DTN News: Former US President George W. Bush Urges Unified Warning Against North Korea

DTN News: Former US President George W. Bush Urges Unified Warning Against North Korea

*Source: DTN News / AFP

(NSI News Source Info) JEJU, South Korea - August 1, 2009: Former US president George W. Bush said on Saturday the five nations involved in nuclear disarmament talks with North Korea must send a unified warning against Pyongyang's continued defiance. Former US president George W. Bush delivers a speech to a group of South Korean business leaders on Jeju island. In a speech before a group of South Korean business leaders here, Bush said "true verification" would be essential even if the communist state promised to dismantle its nuclear programmes in accordance with UN resolutions. "The five nations must send a unified message to North Korean leaders" that if they continue defying UN resolutions, there will be consequences including economic sanctions by the United Nations, Bush said. "It's hard to deal with countries like North Korea, which has not much transparency... True verification is very important and words must be matched by verifiable actions." The six-party talks -- involving China, Japan, the two Koreas, Russia and the United States -- reached a deal in 2007 to provide North Korea with security guarantees and badly needed fuel if it ends its nuclear weapons drive. But North Korea stormed out of the deal in April, saying it was protesting a UN Security Council statement criticising its test of a missile. A month later, Pyongyang tested a nuclear bomb, leading to UN Security Council Resolution 1874 which calls for further inspections of air, sea and land shipments going to and from North Korea, and an expanded arms embargo. A US envoy handling the sanctions, Philip Goldberg, is heading to Asia and Russia in mid-August on a tour aimed at carrying out sanctions. North Korea said last week it was open to a "specific and reserved" dialogue outside the six-party talks on its nuclear weapons programme. But the United States has stood firm on seeking to revive six-nation talks with North Korea and pressed ahead with sanctions, despite an appeal by the UN chief to switch to negotiating. Bush urged South Koreans and others to not to forget the plight of North Koreans suffering from "forced labour, brutal repression". "I believe everybody has rights to be free and I believe some day people in North Korea will be free," he said. Asked what he misses the most about his eight years in the presidency, Bush said "a lot". "Air Force One is very comfortable," he said, to laughter, adding that he also missed his staff. "We've.become very good buddies," he told the meeting. Among those things he did not miss, he said, were the "harshness of political process" and "name calling", adding that he wanted be remembered as a president who was firm on "principles and values".

DTN News: Pakistan ~ Delay In India Talks To Help Terrorists Says Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani

DTN News: Pakistan ~ Delay In India Talks To Help Terrorists Says Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani *Source: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) ISLAMABAD. Pakistan - August 1, 2009: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said on Friday that any delay in resumption of Pakistan-India composite dialogue would benefit only terrorists and relations between the two countries could be improved only through talks. ‘If the composite dialogue does not start, it will only favour the terrorists,’ Gilani remarked. — Photo by AFP Talking to journalists after inaugurating the Islamabad Stock Exchange Towers, the prime minister said the role of politicians was to build bridges and not to erect walls. Mr Gilani, who was answering questions about his recent meeting with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, said Pakistan was looking forward to sharing information with India on the Balochistan issue. ‘The issue was discussed with Dr Manmohan Singh. We will provide information about Balochistan once the dialogue starts,’ he said. He praised Dr Singh’s speech on the issue in Lok Sabha and his ‘vision and leadership.’ He said Pakistan wanted friendly relations with its neighbours and an the meetings between the foreign ministers and foreign secretaries of the two countries to be held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York would be a step towards composite dialogue. The prime minister brushed aside a comment by British High Commissioner Robert Brinkley that Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, Taliban chief Mulla Omar or other leaders of their groups were in Pakistan. ‘I disagree with him,’ Mr Gilani said. In his speech at the stock exchange inauguration ceremony, the prime minister described terrorism and militancy as the biggest threat to economy, particularly to foreign investment. ‘Our success in the fight against militancy in Swat and other areas shows the commitment of the government to root out this menace.’ He said the international community which had earlier expressed concerns over the rise of militancy and terrorism was now praising the government’s action.

DTN News: Russia To Market Tu-204 Airliner Through Iran

DTN News: Russia To Market Tu-204 Airliner Through Iran

*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media

(NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW, Russia - August 1, 2009: A Russian official says selling Tupolev passenger planes to Tehran is an important step to introduce the product to other countries for further export.

The Tupolev Tu-204 is a twin-engined medium range Russian airliner capable of carrying 212 passengers. First introduced in 1989, it is considered to be broadly equivalent to the Boeing 757. It was developed for Aeroflot as a replacement for the medium range Tupolev Tu-154 trijet.

Sergei Galperin, director of the civil aviation production programs of the United Aircraft Corporation of Russia told reporters on Friday that signing the contract to sell Iran five Tupolev-204 aircrafts is an important step in marketing the plane in other countries, IRNA reported. Galperin said the contract was finalized and that the step would introduce the Tupelov aircrafts to international consumers.

