Latest News

Advisers deployed with surface-to-air systems bolster President Assad's defences and complicate outcome of any future strikes

Russian military advisers are manning some of Syria's more sophisticated air defences – something that would complicate any future US-led intervention, the Guardian has learned.

The advisers have been deployed with new surface-to-air systems and upgrades of old systems, which Moscow has supplied to the Assad regime since the Syrian revolution broke out 21 months ago.

Read more ....

My Comment: Will these Russian manned air defense systems shoot at NATO aircraft in Syria .... and will these aircraft return fire .... talk about a prescription for a disaster. On a side note .... Syrian rebel groups are stating that Russians in Syria are now legitimate targets.

Rebels in the Central African Republic (CAR) have seized the key city of Bambari as part of their offensive against President Francois Bozize.

The city, the third largest in the country, fell into rebels hands after two hours of fighting with government forces, witnesses said.

Bambari is one of several towns recently captured by the rebels - and the nearest one to the capital Bangui.

The rebels accuse President Bozize of failing to honour a 2007 peace deal.

Their move into Bambari comes a day after regional leaders called on the rebels to withdraw back to their original positions and accept talks with the government.

Read more ....


Central African Republic rebels take another town after previous pledge to halt advance -- Washington Post/AP
Rebels take key Central African city: witnesses -- AFP
Central African Republic rebels in defiance, seize another town -- Reuters
Rebels capture key CAR town of Bambari -- Al Jazeera
Central African Republic rebels take 7th town in rapid offensive posing threat to government -- Washington Post/AP
C.Africa rebels suspend fighting pending talks -- AFP
Rebel union in Central African Republic raises humanitarian concerns -- The Guardian
Central African Republic: Humanitarian Situation Deteriorating -- allAfrica
Rebels continue Central Africa push as Chad troops arrive -- Radio Netherlands
2,000 troops from neighboring Chad arrive in Central African Republic to fight rebels -- Washington Post/AP
Chad troops enter Central Africa to help fight rebels: military -- AFP
Chad forces aid CAR fight against rebels -- UPI
Central African Republic: Security Council Concerned Over Situation in Central African Republic -- allAfrica
Security Council Condemns CAR Rebel Attacks -- Voice of America
Central African Republic may be failing -- UPI
Q&A: Central African Republic's rebellion -- BBC

Photo: Cmdr. Job W. Price, 42, died Saturday, Dec. 22, of a non-combat-related injury while supporting stability operations in Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan. US Navy handout


Commander Job W Price died from non-combat related injury while supporting operations in Uruzgan province.

US military officials are investigating the apparent suicide of a Navy Seal commander in Afghanistan.

Navy Seal Commander Job W Price, 42, of Pottstown, Pennsylvania, died on Saturday from a non-combat-related injury while supporting stability operations in Uruzgan province, Afghanistan.

A US military official said the death "appears to be the result of suicide". The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the death is still being investigated.

Read more ....


SEAL Team 4 commanding officer dies in Afghanistan -- NBC
Official: Beach-based SEAL died of apparent suicide -- Pilot Online/AP
Navy SEAL Commander’s Death Investigated as Possible Suicide -- ABC News
Suicide suspected in death of Navy Seal, Pottstown native -- Philly.com

My Comment: He leaves a wife and daughter ..... and all of this before Christmas. Our prayers are with his family and loved ones.

* Gunship co-pilot, 27, unleashed missile in October airstrike
* Apache unit has the highest ‘kill rate’ in the war

Apache co-pilot Prince Harry launched a missile attack on the Taliban in a devastating airstrike in Afghanistan.

The 27-year-old was called in to provide air support to troops and discharged a 100lb Hellfire missile.

The attack happened in late October, shortly after the prince returned to Afghanistan for his second tour of duty as gunship co-pilot.

Captain Harry Wales – as he is known in the Army – is a co-pilot gunner in the Apache unit which has the highest ‘kill rate’ in the war.

As the co-pilot gunner, Harry commands missions, fire the weapons, navigates and sometimes take over the controls.

The two-crew gunship – nicknamed the ‘flying tank’ – is used by UK forces in Afghanistan to smash the Taliban, gather intelligence and provide support for soldiers on the ground.

Read more ....


