DTN News: U.S. Department of Defense Contracts Dated March 23, 2010

DTN News: U.S. Department of Defense Contracts Dated March 23, 2010 Source: U.S. DoD issued March 23, 2010 (NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON - March 24, 2010: U.S. Department of Defense, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) Contracts issued March 23, 2010 are undermentioned; CONTRACTS

UNITED STATES TRANSPORTATION COMMAND ~Air Transport International of Little Rock, Ark., is one of five indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity, fixed-price contractors that has received an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity, fixed-price award and will compete daily for business at the task order level. This program has an overall two-year estimated contract value of $869,530,594 with a contract guaranteed minimum award amount of $2,500 per awardee. The contract is for time definite, door-to-door transportation service for full pallet, less than full pallet and outsized/oversized cargo shipments in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. Work will be performed internationally and the performance period is from April 1, 2010, to March 31, 2011, with a one-year option period from April 1, 2011, to March 31, 2012. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Electronic proposals were solicited and nine proposals received. The contracting activity is United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM), Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Ill., (HTC711-10-D-W001). ~Evergreen International Airlines Inc., of McMinnville, Ore., is one of five indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity, fixed-price contractors that has received an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity, fixed-price award and will compete daily for business at the task order level. This program has an overall two-year estimated contract value of $869,530,594 with a contract guaranteed minimum award amount of $2,500 per awardee. The contract is for time definite, door-to-door transportation service for full pallet, less than full pallet, and outsized/oversized cargo shipments in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. Work will be performed internationally and the performance period is from April 1, 2010, to March 31, 2011, with a one-year option period from April 1, 2011, to March 31, 2012. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Electronic proposals were solicited and nine proposals received. The contracting activity is United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM), Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Ill., (HTC711-10-D-W002). ~Federal Express Corp., of Washington, D.C., is one of five indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity, fixed-price contractors that has received an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity, fixed-price award and will compete daily for business at the task order level. This program has an overall two-year estimated contract value of $869,530,594 with a contract guaranteed minimum award amount of $2,500 per awardee. The contract is for time definite, door-to-door transportation service for full pallet, less than full pallet, and outsized/oversized cargo shipments in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. Work will be performed internationally and the performance period is from April 1, 2010, to March 31, 2011, with a one-year option period from April 1, 2011, to March 31, 2012. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Electronic proposals were solicited and nine proposals received. The contracting activity is United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM), Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Ill., (HTC711-10-D-W003). ~National Air Cargo Group Inc., of Ypsilanti, Mich., is one of five indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity, fixed-price contractors that has received an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity, fixed-price award and will compete daily for business at the task order level. This program has an overall two-year estimated contract value of $869,530,594 with a contract guaranteed minimum award amount of $2,500 per awardee. The contract is for time definite, door-to-door transportation service for full pallet, less than full pallet, and outsized/oversized cargo shipments in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. Work will be performed internationally and the performance period is from April 1, 2010, to March 31, 2011, with a one-year option period from April 1, 2011, to March 31, 2012. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Electronic proposals were solicited and nine proposals received. The contracting activity is United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM), Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Ill., (HTC711-10-D-W004). ~United Parcel Service Co., of Louisville, Ky., is one of five indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity, fixed-price contractors that has received an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity, fixed-price award and will compete daily for business at the task order level. This program has an overall two-year estimated contract value of $869,530,594 with a contract guaranteed minimum award amount of $2,500 per awardee. The contract is for time definite, door-to-door transportation service for full pallet, less than full pallet, and outsized/oversized cargo shipments in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. Work will be performed internationally and the performance period is from April 1, 2010, to March 31, 2011, with a one-year option period from April 1, 2011, to March 31, 2012. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Electronic proposals were solicited and nine proposals received. The contracting activity is United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM), Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Ill., (HTC711-10-D-W005). NAVY ~Suffolk Construction, Sarasota, Fla., is being awarded a $19,231,000 firm-fixed-price contract for design and construction of a physical fitness center at Marine Corps Base, Camp Lejeune. The work provides for design and construction of a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) “Gold” certified physical fitness center. Facility will be constructed as a destructive weather shelter for extreme wind events. The facility includes: indoor swimming pool, indoor running track, gymnasium with basketball/volleyball court and spectator seating, racquetball courts, unit physical training/group exercise room, aerobic/exercise area, a cardiovascular training area and a weight training/body development area. Space shall be provided for equipment storage/gear issue area, administrating area including private staff offices, a fitness assessment room, and a laundry facility, vending area, separate men/women/family locker area with showers, toilets and sauna. The contract also contains two unexercised options, which if exercised would increase