The Russian official asserted that further talks were to be held between representatives from the two countries over further legalizing the production of the planes inside Iran. He added that (if the contract is singed) much of the parts of the plane would be assembled in Iran.

The news comes as earlier, on July 24, seventeen people were killed and 30 others injured in the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad when a Russian built Ilyushin Il-62 owned by Kazakhstan and leased by Iran's Aria Aviation Company, slid off the runway and hit a wall as it tried to make an emergency landing.

In less than 10 days before, on July 15, another Russian-made Tupolev carrying 153 passengers and 15 crewmembers nosedived into a field outside the village of Jannat Abad near Iran's Qazvin province.

All 168 people that were on board were killed. After being prevented from buying the latest Boeing or Airbus aircrafts due to US sanctions, Iran has started a fleet modernization program based on Russian technology, with outstanding orders for 35 Tupolev Tu-204 medium-range airliners and up to 6 examples of the wide-body Ilyushin Il-96 long-range airliner.

Earlier, leasing company Ilyushin Finance Corporation signed a pre-contract agreement to sell five Tu-204 aircrafts to Iran Air Tour, a subdivision of Iran Air, for a total cost of $180 million.

DTN News: Pakistan ~ Unclear If Military Had Defeated Taliban In Swat Region Or Simply Driven Them Underground Says Richard Holbrooke

DTN News: Pakistan ~ Unclear If Military Had Defeated Taliban In Swat Region Or Simply Driven Them Underground Says Richard Holbrooke

*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media

(NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON, USA- August 1, 2009: Pakistan raised the issue of India’s involvement in Balochistan with the US, but provided no credible evidence to support their claim, says America’s special envoy Richard Holbrooke. Pakistani Pastun people read a copy of Taliban code of conduct in a Pakistani border town of Chaman along the Afghanistan border on Friday, July 31, 2009. A Taliban code of conduct that pledges to limit attacks on civilians and curb suicide bombings appears aimed at mustering support among the Afghan people and refurbishing the militants' international image ahead of peace talks widely expected after next month's presidential elections. ‘I would be misleading, if I said it didn’t come up,’ said Mr Holbrooke when asked if Pakistan brought up this issue during his visit to the country last week. Responding to the second part of the question — ‘if Pakistan also gave credible evidence to support its claim’ — Mr Holbrooke said: ‘The narrow answer to your question is no.’ Pakistan raised this issue with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as well at a bilateral meeting in Egypt on July 16. On Wednesday, Mr Singh defended the inclusion of Balochistan in an India-Pakistan joint statement issued after the meeting but said he received no dossier from his Pakistani counterpart on India’s alleged involvement. The New York Times reported on Wednesday that Pakistan linked its action against the Lashkar-e-Taiba with New Delhi ending its covert operations in Balochistan. The report said that in conversations with the Obama administration, Pakistan’s army chief indicated that India needed to stop meddling in Balochistan in return for Pakistan’s actions against the Lashkar. At his briefing in Washington on Wednesday afternoon, Mr Holbrooke also refused to discuss occupied Kashmir, saying that it was outside his area of responsibility. ‘That issue is outside my area of ability to discuss,’ he said when asked to what extent the resolution of the Kashmir issue would help him in achieving the US goal to dismantle, disrupt and defeat the Al Qaeda and the Taliban. Mr Holbrooke cast doubt on the success of Pakistan’s Swat valley offensive, saying that it was unclear if the military had defeated the Taliban in the region or simply driven them underground. ‘We don’t know exactly to what extent the Pakistani army dispersed or destroyed the enemy,’ he told his first media briefing after his visit to Pakistan and Afghanistan last week. ‘The test of this operation is, of course, when the refugees return. Can they go home? Are they safe? And we’re just going to have to wait and see.’ Mr Holbrooke said that during his trip he wanted to visit Swat as well but the Pakistani military advised him not to do so now. ‘I asked to go to Swat or Buner knowing that I wasn’t going to be able to go to Mingora, but I wanted to establish the limits of what was possible here,’ he said. ‘And the military said they really would prefer we didn’t do it now. And look, ‘prefer’ means ‘no’. So we didn’t.’ Mr Holbrooke, however, said the US was in constant touch with Pakistan to help it deal with any spill-over effect of stepped-up operations by international forces on the Afghan side. He said that top US military commanders in Afghanistan often visited Pakistan to discuss the issue. ‘So the military-to-military discussions are helping to harmonise the situation’ in the area, he said. The purpose of these consultations, he said, was to alert Islamabad of any movement of militants from Afghanistan into Pakistan. Mr Holbrooke urged the international community to provide sustained economic support to Pakistan so that it could deal with the problem of the Swat refugees and the economic and energy crises. ‘Pakistan is critically important to the rest of the world’ and could not be ignored. Secondly, he said, what happened in Pakistan affected Afghanistan. Mr Holbrooke also praised the Pakistani leadership for shifting some of its forces stationed along its eastern border with India to the western frontier bordering Afghanistan to fight out Taliban and Al Qaeda. ‘The Pakistanis have moved a very large number of troops from their eastern border to their western border. That’s a historically significant redeployment,’ he said.