Prince Harry involved in Taliban kill: reports -- Toronto Sun
Prince Harry has killed Taliban fighters -- UPI
Prince Harry Kills His First Taliban Commander -- Human Events
Prince Harry Kills Taliban Chief in Afghanistan -- IBTimes

My Comment: I am surprised by all of this reporting. On his last tour in Afghanistan there was little if any coverage. What he should now be worried about is blow-back and stories like this one.

Update: Report of Prince Harry's Taliban kill mission denied -- 3News

Image: The port city of Tartus is sheltered by a mountain range.


TARTUS, Syria — Loyalists who support the government of President Bashar al-Assad are flocking to the Mediterranean port of Tartus, creating an overflowing boomtown far removed from the tangled, scorched rubble that now mars most Syrian cities.

There are no shellings or air raids to interrupt the daily calm. Families pack the cafes lining the town’s seaside corniche, usually abandoned in December to the salty winter winds. The real estate market is brisk. A small Russian naval base provides at least the impression that salvation, if needed, is near.

Many of the new residents are members of the Alawite minority, the same Shiite Muslim sect to which Mr. Assad belongs. The latest influx is fleeing from Damascus, people who have decided that summer villas, however chilly, are preferable to the looming battle for the capital.

Read more ....

My Comment: This is a 'false peace'. It will only be a matter of time .... probably sooner rather than later .... that the full force of Syria's civil war reaches this part of the country. And if this is where Assad's loyalists want to make their last stand .... even more so.

Islamist rebels have warned Christian towns in central Syria they will be attacked if they do not evict forces loyal to President Bashar Assad. Syria's new Greek Orthodox leader has called on Christians to stay put.

In a video message, seven armed men, including an Al-Ansar Brigade militia leader, said residents of the Hama provincial towns of Mharda and Squilbiya should expel "Assad's gangs and shabiha," a pro-regime militia.

News of the threat coincided with an appeal from Patriarch Youhanna Yazigi in Damascus that Syria's warring parties renounce violence and begin dialogue.

Read more ....



Syrian Christians fear bleak future after Assad -- AP
Black Christmas faces Syria Christians -- AFP
Syria Rebels Threaten To Storm Christian Towns Of Mahrada, Sqailbiyeh -- Huffington Post/AP
Christians urged to stay in Syria -- UPI
Syrian Christians Face Bleak Christmas -- Voice of America
Islamists Hijacking Syrian Revolution, Threaten Christians -- Arutz Sheva
Syria Islamists warn Christians as new patriarch urges peace -- AFP

At least 90 people queuing at a bakery in the town of Halfaya in Hama were killed in the attack, activists say.

At least 90 people were killed and scores of others injured in an air strike on a bakery in Syria's central Hama province, activists said.

Activists on Sunday told Al Jazeera that the death toll was likely to rise in the town of Halfaya, where the strike hit.

"There is no way to really know yet how many people were killed. When I got there, I could see piles of bodies all over the ground. There were women and children," said Samer al-Hamawi, an activist in the town.

Halfaya was seized by rebels few days ago as part of a campaign to push into new territories in the 21-month-old revolt against President Bashar al-Assad.

Read more ....


Syria Live Blog -- Al Jazeera

Air strike kills dozens of Syrians trying to buy bread -- Reuters
Syria unrest: Air strike on bakery 'kills or wounds dozens -- BBC
Syrian Airstrikes Hit Bakery: 'Piles Of Bodies' -- NPR
'Dozens Dead' in Strike on Hama Bakery as Warplanes Hit Rebel Bastions -- Naharnet
Syria Activists: Government Air Strikes Kill Dozens -- Voice of America

UN envoy to Syria to travel to Damascus by land because of fighting near airport -- FOX News/AP
Peace envoy Brahimi in Syria, air strike kills dozens -- AFP
UN Syria Envoy to Meet Assad Tomorrow as Death Toll Rises -- Bloomberg Businessweek

Netanyahu: Israel is preparing for dramatic changes in Syria -- Haaretz
PM: Israel preparing for potential fall of Syria's Assad -- Jerusalem Post
Israel says Syria chemical weapons are secure for now -- Reuters
Israel ‘taking steps’ to counter Syrian chemical weapons threat, Netanyahu says -- Times of Israel

Syria government says its forces still strong -- Reuters
Syria's war-battered pound floats on rebel funds -- Reuters
World awaits Assad's head, but Syrian president is hell-bent on war of attrition -- Haaretz
Syria at an impasse -- Deutsche Welle

New Delhi (CNN) -- Thousands of protesters defied a ban on demonstrations in New Delhi on Sunday, venting their anger over a gang rape incident.

