30 January 2009

Early Bird summary

Friday’s Early Bird leads with an article from the Washington Post about Iraq’s elections, stating that Saturday's vote marks perhaps the most competitive election in the country's history, as Iraqis choose the leadership of 14 of 18 provinces. Sunni Arabs largely boycotted the last vote, delivering Shiites and Kurds disproportionate power in some provinces, including Baghdad, Diyala and Nineveh. In predominantly Shiite southern Iraq and Sunni western Iraq, power coalesced around ostensibly religious parties, building on clandestine organizations in exile, underground networks under Saddam Hussein, support from Iran and other neighbors and, occasionally, the end of a militiaman's gun.
The New York Times reports that Iraqi government officials announced this week that they had refused to give a license to operate to Blackwater, whose guards were involved in shootings that left 17 Iraqi civilians dead in Baghdad in September 2007.The State Department responded Thursday by saying that it would comply with Iraq’s order, though a spokesman said no decision had yet been made on how the department would replace Blackwater.But last month, State Department officials met with representatives from Blackwater and two other security contractors, Dyncorp International and Triple Canopy, said participants in the meeting, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the delicacy of the subject.Under the State Department’s current contract, the companies divided diplomatic security work along regional lines in Iraq. Blackwater holds the largest contract because it handles security in central Iraq, including Baghdad and the American Embassy.At the meeting, State Department officials asked all three companies to submit proposals explaining how they would handle security in Iraq. Participants in the meeting said it was clear that the officials wanted to be prepared if the Iraqi government moved against Blackwater.
Other noteworthy stories in Friday’s EB:
§ The New York Times reports that Afghan officials said Thursday that they had decided to postpone the country’s presidential election until August, saying they needed more time to prepare. But the decision, which appeared to contravene Afghanistan’s Constitution, raised questions about the legitimacy of what could be President Hamid Karzai’s final months in office.Azizullah Ludin, the chairman of the Independent Election Commission, said his office had decided to put off the voting until Aug. 20, which would give election workers more time to register candidates and set up voting machinery, and soldiers more time to bring dozens of chaotic districts under control. Mr. Ludin said the new date would allow the presidential election to take place under more favorable weather.
§ Bloomberg.com reports that Admiral Michael Mullen, the most senior American military officer, said the U.S. will probably deploy close to 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan to shore up deteriorating security there.In an interview, Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, also said he is hopeful that other NATO nations will contribute additional military and civilian resources this year to the fight against a resurgent Taliban. The Islamist militia, which once ruled Afghanistan and sheltered al-Qaeda, is threatening large areas of the country with mounting attacks.Mullen said the new resources are needed to buy time for a broad, long-term buildup of Afghan security forces that will allow the U.S. to “put an Afghan face” on the effort and dispel perceptions of a foreign occupation.
§ The New York Times reports that The Obama administration has picked Lt. Gen. Karl W. Eikenberry, a former top military commander in Afghanistan, to be the next United States ambassador to Kabul, an administration official said Thursday.Tapping a career Army officer who will soon retire from the service to fill one of the country’s most sensitive diplomatic jobs is a highly unusual choice.But Afghanistan specialists say that General Eikenberry, who served in Afghanistan twice, including an 18-month command tour that ended in 2007, knows the players and issues there well. That is a valuable commodity in a year when the United States will send thousands of additional troops to Afghanistan and the country will hold presidential elections.
§ London Times reports that Britain’s top military commander has admitted for the first time that America was right to criticise the way in which British troops carried out counter-insurgency operations against the Taleban in southern Afghanistan when they first deployed to Helmand province in 2006.Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, the Chief of the Defence Staff and a former head of the RAF, blamed commanders for being “smug and complacent” about the challenges they faced in Helmand.His words echoed accusations made by Robert Gates, the US Defence Secretary, and several senior American military officers who claimed that their British counterparts spent too much time boasting about their experiences in Northern Ireland.