cumulative contract value to $20,777,000. Work will be performed in Jacksonville, N.C., and is expected to be completed by April 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with 38 proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity (N40085-10-C-5317). ~Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., Stratford, Conn., is being awarded an $18,160,277 firm-fixed-price modification to a previously issued delivery order under a basic ordering agreement (N00019-08-G-0010) for the procurement of MH-60S armed helicopter mission kits, which consist of 36 integrated self defense (ISD) mission kits and 33 weapons kits. Work will be performed in Tallassee, Ala. (76.1 percent); Coxsackie, N.Y. (17.6 percent); Wichita, Kan. (4.3 percent); Valencia, Calif. (1 percent); and at various locations across the U.S. (1 percent) and is expected to be completed in January 2012. Contract funds in the amount of $1,487,432 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. ~Raytheon Defense and Civil Missions Solutions, Falls Church, Va., is being awarded a $15,397,523 firm-fixed-pricecontract to produce Global Broadcast Receive Suites for the Global Broadcast Service (GBS) program. Work will be performed in Falls Church, Va. (82.5 percent), and Reston, Va.(12.5 percent) and is expected to be completed by March 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.This contract was not competitively procured. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity (N00039-10-C-0059). ~L-3 Communications Flight International, Newport News, Va., was awarded a $12,133,358 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, indefinite-/ndefinite-quantity contract (N00019-09-D-0018) for commercial air services, military operations support. This modification provides airborne threat simulation training for shipboard and aircraft squadron weapon systems operators and aircrew, to enhance abilities to counter potential enemy electronic warfare and electronic attack operations in an electronic combat environment. Work will be performed in Newport News, Va. (50 percent) and San Diego, Calif. (50 percent) and is expected to be completed in October 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. ~Correction: The contract modification award initially listed to be awarded March 19, 2010, to DynCorp International LLC, Fort Worth, Texas (N62732-08-C-1115) for $34,486,995 will be executed after 1700, March 23, 2010. ARMY ~QinetiQ of North America, Reston, Va., was awarded on Mar. 19, 2010 a $19,533,000 firm-fixed-price contract for the Man-Wearable Gun Shot Detection Systems. Work is to be performed in Cheswick, Pa., with an estimated completion date of Mar. 19, 2012. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with one bid received. Research, Development & Engineering Command Contracting Center, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., is the contracting activity (W91CRB-10-D-0021). ~South Carolina Commission for the Blind, Columbia, S.C., was awarded on Mar. 19, 2010 a $18,831,610 cost-plus-award-fee contract for full food services at Fort Jackson, S.C. Work is to be performed in Fort Jackson, S.C., with an estimated completion date of Feb. 29, 2012. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Mission & Installation Contracting Command, MICC Center-Fort Bragg, N.C., is the contracting activity (W91247-10-C-0022). ~The Korte Co., St. Louis, Mo., was awarded on Mar. 18, 2010 a $9,777,181 firm-fixed-price contract for the design and construction of a 23,390 square foot Child Development Center at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. The project included infant, pre-toddler, toddler, pre-school rooms, kitchen, administrative, and lobby areas. This project includes all utilities, site work, pavements, and outdoor play areas. The design shall be LEED Silver certified and complies with all codes and standards, including the Vandenberg AFB Excellence Standards 2008. Work is to be performed at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., with an estimated completion date of Sept. 10, 2011. Bids were solicited via fbo.gov with 20 bids received. U.S. Army Engineer District, Los Angeles, Calif., is the contracting activity (W912PL-10-C-0018). ~Lord Electric Co., of Puerto Rico, Inc., San Juan, Puerto Rico., was awarded on Mar. 18, 2010 a $9,506,464 firm-fixed-price contract for the design and construction of a substation project at Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico. Work is to be performed in Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico., with an estimated completion date of Apr. 18, 2011. Fifty bids were solicited with four bids received. U.S. Corps of Engineers, Louisville District, Louisville, Ky., is the contracting activity (W912QR-10-C-0032). ~Gichner Systems Group, Inc., Dallastown, Pa., was awarded on Mar. 19, 2010 a $8,241,476 firm-fixed-price contract to procure 20 each 1 Side Amp Expandable Shelters & 28 each 1 side 100 AMP Expandable Shelters. Work is to be performed in Dallastown, Pa., with an estimated completion date of July 15, 2010. Bids were solicited through the World Wide Web with two bids received. Research, Development & Engineering Command Contracting Center, Natick Contracting Division, Natick, Mass., is the contracting activity (W58P05-05-D-0004). ~Duncan & Thompson Construction Services, LLC., Birmingham, Ala., was awarded on Mar. 19, 2010 a $7,182,818 firm-fixed-price contract for the renovations of the Nursing Home Care Unit (NHCU) at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Tuscaloosa, Ala. Work is to be performed in Tuscaloosa, Ala., with an estimated completion date of Mar. 30, 2012. Bids were solicited through the World Wide Web with nine bids received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District, Mobile, Ala., is the contracting activity (W91278-10-C-0042). AIR FORCE ~Mantech SRS Technologies, Inc., of Arlington, Va., was awarded a $15,422,664 contract which will provide system engineering and integration services to support launch and range systems wing by providing space launch operations for current and future launches. At this time, the entire amount has been obligated. SMC/LRSW, El Segundo, Calif., is the contracting activity (FA8811-10-C-0002). ~Honeywell Technology Solutions, Inc., of Colorado Springs, Col., was awarded a $26,900,000 contract which will provide the Hawaii Tracking Station part of the Air Force satellite control network. At this time, the entire amount has been obligated. SCNG/PK, El Segundo, Calif., is the contracting activity (FA4701-02-D-0006). ~United Launch Services of Littleton, Col., was awarded an $18,377,691 contract which will support the Department of Defense’s assured access to space efforts by implementing FY10 Project Improvement-Ordnance Box and FY10 Fleet Standardization-Metallic LOX Skirt capability improvement projects under the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle Launch Capabilities contract. At this time, $9,952,220 has been obligated. SMC/LR, El Segundo, Calif., is the contracting activity (FA8816-06-C-0002).

