Russian Navy – A decommissioned Russian nuclear-powered submarine, being towed to a scrapyard, has sunk.

• BBC: Russia pledges to raise nuclear sub

US Marines – The last Marines are about to pull out of Iraq. Here is a look at what they have accomplished during peacekeeping operations, and why we should fear their replacement by a multinational force.

• New York Times: Mind the Gap

US Coast Guard – Defense Secretary Rumsfeld is going to take away the Coast Guard’s warfighting roles.

• Washington Post: Coast Guard Fights to Retain War Role

Background – Al Qaeda – Despite the setbacks al Qaeda has suffered over the last two years, it is far from finished, as its recent bomb attacks testify. How has the group managed to survive an unprecedented American onslaught? By shifting shape and forging new, sometimes improbable, alliances. These tactics have made al Qaeda more dangerous than ever, and Western governments must show similar flexibility in fighting the group.

• Foreign Affairs: The Protean Enemy