§ The International Herald Tribune reports that Russia seems to be testing the ground for a shift in policy, which could emerge at the annual gathering in Munich on security policy that two years ago was the forum used by then-President Vladimir Putin to take a much harsher tone with the West and announce Moscow's hard-nosed return as a force in international affairs.According to a defense source cited by the Interfax news agency, Russia may even be reconsidering its threat to deploy new missiles near Kaliningrad in response to a U.S. antimissile system that would be based in Eastern Europe. That may be a trial balloon to see how the new U.S administration and the Europeans will respond, particularly when governments on both sides of the Atlantic are preoccupied with the global financial crisis rather than pouring billions into new defense systems.
§ Meanwhile, Financial Times reports that Russia on Thursday stepped up plans to build a significant military outpost in Georgia’s breakaway region of Abkhazia, announcing it would deploy the air force in the region as well as building a naval base.In the latest in a series of announcements causing concern within Nato, Moscow said it wanted to deploy about 20 military aircraft at a former Soviet airfield near Gudauta. The move came just days after the Kremlin suggested it would seek to build a naval base at Ochamchira, giving Russia a fresh port in the Black Sea.
§ The Washington Post says that President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton in the past week have sent repeated signals to Iran that the door is now wide open for direct talks between the two countries three decades after the Iranian revolution, but U.S. officials say the method, the pace and the tenor of that diplomacy still remain to be settled.
§ The New York Times reports that since 1997, Harold Nicholson has been locked in a federal prison in Oregon, the highest-ranking officer of the Central Intelligence Agency ever convicted of espionage.But even as federal inmate No. 49535-083, Mr. Nicholson never really retired as a Russian spy, federal prosecutors say. In an indictment unsealed Thursday, Mr. Nicholson and his 24-year-old son, Nathan, were charged with using jailhouse visits, coded letters and clandestine overseas meetings to sell more secrets to the Russians over the last three years, in a scheme Mr. Nicholson hatched from his prison cell. The Nicholsons pleaded not guilty on Thursday in federal court in Portland, Ore., and the public defender’s office was appointed to represent them.
Media summary
1. Leading newspaper headlines: Just in case the recent flood of depressing economic indicators hasn't been enough to convey how great this recession really is, the Washington Post leads with more data that came down the pipeline yesterday. (Slate Magazine)
2. Tight security before Iraq polls: A full-scale security clampdown is being rolled out in Iraq ahead of regional elections this weekend. (BBC)
3. U.S. ‘actively seeks’ Mid-East deal: The US envoy to the Middle East, George Mitchell, has said Washington is committed to "actively and aggressively" seeking lasting peace. (BBC)
4. HBO and Comcast to host the Virginia premiere of HBO Films’ “Taking Chance” Feb. 10 at the Quantico Marine Corps Base. (Broadcast News Room)
5. N.C.-based 2nd Marine Division celebrates birthday: A series of events for the birthday celebration of a North Carolina-based Marine Corps division is wrapping up. (WRAL.com, N.C.)
6. ‘Misperception,’ letter to the editor by LtCol Bracknell: 'Troubled minds and Purple Hearts' (op ed, Jan. 27) hits the mark on every point but one. (Virginian-Pilot)
Leading newspaper headlines
Just in case the recent flood of depressing economic indicators hasn't been enough to convey how great this recession really is, the Washington Post leads with more data that came down the pipeline yesterday. Sales of new homes plunged, 13,000 U.S. jobs were slashed, corporate earnings went deep in the red, and unemployment increased. The New York Times leads with President Obama harshly criticizing Wall Street bankers for receiving nearly $20 billion in bonuses last year even as the economy collapsed. "That is the height of irresponsibility," Obama said. "It is shameful."

The Wall Street Journal leads its world-wide newsbox with Illinois senators voting unanimously to remove Rod Blagojevich from office. He will now go down in history as the first Illinois governor to be impeached. USA Today leads with news that the Super Bowl will mark the first time that federal behavior-detection officers will be used at a major event. The Transportation Security Administration will be sending dozens of these officers, who normally work in airports, to join forces with local police and watch for suspicious behavior among the fans entering the Raymond James Stadium on Sunday. Civil liberties advocates worry that this sets a dangerous precedent. "If we're going to use this at high-profile sporting events, why not start using it on streets?" an ACLU analyst said. The Los Angeles Times leads with a judge ordering California officials to comply with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's order that state employees take two days off a month without pay. The move would represent "the biggest rollback of the state payroll in decades."
