Mullen Puts Limit on U.S. Military Role in Yemen - WSJ.com

Mullen Puts Limit on U.S. Military Role in Yemen - WSJ.com: "Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, appeared to rule out direct U.S. military action in Yemen, the home of the al Qaeda affiliate that has claimed responsibility for the alleged attempt to blow up a U.S. airliner on Christmas Day.
Speaking to students at George Washington University, Adm. Mullen, the nation's top military officer, was asked whether the U.S. was considering carrying out airstrikes on targets inside Yemen or deploying American ground forces there. He replied that the U.S. effort would be limited to helping fund and train the Yemeni security forces, some of whom are already mentored by small teams of elite American Special Operations forces."

US forges alliance with Saddam Hussein officers to fight al-Qaeda - Telegraph

US forges alliance with Saddam Hussein officers to fight al-Qaeda - Telegraph: "American counter-terrorism specialists and Saddam Hussein's former intelligence officers have forged an unlikely alliance in Yemen to tackle al-Qaeda."

Suicide Bombing Puts a Rare Face on C.I.A.’s Work - NYTimes.com

Suicide Bombing Puts a Rare Face on C.I.A.’s Work - NYTimes.com: "suicide bombing at a C.I.A. base in the remote mountains of Afghanistan.
In the days since the attack, details of the lives of the victims — five men and two women, including two C.I.A. contractors from the firm formerly known as Blackwater — have begun to trickle out, despite the secretive nature of their work. What emerges is a rare public glimpse of a closed society, a peek into one sliver of the spy agency as it operates more than eight years after the C.I.A. was pushed to the front lines of war.
Their deaths were a significant blow to the agency, crippling a team responsible for collecting information about militant networks in Afghanistan and Pakistan and plotting missions to kill the networks’ top leaders. And in one sign of how the once male-dominated bastion of the C.I.A. has changed in recent years, the suicide bombing revealed that a woman had been in charge of the base that was attacked, Forward Operating Base Chapman in Khost Province."

More Guantanamo ex-inmates tied to militants: Pentagon

More Guantanamo ex-inmates tied to militants: Pentagon: "An increasing number of former detainees from the US prison in Guantanamo have forged links to militant groups after their release, the Pentagon said on Wednesday.
The precise number remained classified but was in keeping with a previous Defense Department report in April that said 14 percent of former inmates had engaged in or were suspected of having ties to militants, Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said."

FOXNews.com - The Other Terror War: Pentagon Eyes Foreign Aid to Fight Al Qaeda

FOXNews.com - The Other Terror War: Pentagon Eyes Foreign Aid to Fight Al Qaeda: "The Obama administration, facing a growing terrorist threat out of Yemen, is turning to a counterterror tool that for the past four years has allowed the United States to battle extremism in dozens of countries outside the official war zones of Iraq and Afghanistan: cold, hard cash.
The Pentagon since 2006 has budgeted more than $1 billion to train and equip foreign militaries and security forces through a program known in Congress as 'Section 1206.'"

In bio attack, US Post Office could distribute aid

In bio attack, US Post Office could distribute aid: "The US Post Office could play a key role in distributing medical aid in the event of a biological attack, according to an executive order released by the White House on Wednesday.
The order signed by President Barack Obama directs government agencies, local law enforcement and the US Post Office to work on a model for distribution of medical countermeasures in the wake of a biological attack.
'This policy would seek to: (1) mitigate illness and prevent death; (2) sustain critical infrastructure; and (3) complement and supplement State, local, territorial, and tribal government medical countermeasure distribution capacity,' the order said."

C.I.A. Takes On Bigger and Riskier Role on Front Lines - NYTimes.com

C.I.A. Takes On Bigger and Riskier Role on Front Lines - NYTimes.com: "The deaths of seven Central Intelligence Agency operatives at a remote base in the mountains of Afghanistan are a pointed example of the civilian spy agency’s transformation in recent years into a paramilitary organization at the vanguard of America’s far-flung wars."

Lynn says fight against IEDs remains priority

Lynn says fight against IEDs remains priority: "Defeating the terrorists' weapon of choice is and will remain a priority for the Defense Department, Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III said here Dec. 30.

Mr. Lynn spoke during a Pentagon ceremony where Army Lt. Gen. Thomas Metz stepped down as director of the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization and Army Lt. Gen. Michael Oates took up the charge.

The organization looks for ways to defeat terrorists using car bombs, roadside bombs, as well as suicide vests, all examples of improvised explosive devices. The bombs are the biggest killers of American servicemembers in Iraq and Afghanistan."

FT.com / UK - Yemeni threat pushed up US agenda

FT.com / UK - Yemeni threat pushed up US agenda: "The risk posed by al-Qaeda in Yemen has long been of concern to western intelligence services. In 2000 Yemeni suicide bombers killed 17 people when they struck the USS Cole. The US waged a largely successful counter-terrorism campaign over the next three years, using unmanned drones to kill key operatives. But in the past three years AQAP has been thriving again in eastern Yemen, amid the ravages of its civil war.
Today western intelligence chiefs believe the risk posed by Yemeni jihadism has become especially serious."

Jihadism and the Cold War -- latimes.com

Jihadism and the Cold War -- latimes.com: "The West won the Cold War; we can use some of the same tactics to defeat Islamic extremism."

Aircraft Ramp Opens at Camp Lemonnier

Aircraft Ramp Opens at Camp Lemonnier: "After more than nine months of work and $12 million in funding, a U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules became the first aircraft to utilize a new apron at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti (CLDJ), Dec. 22, marking the beginning of operational missions on the apron known as 'Enduring Ramp'.

