DTN News: Bangladesh TODAY August 26, 2009 ~ Beauty Tips For Bangladesh Police Recruits

DTN News: Bangladesh TODAY August 26, 2009 ~ Beauty Tips For Bangladesh Police Recruits *Source: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) DHAKA, Bangladesh - August 26, 2009: Bangladeshi police officers will hit the streets a little smarter and more confident after a beautician was called in to give grooming tips to new recruits. Kaniz Almas Khan, who owns beauty parlours in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka and in Thailand, was asked by police chiefs to give lessons to 140 new recruits at an academy in the northwest of the country, she said on Monday. "I was surprised to be asked but it's great that people are becoming more conscious about their appearance," she said. "Male officers were just as keen as female officers, if not more, on looking good. (Photo: Bangladesh police authorities want their officers to be presentable). They wanted advice on everything from colours they should be wearing to the type of perfume that would suit them." The chief of the Sharda Police Academy in northwest Bangladesh, Mazharul Haque, said the project would boost officers' confidence as well as improve their appearance. Bangladesh's village police officers hold a banner with messages demanding higher wages as they protest against the government in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Monday, Aug. 10, 2009. "This is the first time in the academy's history we have invited a top beautician to offer us lessons on grooming and presentation. It's very important for a police officer how he presents himself to the people," he said. Indian Border Security Force (BSF) personnel patrol with a sniffer dog along a stretch of the India-Bangladesh border ahead of India's Independence Day celebrations in Fulbari village, on the outskirts of the northeastern Indian city of Siliguri, August 12, 2009. Security has been tightened across the nation to ward off any possible militant attacks leading up to India's Independence Day celebrations on August 15. "These people will be the future police chiefs of our country."

DTN News: China's President Hu Jintao Vows Xinjiang 'Separatists' Will Fail: Report

DTN News: China's President Hu Jintao Vows Xinjiang 'Separatists' Will Fail: Report *Source: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) BEIJING, China - August 26, 2009: President Hu Jintao vowed on Tuesday that "separatist forces" which China blames for recent deadly unrest in its heavily Muslim Xinjiang region would fail, state media said. A Chinese police officer patrols in Urumqi, in northwest China's Xinjiang province on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2009. China's President Hu Jintao has pledged new reforms to help accelerate economic growth in Xinjiang after the remote region was rocked by deadly ethnic rioting, saying that stability there matters to the whole country. "The separatist forces do not have popular support and are doomed to fail," Hu was quoted saying by state-run China Central Television (CCTV). CCTV said Hu's comments were made to Xinjiang officials in the regional capital Urumqi, the scene of bloody riots in July that left at least 197 people dead. They came amid an inspection tour of the region by Hu that also took him to four other smaller cities, the report said. The July 5 riots saw members of the mainly Muslim Uyghur minority clash with Han Chinese in the worst ethnic unrest to hit the country in decades. Uyghurs say the riots occurred after Urumqi police tried to forcibly break up a peaceful protest over a factory worker brawl in distant southern China between Uighurs and Han and which state media said left two Uyghurs dead. However, China blames the Urumqi unrest on what it calls separatist forces lead by exiled Uyghur activist Rebiya Kadeer, who is based in the United States. She has denied any involvement. CCTV broadcast images showing Hu in Xinjiang inspecting businesses, thanking security personnel for helping put down the unrest, and consoling victims. "(The separatist forces) destructive activities cannot shake the overall stability of Xinjiang's reform and development," Hu was quoted as saying. Xinjiang's government earlier Tuesday denied a report in the state media that more than 200 people would be put on trial this week over the July violence, which prompted a massive security crackdown across the region. On Monday, the state-run China Daily reported on its front page that the People's Intermediate Court in the regional capital Urumqi was preparing for the trials amid tight security. "At present, there is no scheduled date for the trial," Li Hua, an official at the Xinjiang government media office, told AFP on Tuesday. "I don't know how China Daily got that information, but it's not true. We will announce it to the media when there is a trial."

DTN News: Afghanistan ~ US-led NATO Global Terror Hotspot-X

DTN News: Afghanistan ~ US-led NATO Global Terror Hotspot-X *Due Viewers popular request this article has been upgraded todate *Source: DTN News / Kashmir Watch By Dr. Abdul Ruff Colachal (Click here for link & read full story) (NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - August 24, 2009: Of course, by carrying forward the Neocon ideology too far, the North Atlantic Terrorist Organization (NATO) can ruin the entire Islamic world - if it still chooses to do so. Hypocritical Muslim nations are incapable of stopping or defeating the GST rogue states and their supporters like terror India and terror Israel for their own colonial reasons. If, however, the US/NATO Axis Evils have already won the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, they should stop drinking more of Islamic blood there and quickly get out of the region; or, if these GSTs (global state terrorists) have not yet won the nasty wars so far even after killing one point five millions of defenseless Muslims in the region, then, they will never win them in future. Again, they should quit the Islamic world leaving the shattered nations to Iraqis and Afghans for recovery and reconstructions. The terror, destructive NATO cannot do any thing constructive any where. Muslims and their leaders are corrupt criminals and hypocrites, but they can also conduct their own affairs without any terror coaching from GSTs. North Atlantic Terrorist Organization (NATO) can certainly boast itself of being the undefeatable global military terror organization and it can exist now without any challenge even from the customary challengers like Russia which is being co-opted for future terror activities. . To the credit of NATO it goes that now all military, secularity, intelligence, police and other state as well as non-state terror originations of the world nations are effectively brought under NATO which is being governed by the Pentagon/CIA with support from Israeli Mossad and terror Indian RAW and several such notorious organizations. (Read full story....click here) Dr. Abdul Ruff Colachal ~ The author is Delhi based Research Scholar in International Studies and can be reached at abdulruff_jnu@yahoo.com DTN Defense-Technology News accept no responsibility for the opinions and statements of authors. While every effort is made by DTN to avoid any inaccurate or misleading information, DTN accept no liability for the consequences of wrong information.

