from nytimes.com:
As the United States turns increasingly to Special Operations forces to confront developing threats scattered around the world, the nation’s top Special Operations officer, a member of the Navy Seals who oversaw the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, is seeking new authority to move his forces faster and outside of normal Pentagon deployment channels.
The officer, Adm. William H. McRaven, who leads the Special Operations Command, is pushing for a larger role for his elite units who have traditionally operated in the dark corners of American foreign policy. The plan would give him more autonomy to position his forces and their war-fighting equipment where intelligence and global events indicate they are most needed.
It would also allow the Special Operations forces to expand their presence in regions where they have not operated in large numbers for the past decade, especially in Asia, Africa and Latin America.
While President Obama and his Pentagon’s leadership have increasingly made Special Operations forces their military tool of choice, similar plans in the past have foundered because of opposition from regional commanders and the State Department. The military’s regional combatant commanders have feared a decrease of their authority, and some ambassadors in crisis zones have voiced concerns that commandos may carry out missions that are perceived to tread on a host country’s sovereignty, like the rift in ties with Pakistan after the Bin Laden raid.
9/11 updates:
Video: Kristol says Paul hangs with 9/11 conspiracy theorists*
Death of Mexican 9/11 worker raises questions*
Richard J. Sheirer, City Emergency Chief on 9/11, Dies*
New Mad Men Poster Sparks 9/11 Controversy:
Is this Ad Insensitive?*
Video:
Mark Wahlberg Apologies for 9/11 Comments*
biowars/envirohealth:
Official concerns over uncontrolled nuclear reaction risks inside plutonium facility near Portland*
FukushimaUpdate.com | More Problems at Reactor 4*
Obama Administration Rejects Keystone XL Pipeline*
Time for Big Pharma to Disclose Its Payments to Doctors*
New Edible Microchips to Alert Doctors, Mobile Phones if Patients Do Not Takes Meds*
Weaponized H5N1 Creators Fight Back*
Video: Mysterious Illness hits school girls, covered up*
econocrash:
Day Care Centers Adapt to Round-the-Clock Demands*
Plans for high-speed rail are slowing down*
Consumer prices unchanged last month as cheaper energy offsets higher food, housing costs*
22 Signs That We Are On The Verge Of A Devastating Global Recession*
Bam! Bam! Bam! Huge Financial Bombs Just Got Dropped All Over Europe*
Obama Said to Consider Nominating Summers as World Bank Chief*
Photography pioneer Kodak files for long-expected bankruptcy*
Video: Kodak Files for Chapter 11 Reorganization*
geopolitiks:
US army chief off to Israel, fears over attack on Iran mount*
Americans rise in rank inside Somalia jihadi group*
Israel-US war games postponed amid Iran tensions*
Damascus on edge under Assad's always watchful eye*
UK Used 'Spy Rock' Against Russia*
murder/mayhem:
Titanic Tragedy: Costa Concordia Captain Reportedly Seen Dining With Mystery Woman Before Deadly Crash*
Three dead, 40 missing in Italian ship disaster*
Italian cruise ship tally: 11 dead, 21 missing*
Human blunders seen at heart of Italy ship disaster*
Cops: Saints fan shoots two 49ers fans after loss*
Missing MT teacher's body may be buried near vacant farm*
'Clark Rockefeller' Due in CA Court for Murder*
Cases to watch in 2012: William Bennett Update*
Severed head found under Hollywood sign*
Audio Satire: Series Of Serial Killer Killings Rocks Serial Killer Community*
obamessiah updates:
Video: Audience Jeers CNN Attempts To Exclude Ron Paul*
Initial Results Show that Ron Paul Won the South Carolina Republican Debate*
Video: Ron Paul Highlights at S. Carolina Debate*
Perry ends presidential run, backs Gingrich*
Huntsman drops out, endorses Romney*
Video: Campaign 2012 - A Tale of Two Mitts*
Edwards Needs Heart Surgery, Delaying Trial*
Video: Dead People Get Ballots in NH Primary*
oregon oddities:
Fmr NFL lineman dead in wildlife refuge faced sex charges*
Portland's Best Restroom Picked*
PDX Charts: Top Selling Albums in Portland for Jan. 9-15*
Video: Mayor Says Music at MAX Stops Is Working*
police state updates:
Video: Massive Show of Force In London Ahead of Olympics*
Audio: TSA Screener Turns In $5k He Found On Floor At Newark Airport*
warwhores:
Video: Panopticon Drone to Collect 80yrs' of HD Video a Day*
Army Foresees Expanded Use of Drones in U.S. Airspace*
US Navy Invests In Electronic Warfare Simulator Development*
Exclusive: New U.S. Commando Team Operating Near Iran*
Pentagon's Ex-Mideast Chief: We Might Need Nukes to Deter Iran*
wv worry:
Fmr Gov. Hulett C. Smith dies at 93, ended death penalty*
Manchin Files For Reelection*
W.Va. unemployment rate increases in December*
West Virginia Receives 'F' on Tobacco Control Report Card*
Pseudoephedrine bill comes back to lawmakers*
north korea's longtime leader & cult of personality dead at 69*
from cnn:
North Korea's longtime leader Kim Jong Il, the embodiment of the reclusive state where his cult of personality is deeply entrenched, has died. He was believed to be 69. Regarded as one of the world's most-repressive leaders, Kim Jong Il always cut a slightly bizarre figure. His diminutive stature and characteristically bouffant hair have been parodied by some in the West. "He's a mysterious person -- I think by design," said Han S. Park, director of the Center for the Study of Global Issues at the University of Georgia and a frequent visitor to North Korea. "Mystery is a source of leverage and power. It's maintaining uncertainty." But for the citizens of his Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Kim was well regarded.