DTN News: Boeing Comments On WTO's Landmark Decision On Airbus Subsidies

DTN News: Boeing Comments On WTO's Landmark Decision On Airbus Subsidies Source: DTN News / Boeing (NSI News Source Info) CHICAGO, March 24, 2010: Boeing issued the following statement following news reports quoting officials who indicated that the United States has prevailed on all of the major issues in the WTO's final decision, which reaffirms its earlier interim decision, in the U.S. case against European subsidies to Airbus. "This is a powerful, landmark judgment and good news for aerospace workers across America who for decades have had to compete against a heavily subsidized Airbus. U.S. officials have estimated the commercial value to Airbus of all the government launch aid subsidies it has received at more than $178 billion (in 2006 dollars). Government subsidies have been used to support the creation of every Airbus product, including the A330/A340, which received more than $5 billion in development aid, and the A380, which received $4 billion in subsidies. Those and other European government subsidies to Airbus have significantly distorted the global market for large commercial airplanes, causing adverse effect to Boeing and costing America tens of thousands of high-tech jobs. "We appreciate the strong bipartisan efforts by both the executive and legislative branches of the U.S. government to right this wrong and ensure that America's aerospace workers get a fair shake. Because of the U.S. government's undiminished resolve to end illegal subsidies, this decision should level the competitive playing field once and for all with Airbus, as well as set an important precedent for other nations with aspirations to enter the commercial airplane business. "Airbus and its sponsor governments continue to re-affirm their commitment to using subsidized launch aid to fund the next Airbus airplane, the A350. We urge them to change course and fully comply with the WTO's clear ruling. The WTO panel has painstakingly and professionally reviewed all of the evidence that's been presented the past four years. It is extremely important to international trade and global economic growth that governments and businesses abide by the WTO's rules. Markets, not parliaments, should pick the winners in the global aerospace industry."

