DTN News: EADS Flies Largest UAV Ever Built In Europe

DTN News: EADS Flies Largest UAV Ever Built In Europe

*Source: DTN News / EADS

(NSI News Source Info) GOOSE BAY AIR FORCE BASE, Canada - July 27, 2009: In a test series comprising four flights, EADS Defence & Security (DS) has successfully tested the unmanned flight system (UAV – Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) ‘Barracuda’ at Goose Bay air force base in Canada. Technologies and procedures to be used in future mission-ready unmanned aerial systems have thus been put to the test in realistic conditions.

The Barracuda originated as a UAV design study, intended to push EADS into the market for medium-altitude long-range UAVs, a market they view as dominated by the United States and Israel. Its official debut was at the 2006 International Aerospace Exhibition, where military applications and specifications for the Barracuda were revealed. EADS' current focus is to get the Barracuda certified for unregulated flight in Germany's designated airspace, while the long-term goal is to have it certified for non-segregated airspace.

During the test campaign in the Goose Bay area of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, the jet-propelled demonstrator flew completely autonomously along pre-programmed flight profiles. It was monitored from the ground station with respect to flight safety only.

The new, successfully tested unmanned aerial system is a further development of the first Barracuda technology test bed which performed its maiden flight in April 2006. Since that time the software, systems and solutions for the methods and processes carried out under the Agile UAV programme have been continuously developed to form an integrated system. The results of these modifications, which had so far only existed as computer models, have now been successfully tried and tested in flight on the Barracuda. The flexibility of the software and the modular capabilities have also been enhanced. This makes the system even easier to adapt to a wide range of UAV missions which will then be verified and validated using the Barracuda built by EADS Defence & Security.

These successful flights in Goose Bay have given EADS Defence & Security practical confirmation of the results of technology programmes it had already conducted on its own initiative. Moreover, the Barracuda is used for test flights in the ‘Agile UAV in Network Centric Environment’ technology programme commissioned by the Federal Office of Defence Technology and Procurement (BWB – Bundesamt für Wehrtechnik und Beschaffung).

“The successful flights by our unmanned aerial system – the largest ever yet built in Europe – underscore our competence in developing and offering market-driven solutions to meet the multifaceted requirements of our customers in one of the world’s most promising future markets in our sector,” commented Dr. Stefan Zoller, member of the EADS Executive Committee responsible for Defence & Security. “This powerful demonstrator widens the technological UAV product portfolio from EADS Defence & Security within the scope of our own high-performance systems,” Zoller stated. “It enables us to offer a full range of UAV products from tactical systems to complex reconnaissance and surveillance systems.”

Bernhard Gerwert, Head of the DS Business Unit Military Air Systems (MAS), emphasised: “We once again have a demonstrator for the autonomous and network-centric UAV mission systems of the future. The unmanned aerial system designed by EADS Defence & Security and manufactured in Germany and Spain can be used for a wide range of tasks in the development and risk minimisation of reconnaissance UAVS.” Gerwert went on to explain that the technology demonstrator had been built largely with EADS Defence & Security’s own funds and with resources contributed by the German Army, the BWB and the supplier companies involved in the programme.

Even if this new version of the UAV demonstrator is not destined for series production, EADS will be able to gather fundamental insights for operationally mature next-generation UAV products – either alone or in cooperation with European partners. With this demonstrator, EADS Defence & Security will gain practical experience in the interoperability of unmanned systems within Network-Centric Operations conducted in line with the latest NATO criteria and in autonomous operation involving interaction with other systems. This also makes it possible to reduce any risks involved in developing the planned new UAV Talarion.

Military Air Systems is an integrated activity of EADS Defence & Security (DS). DS is a systems solutions provider for armed forces and civil security worldwide. Its portfolio ranges from sensors and secure networks through missiles to aircraft and UAVs as well as global security, service and support solutions. In 2008, DS – with around 23,000 employees – achieved revenues of € 5.7 billion.

EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2008, EADS generated revenues of € 43.3 billion and employed a workforce of about 118,000.