DTN News: Pakistan's Air War On The Taliban

DTN News: Pakistan's Air War On The Taliban *Source: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) NEW YORK, USA- August 1, 2009: The New York Times has published an article about Pakistan's Air Forces improved ability to target and attack militant targets with precision weapons based on information from military officials and independent analysts. A Pakistani F-16A, #84704, releasing 12 Mk.82's during a medium-altitude dive-bombing run. [PAF photo]

What is surprising is the second paragraph in the article where it implies the military hierarchy in Pakistan were using Google Earth for maps to guide them and have now shifted to sophisticated imagery supplied via spy planes and drones to aid them with precision drops of laser guided bombs.

The change in approach is aimed at avoiding further alienation from the general public who are worried about collateral damage in those areas.

One further reason for the more accurate attacks is the locations in which the Taliban are now found. The rugged region surrounding South Waziristan makes it hard for ground forces to penetrate without sustaining heavy losses. Air strikes with guided weaponry is an asset alongside artillery barrages and helicopter gunship attacks which will help soften the blow in terrain which is often inaccessible by ground vehicles such as tanks.

According to military sources who spoke to the New York Times said Pakistani Air Force F-16s have flown several hundred combat sorties since May. 300 plus against militants held out in the Swat Valley and 100 or so missions in South Waziristan attacking mountain hide-outs, training centres and ammunition dumps.

The article also hints that Pakistani officials have approached the Obama administration with a request to lease Pakistan upgraded F-16s, until its delivery of new Block 52 jets in the next couple of years. The use of these jets they argue would allow Pakistani pilots to fly night missions and loiter over the target area for longer periods which is currently impossible with their aged Block 15 aircraft. Militants in the affected area have been quick to switch to moving and operating by night to avoid the current air attacks.

Everyday for the past few months Pakistani warplanes have hit targets in the Swat Valley and over South Waziristan. The marked change in these operations has been the improved imagery used by planners when attacking specific targets. Lessons were learned after the Bajaur strikes in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) region of Pakistan in the autumn of last year.

"The biggest handicap we had in Bajaur was that we didn't have good imagery," Air Chief Marshal Qamar said. "We didn’t have good target descriptions. We did not know the area. We were forced to use Google Earth".

"I didn"t want to face a similar situation in Swat," he said.

Ten F-16s were equipped with high-resolution, infrared sensor pods, provided by the United States. These jets conducted detailed reconnaissance of the entire valley prior to any of the attacks. In the mean time additional data via secret drone flights gathered a wide array of video which was supplied to Pakistani Army Commanders on the ground.

In most cases, officials said, the Pakistani Army provides target information to the air force, which confirms the locations on newly detailed maps. Identifying high-value targets through the use of army spotters or, in some cases, a new, small group of specially trained air force spotters, the air force was able to increase its use of laser-guided bombs to 80 percent of munitions used in Swat, from about 40 percent in Bajaur, Air Chief Marshal Qamar said.

Even with this new ability to attack targets with more precision has not completely stopped the sceptics from voicing there concerns about the numbers of claims of success mentioned by Pakistani officials. "We don't have access to battle-damage assessment or the information on the actual strike execution, so we cannot make a qualitative comparison of what the intended effect was versus the actual effect,2 said one anonymous American adviser.

Pakistani officials are quick to acknowledge that the 21 or so high priority militant leaders in the affected regions have yet to be killed or captured during these new offensives.

"We're still developing our plans for South Waziristan," Air Chief Marshal Qamar said. "We are preparing to ramp up. I think Baitullah Mehsud is getting the message, and the message is, if he keeps doing these things, we'll hit him."

DTN News: Embraer Delivers First Embraer 190 Jet To Mozambique Airlines (LAM)

