Bahrain, Yemen, Syria, Egypt, Libya
NIGHTWATCH Taliban R&R Program Under Petraeus
04 Inter-State Conflict, 05 Civil War, 08 Wild Cards, 10 Security, Corruption, Cultural Intelligence, Military, Officers Call
Afghanistan: Almost 5,000 Taliban insurgents laid down their weapons or are moving toward doing so, commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan General Petraeus said on 23 March. About 700 former Taliban have officially completed the steps to reintegrate into society, Petraeus said. He said another 2,000 insurgents are taking steps toward reintegration and others have laid down their weapons entirely.
Comment: The statistic is interesting because only a fraction of the anti-government fighters have reconciled to the government, based on the daily number of clashes and engagements. Most have been in northern districts where logistics support from Pakistan is barely sustainable. Petraeus also did specify the time frame for his data.
NightWatch data in November 2010 and January 2011 show the number of ralliers increased, but the number of clashes increased at a much greater rate. Several developments can explain the data. First, the anti-government forces appear to be replacing losses at a rate much faster than the rate of rallies. That can only happen if the populace supports the recruitment effort and that means the fight in Afghanistan is a Pashtun tribal uprising, not an insurgency. Second, the ralliers do not remain reconciled, but rejoin the fighting after a period of rest. The spring anti-government offensive should provide insight into the rate of recidivism. Third, the numbers are spread over such a long period as to be meaningless in evaluating the success or failure of the Coalition efforts. And there are others.
Without more context, the statement about ralliers looks like cheer leading.
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U.S. Lacks Plan for Dealing With Chaos in Yemen Despite Dire Warnings
02 Diplomacy, 03 Economy, 05 Civil War, 07 Other Atrocities, 08 Wild Cards, 09 Justice, 10 Security, 11 Society, Cultural Intelligence, Government, IO Multinational, Military, Peace Intelligence
Although it is Fox News and arch-critic Lindsey Graham pointing fingers, the fact is they are right! US Government seems trapped in a time warp and completely unprepared to contemplate a world in which our military is relatively useless (as well as unaffordable) and we actually need to have a deep capacity for nation-building. P
The Obama administration, after helping to orchestrate a U.N.-backed military intervention in Libya, is facing pressure to do more to prepare for the potential collapse of the government in another Mideast country, Yemen — but U.S. officials admit they are doing little more than watching at this point.
. . . . . . .
Yemen is a central ally of the U.S. government against Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. The group, along with its operational planner, the American Anwar al-Awlaki, the first American on the CIA's kill or capture list, are now considered a greater threat than Usama bin Laden's network in Pakistan. And one U.S. lawmaker suggests that chaos in Yemen could result in a worse terrorist breeding ground than Afghanistan.
But Defense Secretary Robert Gates’ admission in Cairo that the administration had not focused on a future without Yemen's president was startling.
Commando Solo in English, French, and Arabic
08 Wild Cards, Cultural Intelligence, IO Multinational
Listen: Secret Libya Psyops, Caught by Online Sleuths
WIRED (Danger Room), 20 March 2011
The U.S. military has dispatched one of its secret propaganda planes to the skies around Libya. And that “Commando Solo” aircraft is telling Libyan ships to remain in port – or risk NATO retaliation.
We know this, not because some Pentagon official said so, but because one Dutch radio geek is monitoring the airwaves for information about Operation Odyssey Dawn — and tweeting the surprisingly-detailed results. On Sunday alone, “Huub” has identified the tail numbers, call signs, and movements of dozens of NATO aircraft: Italian fighter jets, American tankers, British aerial spies, U.S. bombers, and the Commando Solo psyops plane (pictured).
“If you attempt to leave port, you will be attacked and destroyed immediately,” the aircraft broadcasted late Sunday night.
Read rest of article and listen to actual broadcast (English, French, Arabic).
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Reference: Religion, Science, & Philosophy
11 Society, Advanced Cyber/IO, Civil Society, Collective Intelligence, Commerce, Commercial Intelligence, Cultural Intelligence, Earth Intelligence, Ethics, Religion & Politics of Religion, Science & Politics of Science
2012 is a year of awakening, and a year of convergence. Inspired by two books by Capt Doug Johnston, USN (Ret), Religion, The Missing Dimension of Statecraft (1995) and Faith-Based Diplomacy–Trumping Realpolitik (2003), our collective concept of public intelligence has treated faith as essential and integral to the advanced Information Operations (IO) Cube.
Ref A: Albert Einstein Four Essays on Religion and Science (1930-1948)
Phi Beta Iota: Integrity is the core concept. religions that demand absolute obedience to dogma are just as bad as sciences that fabricate results, or politicians that lie. Just as we have found that there is no conflict between the intelligence profession and the craft of politics provided they both keep their integrity, so also do we believe it possible for religions and the sciences to be brought together by the humanities (philosophy et al) in order to achieve integral consciousness as individuals, as communities, and as a species.
Selected Books on Religion & Science, Religion & Philosophy
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Catholic Church Getting Serious About “Truth”
11 Society, Advanced Cyber/IO, Civil Society, Cultural Intelligence, Ethics, History, InfoOps (IO), Politics of Science & Science of Politics, StrategyVATICAN-PHILOSOPHY Mar-22-2011 (360 words) With photos. xxxi
Vatican says church philosophy studies must combat suspicion of truth
 Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski talks about new norms for the ecclesiastical studies of philosophy. (CNS/Alessandro Serrano, Catholic Press Photo)
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By Cindy Wooden
Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — When training priests and educating students in philosophy, the Catholic Church must combat a widespread sensation that there really is no such thing as permanent, objective truths, a new Vatican document said.
Because so many students are influenced by the cultural suspicion of truth, the Vatican said it will require an extra year of study before a student can earn a church-recognized bachelor's degree in philosophy.
Phi Beta Iota: Something very important is happening within the Catholic Church. The Most Holy Father Benedict XVI is a “convergence Pope” and moving on multiple fronts. He is seeking to reconcile religion with science; philosophy with theology; logic with pastoral direction. In short, His Holiness is deepening and elaborating on initiatives begun by Pope John Paul II, to include pro-active inter-faith and pro-active science and religion summits. Faith matters. History matters. Science matters. There is something happening here that is potentially a revolution in global human evolutionary psychology.
See Also:
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C-SPAN Hour on The Pentagon Labyrinth
Budgets & Funding, Corruption, Cultural Intelligence, Government, Military, MoviesThe Pentagon Labyrinth on C-SPAN
Mar 11, 2011
Stewart R. Mott Charitable Trust | Mott House
Three former, high-level Pentagon insiders take a critical look at how the Defense Department operates and where the money it receives goes. The three- Thomas Christie, Franklin Spinney and Pierre Sprey – are contributors to the book, The Pentagon Labyrinth. Danielle Brian, executive director .. Read More
Three former, high-level Pentagon insiders take a critical look at how the Defense Department operates and where the money it receives goes. The three- Thomas Christie, Franklin Spinney and Pierre Sprey – are contributors to the book, The Pentagon Labyrinth. Danielle Brian, executive director of the Project On Government Oversight (POGO), acts as moderator for the discussion.
Watch Video: 1 hour, 2 minutes
See Also + Pierre Sprey's “Seven Rules”:
