Following the replacement of Afghan war commander General Stanley McChrystal, US special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke is likely to be the next target, a report says.
Bloody brilliant. Three hips and a hurrah to whoever floated that rumour, and double that for the one who talks President Obama into doing it.
The prospects of Holbrooke's ouster were raised after the White House sidelined him during months of crucial talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, The Los Angeles Times reported on Thursday.
"He's a dead man walking, but he could be walking for some time," the paper quoted a source who has worked closely with Holbrooke.
Officials familiar with the case blame Holbrooke for having failed to develop much of a relationship with either the Afghan or Pakistani governments.
That'd be our dear friend Anonymous, completely unrelated to Rantburg's own Anonymoose.
"Ambassador Holbrooke has really struggled to build relationships with the civilian and military leaders in Afghanistan, and the military leadership in Pakistan," Andrew Exum, a former advisor to McChrystal and a fellow at the Center for a New American Security said.
A good part of that is because the honourable gentleman is a dreadful diplomat, which little fact he seems to have completely missed. For him that will forever remain an unknown unknown, poor man, and he will wander through the rest of his life, bewildered as to why he did not succeed as magnificently as he and his many friends dreamed.
He has the unique ability, for a diplomat, to irritate just about everyone he encounters ...
Holbrooke, however, rejected the idea of having a modest role in overseeing the current state of affairs, saying in an email message earlier this month that he was in Madrid to oversee "one of those high-level meetings that I hear I am not involved in."
But did they tell him in which rooms those meetings were taking place?
He was there to count and polish the State Department silver ...
The report comes as McChrystal was sacked after he caused fierce controversy with his scathing criticism of certain administration officials in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine.
It's starting to look like the Rolling Stone article was a tactical defeat but a strategic victory for General McChrystal.
Holbrooke was one of the US officials who had come under attack by General McChrystal and his team.
The replacement of Holbrooke would be seen as coming too soon as McChrystal's firing has caused much confusion and controversy in the White House.
Posted by: Frank G ||
06/27/2010 9:29 Comments ||
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well if being a pompous asshole is a reason for being fired Obama should have resigned as soon as they announced he won the election.. Also Dr. Phil should have been gone years ago too.
Posted by: chris ||
06/27/2010 12:43 Comments ||
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Afghan president Hamid Karzai has reportedly met with the Taliban's most senior commander Serja-eddin Haggani in Kabul as UK calls for peace with the militants.
The report said the meeting was mediated by Pakistan's spy agency, the Inter-Services intelligence (ISI).
The talks come as NATO forces are experiencing some of their bloodiest days in Afghanistan since the US-led invasion of the country began in 2001.
Haggani has been reported to have close ties with the ISI and al-Qaeda group. Haggani's group has carried out most of the sophisticated terrorist operations in Afghanistan.
The meeting also comes as British army chief has called for talks with the Taliban militants in the war-weary country.
General David Richards has insisted that negotiations with the Taliban should begin soon as part of an exit strategy for NATO.
Moreover, US officials have also been pressing, covertly as well as overtly, for opportunities to hold negotiations with the Taliban using Pakistan as an intermediary.
Previously, however, both the US and the UK had insisted that they would never negotiate with terrorists, vowing to uproot the Taliban and their operatives in the region.
Observers believe the new Western strategy reflects yet another double standard in terms of their slogan of "war against terror."
Richards added that any counter-insurgency campaign will end up in talks between the warring sides.
Senior officials in the UK have floated the idea of engaging in peace talks with the Taliban -- the militant group whose uprooting was one the main objectives of the 2001 invasion.
This is while a Guardian report said in late May that US army helicopters regularly deliver supplies behind Taliban lines and even fund their madrasas (religious schools).
The paper said if the US wanted to remove the Taliban, as it promised in 2001, the thousands of international troops stationed in the country could easily crush a couple of thousands of militants in Helmand.
The Taliban were toppled in the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan by US-led forces.
The invasion of Afghanistan was launched with the official objective of curbing militancy and bringing peace and stability to the country. Nine years on, however, Afghanistan remains largely unstable with innocent civilians continuing to pay the heaviest price.
Posted by: Mike Hunt ||
06/27/2010 13:55 Comments ||
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Long War Journal reports that Karzai, Pak General Kayani and Pak ISI Chief Pasha met with the leader of the Haqqani network because Kazai has no faith in the Americans defeating the Taliban.
US General Stanley McChrystal issued a highly critical assessment of the war in Afghanistan just days before he was sacked by President Barack Obama, a British newspaper reported today.
The Independent on Sunday said leaked military documents showed McChrystal had briefed defence ministers from the countries involved in the war earlier this month and warned them to expect no progress in the next six months.
McChrystal was forced to step down as commander of the NATO-led force in Afghanistan due to disparaging remarks about administration officials, including Obama, in an explosive Rolling Stone magazine article.
But the newspaper suggested the article was only one reason why the general quit, saying his candour about the reality of the situation in Afghanistan was an obstacle to plans for an early US withdrawal.
"Stan argued for time, and would not compromise. Rolling Stone provided an excuse for Obama to fire the opposition to his plan without having to win an intellectual argument," it quoted an unnamed senior military source as saying.
According to the paper, McChrystal had said corruption and security remained serious issues as foreign forces battled a "resilient and growing insurgency".
He said the Afghan security forces were "critically short on trainers - the essential resource required for quality", while the Afghan Government had little control over the country.
#1
What Barry needs to do is find a Muzzie, crown him general and turn every TOC into a Mosque. Then good American men and women can go home. When there is trouble send in the 52's and be done with it. F@ck Afghanistan, it's not worth one more death, American that is....
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
06/27/2010 12:29 Comments ||
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A related article at Independent.co.uk contains this paragraph:
General McChrystal's presentation to Nato defence ministers and Isaf representatives provided an uncompromising obstacle to Mr Obama's plan to bring troops home in time to give him a shot at a second term, according to senior military sources. The general was judged to be "off message" in his warning to ministers not to expect quick results and that they were facing a "resilient and growing insurgency".
Thus the reality on the ground and military necessity-- not to mention our troops' very lives-- take a back seat to Obumble's desire to get himself re-elected by placating his Loony Left Liberal base with an Afghanistan withdrawal next July.
We need rope, lots of it. And pitchforks, and torches...