DTN News: Embraer Delivers First Embraer 190 Jet To Mozambique Airlines (LAM) *Source: DTN News / Embraer (NSI News Source Info) São José dos Campos, Brazil - August 1, 2009: Embraer delivered the first EMBRAER 190 jet, yesterday July 31, to Mozambique flag carrier LAM – Linhas Aéreas de Moçambique, during a ceremony held at Embraer’s headquarters in Sao José dos Campos, Brazil. The deal was announced in October 2008 and includes firm orders for two EMBRAER 190s, plus two purchase rights. LAM – Mozambique Airlines is the national airline of Mozambique based in Maputo. It operates scheduled services in southern Africa and to Lisbon, Portugal. Its main base is Maputo International Airport. “It is a great pleasure to deliver the first EMBRAER 190 to a new operator on the African continent,” said Mauro Kern, Embraer Executive Vice President, Airline Market. “We are proud to be playing a key part in LAM’s fleet modernization and to contribute to the airline’s network expansion in their home market and in the southern region of Africa.” LAM’s EMBRAER 190 is configured in a dual-class layout, featuring nine seats in business class and 84 in economy. The aircraft will be based in the capital of Mozambique, Maputo, and will replace older narrowbody jets operated for domestic routes, mainly in the cities of Nampula and Pemba. It will also be used for regional flights to Luanda (Angola), Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania), Nairobi (Kenya), Johannesburg, and in the near future, Cape Town (South Africa), and Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). “We are eager to introduce the first EMBRAER 190 in the region,” said José Ricardo Viegas, Chairman of LAM’s Board of Directors. “We have chosen this jet to replace our larger aircraft to better serve our customers and offer more frequencies, new routes and a good level of comfort and space in the cabin. I’m sure that our passengers will appreciate the comfortable interior, and the layout with no middle seat will be a popular feature.” LAM also signed an Embraer Pool Flight Hour Program service contract to easily and effectively support its EMBRAER 190 jet fleet. The pool program quickly provides replacement aircraft parts and eliminates the need for inventory investments, once Embraer assumes the responsibility for maintaining an inventory at its distribution and service centers, in order to provide parts to operators as soon as they are requested.

DTN News: Boeing Supports Successful Intercept Test Of Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System

DTN News: Boeing Supports Successful Intercept Test Of Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System

*Source: DTN News / Boeing Company

(NSI News Source Info) KAUAI, Hawaii, - August 1, 2009: The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] played a key role yesterday in the U.S. Navy's successful test of the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) weapon system, which intercepted a ballistic missile target with a Standard Missile-3 (SM-3). This image provided by the U.S. Navy shows a Standard Missile - 3 (SM-3) being launched from the USS Hopper Thursday July 30, 2009 in the latest Missile Defense Agency test in conjunction with the U.S. Navy. The missile intercepted a short-range ballistic missile target launched a few minutes earlier from the Pacific Missile Range Facility, Barking Sands, Kauai, Hawaii. It was the 19th successful intercept in 23 at-sea firings by the Missile Defense Agency’s Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense Program, the sea-based element of the Ballistic Missile Defense System. AP (Photo LEHTIKUVA) Fired from the USS Hopper, the SM-3 Block IA missile, guided by the Aegis BMD weapon system and a Boeing-built kinetic warhead sensor, engaged and destroyed the short-range ballistic missile target launched from the Navy’s Pacific Missile Range Facility on Kauai. The test marked the 15th hit-to-kill intercept for the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense system’s SM-3 since flight tests began in 2002. "This successful test further validates the maturity and reliability of the SM-3 Block IA kinetic warhead," said Debra Rub, vice president of Boeing Weapons Programs. "Through rigorous, realistic testing, the system continues on a path to provide increased capability and expand the umbrella of protection against evolving ballistic missile threats." Boeing builds and integrates the SM-3 kinetic warhead's guidance assembly, and integrates and tests the avionics, guidance-and-control software and ejection subsystem at its Huntington Beach, Calif., and Huntsville, Ala., facilities. Prime contractor Raytheon provides the infrared seeker and divert attitude control system and integrates the kinetic warhead components into the SM-3. Boeing has partnered with Raytheon on SM-3 development since 1996. Boeing has delivered more than 80 Block IA guidance, navigation and control hardware suites in support of kinetic warhead deliveries. Ongoing spiral development will lead to improved performance and lower cost on a path to meet future threats with Block IB and Block IIA missiles. Boeing also develops and produces the Ka-band millimeter wave seeker for the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missile in Huntington Beach and Huntsville. 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: Lockheed Martin Aegis BMD Weapon System Intercepts Ballistic Missile Target, Successfully Tests New Capabilities

DTN News: Lockheed Martin Aegis BMD Weapon System Intercepts Ballistic Missile Target, Successfully Tests New Capabilities

