Early Bird summary
1. Leading newspaper headlines: The Los Angeles Times leads with word that the U.S. military has started working with the Pakistani government on a new program that uses armed Predator drones to go after Islamist insurgents inside Pakistan. (Slate Magazine)
2. Pakistan conflict map: A map produced by the BBC suggests only 38% of Pakistan's North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and surrounding areas is under full government control. (BBC)
3. Reservist to face court martial: A general has decided to court-martial Master Sgt. Reinaldo Pagan, a reservist once assigned to Camp Pendleton, on charges of making a false official statement, dereliction of duty and possessing a stolen machine gun. (San Diego Union-Tribune
4. First-time visit brings Corps to Chicago area: If you see Marine aircraft hovering above you this week, don't worry. It's all part of the first-ever Marine Week, taking place throughout the Chicago area. (Chicago Daily Herald)
5. Cuba never threatened U.S. says former Marine colonel: “Cuba has never threatened the United States,” said a former colonel of the US Marine Corps who participated in an academic conference on the 50th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution that concluded this weekend in Kingston, Canada. (Cuban News Agency)
6. King Abdullah in Mideast warning: King Abdullah of Jordan has warned that failure to reach an agreement for peace in the Middle East will result in a new conflict within 12-18 months. (BBC)
The Los Angeles Times leads with word that the U.S. military has started working with the Pakistani government on a new program that uses armed Predator drones to go after Islamist insurgents inside Pakistan. By cooperating with Pakistani officers, the hope is that the government in Islamabad will be more open to using drones to go after militants. But that's hardly the only reason this new program is significant. It also marks the beginning of a new role for the U.S. military since the CIA has been the agency that has used drones along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. The CIA drones won't cease operating, but a separate group of drones will now be under the purview of the Defense Department and, for the first time, will be allowed to venture beyond the border areas.
The New York Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal's world-wide newsbox lead with a new government report that paints a dire picture of the financial situation of the nation's two largest benefit programs. Partly as a result of the recession, the Medicare fund for hospital care will run out of money in 2017, two years earlier than the government had predicted a year ago. The Social Security trust fund is in a bit better shape but will still start spending more money than it receives in 2016 and will be depleted by 2037, four years sooner than projected last year. At a time when lawmakers are arguing over whether the country can really afford expanding health insurance coverage, the report sparked calls for the administration to start working on a plan to prevent the two entitlement programs from becoming insolvent. USA Today leads with news that the pilots of the plane that crashed Feb. 12 in Buffalo, N.Y., that killed 50 people spent their last few moments chatting with each other about the icy conditions and their careers. According to a transcript of the cockpit recorder released yesterday, the pilots bantered away and didn't seem to realize that the airplane had slowed dramatically.
When Pakistan's president visited Washington last week, he once again said his country wanted its own drones. U.S. officials never liked that idea but see this new joint partnership as a compromise that can serve the interests of both nations. Pakistani military officials will be able to direct the drones inside Pakistan. As opposed to the drones run by the CIA, the new program would go after local militants who are threatening to take over Pakistan rather than al-Qaida targets. Still, the Pakistani military seems reluctant to use this newly available technology. Pakistani officials didn't want to use the drones in the recent Swat Valley offensive, and have yet to order the firing of any missiles.
The recession has sped up the decline of Medicare and Social Security because rising unemployment means the government gets less in the payroll taxes that fund a big chunk of the programs. But even if things turnaround later this year it won't help them avoid their predicted fate. White House officials said the new report on Medicare's finances illustrates why it's so important that the government succeed in its widespread effort to bring down health care costs. But Republicans questioned whether Social Security—the so-called third rail of American politics—shouldn't be Obama's first priority. The new numbers were also great fodder for Republicans who don't like the idea of creating a new government health insurance program. "The government-run healthcare programs we already have are unsustainable," said Rep. Tom Price of Georgia.
The WSJ points out that Medicare's outlook may be even bleaker than the numbers indicate. The report released yesterday takes into account a 21 percent cut in payments this year to doctors who work for Medicare. The cut is required by law but over the past several years Congress has canceled it.
The chit-chat between the pilots of the plane that crashed in Buffalo violated rules that forbid any kind of idle chatter in the cockpit, particularly during takeoff and landing. Apparently distracted by the ice, the pilots didn't realize that the plane had slowed down 57 mph in less than 30 seconds. When a safety device that alerts pilots to a critical slow-down was activated, the pilot apparently did exactly the wrong thing. The device automatically lowers the plane's nose in order to gain speed, but the pilot overrode it and instead tried to raise it. The pilots weren't trained on how to use the safety device.
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Pakistan conflict map
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Taleban militants were deemed to be in effective control of 24% of the region
A map produced by the BBC suggests only 38% of Pakistan's North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and surrounding areas is under full government control.
The map, compiled by the BBC's Urdu language service, was based on local research and correspondent reports as well as conversations with officials.
It shows the Taleban strengthening their hold across the north-west.
Pakistan is currently engaged in a military offensive aimed at regaining part of the region from the Taleban. There was an international outcry recently when the militants moved into Buner district, just 100km (67 miles) from Islamabad.
Lawlessness
The report the map was based on covered the 24 districts of NWFP and the seven tribal agencies and six frontier regions of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).
D.I. KHAN (Taleban presence)
Traditionally famous for its flowers and sweets, Dera Ismail Khan (or D.I. Khan) has not escaped the increase in Taleban activity seen elsewhere in North West Frontier Province.
Two groups of militants are active in D.I. Khan, one of them involved in sectarian attacks, the other in attacks on security forces. Taleban active in neighbouring Waziristan have claimed responsibility for almost all the attacks on security personnel.
After troops stepped up an anti-Taleban drive in Waziristan in 2008, large numbers of tribal families settled in D.I. Khan. Some government officials fear that militants might also have left Waziristan and settled in D.I. Khan.
Local police say 84 people, many of them security personnel, were killed and more than 100 injured in various violent incidents during 2008. Most analysts agree there will be no end to violence in D.I. Khan until peace is restored in neighbouring tribal areas and concerted action is taken to stop the sectarian attacks.
HANGU (Taleban presence)
Hangu, neighbouring Orakzai, is believed to be under the control of Hakimullah Mehsud, the right-hand man of Pakistan Taleban leader Baitullah Mehsud. Those parts of Hangu that border Orakzai are dominated by the Taleban.
The district also shares borders with two other Taleban strongholds, Kurram and Waziristan. Most analysts argue that if government fails to take steps to check the increasing influence of the Taleban in Hangu, the radical elements now confined to its border areas could soon expand their activities to other areas of district.
Sectarian tension between Shias and Sunnis is yet another fault line, which deepened after a 2006 suicide attack on a Shia procession in Hangu.
KHYBER (Taleban presence)
Of the tribal areas of the North West Frontier, Khyber agency is the only one where different religious organisations operate. There are three known religious groups - Lashkar-i-Islam (Army of Islam) headed by Mangal Bagh, Ansar-i-Islam (Companions of Islam) headed by Qazi Mehboobul Haq and Amar Bil Maroof (Organisation for Virtues) headed by Niaz Gul.
The Taleban presence in Khyber is fairly recent and most analysts link it to Nato's use of the main road through the Khyber pass to Afghanistan. The Taleban are believed to have moved into the area to attack convoys carrying supplies for Nato forces in Afghanistan. There has been a spate of such attacks. The Taleban are now in almost total control of two of the three sub-divisions of Khyber agency, including Jamrod and Bara.
KOHAT (Taleban presence)
Kohat is only a stone's throw from the semi tribal district of Adamkhel.
The Taleban claim to have carried out attacks targeting security forces in the district. In a recent operation security forces say 35 militants were killed. As in Mardan and other districts in North West Frontier Province, the Taleban in Kohat have mostly confined their activities to opposing music and barber shops.
KURRAM (Taleban presence)
Kurram agency, like neighbouring North Waziristan, is also divided into three administrative areas or sub-divisions - Upper, Central and Lower Kurram.
The Taleban (who are Sunni Muslims) do not have a significant presence in Upper Kurram as the local population are Shias. Shias are also found in one town in Lower Kurram, Alizai. Otherwise, the Taleban are present almost everywhere else in Kurram where the Sunni population dominates.
Foreign Taleban fighters are believed to have moved into Kurram and adjoining Orakzai agencies since 2008 when missile attacks by suspected US military drones became more frequent in north-west Pakistan.
LAKKI MARWAT (Taleban presence)
Lakki Marwat is a district near North Waziristan where local tribes are very strong. There have been a number of clashes between militants and security forces in the area.
LOWER DIR (Taleban controlled)
There have been reports since late 2007 that the Taleban have found many hideouts in Lower Dir. This was confirmed in April when the army acknowledged that the Taleban had dug themselves in on the mountain tops. The area known as Maidan, which is also the home town of radical cleric Sufi Mohammad who brokered the now-defunct Swat "peace deal", has become a Taleban hotspot in the district.