DTN News: First NATO C-17 Due At Papa AB Today / Multinational Alliance's 1st Boeing C-17 Joins Heavy Airlift Wing In Hungary

DTN News: First NATO C-17 Due At Papa AB Today / Multinational Alliance's 1st Boeing C-17 Joins Heavy Airlift Wing In Hungary

*Source: DTN News / Boeing (NSI News Source Info) PÁPA AIR BASE, Hungary - July 27, 2009: The first Boeing [NYSE: BA] C-17 Globemaster III acquired by the NATO Airlift Management Organization and the Strategic Airlift Capability (SAC) consortium officially joined the Heavy Airlift Wing (HAW) at Pápa Air Base, Hungary, today, as part of a ceremony commemorating the activation of a new airlift capability for 10 NATO and two Partnership for Peace nations. SAC 01 takes off beginning its 5,300-nautical-mile maiden flight July 14 from Long Beach, Calif., to P?pa Air Base, Hungary. The aircraft is the first of three C-17 Globemaster IIIs to be acquired by the 12-nation Strategic Airlift Capability Program. The Hungarian air base is home to the SAC Program's multinational, operational-level unit, the Heavy Airlift Wing, which will officially be activated July 27. The advanced airlifter, known as SAC 01, is the first of three C-17s that will be assigned to the HAW in western Hungary this year and will soon start flying missions in support of the International Security Assistance Force operations in Afghanistan. “I want to extend my thanks to all of the nations that chose to participate in SAC,” said Ambassador Claudio Bisogniero, NATO deputy secretary general. “Because of your commitment, today we are well-positioned to provide aid anywhere, at any time, and on any mission -- humanitarian, disaster relief, or peacekeeping.” The unique SAC approach to shared use of the strategic airlifter is viewed as a model for the future acquisition and management of defense capabilities. The SAC nations will share acquisition and operating costs for the C-17s over the nearly 30-year course of the agreement. SAC 01 has been contributed by the United States, a member of the consortium. Hungary agreed to both host the wing at Pápa Air Base and to register the C-17s under the Hungarian flag. U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Richard Johnston, chairman of the SAC Steering Board, praised the nations for setting a new standard of multinational cooperation. “Visions are only realized when unrelenting dedication to achievement is applied in full measure,” Johnston said. “When applied twelvefold, success becomes destiny. Today, 12 nations witness the activation of their Heavy Airlift Wing.” The HAW’s first wing commander, U.S. Air Force Col. John Zazworsky, thanked the hundreds of multinational military personnel who prepared the former Warsaw Pact fighter base for its first mission. "For nearly a year now, personnel from 12 nations have worked as a team here in Pápa, blending their varied skills, military experiences and cultures into a new form of multinational military unit," said Zazworsky. “The team has consistently focused on being able to conduct strategic airlift missions as soon as the first aircraft is delivered. Now that we have reached that milestone, we have the strong sense that we are creating a model for future cooperative military efforts." “Boeing is proud that the C-17 is a part of this historic day,” said Jean Chamberlin, Boeing vice president, Global Mobility Systems. “It’s the only aircraft capable of performing all of SAC’s airlift missions -- strategic and tactical, military and humanitarian, brigade airdrop and aeromedical evacuation -- and it can do all of that using standard runways or short, austere airfields.” The SAC group includes 10 NATO nations -- Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, United States -- and Partnership for Peace members Sweden and Finland. Boeing will deliver SAC’s two remaining C-17s in September and October. A Boeing team assigned to Pápa Air Base will provide material management, depot maintenance and other support for the C-17s under Global Services & Support’s C-17 Globemaster III Sustainment Partnership program. A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $32 billion business with 70,000 employees worldwide.