DTN News: Montreal Firm Gets $250 Million Contract To Provide Training For Chinooks

DTN News: Montreal Firm Gets $250 Million Contract To Provide Training For Chinooks Source: DTN News / The Canadian Press (NSI News Source Info) MONTREAL, Canada - March 23, 2010: Montreal's CAE Inc. has been awarded a $250-million federal contract to provide training services for new helicopters. Public Works Minister Rona Ambrose made the announcement in Montreal today. The flight-simulation company will provide training for 15 new military helicopters, Chinook CH147Fs, ordered by Ottawa last year. CAE (TSX: CAE.TO) will help with weapons-system training, tactical flight training, gunnery training, and a virtual simulator. The federal government ordered $1.5-billion worth of Chinooks from the Boeing Co. last year. The announcement had already been the subject of rumours, and CAE shares enjoyed only a minor uptick in early trading today. The military contract is a major boost to Montreal-based CAE, a global leader in aircraft simulator technology and services, which has felt the negative impact of the recession on its civil aviation business. The Chinook contract, as well as a similarly large contract announced last year for the new Hercules C-130J transport aircraft, help offset the slump in civil aviation, CAE president and chief executive officer Marc Parent said Tuesday at a ceremony in a hangar at the company's facility in a suburb of Montreal. Federal Public Works Minister Rona Ambrose said the government is committed to maintaining and creating jobs in the domestic aerospace defence industry. “This government has a military procurement policy that is very robust,” she said at the event. The Chinook contract to CAE was widely expected, but UBS analyst Tasneem Azim said in a note Tuesday that it “will be well received by investors as it reinforces CAE's market leadership in the military segment. CAE's strength in the military (typically defensive in nature) has partially offset weakness in the civil segment, and has contributed to CAE's earnings resilience through the downturn.” The contract announced Tuesday is for 15 Chinook helicopters that were purchased from Boeing Co. of Chicago in a transaction valued at $1.5-billion. The CAE contract falls under the federal program known as Operational Training Systems Provider (OTSP). The first phase is for the design and development of a Chinook training suite, including a weapons systems trainer, a tactical flight training device and other simulation systems. In 2014, the second phase kicks in with a 20-year in-service support program for the aircrew training program. About 240 jobs are expected to be created as a result of the Chinook project, with companies besides CAE – in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada – getting sub-contracts. CAE's annual revenue tops $1.6-billion and it employs about 6,500 people. Related CAE News: CAE wins Indonesian order CAE wins deal with China Eastern CAE buys two Montreal-based firms

DTN News: Boeing Maintenance Tool Attracts Key African Customers

DTN News: Boeing Maintenance Tool Attracts Key African Customers

*TAAG Angola Airlines and Kenya Airways move to boost maintenance efficiency

Source: DTN News / Boeing (NSI News Source Info) ALGIERS, Algeria, - March 23, 2010: Kenya Airways and TAAG Linhas Aereas de Angola have signed up for the Boeing (NYSE: BA) Maintenance Performance Toolbox, as part of each airline's program to enhance efficiency and improve dispatch reliability through the use of e-enabled technologies. Toolbox comprises six different tools in one easy-to-use suite of software products that an airline can employ to tailor an efficient solution to its specific need. TAAG and Kenya Airways each ordered Toolbox for use on multiple Boeing jetliner models. "We expect the Boeing Toolbox to improve efficiency and quality in our maintenance processes," said Kenya Airways Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Titus Naikuni. "It also will improve the accuracy of the documentation on our fleet to benefit our entire maintenance team." Kenya Airways' Next-Generation 737, 767 and 777 fleets will be equipped with Toolbox. The airline's 737 and 777 fleets will utilize three modules each (Library, Authoring & Systems), while its 767 fleet will use the Library Module. "With a fleet of 777-200ERs and 737-700s, the purchase of ToolBox, in addition to our current Component Services Program, Airplane Health Management and Virtual Maintenance & Engineering initiatives, is a welcome tool to increase the efficiency and reliability of our maintenance and engineering processes," said Dr. Pimentel Araujo, chairman of TAAG Linhas Aereas de Angola. TAAG will employ Toolbox on its Next-Generation 737 and 777 fleets. Each fleet type will utilize four modules: Library, Authoring, Systems and Structures. The Library module allows the airline to store and access current, consolidated manufacturer and customer maintenance data. The Authoring module allows the airline to customize manufacturer maintenance information to its own systems. The Structures module provides a comprehensive structural repair history for each airplane. And the Systems module reduces the time needed to find tail-specific technical information in time-critical situations, such as line maintenance troubleshooting and dispatch. Available via an Internet browser as a secured, hosted service, Toolbox provides reliable access to all of its tools through MyBoeingFleet.com, Boeing's popular customer Internet portal.