Posted by: Dave D. ||
06/27/2010 14:42 Comments ||
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Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command is helping prepare elite Afghan police units to support conventional Marine forces operating in Helmand province.
The effort to train Afghan National Civil Order Police units is modeled after programs that have successfully lowered attrition rates among the Afghan National Armys commando units. Those units have been trained by and partnered with U.S. Special Forces in an effort to professionalize them. Meanwhile, ANCOP units have suffered attrition rates as high as 140 percent per year.
The plan for how the special operations units will assist the ANCOP kandaks is evolving, said Army Brig. Gen. Scott Miller, commander of Combined Forces Special Operations Component Command-Afghanistan, which has oversight over most U.S. special operations forces here that do not belong to the secretive Joint Special Operations Command. As things stand, special operations units will train eight ANCOP kandaks, four of which they will partner with, he said. The remaining four will partner with conventional forces. The mission does not involve standing up the kandaks from scratch -- they already exist.
Two kandaks trained by special operators are already partnered with Marine conventional forces in Helmand, said a spokesman for NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan, the U.S.-led headquarters responsible for overseeing the training of all Afghan national security forces. The spokesman declined to be identified.
The remaining six units "will be deployed on a schedule yet to be determined to Kandahar province to support Hamkari," said Army Col. Don Bolduc, commander of Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Afghanistan, which is subordinate to Millers command and which received the ANCOP mission in early April.
Posted by: Frozen Al ||
06/27/2010 11:27 ||
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#1
The plan for how the special operations units will assist the ANCOP kandaks is evolving, said Army Brig. Gen. Scott Miller.....
"Evolving" is a convenient codeword for....at the moment we don't have a phueching clue as to how might ever achieve success.
JSOC and subordinate elements are referred to as a "Tier-1" SOF. The standard Special Forces Groups, US Navy Seals, US AFSOC, British SAS, and others comprise "Tier-2" as I recall. I believe US Marine SOF or MARSOF falls in with the Tier-2 elements.
KABUL: The US military's top officer, Admiral Mike Mullen, assured Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Saturday that the new NATO commander would pursue the same war strategy crafted by Gen Stanley McChrystal -- the ousted general whom Karzai warmly praised for training Afghan security forces and reducing civilian casualties.
Mullen assured Karzai that Gen David Petraeus would also do his best to reduce civilian casualties, bolster cooperation among the forces and train Afghan police and soldiers. In a speech earlier in the day marking the International Anti-Narcotics Day, Karzai acknowledged that curbing Afghanistan's huge drug trade remains a major challenge. Headline and other issues fixed ( I hope )
Posted by: Steve White ||
06/27/2010 00:00 ||
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Afghan police have found 11 decapitated bodies of Shia men amid concerns over the growing number of civilian casualties in the war-ravaged country.
An Afghan police patrol discovered the bodies of the Hazaras in the southern Uruzgan province. Afghan officials blame the killings on the Taliban.
"This was the work of the Taliban. They beheaded these men because they were ethnic Hazaras and [Shia] Muslims," Reuters quoted regional police official Mohammad Gulab Wardak as saying.
Hazaras, who largely follow the Shia faith of Islam, are facing a widespread oppression from the Taliban. Thousands of the community members were killed in Afghanistan under the Taliban rule between 1996 and 2001. Mass graves containing the beheaded bodies of Hazaras have been found since the Taliban were overthrown following the 2001 US-led invasion.
More posturing from the man who will never run Egypt, campaigning for the U.N. party.
ALEXANDRIA, Egypt - Potential Egyptian presidential candidate Mohamed ElBaradei led thousands of people on Friday in an anti-torture protest that analysts said was significant for joining disparate groups in a common cause.
Around 4,000 people, representing varied political views, and many ordinary citizens greeted ElBaradei, 68, the former nuclear inspector, as he visited the port city of Alexandria to offer condolences to the family of Khaled Mohammed Said, an Egyptian who rights groups say was beaten to death by police.
The protest, ElBaradei's second public appearance this month and the first in which his family joined him in public, was his biggest rally so far. Earlier in June he visited Fayoum in a signature drive campaign that drew some 3,500 supporters.
The events in part reflect pent up frustration in Egypt after almost three decades of rule by President Hosni Mubarak, 82, and with an emergency law that gives authorities wide powers to quash dissent. Mubarak has no designated successor and has not said if he will seek another term in the 2011 presidential election. If he does not, the most common view is that he will hand power to his politician son Gamal, 46.
ElBaradei, the former U.N. nuclear watchdog head, has said he may run in the 2011 presidential vote if there were constitutional reforms, but the existing rules make it almost impossible for an independent to get on the ballot. The government insists the electoral system is free and fair.
In the latest protest, crowds chanted pro-democracy slogans and waved images of Said while ElBaradei, flanked by hundreds of worshippers, emerged from a mosque after Muslim prayers. Youths and activists from political and online groups including the Facebook group "ElBaradei for presidency of 2011" joined the protest. Some chanted "Down Down Hosni Mubarak" and "Said you are a martyr" while rushing to meet ElBaradei.
"This gathering of people from all walks of life and the anger they expressed against practices of torture is a message to the regime that Egyptians are against such inhumane practices," ElBaradei told Reuters. But he added: "Breaking the barrier of fear is an incremental process that takes time. But with democracy we will have no fear."
Thousands of riot police spread across the city and surrounded the mosque, forming a tight cordon around excited protesters, but only after ElBaradei was let past the crowd and away from the area. A security source said 60 armoured trucks full of riot police were sent to Alexandria in anticipation of the protest.
Posted by: Steve White ||
06/27/2010 00:00 ||
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On June 20th, two Pakistanis were caught trying to sneak into South Africa with fake passports. Finally identified as Imran Muhammad, accused in the 2008 Mumbai massacre, and Chaudry Parvez Ahmed. Both men were formally arrested on Saturday.
Another one from the Mumbai massacre? Double-plus good! Let's hope the Indians can extradite him.
Posted by: john frum ||
06/27/2010 9:12 Comments ||
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Interestingly, neither Mugabe and wife Grace or Jacob Zuma in South Africa wish to share with AQ their lucrative blood diamond business, gold mining, or Sun City gambling casino accounts. Even the ANC finds it necessary to draw the line at some point. From this reluctance stems an interesting if not facinating level of cooperation with regard to the global war on terror.