The army has twice claimed to have pushed the Taleban out of Lower Dir and taken control. But many people fear the militants may use Lower Dir to expand into nearby Upper Dir.
MALAKAND (Taleban presence)
Malakand is essentially a mountain pass between Mardan and Swat. Historically the district is known for a number of battles between local tribes and British soldiers in the last years of the 19th Century.
Before extremism began surfacing in Swat, the local administration had been facing law and order problems in Malakand. At the time it mostly concerned criminal activities including kidnap for ransom. In January 2009 members of an international charity were taken hostage. But the biggest Taleban attack in Malakand was carried out apparently to avenge a US missile strike at Damadola. Forty paramilitary recruits were killed in the attack on a training centre at Dargai. Despite the fact that the Taleban have not maintained a dominant presence in Malakand, the district seems susceptible to their influence and analysts argue that if they so choose the Taleban could move into thearea in a big way.
MARDAN (Taleban presence)
Mardan, about 60km (37 miles) north-east of Peshawar, is one of the most densely populated districts of North West Frontier Province and a thriving centre for trade.
In the past year the Taleban have boosted their presence in Mardan and reports of skirmishes with paramilitary security forces have become more frequent. Although there are not many of them in Mardan, the Taleban have proved able to disrupt the day-to-day administration of the district.
Early signs of extremism in Mardan can be traced back to attacks on music shops, and more recently, shops providing cable services for different TV channels have been targeted. In another incident an NGO office was also attacked. Responsibility for most of these attacks was reportedly accepted by a militant who claimed to be the local head of the Tehrik Taleban Pakistan alliance.
Mardan also made headlines in the international media when Abu Faraj al-Libbi, a high profile al-Qaeda suspect was arrested there in 2005.
MOHMAND (Taleban presence)
The Taleban are widely reported to be present in all three sub-divisions of Mohmand agency. The militants here are under the command of Omar Khalid who belongs to the Safi tribe of Pashtuns. He and about 5,000 militants have been resisting attempts by the security forces to clear them from the southern and south-eastern parts of Mohmand in order to reduce pressure on Peshawar and elsewhere.
Taleban fighters of Arab and Uzbek origin are also reported to be present in Mohmand.
ORAKZAI (Taleban controlled)
Orakzai agency is divided into two administrative districts.
The Taleban do not have a significant presence in Lower Orakzai as most locals belong to an anti-Taleban Shia sect. But, mountainous Upper Orakzai is dominated by Sunnis and has many Taleban and sympathisers.
Most Taleban in Orakzai belong to the Mamuzai, Alikhel, Akhel and Ferozkhel tribes. The local population seems supportive of the Taleban more for sectarian reasons than because of the militants' activities. The Taleban appointed Hakimullah Mehsud as commander for Orakzai, Kurram and Khyber agencies. He is a cousin of Qari Hussain, the mastermind behind the training of the suicide bombers used by the Taleban.
PESHAWAR (Taleban presence)
The capital of North-West Frontier Province (NWFP), Peshawar has become the front line city in the so-called "war on terror" in Pakistan. Bombings and suicide attacks coupled with kidnap for ransom have become commonplace. The city is surrounded by militants on three sides. Mardan and Charsadda to the north, Mohmand and Khyber agencies to the west and Darra Adamkhel to the south have all become battle grounds.
Disrupting Nato plans in Afghanistan has been the key Taleban target in Peshawar - at least 400 vehicles carrying supplies for Nato forces have been destroyed. The Taleban say they will keep on attacking trucks destined for Nato forces until US stops drone attacks in the region.
SHANGLA (Taleban controlled)
Shangla is said to be under the partial control of the Taleban. Recent reports speak of militants taking control of emerald mines here and it is rumoured that an army operation will soon be launched.
The Taleban captured Shangla Top, a strategic point, about 18 months ago and since then have taken control of police stations in the district. Policemen had no option but to run for their lives. Other government buildings in Shangla have since been in and out of Taleban control - and some analysts believe the militants could retake them if they want.
SOUTH WAZIRISTAN (Taleban controlled)
South Waziristan is the largest tribal district or agency - two big Pashtun tribes, the Mehsud and the Wazir, dominate. The Wazirs are historically settled on either side of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, while the Mehsuds are confined to South Waziristan.
It is widely believed the Pakistani government has lost control of almost all of South Waziristan - for some time the army has been restricted to Zerinoor camp in the agency's main town, Wana.
The army had to evacuate the Mehsud-dominated area of South Waziristan in 2008 when around 300 troops were taken hostage. The army is understood to lack a secure supply line that could guarantee a smoother flow of men and ammunition into this area.
Parts of South Waziristan under the direct influence of top Pakistan Taleban militant leader Baitullah Mehsud are reported to contain as many as seven camps where suicide bombers are trained. These camps or training centres are believed to have been established at Makeen, Shaktoi, Kanigaram, Dela, Kot Kai, Shawwal and Badar.
In addition, another Taleban leader Mullah Nazir is also believed to be running two separate training centres in South Waziristan at Shikai and Baghar. Some of his followers are also known to be based in Balochistan province, which almost borders Wana.
SWABI (Taleban presence)
Swabi is considered to be the heartland of the secular Pashtun political party, the Awami National Party (ANP). Mainly for this reason, people in Swabi have not welcomed the Taleban. But there have been recent incidents of graffiti in Swabi boasting local support for the Taleban's drive for their version of Sharia law and Islamic "virtues".
Swabi was in the news in the early 1990s when an operative of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency emerged as a key link between the army and the Taleban.
SWAT (Taleban controlled)
Known as the Switzerland of Pakistan, the former princely state of Swat had been popular with tourists for decades. It is now under almost total Taleban control.
The militants have targeted the security forces, the police, secular politicians and government-run schools.
By early April 2009, Sharia law had been imposed as part of a deal between the authorities and the local Taleban. However, the militants failed to disarm completely in line with the accord and their fighters spread to neighbouring districts, prompting international concern. An army offensive was launched in Swat in early May.
The local Taleban, under their leader Maulana Fuzlullah, have extended their control throughout Swat, especially in areas of policing and its judicial system.
Maulana Fazlullah is the son-in-law of radical cleric Sufi Mohammad who led an insurgency in the 1990s. Sufi Mohammad brokered the failed peace deal in Swat.
There are a number of pockets in and around Swat where the Taleban are known to have hidden when in danger or as a tactic when pushed back by the military. Such safe havens could prove useful to them if political pressure mounts against them in Swat. The militants could melt away into the north of the district where they are in even fuller control.
TANK (Taleban presence)Baitullah Mehsud's Taleban fighters from South Waziristan first started making incursions into the nearby city of Tank in 2005. Music stores, barbers' shops and police stations were their primary targets. That situation still remains, with a slight difference. Taleban groups composed of Bhittani tribesmen have been confronting Mehsud loyalists in the region. The Bhittani is the native tribe of Tank district and its largest, but is in a minority in the city of Tank, the administrative centre, where the Mehsuds dominate.
It is thought the Bhittani Taleban are supported by the government. Nevertheless, the writ of the government runs thin in Tank, where fully armed members of rival groups roam the streets freely and run offices in different parts of the city. The police initially offered resistance, but have now downgraded their mandate to one of self-preservation. They stay inside heavily-barricaded police stations. The civil administration is almost completely paralysed.
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UPPER DIR (Taleban presence)
Recent reports suggest Upper Dir has started showing some signs of increasing religious radicalisation, but local extremists claim to have no link with the Taleban and do not call themselves Taleban. Instead they are known to be involved in criminal activities, which does not fit with typical Taleban activity.
One notable incident of militancy in Upper Dir in February saw a paramilitary post captured. Militants refused to abandon it despite repeated requests from a local jirga (tribal council). In April five policemen were killed by unknown attackers.
It is thought however the Taleban could gather support from Upper Dir if they wanted. Radical cleric Sufi Mohammad's TNSM organisation has established offices in Upper Dir and some locals sympathise with the movement.
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Marine reservist to face court-martial
By Rick Rogers Union-Tribune Staff Writer 6:01 p.m. May 12, 2009
CAMP PENDLETON – A general has decided to court-martial Master Sgt. Reinaldo Pagan, a reservist once assigned to Camp Pendleton, on charges of making a false official statement, dereliction of duty and possessing a stolen machine gun.
The Marine Corps announced Lt. Gen. Keith Stalder's decision on Tuesday. It has not set a date for the trial.
Pagan is accused of improperly handling or supervising classified documents while working at an intelligence center at Camp Pendleton. His case is part of a broader investigation into alleged theft of secret files from the center, including those purportedly showing surveillance of Muslims and other suspected terrorists in Southern California.
Pagan, a police officer with the Hayward Police Department, also is accused of keeping an M-16 rifle that he had reported as missing while deployed in the Middle East.