Viewer comments: Udham said... Whatever Abdul Ruff Golachal wrote is nothing but trash. Repute researchers do not write such classless and distasteful articles. He is lucky that he lives in India where he is free to write whatever trash he chooses to without any repercussion. That is the beauty of democracy enshrined in the constitution of India which the nation so dearly upholds. Abdul Ruff should know that my country is Republic of India and not terror India as he despicably made reference about her. August 24, 2009 4:09 PM

DTN News: Russia, Saudi Arabia Concluding Deal On 30 Mi-171B Military Transport Helicopters *Source: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW, Russia - August 26, 2009: Saudi Arabia is close to signing an agreement to purchase 30 Mi-171B military transport helicopters from Russia, a source familiar with the talks was quoted as saying on Tuesday. In October 2007 defense-aerospace.com reported the government of Saudi Arabia had signed a contract for up to 150 Mi-35 and Mi-17 helicopters worth $2.2billion. On 28 October 2008, the Royal Thai Army announced a deal to buy 6 Mi-17 to meet its requirement of a medium-lift helicopter, marking the first time the Thai military will acquire Russian aircraft instead of American. A licensed production of the Mi-17 will start in China with production being led by Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant JSC and the Sichuan Lantian Helicopter Company Limited in Chengdu, Sichuan province. On 15 December 2008, Defense News reported that India will purchase 80 Mi-17IV helicopters which will be delivered to Indian Air Force between 2010 and 2014. These will replace aging Mi-8s.* "We are in the final stage of negotiations on the purchase of a shipment of 30 helicopters and hope to sign an agreement in September," the source told Russia's RIA-Novosti news agency. The Mi-171B is a large multifunctional helicopter capable of carrying up to 37 troops, according to the website of its manufacturer, the Ulan Ude Aviation Plant in eastern Siberia. Saudi Arabia has long bought most of its arms from the United States but in recent years has been engaged in talks on buying military equipment from Russia, which is keen to find new markets for its weapons exports.

DTN News: Middle East Arms Buys Top $100 Billion

DTN News: Middle East Arms Buys Top $100 Billion

*Source: DTN News / UPI

(NSI News Source Info) BEIRUT, Lebanon - August 26, 2009: Middle Eastern countries are expected to spend more than $100 billion over the next five years, largely because of growing fears about Iran's nuclear program and its perceived ambition to undermine Sunni-led Arab regimes, according to an assessment by a U.S.-based consultancy. Turkish-made armoured personnel carriers (APC) flying the Emirati flag are driven in front of an Indian naval battleship during the opening ceremony of the International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX) in Abu Dhabi on February 22, 2009. More than 900 companies are taking part in the Middle East's biggest arms show that showcases over five days the latest technologies in weapons and defence systems from around the world. Most of the procurement will be carried out by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq and Israel, the New York-based Scott & Sullivan consulting firm said in the report released Sunday. The core of this arms-buying spree will undoubtedly be the $20 billion U.S. package of weapons systems over 10 years for the six states of the Gulf Cooperation Council -- Saudi Arabia, the U.A.E., Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain. Egypt, another key U.S. ally, is to get a $13 billion package. Israel, in exchange for agreeing to Washington providing the Gulf states with state-of-the-art weaponry it had traditionally sought to block, will get an arms package worth an estimated $30 billion over 10 years -- a 25 percent increase over previous levels. These unprecedented packages were unveiled by President George W. Bush in January 2008 to counter Iran -- even though the Islamic Republic's spending on conventional military forces is substantially less than it was two decades ago. Critics of the U.S. arms plan say that the provision of advanced weapons systems to the Arab states, including precision-guided munitions that once were taboo for the Arabs, will only encourage Iran to increase its militarization in a region already highly militarized. "Even by the standards of past arms sales to the Middle East and Persian Gulf, traditionally one of the world's largest arms-buying regions, these are major arms transfers with the potential to significantly affect the regional strategic balance," says U.S. military analyst David Isenberg. Critics note, too, that the United States is largely to blame for the current situation -- Iran's recent expansionist ambitions were the result of the Bush administration eliminating Tehran's enemies in neighboring Iraq and Afghanistan. And in that regard, another fear prevalent among the Gulf Arabs is that Iraq will collapse into civil war as the Americans withdraw their forces, and that the violence will likely spill over into GCC territory. According to the Frost & Sullivan report, Saudi Arabia spent around $36 billion on arms in 2008, mostly from the United States, and it's expected to fork up about the same amount this year. Israel, whose technological edge over its Muslim neighbors successive U.S. administrations have pledged to maintain, will have spent around $13 billion by the end of this year, the report said. "Israel's spending has been quite consistent as it has built a very effective and modern military with the most cutting-edge technologies," it noted. "It is still expected to keep spending to stay ahead of its regional adversaries in order to protect its interests." The systems involved in the transfers listed in 2008 span virtually every facet of conventional arms. In July, Israel submitted an official Letter of Request to the U.S. Department of Defense to buy its first squadron of F-35 stealth fighter aircraft, also known as the Joint Strike Fighter, built by Lockheed Martin. The 25 jets, which will probably be the last manned fighter ever built, will cost an estimated $100 million. Israel wants to purchase another 50, some with vertical takeoff and landing capability, as well as two new missile ships. Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E., whose air force with its mix of 120 U.S. and French combat strike jets and interceptors is considered a powerful arm, are both interested in strengthening their air power, their primary defense against Iran. Saudi Arabia is also reportedly discussing the purchase of more Eurofighter Typhoons from Britain to double its current fleet of 72, acquired in 2006. Riyadh also wants more F-15S Eagles from Boeing. Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E. also want a wide range of military platforms, with particular interest in missile defense systems such as the U.S. Theater High Altitude Air Defense system. Approval was recently given for the Pentagon to sell this to the U.A.E., THAAD's first foreign customer. Iraq, which is building up its military forces as the Americans withdraw, is expected to invest heavily in its armed forces over the next decade or more and could spend up to $11 billion by 2014, the report said. The Baghdad government has to rebuild its military forces pretty much from scratch following the overthrow of Saddam Hussein's regime in 2003.

