Washington Post – Thomas Ricks writes that the battle for Baghdad will start in mixed Sunni-Shiite neighborhoods chosen by military strategists as being the least likely to offer stiff resistance, raising the odds of early success, according to military planners and officials familiar with the thinking of the incoming Iraq commander, Lt. Gen. David H. Petraeus.
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US Marines – From Marine to warlord
Los Angeles Times – The story of one unusual former US Marine. Hussein Mohammed Aidid, the son of Somali warlord Mohammed Farah Aidid who was one of the key players in “Blackhawk Down,” was General Zinni’s Marine interpreter in Somalia at that time???now he wants to be President of Somalia.
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Geopolitics / Middle East – The death of Arab nationalism
Los Angeles Times – Robert Kaplan writes that just as the demise of Slobodan Milosevic in Yugoslavia closed the lid on national communist parties in Eastern Europe, the demise of Saddam Hussein in Iraq appears likely to do the same for secular Arab nationalism across the Middle East.
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Air Warfare – UAVs With Bite
Air Force – A look at the US Air Forces current plans for unmanned aerial vehicles???In just a few years, USAF will have more than 200 armed Predators and Reapers on hand, with lots more to come.
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Geopolitics / Cuba -Fidel's Final Victory
Foreign Affairs – The smooth transfer of power from Fidel Castro to his successors is exposing the willful ignorance and wishful thinking of U.S. policy toward Cuba. The post-Fidel transition is already well under way, and change in Cuba will come only gradually from here on out. With or without Fidel, renewed U.S. efforts to topple the revolutionary regime in Havana can do no good — and have the potential to do considerable harm.
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Military Space – Chinese missile destroys satellite in space
Daily Telegraph – The prospect of “Star Wars” between China and the West loomed last night after Beijing used a ballistic missile to destroy a satellite in space.
BBC – US condemns China ‘space weapon’.
The Times – ‘Star Wars’ missile test heralds new arms race in space.
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Fourth Generation Warfare – Why We Lose
Defense and the National Interest – An excellent analysis / refutation of George Packer’s recent article in the New Yorker on new approaches to Fourth Generation Warfare that I previously linked to.
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Royal Marines – Marines cling to helicopters to rescue comrade
Daily Telegraph – With the Royal Marines in Afghanistan.
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US Navy – U.S. Bringing Second Carrier to Mideast
Associated Press – The deployment of the USS John C. Stennis strike group to the Middle East will put two U.S. aircraft carriers in the Persian Gulf region for the first time since the 2003 Iraq invasion, in a clear response to Iran’s aggressive posture in the region.
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US Navy – New Warhead Could Siphon Funds From Sub Builders
The Day – A long-delayed decision on a replacement warhead for the missiles carried on Trident submarines may mean more work for nuclear warhead designers ó but possibly at the expense of funding for submarines.
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Iraq – Admiral's Diplomatic Skills Could Prove Crucial
Washington Post – Another look at Admiral William J. Fallon, the new nominee to head Central Command.
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US Navy – Navy Expeditionary Combat Command proves its worthiness
Virginian Pilot – Just over a year ago, the Navy Expeditionary Combat Command existed as a broad concept worked over by a dozen busy senior Navy officials. That small group has swelled to a 200-person headquarters at Little Creek Naval Amphibious base that is responsible for 32,000 sailors around the globe.
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Editorial Note – NOSI on break until Tuesday January 16
NOSI is taking a short break and will next update on Tuesday January 16. See you then!
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Geopolitics / Long War – A Battle for Global Values
Foreign Affairs – The war on terrorism is not just about security or military tactics. It is a battle of values, and one that can only be won by the triumph of tolerance and liberty. Afghanistan and Iraq have been the necessary starting points of this battle. Success there, however, must be coupled with a bolder, more consistent, and more thorough application of global values, with Washington leading the way.
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Iraq – Intensified Combat on Streets Likely
Washington Post – Thomas Ricks writes that President Bush’s plan to send tens of thousands of U.S. and Iraqi reinforcements to Baghdad to jointly confront Sunni insurgents and Shiite militias is likely to touch off a more dangerous phase of the war, featuring months of fighting in the streets of the Iraqi capital, current and former military officials warned.
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US Navy – 'Safety stand-down' ordered for Navy's submarine force
Virginian Pilot – The Navy today set in motion a review of its worldwide submarine force because of two recent accidents involving Norfolk-based subs, one in which two crew members were killed and another in which a sub and tanker collided.
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US Navy – Speed of tanker sucked sub up to surface
Virginian Pilot – The submarine USS Newport News was submerged when a Japanese oil tanker passed overhead at a high speed, creating a sucking effect that made the sub rise and hit the ship, the US Navy says.
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Iraq – Bush borrows 'McMaster' plan from British
Daily Telegraph – A look at the underlying historical British influence on President Bush’s new surge strategy for Iraq.
The Times – New US general will copy British ‘softly-softly’ style.
Washington Post – Lessons for One Last Try.
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US Navy – Gunships attack suspected al Qaeda fighters in Somalia
Associated Press – The Norfolk-based aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower will join a task force off the coast of Somalia, where U.S. forces attacked suspected al-Qaida fighters today. The carrier joins the cruisers Bunker Hill, Anzio and amphibious landing ship Ashland in security operations in the Indian Ocean.
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US Navy – Norfolk-based sub and Japanese merchant ship collide
Virginian Pilot – A Norfolk-based nuclear submarine and Japanese merchant ship collided in the Arabian Sea late Monday, but there were no injuries on either vessel, the U.S. Navy and Japanese officials said.
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Iran – Can David Petraeus Rebuild a Nation?
Esquire – Lt. General David Petraeus is set to take over in Iraq. Here, is an excerpt from Thomas P.M. Barnett’s March 2006 profile of Barnett.
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Iran – Mission Iran
The Times – Israel air force squadrons are training to blow up Iran’s uranium-enrichment facility using low-yield nuclear ìbunker-bustersî, according to several Israeli military sources???Israel will not tolerate Iran going nuclear and military sources say it will use tactical strikes unless Iran abandons its programme. Is Israel bluffing or might it really push the button?
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US Navy – The Navy's war on whales
Los Angeles Times – Jean-Michel Cousteau asks the US Navy to help save the whales. An interesting example of lawfare???
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Iraq – Iraq Will Be Petraeus's Knot to Untie
Washington Post – Rick Atkinson updates us on General Petraeus, the new US Army ground commander in Iraq. He is widely seen as last, best hope for region.
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US Navy – Admiral picked to lead Middle East war efforts
Virginian Pilot – The new head of CENTCOM is an admiral.
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