For a second day, demonstrators were blasted with water cannons in the Indian capital. While some dispersed, others huddled tightly in a circle to brave high-pressure streams in the cold December weather.

"We want justice!" the protesters shouted in chorus.

In addition to banners and cardboard placards, many demonstrators carried Indian flags as they scuffled with police. Authorities fired tear gas to try to break up crowds.

Read more ....


Live! Delhi gang-rape: Candlelight vigil disrupted at India Gate -- DNA
India's gang-rape protesters defy moves to quell outrage -- Reuters
Delhi gang rape case: Violence at India Gate, many injured; constable battling for life -- Times of India
Rape protesters battle Indian police for 2nd day -- USA Today/AP
Violence erupts at India Gate, protesters teargassed -- The Hindu

India Gate turns war zone as protests swell -- The Hindu
India widens crackdown on gang-rape protests -- Al Jazeera
Journalist killed as India gripped by anti-rape and anti-molestation protests -- RT

WNU Editor: Some cool trailers of upcoming films. The Will Smith film 'After Earth' looks cool. (Yes ... .I am a sci-fan fan).

The CIA says scenes of torture in the new film 'Zero Dark Thirty' are not an accurate portrayal of the hunt for Osama bin Laden. This follows similar criticism from three senior US Senators who say the film is 'grossly inaccurate and misleading'.

In an unusual letter to CIA employees, the agency’s acting director Michael Morrell says the controversial Hollywood film “Zero Dark Thirty” takes “significant artistic license” with the years-long hunt that led to Navy SEALs killing terrorist leader Osama bin Laden and is “not a realistic portrayal of the facts.”

It’s not the first official complaint about the movie.

Read more ....


Acting C.I.A. Chief Critical of Film ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ -- New York Times
Acting CIA director shoots down 'Zero Dark Thirty' accuracy -- NBC
Morell calls 'Zero Dark Thirty' not realistic in rare CIA public statement -- FOX News
CIA chief sends out extraordinary email to entire staff complaining about agency's portrayal in Zero Dark Thirty -- Daily Mail
CIA challenges accuracy of 'Zero Dark Thirty' -- CNN
CIA head: bin Laden film not 'realistic' -- UPI
Acting CIA chief blasts “Zero Dark Thirty” -- Salon
CIA Disputes 'Zero Dark Thirty' Accuracy: Acting CIA Director Issues Public Statement -- Huffington Post
‘Zero Dark Thirty’ Controversy Continues: C.I.A. Director Weighs In -- Hollywood
CIA: 'Zero Dark Thirty' is 'not a documentary' -- The Hill
The CIA Is Not Too Happy with 'Zero Dark Thirty' -- Atlantic Wire

My Comment: This is just a Hollywood movie not a dicumentary .... but as I have mentioned in a previous post .... they (Washington pols and bureaucrats) are making it clear that if a movie does not conform to their idea of what is right and/or their policies .... expect the criticisms to follow.

North Korea's recent rocket launch shows it has the ability to fire a rocket more than 10,000km (6,200 miles), South Korean officials say.

The estimate, which would potentially put the Western US in range, was based on an analysis of rocket debris.

However, there was no confirmation that the North had the re-entry technology needed to deliver a missile.

Experts believe North Korea is also years away from gaining the ability to mount a nuclear bomb on a missile.

North Korea launched the Unha-3 rocket on 12 December, in defiance of sanctions and international warnings.

It was the first time the North had made successful use of a three-stage rocket to put a satellite into orbit, and observers said it appeared to mark a step towards fielding an intercontinental range ballistic missile.

"As a result of analysing the material of Unha-3 (North Korea's rocket), we judged North Korea had secured a range of more than 10,000km in case the warhead is 500-600kg," a South Korean defence ministry official told journalists.

Read more ....

Evidence Shows Military Purpose in North Korean Rocket, Seoul Says -- New York Times
South Korea warns that North Korea has developed rockets that can reach the US mainland -- FOX News
S. Korea Says Debris Reveals North's ICBM Technology -- Voice of America
S. Korea Says N. Korea Rocket Debris Shows Possible Missile Test -- Bloomberg Businessweek
N. Korea develops missiles capable of reaching US – Seoul -- RT
North Korea rocket launch was 'missile test' -- Al Jazeera
North Korea 'rocket' could fly 10 000km -- News24
Why North Korea’s missile launch matters -- Ilan Berman, Washington Times

My Comment: Fortunately .... the North Koreans do not have the re-entry technology needed to deliver a missile .... at least for the moment.