DTN News: Iran's Sajjil Missile 'Threatens Europe'

DTN News: Iran's Sajjil Missile 'Threatens Europe'

*Source: DTN News / UPI

(NSI News Source Info) TEL AVIV, Israel - August 26, 2009: Uzi Rubin, former head of Israel's ballistic missile defense program, says Iran has made a "technological and strategic breakthrough" with its Sajjil-2 intermediate-range ballistic missile, which will be able to hit a swathe of European states in three to four years. Iran's missile Sajjil 2 is seen before its launch by Iranian armed forces in front of a picture of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Semnan province, Iran on May 20, 2009. Iran says the missiles have a range of nearly 1,243 miles, which would put Moscow, Athens and southern Italy within striking distance from Iran, said Jane's Information Group, which provides information on defense issues. (UPI Photo/Vahid Reza Alaie/Mehr News Agency) That assertion, initially made to Jane's Defense Weekly and reiterated at a U.S. Army-sponsored missile defense conference in Huntsville, Ala., on Aug. 20, intensified concerns that Iran has stepped up its drive to acquire ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads. On the face of it, Rubin's comments gave weight to Israeli fears that Iran will soon pose an existential threat to the Jewish state. Israeli leaders have been pressing the United States to take firmer action to ensure that Iran does not acquire nuclear weapons and have suggested unilateral pre-emptive strikes if something is not done soon to curb Tehran. Rubin masterminded the development of Israel's Arrow anti-missile system, the top layer of the country's emerging multilayered missile defense shield, from 1991 to 1999. He said that the two-stage Sajjil-2 has an estimated range of 1,560 miles, not 1,250 miles as previously thought, and that the successful testing of a solid-fueled missile on May 20 was a major breakthrough for Iran. This was because unlike the Shehab-3, Iran's operational ballistic missile already deployed with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Sajjil uses solid propellant rather than the less reliable liquid fuel. It is the first Iranian missile to do so, opening the door for more advanced technology. Rubin did not specifically say that the Iranians would have produced a nuclear warhead for the Sajjil-2 in the timeframe he cited. But Israeli officials have claimed that Tehran could produce a nuclear warhead within a year once Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, gives the go-ahead. In May, 12 prominent U.S. and Russian analysts gave a different view in a report issued by the EastWest Institute, a New York-based think tank that monitors global security issues. The report said it would take Iran six to eight years to develop a ballistic missile with a 460-pound conventional warhead and a range of 1,250 miles, and six years to develop a nuclear warhead. The U.S. Air Force's National Air and Space Intelligence Center said in a June report that Iran, even with help from foreign sources, would need six years to produce an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the United States. "Based on its demonstrated achievement in solid propulsion and staging, Iran will face no technological challenges" in doubling the Sajjil's range with a 1-ton warhead, Rubin told the Huntsville conference. "If they push it -- put all the budget, put all the engineers -- three or four years" is all it would take to give the Sajjil a range of around 2,500 miles, enough to hit London. "Will they do it? I'm not sure." But he noted that the predictions about Iran's ever-growing missile reach "are coming true, perhaps sooner than anyone thought. … I think there was an underestimation of Iranian capability." Rubin's conclusions would appear to inject a new urgency in U.S. efforts to install a fixed missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic to protect the United States, a proposal that has drawn vehement objections from Moscow. In that regard, on Aug. 20 the Boeing Co. came up with a novel system that may overcome Russian opposition to U.S. missile installations on its doorstep: 10 47,500-pound mobile interceptors that could be airlifted in giant Boeing C-17 transports to temporary launch sites and then flown back to the United States when no longer required.

DTN News: NATO Commanders Press For More Resources In Afghanistan

DTN News: NATO Commanders Press For More Resources In Afghanistan

*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media

(NSI News Source Info) KABUL, Afghanistan - August 26, 2009: NATO military commanders told U.S. President Barack Obama's envoy on Sunday that they needed more troops and other resources to beat back a resurgent Taliban, particularly in eastern Afghanistan near the Pakistan border. The Taliban has made inroads in recent months in many areas that U.S. forces though they had stabilized. The deteriorating security has increased pressure on the Obama administration to consider sending more forces into the fight, a move that could prove a hard sell with the U.S. Congress and the American public. U.S. Major General Curtis Scaparotti, commander of forces in eastern Afghanistan, said he told U.S. envoy Richard Holbrooke that veteran Taliban commander Jalaluddin Haqqani had expanded his reach in several areas in Afghanistan near the border with Pakistan. "Haqqani is the central threat. We've seen that expansion and that's part of what we're fighting," Scaparotti told reporters after the meeting. The U.S. military has launched big offensives against the Taliban in southern Afghanistan but officials acknowledge that more attention may need to be paid to the increasingly unstable eastern provinces. It is unclear how much room Obama has to maneuver. A new Washington Post-ABC News poll showed most Americans believe the war in Afghanistan is not worth fighting and just a quarter say more troops should be sent there. U.S. senators visiting Kabul said they told Afghan President Hamid Karzai and members of his cabinet on Sunday that U.S. patience was running out. "I conveyed to Karzai that there's going to come a time when the patience of Americans will run out," U.S. Senator Robert Casey, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, said. Senator Sherrod Brown, an Ohio Democrat who was part of the same delegation, said: "Time is not running out next week. But they have to show results. It's the last chance." Some military officials contend that there are a growing number of Uzbek and other foreign fighters among the Taliban in border areas. Asked about the presence of Uzbek fighters, one commander said his men had never found one, alive or dead, but added: "I'm pretty sure they are there." U.S. officials increasingly see the fight against the Taliban as a "single battlefield" that runs from Afghanistan into the tribal areas of Pakistan. While welcoming Pakistan's offensive against militants in the Swat valley, northwest of Islamabad, some U.S. officials are concerned that Islamabad will put off indefinitely a push into the South Waziristan region on the Afghan border, a stronghold of Pakistani Taliban fighters led by Baitullah Mehsud. Mehsud is widely believed to have been killed this month in a missile strike by a U.S. pilotless drone aircraft. Scaparotti said Taliban leaders in Afghanistan and their subordinates "routinely go to Pakistan to be safe" and to resupply their forces. "We hope that they keep up the pressure," he said of a prospective Pakistani operation in Waziristan. Holbrooke also met U.S. and allied commanders in southern, western and northern Afghanistan. In the city of Herat, the commander of Italian forces, General Rosario Castellano, said he told Holbrooke that the Iranian border was "very porous" and neither he nor Afghan authorities had enough guards to prevent arms smuggling. He said the Afghans have only 170 guards to protect a border that stretches nearly 1,000 km (620 miles). In the north, one commander said progress was being made but that Taliban activity had increased in some areas such as Kunduz.

