military suspect what many have long said: that Pakistan's military intelligence agency has secretly helped the Afghan Taliban insurgency.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who has come under fire recently for failing to properly combat terrorist activity in his country, responded with this statement: "The recent documents leaked out to the media clearly support and verify Afghanistan's all-time position that success over terrorism does not come with fighting in Afghan villages, but by targeting its sanctuaries and financial and ideological sources across the borders. Our efforts against terrorism will have no effect as long as these sanctuaries and sources remain intact."
Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who has come under fire recently for failing to properly combat terrorist activity in his country, responded with this statement: "The recent documents leaked out to the media clearly support and verify Afghanistan's all-time position that success over terrorism does not come with fighting in Afghan villages, but by targeting its sanctuaries and financial and ideological sources across the borders. Our efforts against terrorism will have no effect as long as these sanctuaries and sources remain intact."
Friday, July 23, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
Middle East News Report: Leon Panetta on the Afghan War
Middle East News Report: Leon Panetta on the Afghan War: "Washington (CNN) -- CIA Director Leon Panetta said Sunday that the war in Afghanistan had 'serious problems,' but the U.S.-led mission was m..."
Leon Panetta on the Afghan War
Washington (CNN) -- CIA Director Leon Panetta said Sunday that the war in Afghanistan had "serious problems," but the U.S.-led mission was making progress.
"It's harder, it's slower than I think anyone anticipated," said Panetta, the nation's top intelligence officer, in a rare media interview with the ABC program "This Week."
He cited governance problems, drug trafficking and the Taliban insurgency -- all in a tribal society -- as the major challenges to the goal of "making sure al Qaeda never finds another safe haven from which to attack this country."
"Winning in Afghanistan is having a country that is stable enough to ensure that there is no safe haven for al Qaeda or for a militant Taliban that welcomes al Qaeda," Panetta said.
Noting increased violence against U.S. and NATO forces in Kandahar and Helmand provinces, Panetta said the "key to success or failure is whether the Afghans accept responsibility" for securing and governing their country.
He downplayed the chances of a political reconciliation process succeeding in Afghanistan, saying the Taliban and its allies would only take part if they believed they faced certain defeat.
"We have seen no evidence that they are truly interested in reconciliation, where they would surrender their arms, where they would denounce al Qaeda, where they would really try to become part of that society," Panetta said.
Panetta estimated that no more than 50 to 100 al Qaeda terrorists were in Afghanistan -- mainly in Kandahar -- and he said that Osama bin Laden remains in "very deep hiding" in the tribal areas of Pakistan near the Afghanistan border.
"He obviously has tremendous security around him," Panetta said of the al Qaeda leader sought by the United States in connection with the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
With further efforts to disrupt al Qaeda operations and kill al Qaeda leaders in Afghanistan, "we think ultimately we can flush out" bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri, the group's second-in-command, Panetta said. However, he acknowledged it had been years since the U.S. had any good intelligence on the precise location of bin Laden.
Panetta also made clear that the threat from al Qaeda remains the nation's main concern, noting the group's use of people who lack any terrorism record -- such as the suspect in the botched bombing attempt of a U.S. airliner on Christmas day -- as a way to infiltrate U.S. safeguards. He also mentioned sleeper agents already in the country and people who "self-radicalize," such as Maj. Nidal Hasan, the suspect in the Ft. Hood, Texas, shootings.
"Those kinds of threats represent I think the most serious threat to the United States right now," Panetta said.
On Iran, Panetta said the Tehran government continues to develop the capability to build a nuclear weapon, but that debate exists within the country on whether to actually do so.
"We think they have enough low-enriched uranium right now for two weapons," Panetta said. "They do have to enrich it, fully, in order to get there. And we would estimate that if they made that decision, it would probably take a year to get there, probably another year to develop the kind of weapon delivery system in order to make that viable."
Regarding another nuclear "rogue" state -- North Korea -- Panetta said the question of who will succeed leader Kim Jong Il is likely behind recent military acts such as the alleged sinking of a South Korean navy ship.