CARACAS -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez met with Syrian President Bashar Pencilneck Assad on Saturday and called on Latin America and the Arab world to fight what he called America's imperialist and capitalist interests abroad.
During a meeting at Venezuela's presidential palace, Chavez told Assad it was an honor to host the Syrian leader on his first visit to Latin America. Chavez presented Assad with a gold-plated replica of a sword that once belonged to South American independence hero Simon Bolivar -- the inspiration for his "Bolivarian Revolution."
"Made in Pakistan" stamped on the hilt, no doubt.
The two leaders signed an agreement to create a $100 million trade and development fund.
Maybe Pencilneck will buy some oil, Oogo ...
"Arab civilization and our civilization, the Latin American one, are being summoned in this new century to play the fundamental role of liberating the world, saving the world from the imperialism and capitalist hegemony that threaten the human species," Chavez said. "Syria and Venezuela are at the vanguard of this struggle."
Assad praised Chavez for standing up to the United States and supporting the Palestinian struggle.
"There are few politicians who are courageous to speak out when it's necessary," he said through an interpreter. "Chavez has projected the image of a resistant Venezuela."
Assad strongly criticized Israel, calling the Jewish state's government "extremist" and condemning its blockade of Gaza. "The resistance must be supported," he said.
Chavez also condemned the U.N. Security Council for tightening sanctions against Iran as a means of curbing development of the Islamic state's nuclear program.
Assad said all nations, including Iran, "have the right to develop nuclear energy."
Chavez has built close diplomatic relations with Syria, Iran and other Middle Eastern countries while severing Venezuela's ties to Israel. Last year, the socialist leader visited Syria, where he called Israel an imperialist nation that annihilates its neighbors and accused its government of doing Washington's bidding by trying to divide the Middle East.
Following his meeting with Chavez, Assad is slated to travel to Cuba, Brazil and Argentina.
Posted by: Steve White ||
06/27/2010 00:00 ||
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Google Translate
Two people died in riots after supporters of the Partido de la Revolución Democrätica (PRD) attempted to lynch 30 members of Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI) in riots in Nachig, Chiapas, according to Mexican news reports.
The deaths occurred when a soft drink delivery man, alleged to be a PRI supporter, began shooting at PRD supporters. The shooting was in response when 1,500 PRD supporters surrounded a PRI facility with the apparent intention of lynching 30 PRI supporters holed up.
The ensuing riots lasted for hours and damaged 20 buildings and 15 vehicles in fires.
Political tensions in Chiapas increased when PRI challenged election rules.
Left-wing Colombian guerrillas have apparently seized a Japanese immigrant who cultivates plants at a garden in southwestern Colombia, the country's security authorities and local sources said Wednesday. The guerrillas have demanded ransom several times for Masao Tsutsui, 68, a resident of Santiago de Cali, or simply Cali, Colombia's third-largest city, the sources said.
An underworld syndicate captured Tsutsui in late March and handed him over to the guerrilla group, called the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, in exchange for an unknown amount of money, the security authorities said. The FARC group has since detained Tsutsui as a hostage.
The security authorities and local sources said a female customer visited Tsutsui's garden in Candelaria near Cali in the afternoon of March 23 and asked him to deliver plants. Tsutsui went missing after he left the garden carrying the plants and the customer in a van, the sources said.
Google Translate
A branch facility for the Televisa Mexican broadcast entity was shot at Friday night in Torreon, Coahuila, say Mexican press reports.
Investigators at the scene say more than 100 assault rifle cartridges were found outside the building.
The shooting is the second of a press facility in three days in Torreon. Wednesday a newspaper office for the Mexican Editorial Organization (OEM) were shot at by several armed suspects. A 26 year old pregnant receptionist suffered minor wounds in that attack, and damage was done to vehicles.
The Torreon attack is also the second time in two months a Televisa facility was attacked. Last May a Televisa branch facility in the Mexican state of Nayarit was attacked by armed suspects using hand grenades.
TORONTO, June 26 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States agreed Saturday to delay the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) to Seoul until 2015, given the volatile atmosphere on the Korean Peninsula with North Korea's continued military provocations, the South's presidential office announced.
Under the fresh deal reached at a summit between President Lee Myung-bak and President Barack Obama, Seoul will regain the OPCON from Washington on Dec. 1, 2015, more than three years later than originally scheduled.
South Korea has peacetime control of its forces, but the United States would take over it in the event of hostilities. In 2007, the allies agreed that the wartime OPCON would be transferred on April 17, 2012. Cheong Wa Dae said Seoul asked for the delay.
"The leaders agreed to reschedule the timing of the OPCON transition to Dec. 1, 2015, in consideration of the changing security condition" after the previous agreement, Cheong Wa Dae said in a press release after the Lee-Obama meeting. They are on a trip here to attend a G-20 summit.
Posted by: Steve White ||
06/27/2010 00:00 ||
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US President Barack Obama has said North Korea must be "held to account" for the sinking of a South Korean warship. He said he stood with South Korean leader Lee Myung-Bak, and condemned Pyongyang's "irresponsible behaviour".
His comments came shortly after the G8 group of industrialised nations meeting in Toronto condemned the sinking of the corvette Cheonan earlier this year.
North Korea has denied attacking the ship. An international investigation concluded that it was sunk by a North Korean torpedo.
After meeting the South Korean leader on the sidelines of the summit, Mr Obama said: "There has to be consequences for such irresponsible behaviour."
In their final summit statement, the G8 - the US, Canada, Germany, UK, France, Italy, Russia and Japan - said: "We deplore the attack on 26 March that caused the sinking of the Republic of Korea's naval vessel, the Cheonan, resulting in tragic loss of 46 lives." Noting that an international investigation had found that, despite its denials, Pyongyang was to blame for the attack that sank the warship, the statement adds: "We condemn, in this context, the attack which led to the sinking of the Cheonan.
"We demand that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea refrain from committing any attacks or threatening hostilities against the Republic of Korea."
Reuters says the statement was not as strongly worded as some nations, including the United States, had hoped. It says Russia was said to have held out against stronger language.
#1
"consequences" and "accountable" - I don't think he even knows what those words mean
Posted by: Frank G ||
06/27/2010 9:40 Comments ||
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Mr Obama said: "There has to be consequences for such irresponsible behaviour."