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First-time Marine Week brings Corps to Chicago area
Daily Herald Staff ReportA Marine helicopter based in New River North Carolina comes in for a landing at Motorola headquarters in Schaumburg Tuesday as part of Marine Week. Bill Zars Staff Photographer
Marines depart from the helicopter Tuesday at Motorola in Schaumburg. Bill Zars Staff Photographer
Motorola employees Armando Zacarias, left, and Andy Anh Hoang check out a crew member's helmet Tuesday on the Marine helicopter that landed at Motorola Tuesday as part of Marine Week. Bill Zars Staff Photographer
Motorola employee Dave Eserhut of Algonquin checks out the machine gun atop a Marine Humvee Tuesday at Motorola headquarters in Schaumburg. The company has a long history of providing communications devices to the Marines.
Bill Zars Staff Photographer
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If you see Marine aircraft hovering above you this week, don't worry. It's all part of the first-ever Marine Week, taking place throughout the Chicago area.
More than 2,000 Marine personnel and veterans are in the Chicago region area this week for the festivities aimed at highlighting the corps' work and its history. Events range from vehicle and aircraft displays to Marine band performances to high school wrestling clinics by the Marine wrestling team to training workshops for local police departments.
Thursday’s Early Bird leads with several articles regarding the campaign in Pakistan. The Los Angeles Times reports that the U.S. military has launched a program of armed Predator drone missions against militants in Pakistan that for the first time gives Pakistani officers significant control over routes, targets and decisions to fire weapons, U.S. officials said.The joint effort is aimed at getting the government in Islamabad, which has bitterly protested Predator strikes, more directly engaged in one of the most successful elements of the battle against Islamist insurgents.It also marks a broad new role for the U.S. military in hunting the Taliban and its Al Qaeda allies, who pose a growing threat to both Pakistan and Afghanistan. For years, that task has been the domain of the CIA, which has flown its own Predator missions over Pakistan.
Army commandos launched aggressive new search-and-destroy operations in the Swat Valley and several surrounding districts in the Taliban-plagued northwest Tuesday, military officials said, according to the Washington Post.On the fifth day of a major military offensive, army officials said they were making a concerted effort to wipe out the hideouts and supply bases of Islamist guerrilla forces, mostly located in unpopulated hilly areas, but had not begun a "hard-core urban fight" to dislodge the fighters from major towns in the region.Officials also said Tuesday that the number of people fleeing the conflict zone has topped 1 million and that more than 360,000 people have registered at 17 camps for newly displaced civilians in the past week.
The Financial Times of London reports that Pakistan's fight against the Taliban has a limited chance of success because of the army's inexperience and its refusal to accept help from the west, according to a counter-insurgency expert.As Pakistan continued its offensive against the Taliban in the Swat valley to the north-west of Islamabad, David Kilcullen, widely hailed as a key strategist behind the successful US surge in Iraq, warned that the outlook for the operation was "pretty bleak." Mr Kilcullen has been a leading adviser to General David Petraeus, the head of US Central Command, in his Iraq strategy.The Obama administration has given strong backing to the Pakistani operation in Swat, knowing that success is key to the government's stability. But in an interview with the Financial Times, Mr Kilcullen said he doubted Pakistan could succeed - and that failure would endanger the international mission in Afghanistan because it could cut Nato supply routes.
The new commander on the ground in Afghanistan, Lt. Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, is an expert in counterinsurgency warfare who for years has viewed the violence in Afghanistan and Pakistan as one thorny problem, the New York Times reports. Among his last projects as the head of the Joint Special Operations Command was to better coordinate Pentagon and Central Intelligence Agency efforts on both sides of the porous border.Administration officials cautioned that General McChrystal would be given no explicit mandate to carry out military strikes in Pakistan, which have long been opposed by Pakistan’s government. At the same time, current and former officials said that General McChrystal, with his commando background, is ideally suited to carry out a White House strategy that regards Afghanistan and Pakistan as part of a single, urgent problem.“For him to be successful, he’s going to have fight the war on both sides of the border,” said Robert Richer, a retired C.I.A. officer who worked with General McChrystal when Mr. Richer was the agency’s head of Middle East operations and assistant director of clandestine operations.
The New York Times also reports that Lt. Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, the ascetic who is set to become the new top American commander in Afghanistan, usually eats just one meal a day, in the evening, to avoid sluggishness.He is known for operating on a few hours’ sleep and for running to and from work while listening to audio books on an iPod. In Iraq, where he oversaw secret commando operations for five years, former intelligence officials say that he had an encyclopedic, even obsessive, knowledge about the lives of terrorists, and that he pushed his ranks aggressively to kill as many of them as possible.But General McChrystal has also moved easily from the dark world to the light. Fellow officers on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, where he is director, and former colleagues at the Council on Foreign Relations describe him as a warrior-scholar, comfortable with diplomats, politicians and the military man who would help promote him to his new job.
As many as a dozen suicide bombers staged synchronized attacks Tuesday on government buildings in a provincial capital in eastern Afghanistan, triggering a day of chaotic fighting that left at least 20 people dead, reports the Los Angeles Times.Scores of people were injured in the fighting in Khowst, the site of a large U.S. military base. The wounded included at least three American soldiers.The brazen assault was reminiscent of an earlier attack on the U.S. base, Camp Salerno, in which militants used multiple suicide bombers. This one, however, was aimed at softer targets: the governor's compound, police headquarters and a municipality building.
No matter what form future wars take, they will have one thing in common: complexity, according to an article in today’s Virginian-Pilot.That was the theme Tuesday during the opening day of Joint Warfighting 09, a three-day symposium and trade show at the Virginia Beach Convention Center.The event opened with a speech by Marine Gen. James Mattis, NATO's supreme allied commander transformation and commander of U.S. Joint Forces Command."I come with a sense of urgency," he told the audience. "The enemy is meeting like this as well."Mattis outlined a future in which wars will not have clearly defined beginnings and ends. What is needed, he said, is a grand strategy, a political framework that can guide military planning.
The Washington Post reports that the Obama administration signaled yesterday that it may be rethinking its promise to release several dozen photos depicting abuse or alleged abuse of detainees held in U.S. custody abroad.Justice Department officials told a federal judge late last month that the U.S. government did not intend to fight a court order to turn over a total of 44 photos, which were sought by the American Civil Liberties Union under a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit.
A U.S. Navy officer who advocates a combination of military and diplomatic power to secure strategic goals has been formally appointed as NATO's top military commander, the alliance said Tuesday, according to the Los Angeles Times.Adm. James G. Stavridis, who heads the U.S. Southern Command, replaces Army Gen. Bantz J. Craddock.Stavridis has a reputation as an outspoken backer of "smart power" -- the combination of military power and the ability to persuade through diplomacy, aid, ideas and trade.
Media summary
1. Leading newspaper headlines: The Los Angeles Times leads with word that the U.S. military has started working with the Pakistani government on a new program that uses armed Predator drones to go after Islamist insurgents inside Pakistan. (Slate Magazine)
2. Pakistan conflict map: A map produced by the BBC suggests only 38% of Pakistan's North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and surrounding areas is under full government control. (BBC)
3. Reservist to face court martial: A general has decided to court-martial Master Sgt. Reinaldo Pagan, a reservist once assigned to Camp Pendleton, on charges of making a false official statement, dereliction of duty and possessing a stolen machine gun. (San Diego Union-Tribune
4. First-time visit brings Corps to Chicago area: If you see Marine aircraft hovering above you this week, don't worry. It's all part of the first-ever Marine Week, taking place throughout the Chicago area. (Chicago Daily Herald)
5. Cuba never threatened U.S. says former Marine colonel: “Cuba has never threatened the United States,” said a former colonel of the US Marine Corps who participated in an academic conference on the 50th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution that concluded this weekend in Kingston, Canada. (Cuban News Agency)
6. King Abdullah in Mideast warning: King Abdullah of Jordan has warned that failure to reach an agreement for peace in the Middle East will result in a new conflict within 12-18 months. (BBC)
The Los Angeles Times leads with word that the U.S. military has started working with the Pakistani government on a new program that uses armed Predator drones to go after Islamist insurgents inside Pakistan. By cooperating with Pakistani officers, the hope is that the government in Islamabad will be more open to using drones to go after militants. But that's hardly the only reason this new program is significant. It also marks the beginning of a new role for the U.S. military since the CIA has been the agency that has used drones along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. The CIA drones won't cease operating, but a separate group of drones will now be under the purview of the Defense Department and, for the first time, will be allowed to venture beyond the border areas.