DTN News: The Netanyahu-Obama Meeting In Strategic Context

DTN News: The Netanyahu-Obama Meeting In Strategic Context Source: By George Friedman STRATFOR (NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 23, 2010: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with U.S. President Barack Obama on March 23. The meeting follows the explosion in U.S.-Israeli relations after Israel announced it was licensing construction of homes in East Jerusalem while U.S. Vice President Joe Biden was in Israel. The United States wants Israel to stop all construction of new Jewish settlements. The Israelis argue that East Jerusalem is not part of the occupied territories, and hence, the U.S. demand doesn’t apply there. The Americans are not parsing their demand so finely and regard the announcement — timed as it was — as a direct affront and challenge. Israel’s response is that it is a sovereign state and so must be permitted to do as it wishes. The implicit American response is that the United States is also a sovereign state and will respond as it wishes. The polemics in this case are not the point. The issue is more fundamental: namely, the degree to which U.S. and Israeli relations converge and diverge. This is not a matter of friendship but, as in all things geopolitical, of national interest. It is difficult to discuss U.S. and Israeli interests objectively, as the relationship is clouded with endless rhetoric and simplistic formulations. It is thus difficult to know where to start, but two points of entry into this controversy come to mind. The first is the idea that anti-Americanism in the Middle East has its roots in U.S. support for Israel, a point made by those in the United States and abroad who want the United States to distance itself from Israel. The second is that the United States has a special strategic relationship with Israel and a mutual dependency. Both statements have elements of truth, but neither is simply true — and both require much more substantial analysis. In analyzing them, we begin the process of trying to disentangle national interests from rhetoric. Anti-Americanism in the Middle East Begin with the claim that U.S. support for Israel generates anti-Americanism in the Arab and Islamic world. While such support undoubtedly contributes to the phenomenon, it hardly explains it. The fundamental problem with the theory is that Arab anti-Americanism predates significant U.S. support for Israel. Until 1967, the United States gave very little aid to Israel. What aid Washington gave was in the form of very limited loans to purchase agricultural products from the United States — a program that many countries in the world participated in. It was France, not the United States, which was the primary supplier of weapons to Israeli. In 1956, Israel invaded the Sinai while Britain and France seized the Suez Canal, which the Egyptian government of Gamal Abdul Nasser had nationalized. The Eisenhower administration intervened — against Israel and on the side of Egypt. Under U.S. pressure, the British, French and Israelis were forced to withdraw. There were widespread charges that the Eisenhower administration was pro-Arab and anti-Israeli; certainly no one could argue that Eisenhower was significantly pro-Israel. In spite of this, Nasser entered into a series of major agreements with the Soviet Union. Egypt effectively became a Soviet ally, the recipient of massive Soviet aid and a center of anti-American rhetoric. Whatever his reasons — and they had to do with U.S. unwillingness to give Egypt massive aid — Egypt’s anti-American attitude had nothing to do with the Israelis, save perhaps that the United States was not prepared to join Egypt in trying to destroy Israel. Two major political events took place in 1963: left-wing political coups in Syria and Iraq that brought the Baathist Party to power in both countries. Note that this took place pre-1967, i.e., before the United States became closely aligned with Israel. Both regimes were pro-Soviet and anti-American, but neither could have been responding to U.S. support for Israel because there wasn’t much. In 1964, Washington gave Cairo the first significant U.S. military aid in the form of Hawk missiles, but it gave those to other Arab countries, too, in response to the coups in Iraq and Syria. The United States feared the Soviets would base fighters in those two countries, so it began installing anti-air systems to try to block potential Soviet airstrikes on Saudi Arabia. In 1967, France broke with Israel over the Arab-Israeli conflict that year. The United States began significant aid to Israel. In 1973, after the Syrian and Egyptian attack on Israel, the U.S. began massive assistance. In 1974 this amounted to about 25 percent of Israeli gross domestic product (GDP). The aid has continued at roughly the same level, but given the massive growth of the Israeli economy, it now amounts to about 2.5 percent of Israeli GDP. The point here is that the United States was not actively involved in supporting Israel prior to 1967, yet anti-Americanism in the Arab world was rampant. The Arabs might have blamed the United States for Israel, but there