And if they do it again I'll hold my breath until I turn blue.
Posted by: Flapper Scourge of the Algonquins4926 ||
06/27/2010 10:59 Comments ||
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#3
Next time, they will issue the dreaded Strongly Worded Demarche! Russia is just barely holding back for now because the Mig 15's haven't been paid for yet.
WASHINGTON The United States is warning Turkey that it is alienating U.S. supporters and needs to demonstrate its commitment to partnership with the West.
Two good things out of the Bambi White House in one day? Almost too good to believe ...
The remarks by Philip Gordon, the Obama administration's top diplomat on European affairs, were a rare admonishment of a crucial NATO ally.
We think Turkey remains committed to NATO, Europe and the United States, but that needs to be demonstrated,' Gordon told The Associated Press in an interview. There are people asking questions about it in a way that is new, and that in itself is a bad thing that makes it harder for the United States to support some of the things that Turkey would like to see us support.'
Gordon cited Turkey's vote against a U.S.-backed United Nations Security Council resolution on new sanctions against Iran and noted Turkish rhetoric after Israel's deadly assault on a Gaza-bound flotilla last month. The Security Council vote came shortly after Turkey and Brazil, to Washington's annoyance, had brokered a nuclear fuel-swap deal with Iran as an effort to delay or avoid new sanctions.
Some U.S. lawmakers who have supported Turkey have lashed out and warned of consequences for Ankara since the Security Council vote and the flotilla raid that left eight Turks and one Turkish-American dead. The lawmakers accused Turkey of supporting a flotilla that aimed to undermine Israel's blockade of Gaza and of cozying up to Iran.
Turkey's ambassador to the United States, Namik Tan, expressed surprise at Gordon's comments. He said Turkey's commitment to NATO remains strong and should not be questioned. I think this is unfair,' he said.
Tan said Turkish officials have explained repeatedly to U.S. counterparts that voting against the proposed sanctions was the only credible decision after the Turkish-brokered deal with Iran. Turkey has opposed sanctions as ineffective and damaging to its interests with an important neighbor. It has said that it hopes to maintain channels with Tehran to continue looking for a solution to the standoff over Iran's alleged nuclear arms ambitions.
We couldn't have voted otherwise,' Tan said. We put our own credibility behind this thing.'
You pretty much forfeited that after you let the French bluff you over EU membership and thus prevented the transit of the 4ID in 2003 ...
Tan said that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was expected to discuss these issues with U.S. President Barack Obama on the margins of a summit of world economic powers in Toronto, Canada, on Saturday.
Gordon said Turkey's explanations of the U.N. episode have not been widely understood in Washington. There is a lot of questioning going on about Turkey's orientation and its ongoing commitment to strategic partnership with the United States,' he said. Turkey, as a NATO ally and a strong partner of the United States not only didn't abstain but voted no, and I think that Americans haven't understood why.'
Posted by: Steve White ||
06/27/2010 00:02 ||
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#1
We understand why. Even Obumble has figured it out. Turkey has switched sides.
#3
I don't think the Obamanition has figured it out. I think maybe some people in other positions are trying to tell him some thing is not right. More than likely, when Turkey visits, he'll just claim that he understands and sympathizes with them. Then, nothing will be done or said. It will be swept under the carpet and yet he will still claim it's all made better. Also, considering the yutz's acts, he'll probably encourage Turkey to continue in order to help the, poor misunderstood, victimized terrorists.
On paper, it appeared to be a winning team for President Obama and his new plan to fix Afghanistan: a celebrated general, a master of counterinsurgency strategy overseeing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as head of CENTCOM, with his his protege running the war in Afghanistan.
The two -- Gens. David Petraeus and Stanley McChrystal -- had enjoyed success because of their military minds. Ask around the Pentagon, and the phrase most often used in connection with both is "brilliant."
While coming from different paths, both generals have a good deal of similarities. After the now-infamous Rolling Stone article, however, it is clear that Petraeus alone has the savvy to survive in Washington.
An academic with political deftness, Petraeus approaches combat with a mix of military and diplomacy, the essence of counterinsurgency.
Petraeus made his first big mark with a successful air assault in northern Iraq in 2003 and kept the region U.S.-friendly while the rest of the country spiraled into chaos. He then used the counterinsurgency strategy to help bolster the U.S. war effort in Iraq for President George W. Bush.
His reward: running Central Command, which oversees both wars, as well as being responsible for other tricky spots like Yemen and Iran.
A year ago, McChrystal was appointed the head of Afghanistan operations, highly recommended by both the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, and Defense Secretary Robert Gates.
The nail-chewing Special Operations officer made a name for himself in Iraq by hunting down and killing the country's most-wanted terrorist, al Qaeda leader Abu Musab al Zarqawi. He also was familiar with Afghanistan after leading Special Operations Forces there.
U.S. military officials who know him tell CNN he is a minimalist who prefers to stay in the field with his men and has a dislike for "flash and flair," according to one Army official familiar with McChrystal's work, but who would not speak on the record.
McChrystal expected something similar from his troops, stripping his headquarters of the in-house cafe and ordering the closure of fast-food restaurants on the biggest base, Bagram.
Petraeus, according to an Army official close to the general who was not authorized to speak on the record, likes a bit more comfort and does not mind some "flash."
Troops that have worked with both generals say the one thing they have in common is they are loved by the lower-ranking troops because they both make constant, direct contact with them in the field.
McChrystal was known to visit troops on the front line and literally eat, drink, and sleep in the same areas with them, according to officials. Petraeus is known to also go into the field, commending good work and encouraging troops to contact him directly to discuss it, according to Col. Steven Boylan, Petraeus' spokesman for three years.
The leadership style of the generals has been similar as well, according to Michael O'Hanlon, a Brookings Institution military analyst who has advised McChrystal and knows Petraeus well.
"I think that both are extreme workaholics, very energetic. Both of them are good communicators," according to O'Hanlon. "Both are extraordinarily respected. Petraeus is, of course, known now to be a historic figure, not only in terms of his accomplishments but as a public profile, and McChrystal has been a quieter figure through the years," he said.
Generals are also as good as the people they have surrounding them, and sources seem to agree that both men have surrounded themselves with extraordinary staff.