The New York Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal's world-wide newsbox lead with a new government report that paints a dire picture of the financial situation of the nation's two largest benefit programs. Partly as a result of the recession, the Medicare fund for hospital care will run out of money in 2017, two years earlier than the government had predicted a year ago. The Social Security trust fund is in a bit better shape but will still start spending more money than it receives in 2016 and will be depleted by 2037, four years sooner than projected last year. At a time when lawmakers are arguing over whether the country can really afford expanding health insurance coverage, the report sparked calls for the administration to start working on a plan to prevent the two entitlement programs from becoming insolvent. USA Today leads with news that the pilots of the plane that crashed Feb. 12 in Buffalo, N.Y., that killed 50 people spent their last few moments chatting with each other about the icy conditions and their careers. According to a transcript of the cockpit recorder released yesterday, the pilots bantered away and didn't seem to realize that the airplane had slowed dramatically.
When Pakistan's president visited Washington last week, he once again said his country wanted its own drones. U.S. officials never liked that idea but see this new joint partnership as a compromise that can serve the interests of both nations. Pakistani military officials will be able to direct the drones inside Pakistan. As opposed to the drones run by the CIA, the new program would go after local militants who are threatening to take over Pakistan rather than al-Qaida targets. Still, the Pakistani military seems reluctant to use this newly available technology. Pakistani officials didn't want to use the drones in the recent Swat Valley offensive, and have yet to order the firing of any missiles.
The recession has sped up the decline of Medicare and Social Security because rising unemployment means the government gets less in the payroll taxes that fund a big chunk of the programs. But even if things turnaround later this year it won't help them avoid their predicted fate. White House officials said the new report on Medicare's finances illustrates why it's so important that the government succeed in its widespread effort to bring down health care costs. But Republicans questioned whether Social Security—the so-called third rail of American politics—shouldn't be Obama's first priority. The new numbers were also great fodder for Republicans who don't like the idea of creating a new government health insurance program. "The government-run healthcare programs we already have are unsustainable," said Rep. Tom Price of Georgia.
The WSJ points out that Medicare's outlook may be even bleaker than the numbers indicate. The report released yesterday takes into account a 21 percent cut in payments this year to doctors who work for Medicare. The cut is required by law but over the past several years Congress has canceled it.
The chit-chat between the pilots of the plane that crashed in Buffalo violated rules that forbid any kind of idle chatter in the cockpit, particularly during takeoff and landing. Apparently distracted by the ice, the pilots didn't realize that the plane had slowed down 57 mph in less than 30 seconds. When a safety device that alerts pilots to a critical slow-down was activated, the pilot apparently did exactly the wrong thing. The device automatically lowers the plane's nose in order to gain speed, but the pilot overrode it and instead tried to raise it. The pilots weren't trained on how to use the safety device.
The WSJ goes high with, and the NYT buries deep inside the business section, word that White House officials are embroiled in serious discussions about how to change the compensation practices in the financial-services industry. Congressional leaders are also batting around ideas. The rules would likely apply to companies that didn't receive any bailout money and could extend beyond banks to include regulated hedge funds, private-equity firms, and mortgage brokers. Although the WSJ's high placement of the story is clearly meant to scare executives in the financial industry, the truth is that nothing has been decided yet. And besides, as the WSJ points out, the government has "long had the power to sanction a bank for excessive pay structures," even if that authority has rarely been used. Both papers say the ultimate goal is to find a way to structure pay at these companies in such a way that it is closely linked with performance. But officials insist they don't want to micromanage payment structures or set compensation limits. Several proposals are currently in the works, and the NYT says new rules could be released before Memorial Day.
USAT fronts more details about the 44-year-old Army communications specialist who killed five fellow servicemembers in Baghdad. Sgt. John Russell's father said that after three tours in Iraq, the Army "broke" his son. Russell apparently sent an e-mail to his wife recently that said "his life was over" because he had been forced to attend stress counseling, which he saw as a sign that he was being pushed out of the Army. Russell, who will face five counts of murder, was apparently being escorted out of the mental health clinic when he somehow overpowered an armed guard and took away his weapon. He then proceeded to go back to the mental health clinic and kill two military doctors and three enlisted personnel. "They escorted him out with a guy with a gun," his father said. "That was the worst thing they could have done. They trained him to kill; he had a short fuse when they antagonized him."
In an interesting dispatch from Jakarta the NYT takes a look at how the city's nightmarish traffic jams have given rise to an informal network of "jockeys," who wait by the side of the road to be picked up by drivers who want to make it into the high-occupancy lanes. How bad are traffic jams in Indonesia's capital? Well, officials say that by 2011 the city will reach a point of "total traffic," or what the paper dubs as "complete paralysis." The number of new cars in the city continues to increase every year, no new roads are being built, and city officials have yet to come up with a workable plan for a public transportation network.
All the recent back and forth over whether the so-called "Gang of Four," the chairmen and ranking members of the Senate and House intelligence committees, were given full details about the CIA's interrogation program obscures a more important point: Why were only four members briefed? In a NYT op-ed piece, Vicki Divoll writes that the executive branch can brief fewer members about covert actions in "extraordinary circumstances," but even then it should be to the "Gang of Eight," which includes the minority and majority leadership. But these limited briefings are only permitted when they relate to covert actions, and it could very well be argued that the interrogation program doesn't fit in that category, which means the full House and Senate intelligence committees should have been notified. This trend of limiting briefings didn't begin with the Bush administration, but it means that the most controversial CIA programs "now receive the least oversight—in many cases, no oversight—by Congress."
The Cheneys have made it clear that attacking the Obama administration is now "a family affair," notes the Post's Dan Eggen. Elizabeth Cheney made several appearances on cable television yesterday to defend her father. The former vice president continued to show that the man who didn't disguise his contempt for the media while in office will now talk to anyone who will have him by appearing on the Fox Business Network. There, he moved beyond his usual notes about how Obama is putting the country in danger to criticize the bailout of automakers.
In a surprisingly coherent column that actually makes good points, the NYT's Maureen Dowd eviscerates Cheney. Of course, Dowd has never hidden her contempt for the former vice president, but today's column throws so many punches in quick succession that if this were a boxing match the columnist would win by a knockout. "Cheney unleashed … is pretty much the same as Cheney underground," writes Dowd. "He's batty, and he thinks he was the president."
USAT fronts more details about the 44-year-old Army communications specialist who killed five fellow servicemembers in Baghdad. Sgt. John Russell's father said that after three tours in Iraq, the Army "broke" his son. Russell apparently sent an e-mail to his wife recently that said "his life was over" because he had been forced to attend stress counseling, which he saw as a sign that he was being pushed out of the Army. Russell, who will face five counts of murder, was apparently being escorted out of the mental health clinic when he somehow overpowered an armed guard and took away his weapon. He then proceeded to go back to the mental health clinic and kill two military doctors and three enlisted personnel. "They escorted him out with a guy with a gun," his father said. "That was the worst thing they could have done. They trained him to kill; he had a short fuse when they antagonized him."
In an interesting dispatch from Jakarta the NYT takes a look at how the city's nightmarish traffic jams have given rise to an informal network of "jockeys," who wait by the side of the road to be picked up by drivers who want to make it into the high-occupancy lanes. How bad are traffic jams in Indonesia's capital? Well, officials say that by 2011 the city will reach a point of "total traffic," or what the paper dubs as "complete paralysis." The number of new cars in the city continues to increase every year, no new roads are being built, and city officials have yet to come up with a workable plan for a public transportation network.
All the recent back and forth over whether the so-called "Gang of Four," the chairmen and ranking members of the Senate and House intelligence committees, were given full details about the CIA's interrogation program obscures a more important point: Why were only four members briefed? In a NYT op-ed piece, Vicki Divoll writes that the executive branch can brief fewer members about covert actions in "extraordinary circumstances," but even then it should be to the "Gang of Eight," which includes the minority and majority leadership. But these limited briefings are only permitted when they relate to covert actions, and it could very well be argued that the interrogation program doesn't fit in that category, which means the full House and Senate intelligence committees should have been notified. This trend of limiting briefings didn't begin with the Bush administration, but it means that the most controversial CIA programs "now receive the least oversight—in many cases, no oversight—by Congress."
The Cheneys have made it clear that attacking the Obama administration is now "a family affair," notes the Post's Dan Eggen. Elizabeth Cheney made several appearances on cable television yesterday to defend her father. The former vice president continued to show that the man who didn't disguise his contempt for the media while in office will now talk to anyone who will have him by appearing on the Fox Business Network. There, he moved beyond his usual notes about how Obama is putting the country in danger to criticize the bailout of automakers.
In a surprisingly coherent column that actually makes good points, the NYT's Maureen Dowd eviscerates Cheney. Of course, Dowd has never hidden her contempt for the former vice president, but today's column throws so many punches in quick succession that if this were a boxing match the columnist would win by a knockout. "Cheney unleashed … is pretty much the same as Cheney underground," writes Dowd. "He's batty, and he thinks he was the president."
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Pakistan conflict map
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Taleban militants were deemed to be in effective control of 24% of the region
A map produced by the BBC suggests only 38% of Pakistan's North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and surrounding areas is under full government control.