As bad as yesterday's news on the economy was, it's expected to pale in comparison with a report on how the U.S. economy did in the last three months of 2008 that will be released this morning. Many think it will show the economy contracted by as much as a 6 percent annual rate, the worst level since 1982. But even without that report, there was plenty of bad news to go around. New home sales tumbled 14 percent in December from the month before, and it was the worst month on record since the early 1960s. Another record was reached in unemployment claims. Around 4.8 million people claimed unemployment insurance for the week ending Jan. 17, the highest level since records began to be kept in 1967. Ford also made history by recording its worst annual performance ever with a $14.6 billion loss. Analysts are now predicting the economy won't recover until late this year, but many are holding out hope that things won't get much worse.
Obama criticized Wall Street bankers after he ended a private meeting with Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. Saying that "they should know better," Obama sounded "more like a frustrated schoolmarm than a president," notes the Post. But it seems clear that with his harsh words Obama sought to reassure lawmakers and the public that he is willing to impose more restrictions on executive compensation before the new administration takes any further steps to rescue banks. Sen. Christopher Dodd, the chairman of the Senate banking committee, said he will call executives to testify if it turns out that any taxpayer money was involved.
After impeaching him, Illinois senators held a second vote to bar Blagojevich from public office in the state. Blagojevich's troubles are far from over as he could still face federal charges of corruption and could go to prison. After boycotting the state Senate hearings for most of the week, he gave a speech before lawmakers voted. "I have done absolutely nothing wrong," he said. Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn became the state's 41st governor last night.
The NYT spent the day with Blagojevich and paints an interesting portrait of a man who was clearly shocked and saddened by the turn of events but remained defiant. "We should have been more selfish, not selfless," he said. "It sounds probably perverse for me to say that based on what some people are saying about me. But it's true. My family, we didn't take advantage of all these things that people do."
Following up on a WP story from earlier this week, the WSJ fronts word that administration officials are looking into implementing a multipronged approach to stabilize the financial system that would involve buying banks' toxic assets and offering a guarantee against future losses. No decision has been made yet, but what does seem clear is that the Obama administration wants to put forward a "comprehensive" effort rather than the seemingly haphazard rescues that have been the norm.
There is still one central question, though, which readers will recognize as the same question that was being asked before TARP became a household acronym: How much will the government pay for the toxic assets? Now there's finally a hint that a roadmap is being created. It seems that what is being called the government "bad bank" would buy only assets that have already been heavily marked down. The other bad assets, which are a substantial amount and would include mortgages and mortgage-backed securities, "would be covered by a type of insurance against future losses." Many worry that the government will try to do too much and put together too many disparate initiatives that won't fit together smoothly. "You have to decide, 'Should I pay Peter? Should I pay Paul?' You do have to make some choices here," a former chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers said.
The LAT off-leads a look at how Republicans seem to be at a loss over how to respond to Obama's stimulus package and what they should be proposing as an alternative. Individual Republicans have lots of ideas, but there is no consensus on what their priorities should be or whether the government should get involved at all. "There is not a coherent Republican message at this moment," a former GOP House member said.
The WP fronts, and everyone covers, news that the Senate passed a bill to expand health insurance to low-income children. The State Children's Health Insurance Program would continue coverage for 7 million youngsters and would also cover an additional 4 million children by 2013. Significantly, the vote was 66 to 32, with only nine Republicans joining Democrats. Many had hoped that the bill would have broad bipartisan support and that it could pave the way for discussing larger health care issues. But many Republicans dropped their support of the bill, largely because of a new provision that allows states to enroll children of legal immigrants, when an earlier compromise had limited it to those who had been in the country for more than five years.
The NYT and LAT report that Obama is considering offering Republican Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire the position of commerce secretary. The White House denies that Obama has narrowed the list to one candidate. But if Gregg takes the job, it could prove to be a political gift to Democrats because his replacement would be chosen by New Hampshire's Democratic governor. If the seat were to go to a Democrat, and assuming Al Franken of Minnesota prevails in the ongoing court challenge, Obama's party would have a filibuster-proof 60-seat majority.