'Initially, Camp Lemonnier was built as an expeditionary base with expeditionary hardware,' said Lt. j.g. John Woods, the air operations officer at CLDJ. 'The opening of this concrete ramp confirms that Camp Lemonnier is transitioning into an enduring role, thus naming the ramp Enduring.'

The apron is 219 meters by 126 meters and is designed to provide three parking spaces for C-130 Hercules aircraft as well as a parking pad for the CV-22 Osprey aircraft. Enduring Ramp will also support parking for aircraft as large as the C-17 Globemaster III and C-5 Galaxy."

US steps up anti-terror campaign in Yemen: report

US steps up anti-terror campaign in Yemen: report: "The United States has quietly opened a third, largely covert front against the Al-Qaeda terror network in Yemen, The New York Times reported late Sunday.
Citing an unnamed former top CIA official, the newspaper said that a year ago the Central Intelligence Agency sent many field operatives with counterterrorism experience to the country.
At the same time, some of the most secretive special operations commandos have begun training Yemeni security forces in counterterrorism tactics, the report said.
The Pentagon will be spending more than 70 million dollars over the next 18 months"

U.S. wants Pakistan to pursue Taliban-allied group -- latimes.com

U.S. wants Pakistan to pursue Taliban-allied group -- latimes.com: "As Pakistan forges ahead with its bid to uproot Taliban fighters from tribal areas along the border with Afghanistan, its troops are bypassing an enemy that the Obama administration desperately wants confronted.

Rather than expand on its gains in South Waziristan and drive into North Waziristan to tackle the Haqqani network -- a wing of the Taliban that views U.S. and NATO-led troops in Afghanistan as its principal target -- the Pakistani military is now focusing its attention on driving Taliban militants from their strongholds in the surrounding tribal regions of Kurram, Orakzai and Khyber."

U.S. Widens Terror War to Yemen, a Qaeda Bastion - NYTimes.com

U.S. Widens Terror War to Yemen, a Qaeda Bastion - NYTimes.com: "In the midst of two unfinished major wars, the United States has quietly opened a third, largely covert front against Al Qaeda in Yemen.

A year ago, the Central Intelligence Agency sent several of its top field operatives with counterterrorism experience to the country, according a former top agency official. At the same time, some of the most secretive Special Operations commandos have begun training Yemeni security forces in counterterrorism tactics, senior military officers said."

Elite U.S. Force Expanding Hunt in Afghanistan - NYTimes.com

Elite U.S. Force Expanding Hunt in Afghanistan - NYTimes.com: "Secretive branches of the military’s Special Operations forces have increased counterterrorism missions against some of the most lethal groups in Afghanistan and, because of their success, plan an even bigger expansion next year, according to American commanders.
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The New York Times
Officers at Bagram Air Base expect a major fight in Marja. The commandos, from the Army’s Delta Force and the Navy’s classified Seals units, have had success weakening the network of Sirajuddin Haqqani, the strongest Taliban warrior in eastern Afghanistan"

Fears for anti-Taliban push as graft fracas engulfs Pakistan

Fears for anti-Taliban push as graft fracas engulfs Pakistan: "A Supreme Court ruling quashing a corruption amnesty protecting politicians has thrown nuclear-armed Pakistan into turmoil as the nation's allies want it to focus on battling militants, analysts say."

Iran helping the Taliban, US ambassador claims - Telegraph

Iran helping the Taliban, US ambassador claims - Telegraph: "Karl Eikenberry, a former commanding general in Afghanistan, said parts of the regime had transcended sectarian divisions within Islam to provide support for fundamentalist groups fighting Western forces in Afghanistan.
'Iran or elements within Iran have provided training assistance and some weapons to the Taliban,' said Mr Eikenberry."

NASA technology may help bioterror fight

NASA technology may help bioterror fight: "Technology developed at NASA to guard against Earth-bound infections during space exploration may be used in finding ways to counter bioterrorism, new research indicated.
Los Angeles-based Universal Detection Technology is acting upon a Department of Homeland Security request for a research proposal aimed at detecting and containing harmful bioagents, such as anthrax, that can be used as bioterrorism weapons, the company announced.
Universal Detection Technology is a developer of early-warning monitoring technologies to protect people from bioterrorism and other infectious health threats."

Program officials empower Afghan citizens to protect against threat of IED attacks

Program officials empower Afghan citizens to protect against threat of IED attacks: "A new program backed by Afghan National Security Forces and Combined Joint Task Force-82 empowers Afghan citizens to take a stand against improvised explosive device attacks.

'Operation Jaeza,' or 'reward,' gives Afghans a protection from enemy actions targeting innocent people, said Afghan Maj. Gen. Abdul Khaliq, the commanding general of the 203rd Corps, Afghan National Army, during a press conference on the subject at a forward operating base in Paktya province, recently.

The program was implemented four weeks ago and has already produced $48,000 in rewards in just the past week. People in the Paktika, Paktya, Khowst and Ghazni provinces produced leads on the location of the IEDs themselves, their makers or distributors of IED-making materials."

Taliban stalls key hydroelectric turbine project in Afghanistan | World news | The Guardian

Taliban stalls key hydroelectric turbine project in Afghanistan World news The Guardian: "An enormous hydroelectric turbine dragged at huge cost by British troops through Taliban heartlands last year may never be installed because Nato has been unable to secure a 30-mile stretch of road leading to an isolated dam in northern Helmand.
The daring mission to deliver 220 tonnes of equipment to the Kajaki dam in Afghanistan in September 2008 was hailed as one of the biggest success stories of the British Army's three-year deployment in Helmand.
Two thousand British troops took part in the five-day convoy through enemy territory, which was launched because the main road leading to the dam was too vulnerable to Taliban attacks"