"I think that could have been part of it, in order to establish credibility for his son," Panetta said of a likely successor, adding: "His son is very young. His son is very untested. His son is loyal to his father and to North Korea, but his son does not have the kind of credibility with the military, because nobody really knows what he's going to be like."
However, Panetta said he doubted there would be further escalation, noting that "in the end, they always back away from the brink, and I think they'll do that now."
"It's harder, it's slower than I think anyone anticipated," said Panetta, the nation's top intelligence officer, in a rare media interview with the ABC program "This Week."
He cited governance problems, drug trafficking and the Taliban insurgency -- all in a tribal society -- as the major challenges to the goal of "making sure al Qaeda never finds another safe haven from which to attack this country."
"Winning in Afghanistan is having a country that is stable enough to ensure that there is no safe haven for al Qaeda or for a militant Taliban that welcomes al Qaeda," Panetta said.
Noting increased violence against U.S. and NATO forces in Kandahar and Helmand provinces, Panetta said the "key to success or failure is whether the Afghans accept responsibility" for securing and governing their country.
He downplayed the chances of a political reconciliation process succeeding in Afghanistan, saying the Taliban and its allies would only take part if they believed they faced certain defeat.
"We have seen no evidence that they are truly interested in reconciliation, where they would surrender their arms, where they would denounce al Qaeda, where they would really try to become part of that society," Panetta said.
Panetta estimated that no more than 50 to 100 al Qaeda terrorists were in Afghanistan -- mainly in Kandahar -- and he said that Osama bin Laden remains in "very deep hiding" in the tribal areas of Pakistan near the Afghanistan border.
"He obviously has tremendous security around him," Panetta said of the al Qaeda leader sought by the United States in connection with the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
With further efforts to disrupt al Qaeda operations and kill al Qaeda leaders in Afghanistan, "we think ultimately we can flush out" bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri, the group's second-in-command, Panetta said. However, he acknowledged it had been years since the U.S. had any good intelligence on the precise location of bin Laden.
Panetta also made clear that the threat from al Qaeda remains the nation's main concern, noting the group's use of people who lack any terrorism record -- such as the suspect in the botched bombing attempt of a U.S. airliner on Christmas day -- as a way to infiltrate U.S. safeguards. He also mentioned sleeper agents already in the country and people who "self-radicalize," such as Maj. Nidal Hasan, the suspect in the Ft. Hood, Texas, shootings.
"Those kinds of threats represent I think the most serious threat to the United States right now," Panetta said.
On Iran, Panetta said the Tehran government continues to develop the capability to build a nuclear weapon, but that debate exists within the country on whether to actually do so.
"We think they have enough low-enriched uranium right now for two weapons," Panetta said. "They do have to enrich it, fully, in order to get there. And we would estimate that if they made that decision, it would probably take a year to get there, probably another year to develop the kind of weapon delivery system in order to make that viable."
Regarding another nuclear "rogue" state -- North Korea -- Panetta said the question of who will succeed leader Kim Jong Il is likely behind recent military acts such as the alleged sinking of a South Korean navy ship.
"I think that could have been part of it, in order to establish credibility for his son," Panetta said of a likely successor, adding: "His son is very young. His son is very untested. His son is loyal to his father and to North Korea, but his son does not have the kind of credibility with the military, because nobody really knows what he's going to be like."
However, Panetta said he doubted there would be further escalation, noting that "in the end, they always back away from the brink, and I think they'll do that now."
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Middle East News Report: Middle East News Report
Middle East News Report: Middle East News Report: "Middle East News Report presents expert commentary on the most recent developments from the Middle East. In addition to the ongoing military..."
Middle East News Report
Middle East News Report presents expert commentary on the most recent developments from the Middle East. In addition to the ongoing military engagements of the United States and other Western Countries in the Middle East, a main issue of interest to the author of this site will be the role of Israel in resolving the conflicts of nationalism, militarism, and terrorism in the Middle East.
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