An Islamist-backed Egyptian constitution won approval in a referendum, rival camps said on Sunday, after a vote the opposition said would sow deep social divisions in the Arab world's most populous nation.

The Islamist Muslim Brotherhood, which propelled President Mohamed Mursi to power in a June election, said an unofficial tally showed 64 percent of voters backed the charter after two rounds of voting that ended with a final ballot on Saturday.

An opposition official also told Reuters their unofficial count showed the result was a "yes" vote, while party spokesmen said there had been a series of abuses during the voting.

Read more ....


Egyptian constitution 'approved' in referendum -- BBC
Islamist-backed constitution gets 'yes' majority vote in Egypt -- FOX News/AP
Egyptians approve new constitution, unofficial results show -- CNN
Egyptian constitution approved, preliminary results show -- Washington Post
Egypt opposition to appeal referendum results -- AFP
Egypt Opposition to Challenge Apparent Passage of Constitutional Referendum -- Voice of America
Egypt opposition alleges referendum 'fraud' -- BBC
Opposition To Appeal Egypt's Referendum -- Radio Free Europe
Egypt opposition faces reality of rising Islamist power -- BBC

Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Israel and its allies are preparing for the collapse of President Bashar Assad's regime in Syria.

Speaking at the weekly cabinet meeting, Mr Netanyahu said such an event would have "implications" for Syria's stockpile of chemical weapons.

Israel and the US fear the weapons could fall into the hands of radical Islamists fighting Mr Assad or the Lebanese Shia group, Hizbollah.

"We are monitoring developments in Syria, where there are dramatic developments almost daily," the Israeli prime minister said.

"We are co-operating with the US and, together with the international community, are taking the necessary measures to prepare ourselves for the possibility of far-reaching changes in the regime, with implications for the sensitive weapons systems there."

Read more ....

My Comment: I suspect that everyone in the region is preparing for the Assad regime to collapse.

Photo: Gen. James Amos. Wikipedia


Publicity over Petraeus' resignation and extramarital affair have prompted meetings on how to avoid ethical challenges.

The Marine Corps' top officer is meeting with all the service's generals to talk ethics in the wake of recent scandals that have taken a toll on the reputation of the nation's military leaders.

Gen. James Amos, the commandant, told USA TODAY he doesn't believe standards among the Marine Corps' top officers are slipping, but said the recent publicity has presented an opportunity to discuss standards and the public perceptions recent scandals have generated.

Read more ....

My Comment: They are cutting the liquor .... so I guess they are serious.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE ARIAN, Ghazni Province, Afghanistan — First Sgt. Alan Robison is missing Christmas with his wife and children for the fourth time due to deployments.

"I'm really big on Christmas so when I'm home my family really goes all out with the tree and lights on the house," he says. "When I'm not there they don't do as much decorating."

He and his men manage to muster some holiday cheer despite the distance from home. In between patrols in this hotbed of Taliban activity he and his fellow troops decorated a tree.

This year is the 12th holiday season that U.S. servicemembers are in Afghanistan, and it is the time of year that troops can miss their families the most. But Christmas in Afghanistan is in some ways better for troops than it was in previous wars.

The big difference is contact with loved ones.

Read more ....

My Comment: Spending Christmas in Afghanistan sucks .... and that's all that I can say.

The Russian Defense Ministry has reportedly refused to adopt GLONASS, the country’s rival to GPS, due to its technical shortcomings. One of the system’s 24 satellites has malfunctioned, and besides, GLONASS is still in its testing phase.

­The malfunctioning satellite will not be operational any time soon as it has already exhausted its power after 96 months in service, Nezavisimaya Gazeta reports. And due to a difference in orbit inclination, no existing reserve satellite can substitute it.

Read more ....

My Comment: After a decade of war the U.S. has clearly shown the value of GPS systems for precision bomb strikes. Not having this essential network is a significant loss for the Russian military.

Update: A link to how China and other countries are trying to develop their own GPS system.

WNU Editor: An impressive collection of pictures. The photo gallery starts here.

Two likely candidates rise to the forefront of potential nominees.

If media reports are true, President Barack Obama planned to announce nominations for his entire national security team Friday, including the new CIA director.