was little empirical basis for this claim. Certainly, U.S. aid commenced in 1967 and surged in 1974, but the argument that eliminating support for Israel would cause anti-Americanism to decline must first explain the origins of anti-Americanism, which substantially predated American support for Israel. In fact, it is not clear that Arab anti-Americanism was greater after the initiation of major aid to Israel than before. Indeed, Egypt, the most important Arab country, shifted its position to a pro-American stance after the 1973 war in the face of U.S. aid. Israel’s Importance to the United States Let’s now consider the assumption that Israel is a critical U.S. asset. American grand strategy has always been derived from British grand strategy. The United States seeks to maintain regional balances of power in order to avoid the emergence of larger powers that can threaten U.S. interests. The Cold War was a massive exercise in the balance of power, pitting an American-sponsored worldwide alliance system against one formed by the Soviet Union. Since the end of the Cold War, the United States has acted a number of times against regional hegemons: Iraq in 1990-91, Serbia in 1999 and so on. In the area called generally the Middle East, but which we prefer to think of as the area between the Mediterranean and the Hindu Kush, there are three intrinsic regional balances. One is the Arab-Israeli balance of power. The second is the Iran-Iraq balance. The third is the Indo-Pakistani balance of power. The American goal in each balance is not so much stability as it is the mutual neutralization of local powers by other local powers. Two of the three regional balances of power are collapsed or in jeopardy. The 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq and the failure to quickly put a strong, anti-Iranian government in place in Baghdad, has led to the collapse of the central balance of power — with little hope of resurrection. The eastern balance of power between Pakistan and India is also in danger of toppling. The Afghan war has caused profound stresses in Pakistan, and there are scenarios in which we can imagine Pakistan’s power dramatically weakening or even cracking. It is unclear how this will evolve, but what is clear is that it is not in the interest of the United States because it would destroy the native balance of power with India. The United States does not want to see India as the unchallenged power in the subcontinent any more than it wants to see Pakistan in that position. The United States needs a strong Pakistan to balance India, and its problem now is how to manage the Afghan war — a side issue strategically — without undermining the strategic interest of the United States, an Indo-Pakistani balance of power. The western balance of power, Israel and the surrounding states, is relatively stable. What is most important to the United States at this point is that this balance of power also not destabilize. In this sense, Israel is an important strategic asset. But in the broader picture, where the United States is dealing with the collapse of the central balance of power and with the destabilization of the eastern balance of power, Washington does not want or need the destabilization of the western balance — between the Israelis and Arabs — at this time. U.S. “bandwidth” is already stretched to the limit. Washington does not need another problem. Nor does it need instability in this region complicating things in the other regions. Note that the United States is interested in maintaining the balance of power. This means that the U.S. interest is in a stable set of relations, with no one power becoming excessively powerful and therefore unmanageable by the United States. Israel is already the dominant power in the region, and the degree to which Syria, Jordan and Egypt contain Israel is limited. Israel is moving from the position of an American ally maintaining a balance of power to a regional hegemon in its own right operating outside the framework of American interests. The United States above all wants to ensure continuity after Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak dies. It wants to ensure that the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan remains stable. And in its attempts to manage the situation in the center and east, it wants to ensure that nothing happens in the west to further complicate an already-enormously complex situation. There is very little Israel can do to help the United States in the center and eastern balances. On the other hand, if the western balance of power were to collapse — due to anything from a collapse of the Egyptian regime to a new Israeli war with Hezbollah — the United States might find itself drawn into that conflict, while a new intifada in the Palestinian territories would not help matters either. It is unknown what effect this would have in the other balances of power, but the United States is operating at the limits of its power to try to manage these situations. Israel cannot help there, but it could hurt, for example by initiating an attack on Iran outside the framework of American planning. Therefore, the United