GrogNews Daily Headlines

Want something to freak out about? Apparently Pakistan has more nukes than France, the UK or India...

An ironic note in Pakistan, too. "Colonel Imam" has died. Who was he? A Pak intel operative who is often credited with being the architect behind the rise of the Afghan militants that evolved into the Taliban. Where'd he die? In captivity. Held by militants.

The Egyptian military has managed to stay out of politics for 40 years. Can they stay out of the current crisis? And do the US military's ties to the Egyptian military give it any 'leverage' right now?
Some commentators and politicians are in a hard spot, too, as they have to choose between defending the dictatorial Mubarak, or legitimizing Islamist movements by giving them a voice. And Egypt's revolt overwhelmingly underlines the the worldwide irrelevance of al Qaeda as a political movement.

The Russians are continuing the needle Japan over a disputed island of Hokkaido. They're also looking to to revamp their defense industry.

By: Brant

GrogNews Daily Headlines

There's a report out that claims that CENTCOM "wasted funds", and yet, strangely enough, there's absolutely no mention of CIDNE anywhere.

Although Secretary Gates has said he's on his way out the door, he's keeping close council on exactly when and how.

The US Senate is now looking into the tanker contract fiasco, and they want to know why the proposal details were sent to the opposing sides in the bid.

More unrest in Egypt as police clash with protesters in Cairoand fire rubber bullets into the crowdthat gathered in defiance of the government, after prayers.

The British police have started rounding up the WikiLeaks backers who started attacking websites in the wake of the last drips fiasco.

And apparently someone in the Army thought that deploying PFC Manning to Iraq was a bad idea, based on a variety of disciplinary issues. Here's betting MOS shortfalls don't trump behavioral issues next time, eh?

By: Brant

GrogNews Daily Headlines

The Pentagon is having to fight the new Republican legislators on their proposed military cuts. Hey, gotta bring home the pork, right?

The US and Japan are holding joint war games focused on ballistic missile threats, among other things.

Dugway Proving Ground was in a lockdown, and has now reopened.

The Afghan police are saying they'll round up the culprits in a Taliban stoning that was caught on a cell phone video, in which several faces are clearly identifiable. The problem isn't the stoning guys... Lock 'em up and throw away the key if you want; drop 'em off a very high bridge. Really, who cares? Do you really think it'll deter the illiterate-and-proud-of-it Islamonutjobs from acting like it's still the 8th century, only with AK47s?

You know what, it's a bad day to be a MidEast despot... First, Tunisia is coming apart at the seams, and anti-government protests are catching on like a fever, as Egypt's unrest enters a third day, and now Yemen is getting into the act, as thousands of protesters there call on the president to make like a tree and leave.

One wonders if the drug catapult discovered on the Mexico border would eligible for the annual Punkin' Chunkin'....

The DHS is finally ending the absurd and perpetually-yellow DHS to color-coded ‘Threat Level’ advisories. No more Bert & Ernie level threats...

By: Brant

GrogNews Daily Headlines

Look, we all think he's an ass-clown, but right now, the government can't positively link PFC Manning to WIkiLeaks.

President Obama wants military recruiters back on campuses after they were supposed banned over the government's DADT policy. Was that ever the real reason, or was that just an excuse for anti-war campus refugees to needle the military?

There's an Army Captain who has built an iPhone app for soldiers in Afghanistan. Of course, there have been plenty of others doing this, too, like MAJ Motes out of the Signal schoolhouse [PDF link], who has been building smartphone apps for iPhones and Droids for a while now.

After the bomb in the Moscow airport, heads are rolling in the administration, as Russian president Medvedev has fired a police chief and other officials. The head of NORAD, reassuringly, has soothed the public by noting that
this sort of airport attack could happen in the US, too. Thanks, boss.

Egypt's government has outlawed more anti-government protests. Up next? Protesting the outlawing of protests!


By: Brant

GrogNews Daily Headlines

An Israeli-commissioned inquiry has found that that the Gaza aid flotilla raid "was legal". Of course, critics of Israel will see anything other than "it was completely Israel's fault, based on their mere existence" as a coverup/whitewash/excuse-fest/etc.

South Korea has released a video of their raid on the hijacked ship where they rescued a ship and its crew from Somali pirates.

Bowing to reality, Israel's Foreign Minister is drafting plans for a provisional Palestine.

WikiDrips claim that only 1% of the diplomatic docs in their possession have been published.

By: Brant

GrogNews Weekend Headlines

Erik Prince's latest venture? He's training Somalis on counter-piracy and policing. Maybe he should use the South Koreans as a perfect example of counter-piracy operations.

The US told China that a more militant North Korea would result in a redeployment of US forces to the Korean peninsula. The "threat" seems to have sunk in, as China is now leaning on the Norks to behave.