young heir faces uncertain transition in north korea
from nytimes:
With the abrupt death of the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-il, the fate of his isolated, nuclear-armed regime has dropped into the hands of his youngest son, Kim Jong-un, who is such an unknown that the world did not even know for sure what he looked like until last year. But the biggest enigma may be whether the younger Mr. Kim will be able to hold onto power in this last bastion of hard-line Communism, much less prevent its impoverished economy from collapsing.
north korea's neighbors on alert, west hopes for opening
from reuters:
North Korea's neighbors and its old enemy the United States appealed for stability on Monday after the death of leader Kim Jong-il plunged one of the world's most heavily militarized regions into fresh uncertainty. China and Russia offered condolences and support for their ally's new leaders, while Western states expressed hope that a change in leadership could ease North Korea out of decades of extreme isolation and better the lives of its suffering people... South Korea, still technically at war with the North, put its military on alert after the news of the death, Yonhap news agency said, and President Lee Myung-bak convened its National Security Council.
israel hopes death of n. korea leader will damage ties with iran
from haaretz:
The death of Kim Jong Il raises the possibility that the alliance between North Korea and Iran will flag, just as their third partner, Syria, is also weakening.
related geopolitiks/warwhores updates:
syria death toll mounts despite peace moves*
nato blames 'bad maps' for drone strike that killed 24 pakistani troops*
US jets enter iranian airspace, oil depot bombed*
update: don't trust the media*
video:
iran announces military exercise after panetta refuses to rule out attack*
US formally declares end of iraq war; baghdad explosions kill at least 63*
iraq's garbage holds reminders of a US massacre*
8 soldiers charged in death of new york pvt. danny chen in afghanistan*
owners launch lawsuit after bomb-sniffing dogs bound for afghanistan are left to die at US airport*
world leaders bid farewell to vaclav havel*
world leaders pay respects to czech playwright, president*
9/11 updates:
as 9/11 remains are identified, grief is renewed*
video:
'family guy' 9/11 gag: did they finally go too far this time?*
penn state: college football's 9/11*
video:
9/11 pentagon debate w/ craig ranke vs anthony summers*
biowars/envirohealth:
US govt confirms link between quakes & fracking*
epa has long history of releasing news on fridays…when public least likely to pay attention*
gulf toxicology report accuses bp & coast guard of killing birds & threatening news helicopter*
why is obama spending $433m on experimental smallpox drug when last case was in 1949?*
obama pushes ahead with $6b plutonium lab in new mexico*
drugwar:
mexico sours on drug war*
mexico's drug war: billions of dollars, thousands of deaths*
journalists report drug war despite risks*
bizarre 'drug war' erupts in remote nepal*
econocrash:
banks quietly ramp up consumer fees*
number of uninsured (and untreated) americans grows*
US gives millionaires $30b/year in tax breaks & payments*
we have entered the first of four phases that will destroy fiat money*
obama calls on europe to back the euro*
video: esm tο μεγάλο κόλπο λεηλασίας! (ελληνικοί υπότιτλοι)*
geopolitiks:
socializing losses, trilateral takeover of europe?*
flashback: league of nations holds its first meeting in geneva on nov5, 1920*
berlusconi resigns as prime minister amid italian debt crisis*
israel government denies cyber-attack, says malfunction brought down websites*
iran loses top missile expert in explosions*
was israel behind a deadly explosion at iranian missile base?*
did israel attack iran?*
police seize biggest rio slum as world cup clean-up begins*
ground-to-air missiles could be deployed at london olympics*
video: 100,000 to die at the london olympics?*
history/mystery:
the queen's hidden cousins: banished to an asylum in 1941 & left neglected now an intriguing documentary reveals all*
authorities reopen probe into natalie wood's 1981 drowning death*
media/memes:
video: if you ever had any doubt the media is controlled...*
video:
morrissey allows smiths cover for christmas advert*
woody allen revealed: an 'american masters' documentary illuminates the elusive genius*
netflix subs offered class-action payout from wal-mart*
'wizard of oz' munchkin karl slover dies at 93*
bil keane, creator of 'family circus' comic strip, dies at 89*
smokin' joe frazier, former heavyweight boxing champion, dead at 67*
video:
heavy d, iconic 90's rapper, dies at 44*
murder/mayhem:
breivik, norway killer of 77 on 7/22, appears in court*
charles manson 'follower' tex watson seeks parole for the 14th time*
