News for today's 2018

Super Eagles player, Kalu Uche and wife welcomes baby boy (LOOK)

4:44 AM Tukiyooo 0

Super Eagles player, Kalu Uche and wife welcomes baby boy (LOOK)

Nigerian football player, Kalu Uche became a proud father again as his wife Stephanie Uche, an ex-beauty queen gave birth to a son yeste...

Who’s The Most-Wanted Drug Lord Now?

4:00 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/vYubKpJGQfw" width="560"></iframe><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>El Chapo Has Been Arrested. Who’s The Most-Wanted Drug Lord Now? -- Washington Post</b></span></div><br />The world’s most-wanted drug lord, Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, was arrested on Saturday. So who earns that spot now? Here are some possibilities:<br /><br /><i>Ismael Zambada</i><br /><br />The Sinaloa cartel kingpin, known as “El Mayo,” is considered a probable successor to Guzmán. He helped run the cartel when Guzmán was in prison from 1993 to 2001. Zambada’s son, Vicente, or “El Mayito,” is facing a federal grand jury indictment in Chicago and has claimed he was a Drug Enforcement Administration informant. Another son, Serafin Zambada, was arrested in November.<br /><br />Reuters described his style as “brash Mexican cowboy.”<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/el-chapo-has-been-arrested-whos-the-most-wanted-drug-lord-now/2014/02/24/85c329ec-9d78-11e3-b8d8-94577ff66b28_story.html">Read more</a></b> ....<br /><br /><b>My Comment</b>:  Nothing is going to change. Guzman's arrest will only mean that everyone in his organization will be moving one notch up.

Who’s The Most-Wanted Drug Lord Now?

El Chapo Has Been Arrested. Who’s The Most-Wanted Drug Lord Now? -- Washington Post The world’s most-wanted drug lord, Joaquín “El Chapo” Gu...

No Blunt U.S. Intelligence Assessments On China Are Wanted Right Now

3:00 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAX9qNaSHfI-pDSERfcl-BTcy7Y8af-ETtjMGEVae4TvM8iXrqkFwbQCAgydysvSTwyEXVaOyijmF7RgL1UIZhG52oR5R_YZ7mI-_Tc5ZdeJO-akOMT5INJk_bDc5Y0OVYR__HTaTm_cGB/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAX9qNaSHfI-pDSERfcl-BTcy7Y8af-ETtjMGEVae4TvM8iXrqkFwbQCAgydysvSTwyEXVaOyijmF7RgL1UIZhG52oR5R_YZ7mI-_Tc5ZdeJO-akOMT5INJk_bDc5Y0OVYR__HTaTm_cGB/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" width="160" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Photo:</b> U.S. Navy Capt. James Fanell, Director, Intelligence and Information Operations. U.S. Navy file photo</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>What Happens When A Navy Officer Gets Real On China? -- Stars And Stripes</b></span></div><br />The Navy’s Pacific Fleet chief of intelligence recently cemented his reputation for blunt assessments of China about as well as the Washington establishment cemented its reputation for sticking to China talking points.<br /><br />Capt. James Fanell made waves during his 2013 appearance at the U.S. Naval Institute’s West conference, during which he stated that the Chinese PLA Navy’s expansion was focused on sinking an opposing fleet and largely about countering the U.S. Navy.<br /><br />At this year’s USNI conference, Fanell’s assessment that China is gathering the capability to fight Japan made it to Fox News, The New York Times and several international news outlets.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.stripes.com/what-happens-when-a-navy-officer-gets-real-on-china-1.269604">Read more</a></b> ....<br /><br /><b>My Comment:</b> The Pentagon has always been an institution that was strongly influenced by politics .... but I have never seen it to be as politicized as it is today. This blunt and public assessment by an intelligence officer on China is just another example on what is not acceptable in the eyes of the Pentagon .... especially since the brass are either in China right now and/or are traveling there in the next week or two.

No Blunt U.S. Intelligence Assessments On China Are Wanted Right Now

Photo: U.S. Navy Capt. James Fanell, Director, Intelligence and Information Operations. U.S. Navy file photo What Happens When A Navy Offic...