DTN News: Two Northrop Grumman-built Ships -- Dewey (DDG 105) and New York (LPD 21) -- Delivered On Gulf Coast in the Same Week

DTN News: Two Northrop Grumman-built Ships -- Dewey (DDG 105) And New York (LPD 21) -- Delivered On Gulf Coast In The Same Week

*Source: DTN News / Northrop Grumman

(NSI News Source Info) PASCAGOULA, Miss. and AVONDALE, La., - August 26, 2009: Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) delivered two ships to the U.S. Navy this week at its Gulf Coast shipyards in Pascagoula, Miss. and Avondale, La. Company and Navy officials signed documents officially transferring custody of the Aegis guided missile destroyer Dewey (DDG 105) in Pascagoula on Monday, Aug. 17 and the amphibious transport dock ship New York (LPD 21) at the New Orleans facility on Friday, Aug. 21. "Delivering one ship is a tremendous accomplishment, as a ship delivery flexes nearly every muscle in a shipbuilding organization," said Mike Petters, corporate vice president and president of Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding sector. "But to deliver two highly technical and complex ships within a few days of each other is a true testament to the skill, commitment, and sense of ownership found in the talented men and women who built these ships for the U.S. Navy. It exemplifies the breadth of capability and would not happen without a close partnership with our customer." Dewey (DDG 105) The newest Aegis guided missile destroyer, Dewey (DDG 105), was delivered to the U.S. Navy during a ceremony held Monday, Aug. 17 in Pascagoula attended by shipbuilders and the ship's crew, as they stood in formation on the ship's aft deck during the delivery ceremonies. Northrop Grumman delivered two ships to the U.S. Navy this week: the Aegis guided missile destroyer Dewey (DDG 105) in Pascagoula on Monday, Aug. 17 and the amphibious transport dock ship New York (LPD 21) at the New Orleans facility on Friday, Aug. 21. The 510-foot, 9,500-ton Dewey has an overall beam of 59 feet and a navigational draft of 31 feet. Four gas-turbine propulsion plants will power the ship to speeds above 30 knots. The highly capable, multi-mission ship can conduct a variety of operations, from peacetime presence and crisis management to sea control and power projection, all in support of the United States' military strategy. Cmdr. Warren Buller is the ship's first commanding officer and will lead a crew of more than 300 officers and sailors. During the ceremony, he reminded those present of the ship's namesake, Adm. George Dewey, and his actions at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War 111 years ago. "The responsibility remains for us to emulate those very same actions in defense of our own country, freedom and democracy around the world," he said. "With DDG 105, we're convinced we're getting a fine ship that will extend the legacy of those who have gone before us in defense of freedom and democracy." Dewey will be capable of simultaneously fighting air, surface and subsurface battles. The ship contains myriad offensive and defensive weapons designed to support maritime defense needs well into the 21st century. New York (LPD 21) Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding also delivered one of the nation's newest and most anticipated advanced warships, the amphibious transport dock ship New York (LPD 21), on Friday, Aug. 21 during an emotional ceremony held aboard the ship at its Avondale facility in Louisiana. Northrop Grumman delivered two ships to the U.S. Navy this week: the Aegis guided missile destroyer Dewey (DDG 105) in Pascagoula on Monday, Aug. 17 and the amphibious transport dock ship New York (LPD 21) at the New Orleans facility on Friday, Aug. 21. The ship contains 7.5 tons of World Trade Center steel in its bow stem, the forward-most part of the ship that slices through the water. It is the fifth in a series of USS San Antonio (LPD 17)-class ships built by Northrop Grumman. The first five ships in the series, San Antonio (LPD 17), New Orleans (LPD 18), Mesa Verde (LPD 19), Green Bay (LPD 20) and now, New York (LPD 21), have been delivered to the U.S. Navy by Northrop Grumman. "This has been a long day coming, and we wouldn't be here today if not for the efforts of a lot of people," said Cmdr. Curt Jones, U.S. Navy, LPD 21 prospective commanding officer, during the delivery ceremony held aboard the ship on Friday, Aug. 21. "To the shipbuilders, you have delivered to us the best LPD ship ever, but I would suggest to you that it is the best ship ever delivered." New York (LPD 21) is 684 feet long, has a beam of 105 feet and has a displacement of approximately 25,000 tons. Its four medium-speed diesel engines drive it to speeds in excess of 20 knots. These versatile, multi-mission ships will replace the functions of more than 40 ships in four different Navy classes. Northrop Grumman Corporation is a leading global security company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, shipbuilding and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide.

DTN News: South Africa National Defence Union To Protest “Salary Gap”

DTN News: South Africa National Defence Union To Protest “Salary Gap” *Source: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) PRETORIA, South Africa - August 26, 2009: The SA National Defence Union says the country’s under-paid soldiers are suffering in the current economic downturn and urgently need there salaries adjusted. To highlight their plight, the union has organised a march to the Union Buildings for tomorrow. But the defence ministry believes the march is “irresponsible” because it might “compromise national security”. Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Lindiwe Sisulu says in a statement she is dismayed “with the decision by SANDU to abandon the bargaining chamber and other formal platforms of the Department of Defence (DoD) and hold an unnecessary protest march…” Sisulu added “that it is irresponsible and in breach of national security for any in the Defence family to rally people who are responsible for national security to an unnecessary protest march on issues that are being addressed by the Minister and other platforms in the DoD.” The Times newspaper quotes SANDU national secretary Pikkie Greeff as saying the union wants to close the “salary gap” between its members and the South African Police Service. “Soldiers often leave their loved ones at home and put their lives on the line for their country. Our members are part of the country’s poverty problems,” Greeff told the paper. He says the union’s members were the worst-paid civil servants, with trainee soldiers [sic] earning R2300 a month, and entry-level soldiers getting a “dismal” R3800 per month — “less than what South Africans are paid for unschooled labour in certain sectors”. “Yet we safeguard our Constitution and sovereignty.” The defence ministry says Sisulu is committed to “addressing all challenges facing the working soldier and some of the key issues are on the verge of being finalised and implemented.” In her budget vote speech the Minister stated that “like any other defence force around the world the SANDF depends on men and women who have chosen to serve their country and its citizens. We are very proud of these officers who have distinguished themselves in the course of their duties ... The demand for a well trained, multi-skilled, disciplined and well equipped defence force as a critical lever of the developmental agenda of Government is a reality that cannot be left to chance.” She added that “I want to assure the Defence Force staff that their conditions of service are a concern. We are seized with the matter and I would like to engage each one of them through the proper management structures to see how we can attend to these. We are acutely aware that the state of readiness of the SANDF depends primarily on the morale of our soldiers.” “Having assessed our options, we are considering making a request for a separate dispensation for the Department of Defence that would allow us to creatively deal with our own needs and the specificities of our own unique security requirements”. The Minister called on the Union to return immediately to the bargaining chamber and finalise all the discussions for the benefit of the soldiers. The ministry did not define national security, a term many academics say is difficult to pin down.