DTN News: Top US Official In Israel To Push Mideast Peace

DTN News: Top US Official In Israel To Push Mideast Peace

*Source: DTN News / AFP

(NSI News Source Info) JERUSALEM, Israel - July 27, 2009: US Defence Secretary Robert Gates was on Monday visiting Israel in a bid to jumpstart Middle East peace talks, with Washington's Mideast envoy George Mitchell also in the region on a whistlestop tour. US Defence Secretary Robert Gates, seen here, is visiting Israel in a bid to jumpstart Middle East peace talks, with Washington's Mideast envoy George Mitchell also in the region on a whistlestop tour.(AFP/Jack Guez) Gates's talks in Israel were expected to centre on Iran's disputed nuclear efforts while Mitchell will focus on Washington's drive to reach a comprehensive peace between Israel, the Palestinians, Syria and Lebanon. Amid ongoing discord over settlements, one of the main stumbling blocks in the stalled peace process, a report in the Haaretz newspaper revealed that the number of settlers in the occupied West Bank now exceeded 300,000. Israel's refusal to heed US demands to stop all settlement activity on occupied Palestinian land has seen tensions between the two staunch allies rise to a level not seen in years. The US defence secretary met his Israeli counterpart Ehud Barak and was to have a working lunch with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on his one-day visit. Mitchell, meanwhile, was meeting Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo before heading to the West Bank for talks with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas. He will meet Netanyahu on Tuesday. Egypt is a key regional player and has been mediating unity talks between rival Palestinian groups Fatah and Hamas and between Israel and Hamas for a prisoner swap to try to secure the release of an Israeli soldier held in Gaza. Washington is committed to a "comprehensive peace in the Middle East and that includes Israel and Palestine, Israel and Syria, Israel and Lebanon and normal relations with all countries in the region," Mitchell was quoted as saying after meeting Barak on Sunday. Mitchell began his latest regional tour in Damascus, his second visit since June to a country that US President Barack Obama has sought to re-engage as part of a changed approach to the region from his predecessor George W. Bush. In the Syrian capital, the former US senator said he had a "very candid and positive conversation" with President Bashar al-Assad. "I discussed with President Assad the prospects for moving forward on our goals of comprehensive peace in the region and improved bilateral ties between Syria and the United States," said Mitchell, who played a key role in brokering the Good Friday peace accords in Northern Ireland in 1998. Obama is determined to reach a comprehensive peace between Israel and all its Arab neighbours in order to guarantee "stability, security and prosperity" in the region, Mitchell said in Damascus. "If we are to succeed, we will need Arabs and Israelis alike to work with us to bring about comprehensive peace. "We will welcome the full cooperation of the government of the Syrian Arab Republic in this historic endeavour." Syria and Israel held four rounds of indirect preliminary negotiations through Turkish mediators last year but Syria broke them off after Israel launched its deadly war on the Gaza Strip in December. In Israel, discord on settlements was likely to dominate Mitchell's meetings, with hawkish premier Netanyahu so far refusing to heed repeated US calls for Israel to halt all settlement activity in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem. "Naturally even within this friendly relationship there isn't total agreement on everything and on several issues we are trying to reach that understanding in order for us to be able to promote our common interests of peace, security and stability," Netanyahu told the cabinet on Sunday. The sides are close to a compromise under which the United States would allow Israel to finish a limited number of construction projects that are well under way in the Palestinian territory, according to the Israeli press. "The Americans are beginning to understand that the projects under way ... cannot be stopped," Industry Minister Benjamin Ben Eliezer told public radio on Monday. As part of the flurry of diplomatic activity, US National Security Advisor James Jones will arrive in Israel on Tuesday for a three-day visit.

DTN News: Indian Army Will Trial Ashok Leyland FAT 6x6 Artillery Tractor

DTN News: Indian Army Will Trial Ashok Leyland FAT 6x6 Artillery Tractor

*Source: DTN News

(NSI News Source Info) NEW DELHI, India - July 27, 2009: The Ashok Leyland is an Indian vehicle manufacturing company. Over the years products of this company have built a reputation for reliability and ruggedness.

The FAT will undergo trial evaluation with the Indian Army, which requires a vehicle to replace a fleet of ageing Scania SBAT 6x6 artillery tractors, delivered since 1986.