States wants one thing from Israel now: for Israel to do nothing that could possibly destabilize the western balance of power or make America’s task more difficult in the other regions. Israel sees the American preoccupation in these other regions, along with the current favorable alignment of forces in its region, as an opportunity both to consolidate and expand its power and to create new realities on the ground. One of these is building in East Jerusalem, or more precisely, using the moment to reshape the demographics and geography of its immediate region. The Israeli position is that it has rights in East Jerusalem that the United States cannot intrude on. The U.S. position is that it has interests in the broader region that are potentially weakened by this construction at this time. Israel’s desire to do so is understandable, but it runs counter to American interests. The United States, given its overwhelming challenges, is neither interested in Israel’s desire to reshape its region, nor can it tolerate any more risk deriving from Israel’s actions. However small the risks might be, the United States is maxed out on risk. Therefore, Israel’s interests and that of the United States diverge. Israel sees an opportunity; the United States sees more risk. The problem Israel has is that, in the long run, its relationship to the United States is its insurance policy. Netanyahu appears to be calculating that given the U.S. need for a western balance of power, whatever Israel does now will be allowed because in the end the United States needs Israel to maintain that balance of power. Therefore, he is probing aggressively. Netanyahu also has domestic political reasons for proceeding with this construction. For him, this construction is a prudent and necessary step. Obama’s task is to convince Netanyahu that Israel has strategic value for the United States, but only in the context of broader U.S. interests in the region. If Israel becomes part of the American problem rather than the solution, the United States will seek other solutions. That is a hard case to make but not an impossible one. The balance of power is in the eastern Mediterranean, and there is another democracy the United States could turn to: Turkey — which is more than eager to fulfill that role and exploit Israeli tensions with the United States. It may not be the most persuasive threat, but the fact is that Israel cannot afford any threat from the United States, such as an end to the intense U.S.-Israeli bilateral relationship. While this relationship might not be essential to Israel at the moment, it is one of the foundations of Israeli grand strategy in the long run. Just as the United States cannot afford any more instability in the region at the moment, so Israel cannot afford any threat, however remote, to its relationship with the United States. A More Complicated Relationship What is clear in all this is that the statement that Israel and the United States are strategic partners is not untrue, it is just vastly more complicated than it appears. Similarly, the claim that American support for Israel fuels anti-Americans is both a true and insufficient statement. Netanyahu is betting on Congress and political pressures to restrain U.S. responses to Israel. One of the arguments of geopolitics is that political advantage is insufficient in the face of geopolitical necessity. Pressure on Congress from Israel in order to build houses in Jerusalem while the United States is dealing with crises in the region could easily backfire. The fact is that while the argument that U.S. Israel policy caused anti-Americanism in the region may not be altogether true, the United States does not need any further challenges or stresses. Nations overwhelmed by challenges can behave in unpredictable ways. Netanyahu’s decision to confront the United States at this time on this issue creates an unpredictability that would seem excessive to Israel’s long term interests. Expecting the American political process to protect Israel from the consequences is not necessarily gauging the American mood at the moment. The national interest of both countries is to maximize their freedom to maneuver. The Israelis have a temporary advantage because of American interests elsewhere in the region. But that creates a long-term threat. With two wars going on and two regional balances in shambles or tottering, the United States does not need a new crisis in the third. Israel has an interest in housing in East Jerusalem. The United States does not. This frames the conversation between Netanyahu and Obama. The rest is rhetoric. This report may be forwarded or republished on your website with attribution to http://www.stratfor.com/ *This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News, contact: dtnnews@ymail.com Disclaimer statement Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information supplied herein, DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions. Unless otherwise indicated, opinions expressed herein are those of the author of the page and do not necessarily represent the corporate views of DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News.