drudge: black man charged with burning cross on own lawn*
conrad murray found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in michael jackson's death*
ex-employee opens fire at fedex building in bedford park*
e carolina university lifts 'unfounded' campus lock-down*
video: close call with chainsaw on live tv*
obamessiah:
shooting suspect says obama the antichrist*
white house shooting suspect charged with attempted assassination*
cain stumbles in interview*
oregon oddities:
got light? masons advertising on trimet*
survey asks 1,000 portland women if they know what's in makeup & hygiene products*
review of 'letters from the big man'*
police boot #ows, with batons and all*
police state updates:
on 2-month anniversary, 400 occupiers arrested*
US cities target protest camps, standoff in portland*
police try to clear nyc park of #ows protesters, the end or a new beginning?*
lrad sound weapon at zuccotti park*
occupy wall street pictures*
video: protester calls for violence*
california city approves spy plane to fly overhead*
warwhores:
an army apart: the widening military-civilian gap - 45,000 troops are coming home to a country that doesn't know them*
video: teachers out, troops in at uk schools*
US set to end 20yrs of bombing iraq*
special ops command says osama raid book is 'a lie'*
wv worry:
'we are marshall': annual memorial service honors 75 victims of 1970 plane crash*
plane crash ceremony honors 75 victims*
video: ceremony marks 41st anniversary*
9/11 updates:
chronology of major terrorist attacks since sept 11, 2001*
who – and what – are behind the 'official history' of the bin laden raid?*
biowars/envirohealth:
Fukushima mom comes to Portland: “10-year-old son started having symptoms — Nose bleeding and fevers”*
China: Radioactive contamination spreads far beyond Japan's claims in Pacific waters*
US Uses Global Warming to Lay Claim to 200,000 Square Miles of Arctic Waters*
Guardian Forced to Correct Bizarre Climate Change/Alien Story*
Alabama Nuclear Plant Wins Go-Ahead after 23-Year Delay*
9 Billion-Dollar Disasters So Far This Year*
Biden Tells Chinese He’s ‘Not Second-Guessing’ One-Child Policy*
Jaded West Coast Chuckles Over East Coast Quake*
Facebook, Twitter report record earthquake messages*
Hurricane Irene strengthens, plods toward US*
drugwar:
Retired NYPD Officer Frank Serpico:
American Drug War is A Lie, Just Like 9/11*
video: Kucinich appears in Seattle to rally marijuana activists*
econocrash:
MOODY'S ANALYST BREAKS SILENCE:
Says Ratings Agency Rotten To Core With Conflicts*
Exclusive: Goldman Sachs VP Changed His Name,
Now Advances Goldman Lobbying Interests As Top Staffer To Darrell Issa*
BofA layoffs are the latest as an industry shrinks*
video: Open mic catches Bank of America official vowing to ‘help’ Perry*
geopolitiks:
American hikers get stiff sentences in Iran*
ambassador to Israel: Who is Dan Shapiro?*
Terror Wins: King of Norway calls for “Police in the streets, Controls, Exercises”*
Sri Lanka deploys military to quell unrest over strange urban legend*
history/mystery:
Martin Luther King memorial made in China*
Geologists may have found oldest known fossils*
media/memes:
Rarities in Streaming Video on Netflix Instant and Hulu Plus*
Kate Winslet escapes fire at Richard Branson's luxury island retreat*
Corporate Interests Threaten Children’s Welfare*
Nick Ashford, Of Ashford & Simpson, Dies At 70*
video: Ashford & Simpson - Ain't no mountain high enough*
Jerry Leiber, Rock ‘n’ Roll Lyricist, Dies at 78*
video: Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller Documentary*
murder/mayhem:
In California, a Second Episode of Fan Violence*
video: ‘Wing walker’ falls to his death at Michigan air show*
obamessiah:
Judge Orders White House to Publish Visitor Logs*
video: Sheriff Joe Arpaio probing Obama birth certificate 'evidence'*
Ron Paul's birthday 'money bomb' nets $1.6 million*
police state updates:
Ron Paul:
“They’re Setting The Stage For Violence In This Country”*
Tased From Above! New Robot Copter To Begin Patrolling Our Skies*
Soldiers participate in Vibrant 12 CBRN attack exercise*
Boston Is Not a Military Training Ground*
U.S. Air Force Leads Raid on Las Vegas Gun Shop*
warwhores:
US troops may stay in Afghanistan until 2024*
Afghan coppers trained with Playmobil*
wv worry:
House Passes Redistricting Bill*
10 Coolest Small Towns in America 2011*
from nytimes.com: A classified war simulation held this month to assess the repercussions of an Israeli attack on Iran forecasts that the strike would lead to a wider regional war, which could draw in the United States and leave hundreds of Americans dead, according to American officials. The officials said the so-called war game was not designed as a rehearsal for American military action — and they emphasized that the exercise’s results were not the only possible outcome of a real-world conflict.