It is the leading supplier of logistics vehicles to Indian Army. The FAT or Field Artillery Tractor was designed as a private venture and is aimed both at domestic and foreign markets. Vehicle is intended to be used as a gun tractor for up to 155-mm field guns and howitzers. It also carries ammunition and artillery crews. The FAT will undergo trial evaluation with the Indian Army, which requires a vehicle to replace a fleet of ageing Scania SBAT 6x6 artillery tractors, delivered since 1986. The FAT has a payload capacity of 10 000 kg. Vehicle is fitted with forward control and chassis mounted artillery crew cabins. These can be fitted with add-on armor protection. This military truck is equipped with a hydraulic hoist for self-loading and unloading of ammunition. The FAT artillery tractor is powered by the Ashok Leyland BSIII turbocharged diesel engine, developing 345 hp. Later it was proposed with a Cummins ISM 420-30 diesel engine, developing 410 hp. Engine options up to 500 hp are available. Vehicle has a constant all-wheel drive and is fitted with a central tyre inflation system, to suit different terrain conditions. The FAT has been developed specially for desert and semi-desert areas. It can move through deep sand. Vehicle is fitted with a self-recovery winch.

DTN News: Russia To Have Balanced Nuclear Missile Navy By 2050 - Navy Chief

DTN News: Russia To Have Balanced Nuclear Missile Navy By 2050 - Navy Chief *Source: DTN News / RIA Novosti (NSI News Source Info) SEVASTOPOL, Russia - July 27, 2009: The Russian Navy is developing a concept of building a balanced nuclear missile force by 2050, the Russian Navy commander said on Sunday. "In our understanding, it is important to know exactly what the Navy should be by the year 2050, proceeding from two things: it must be a balanced nuclear missile force and, secondly, it must comply with the state's national interests and economic possibilities," Adm. Vladimir Vysotsky said on the occasion of Russia's Navy Day being celebrated on Sunday. Vysotsky said the Russian Navy should develop harmoniously without any preference given to the construction of surface ships or submarines. "We will be building combat systems in addition to warships. I call this the construction of the Navy with open architecture, which will feature combat systems, complexes, ships, aircraft, anti-missile defense, outer space and the submarine environment," he said. Vysotsky said that failures with the tests of Russia's new Bulava sea-launched intercontinental ballistic missile manifested a crisis in the development of technologies in Russia. The missile, which is being developed by the Moscow-based Institute of Thermal Technology (MITT), has had six failures in 11 tests, and the general director of the institute resigned on Tuesday over what is believed to be a serious setback in the development of Russia's nuclear deterrent. At the same time, the Navy chief said that Russia's modern Project 955 Borey nuclear-powered strategic submarines were not intended to be equipped with Sineva ballistic missiles instead of Bulava. Under the Russian State Arms Procurement Program for 2007-2015, the Navy is expected to receive at least five Project 955 Borey nuclear-powered strategic submarines equipped with new Bulava ballistic missiles and two Project 885 Yasen nuclear multipurpose attack submarines. The RSM-54 Sineva (SS-N-23 Skiff) is a third-generation liquid-propellant submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) that entered service with the Russian Navy in July 2007. It can carry four or 10 nuclear warheads, depending on the modification, and has a maximum range of over 11,500 kilometers (about 7,100 miles). The Bulava (SS-NX-30) submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) carries up to 10 MIRV warheads and has an estimated range of over 8,000 kilometers (5,000 miles).

DTN News: Saudi Arabia Orders Three More A330 Tankers

DTN News: Saudi Arabia Orders Three More A330 Tankers * Saudi Arabia order three addition A330 MRTT tankers * First aircraft due for delivery in 2011

*Source: DTN News / Reuters (NSI News Source Info) PARIS, France - July 27, 2009: The Saudi Ministry of Defence and Aviation (MODA) has ordered three additional A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft, European aerospace company EADS (EAD.PA) said on Monday. The A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) is a military derivative of the Airbus A330-200 airliner. It is designed as a dual-role air-to-air refuelling and transport aircraft. For air-to-air refuelling missions the A330 MRTT can be equipped with a combination of any of the following systems: -Airbus Military Aerial Refuelling Boom System (ARBS) for receptacle-equipped receivers such as the C-17, F-15, F-16, F-22 or F-35. -Cobham 905E under-wing refuelling pods for probe-equipped receivers such as the Eurofighter, F/A-18 Hornet, JAS 39 Gripen, Mirage 2000 or Rafale -Cobham 805E Fuselage Refuelling Unit (FRU) for probe equipped receivers (in particular large military aircraft) such as the A400M -Universal Aerial Refuelling Receptacle System Installation (UARRSI) for self-refuelling. This brings to six the total order of the aircraft which are destined to the Saudi Air Force, the statement said. Delivery of the first plane is due in 2011. Financial terms of the contract, which also includes an in-service support package, were not disclosed. (Reporting by Dominique Vidalon, editing by Marcel Michelson)