DTN News: Indian Military To Weaponize World's Hottest Chili

DTN News: Indian Military To Weaponize World's Hottest Chili

*DTN News, thanks D. V. Gulati for forwarding article. Source: DTN News / By WASBIR HUSSAIN, Associated Press (NSI News Source Info) GAUHATI, India - March 23, 2010: The Indian military has a new weapon against terrorism: the world's hottest chili. After conducting tests, the military has decided to use the thumb-sized "bhut jolokia," or "ghost chili," to make tear gas-like hand grenades to immobilize suspects, defense officials said Tuesday. The bhut jolokia was accepted by Guinness World Records in 2007 as the world's spiciest chili. It is grown and eaten in India's northeast for its taste, as a cure for stomach troubles and a way to fight the crippling summer heat. It has more than 1,000,000 Scoville units, the scientific measurement of a chili's spiciness. Classic Tabasco sauce ranges from 2,500 to 5,000 Scoville units, while jalapeno peppers measure anywhere from 2,500 to 8,000. "The chili grenade has been found fit for use after trials in Indian defense laboratories, a fact confirmed by scientists at the Defense Research and Development Organization," Col. R. Kalia, a defense spokesman in the northeastern state of Assam, told The Associated Press. "This is definitely going to be an effective nontoxic weapon because its pungent smell can choke terrorists and force them out of their hide-outs," R. B. Srivastava, the director of the Life Sciences Department at the New Delhi headquarters of the DRDO said. Srivastava, who led a defense research laboratory in Assam, said trials are also on to produce bhut jolokia-based aerosol sprays to be used by women against attackers and for the police to control and disperse mobs.

DTN News: Boeing Statement Regarding WTO's Final Decision on Airbus Subsidies

DTN News: Boeing Statement Regarding WTO's Final Decision On Airbus Subsidies Source: DTN News / Boeing (NSI News Source Info) CHICAGO, - March 23, 2010: Boeing (NYSE: BA) Mar. 22., yesterday issued the following statement from Ted Austell, vice president, Executive, Legislative and Regulatory Affairs, regarding the anticipated final WTO decision in the U.S. case against European government subsidies to Airbus. "We look forward to the WTO's final decision, which reportedly will be transmitted to the parties tomorrow, March 23. After years of charges and counter-charges, an independent panel that has worked tirelessly to understand all of the facts in this dispute will render its final judgment. It is an important decision that not only affects the hundreds of thousands of U.S. aerospace workers who've had to compete with an illegally subsidized Airbus, but one that will set an important precedent for the broader, global aerospace industry. "On the eve of such an important decision, it is unfortunate and disappointing to see news reports quoting a senior German official saying that Germany is prepared to provide 1.1 billion Euros for the development of the Airbus A350 – a move that flies in the face of both the expected WTO decision and the rules-based global trading system we've all endorsed. It also is curious, although not unexpected, to see reports of Airbus calling for a negotiated settlement only 24 hours before a WTO ruling that both parties expect to uphold all of the major U.S. claims. As U.S. officials have repeatedly made clear, there's a place for negotiations, but not on programs and actions declared inconsistent with WTO obligations. Illegal European subsidies have done great harm to the U.S. aerospace industry. It's time to level the playing field and let companies compete on product, price, innovation, and customer support without market-distorting government subsidies."

DTN News: 3 THINGS IN LIFE (Wisdom)....Courtesy Jeet Kaur

DTN News: 3 THINGS IN LIFE (Wisdom)....Courtesy Jeet Kaur Source: By Jeet Kaur, Canada (NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 23, 2010: DTN News have received an unique article "3 THING IN LIFE (Wisdom)" from very close associate Jeet Kaur, the verbiage and theme are so much lavish and meaningful, which is applicable universally to all entities and DTN News would like to share the same with readers and viewers. Enjoy reading and God Bless you all.