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The article presents a discussion about the continuing development of cyber-weapons and experimentation with digital warfare. As cyber- and electronic attack technologies emerge, it is becoming harder to distinguish between cyberwarfare, directed energy and electronic attack, intelligence gathering and information operations. U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates stated that insurgents have surpassed first-world nations when it comes to cyberwar and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR).

The article reports that the Australian Department of Defense is looking for young peoples to combat a growing online network of jihadists and to infiltrate the commercially based wireless networks used by insurgents to control small teams of fighters. The Australian military is demonstrating that a small military can have global impact by leveraging cyber-skills and focusing operations. Such experimentation will underpin the Australian military's full-bore move into strategic-range and network-centric operations.

The article focuses on the widening gap between poorer and richer councils in terms of funding cuts, with the poorest 10 present of councils experiencing a 28 present funding cut while the richest 10 present saw a 10 present drop. It mentions the Special Interest Group of Municipal Authorities (Sigoma) blames reforms that increased reliance on council tax and retained business rates for this disparity.

The article reports that Israel's uneven operational results during the 2006 fighting in Lebanon are being blamed on confusion about political goals and a military too focused on nuclear proliferation and guerrilla warfare. Specifically faulted is the decision to begin operations before military objectives and political goals had been identified.

The article reports that U.S. military officials in Iraq are concerned that their troops could face bigger and more powerful bombs in the war against the Iraqi insurgency. The market in Iraq for improvised explosive devices (IEDs), has come to resemble that of any other commodity: It is well-financed and effectively managed, with supply adjusting to meet demand. If the price goes up, U.S. military officers know efforts at interdicting munitions and taking down IED cells are effective. When the price drops, it's an indication bomb makers have easy access to explosives and other components. The market for an insurgent bomb maker's raw material is, however, only one component of the IED business.

Focuses on the air warfare tactics used by the Russian Air Force in conducting air strikes on rebel forces in Chechnia. Criticism of the Russians' use of their aircraft as a flying artillery rather than a precise weapon in pursuit of strategic effects; Estimated percentage of the Russian air force budget being eaten up by the Chechnia air campaign.

But Daniel Slager, Limón's editor and Milkweed's publisher and CEO, sees Limón's success as an extension of her particular gift. "I remember sitting with some older poets in the summer of 2001, and they were telling me that I couldn't write all these family poems - that I couldn't have grandmother poems, and I couldn't have grandfather poems, and brother poems", Limón says. FEATURES Ada Limón was always going to be an artist. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the anticipated end of the war on terrorism. It recounts the U.S. war in Iraq which cost 40,000 allied casualties, at least 110,000 dead Iraqis, and a trillion dollars in direct costs. The success in the war against al-Qaida terrorism is discussed. Steps that should be taken as the war is coming to an end are discussed.

The article focuses on Sahel, a semiarid strip of land between the Sahara Desert to the north and the Sudanian savannas to the south that extends from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea through Senegal, Mauritania and Mali. The al-Qaeda in the Lands of the Islamic Maghreb is expected to expand activities in Sahel to target Western interests, according to a U.S. Senate testimony. Islamic militancy is also spreading in parts of the Sahel, such as the capture of Mali's land mass by militants.

The article provides information on the experience of André Liohn, an Italian photojournalist, during the rebel uprising at the Tripoli Street in Misurata, Libya on April 20, 2011. It states that Liohn saw the lifeless bodies of Tim Hetherington and Chris Hondros who died during the incident while on duty. It adds that despite of his experience in Misurata, Liohn comes back to the place and watches it to go back to life.

The article discusses the counterinsurgency (COIN) campaign in Afghanistan of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) under its commander, General Stanley McChrystal . It details the initial invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, the Afghan government and society and the types of Afghan insurgents. The article also elaborates on the COIN strategy of building relationships with the community elders and appointed government leaders, understanding and closing the information gap and formation of company intelligence support team (COIST).

The article discusses Afghanistan and why the war strategy used in Iraq cannot work in Afghanistan. It explains that each insurgency is different and must be addressed as it is and not the way the Americans plan it to be. It tackles the issue of training and educating local security forces in preparation of a gradual pullout of U.S. and allied forces. It suggests that, in order to resolve the conflict, the U.S. must first harness tribal power and address Pakistan.