TRAGIC!!!. Terrible Accident On Benin-Airport Road, Edo State [GRAPHIC PHOTOS]

2:48 AM Tukiyooo 0

<a href="http://porscheclassy.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/BN-Acc3.jpg"><img alt="BN Acc3" class="aligncenter  wp-image-11150" height="441" src="http://porscheclassy.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/BN-Acc3.jpg" width="588" /></a><br /><br />This is so SAD. The accident happened yesterday around 12noon along  G.R.A, Airport Road, Benin City, Edo state.. The scene looks horrible  and the Man Died after few minutes of shouting in agony.<br /> Graphic Photos Below:<br /><br /><a name='more'></a><br /> <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://porscheclassy.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/BN-Acc.jpg"><img alt="BN Acc" class="size-full wp-image-11148 alignnone" height="465" src="http://porscheclassy.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/BN-Acc.jpg" width="620" /></a> <a href="http://porscheclassy.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/BN-Acc2.jpg"><img alt="BN Acc2" class="aligncenter  wp-image-11149" height="464" src="http://porscheclassy.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/BN-Acc2.jpg" width="617" /></a> <a href="http://porscheclassy.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/BN-Acc3.jpg"></a> <a href="http://porscheclassy.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/BN-Acc4.jpg"><img alt="BN Acc4" class="aligncenter  wp-image-11151" height="441" src="http://porscheclassy.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/BN-Acc4.jpg" width="588" /></a> <a href="http://porscheclassy.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/BN-Acc5.jpg"><img alt="BN Acc5" class="aligncenter  wp-image-11152" height="418" src="http://porscheclassy.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/BN-Acc5.jpg" width="555" /></a> <a href="http://porscheclassy.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/BN-Acc6.jpg"><img alt="BN Acc6" class="aligncenter  wp-image-11153" height="441" src="http://porscheclassy.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/BN-Acc6.jpg" width="588" /></a> <a href="http://porscheclassy.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/BN-Acc7.jpg"><img alt="BN Acc7" class="aligncenter  wp-image-11154" height="441" src="http://porscheclassy.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/BN-Acc7.jpg" width="588" /></a> <a href="http://porscheclassy.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/BN-Acc8.jpg"><img alt="BN Acc8" class="aligncenter  wp-image-11155" height="441" src="http://porscheclassy.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/BN-Acc8.jpg" width="588" /></a></div>

TRAGIC!!!. Terrible Accident On Benin-Airport Road, Edo State [GRAPHIC PHOTOS]

This is so SAD. The accident happened yesterday around 12noon along G.R.A, Airport Road, Benin City, Edo state.. The scene looks horrible...

Jonathan Condemns ‘Callous And Senseless’ Killing Of Yobe Students, Vows FG Will Not Relent In War Against Boko Haram

2:46 AM Tukiyooo 0

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday said that he received news of  the murder by terrorists of scores of students at a college in Yobe  State in the early hours of Tuesday, with immense sadness and anguish.  He described the murder as ‘callous and senseless’.   <div style="float: right; margin: 5px 0 5px 5px;"><div id="”ad1″"><ins style="background-color: transparent; border: none; display: inline-table; height: 250px; margin: 0; padding: 0; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 300px;"><ins id="aswift_2_anchor" style="background-color: transparent; border: none; display: block; height: 250px; margin: 0; padding: 0; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 300px;"></ins></ins></div></div>Information Nigeria reports that heavily armed assailants suspected  to be Boko Haram members had stormed the Federal Government College,  Buni Yadi, in Gujiba Local Government Area of Yobe State in a pre-dawn  attack that lasted for a few hours, leaving over 40 students’ dead in  their wake.<br /> The president in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media  and Publicity, Reuben Abati, strongly condemned the heinous, brutal and  mindless killing of the guiltless students by those he called ‘deranged  terrorists and fanatics’, who have clearly lost all human morality and  descended to bestiality.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a><br /> “He assures the nation that his administration will not relent in its  ongoing efforts to end the scourge of terrorism in parts of the country  which has sadly claimed more innocent lives today.<br /> “The Armed Forces of Nigeria and other security agencies will  continue to prosecute the war against terror with full vigour, diligence  and determination until the dark cloud of mass murder and destruction  of lives and property is permanently removed from our horizon”, the  statement said.<br /> President Jonathan extended his heartfelt condolences to the parents and relatives of the murdered students.<br /> ****WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGE****<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://informationng.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/YOBE-STUDENTS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="YOBE STUDENTS" border="0" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-180199" height="420" src="http://informationng.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/YOBE-STUDENTS.jpg" width="560" /></a></div><br /> <br /> <br />

Jonathan Condemns ‘Callous And Senseless’ Killing Of Yobe Students, Vows FG Will Not Relent In War Against Boko Haram

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday said that he received news of the murder by terrorists of scores of students at a college in Yobe St...