Even if the combat arms are opened up to women (like Canada, Denmark, etc), don't look for a mad rush of female soldiers to pick up combat arms gigs.

And the US Army is offering soldiers a few tips on social media.

By: Brant

GrogNews Daily Headlines

How do the Norks spend one-third of their GDP on the military and keep their country afloat? Oh yeah, they don't...

The legal fights over a US Navy contract, now at the Supreme Court, have been wrangling since 1991, and involve over $3 billion in money that contractors owe the government.

Another accusation of mass rapes in the Congo.

A suicide bomber in Iraq used an ambulance in Baquba to target Iraq police.

Medvedev, apparently ignoring how many of Israeli citizens are of Russian descent, is backing an independent Palestine.

By: Brant

GrogNews Daily Headlines

The NYTimes has a great article about how the military is getting overwhelmed with data, and having trouble processing it all.

The AP is talking about a new report that says "yes, women should be allowed in combat units". It's not like this hasn't been discussed before.

The US DOJ is hoping there's not an abrupt end to DADT, so they don't get overwhelmed in various court battles.

International observers have approved of south Sudan's vote for independence, and now maybe they can use that shipment of T-72s that were headed to them from the Ukraine.

By: Brant

GrogNews Daily Headlines

Secretary Gates is getting a tour of a Chinese nuclear base, as US VP Joe Biden is hanging out in Pakistan for talks.

Is Hezbollah out to topple the Lebanese government?

Is Iran really offering more talks to the West on their nuke program?

By: Brant

GrogNews Daily Headlines

An ex-NASA worker has been charged with selling military secrets to South Korea. Huh? OK.

A blast at a Georgian army base kills 3 and injures 13.

China has confirmed the flight of their new stealth jet.

Secretary Gates thinks that North Korea will pose direct threat to the US.

Secretary Clinton is in Yemen to press their counterterror efforts. Ruck up, Madam Secretary!

Assange says that they're "stepping up" the release of leaked docs. I guess they want to try to get them all out before he gets dropped off of a bridge.

By: Brant

GrogNews Daily Headlines

The Army Times tells you what to expect in 2011.

The 101st is coming home from Afghanistan, with their deadliest year since Vietnam, not including Dick Winters, the famed WWII commander of the Band of Brothers, who passed yesterday.

Clashes in Sudan over the secession of the South have left 23 dead.

China is claiming their military hardware expenditures are no threat as the US and China try to mend military ties.

The Economist has reviewed a pretty good book on the "war on terror", so far.

The war in Afghanistan is being fought with cash. Yep, in the most corrupt country in the world. Great.

Iran has rounded up "Israel-linked spies" in their investigation of the killings of nuclear scientists.

By: Brant

GrogNews Daily Headlines

The US is sending another 1,400 Marines to Afghanistan. Time Magazine ponders "What It Will Take to Finish the Job in Afghanistan", without ever stating waht "the job" really is...

Political violence in Africa? Yawn. But if you want to read about it, here's the latest update from Ivory Coast.

Iran says they've got an American they're holding on espionage charges. Because, apparently, she has eyes, or something.

Are the Norks serious about their offers for talks? Seoul says "NON!" The US is asking for China to help to ease the Korea crisis. Again.

By: Brant

GrogNews Headline-a-palooza

Yes, yes, it's been a few days. The in-law-induced haze over the holidays is only now fading... :D


The US is getting ready to deply the Gorgon Stare UAV to Afghanistan. The drone deployment follows one of several patterns emphasized by GEN Petraeus, who has brought his considerable talents to altering the Afghanistan war.

The most recent WikiDrips? Israel threatening to keep Gaza near collapse. And banks forced to play defense.

The governor of Punjab was assassinated in Islamabad, supposed for opposing a blasphemy law. He was buried under very heavy security.

Religious clashes in Egypt continue, following the New Year's church bombing.

What was Richard Holbrooke's legacy?

The Florida kid who sold bad ammo to the Pentagon has been sentenced to 4 years for fraud.

Japan and the Southies are discussing defense ties and the Norks.

By: Brant

GrogNews Weekend Headlines

As the Ivory Coast crumbles, the oughta-be-deposed pseudo-dictator is crying 'foul' on foreign intervention.

And the Ivory Coast isn't the only place with problems in Africa, as the Nigerian capital of Abuja has a barracks bombed.

The Norks are calling for an end to hostility with the South as they simultaneously warn that a war would bring "nuclear holocaust".

And a Christian church in Egypt gets bombed during New Year's Mass, resulting in riots and police clashes.

By: Brant

GrogNews Daily Headlines

The UN is clearly getting worried about the Ivory Coast. First there are concerns that a "genocide" may be imminent, and now reports are coming out that local forces are obstructing an investigation into a mass grave.

While violence is falling in Iraq, it's doing so at a slower rate than before. Also in Iraq, the US has turned over a former detention facility to the Iraqi government.