The article focuses on the impact of impossible standards for success on the victory of the U.S. in wars. It notes that the unwillingness of the country to admit the notion that wars do not produce perfect results and rarely create permanent change stands as an impediment to success. It stresses that being able to decrease the size and influence of factions to the nuisance levels demotes success.

The author talks about the present situation in Iraq. According to U.S. commanders in Anbar province, insurgency in the area has stopped. The author states that terrorist who roamed the streets of the province were marginalized. The author asserts that the relationship between the U.S. and Sunni Arabs may be viewed by Shiite leaders as a betrayal.

The article reflects on a briefing prepared by the U.S. Center for Military History which set forth a case for preserving the status quo of Army organizations. It criticizes the selective use of history to argue the case for preserving the organizational hierarchy in the Army. It claims that Army leaders have matured in a culture where they were taught what to think, not how to think. It cites the most important aspects of fighting an insurgency.

The author criticizes the principles of the network-centric warfare (NCW). He notes that NCW is only effective in fighting weak opponents and nonmilitary conflicts but not in defeating insurgents in Afghanistan and Iraq. He contends that the linearity of warfare is based on variety of factors and not on age. He asserts the importance of large military forces to control the enemy's territory and population.

But by the onset of Prohibition in 1920, corn had become the dominant grain in American whiskey production. Ironically, it was the Great Emancipator Abraham Lincoln himself who indirectly ended sorghum's rise when he levied a massive tax on all American whiskey to pay for the war; just as before, smaller distillers immediately abandoned sorghum for corn, the less-expensive option. The producers of James F.C. Hyde whiskey have revived this lesser-known grain and proved that it is just as good as, if not superior to, corn in both price and flavor; their newest release, a straight rye, blends in 15% sorghum instead of corn. [Extracted from the article]

The article argues that winning the hearts and minds of the citizens under occupation are important for the successful counterinsurgency campaigns of U.S. armed forces in Iraq. The importance of treating insurgents and terrorists humanely when captured is emphasized. The laws governing the contemporary laws of war is discussed.

The article criticizes the continuing efforts of the U.S. Defense Department to win the hearts and minds of Arabs in Iraq. The importance of mastering the culture and religion of the enemies to achieve military success is discussed. An example of insurgency rooted in religious or ethnic fanaticism is described.

The article discusses the steps that U.S. Army should take to defeat the insurgency in Iraq. According to French counterinsurgency expert David Galula, defeating an insurgency is both a military and a political task. Counterinsurgency requires the integration of all elements of national power including military, diplomatic, financial and intelligence.

The article features the Joint Task Force North which is geared at combating transnational threats in the U.S. Transnational threats may include terrorism, drug trafficking weapons of mass destruction, organized crime, and common smuggling. The task force, led by Paul Disney was established to support law enforcement agencies to deter such threats to the nation. The task force reports more than 5,800 missions in support of the agencies like the Border Patrol. INSET: Role of Unmanned Aircraft Questioned.

The article presents information about the changes in the functional courses at the U.S. Army Engineer School to meet the ever-increasing requirements for engineering skills in the battlefield. The school is giving scenario-based training at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri. Improvised explosive devices and insurgent attacks are replicated during the training on convoy live-fire range.

The article focuses on the U.S. Quadrennial Defense Review 2005 done by the Department of Defense to determine the most pressing threats the country may face in the next 20 years and how the military can cope with those threats. Some of the threats include terrorism in the country and the insurgent warfare the U.S. forces face in Iraq and Afghanistan. Terrorist organization Al Qaeda and the insurgent fighters in Iraq use remote control bombs and other indirect means of attack. It has been observed that in the post-Cold War era, wars involving the U.S. have generally included some type of humanitarian crisis. Various military services should be coordinated with the aim of improving joint warfare capabilities.

Presents an interview with Jane's Middle East editor David Hartwell. Leadership issues in the country; Insurgency problems faced by the Iraqi government; Inner workings of the oil industry in the Middle East.

The article informs that Airbus Helicopter has proposed to adopt dual-use helicopters, from the smallest single-engine light entry to the heaviest assault rotorcraft to counter insurgencies in the world's trouble spots. It is noted that adoption of low cost arm helicopters would decrease risk and cost associated with weapons integration and would benefit from the knowledge and experience of helicopter-mounted weaponry garnered over a half century.