"He had and has a diverse staff," Boylan said of Petraeus. "He likes to bring in people for their abilities, not necessarily their backgrounds," he said. But Petraeus has a doctorate and does keep a staff with other Ph.D.s.
"He likes getting everyone out of their comfort zones, because he believes that is the best way to get good ideas and more diverse thoughts and potential solutions to problems," according to Boylan.
McChrystal surrounded himself with a staff of similar backgrounds as his own from Special Forces, according to military officials.
"There are different, specific individuals, but they are not totally different types," according to O'Hanlon. "They're all cerebral, hardworking. Frankly, they're quite loyal, quite respectful, despite this magazine portrayal," he said.
However, one military official who would not speak on the record thinks McChrystal's undoing may have been that his staff was from a similar Special Operations background. Special operations forces as tradecraft stay out of the limelight and the media to keep their anonymity.
"Gen. McChrystal and the special operations community have not been offered the opportunities to learn the art of dealing with the media. They tend to avoid media engagements at all levels," the official said.
"His staff either did not understand the differences, didn't care about the differences, or were so frustrated [with the administration] that they were blinded by the differences," the official said when referring to the rule of working with reporters.
Despite how the article's tale of the staff played out, O'Hanlon said it is a "reflection of bad judgment on the staff."
But, he says, "I've seen him [McChrystal] in action and been around him in private settings, and he doesn't act like this typically, nor does his staff." And ROEs. Don't forget the ROEs.
#1
It is my fervent hope that General Petraeus made it crystal clear in his meeting with Bambi that he would only accept the assignment on condition that he had free rein to run the war without Washington pinheads (both military and civilian) getting in his way, and that certain particularly idiotic ROE's handcuffing our troops be rescinded. I hope he also made it clear that certain elements in Pakistan (*cough* ISI *cough*) must be dealt with and any and all Talibunny training facilities, camps, etc., in Pakistan are fair game.
America will disable Pakistan!
Famous columnist Irfan Siddiqi wrote in Jang that America was at the point of leaving Afghanistan after disabling Pakistan as a state. Its prime objective is not flying its flag on the high mountains of Afghanistan but to rob Pakistan of its nuclear power. Gori Shahzadi (Hilary Clinton) is threatening Pakistan and should be seen in this context. India, Israel and America are weaving a net for Pakistan and the UK is going to be a beater' driving Pakistan into it.
Qazi Sahib's advice
Writing in Jang Anwar Ghazi said that Qazi Hussain Ahmad visited his home and told him Pakistan was doomed to be engulfed in terrorism because of the wrong decision Musharraf made to become America's frontline partner. Qazi said Pakistan should abandon America and instead link up with rising (ubharta hua) China and awakening (angrai leta hua) Russia.
PM Azad Kashmir versus Chief Editor
Writing in Jinnah Chief Editor Khushnood Ali Khan stated that Prime Minister Azad Kashmir Raja Farooq Haider had accused him of spreading government propaganda against him. Raja Farooq also said that unlike Khushnood, his father was not in the army, hinting that state media was used against AJK PM through a man (Khushnood) whose father was naib subedar.
Sardar Farooq versus state security
Daily Jinnah wrote that PM Azad Kashmir Raja Farooq was being defiant (ankhain dikha rahe) against the very agencies who had helped him become prime minister of AJK. Raja Farooq had caused a feud between the Rajputs and others by inducting his Rajput relatives into institutions in his control and had been disloyal to the family of Sardar Qayyum of his party who had been his benefactors.
Sardar Farooq, brave man!
Writing in Jang Haroon Rashid stated that AJK PM Sardar Farooq was a brave man in whose breast Allah had sowed no fear. PM Gilani and his AJK adviser Manzoor Wattoo had bowed to security reasons to side with Justice Riaz Chaudhry who was elevated through dubious means that no lawyer in AJK liked. Sardar Farooq proved too tough to subdue so that the powers that be finally agreed to fire the elevated judge as well as the restored judge. Sardar Farooq got Justice Manzur to agree to retire 25 days before the due date to complete the security' manoeuvre.
Azad Kashmir sensitive' area
Chief Editor Khushnood Ali Khan wrote in Jinnah that Sardar Farooq was wrong in ignoring the security aspect of AJK. People who cross Wahga border in Lahore are in the eyes of the security agencies but in Azad Kashmir anyone crosses the LoC has to be cleared by three security agencies before a permit is issued. Sardar Farooq issued orders that a permit from the said agencies was not required.
Hindu husband didn't become Muslim
Famous actress Nur was quoted by daily Pakistan as saying that she was seeking a divorce from his Hindu husband Vikram because he had gone back to being Hindu after marrying her on the pledge of remaining Muslim. She said now he was pressuring her to turn Hindu. She has claimed her big dowry back from him too.
Hillary Clinton Safed Daayen'
Writing ion daily Islam Khawar Chaudhry stated that the Safed Daayen (White Witch) of America Hillary Clinton had said that Pakistani officials knew where Osama bin Laden was and has complained that Pakistan was not doing enough. The truth is that Pakistan is shedding blood (khoon ki nadiyan) to please America but Chitti Chamri (White Skin) was not pleased.
Blow up the plane!'
Reported in Jang leader of Dobandi madrassa Faruqia in Uttar Pradesh Maulana Nurul Huda was in a plane in Deoband when he talked to someone in Arabic, saying the plane was about to take off, blow it up. A lady suiting next to him called the hostess and told her what he had said, after which he was taken off the plane for investigation. (In Urdu, fly' and explode' have the same meaning.)
Christians and Jews are enemies!
According to Jang the Friday sermons in Lahore had the top clerics saying that Yuhood-o-Nasara could not be the friends of Muslims. Hafiz Said of Ahle Hadith Jamaatud Dawa at his Masjid Qadisiya said that the Prophet PBUH was the only superpower in the world, and the Jews and Christians were the enemies. The same message was given by Ahle Hadith leader Ibtisam Ilahi Zaheer. This was followed by Maulana Amjad Muhammad Amjad at Jamia Rehmaniya in Lahore.
Taliban are in Jhang!