The NYT fronts, and the WP goes inside with, news that the highest-ranking CIA officer ever convicted of espionage tried to continue to sell secrets to Russia from his jail cell via his 24-year-old son. According to court papers, Harold Nicholson was after a "kind of retirement 'pension' available to him in Russia." At first he tried to use fellow inmates to pass on information, but in late 2006, he apparently turned to his son. Russia was at least partly interested in finding out details about how Nicholson got caught to learn how other agents might avoid the same fate.

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Tight security before Iraq polls
The US military is sending heavy troop deployments onto the streets
A full-scale security clampdown is being rolled out in Iraq ahead of regional elections this weekend.
It comes after gunmen killed three candidates in separate incidents across the country, after a relatively violence-free campaign.
Millions of Iraqis are expected to vote for provincial councils, in the first country-wide elections since 2005.
They are being seen as a test of Iraq's improving stability and a guide to the general election later this year.
The shooting of Sunni election contenders happened on Thursday in Baghdad and in the northern city of Mosul. In Diyala province, a candidate and two campaign workers were also killed.
Whereas the January 2005 elections helped put Iraq on the path to all-out civil war, these polls could represent another, far more peaceful turning point
International Crisis Group
The level of violence around Iraq is significantly lower than in past years. The security measures, however, include closing Iraq's international borders, ordering traffic bans across Baghdad and major cities, halting air traffic and night-time curfews.
Hundreds of women, including teachers and civic workers, have also been recruited to help search women voters after a rise in female suicide bombers last year, according to the Associated Press.
Iraqi and US military commanders have in recent days warned that al-Qaeda poses a threat to the elections.
The International Crisis Group, which studies conflict-torn nations around the world, has emphasised the importance of the poll.
In a report, it said: "Whereas the January 2005 elections helped put Iraq on the path to all-out civil war, these polls could represent another, far more peaceful turning point."
PROVINCIAL ELECTIONS
Vote could mark Iraq turning point
Iraq voices: provincial elections
Iraq: Key facts and figures
The election is also being seen as a quasi referendum on the leadership of Prime Minister Nouri Maliki.
Four years ago, Iraq's Sunni Arabs boycotted the legislative election, allowing Shia and Kurdish parties to take control of parliament, but Sunnis are now expected to take part in large numbers.
Saturday's elections are being held in 14 of the country's 18 provinces, with more than 14,000 candidates competing for just 440 seats.
It is being organised by the United Nations and Iraq's Independent High Election Commission, with 800 international observers expected to oversee the balloting.
Iraq's provincial councils are responsible for nominating the governors who lead the administration and oversee finance and reconstruction projects. Security forces remain under federal government control.


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US 'actively seeks' Mid-East deal
George Mitchell visited a UN warehouse full of aid bound for Gaza
The US envoy to the Middle East, George Mitchell, has said Washington is committed to "actively and aggressively" seeking lasting peace.
He announced that President Barack Obama had directed him to spend $20.3m (£14.1m) on food and medical aid to the wounded and displaced in Gaza.
Mr Mitchell is on a regional tour aimed at consolidating ceasefires declared by Israel and Palestinian groups in Gaza.
Earlier, Mr Mitchell met Israeli politicians and intelligence officials.


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HBO and Comcast to host the Virginia premiere of HBO Films' 'TAKING CHANCE,' February 10, at the Quantico Marine Corps Base

January 30, 2009 --
QUANTICO, Va., Jan. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- HBO and Comcast will co-host the Virginia premiere of HBO Films' TAKING CHANCE, February 10, at Quantico Marine Corps Base, during an invitation-only screening event at the Little Hall Theater. Lead actor Kevin Bacon; director, executive producer and writer Ross Katz; writer Lieutenant Colonel Michael R. Strobl, USMC (Ret.); executive producers Brad Krevoy and Cathy Wischner-Sola and HBO Films president Len Amato are scheduled to attend.
In spring 2004, Lieutenant Colonel Michael Strobl came across the name of 19-year-old Lance Corporal Chance Phelps, a young Marine who had been killed in action in Iraq. Strobl, a Desert Storm veteran with 17 years of military service, requested that he be assigned for military escort duty to accompany Chance's remains to his family in Dubois, Wyoming.