South Korea is concerned that the Norks are building up, and some reports are claiming it's their
"special forces", as we've reported elsewhere here at GN.

A Taliban bomb in Afghanistan has killed at least 14 civilians in Afghanistan


By: Brant

GrogNews Daily Headlines

China seems to be getting frisky about the military modernization. First, the US is saying that they do, in fact, have a carrier-killer ballistic missile, and now here come photos/videos of their first 5th-gen 'stealth' fighter in action.

There are conflicting accounts between NATO and Afghan officials about a deadly raid in Kabul.

Will the Islamonutjobs give it up already? They're still trying to attack the Danish newspaper than ran their Mohammed cartoons.

The Army is apparently giving up on the new "universal" camo pattern - admitting that it's universally bad, basically. Now they're going to start testing new variants, including MARPAT.

Remember the Israeli Hamas hit in Dubai? Apparently the UAEians thought about keeping it on the DL.

Nope, no resolution yet in the Ivory Coast. Paging Didier Drogba!

A suicide attack in Iraq has hit a police HQ, and killed the chief.

By: Brant

GrogNews Headline-a-palooza

Yep, it's been a few days, so we're going to try to catch you up with headlines from the last few days.

Ivory Coast (Wikipedia details here)
There are fears of a military intervention as a general strike is called to try and pressure Gbagbo into stepping down after the recent election. A delegation of West African leaders is headed to confront Gbagbo.

"Anarchists" have claimed responsibility for the bombs in Rome, including a package bomb found at the Greek embassy.

A pair of suicide bombers recently struck Ramadi. And one Iraqi took matters into his own hands, and killed his own daughter after she was recruited by al Qaeda as a suicide bomber.

Iran has hanged a man convicted of spying for the Mossad.

Analysts expect an increase in Nork provocations in 2011, including - possibly - another nuclear test.

Pakistan
More US drone strikes, as missiles kill 18. There are now widespread fears of hunger following the bombing of a World Food Program office.

India has issued a nationwide terror alert as police search Mumbai for 4 in alleged terror plot.

Snooty upper-crust Ivy league schools are "reconsidering" ROTC after the repeal of DADT. But let's not forget that their objections had less to do with taking DoD money than with opposing the military.

NATO has captured an Iranian "arms smuggler" in Afghanistan.

Assange is dismissing threats of extradition to the US.

Haiti has decided they need to lynch voodoo priests over the cholera outbreak. I wonder what they'll do when that doesn't fix the problem.

Four Turkish construction workers were kidnapped in Afghanistan.

By: Brant

GrogNews Daily Headlines

US to WikiLeaks: WTF! Yes, the WikiLeaks Task Force is now in effect, yo.

Good to that US intelligence is keeping an eye on developments in London (or not...)

The Norks are vowing a "sacred war" if they are provoked by the South. Uh, OK.

China wants to speed up the launch of their aircraft carrier.

Will the Russians ratify START before the US?

A nice story about a wedding dress going on display at the Airborne & Special Ops Museum in Fayetteville, NC. Yes, a wedding dress. Go read it. (h/t Guardian)

By: Brant

GrogNews Daily Headlines

Apple has dumped a WikiLeaks app from the App Store. Caving to the government? Or was it just a crap program?

Secretary Gates has released a statement on the new START Treaty.

The President has signed the DADT repeal. Now here comes the "woe is America" rhetoric.

Are the Brits training Bangladeshi "death squads"?

France has warned their nationals to leave the Ivory Coast as the incumbent not-gonna-quit president threatens to starve out the UN peacekeepers.

So the AP is all up in arms about a high percentage of recruits "failing" the military "entrance" exam. OK look, first of all the ASVAB is not an "entrance" exam. It's not designed to tell you whether or not you should be in the military. It's designed to tell you what specialties you'd be good at in the Army. Now, it's possible you could come back with a result that says you're qualified to be a doorstop, or a target goalie, or a the stick pusher on freefall wingsuit testing without a chute or something else undesirable. But it's not a "test" to see if you can join the military. It's there to tell you what job you might be good at.

By: Brant

GrogNews Daily Headlines

Apparently the Brits caved to "economic warfare" in fast-tracking the release of the Lockerbie bomber to Libya.

DADT
President Obama is planning to sign the repeal of DADT on Wednesday. The DoD has released statements from Secretary Robert Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen, regarding the repeal of DADT.

Korea
The Southies are preparing for a possible Nork attack and the Chinese are pushing the Norks to accept nuclear inspectors. Bill Richardson somehow claims it's all some sort of progress.

Is the US pushing NATO for raids into Pakistan? NATO says "no" but c'mon...

The Senate seems more and more likely to pass START II.

Palestinians lob rockets. Israeli strikes back by air. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

By: Brant