The map, compiled by the BBC's Urdu language service, was based on local research and correspondent reports as well as conversations with officials.
It shows the Taleban strengthening their hold across the north-west.
Pakistan is currently engaged in a military offensive aimed at regaining part of the region from the Taleban. There was an international outcry recently when the militants moved into Buner district, just 100km (67 miles) from Islamabad.
Lawlessness
The report the map was based on covered the 24 districts of NWFP and the seven tribal agencies and six frontier regions of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).
The researchers analysed reports from BBC Urdu correspondents over the past 18 months, backed up by conversations with local officials, police officers and journalists.
They concluded that in 24% of the region, the civilian government no longer had authority and Taleban commanders had taken over administrative controls.
Either the Taleban were in complete control or the military were engaged in operations to flush them out.
Another 38% of the region was deemed to have a permanent Taleban presence, meaning militants had established rural bases which were restricting local government activities and seriously compromising local administration.
In those areas - three districts in FATA and 11 in NWFP - the Taleban had repeatedly shown their capability to strike at will, says the report.
Militants had made their presence felt by carrying out periodic attacks on girls' schools, music shops, police stations and government buildings.
The map gives a snapshot of the current situation. However continuing fighting between Pakistani troops and the Taleban means the situation on the ground could change in the future.
Thousands flee
The region is notorious for its lack of law and order, so the researchers applied a series of rules to differentiate Taleban activity from general lawlessness.
The incidents had to be of a recurring nature, there had to be an official recognition of Taleban presence, Taleban militants must have appointed local "commanders" and religious schools sympathetic to the militants must be operating in the area.
Pakistan has been stepping up its campaign against the Taleban in the north-west.
Tens of thousands of people have fled from the region to escape the fighting.
The research also indicates areas to which researchers believe Taleban-style militancy might further spread inside Pakistan.
They concluded that in 24% of the region, the civilian government no longer had authority and Taleban commanders had taken over administrative controls.
Either the Taleban were in complete control or the military were engaged in operations to flush them out.
Another 38% of the region was deemed to have a permanent Taleban presence, meaning militants had established rural bases which were restricting local government activities and seriously compromising local administration.
In those areas - three districts in FATA and 11 in NWFP - the Taleban had repeatedly shown their capability to strike at will, says the report.
Militants had made their presence felt by carrying out periodic attacks on girls' schools, music shops, police stations and government buildings.
The map gives a snapshot of the current situation. However continuing fighting between Pakistani troops and the Taleban means the situation on the ground could change in the future.
Thousands flee
The region is notorious for its lack of law and order, so the researchers applied a series of rules to differentiate Taleban activity from general lawlessness.
The incidents had to be of a recurring nature, there had to be an official recognition of Taleban presence, Taleban militants must have appointed local "commanders" and religious schools sympathetic to the militants must be operating in the area.
Pakistan has been stepping up its campaign against the Taleban in the north-west.
Tens of thousands of people have fled from the region to escape the fighting.
The research also indicates areas to which researchers believe Taleban-style militancy might further spread inside Pakistan.
The report found that, based on current perceptions of religiously motivated violence, there were strong indications that in 47% of Punjab Province there was a high likelihood of an increase in Taleban militancy in the near future.
The BBC's Barbara Plett in Islamabad says that while the research indicates the strength of the Taleban in the region, the various factions and groups are only loosely co-ordinated.
Observers have warned against overstating the existence of one unified insurgency against the state, says our correspondent.
Research by the BBC Urdu's service into the growing strength of Taleban militants in north western Pakistan shows that only 38% of the area remains under full government control.This map of the area is a snapshot of the current situation. However, with ongoing fighting between the Pakistan armed forces and the Taleban the situation on the ground could change in the future.
The BBC's Barbara Plett in Islamabad says that while the research indicates the strength of the Taleban in the region, the various factions and groups are only loosely co-ordinated.
Observers have warned against overstating the existence of one unified insurgency against the state, says our correspondent.
Research by the BBC Urdu's service into the growing strength of Taleban militants in north western Pakistan shows that only 38% of the area remains under full government control.This map of the area is a snapshot of the current situation. However, with ongoing fighting between the Pakistan armed forces and the Taleban the situation on the ground could change in the future.
BAJAUR (Taleban controlled)
Bajaur is one of those tribal areas where the Taleban established themselves early on.
Analysts have long suspected the region to be the hiding place of Osama Bin Laden, Ayman al-Zawahiri and other top al-Qaeda leaders. It is an area where suspected US drones launched their earliest missile strikes.
Maulvi Faqir Mohammad is the chief commander of the Taleban in Bajaur and is said to lead a force of nearly 10,000 armed militants. A year-long military operation ended in Bajaur early this year but a peace agreement has broken down and the Taleban are back in control in most areas outside the regional capital, Khar.
Maulvi Omar, spokesman for the militant alliance Tehrik Taleban Pakistan (TTP), comes from Bajaur. Taleban camps are reported at various places in Bajaur, such as Salarzai and Dasht.
Bajaur is one of those tribal areas where the Taleban established themselves early on.
Analysts have long suspected the region to be the hiding place of Osama Bin Laden, Ayman al-Zawahiri and other top al-Qaeda leaders. It is an area where suspected US drones launched their earliest missile strikes.
Maulvi Faqir Mohammad is the chief commander of the Taleban in Bajaur and is said to lead a force of nearly 10,000 armed militants. A year-long military operation ended in Bajaur early this year but a peace agreement has broken down and the Taleban are back in control in most areas outside the regional capital, Khar.
Maulvi Omar, spokesman for the militant alliance Tehrik Taleban Pakistan (TTP), comes from Bajaur. Taleban camps are reported at various places in Bajaur, such as Salarzai and Dasht.
Click to return
BANNU (Taleban presence)
Bannu is a so-called "settled" (rather than "tribal") area in North West Frontier Province, which borders troubled Waziristan. The district has witnessed a number of attacks on security forces. Civilians have also been killed.
But locals do not have strong tribal affiliations with the Taleban, and the local Taleban have not been successful in building support for their activies in Bannu.
BANNU (Taleban presence)
Bannu is a so-called "settled" (rather than "tribal") area in North West Frontier Province, which borders troubled Waziristan. The district has witnessed a number of attacks on security forces. Civilians have also been killed.
But locals do not have strong tribal affiliations with the Taleban, and the local Taleban have not been successful in building support for their activies in Bannu.
BUNER (Taleban controlled)
Buner is only 100km (65 miles) from the capital, Islamabad. The military launched an operation against the militants in April after the so-called Swat Taleban seized control of Buner.
The district is popular with Pashtuns visiting the tomb of a Sufi saint, but traditional religious freedoms have been eroded. Militants from Swat tried to enter Buner in 2008 but were thwarted by locals. An armed clash between the two sides at Shilabandi left six Taleban dead, and the Taleban retreated to their bases in Swat. Local resistance did not go unpunished, however, as nearly 50 people were later killed by the militants.
After Sharia law was introduced in Swat, the Taleban again decided to target Buner as part of efforts to expand their area of influence. After negotiations with locals, the Taleban were permitted to operate in the district. Since then all barber shops and music stores have closed down.
Buner is only 100km (65 miles) from the capital, Islamabad. The military launched an operation against the militants in April after the so-called Swat Taleban seized control of Buner.
The district is popular with Pashtuns visiting the tomb of a Sufi saint, but traditional religious freedoms have been eroded. Militants from Swat tried to enter Buner in 2008 but were thwarted by locals. An armed clash between the two sides at Shilabandi left six Taleban dead, and the Taleban retreated to their bases in Swat. Local resistance did not go unpunished, however, as nearly 50 people were later killed by the militants.
After Sharia law was introduced in Swat, the Taleban again decided to target Buner as part of efforts to expand their area of influence. After negotiations with locals, the Taleban were permitted to operate in the district. Since then all barber shops and music stores have closed down.
D.I. KHAN (Taleban presence)
Traditionally famous for its flowers and sweets, Dera Ismail Khan (or D.I. Khan) has not escaped the increase in Taleban activity seen elsewhere in North West Frontier Province.
Two groups of militants are active in D.I. Khan, one of them involved in sectarian attacks, the other in attacks on security forces. Taleban active in neighbouring Waziristan have claimed responsibility for almost all the attacks on security personnel.
After troops stepped up an anti-Taleban drive in Waziristan in 2008, large numbers of tribal families settled in D.I. Khan. Some government officials fear that militants might also have left Waziristan and settled in D.I. Khan.
Local police say 84 people, many of them security personnel, were killed and more than 100 injured in various violent incidents during 2008. Most analysts agree there will be no end to violence in D.I. Khan until peace is restored in neighbouring tribal areas and concerted action is taken to stop the sectarian attacks.