DTN News: Afghanistan ~ Violence Erupting All Over Prior Presidential Vote

DTN News: Afghanistan ~ Violence Erupting All Over Prior Presidential Vote

*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media

(NSI News Source Info) KABUL, Afghanistan - July 27, 2009: Spiralling Taliban attacks and record Western military deaths have put Afghanistan on edge less than four weeks before key elections that many fear could be overshadowed by violence. An Afghan farmer watches as US marines head to the site of a blast in Garmsir district of Helmand Province. The August 20 presidential vote, only the second in Afghan history, is seen as a crucial test in the nearly eight-year effort led by the United States and NATO to stabilise Afghanistan since the 2001 overthrow of the Taliban. Thousands of newly deployed foreign troops have flooded into southern Afghanistan to try to wrest back Taliban strongholds, but the resulting surge in soldiers' deaths has created a backlash in Western nations. Violence has spread in the east and north, while coordinated suicide attacks in three Afghan cities killed six people last week, underscoring the vulnerability of the government as the clock ticks to nationwide polls. "There are major security issues again in southern Afghanistan, in eastern Afghanistan," said Haroun Mir, analyst from the Afghanistan Centre for Research and Policy Studies in Kabul. "Suicide bombs which happened in Paktia and in Jalalabad, these are indications that indeed there are some elements either from Al-Qaeda or the Taliban that want to disrupt the elections." The independent http://www.icasualties.org/, which calculates military losses in Iraq and Afghanistan, records 67 troop deaths so far in July, the highest monthly toll since the US-led invasion followed the September 11, 2001 attacks. Britain, whose apparent equipment and helicopter shortages have sparked fierce debate at home, has encountered some of the deadliest combat, while US military fatalities are also at record levels this month. There are currently about 90,000 foreign troops -- mainly US, British and Canadian -- deployed in Afghanistan on a mission to stabilise the country, and more are flooding in to try and secure restive areas ahead of the polls. About 4,000 US Marines and 3,000 British troops, backed by hundreds of Afghan forces, have battled behind Taliban lines in the south for weeks. But even in districts recently secured by foreign forces, officials worry there is little time to prepare for voting in the presidential and provincial elections held together on August 20. "For a long time this area was under the control of the Taliban," Afghanistan's counter-narcotics minister General Khodaidad told AFP on a trip to southern Helmand province's Garmsir district. "We have very little time. We should have started this operation one year ago... I think it will be difficult to have people take part at the polling stations, especially in volatile parts of the country." While the Taliban and other insurgent groups have made no specific threat against the polls, attacks are intensifying. On Saturday, seven suicide bombers tried to blow themselves up at state and security targets in the eastern city of Khost. Although most were shot dead by security forces, one civilian was killed and the attacks will likely further unnerve Afghans already concerned about their security on polling day. Similar commando suicide raids struck the eastern cities of Gardez and Jalalabad on Tuesday, also claimed by the Taliban, and Afghan officials warn that militant violence is seeping into the previously peaceful north. Rear Admiral Greg Smith, spokesman for the commander of foreign troops here General Stanley McChrystal, told AFP the rising military deaths were linked to increased troop activity, but said rebels could take advantage of the polls. "We said all along we expect insurgents will use this election period as a means to communicate their intent -- they don't want this government to succeed, they don't want people to have the right to vote," he said. He said Afghan forces were "doing everything they can" to ensure security on polling day, but analyst Mir was not so confident. "There will be 7,000 voting centres in Afghanistan and I think neither the Afghan government and coalition forces have enough personnel to provide security for each of these voting stations," he told AFP. The consequences, he said, will be that people stay away from the polls, or the legitimacy of the ballot will be called into question with election monitors also scarce.