DTN News: Lockheed Martin Delivers Final C-5B Galaxy Transport Modified Under Avionics Modernization Program

DTN News: Lockheed Martin Delivers Final C-5B Galaxy Transport Modified Under Avionics Modernization Program *Source: DTN News / Lockheed Martin (NSI News Source Info) TRAVIS AFB, Calif., - August 26, 2009: Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] delivered the 50th C-5B Galaxy strategic transport modified under the Avionics Modernization Program (AMP) back to the Air Force in ceremonies here yesterday Aug 25. The Lockheed Martin C-5B Galaxy strategic transport aircraft first entered service with the US Air Force in 1986. The USAF has 126 C-5A/B aircraft in service, but is retiring a number of the C-5As. The C-5B is capable of carrying a maximum payload up to 118,387kg to a range of 5,526km,which can be extended by in-flight refuelling. The heavy logistic transport aircraft is of cantilever high-wing monoplane design with a fail-safe semi-monocoque aluminium alloy fuselage. This completes the AMP modifications to the C-5B fleet. Modification of the C-5A fleet continues at Travis and at Dover AFB, Del. Current plans call for the entire 111-aircraft C-5 fleet to receive the AMP modifications. "Completing the B-model fleet marks a significant milestone for the AMP program," said Lorraine Martin, Lockheed Martin C-5 vice president. "We are at the halfway point in AMP aircraft redeliveries, our modification teams have consistently been on or ahead of schedule, and our quality has been exceptional. We are delivering a significant capability to the warfighter, enabling the C-5 to fly wherever it’s needed around the world." AMP is the first phase of a two-phase modernization effort for the C-5. The AMP modifications replace the earlier analog avionics in the Galaxy with a commercially available, digital avionics suite along with an integrated architecture that allows for upgrades. The entire system is designed to increase safety, ease crew workload and enhance situational awareness. "AMP takes all the gauges you see in a legacy aircraft and consolidates them," said Lt. Col. Mike Semo, Chief, C-5M Program Integration Office at Dover. "So now, instead of knowing a distance to a certain location, you have a top-down view of where the aircraft is compared to where you’re going. It gives you a lot more situational awareness, which is very important in a combat zone." A total of 55 C-5 aircraft (50 C-5Bs, two C-5Cs, and three C-5As) have already been through one of the two AMP modification lines. As of Aug. 20, the AMP fleet has accumulated 70,156 flight hours on 15,967 sorties. The aircraft have been flown to all points of the globe, including regular operations to Europe and the Pacific as well as to Iraq and Afghanistan. The second phase of C-5 modernization is the Reliability Enhancement and Re-engining Program (RERP). The RERP modifications consist of more than 70 improvements and upgrades to the C-5 airframe and systems. They include installation of higher-thrust, more reliable, more environmentally friendly F138-GE-100 turbofan engines, the military version of the CF6 engine that has recorded millions of hours on commercial airliners all over the world. These engines power Air Force One as well. The first aircraft was inducted into the RERP production line at the Lockheed Martin facility in Marietta, Ga., on Aug. 18. When a Galaxy has been through both AMP and RERP, it is redesignated as a "C-5M." Current Air Force plans call for Lockheed Martin to deliver 52 C-5Ms (49 C-5Bs, two C-5Cs, and one C-5A) by 2016. Three C-5Ms have already been delivered to the Air Force. Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 140,000 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.

DTN News: US And Indian Troops To Begin Training Together For War

DTN News: US And Indian Troops To Begin Training Together For War *Source: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) NEW DELHI, India - August 26, 2009: Since 2004, American GIs and Indian jawans have trained together to combat terrorists and insurgents. Now, the two armies are about to begin training to fight a war together. Underlining the growing military-to-military relationship, a US Army battalion group of several hundred soldiers and some 50 frontline Stryker armoured vehicles, will travel to India in October and train with Indian strike formation units at the Babina Field Firing Ranges near Jhansi. This exercise, named Yudh Abhyas 2009, will include live firing by heavy combat vehicles. It will be the first time mechanised units of an Indian strike corps, which bases its power on T-72 and T-90 tanks, BMP-II infantry combat vehicles, missiles and 155-mm medium artillery guns, will train or share expertise with any foreign army. The Indian units taking part will be selected from the Jhansi-headquartered 31 Armoured Division. The annual Yudh Abhyas exercises (which US soldiers are told is pronounced as “You da Boss”) kicked off in March 2004, when 60 Indian jawans and 55 US soldiers from Alaska jointly raided mock insurgent hideouts in the jungles of Mizoram. Since then, Yudh Abhyas has expanded each year in size, scope and complexity. Last November, in Yudh Abhyas 08, an Indian Air Force IL-76 aircraft had flown a company (120 soldiers) of Indian jawans to Hawaii for training in counter-insurgency with US soldiers of the US Pacific Command. Their simulated operations were controlled by India’s 49 Infantry Brigade, which set up a command post in Hawaii as part of the exercise. But Yudh Abhyas 2009 will impart a different trajectory to the military-to-military relationship. This is no longer about raids on insurgent hideouts or terrorist camps; strike corps training is for fighting a full-scale war together. This year, American and Indian mechanised forces will synchronise operations, planning, manoeuvring and firing together to capture a simulated objective. Senior Indian Army officers have confirmed to Business Standard that the US Army Stryker vehicles and crews will be transported to India by sea. They will come from the US Pacific Command, or US PACOM, which is headquartered in Hawaii and which oversees US military interests from the US west coast to the western border of India. Starting from Pakistan, and extending across West Asia, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) is responsible for American military interests. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are under the jurisdiction of CENTCOM. Approached for their comments on Yudh Abhyas 09, the Hawaii-based USPACOM has not responded. But speaking off the record, senior US Army officers have expressed satisfaction at what they term a “quantum jump” in the US-India military relationship. One US officer notes, “Singapore armoured units have come earlier to Babina to fire their tanks since they don’t have the space to practise in Singapore. Similarly, Singapore air force fighter aircraft fire in Pokhran and artillery units fire near Nashik. But this is not just about firing. Yudh Abhyas 09 will see the two armies practising how to fight a full-scale war together. And the engagement will only grow closer.”