HANGU (Taleban presence)
Hangu, neighbouring Orakzai, is believed to be under the control of Hakimullah Mehsud, the right-hand man of Pakistan Taleban leader Baitullah Mehsud. Those parts of Hangu that border Orakzai are dominated by the Taleban.
The district also shares borders with two other Taleban strongholds, Kurram and Waziristan. Most analysts argue that if government fails to take steps to check the increasing influence of the Taleban in Hangu, the radical elements now confined to its border areas could soon expand their activities to other areas of district.
Sectarian tension between Shias and Sunnis is yet another fault line, which deepened after a 2006 suicide attack on a Shia procession in Hangu.
KHYBER (Taleban presence)
Of the tribal areas of the North West Frontier, Khyber agency is the only one where different religious organisations operate. There are three known religious groups - Lashkar-i-Islam (Army of Islam) headed by Mangal Bagh, Ansar-i-Islam (Companions of Islam) headed by Qazi Mehboobul Haq and Amar Bil Maroof (Organisation for Virtues) headed by Niaz Gul.
The Taleban presence in Khyber is fairly recent and most analysts link it to Nato's use of the main road through the Khyber pass to Afghanistan. The Taleban are believed to have moved into the area to attack convoys carrying supplies for Nato forces in Afghanistan. There has been a spate of such attacks. The Taleban are now in almost total control of two of the three sub-divisions of Khyber agency, including Jamrod and Bara.
KOHAT (Taleban presence)
Kohat is only a stone's throw from the semi tribal district of Adamkhel.
The Taleban claim to have carried out attacks targeting security forces in the district. In a recent operation security forces say 35 militants were killed. As in Mardan and other districts in North West Frontier Province, the Taleban in Kohat have mostly confined their activities to opposing music and barber shops.
KURRAM (Taleban presence)
Kurram agency, like neighbouring North Waziristan, is also divided into three administrative areas or sub-divisions - Upper, Central and Lower Kurram.
The Taleban (who are Sunni Muslims) do not have a significant presence in Upper Kurram as the local population are Shias. Shias are also found in one town in Lower Kurram, Alizai. Otherwise, the Taleban are present almost everywhere else in Kurram where the Sunni population dominates.
Foreign Taleban fighters are believed to have moved into Kurram and adjoining Orakzai agencies since 2008 when missile attacks by suspected US military drones became more frequent in north-west Pakistan.
LAKKI MARWAT (Taleban presence)
Lakki Marwat is a district near North Waziristan where local tribes are very strong. There have been a number of clashes between militants and security forces in the area.
LOWER DIR (Taleban controlled)
There have been reports since late 2007 that the Taleban have found many hideouts in Lower Dir. This was confirmed in April when the army acknowledged that the Taleban had dug themselves in on the mountain tops. The area known as Maidan, which is also the home town of radical cleric Sufi Mohammad who brokered the now-defunct Swat "peace deal", has become a Taleban hotspot in the district.
The army has twice claimed to have pushed the Taleban out of Lower Dir and taken control. But many people fear the militants may use Lower Dir to expand into nearby Upper Dir.
MALAKAND (Taleban presence)
Malakand is essentially a mountain pass between Mardan and Swat. Historically the district is known for a number of battles between local tribes and British soldiers in the last years of the 19th Century.
Before extremism began surfacing in Swat, the local administration had been facing law and order problems in Malakand. At the time it mostly concerned criminal activities including kidnap for ransom. In January 2009 members of an international charity were taken hostage. But the biggest Taleban attack in Malakand was carried out apparently to avenge a US missile strike at Damadola. Forty paramilitary recruits were killed in the attack on a training centre at Dargai. Despite the fact that the Taleban have not maintained a dominant presence in Malakand, the district seems susceptible to their influence and analysts argue that if they so choose the Taleban could move into thearea in a big way.
MARDAN (Taleban presence)
Mardan, about 60km (37 miles) north-east of Peshawar, is one of the most densely populated districts of North West Frontier Province and a thriving centre for trade.
In the past year the Taleban have boosted their presence in Mardan and reports of skirmishes with paramilitary security forces have become more frequent. Although there are not many of them in Mardan, the Taleban have proved able to disrupt the day-to-day administration of the district.
Early signs of extremism in Mardan can be traced back to attacks on music shops, and more recently, shops providing cable services for different TV channels have been targeted. In another incident an NGO office was also attacked. Responsibility for most of these attacks was reportedly accepted by a militant who claimed to be the local head of the Tehrik Taleban Pakistan alliance.
Mardan also made headlines in the international media when Abu Faraj al-Libbi, a high profile al-Qaeda suspect was arrested there in 2005.
MOHMAND (Taleban presence)
The Taleban are widely reported to be present in all three sub-divisions of Mohmand agency. The militants here are under the command of Omar Khalid who belongs to the Safi tribe of Pashtuns. He and about 5,000 militants have been resisting attempts by the security forces to clear them from the southern and south-eastern parts of Mohmand in order to reduce pressure on Peshawar and elsewhere.
Taleban fighters of Arab and Uzbek origin are also reported to be present in Mohmand.
North Waziristan, home to the Wazir and Dawar tribes, is administratively divided into three sub-divisions called Miranshah, Mir Ali and Razmak. The Wazirs make up 75% of the local population, while the remainder belong to the Dawar tribe.
The Taleban are in control of all three sub-divisions of North Waziristan. They mount regular daily patrols of town centres and hold informal summary courts, adjudicate in disputes and deliver verdicts from offices established in almost every part of the agency.
North Waziristan is controlled by Taleban commander Gul Bahadur, but Baitullah Mehsud is also reported to be in command of at least three Taleban camps. Two of these are located in Miranshah while the third is in Razmak. As in South Waziristan, there is a considerable proportion of Taleban in North Waziristan who are referred to as "Punjabi Taleban".
The Taleban are in control of all three sub-divisions of North Waziristan. They mount regular daily patrols of town centres and hold informal summary courts, adjudicate in disputes and deliver verdicts from offices established in almost every part of the agency.
North Waziristan is controlled by Taleban commander Gul Bahadur, but Baitullah Mehsud is also reported to be in command of at least three Taleban camps. Two of these are located in Miranshah while the third is in Razmak. As in South Waziristan, there is a considerable proportion of Taleban in North Waziristan who are referred to as "Punjabi Taleban".
ORAKZAI (Taleban controlled)
Orakzai agency is divided into two administrative districts.
The Taleban do not have a significant presence in Lower Orakzai as most locals belong to an anti-Taleban Shia sect. But, mountainous Upper Orakzai is dominated by Sunnis and has many Taleban and sympathisers.
Most Taleban in Orakzai belong to the Mamuzai, Alikhel, Akhel and Ferozkhel tribes. The local population seems supportive of the Taleban more for sectarian reasons than because of the militants' activities. The Taleban appointed Hakimullah Mehsud as commander for Orakzai, Kurram and Khyber agencies. He is a cousin of Qari Hussain, the mastermind behind the training of the suicide bombers used by the Taleban.
PESHAWAR (Taleban presence)
The capital of North-West Frontier Province (NWFP), Peshawar has become the front line city in the so-called "war on terror" in Pakistan. Bombings and suicide attacks coupled with kidnap for ransom have become commonplace. The city is surrounded by militants on three sides. Mardan and Charsadda to the north, Mohmand and Khyber agencies to the west and Darra Adamkhel to the south have all become battle grounds.
Disrupting Nato plans in Afghanistan has been the key Taleban target in Peshawar - at least 400 vehicles carrying supplies for Nato forces have been destroyed. The Taleban say they will keep on attacking trucks destined for Nato forces until US stops drone attacks in the region.
SHANGLA (Taleban controlled)
Shangla is said to be under the partial control of the Taleban. Recent reports speak of militants taking control of emerald mines here and it is rumoured that an army operation will soon be launched.
The Taleban captured Shangla Top, a strategic point, about 18 months ago and since then have taken control of police stations in the district. Policemen had no option but to run for their lives. Other government buildings in Shangla have since been in and out of Taleban control - and some analysts believe the militants could retake them if they want.
SOUTH WAZIRISTAN (Taleban controlled)
South Waziristan is the largest tribal district or agency - two big Pashtun tribes, the Mehsud and the Wazir, dominate. The Wazirs are historically settled on either side of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, while the Mehsuds are confined to South Waziristan.
It is widely believed the Pakistani government has lost control of almost all of South Waziristan - for some time the army has been restricted to Zerinoor camp in the agency's main town, Wana.
The army had to evacuate the Mehsud-dominated area of South Waziristan in 2008 when around 300 troops were taken hostage. The army is understood to lack a secure supply line that could guarantee a smoother flow of men and ammunition into this area.
Parts of South Waziristan under the direct influence of top Pakistan Taleban militant leader Baitullah Mehsud are reported to contain as many as seven camps where suicide bombers are trained. These camps or training centres are believed to have been established at Makeen, Shaktoi, Kanigaram, Dela, Kot Kai, Shawwal and Badar.