Reported in Jang contrary to claims by the PMLN government and law minister Punjab Rana Sanaullah, Jhang was the centre-point of the Taliban in Punjab and South Punjab. The police in Jhang in defiance of IG Punjab - who is from Jhang - has filed an FIR against Dr Imran of Jaish Muhammad who had played host to a notorious Taliban terrorist Abdus Samad. The leader was also holding regular meetings with the terrorists in an under-construction madrassa in Ahmadpur Sial. Funds for the terrorists are being collected in Jhang and youths trained and sent out to commit terrorism
No Arabic, please!
Head of the International Khatm-e-Nabuwwat Conference Sahibzada Zahid Mehmud Qasimi complained to daily Nawa-e-Waqt that after the government cancelled the Arabic compulsory course in schools, thousands of teachers of Arabic were without jobs. He said the religious parties were united but the political parties - although separated - were both hostile to the religious parties. He said Nawaz Sharif during his sojourn in Saudi Arabia had started learning Arabic.
A record of artistic polygamy
Daily Jinnah reported that Pakistani artists were given to marrying more than once. Nur Jehan married Shaukat Rizvi, Actor Ijaz, Yusuf Kan and Captain Ijaz. Salma Agha married Mehmood Sipra, Javed Sheikh, Rehmat Khan and Manzar Latif. Mehdi Hasan and Ustad Salamat Ali took two wives. So did Inyat Hussain Bhatti including actress Khanum. Adnan Sami married Zeba Bakhtyar then went on to wed an Afghan and a Nigerian. Singer Afshan married Ghulam Ali, Masud Butt and Abbas Rahi. Azra Jahan married Tafoo, Umid Ali and Zulfikar Ali. Ghulam Ali was married twice.
TV anchor has cold feet
Reported in daily Islam the TV anchor of a channel was holding discussions with Ahmadis and was asked to include the anti-Ahmadi clerics too. The TV anchor was Qadiani-pasand but when he got to know that a grand scholar of Khatm-e-Nabuwwat was on his to the studio he got cold feet and cancelled the show.
Farooq Haider and Manzur Wattoo
Writing in Jang Rauf Klassra stated the he saw two personalities during the last session of Prime Minister Gilani's Kashmir Committee session. Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir Raja Farooq Haider was sitting on a back seat while Minister for Kashmir Affairs Manzur Wattoo was right in front near PM Gilani. He was struck by the contrast: Farooq Haider was a fearless and upright man while Wattoo had, according to NAB earlier in the week, paid crores of rupees as fine to NAB to avoid being prosecuted for corruption.
Adviser sickens before advice
Famous columnist Haroon Rashid recorded in Jang that he had travelled all the way from Islamabad to Lahore to meet Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif and was all ready to give his precious advice on how to run Punjab but suddenly he was taken ill (tabiyat biggar gai) and he excused himself and returned from Lahore without the valuable advice having been transmitted to Mr Sharif.
Lakhwi will be out soon!
According to Jarrar, Lashkar Tayba terrorist undergoing trial in Pakistan Zakiur Rehman Lakhwi will be let off by the court because the Indian court had acquitted two Indian terrorists Fahim Ansari and Sabahuddin in the trial of Ajmal Kasab. (Lashkar Jhangvi terrorists Akram Lahori and Malik Ishaq are said to be all set to be released from jails in Pakistan.)
Posted by: john frum ||
06/27/2010 09:22 ||
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Once again, great illustrations!
Posted by: Steve White ||
06/27/2010 9:39 Comments ||
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Chief Minister Balochistan Aslam Raisani on Saturday has offered angry Baloch people an olive branch and said that our doors were always opened for them.
Raisani said he believed in reconciliation and that he wanted to solve the problems of the province through dialogue. He said that the commission established for missing people was working on the issue.
The chief minister added that he had directed police and levis forces to take action against criminals in the province without any fear.
Manolo! I need a definition for 'criminals' right now this minute!
Interior ministers from the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) concluded a two-day conference on Saturday, pledging to "extend cooperation to each other against terrorism." At the SAARC meeting, which kicked off on Friday in Bhutan, discussions were held on ways to curb terrorism and drug trafficking in the region.
In the spotlight were the Indian and Pakistani home ministers, who met to discuss normalizing relations and repairing bilateral ties, which were seriously strained in the wake of the November 2008 Mumbai attacks that left at least 166 people dead.
Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram and his Pakistani counterpart Rehman Malik held a joint press conference late on Saturday, saying the two countries would work together to fight terrorism.
"We would like that our FIA (Federal Investigation Agency) and their investigators on the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) side interact with each other in the matters of terrorism, including the Bombay blasts," Malik said, using Mumbai's former name.
"We both are against these acts of terrorism and we will work together to clear this menace in this region We have decided to work together and to give a very clear message to terrorists: Look we are united stand together!"
Chidambaram also called for increased cooperation among SAARC neighbors to eradicate terrorism in South Asia and expressed confidence "that the outcome of our meeting and interaction will be very good for both countries."
At a press conference earlier, the Indian home minister asked the Pakistani authorities to prosecute more suspects in connection with the Mumbai attacks. Malik held a separate press conference but did not comment on his counterpart's call.
Founded in 1985, SAARC is an economic and political organization of eight countries in South Asia, namely Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan.
WASHINGTON - US President Barack Obama nominated career diplomat James Jeffrey on Friday to replace Christopher Hill as his ambassador to Iraq at a critical juncture in the seven-year war, the White House said.
Pretty much anyone would be better than Chris Hill, who managed to screw up badly over Korea and has been clumsy in his approach in Baghdad.
Jeffrey serves as the current US ambassador to Turkey.
I am grateful that these experienced men and women have agreed to serve in my administration as we work to meet our nation's most pressing challenges,' Obama said in a statement announcing several nominations. I look forward to working with them in the coming months and years.'
Before being appointed to his post in Ankara, Jeffrey served as deputy national security advisor and assistant to the president at the White House under George W. Bush's administration, according to his official bio. His resume also includes several previous stints in Baghdad and across the Middle East, unlike Hill, best known for his high-profile post as the Bush administration's point man on North Korea's nuclear program.
Jeffrey was Bush's principal deputy assistant secretary of state for near eastern affairs and special advisor to the secretary of state for Iraq. From 2004 to 2005, he served as deputy chief of mission and later charge d'affaires in Baghdad. Jeffrey held a number of different posts in Washington, Europe and the Middle East, including as deputy chief of mission in both Kuwait and Turkey. He was posted to Munich, Sofia, Tunis and Adana, Turkey.