*Source: DTN News / Lockheed Martin

(NSI News Source Info) MOORESTOWN, N.J, - August 1, 2009: Lockheed Martin’s [NYSE: LMT] Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) System today destroyed a ballistic missile target in an at-sea firing under operationally realistic conditions. The event also successfully demonstrated two new capabilities on other ships. These tests mark the continued successful engineering development of the next generational upgrade in Aegis BMD capability. The Aegis BMD system on USS HOPPER (DDG-70) detected and tracked the ballistic missile target, and computed a targeting solution to guide an SM-3 Block IA missile to a successful exo-atmospheric (outside the atmosphere) intercept. Nearby on the testing range, USS LAKE ERIE (CG-70) tracked the ballistic missile target and the post-intercept debris with an advanced BMD signal processor. The processor provides additional target discrimination capability and is part of the new Aegis BMD baseline 4.0.1, which was installed on USS LAKE ERIE in June for testing and certification. Aegis BMD 4.0.1 builds on earlier versions of the system that are operationally certified by the U.S. Navy and deployed in the Fleet. Over the next year, USS LAKE ERIE will complete a series of tests, leading up to full operational certification of the upgraded Aegis BMD 4.0.1 system in early 2011. Also nearby, USS O’KANE (DDG-77) used a prototype kill assessment system and a modified Mk 99 fire control system to collect telemetry data for improved post-mission analysis. The kill assessment system provides a video link from the SM-3’s kill vehicle. The video feed is combined with radar data to confirm that an intercept occurred and that the intended target was destroyed. Immediately following the first mission, USS LAKE ERIE (CG-70) conducted another successful tracking exercise against a second ballistic missile target, while the USS HOPPER and USS O’KANE both executed simulated engagements against the target. No intercept was planned or attempted. The Missile Defense Agency and the U.S. Navy are jointly developing Aegis BMD as part of the United States’ Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS). Recently the Navy’s independent operational test agent assessed the Aegis BMD and SM-3 Block IA system to be operationally effective and operationally suitable. Currently, a total of 20 Aegis BMD-equipped warships – 18 in the U.S. Navy and two in the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force – have the certified capability to engage ballistic missiles and perform long-range surveillance and tracking missions. Three additional U.S. East Coast-based Aegis-equipped ships are being modified to perform ballistic missile defense in the next six to 12 months. The Aegis Weapon System is the world’s premier naval defense system and the sea-based element of the U.S. Ballistic Missile Defense System. Its precision SPY-1 radar and integrated command and control system seamlessly guides the interceptor and uplinks target track information to the missile for terminal homing. Its ability to detect, track and engage targets ranging from sea-skimming cruise missiles to ballistic missiles in space is proven and unmatched. The Aegis BMD Weapon System also integrates with the BMDS, receiving track data from and providing track information to other BMDS elements. The 91 Aegis-equipped ships currently in service around the globe have more than 950 years of at-sea operational experience and have launched more than 3,500 missiles in tests and real-world operations. In addition to the U.S. and Japan, Aegis is the maritime weapon system of choice for Australia, Norway, South Korea and Spain. Lockheed Martin is a world leader in systems integration and the development of air and missile defense systems and technologies, including the first operational hit-to-kill missile defense system, Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3). It also has considerable experience in interceptor systems, kill vehicles, battle management command, control and communications, precision pointing and tracking optics, as well as radar and other sensors that enable signal processing and data fusion. The company makes significant contributions to nearly all major U.S. Missile Defense Systems and participates in several global missile defense partnerships. Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 146,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2008 sales of $42.7 billion. Media Contact:

Kathy Baier 856-722-3006; 609-472-7954 (cell)

Kathleen.m.baier@lmco.com For additional information on Lockheed Martin Corporation,

visit: http://www.lockheedmartin.com/

DTN News: Philippine President Seeks US Commitment On Peace, Economy

DTN News: Philippine President Seeks US Commitment On Peace, Economy

*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media

(NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON, USA - August 1, 2009: Philippine President Gloria Arroyo and President Obama will hold their first meeting in Washington Thursday, July 30.

One of the staunchest supporters in Asia of the U.S.-led war on terrorism, Mrs. Arroyo seeks a continued commitment from Washington on peace and economic assistance. U.S. President Barack Obama meets with Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, July 30, 2009.

But political analysts say the 2010 elections and Mrs. Arroyo's political plans will loom large when the two leaders meet.President Arroyo will be the first Southeast Asian leader to meet with President Obama in the White House.

Mrs. Arroyo says on top of the agenda will be peace and security, and development assistance particularly, in the conflict-ridden southern Philippines.

Since the attacks of September 11, 2001, the United States has plowed millions of dollars into the rehabilitation of conflict areas in the Philippines. Much of the money has been aimed at Muslim communities in the south, helping education, telecommunications and livelihood projects.

The U.S. military also maintains hundreds of soldiers in the southern Philippines on rotation as part of joint counterterrorism exercises.

The visit comes as Mrs. Arroyo has less than a year left in office. Ramon Casiple, executive director of the Institute of Political and Economic Reforms in Manila, says another significant issue at the Washington meeting will be the 2010 election and Mrs. Arroyo's political plans.

The Constitution bars Mrs. Arroyo from seeking another term, and she says she no desire to extend her time in office.

But there is considerable speculation about the motives of her allies in Congress, who are taking steps to amend the Constitution and change the government from a presidential to a parliamentary system.

"There is a political struggle going on regarding the question of whether or not she would really leave the office ... It would be very much in their [U.S.] interest to ensure that Philippine democracy is stable and that it plays a role model in this part of the world and that they can do their business here without any destabilizing factor," said Casiple.

The U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Kristie Kenney said in June that the U.S. is "closely monitoring" the progress of the proposed constitutional amendments.

Mrs. Arroyo says her trip is also meant to pursue more U.S. investment in the Philippines, despite the global economic downturn.