Based on Strobl's personal journal of the same name, TAKING CHANCE chronicles one of the silent, virtually unseen journeys that take place every day across the country, bearing witness to the fallen and all those who, literally and figuratively, carry them home.
Strobl, who recently retired after serving 24 years in the U.S. Marine Corps, developed the original story with the strong support of Phelps' parents, John Phelps and Gretchen Mack, both of whom are also scheduled to attend the Virginia premiere.
Strobl's first-person account, which began as an official trip report, gives an insight into the military's policy of providing a uniformed escort for all casualties. The story became an Internet phenomenon when it was widely circulated throughout the military community and eventually reached the mainstream media.
An HBO Films presentation of a Motion Picture Corporation of America and Civil Dawn Pictures production, TAKING CHANCE marks the directorial debut of two-time Oscar(R)-nominated producer Ross Katz ("Lost in Translation"). The screenplay is by Lieutenant Colonel Strobl and Katz, based on the journal of the same name by Strobl, who also serves as military consultant. The executive producers are Brad Krevoy ("A Love Song for Bobby Long"), Cathy Wischner-Sola and Ross Katz; the co-executive producer is William Teitler (HBO's "Empire Falls"); and the producer is Lori Keith Douglas ("The Notorious Bettie Page"). HBO Films vice president Jenni Sherwood is the executive in charge of the production.
Kevin Bacon ("Frost/Nixon") stars in HBO Films' TAKING CHANCE, which debuts SATURDAY, FEB. 21 at 8:00 p.m. (ET/PT), exclusively on HBO.
CAST AND FILMMAKER BIOS
Kevin Bacon (LtCol Michael Strobl) made his film debut as Chip in "National Lampoon's Animal House," which led to roles in "Diner" and "Footloose," the movie that propelled him to stardom. His film credits also include "Murder in the First" (voted Best Actor by The Broadcast Critics Association), "Apollo 13," "Mystic River" and "The Woodsman" (IFP Spirit Award nomination). Bacon's directing credits include "Loverboy," starring Kyra Sedgwick. He was recently seen in the feature films "Death Sentence" and "Rails & Ties," and he can currently be seen in the acclaimed "Frost/Nixon."
Lieutenant Colonel Michael Strobl, USMC (Ret.) (writer, military consultant) enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1983 and served in all three active duty Marine divisions as a field artilleryman. He has deployed to the Western Pacific and Persian Gulf region with the 13th and 15th Marine Expeditionary Units, and participated in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm as part of the 1st Marine Division. Strobl's last assignment was at Headquarters, United States Marine Corps, Manpower and Reserve Affairs in Quantico, Va. He wrote the journal "Taking Chance" while serving with the Marine Corps Combat Development Command in Quantico in April 2004. He retired from the Marine Corps in 2007 and currently works as a defense analyst at the Pentagon.
Ross Katz (director, writer, executive producer) is a two-time Academy Award(R) nominee for producing and has now taken on the role of writer and director with TAKING CHANCE, his first feature film. As a producer, Katz received Best Picture Academy Award(R) and Golden Globe nominations and won Best Feature at the Independent Spirit Awards for Sofia Coppola's "Lost in Translation." He also garnered Best Picture Academy Award(R) and Golden Globe nominations for Todd Field's "In the Bedroom," which premiered at Sundance. Previously, Katz earned an Emmy(R) nomination as an executive producer of HBO Films' "The Laramie Project." Katz also produced Coppola's "Marie Antoinette." His first feature as producer was Jim Fall's "Trick." One of Katz's upcoming projects as writer and director is "Amateur American," based on the political thriller by J. Elmore Saunders, and produced by A Likely Story.