He was previously dispatched to the Balkans, where he served as US ambassador to Albania. Jeffrey was also a US Army infantry branch officer from 1969 to 1976, and served in Germany and Vietnam.
He sounds like a professional. Comments as to whether this is good?
Posted by: Steve White ||
06/27/2010 00:00 ||
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Good - Hill is on Holbrooke-like levels of diplo-ineptitude
Posted by: Frank G ||
06/27/2010 9:46 Comments ||
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"C'mon guys, remember who we're united against, the Joooos!"
The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) called on the different Palestinian factions Sunday to stop the infighting in order to solve a developing electricity crisis in Hamas-run Gaza.
"It is such a tragedy that, on top of all the other crises that we have in the Gaza Strip, we now have a crisis of electricity," John Ging, director of UNRWA in Gaza, was quoted by AFP as saying.
"It's an unbearable situation here at the moment, and it needs to be solved very quickly. It's a Palestinian problem, made by Palestinians, and causing Palestinian suffering. So let's have a Palestinian solution," he added. I predict a visit to the emergency ward with bullet wounds to the feet for that honesty
The single power plant in Gaza, which normally generates 25 percent of the electricity used in the Strip, was shut down over the weekend due to a payment dispute between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority.
The European Union used to pay for the plant's fuel as part of an aid package to the Palestinian Authority. suckers
However, the EU decided to start scaling back and said it wants the Palestinian Authority to find other ways to pay for the fuel. The Palestinian Authority demands that Hamas pay its share.
Posted by: Frank G ||
06/27/2010 15:21 ||
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errrr UNRWA, dammit. NASCAR attention span
Posted by: Frank G ||
06/27/2010 15:36 Comments ||
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The sobering assessment comes a week before Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, meets President Barack Obama at the White House.
There had been hope the two could lay to rest a row that erupted between the two allies in March but the new comments have raised fears of long-term damage.
Michael Oren, Israel's ambassador to Washington, told foreign ministry colleagues at a private briefing in Jerusalem that they were facing a long and potentially irrevocable estrangement.
Sources said Mr Oren told the meeting: "There is no crisis in Israel-US relations because in a crisis there are ups and downs. [Instead] relations are in a state of tectonic rift in which continents are drifting apart."
Mr Oren's privately-voiced pessimism stands in stark contrast to public declarations in both Jerusalem and Washington that differences between the two states amount to nothing more than "disagreements" between allies.
The ambassador told the Jerusalem Post newspaper last week that US-Israel ties were stronger than many observers believed.
Unlike his previous encounter with Mr Obama in March, when he was given a stern dressing-down and denied permission to hold a joint press conference, Mr Netanyahu's visit to the White House next Tuesday is likely to be cloaked in civility.
The Israeli prime minister is being promised photo opportunities with his host in the White House Rose Garden and perhaps even an invitation to Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland.
But the show of unity is being seen as a sop to members of Mr Obama's party who afraid of angering Jewish American voters ahead of November's midterm elections than as a sign of genuine rapprochement.
Israeli officials have been quoted as saying that they expect a sterner private reception for their prime minister, who is yet to be fully forgiven for the perceived humiliation of Joe Biden, the US vice president, during a visit to Israel in March.
#2
ALL Muslim kids are taught from birth to HATE Jews.
I'm sure Barrack Hussein didn't escape this indoctrination.
taqyya as well
Posted by: Mike Hunt ||
06/27/2010 14:01 Comments ||
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#3
The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
The Germans say, the apple doesn't fall far from the horse. It's one of those idiom thingies, where they aren't talking about the fruit or the animal's mouth end. Both the English and German versions work in this case, I think.
#4
> But the show of unity is being seen as a sop to
> members of Mr Obama's party who afraid of >angering Jewish American voters ahead of
> November's midterm elections than as a sign of >genuine rapprochement.
With Obama the pattern has also been, that the administration talks of a re approchment before the Israeli leader meets. When they meet it is anything but..
As captive soldier's family begins protest march to Jerusalem, it is revealed that six months ago Israel agreed to release some 100 terrorists involved in murder of 800 people, but refused to allow their return to West Bank due to security concerns based on Jibril, Tannenbaum prisoner swaps
In a sign of the improving ties between the United States and Israel,
Or not. Even so, one must ask: is this part of General Petraeus' price to take over Afghanistan, part of President Obama's continuing Charm Offensive to reclaim Jewish donors, or a dawning awareness of the cost of stupid posturing in the real world?
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen will pay a short visit to Israel Sunday on his way back to the US from meetings in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Mullen will meet with Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, whom he has met 14 times since both took up their posts in 2007, and will then have lunch with additional IDF generals, including OC Military Intelligence Maj.-Gen. Amos Yadlin, OC Navy Maj.-Gen. Eli Marom and Deputy Chief of General Staff Maj.-Gen. Benny Gantz.
Sunday's trip will be Mullen's fourth visit to Israel. Before his first visit in 2007, a chairman of the joint chiefs had not visited Israel in a decade.
Officials said that the two military chiefs would focus on Iran's nuclear program in their discussions, as well as the situation in Syria and Lebanon. The Israeli-Turkish rift will also be raised.
"The relationship between Ashkenazi and Mullen is of strategic importance for Israel," a senior defense official said Saturday.
In related news, IDF Spokesman Brig.-Gen. Avi Benayahu returned last week from London, where he lectured on Israel's security situation. Benayahu had considered canceling the trip due to the possibility that as the IDF's spokesman he could be arrested and tried for war crimes.
"This was particularly a concern following the flotilla incident three weeks ago," an IDF source said.
Following consultations between the IDF Military Advocate General's Office and the Foreign Ministry, Benayahu was given approval to travel to the British capital, albeit with security. All of his hotel reservations were made under a false identity.
I'm surprised he wasn't denounced for identity theft as a a result.
Lights turned off at the Colosseum in Rome
Some 4,000 Romans including Jews, members of interfaith organizations, Christian, Muslim and other friends of Israel, called for Gilad Schalit's release in a ceremony at Rome's Colosseum on Thursday. The lights on the ancient monument were turned off at 11 p.m. -- coinciding with midnight commemorations in Tel Aviv.