DTN News: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Calls Russia A 'Great Power' After Vice President Joe Biden's Earlier, Harsher Remarks

DTN News: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Calls Russia A 'Great Power' After Vice President Joe Biden's Earlier, Harsher Remarks *The secretary of State seeks to calm Moscow after Vice President Biden's recent comments that the country is badly damaged economically and its leadership is clinging to the past.

*Source: DTN News / Los Angeles Times By Paul Richter

(NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON, USA - July 27, 2009: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said today that the Obama administration viewed Russia as a "great power," despite Vice President Biden's observations that the former rival nation was saddled with deepening economic problems and backward-looking leadership.

Clinton, seeking to take the edge off Biden's recent remarks, acknowledged that the longtime adversaries have problems with one anothers' policies. "They have questions about our policies and we have questions about some of theirs," she said in an appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press." But she insisted that the two countries are seeking to work out their differences and that the United States respects Moscow.

"We view Russia as a great power," she said, adding that the two countries were already beginning to see the "resetting" of relations that had been President Obama's aim.

The vice president roiled relations with Moscow by describing Russia as a country with a badly damaged economy, a fragile banking structure and a leadership that is "clinging to something in the past that is not sustainable."' Biden's remarks, in an interview with the Wall Street Journal, came at the end of a four-day visit to Georgia and Ukraine in which he reassured the two countries of U.S. support in the face of Russian pressure. Moscow, vexed that Biden should be criticizing Russia so soon after Obama's summit meeting there, demanded a clarification of his comments.

Though Russia's powers have diminished greatly since the days of the Soviet Union, Moscow's cooperation is vital for U.S. efforts to deal with Iran, North Korea, Afghanistan and Arab-Israeli peace. Obama's trip to Moscow was intended to reduce the tensions.

But Biden suggested that Russia had a weak hand and may have no choice but to accede to American wishes because of its deepening problems, including a "withering" economy.

On another issue, Clinton today said she preferred to remain ambiguous about whether the United States would offer Iran's neighbors nuclear protection from Iran if Tehran developed nuclear-weapons capability.

Clinton stirred wide comment in the Middle East last week by saying that the United States might erect a "defense umbrella" over the region to protect allies if Tehran succeeded in what Washington believed were efforts to acquire nuclear weapons know-how.

Those remarks left unclear whether the umbrella would mean that the United States would respond with a nuclear strike on Iran if Tehran used a nuclear weapon on a neighbor. Clinton, asked for a clarification, said, "We are not talking in specifics because that would come later, if at all."Her comments on the "defense umbrella" were intended to persuade Iran that it would face a graver security situation with a bomb than without one.

Clinton also sought to signal that she felt comfortable as part of what some have called a "team of rivals" in the Obama Cabinet.

She said she had in her office a picture of William Seward, the New York senator and Lincoln political rival who joined Lincoln's Cabinet as secreatry of State to help Lincoln during the war.

Clinton has been struggling to make her voice heard in foreign policy at a time when a long list of administration luminaries, including Biden, special envoys George Mitchell and Richard C. Holbrooke, and Obama's own aides, are vying for attention.

She described herself as "the chief adviser" the "chief executor" and the "chief diplomat" but said that ultimately Obama made the foreign policy decisions.

Clinton tried to dampen expectations that she would ever again be interested in seeking the presidency. But she stopped short of categorically ruling out a future run.She said, "I have absolutely no belief in my mind that this is going to happen."'

DTN News: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Speaks Out On North Korea, Iran

DTN News: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Speaks Out On North Korea, Iran

*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON, USA - July 27, 2009: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave a strong defense of Obama administration policy on North Korea and Iran during an extended interview Sunday on American television.

Secretary of State Clinton is sending a joint message to Pyongyang and Tehran: give up your quest for nuclear weapons and return to negotiations.

Clinton - just back from talks in Asia - told NBC television's Meet the Press that North Korea is more isolated than ever before. She said the North Korean government must realize that the world is united, and there will be no reward for bad behavior.