Brad Krevoy (executive producer) founded the Motion Picture Corporation of America (MPCA) in 1986, and has played a key role in the finance, development, production and distribution of more than 100 motion picture and television projects. His producing credits include the smash hit comedy "Dumb and Dumber," the Peabody Award-winning TV movie "Annie," Kevin Spacey's directorial debut, "Albino Alligator," "A Love Song for Bobby Long," starring John Travolta and Scarlett Johansson, "Kingpin," "Jungle 2 Jungle" and "Beverly Hills Ninja." In 1996 Krevoy sold MPCA and became co-president of Orion Pictures, where he produced "Dead Poets Society," which brought Tom Schulman an Academy Award(R) for original screenplay, and released films such as Victor Nunez's critically acclaimed "Ulee's Gold," presented by Jonathan Demme and starring Academy Award(R) nominee Peter Fonda, as well as Sergei Bodrov's "Prisoner of the Mountains," an Academy Award(R) and Golden Globe nominee for Best Foreign Language Film. Krevoy revitalized Orion Pictures, quickly positioning the company for sale to Kirk Kerkorian's MGM/UA in 1997, and subsequently restarted MPCA. He is currently prepping "Rainbow Bridge," written by two-time Academy Award(R) nominee William Nicholson.
Cathy Wischner-Sola's (executive producer) projects currently in development include "The Badlands," "Esperanza Rising" and "The Last Beach Bungalow." A former vice president of original programming at TNT, she was involved in such projects as "Pirates of Silicon Valley," "King of Texas," "Animal Farm" and "Smudge," which won a Humanitas Prize for Best Children's Movie. While an executive with Daniel H. Blatt Productions, she supervised "Common Ground" and "Sworn to Silence," among others. Wischner-Sola currently serves on the faculty of the American Film Institute (AFI) Conservatory.
William Teitler's (co-executive producer) producing credits include HBO Films' "Empire Falls," as well as "Zathura," "The Polar Express," "How to Deal," "Tuck Everlasting," "The Hurricane," "Jumanji," "Looking for Richard," "Mr. Holland's Opus" and "Picture Perfect." Teitler's television credits include HBO's CableACE Award-winning series "Tales from the Crypt" and "Tales from the Dark Side." His upcoming films include "Robot Taekwon V" and "The Widow's Broom."
Lori Keith Douglas (producer) began her film career in development and moved into physical production shortly thereafter. She worked with the production team at New Line Cinema, aiding in the development and production of more than a dozen films, including the "Nightmare on Elm Street" series and "The Mask," starring Jim Carrey. Her other credits include Mira Nair's "The Namesake," the HBO Films/Picturehouse release "The Notorious Bettie Page," "Requiem for a Dream," "The Savages" and the upcoming "The Rebound."
SOURCE HBO

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N.C.-based 2nd Marine Division celebrates birthday
CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. — A series of events for the birthday celebration of a North Carolina-based Marine Corps division is wrapping up.
The 2nd Marine Division said more than 2,300 current and former Marines will take part in the events on Friday at Camp Lejeune. The events include a memorial service, awards ceremony and birthday banquet.
Marines celebrated earlier in the week with tank and artillery live-fire demonstrations.
The infantry division was founded Feb 1, 1941, and numbers more than 15,000 enlisted members and officers.
Members of the division have served in conflicts around the world since World War II.

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Misperception
'Troubled minds and Purple Hearts' (op ed, Jan. 27) hits the mark on every point but one: a proposed alternate award for service members returning with post-traumatic stress. Such an award would, in the military culture, be a nonstarter for the very reasons the author identifies: the perception of stigma by those with mental wounds. While the conventional wisdom long ago accepted that PTSD (and traumatic brain injury) are not signs of weakness, but real illnesses, a perception of dishonor still exists in some quarters of the military culture. Simply put, many service members wouldn't wear the medal for worry that it might mark them as less worthy than their physically wounded (or unwounded) peers. Where the Purple Heart is worn by some as a badge of honor, noting sacrifice and service in armed combat, a separate award recognizing mental injuries and TBI could be seen to mark the wearer as weak or attach some other shame to the individual's mental health status.
I can see one reasonable solution, and it is for the Department of Defense to reverse its policy of denying the Purple Heart to service members returning from combat with PTSD, particularly in the cases where the diagnosis of PTSD can be linked to TBI to some degree of medical certainty.
While the DOD may have raised irregular warfare, with its unconventional tactics such as improvised explosive devices, to the same level for funding and policy as traditional major combat missions, the fact that the department is resistant to adjusting the criteria for awarding the Purple Heart demonstrates that some senior leaders may not have fully internalized the paradigm shift.
Lt. Col. Robert G. Bracknell
Virginia Beach

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