Two American companies, the computer chip maker Intel and tire company Goodyear, have shut down plants in the Philippines this year.

The Philippines was a U.S. colony for nearly half of the 20th century. The U.S. military maintained bases in the country until 1992.

DTN News: Former President Pervez Musharraf Trampled Constitution ~ Pakistan Court

DTN News: Former President Pervez Musharraf Trampled Constitution ~ Pakistan Court

*Source: DTN News / Reuters

(NSI News Source Info) ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - August 1, 2009: Pakistan's Supreme Court ruled on Friday that former president Pervez Musharraf trampled the constitution when he imposed emergency rule two years ago and all actions taken by him then were illegal. Musharraf, who came to power in a coup in 1999, quit as president almost a year ago to avoid impeachment and has been living in London for the past two months. Pakistani lawyers dance to celebrate and share sweets to celebrate the Supreme Court decision in Karachi, Pakistan on Friday, July 31, 2009. Pakistan's Supreme Court ruled Friday that former President Pervez Musharraf's imposition of emergency rule in 2007 was unconstitutional and declared invalid the appointments of judges he made during that period. Friday's judgment, delivered by a panel of 14 judges, did not touch on whether Musharraf should be punished for his misrule, but lawyers and politicians said it was a landmark ruling that would deter future power grabs by Pakistani generals. Hoping to secure a second term as president before giving up his dual role as army chief, Musharraf purged judges who stood in his way, suspended the constitution and ordered the arrest of hundreds of political opponents in November 2007. Farhatullah Babar, a spokesman for President Asif Ali Zardari, described the ruling as a "triumph of the democratic principles, a stinging negation of dictatorship." Neither Musharraf nor his lawyers attended this week's hearings, despite being summoned by the court headed by his nemesis, Chief Justice Chaudhry. Lawyers clapped and shouted "Long live the chief justice" and "Hang Musharraf" after Chaudhry read the judgment. "It locks the door to future adventurism," Aitzaz Ahsan, the leader of the lawyers' movement that challenged Musharraf's rule, told reporters. A lawyer had asked the panel to launch a treason case against Musharraf, but Chaudhry said the Supreme Court did not have the authority to do so. Under Pakistan's constitution, any charges of treason against Musharraf would have to come from parliament. The previous parliament had endorsed Musharraf's actions. Saif Ali Khan, a lawyer for Musharraf, said the 14 judges, who gave the verdict, had been dismissed under emergency rule and were not competent to rule on it. "Under the simple legal norm of 'no one can be a judge in his own cause', in my view, these judges should not have given ruling on legality or illegality of the emergency rule," he told Reuters. While Musharraf is regarded as "yesterday's man," analysts say there are risks any legal vendetta against Musharraf could pose additional problems for Pakistan's civilian leaders. Pakistan is fighting a Taliban-inspired insurgency across its northwest and is struggling to keep its economy afloat with the help of International Monetary Fund money. Whatever parliament decides, those judges still serving who swore allegiance to Musharraf during the emergency will be removed. Once the most powerful man in Pakistan and a valued ally of the United States, Musharraf's popularity nosedived after he tried to dismiss Chaudhry in early 2007, sparking a crisis that led to his downfall. Even the army distanced itself from Musharraf as his grip began to slip, but the country's powerful generals will be reluctant to see their old chief punished or humiliated. Pakistan has had four military rulers, including Musharraf, since becoming a republic in 1956. (Writing by Simon Cameron-Moore; Editing by Elizabeth Fullerton)

DTN News: Gen. Stanley McChrystal Prepares New Afghan War Strategy

DTN News: Gen. Stanley McChrystal Prepares New Afghan War Strategy

*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media

(NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON, USA - August 1, 2009: The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan is preparing a new strategy that calls for major changes in the way U.S. and other NATO troops there operate, a vast increase in the size of Afghan security forces and an intensified military effort to root out corruption among local government officials, according to several people familiar with the contents of an assessment report that outlines his approach to the war. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, who took charge of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan last month, appears inclined to request an increase in American troops to implement the new strategy, which aims to use more unconventional methods to combat the growing Taliban insurgency, according to members of an advisory group he convened to work on the assessment. Such a request could receive a chilly reception at the White House, where some members of President Barack Obama's national security team have expressed reluctance about authorizing any more deployments. Senior military officials said McChrystal is waiting for a recommendation from a team of military planners in Kabul before reaching a final decision on a troop request. Several members of the advisory group, who spoke about the issue of force levels on the condition of anonymity, said they think more U.S. troops are needed but that it was not clear how large an increase McChrystal would seek.