"We still want North Korea to come back to the negotiating table, to be part of an international effort that will lead to denuclearization," said Hillary Clinton.

She pointed to strong cooperation among the countries heavily involved in the North Korean issue. She made specific mention of China - which has hosted talks in Beijing. She said the Chinese have been extremely positive and productive.

"We have been extremely gratified by their forward-leaning commitment to sanctions, and their private messages that they have conveyed to the North Koreans," she said.

The secretary of state was then asked about the outlook for a dialogue with Iran on its nuclear program.

She said she saw no conflict of interest in seeking to negotiate with Iran's leaders despite the controversy that continues to surround the recent presidential election in that country.

"You can go back in history - and not very long back - where we have negotiated with many governments who we did not believe represented the will of their people," said Hillary Clinton. "Look at all the negotiations that went on with the Soviet Union, look at the break-through in subsequent negotiations with communist China."

Last week, Clinton talked in vague terms about the creation of a nuclear umbrella to protect Mideast allies against a possible Iranian nuclear attack.

She refused to go into specifics on Meet the Press. And she stressed that she did not mean to imply that a nuclear armed Iran is inevitable.

She said Iran's leaders must understand that the United States will never let them develop nuclear weapons.

"First, we are going to do everything we can to prevent you from ever getting a nuclear weapon," she said. "But your pursuit is futile!"

At the same time, Clinton urged Israel to give U.S. policy on Iran more time to work. Israel is seen as a primary target of Iran's nuclear-weapons program, and there are fears the Israelis might launch a pre-emptive strike.

"The United States believes that Israel has a right to security," she said. "We believe, however, that this approach we are taking holds out the promise of realizing our common objectives."

Clinton noted top U.S. officials will be meeting with Israeli leaders in the coming days, and will listen to their concerns.

DTN News: Pakistan Arrests Cleric Who Brokered Swat Peace Deal

DTN News: Pakistan Arrests Cleric Who Brokered Swat Peace Deal *Source: DTN News / Int'l Media

(NSI News Source Info) ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - July 27, 2009: Pakistan has arrested a pro-Taliban cleric, Sufi Mohammad, for helping militants and undermining the government's anti-terrorism campaign in a northwestern region. In this photo taken on 19 April 2009, Pakistan's pro-Taliban cleric Sufi Muhammad, wearing glasses in center, leaves after his address to supporters in Mingora capital of Pakistan's troubled valley of Swat.

The hard-line Pakistani religious leader, Sufi Mohammad, went missing three months ago when the military launched a major offensive to flush out Taliban militants from the northwestern valley of Swat and several neighboring districts.

In February this year, Sufi Mohammad negotiated a peace deal with the government to end violence in and around Swat.

Under the controversial pact, the government agreed to the cleric's main demand of imposing Islamic law in the insurgency-hit districts. In exchange, Sufi Mohammad promised to persuade Taliban militants, led by his son-in-law Maulana Fazlullah, to lay down their arms.

The deal was widely seen as surrender to Taliban control of the valley, but it collapsed after militants refused to lay down arms and moved into neighboring districts to expand their influence.

Pakistani authorities also blame Sufi Mohammad for encouraging terrorist forces through his statements, rather then telling them to end violence.Speaking to reporters in Peshawar, Provincial Information Minister Iftikhar Hussain confirmed the police arrested Sufi Mohammad from a house on the outskirts of the city.

The minister says they have arrested the cleric because he was planning to incite violence in areas where security forces are wrapping up the anti-insurgency operations. He say the government plans to file a court case against Sufi Mohammad after conducting a detailed investigation into his extremist activities.

The Taliban advances in the northwestern districts early this year had raised questions about Pakistan's ability to rein in extremist forces. The United States had accused its close anti-terror ally of abdicating authority to the Taliban.

The criticism prompted the Pakistani government to order a major offensive in late April to regain control of the Swat and other insurgency hit districts.

Army officials say that the anti-Taliban campaign has killed more than 1,800 militants and the United Nations says the offensive has dislocated nearly two million people from the insurgency hit areas.

Washington has praised the military operation and is leading the international relief assistance to rehabilitate the internal refugees.