Blessing# Mom gives birth on New York street corner (See Photo)

2:39 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div class="postInfo"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.ynaija.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/birth26n-4-web.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="birth26n-4-web" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-250744" src="http://www.ynaija.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/birth26n-4-web.jpg" /></a></div></div>Pregnant mom, Polly McCourt had always wanted a natural birth for her third child and she got exactly her wish.<br />McCourt was in her apartment when she realised she was in labour,  rushed down to the building’s doorman who helped her outside to hail a  cab.<br />But it was not fast enough as her little daughter arrived before the cab did.<br />Daily News<a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/miracle-68th-street-baby-born-upper-east-side-corner-arrives-safely-article-1.1701556?utm_content=buffer31a23&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer#ixzz2uNOG3xhh" target="_blank"> reports</a>:<br /><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><blockquote><em>Mom and baby were then rushed to Lenox Hill Hospital,  where they were found to be in good health. Ila weighed in at 7 pounds,  6 ounces.</em><br /><em>Speaking from her hospital bed Tuesday, the relieved mom recalled her tumultuous day.</em><br /><em>She had been volunteering for the spring fundraiser at P.S. 267,  where her two older children attend school, when she realized she wasn’t  feeling well. She sent 6-year-old son Conor to the playground with a  friend, called the babysitter to take care of 4-year-old daughter Adele,  and rushed home around 3 p.m. to call her obstetrician — who told her  to get to the hospital immediately.</em><br /><div><em><img alt="Ila Isabelle McCourt is doing fine despite her dramatic entrance into the world, doctors at Lenox Hill Hospital said." height="265" src="http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1701550.1393367364%21/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/birth26n-6-web.jpg" width="400" /></em><br /><h4 itemprop="copyrightHolder"><em>ENID ALVAREZ/NEW YORK DAILY NEWS</em></h4><h4 itemprop="description"><em>Ila Isabelle McCourt is doing fine despite her dramatic entrance into the world, doctors at Lenox Hill Hospital said.</em></h4></div><em>“I was starting to feel worse and worse, and I thought, ‘Oh, this is not good,’” McCourt, 39, said.</em><br /><em>“I went downstairs to get a taxi and my water broke, right in the front foyer of the building.”</em><br /><div><em><img alt="Doorman Anton Rudovic helped Polly McCourt, 39, give birth to baby girl Ila Isabelle on the corner of E. 68th St. and 3rd Ave." height="265" src="http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1701549.1393367363%21/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/birth26n-7-web.jpg" width="400" /></em><br /><h4 itemprop="copyrightHolder"><em>ENID ALVAREZ/NEW YORK DAILY NEWS</em></h4><h4 itemprop="description"><em>Doorman Anton Rudovic helped Polly McCourt, 39, give birth to baby girl Ila Isabelle on the corner of E. 68th St. and 3rd Ave.</em></h4></div><em>“Anton knew that I was in trouble, so he walked me to the corner  of the street to try to get a taxi. And then I went, ‘Oh no. She’s going  to come out.’</em><br /><div></div><em>“She just came out. I thought I had longer!”</em><br /><em>Rudovic helped McCourt sit down on the street in front of the HSBC bank, as onlookers started to gather.</em><br /><div><em><img alt="Paramedics help Polly McCourt into an ambulance after she gave birth to her daughter outside her home on the Upper East Side." height="353" src="http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1701551.1393367365%21/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/birth26n-5-web.jpg" width="640" /></em><br /><h4 itemprop="copyrightHolder"><em>MYFOXNY.COM</em></h4><h4 itemprop="description"><em>Paramedics help Polly McCourt into an ambulance after she gave birth to her daughter outside her home on the Upper East Side.</em></h4></div><em>“Anton propped me up with his legs, and by that time, she was already out,” McCourt said.</em><br /><em>Dad Cian McCourt, 40, was stuck in the Lincoln Tunnel when he got  the call, and arrived on the scene three minutes after his daughter.</em><br /><div><em><img alt="Ila Isabelle McCourt was named after Isabelle, a Good Samaritan who gave McCourt the coat off her back as she waited for an ambulance." height="640" src="http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1701553.1393367368%21/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/birth26n-2-web.jpg" width="426" /></em><br /><h4 itemprop="copyrightHolder"><em>ENID ALVAREZ/NEW YORK DAILY NEWS</em></h4><h4 itemprop="description"><em>Ila Isabelle McCourt was named after  Isabelle, a Good Samaritan who gave McCourt the coat off her back as she  waited for an ambulance.</em></h4></div><em>“I saw a crowd on the corner, and I feared the worst,” he said.</em><br /><em>He found his wife and daughter surrounded by Good Samaritans who  stopped to help, even giving the shirts off their backs to keep Polly  and Ila warm until the ambulance arrived 10 minutes later.</em><br /><em>“There were about 40 or 50 people there, I think,” Polly said.  “There were a lot of people who gave their sweaters. I want to thank  them.”</em><br /><div><em><img alt="Polly McCourt, 39, gives birth to baby girl Ila outside an Upper East Side HSBC bank." height="640" src="http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1701554.1393367369%21/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/birth26n-3-web.jpg" width="480" /></em><br /><h4 itemprop="copyrightHolder"><em>@MATTCGUARD VIA TWITTER</em></h4><h4 itemprop="description"><em>Polly McCourt, 39, gives birth to baby girl Ila outside an Upper East Side HSBC bank.</em></h4></div><em>One woman, Isabelle, even gave her coat.</em><br /><em>“She had to go home without a coat on,” Polly said. “She gave my husband her phone number and he lost it in the commotion.”</em><br /><div><em><img alt="Polly McCourt and baby girl Ila are both doing fine after their dramatic ordeal." height="640" src="http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1701555.1393367370%21/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/birth26n-1-web.jpg" width="426" /></em><br /><h4 itemprop="copyrightHolder"><em>ENID ALVAREZ/NEW YORK DAILY NEWS</em></h4><h4 itemprop="description"><em>Polly McCourt and baby girl Ila are both doing fine after their dramatic ordeal.</em></h4></div><em>The McCourts chose their daughter’s middle name in honor of that stranger’s kindness.</em><br /><em>“We want to be able to contact her and say thanks,” Polly McCourt said.</em><br /><em>Hero doorman Rudovic was back at his post Tuesday, and said helping little Ila arrive safely was all in a day’s work.</em><br /><em>“I did my job. (Polly) needed to be rushed to go to the hospital.  She said, ‘the baby’s coming! I need to lie down.’ And that was it. It  was so fast — one, two, three.</em><br /><em>“Mom and baby were fine, that’s the most important thing.”</em></blockquote>