The president opted only to tap John Kerry for secretary of State, omitting his picks for other positions due to controversy surrounding Chuck Hagel as a potential secretary of Defense, reports NBC.

The White House remains mum on Obama's pick to replace ousted director David Petraeus, but experts familiar with the process believe it's down to two names.

Michael Morell, the acting CIA director and #2 under Petraeus, and Michael G. Vickers, the undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence, could become the nation's next spy chief, according to multiple experts who spoke with U.S. News.

Read more ....

My Comment: President Obama did not announce his national security team on Friday .... I guess he will in the next week or two. As for who will be the nominee for CIA Director .... my money is on acting CIA Director Michael Morell. He is already there, and he has been doing the job of CIA Director since the Petraeus resignation.

"Multiple" suspects are in custody connected to the deadly terrorist attack Sept. 11 on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, but U.S. access to the suspects so far been denied, an intelligence source tells Fox News.

"There are more suspects beyond those held in Tunisia and Egypt. Our access has been frustrated," the intelligence source said.

Since October, federal agents have sought access through the Tunisian authorities to Ali Harzi, who is thought to have played a role in the attack but is not considered a ring-leader.

Earlier this month, the Egyptians took Muhammad Jamal Abu Ahmad -- a former member of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad - into custody. In that case, Fox News is told, the U.S. access has been blocked even though Abu Ahmed admitted that he travelled to Libya specifically to assist in the training of the local extremist group Ansar al-Sharia in Benghazi.

Along with the Al Qaeda affiliate in north Africa, known as AQIM, Ansar al-Sharia is implicated in the coordinated commando-style consulate attack that killed four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens.

Read more ....

My Comment: The FBI has finally had the chance to question one suspect. At this rate .... this case will probably be wrapped up in my next life.

Russia continues to send mixed signals over its stance in support of the Syrian regime, with President Vladimir Putin hinting that President Bashar al-Assad's downfall is likely even as unconfirmed reports indicate Russia is shipping high-tech missiles to the embattled strongman.

The abstention of Russia in Thursday’s UN vote condemning Syria, Iran and North Korea for widespread and systematic human rights abuses, is juxtaposed by Putin’s comments earlier in the day that, “We are not preoccupied that much with the fate of the Assad regime; we realize what's going on there.”

Read more ....


Syrian civil war at stalemate, Assad won't go: Russia -- Reuters
Assad Refuses to Quit, Won’t Get Moscow Asylum, Russia Says -- Bloomberg Businessweek
No winners in Syria – Russian Foreign Minister -- Euronews
Russia Says It Won’t Play Role in Ousting Syria’s Leader -- New York Times
Russia will not shelter Syria's al-Assad -- CBC/AP
Putin Puts More Distance Between Russia and Assad -- New York Times
The West ‘prays’ Russia and China will continue blocking Syria action -- RT
Russia Says West has 'No Appetite' for Syria Intervention -- Naharnet

MOSCOW, December 22 (RIA Novosti) - Chemical weapons are under the control of the Syrian government, which has consolidated them in one or two locations, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Saturday.

“As of right now… the [Syrian] government is doing all it can to safeguard those weapons,” he said, adding that “we are following all leads concerning chemical weapons.”

However, there is a potential danger those weapons could be seized by militants, he admitted.

Western nations are seriously concerned Syria’s chemical weapons could “fall into the wrong hands,” Lavrov said.

Read more ....


Syria 'safeguarding chemical weapons' -- Al Jazeera
Russia: Syria consolidates its chemical weapons -- CNN
Russia: Syria is moving chemical weapons -- Deutsche Welle
Syria's chemical weapons safe, Russia says -- The Australian
Russia's Lavrov Says Syria's Chemical Weapons Secure 'For Now' -- Radio Free Europe
Syria acting to safeguard chemical weapons, says Russia -- BBC
Syria still in 'control' of chemical weapons: Russia -- Times of India/AFP

My Comment: The Russian foreign minister is very precise on the state of Syria's chemical stockpiles .... even stating that the Russian military advisers who have been training Syria's military have also been keeping a close watch over its chemical arsenal. Others think that this involvement is even more deeper .... some Israeli intelligence blogs are now openly speculating that it is Russian military trainers and specialists who now control Syria's chemical and biological arsenal .... and that Syrian forces have been put aside. What's my take .... if the Syrian military wants to use these weapons, there is very little that Russia can do to stop them.