In addition, another Taleban leader Mullah Nazir is also believed to be running two separate training centres in South Waziristan at Shikai and Baghar. Some of his followers are also known to be based in Balochistan province, which almost borders Wana.
SWABI (Taleban presence)
Swabi is considered to be the heartland of the secular Pashtun political party, the Awami National Party (ANP). Mainly for this reason, people in Swabi have not welcomed the Taleban. But there have been recent incidents of graffiti in Swabi boasting local support for the Taleban's drive for their version of Sharia law and Islamic "virtues".
Swabi was in the news in the early 1990s when an operative of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency emerged as a key link between the army and the Taleban.
SWAT (Taleban controlled)
Known as the Switzerland of Pakistan, the former princely state of Swat had been popular with tourists for decades. It is now under almost total Taleban control.
The militants have targeted the security forces, the police, secular politicians and government-run schools.
By early April 2009, Sharia law had been imposed as part of a deal between the authorities and the local Taleban. However, the militants failed to disarm completely in line with the accord and their fighters spread to neighbouring districts, prompting international concern. An army offensive was launched in Swat in early May.
The local Taleban, under their leader Maulana Fuzlullah, have extended their control throughout Swat, especially in areas of policing and its judicial system.
Maulana Fazlullah is the son-in-law of radical cleric Sufi Mohammad who led an insurgency in the 1990s. Sufi Mohammad brokered the failed peace deal in Swat.
There are a number of pockets in and around Swat where the Taleban are known to have hidden when in danger or as a tactic when pushed back by the military. Such safe havens could prove useful to them if political pressure mounts against them in Swat. The militants could melt away into the north of the district where they are in even fuller control.
TANK (Taleban presence)Baitullah Mehsud's Taleban fighters from South Waziristan first started making incursions into the nearby city of Tank in 2005. Music stores, barbers' shops and police stations were their primary targets. That situation still remains, with a slight difference. Taleban groups composed of Bhittani tribesmen have been confronting Mehsud loyalists in the region. The Bhittani is the native tribe of Tank district and its largest, but is in a minority in the city of Tank, the administrative centre, where the Mehsuds dominate.
It is thought the Bhittani Taleban are supported by the government. Nevertheless, the writ of the government runs thin in Tank, where fully armed members of rival groups roam the streets freely and run offices in different parts of the city. The police initially offered resistance, but have now downgraded their mandate to one of self-preservation. They stay inside heavily-barricaded police stations. The civil administration is almost completely paralysed.
Click to return
UPPER DIR (Taleban presence)
Recent reports suggest Upper Dir has started showing some signs of increasing religious radicalisation, but local extremists claim to have no link with the Taleban and do not call themselves Taleban. Instead they are known to be involved in criminal activities, which does not fit with typical Taleban activity.
One notable incident of militancy in Upper Dir in February saw a paramilitary post captured. Militants refused to abandon it despite repeated requests from a local jirga (tribal council). In April five policemen were killed by unknown attackers.
It is thought however the Taleban could gather support from Upper Dir if they wanted. Radical cleric Sufi Mohammad's TNSM organisation has established offices in Upper Dir and some locals sympathise with the movement.
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Marine reservist to face court-martial
By Rick Rogers Union-Tribune Staff Writer 6:01 p.m. May 12, 2009
CAMP PENDLETON – A general has decided to court-martial Master Sgt. Reinaldo Pagan, a reservist once assigned to Camp Pendleton, on charges of making a false official statement, dereliction of duty and possessing a stolen machine gun.
The Marine Corps announced Lt. Gen. Keith Stalder's decision on Tuesday. It has not set a date for the trial.
Pagan is accused of improperly handling or supervising classified documents while working at an intelligence center at Camp Pendleton. His case is part of a broader investigation into alleged theft of secret files from the center, including those purportedly showing surveillance of Muslims and other suspected terrorists in Southern California.
Pagan, a police officer with the Hayward Police Department, also is accused of keeping an M-16 rifle that he had reported as missing while deployed in the Middle East.
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First-time Marine Week brings Corps to Chicago area
Daily Herald Staff ReportA Marine helicopter based in New River North Carolina comes in for a landing at Motorola headquarters in Schaumburg Tuesday as part of Marine Week. Bill Zars Staff Photographer
Marines depart from the helicopter Tuesday at Motorola in Schaumburg. Bill Zars Staff Photographer
Marines join with Motorola and local municipal officials in front of the helicopter Tuesday in Schaumburg. The landing was part of the first-ever Marine Week, which highlights the corps' work and history. Bill Zars Staff Photographer
Motorola employees Armando Zacarias, left, and Andy Anh Hoang check out a crew member's helmet Tuesday on the Marine helicopter that landed at Motorola Tuesday as part of Marine Week. Bill Zars Staff Photographer
Motorola employee Dave Eserhut of Algonquin checks out the machine gun atop a Marine Humvee Tuesday at Motorola headquarters in Schaumburg. The company has a long history of providing communications devices to the Marines.
Bill Zars Staff Photographer
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If you see Marine aircraft hovering above you this week, don't worry. It's all part of the first-ever Marine Week, taking place throughout the Chicago area.
More than 2,000 Marine personnel and veterans are in the Chicago region area this week for the festivities aimed at highlighting the corps' work and its history. Events range from vehicle and aircraft displays to Marine band performances to high school wrestling clinics by the Marine wrestling team to training workshops for local police departments.
Tuesday morning in Schaumburg, for example, a CH-53 Super Stallion helicopter landed at Motorola headquarters, greeted by company officials and local dignitaries. Motorola has a long history of supplying communications devices to the military.
Chicago was chosen because "the Marine Corps' presence tends to be concentrated on the coasts. We don't have as much visibility in the Midwest," said Capt. Nathan Braden, a Marine Week spokesman. "The location just made sense. We want to showcase the Marine Corps to the citizens of Chicago."
Marine Week events that are free and open to the public include:
• Exhibit of Marine vehicles, aircraft, robotics and technology at Arlington Park, 2200 W. Euclid Ave., Arlington Heights. Exhibit runs noon to 7 p.m. Friday, May 15; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, May 16; and 11:15 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, May 17. Also Sunday at the racetrack, a Marine Corps aircraft demonstration takes place from noon to 2:30 p.m., and a color ceremony takes place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Both feature the Drum and Bugle Corps and Silent Drill Platoon.
• A National Museum of the Marine Corps Exhibit, detailing major Marine conflicts and milestones, is on display in Terminal 3 at O'Hare International Airport 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. today and 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, May 14.
For a full listing of Marine Week events, go to marines.mil/marineweek.
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‘Cuba Never Threatened the US’, Says Former Colonel of US Marine Corps
HAVANA, Cuba, May 12 (acn) “Cuba has never threatened the United States,” said a former colonel of the US Marine Corps who participated in an academic conference on the 50th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution that concluded this weekend in Kingston, Canada.
Cuban News Agency
Col. (R) John McKay stressed that the arguments used by Washington over the last 50 years, which present Cuba as a threat to the United States, are unfounded.
“No matter how hard I try, I have never found a single piece of evidence showing that Cuba ever posed a terrorist threat to the United States,” McKay told Prensa Latina news agency.
McKay, who participated in one of the panels of the academic conference at the University of Queens, served as a commander of the US Marine Corps at the Guantanamo Naval Base during his active military life.
Hal Keplak, from the History Department of the Royal Military College of Canada, also participated in this panel dedicated to the topic of Cuba’s defense.
In Keplak’s opinion, in Cuba, unlike other countries, there is no division between the civil state and the army as all the people are prepared to face an eventual foreign aggression.
The academic conference, attended by more than 200 experts from 14 countries, was held from May 7 to 9, organized by Queen’s University and in coordination with the universities of Havana in Cuba and Chapel Hills in North Carolina, USA.
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King Abdullah in Mid-East warning
Chicago was chosen because "the Marine Corps' presence tends to be concentrated on the coasts. We don't have as much visibility in the Midwest," said Capt. Nathan Braden, a Marine Week spokesman. "The location just made sense. We want to showcase the Marine Corps to the citizens of Chicago."
Marine Week events that are free and open to the public include:
• Exhibit of Marine vehicles, aircraft, robotics and technology at Arlington Park, 2200 W. Euclid Ave., Arlington Heights. Exhibit runs noon to 7 p.m. Friday, May 15; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, May 16; and 11:15 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, May 17. Also Sunday at the racetrack, a Marine Corps aircraft demonstration takes place from noon to 2:30 p.m., and a color ceremony takes place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Both feature the Drum and Bugle Corps and Silent Drill Platoon.
• A National Museum of the Marine Corps Exhibit, detailing major Marine conflicts and milestones, is on display in Terminal 3 at O'Hare International Airport 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. today and 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, May 14.
