New Yorker – Can social scientists redefine the “war on terror”? An outstanding, insightful, thought-provoking article on the “long war” and how the US needs to think about it.
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US Navy – U.S. and Britain to Add Ships to Persian Gulf in Signal to Iran
New York Times – The United States and Britain will begin moving additional warships and strike aircraft into the Persian Gulf region in a display of military resolve toward Iran that will come as the United Nations continues to debate possible sanctions against the country, Pentagon and military officials said Wednesday.
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Iraq – A Soldier's Soldier, Outflanked
Washington Post – A look at the retirement of General John Abizaid, CENTCOM commander.
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US Navy – Pentagon Mulling Show of Force to Iran
Associated Press – The Pentagon is considering sending a second aircraft carrier to the Persian Gulf.
The Guardian – US considers naval build-up as warning to Iran.
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Indian Navy – Indian Navy Projects Need For US$ 25 Billion Over Next Five Years
India Defence – Indian Navy chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta said today that they Indian Navy has put forward a requirement of Rs.110,000 crore (US$ 25 Billion approx.) for the next Five-Year Plan to equip itself to take on the challenges of the future.
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Fourth Generation Warfare – How to Beat Insurgents: Military Updates Playbook
Fourth Generation Warfare – US releases anti-insurgency guide
BBC – The US military has released a new manual on counter-insurgencies – its first guide on the topic for 20 years.
Read it in full: FM 3-24 / MCWP 3-33.5 – Counterinsurgency
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Geopolitics / Immigration – Immigration Nation
Foreign Affairs – The United States is far less divided on immigration than the current debate would suggest. An overwhelming majority of Americans want a combination of tougher enforcement and earned citizenship for the 12 million illegal immigrants in the country. Washington’s challenge is to translate this consensus into sound legislation that will start to repair the nation’s broken immigration system.
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Iraq – Interview with Lt. Gen. Jay Garner
Q and A – Brian Lamb interviews the Former Director, Reconstruction & Humanitarian Efforts in Iraq, 2003.
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Geopolitics – Return of the Tribes
Weekly Standard – Ralph Peters on tribalism vs. globalization.
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US Marines – New US jump jet boosts capability – but lands Marines in hot water
Christian Science Monitor – The Joint Strike Fighter, which is scheduled to make its maiden flight this week, is a new stealth fighter-bomber designed for three US services and eight foreign allies. But the version that the Marines (and Britain and Italy) are buying is causing friction.
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US Marines – In Fallujah, Marines bring goodwill, but trouble can follow
Christian Science Monitor – With the Marines in Fallujah.
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Editorial Note – Technical Problem Fixed
Apologies for the lack of posting the last few days, but there was a technical problem with the software that has been resolved. Read on???
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US Marines – In Iraq, their weapon is data
Detroit Free Press – In the ongoing fight against insurgents in Iraq’s Anbar province, the Hobbits — six Marines with computers and self-designed databases who compile information about the enemy, its strength and its position — have a clear mission.
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US Navy – Why a patriotic teen joined the Navy and then turned to espionage
Virginian Pilot – A spy is born???
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US Coast Guard – Costly Fleet Update Falters
Washington Post – A multibillion-dollar effort to modernize the Coast Guard’s fleet has suffered delays, cost increases, design flaws and, most recently, the idling of eight 123-foot patrol boats that were found to be not seaworthy after an $88 million refurbishment.
The sidelining of eight of 10 Miami-based cutters worsens a patrol-boat crisis while the Coast Guard is preparing for an exodus of Cubans that could happen when dictator Fidel Castro is no longer in power, Coast Guard leaders acknowledge.
More broadly, congressional critics warn that early mistakes in the 25-year modernization program, called Deepwater — the Coast Guard’s largest contract ever — are hobbling the service’s transformation into a front-line homeland security force.
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Chinese Navy – China's Aircraft Carrier Dilemma
Naval War College Review – What even a modest aircraft carrier can do, in a variety of roles, has impressed itself upon the Chinese. They have avoided buying the wrong platform at the wrong timeóconventional large-deck ships may no longer be their ìgold standardîóbut aircraft carriers of some kind may yet complement their submarine-centered navy.
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Iraq – Conditions in Iraq 'Deteriorating,' Panel Says
Washington Post – The Iraq Study Group reports in???
Read the whole report: The Iraq Study Group Report (PDF format).
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Iraq – Blurring Political Lines in the Military Debate
New York Times – Michael Gordon describes General Zinni’s latest recommendations on Iraq.
Read General Zinni’s plan here: World Security Institute – The Future for Iraq (PDF format)
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Royal Navy – UK nuclear weapons plan unveiled
BBC – Work on designing a new generation of nuclear submarines to maintain Britainís independent deterrent will get under way next spring
The Times – Blair keeps the £20bn nuclear option for threats yet to emerge
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Intelligence – Open-Source Spying
New York Times Magazine – The nationís intelligence agencies are giving their cold-war-era computer systems a makeover. But will blogs and wikis really help spies uncover terrorist plots?
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Royal Navy – Trident fleet could be built abroad
The Times – New Trident submarines might not be built in Britain, the governmentís long-awaited white paper on replacing the countryís nuclear deterrent will say tomorrow.
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Geopolitics / United Nations – Annan at the End: Grading the Secretary-General
Foreign Affairs – In The Best Intentions, James Traub provides an inside view of the UN secretary-general during one of the organization’s most tumultuous eras. Annan emerges as a flawed but principled statesman, with a stature his successors are unlikely to achieve.
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History – Economic Power, Technological Advantage, and Imperial Strength: Britain as a Unique Global Power, 1860 ñ 1890
International Journal of Naval History – Between 1860 and 1890 Britain greatly expanded her formal and informal empire, and her commercial activity, while avoiding war with any other major power. Although this period witnessed a revolution in the technologies of war, communication and transport, and profound changes in the European state system Britain secured her interests on low and falling defence estimates. This combination of circumstances was neither accidental, nor fortunate. It reflected a coherent response to the problems facing the state, and the development of core capabilities for a truly global strategy. In examining the development of British strategy between 1860 and 1890 this study will focus on the major influences, expanding and changing commercial activity, the emergent technologies of iron, steam, and telegraphy, and the vast extent of the potential defence commitment.
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Afghanistan – NATO's failure portends a wider war
International Herald Tribune – Ahmed Rashid comments on the current state of affairs in Afghanistan.
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NOSI - Naval Open Source Intelligence™ 
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