DTN News: China's Military Machine Launches Website

DTN News: China's Military Machine Launches Website

*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media

(NSI News Source Info) BEIJING, China - August 1, 2009: Eighty-two years ago tomorrow, the world's largest army was founded in a country whose then-ascendant Communist leaders, once in power, kept the doors tight shut against outsiders until the late 1970s. China has roughly doubled its military budget since 2006, according to official government figures that some overseas analysts say vastly downplay what Beijing actually spends. Now, 60 years after the founding of the People's Republic and 30 after the country opened up, China's Ministry of National Defence has launched its first website in Beijing's latest effort to draw back the curtain of the secrecy shrouding the 2.3 million-strong People's Liberation Army. The site - like its PLA predecessor at the same address - is in both Chinese and English. A ministry spokesman, Hu Changming, said recently that the site was "a way to increase understanding between countries and raise trust between militaries". As China's military budget has grown by double digits in recent years, so too have concerns among its neighbours and potential rivals. China's spending of $70 billion, though dwarfed by the Pentagon's $500 billion annual allocation, is on a par with spending by Britain, Japan and Russia. A military analyst, Song Xiaojun, says the site will offer more detail on that spending and on general defence policy. "The Defence Ministry is a special organisation. In principle it should be in the system of the State Council," said Song, referring to China's cabinet. "In fact, it is more like a window of the army toward the outside world. The current chinamil site is mainly about life in the army. It doesn't have much on the policy level." Song explains that for centuries China was inward-facing. Now, as the world's third-largest economy, the country is playing catch-up as it grows more dependent on imported resources such as oil and the iron ore needed to fuel its steel industry, the biggest in the world. Last winter, China's navy, officially part of the PLA, sent a rare force to protect Chinese merchant vessels against Somali pirates in the Red Sea. "China only became an oil-import country in 1992. Large amounts of raw material imports happened after 2002. By then, China's interest in development was far ahead of China's interest in security," Song said. "China is now recuperating its debts on the state's basic security. As China does so, other countries start feeling that China is developing its army too fast." Ever since the military crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Beijing in June 1989, green uniformed soldiers have been omnipresent in China, from Beijing's crowded streets to the dirt roads of the provinces. With no wars to fight, the PLA has devoted itself to rescue efforts after natural disasters, such as the Sichuan earthquake last May, which killed 80,000 people. Soldiers helping quake victims were lionized in the state-controlled media. But recent ethnic unrest in west China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and ongoing tensions between Beijing and self-ruled Taiwan mean China's military also remains on high-alert at home. In keeping with Beijing's desire to control all information--both internal and international--about the image of the Communist Party, the new military web site already presents one face in Chinese and another one in English. Chinese site headlines are uniformly mundane, such as "Jiaoliu Train Line Derailed, Soldiers Perform Urgent Rescue," whereas the site's English avatar features items such as "U.S. May OK High-tech Exports to China."

DTN News: Indian Navy To Add 125 More Ultra Modern Warships And Many Submarines In The Next Ten Years

DTN News: Indian Navy To Add 125 More Ultra Modern Warships And Many Submarines In The Next Ten Years

*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media

(NSI News Source Info) MUMBAI, India - August 1, 2009: Indian Navy to add 125 more ultra modern Warships and many submarines in the next ten years. The race between Indian and Chinese Naval dominance is spectacular sight. Jointly Indian and Chinese Navy will soon counter US Naval strength. The Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. It currently has approximately 55,000 personnel on active duty, including 5,000 members of the naval aviation branch and 2,000 marine commandos, making it the world's fifth largest navy. The Indian Navy currently operates more than 155 vessels, including the aircraft carrier INS Viraat, along with operational jet fighters. Though the primary objective of the navy is to secure national maritime borders, India also uses its navy to enhance its international relations through joint exercises, port visits and humanitarian missions, including disaster relief. In recent years, the Indian Navy has undergone extensive modernization and expansion with an intention to increase its capabilities as a recognized blue-water navy.* India has one of the fastest growing navies in the world. Its fleet of about 120 vessels is the fifth largest in the world. Within a decade Indian will only lad America in Naval power. China is not sitting around. Chinese are catching up fast. But India is zzoming fast past their Chinese Naval counterpart. Captain Alok Bhatnagar, director of naval plans at India’s ministry of defence gave an upbeat estimate of India's future naval plans. Hundreds of ships are already in the plans. Nuclear submarines, Aircraft carriers, Warships, Frigates, Remote controlled underwater submerged war apparatus are all in the making.

Admiral Sureesh Mehta, chief of naval staff, says in an upbeat statement that the Indian navy would spend more than Rupees $10 billion a year on an average over the next twelve years on new capabilities, with about 70 per cent devoted to acquisitions of sophisticated naval hardware.