DTN News: Boeing SLAM ER Modified To Engage Moving Targets On Land

DTN News: Boeing SLAM ER Modified To Engage Moving Targets On Land

*Source: DTN News / Boeing

(NSI News Source Info) ST. LOUIS, USA - August 26, 2009: Boeing [NYSE: BA] has modified the Standoff Land Attack Missile Expanded Response (SLAM ER) to engage land-based moving targets (LMT). The U.S. Navy declared the missile system, with its enhanced targeting software, operationally effective against LMTs on July 2 following a successful Operational Evaluation. The Standoff Land Attack Missile Expanded Response, or SLAM ER, is a highly adaptable day/night, all-weather, over-the-horizon precision strike missile. Capable of hitting stationary or moving targets on land or at sea, SLAM ER is recognized by the U.S. Navy as the most accurate weapon in its inventory. "Upgrading SLAM ER with the land-based moving target function adds a key capability to the warfighter's arsenal," said Steve Morrow, Boeing director of Naval Weapon Programs. "We look forward to helping the Navy train the fleet to use this new capability." Upgrading the SLAM ER's system software to include LMT capabilities was a Navy Rapid Technology Transition effort to fill a critical need by making SLAM ER an effective weapon for destroying or disabling high-value land-based moving targets, such as missile launchers and mobile radar. The software enables F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet aircraft to continuously receive updated target coordinates from appropriate Command and Control platforms, on-ship radar, or other third-party targeting sources, and then transfer these updates to the SLAM ER in flight. A four-part series of developmental and operational flight tests demonstrated the system's network-centric ability to use third-party targeting. During its final test flight in January, SLAM ER scored a direct hit against a remote-controlled, land-based moving target. Previous test flights included an operational test launch, also in January, and engagement with remote-controlled mobile targets in 2006. SLAM ER is a highly adaptable day/night, all-weather, over-the-horizon precision strike missile capable of hitting stationary or moving targets on land or at sea and can be launched from safe standoff ranges of more than 150 nautical miles. It is a Navy weapon of choice for surgical strikes against high-value land targets and ships in port and at sea. The missile's "man-in-the-loop" mode allows the pilot to precisely update the target impact point during the missile's final moments of flight. 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 Establishes New Missile Defense Systems Operating Unit Based In Huntsville Led By John Holly

DTN News: Lockheed Martin Establishes New Missile Defense Systems Operating Unit Based In Huntsville Led By John Holly

*Source: DTN News / Lockheed Martin

(NSI News Source Info) HUNTSVILLE, Ala., - August 26, 2009: Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) Space Systems Company has established a new Missile Defense Systems operating unit based in Huntsville, Ala. Retired Army Major General John W. Holly will lead the new operating unit as the vice president for Missile Defense Systems. Holly will be responsible for a portfolio that combines a number of important missile defense programs located in Northern Alabama. (Photo: John W. Holly) The new unit consists of the company’s: existing and future efforts in support of the Missile Defense Agency’s Targets and Countermeasures Program; North Alabama Operations, which includes the Battle Management Technology Center and Courtland production facility; and support to several programs, including the tri-national Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS) led by Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control and the Land Environment Air Picture Provision (LEAPP) air defense program led by Lockheed Martin U.K. Jim Tevepaugh, vice president for Northern Alabama Operations, reports to Holly as part of this new operating unit. Additionally, the new unit is responsible for the pursuit of the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) Operations and Sustainment contract, for which Lockheed Martin will offer its extensive capabilities in midcourse missile defense, strategic weapons system operations and sustainment, and performance-based logistics. The new unit, which is part of the company’s Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Strategic and Missile Defense Systems line of business, includes program management, engineering and production facilities in Huntsville and Courtland, Ala., as well as program operations in Denver, Colo., and Sunnyvale, Calif. “John Holly had a distinguished career in the U.S. Army, where he demonstrated his strong leadership and program management skills,” said Tory Bruno, vice president and general manager of Strategic and Missile Defense Systems, Lockheed Martin Space Systems. “He brings this extensive background and experience to his new assignment, where he will be able to further strengthen Lockheed Martin’s long-standing partnership with Northern Alabama on missile defense.” Holly joined Lockheed Martin in January 2008. He most recently served as vice president of Huntsville Operations for the corporation. Prior to joining Lockheed Martin, Holly was president and managing director of Analytical Services Inc. (ASI), a technology and engineering services company. Before joining the private sector, Holly’s distinguished military career spanned more than three decades and a variety of assignments, culminating as the deputy director for the Missile Defense Agency. In this capacity, he also served as the program executive officer for the Ballistic Missile Defense System and the director of the Joint National Integration Center. Holly holds a Master of Science degree in mechanical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a bachelor of science from the U.S. Military Academy. He is a licensed professional engineer in the Commonwealth of Virginia. 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. The company makes significant contributions to most 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 140,000 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.