This article reports that the U.S. is introducing a new technology into the fight in Iraq that counteracts the effect of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and bombs by making them ignite prematurely. A top Marine Corps commander states that it could slash the number of successful insurgent attacks. John F. Sattler,commander of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, states that the current goal is to find a way to pre-detonate IEDs or vehicle-borne bombs. Sattler did not confirm that high-power microwave devices are being used to pre-detonate IEDs, but the Pentagon and aerospace industry officials acknowledge that such technology has been developed and tested in the U.S.

Argentine-Chilean-American novelist Dorfman's only children's book, which was written in the 1970s and published in the U.K. in 2001, makes its uncannily timed arrival on U.S. shores. But when the photos are developed, rabbits are brazenly posing in the foreground, and the bewildered photographer is tasked with erasing their images. In prose that speaks volumes, Dorfman's eerily prescient allegorical gem shapes a resounding portrait of power abused and censorship foiled, reinforced by Riddell's (the Goth Girl series) droll, spot-on line drawings. [Extracted from the article]

The article focuses on the counterinsurgency (COIN) theory of the U.S. Army and Marine Crorps. It mentions that insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan were still being killed by some attack aviation community though COIN practices where already employed. It states that political development and strategic communication have been conducted by ground maneuver commanders to disseminate the operation standards of COIN practices.

The article focuses on intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft used by Great Britain and the possibility Britain will delay retiring its Sentinel ISR after 2015. It states that Britain's Royal Air Force sent a Raytheon Sentinel to assist the French Serval mission in Mali through use of its synthetic aperture radar. It mentions the intelligence data allowed French troops to target insurgents traveling the desert in small vehicles and in the Niger River Delta.

An essay on the application of the policy of attraction in insurgencies is presented. A brief overview of the 2005 insurgency in Iraq is discussed. It is suggested that the use of the policy of attraction was not considered to be a success in Iraq until years after the American military also learned to use counterinsurgency. Strategies to winning the war in Afghanistan are also discussed.

The article highlights the ability of computer simulation games to teach U.S. service members how to interact with people of foreign cultures. Jennifer McNamara, director of strategic partnerships at BreakAway, mentioned that a rising interest exists within the U.S. Department of Defense regarding the use of interactive technologies that educate military personnel about the sociological factors causing insurgencies. Furthermore, video game designer BreakAway is developing games designed to help troops stop the influence of insurgencies.

The article focuses on the consensus within the U.S. Army of the potential threats posed by hybrid wars. A description of such war is offered. Experts claimed that with weapons systems getting cheaper and more accessible, it is not impossible for hybrid wars to emerge. As noted, the Marine Corps in its document, "Marine Corps Vision and Strategy 2025," observed that such wars can be created by states, proxy forces or armed groups. Also presented are comments shared by military personnel.

The article focuses on the mistaken conventional wisdom on counterinsurgencies. It notes that it has been conventional wisdom that insurgencies tend to last an average of 10 years and that insurgents obtain victory about 40% of the time. It adds that such statistics imply that counterinsurgencies tend to be long and difficult struggles making it unrealistic to expect progress in the short term. It mentions that the wrong wisdom came from the research organization Dupuy Institute.

The article discusses the core competencies required from military engineers to meet the challenges of counterinsurgency operations. They include construction project development, contracting and funding, field force engineering, facility engineer planning and the execution of total quality management process.

JOAQUIN PHOENIX AND OTHER STAR SURGEONS TRY TO RESUSCITATE THE EARTH IN EXTINCTION REBELLION'S ONLINE FILM Client Extinction Rebellion, Amazon Watch Production company: Nation Earth. [Extracted from the article]

Climate change protestors have revealed plans to picket this week's Oxford Farming Conference (OFC). XR Oxford claims the UK food and farming system contributes to 20% of GHG emissions. The latest figures from the UK's Committee on Climate Change show that UK agriculture is responsible for 9% of total UK emissions, with cattle and sheep responsible for just 3%. [Extracted from the article]

The article reflects on the status of insurgency and political climate in Iraq at the tipping period of war in the region. It cites incidence where insurgents have shifted their attention from U.S. soldiers to what they regard as collaborators. It questions the ability of Sunnis to accept the new democratic government. It criticizes U.S. legislators for their variable views on how President George W. Bush is managing the war.