For a full listing of Marine Week events, go to marines.mil/marineweek.
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‘Cuba Never Threatened the US’, Says Former Colonel of US Marine Corps
HAVANA, Cuba, May 12 (acn) “Cuba has never threatened the United States,” said a former colonel of the US Marine Corps who participated in an academic conference on the 50th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution that concluded this weekend in Kingston, Canada.
Cuban News Agency
Col. (R) John McKay stressed that the arguments used by Washington over the last 50 years, which present Cuba as a threat to the United States, are unfounded.
“No matter how hard I try, I have never found a single piece of evidence showing that Cuba ever posed a terrorist threat to the United States,” McKay told Prensa Latina news agency.
McKay, who participated in one of the panels of the academic conference at the University of Queens, served as a commander of the US Marine Corps at the Guantanamo Naval Base during his active military life.
Hal Keplak, from the History Department of the Royal Military College of Canada, also participated in this panel dedicated to the topic of Cuba’s defense.
In Keplak’s opinion, in Cuba, unlike other countries, there is no division between the civil state and the army as all the people are prepared to face an eventual foreign aggression.
The academic conference, attended by more than 200 experts from 14 countries, was held from May 7 to 9, organized by Queen’s University and in coordination with the universities of Havana in Cuba and Chapel Hills in North Carolina, USA.
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King Abdullah in Mid-East warning
King Abdullah of Jordan has warned that failure to reach an agreement for peace in the Middle East will result in a new conflict within 12-18 months.
In comments to the UK newspaper The Times, he said the US was finalising an ambitious "57-state solution" for peace that he is helping to prepare.
The king said the plan would include proposals to settle Israel's disputes with Syria and Lebanon.
His comments came ahead of Middle East debate at the UN Security Council.
The UN meeting at foreign minister-level is part of a flurry of diplomacy ahead of visits by Middle East leaders to the White House later this month for separate visits.
King Abdullah is involved in devising a peace plan for the Middle East
King Abdullah of Jordan has warned that failure to reach an agreement for peace in the Middle East will result in a new conflict within 12-18 months.
In comments to the UK newspaper The Times, he said the US was finalising an ambitious "57-state solution" for peace that he is helping to prepare.
The king said the plan would include proposals to settle Israel's disputes with Syria and Lebanon.
His comments came ahead of Middle East debate at the UN Security Council.
The UN meeting at foreign minister-level is part of a flurry of diplomacy ahead of visits by Middle East leaders to the White House later this month for separate visits.
Also on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met the Egyptian president at the Sharm el-Sheikh resort, his foreign visit since taking office on 1 April.
Meanwhile, King Abdullah travelled to Damascus where he and President Bashar al-Assad reportedly discussed a Saudi-inspired Arab peace initiative which offers Israel full diplomatic ties if it withdraws from occupied Arab land and agrees a solution for Palestinian refugees.
BBC Diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus says if a comprehensive approach really is put on the table it would be the first peace-making effort of this kind since the Madrid summit in 1991.
In comments to the UK newspaper The Times, he said the US was finalising an ambitious "57-state solution" for peace that he is helping to prepare.
The king said the plan would include proposals to settle Israel's disputes with Syria and Lebanon.
His comments came ahead of Middle East debate at the UN Security Council.
The UN meeting at foreign minister-level is part of a flurry of diplomacy ahead of visits by Middle East leaders to the White House later this month for separate visits.
King Abdullah is involved in devising a peace plan for the Middle East
King Abdullah of Jordan has warned that failure to reach an agreement for peace in the Middle East will result in a new conflict within 12-18 months.
In comments to the UK newspaper The Times, he said the US was finalising an ambitious "57-state solution" for peace that he is helping to prepare.
The king said the plan would include proposals to settle Israel's disputes with Syria and Lebanon.
His comments came ahead of Middle East debate at the UN Security Council.
The UN meeting at foreign minister-level is part of a flurry of diplomacy ahead of visits by Middle East leaders to the White House later this month for separate visits.
Also on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met the Egyptian president at the Sharm el-Sheikh resort, his foreign visit since taking office on 1 April.
Meanwhile, King Abdullah travelled to Damascus where he and President Bashar al-Assad reportedly discussed a Saudi-inspired Arab peace initiative which offers Israel full diplomatic ties if it withdraws from occupied Arab land and agrees a solution for Palestinian refugees.
BBC Diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus says if a comprehensive approach really is put on the table it would be the first peace-making effort of this kind since the Madrid summit in 1991.
'Shuttle diplomacy'
From Jonathan Marcus, Diplomatic correspondent
If you cannot resolve a problem, make it bigger. That seems to be the approach of the new US administration if King Abdullah's assessment is correct.
The king clearly backs a comprehensive deal which would not only seek to resolve the Palestinian problem, but would aim to bring peace between Israel and Syria and Israel and Lebanon too.
It would lead ultimately to what the king described as a 57-state solution, whereby the Arab and Muslim world as a whole would recognise Israel.
One fundamental problem is how to bring key non-state actors like Hamas and Hezbollah into any deal. Another problem is Israel's new right-wing government which seems unwilling to believe that significant opportunities for peace exist.
If you cannot resolve a problem, make it bigger. That seems to be the approach of the new US administration if King Abdullah's assessment is correct.
The king clearly backs a comprehensive deal which would not only seek to resolve the Palestinian problem, but would aim to bring peace between Israel and Syria and Israel and Lebanon too.
It would lead ultimately to what the king described as a 57-state solution, whereby the Arab and Muslim world as a whole would recognise Israel.
One fundamental problem is how to bring key non-state actors like Hamas and Hezbollah into any deal. Another problem is Israel's new right-wing government which seems unwilling to believe that significant opportunities for peace exist.
In his interview with the Times, King Abdullah of Jordan said that all eyes would be "looking to Washington".
"If there are no clear signals and no clear directives to all of us, there will be a feeling that this is just another American government that is going to let us all down."
He also warned that if Israel procrastinated on a two-state solution, or there was no clear US vision on what should happen this year, Mr Obama's "tremendous credibility" in the Arab world would evaporate overnight.
"If we delay our peace negotiations, then there is going to be another conflict between Arabs or Muslims and Israel in the next 12-18 months," he said.
King Abdullah said what was being proposed was a "57-state solution" that would include all 57 member of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC).
"What we are talking about is not Israelis and Palestinians sitting at the table, but Israelis sitting with Palestinians, Israelis sitting with Syrians, Israelis sitting with Lebanese," he said.
The Times reported that a plan might offer Israel entry visas to every Arab country, the right of Israeli national airline El Al to fly over Arab territory, and the eventual recognition of Israel by all OIC members.
Israel would have to respond by halting the construction and expansion of settlements, and agree to withdraw from land taken since 1967.
The right of return of Palestinian refugees and the future status of Jerusalem would be negotiated within the framework of the deal.
Mr Netanyahu has not endorsed the establishment of a Palestinian state.
His foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman has said the Israeli-Palestinian peace process was at a "dead end".
Instead of a two-state solution backed by the US and the EU, Mr Netanyahu is calling for a "triple-track" peace process that includes progress on the political, security and economic front.
King Abdullah said: "Just because there is a right-wing government in Israel does not mean that we should chuck in the towel."
"I think we're going to have to do a lot of shuttle diplomacy, get people to a table in the next couple of months to get a solution."
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"If there are no clear signals and no clear directives to all of us, there will be a feeling that this is just another American government that is going to let us all down."
He also warned that if Israel procrastinated on a two-state solution, or there was no clear US vision on what should happen this year, Mr Obama's "tremendous credibility" in the Arab world would evaporate overnight.
"If we delay our peace negotiations, then there is going to be another conflict between Arabs or Muslims and Israel in the next 12-18 months," he said.
King Abdullah said what was being proposed was a "57-state solution" that would include all 57 member of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC).
"What we are talking about is not Israelis and Palestinians sitting at the table, but Israelis sitting with Palestinians, Israelis sitting with Syrians, Israelis sitting with Lebanese," he said.
The Times reported that a plan might offer Israel entry visas to every Arab country, the right of Israeli national airline El Al to fly over Arab territory, and the eventual recognition of Israel by all OIC members.
Israel would have to respond by halting the construction and expansion of settlements, and agree to withdraw from land taken since 1967.
The right of return of Palestinian refugees and the future status of Jerusalem would be negotiated within the framework of the deal.
Mr Netanyahu has not endorsed the establishment of a Palestinian state.
His foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman has said the Israeli-Palestinian peace process was at a "dead end".
Instead of a two-state solution backed by the US and the EU, Mr Netanyahu is calling for a "triple-track" peace process that includes progress on the political, security and economic front.
King Abdullah said: "Just because there is a right-wing government in Israel does not mean that we should chuck in the towel."
"I think we're going to have to do a lot of shuttle diplomacy, get people to a table in the next couple of months to get a solution."
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