DTN News: Afghanistan TODAY August 26, 2009 ~ Results Show Afghan Election Too Close To Call

DTN News: Afghanistan TODAY August 26, 2009 ~ Results Show Afghan Election Too Close To Call

*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media

(NSI News Source Info) KABUL, Afghanistan - August 26, 2009: The first partial results from Afghanistan's election had President Hamid Karzai and his main rival running neck-and-neck on Tuesday, suggesting a close race headed for a second round. Afghan electoral workers tally votes in the Independent Election Commission (IEC) centre on August 25, 2009 in Kabul, Afghanistan. Initial counts show that the incumbent President Hamid Karzai holding a small lead, while chief opponent Abullah Abdullah has charged that turnout figures were exagerated and that the elections had been subject to voting misconduct. The country has been in political limbo since last Thursday's election, with Karzai and chief rival Abdullah Abdullah each claiming victory. Abdullah and other challengers have accused Karzai and the authorities of widespread fraud. The elections are a major test for Karzai after eight years in power and for U.S. President Barack Obama, who has poured in thousands of extra troops as part of his new regional strategy to defeat the Taliban and stabilise Afghanistan. A relative lull in violence since the election was shattered later on Tuesday by a massive truck bomb in southern Kandahar city, the birth place of the Taliban, which killed 13 people and wounded over 30, hospital officials and police said. A witness said the blast set fire to a restaurant and levelled a shop and three houses. The blast also caused several cars to explode, leading one security source to initially say a series of simultaneous bombs had been detonated near buildings housing a Canadian development project, Afghan security forces and a Japanese contractor. "The explosive materials were stored in a truck," said Kandahar deputy police chief Ahmed Shah. There was no information immediately available on the nationality of the casualties. A Taliban spokesman claimed responsibility for the blast. ENVOY URGES CAUTION The partial election results, based on 10 percent of votes counted, gave Karzai a slight edge with 41 percent against 39 percent for Abdullah, his former foreign minister -- a difference of about 10,000 out of about 524,000 valid votes counted. U.S. envoy Richard Holbrooke urged caution, saying the early results were misleading. "You don't call it with 10 percent ... it's too early to call," Holbrooke, who left Afghanistan on Monday, told reporters in Turkey. The results also suggest a disappointing turnout of only around 5 million votes in a country of some 30 million people and an estimated 15 million eligible voters. Taliban fighters had launched attacks and threatened reprisals against voters during Thursday's election, scaring many Afghans away from the polls, especially in the violent south. "We will not allow big fraud to decide the outcome. There is no doubt state-crafted widespread fraud is underway," Abdullah told reporters before the results were released by the Independent Election Commission. Abdullah said he had no plans to make a deal with Karzai to drop his bid for the presidency. "I will not make deals with anybody ... I will defend your votes," he said. Asked if the election dispute could lead to violence, he added: "I hope not." Karzai was not immediately available for comment. Election officials have cautioned against drawing conclusions about the final count from the initial small samples. They promise to provide daily updates, but the complete count is not due until Sept 3. Behind the two leaders, Ramazan Bashardost, a member of the Hazara ethnic minority who ran a quixotic campaign from a tent across the street from parliament, placed third with around 11 percent. Former finance minister Ashraf Ghani won 3 percent. DEADLIEST YEAR Four U.S. servicemen were killed by a roadside bomb in the south, NATO and the U.S. military said earlier on Tuesday, making 2009 the deadliest year for the growing contingent of foreign troops in eight years of war. More than 30,000 extra U.S. troops arrived in Afghanistan this year, most part of a package of reinforcements ordered by Obama in May amid a growing Taliban insurgency. There are now more than 100,000 Western troops in the country, 63,000 of them Americans. The number of foreign troops killed in Afghanistan this year stands at 295, according to icasualties.org, a website which compiles official figures. Last year, 294 died. The U.S. reinforcements sent by Obama, along with a British contingent already deployed in the south, have advanced deep into formerly Taliban-held territory, taking heavy casualties mainly from roadside bombs. More Western troops have died since March than in the entire period from 2001-2004. Karzai, who was installed in an international agreement after the Taliban were toppled in 2001 and who won the country's first presidential election in 2004, has been keen to win an outright majority and avoid a potentially destabilising run-off.

DTN News: Boeing Delivers KLM 777-300ER In SkyTeam Livery

DTN News: Boeing Delivers KLM 777-300ER In SkyTeam Livery *Source: DTN News / Boeing (NSI News Source Info) SEATTLE, USA - August 26, 2009: Boeing (NYSE: BA) yesterday Aug 25., delivered a 777-300ER (Extended Range) to KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. The airplane has been painted in a special SkyTeam livery in celebration of the alliance's 10th anniversary.KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is the national airline of the Netherlands and is part of Air France-KLM. KLM's headquarters are in Amstelveen, the Netherlands near its hub at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.*

Aug 25., yesterday's delivery marks the start of an in-service evaluation using chrome-free decorative paint and primer. As part of Boeing's lifecycle approach to reducing environmental impact and in response to KLM's and other customer's requests, Boeing has introduced a chrome-free primer and chrome-free exterior decorative paint to this airplane. In addition to simplified health and safety monitoring requirements, a chrome-free primer reduces the environmental impact of the paint and stripping process. Removing chrome from the paint and primer eliminates the need for special handling of paint waste and clean-up and designated offsite disposal areas. Boeing will apply the non-chrome paint and primer on up to 14 airplanes across Boeing models for in-service evaluation with the intention of making it a standard option in the future.

DTN News: General Dynamics NASSCO Lays Keel Of The Future USNS Washington Chambers

DTN News: General Dynamics NASSCO Lays Keel Of The Future USNS Washington Chambers

*Source: DTN News / General Dynamics

(NSI News Source Info) SAN DIEGO, USA - August 26, 2009: General Dynamics NASSCO, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), today laid the keel for USNS Washington Chambers, the eleventh ship of the Lewis and Clark class of dry cargo-ammunition ships (T-AKE). Construction of the Washington Chambers began in March.

The ship is named in honor of the naval officer who oversaw the development of the U.S. Navy’s aviation program. NASSCO is scheduled to deliver the ship to the Navy in the first quarter of 2011.

NASSCO has delivered seven T-AKE ships to the Navy and is under contract to build five additional T-AKE ships, including the Washington Chambers. The Navy has also provided long-lead material funding to NASSCO for two more ships for a total class of 14 T-AKE vessels. Located in San Diego, NASSCO employs more than 4,500 people and is the only major ship construction yard on the West Coast of the United States.