DTN News: BAE Systems Welcomes Signing Of Typhoon Tranche 3 Production Contract

DTN News: BAE Systems Welcomes Signing Of Typhoon Tranche 3 Production Contract

*Source: DTN News / BAE Systems

(NSI News Source Info) LONDON, U.K. - August 1, 2009: BAE Systems welcomes yesterday’s July 31, signing of the production contract for 112 Tranche 3 Typhoon aircraft. This contract, which follows on from the UK Government’s confirmation in May that it would move ahead with the final stages of procuring a third production batch for the Royal Air Force, will provide:

- 40 aircraft for the UK

- 31 for Germany

- 21 for Italy

- 20 for Spain Under this agreement, these Tranche 3 aircraft will be of Tranche 2 standard provisioned with additional capacity to deal with projected high-technology future capability enhancements aligned with customer needs. This decision was reached following industry developing and submitting a more affordable Typhoon through-life support model. The overall value of this contract to BAE Systems is circa £2 billion. Chris Boardman, Managing Director of Typhoon Mission Support & International Programmes, commented: “This agreement demonstrates strong, long term commitment by the UK customer to the Typhoon programme which will sustain many highly skilled jobs across UK industry and provide our nation with outstanding defence capabilities for years to come.” About BAE Systems BAE Systems is the premier global defense, security and aerospace company delivering a full range of products and services for air, land and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, security, information technology solutions and customer support services. With approximately 105,000 employees worldwide, BAE Systems' sales exceeded £18.5 billion (US $34.4 billion) in 2008. For more information, please contact: Rob Miatt, BAE SystemsTel: +44 (0)1772 856249 Mob: +44 (0)7793 429942 rob.miatt@baesystems.com John Neilson, BAE SystemsTel: +44 (0)1252 384795 Mob: +44 (0)7802 337704 john.neilson@baesystems.com Issued by: BAE Systems, Farnborough, Hampshire GU14 6YU, UKTel: +44 (0) 1252 384719

Fax: +44 (0) 1252 383947

24hr media hotline: + 44 (0) 7801 717739

http://www.baesystems.com/

DTN News: India ~ Bell To Withdraw From Attack Helicopter Trials

DTN News: India ~ Bell To Withdraw From Attack Helicopter Trials

*Source: DTN News / Defense News

(NSI News Source Info) NEW DELHI, India - August 1, 2009: Bell Helicopter will withdraw from India's competition to purchase 22 attack helicopters for the Air Force. Sources close to the company here said Bell will not be able to spare the helicopter for trials as it is still in the evaluation stage. According to Indian Defence Ministry rules, the vendor has to field its weaponry and equipment for trials in India and bear all the cost of trials. This stipulation has not been accepted by some foreign vendors in the past. The Air Force reissued a bid in May, canceling the earlier bids issued in 2008, which allowed sale of the helicopters through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) process. FMS could have assisted a Bell sale. The fresh bids in May were sent to Italian-owned AgustaWestland, U.S. companies Bell Helicopters and Boeing, the European Eurocopter and the Russian Kamov. The Indian Air Force requires attack helicopters that have an empty weight of about 2,500 kilograms and they must have two engines. The helicopters must be highly agile, have advanced anti-armor capability and should be able to operate in temperatures ranging from minus 40 degrees Celsius to plus 55 degrees Celsius and humidity up to 95 percent. The helicopters must include a turret gun of at least 20mm caliber, be able to fire rockets of 70mm or higher caliber with a range of at least 1.2 kilometers, and be able to employ air-to-ground missiles that have a range of at least seven kilometers.

DTN News: Russia Expects $2.6 Billion In Military Aircraft Sales In 2009

DTN News: Russia Expects $2.6 Billion In Military Aircraft Sales In 2009 *Source: DTN News / RIA Novosti (NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW, Russia - August 1, 2009: Russia's state arms exporter Rosoboronexport has said military aircraft will continue to dominate the company's foreign sales in 2009, and will total about $2.6 billion. The arms export monopoly is planning to sell about $6.5 billion worth of military hardware in 2009, and earlier said its defense order portfolio was worth $27 billion. "Aviation has always been a predominant part of Rosoboronexport's foreign sales portfolio, and 2009 will not be an exception. According to our plans, exports of Russian military aircraft will worth about $2.6 billion or 40.6% of the total," said Alexander Mikheyev, the company's deputy general director. Although India, China, Malaysia, Algeria and Venezuela remain Russia's key customers in the area of military aviation, Rosoboronexport is seeking to expand its presence on other markets. "We are expecting a major breakthrough in the Libyan direction, because Soviet and Russian-made combat aircraft continue to be the backbone of the Libyan air force," Mikheyev said in an interview with the Arms Export Journal, which is published by Moscow-based Centre for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies. According to some sources, the Libyan air force has at least 25 MiG-21 and 125 MiG-23 fighter jets, a number of Su-22 and Su-24 attack aircraft, combat helicopters and military transport planes. "At present, Libya is expressing an interest in MiG-35 [multirole fighter], Su-35 [multirole fighter], advanced attack helicopters, and air defense systems. We are expecting to resume traditional contacts with Libya [in sales of military aircraft] in the near future," the official said. A source in the Russian defense industry earlier told RIA Novosti that Russia had signed and had started the implementation of a contract with Libya on the overhaul of Su-24 attack aircraft in service with the Libyan air force.