Simultaneously, similar events organized by Italian Jewish youth groups and municipal authorities took place in Milan, Florence, Varese and Turin.
Schalit's photo was projected in front of the Colosseum while government and Jewish community authorities made eloquent appeals. "Israel will never, never be alone. Israel's right to exist is beyond questioning," Andrea Ronchi, Italy's minister for European relations, repeated loudly. Nicola Zingaretti, president of the Region of Rome (from the opposition PD -- Democratic Party) and Renata Spolverini, president of the province (from the governing PdL -- Liberty Party) each made strong calls for Schalit's freedom.
Mayor Gianni Alemanno (PdL) announced that Rome has named Schalit an honorary citizen. Now "hypocrites and one-sided pacifists" are "keeping their distance from city hall" he said, adding that "Gilad's face must never cease to disturb our consciences."
Alemanno recalled that once before, in 2008, the Colosseum's lights had been switched off in protest against Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's speech to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome. "A threat to Israel is a danger to the entire world," he said.
Riccardo Pacifici, president of the Rome Jewish Community, recalled that Human Rights Watch has defined Gilad's continued forced isolation a case of torture now lasting four years. He noted the "significant absence" of Amnesty International representatives at the commemoration, among others.
AI has been present at antisemitic things though. That should count for something, surely.
On their way back to the former Jewish Ghetto area, Jewish participants clashed with supporters of the Free Gaza Movement who had lit candles on the steps of city hall to commemorate the "11,000 Palestinians confined in Israeli prisons without cause." The Rome Jewish Community said the pro-Palestinian activists were armed with chains and knives, while the Palestinians claimed they were victims of an attack. Two pro-Palestinians activists, diagnosed with a concussion and a broken jaw, respectively, were hospitalized.
The police are examining televised records of the clashes to ascertain the truth behind the two conflicting versions.
In a conciliatory gesture, Pacifici offered to visit Gaza together with Yousef Salman, the representative of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society in Rome, "provided he will accept the presence of a representative of Israel's Red Magen David."
Any punters willing to take the other side of that bet?
Gianpiero Gioffredi, a leader of the Democratic Party, said that "ever more frequently, legitimate criticism of Israeli political decisions degenerates into a delegitimization of the Israeli state and anti-Semitism disguised as anti-Zionism."
Indeed.And Italy has been repeatedly standing up for the right, lately.
Wikipedia has a nice summary of what's happened in the four years since Sgt. Schalit was kidnapped.
#2
Look, I will admit that I'm a troll here, usually impaired and obnoxious and rather naive; but what is going on here?
As a Christian, I support(and love)Israel and know that Allan is a primary anti-CHRIST. That said, what is the "take-away" from this article? I understand that I am not worthy in your humble opinions...Any insight? Thx in Advance -a-
#3
I've heard this from a few other sources. Seems like the Royal Saudi's hate Iran and for now saying "The enemy of my enemy is my friend". "Friend" may be a stretch though.
#5
salt-lick: Lumpy may have it - the Iranian power-expansion and arrogance might just have the Saudis willing to allow their neighbors (The Joooos) to smack them down while still staying BFF with the Paleos, et al
Posted by: Frank G ||
06/27/2010 22:55 Comments ||
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#6
The Sauds love it when they can get the kufr to fight their enemies.
Posted by: ed ||
06/27/2010 23:11 Comments ||
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ht to HotAir links
World leaders "believe absolutely" that Israel may decide to take military action against Iran to prevent the latter from acquiring nuclear weapons, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said Saturday.
Iran is not guaranteeing a peaceful production of nuclear power [so] the members of the G-8 are worried and believe absolutely that Israel will probably react preemptively,' Berlusconi told reporters following talks with other Group of Eight leaders north of Toronto. that "may" is the only thing to prevent oil price spikes tomorrow
Posted by: Frank G ||
06/27/2010 15:17 ||
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I find myself in agreement with the G-8. How very strange.
#2
Italy has been very supportive of Israel lately. But how many of the rest of the G-8 will castigate Israel and punish her for removing the Damcles' sword hanging over all their heads?
Lebanese newspaper reports Palestinian suspected of aiding Israel
May God watch over him, because nobody else will.
A Palestinian resident of Lebanon was arrested Friday by the Lebanese intelligence servies under the suspicion that was serving as an Israeli informant, Radio Israel cited a report from the Lebanese newspaper Al Akhbar.
The suspected agent admitted to assisting Israeli intelligence since 2005. The suspect was said to have been captured with an advanced internet-enable communication device that allowed him to keep in regular contact with his handlers.
Lebanon's arrest of the Israeli spy suspect is part of on-going intelligence war between the two countries - one that actively recruits members of the ethnic Palestinian minority in both countries to conduct espionage.
Israeli Arab political activist Amir Mahoul was charged in May in Haifa District Court with espionage, assisting an enemy in time of war and maintaining contact with an enemy agent while allegedly working for Lebanese terror group Hizbullah.
Prosecutors charged that Mahoul sent 10 messages to his Hizbullah contacts that included information on the location of the Shin Bet offices in Jalama and Haifa, with their exact addresses, and the locations of the Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. plant on the Acre-Haifa highway, Mossad facilities in the center of the country and other sensitive information.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
Following the replacement of Afghan war commander General Stanley McChrystal, US special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke is likely to be the next target, a report says.
KABUL: The US military's top officer, Admiral Mike Mullen, assured Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Saturday that the new NATO commander would pursue the same war strategy crafted by Gen Stanley McChrystal -- the ousted general whom Karzai warmly praised for training Afghan security forces and reducing civilian casualties. 
Afghan police have found 11 decapitated bodies of Shia men amid concerns over the growing number of civilian casualties in the war-ravaged country.
WASHINGTON The United States is warning Turkey that it is alienating U.S. supporters and needs to demonstrate its commitment to partnership with the West.
On paper, it appeared to be a winning team for President Obama and his new plan to fix Afghanistan: a celebrated general, a master of counterinsurgency strategy overseeing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as head of CENTCOM, with his his protege running the war in Afghanistan.
Interior ministers from the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) concluded a two-day conference on Saturday, pledging to "extend cooperation to each other against terrorism." At the SAARC meeting, which kicked off on Friday in Bhutan, discussions were held on ways to curb terrorism and drug trafficking in the region.