In addition to the T-AKE program, the shipyard is also building a series of product carriers for American Petroleum Tankers, a shipbuilding joint venture led by the Blackstone Financial Group. Additional information on NASSCO can be found at http://www.nassco.com/.

General Dynamics, headquartered in Falls Church, Va., employs approximately 92,000 people worldwide. The company is a market leader in business aviation; land and expeditionary combat systems, armaments and munitions; shipbuilding and marine systems; and information systems and technologies. More information about General Dynamics is available online at www.gd.com

DTN News: Gaza Strip TODAY August 26, 2009 ~ Three Killed In Israeli Airstrike In Gaza

DTN News: Gaza Strip TODAY August 26, 2009 ~ Three Killed In Israeli Airstrike In Gaza

*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media

(NSI News Source Info) GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - August 26, 2009: Three Palestinian brothers were killed early Tuesday in an Israeli airstrike at smuggling tunnels in southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah, witnesses and medical sources said. Members of Hamas' security forces stand guard near a tunnel bombed by Israeli aircraft in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip August 25, 2009. Israeli aircraft bombed a tunnel under the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt on Tuesday, killing three Palestinians inside, medical workers said. An Israeli military spokeswoman said planes attacked the tunnel after Gaza militants fired rockets into southern Israel on Monday, slightly wounding one soldier. The latest incident intensified violence that flared up in the Gaza Strip suddenly, ending months of quiet between Palestinians and Israeli army and opening the door for a possible escalation. Three other people were injured when Israeli fighter jets dropped two bombs at the border between Rafah and Egypt, targeting the underground tunnels, the sources added. The witnesses said more people have gone missing in the sudden raid, and hundreds of people and rescue workers gathered in the area to dig out the dead bodies and the missing workers. The tunnels are used to bring in a wide array of products that are no longer allowed through official crossing points due to an Israeli blockade that has been in place for more than two years. Israeli media quoted army officials as saying that the bombing was in response to Monday mortar attack from the Gaza Strip. An Israeli soldier was lightly injured when three mortars hit southern Israel. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack.

DTN News: Northrop Grumman's Cybersecurity Team Receives Army Information Operations Award Potentially Worth $430 Million

DTN News: Northrop Grumman's Cybersecurity Team Receives Army Information Operations Award Potentially Worth $430 Million *Source: DTN News / Northrop Grumman (NSI News Source Info) RESTON, Va., - August 26, 2009: Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) received an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (ID/IQ) contract from the U.S. Army to continue providing full-spectrum information operations (IO) and computer networks operations (CNO) to the 1st Information Operations Command (Land), Fort Belvoir, Va., and its regional Computer Emergency Response Teams. The single award is valued at $430 million over five years if all options are exercised. The contract was awarded by the Army's Intelligence and Security Command, Fort Belvoir. Northrop Grumman has provided IO and CNO support to the Army's 1st Information Operations Command since 1997. "Secure and efficient network operations are critical in today's cyber warfare environment. We are pleased to continue working this vital effort for the Army and applying our leading-edge cyber security and IO expertise to help the warfighter assure mission success," said Dan Allen, vice president and general manager of the Intelligence Systems Division for Northrop Grumman Information Systems sector. "Our experience with the military and our position as a leading provider of IO services to the federal government uniquely qualify us to support the integration of IO as a force multiplier." IO is an integrating activity that coordinates multiple battlefield functions such as: electronic warfare, military deception, psychological warfare, operations security and CNO to disrupt enemy decision-making while protecting information necessary for U.S. warfighters to make critical decisions. Northrop Grumman's teammates include JB Management, Alexandria, Va.; Quantum Research International Inc., Huntsville, Ala.; Lockheed Martin, Bethesda, Md.; SAIC, San Diego; and Booz Allen Hamilton and QinetiQ North America, both of McLean, Va. Northrop Grumman is an industry leader in all aspects of computer network operations and cyber security. Northrop Grumman is offering customers innovative solutions to help secure the nation's cyber future. Northrop Grumman Corporation is a leading global defense company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, shipbuilding and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide.

DTN News: Nigeria Urges Main Militant Group To Take Amnesty

DTN News: Nigeria Urges Main Militant Group To Take Amnesty

*Source: DTN News / Reuters

(NSI News Source Info) LAGOS, Nigeria - August 26, 2009: Nigeria's main militant group should rethink its threat to resume attacks on the OPEC member's oil industry and instead lay down its weapons and accept an amnesty, a government official said on Monday. The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), responsible for attacks that have wrought havoc on Africa's biggest oil and gas industry, said on Saturday it would resume its campaign of violence on Sept. 15. MEND, which declared a 60-day ceasefire in July to allow for peace talks, said it had suspended negotiations with the government. "They (MEND) should reconsider their stand and join the amnesty boat because the boat is about to sail," said Timiebi Koripamo-Agary, spokeswoman for the presidential panel on amnesty. President Umaru Yar'Adua offered an unconditional pardon in June to all militants who take part in the amnesty, the latest effort to stem unrest which has prevented Nigeria from pumping much above two-thirds of its oil capacity in recent years. The amnesty programme officially ends on Oct. 4. MEND, a loose coalition of militant groups, has denounced the scores of rebels that have surrendered their weapons and taken up the amnesty. Hundreds of militants handed over machine guns, rocket launchers, mortar bombs and gunboats in a public ceremony in the Bayelsa state capital Yenagoa on Saturday. "You cannot wish away what happened in Yenagoa over the weekend," Agary said. "(MEND) says they will resume hostilities by Sept. 15. Let's wait and see." Experts warned that the government must deal with the split between militant groups or face a possible resurgence in violence. "We are heading for disaster if the government does not go back to the drawing board and redraw the entire exercise," said Anywakwee Nsirimovu, director of the Institute for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law. Some security analysts expect the military to launch another major offensive against militants who do not accept the amnesty once the 60-day offer period ends in October. But Agary said there was no such threat and that there was still time for peace talks. (For more Reuters Africa coverage and to have your say on the top issues, visit: http://af.reuters.com/ ) (Additional reporting by Austin Ekeinde in Port Harcourt)