The article reports that military analysts in the U.S. and bloggers in the Middle East are concerned about Syria's missile stockpiling. Syria's move to send surface-to-air and long-range ballistic missiles to Lebanon's Hezbollah-controlled Bekaa Valley for safekeeping is raising security alarms. A Washington-based Defense Department official says that it is easy for insurgent groups to gain access to these storage places.

The article provides technology-related news briefs. The U.S. is developing cyderdeterrence strategies in response to cyberattacks against U.S. countries. The U.S. Department of Transportation is removing privacy protections which were once offered to business jets. In Pakistan a program for training the Pakistani army in counterinsurgency operations is being cut.

The article reports on the attack plans of the U.S. in Iraq. According to U.S. Department of Defense officials, they are planning to attack training organizations and supply lines in Iraq supported by Syria and Iran. A U.S. intelligence official stated that they will disrupt the networks of Iran and insurgents. The intelligence official added that the effort would extend beyond conventional weaponry to include intensified surveillance of border areas, network exploitation, electronic attack and information warfare.

The article reports on the concerns of Representative Ike Skelton, new House Armed Services chairman, on the U.S. counterinsurgency capabilities regarding the war in Iraq. Incoming chairmen in both the House and Senate are promising hearings and investigations into how the Iraq war is affecting troop strength, equipment and readiness. After years of neglect following the Vietnam War, the Department of Defense is paying attention to counterinsurgency as a tool for dealing with new threats like international terrorism.

The article focuses on the indictment of the Iraq Study Group of intelligence on the Iraq insurgency. According to the group, human intelligence in the field is improving but is not as effective as it should be for lack of U.S. personnel who speak Arabic or understand the culture. Because of business-as-usual career rotations among military personnel, the panel is told, there are fewer than 10 analysts at the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency who have more than two years' experience analyzing the Iraq insurgency.

The article discusses the role of cyberspace in terrorism. According to Major General Jonathon Riley of the U.S. Central Command, the virtual world of the Internet provides a virtual safe haven for terrorists and insurgents to communicate, plan operations and detonate improvised explosive devices. Counterinsurgency experts believe that pairing unmanned aerial vehicles like Northrop Grumman's Global Hawk with ground sensors can play a big role in defeating insurgencies.

The article reports that the European Commission this month authorized a slate of measures to determine new technologies capable of thwarting terrorism. Approved under a preliminary security research action plan approved last year, following a deadly train bombing in Madrid, the measures are intended to unite Europe's various national anti-terrorist initiatives and determine which technologies should be given fast-track treatment. The 13 measures, eight technology efforts and five supporting activities, were picked from 156 proposals submitted under the three-year, 45-million-euro preliminary plan, which is supposed to lead to a full-scale research effort starting in 2007.

Reports that Great Britain has earmarked another 10,000 ground troops for possible deployment to the Balkans.

Lady Catrin Buckley's loyalty to her English father has kept her from embracing her Welsh mother's heritage, but when Catrin meets the rugged Welshman Rhys ap Tudor, she instantly feels a connection. Fiery, stubborn Catrin is an admirable heroine, but her personal rebellion and character growth are better developed than her emotional connection with Rhys. History buffs will be gratified by Bessey's inclusion of real historical events and figures, including Rhys himself. [Extracted from the article]

The author describes the al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (APAP), which has been behaving more and more like an insurgent movement. He is critical of APAP's community engagement, information operations and political tactics in a bid to hold territory. Also investigated is the organization of APAP, which is decentralized, long term and blending civil-military approaches seamlessly.

The article reports that a sanctuary in the Pashtun tribal areas along the border in Pakistan has helped regenerate and sustain the Taliban, al-Qaida and other insurgent movements. The reasons that generally explains this predicament, include Pakistan's no-fault perfidy, and the deadly friend-foe game. It also states that the revocation of Pakistan's Major Non-North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Ally status is one of the measures that might compel change in Pakistan-U.S. relations.

The article offers information on the Decisive Action training rotation of the U.S. Army in 2012. The program aims to train soldiers against conventional forces, criminal groups and insurgent elements in other countries. According to the author, facing the hybrid enemy presents more complicated regulations of engagement.