Blessing# Mom gives birth on New York street corner (See Photo)

Pregnant mom, Polly McCourt had always wanted a natural birth for her third child and she got exactly her wish. McCourt was in her apartment...

The CIA Is Better Than The Pentagon In Conducting Targeted Drone Strikes

2:00 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw8J1-u0jpeCWi4gw8PEVIDZKb3yFc6ZiTWWJ_Q4yosnYWVp4Ej8LdIR7cixd2ceU27gW-6kBrG4KIZcrMhbqjvjLqHAhN1OMicckHPBW0rslL5FRWOkyphB6HS5Y5yyGGFywb3SoZY8nt/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw8J1-u0jpeCWi4gw8PEVIDZKb3yFc6ZiTWWJ_Q4yosnYWVp4Ej8LdIR7cixd2ceU27gW-6kBrG4KIZcrMhbqjvjLqHAhN1OMicckHPBW0rslL5FRWOkyphB6HS5Y5yyGGFywb3SoZY8nt/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Surgical strikes: A CIA specialty?(U.S. Air Force photo/Lt Col Leslie Pratt)</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Is The CIA Better Than The Military At Drone Killings? -- Michael Hirsh, National Journal</b></span></div><br />The White House is supposed to be handing the program over to the Pentagon. Here's why they're dragging their feet.<br /><br />It's been more than a year since incoming CIA Director John Brennan signaled his intention to shift drone warfare to the Pentagon as soon as possible. Brennan, a career spook, was said to be determined to restore the agency to its roots as an espionage factory, not a paramilitary organization. And President Obama endorsed his plan to hand drone warfare over to the military, according to administration officials.<br /><br />But a funny thing happened on the way back to cloak-and-dagger. According to intelligence experts and some powerful friends of the CIA on Capitol Hill, including Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the agency may simply be much better than the military at killing people in a targeted, precise way—and, above all, at ensuring that the bad guys they're getting are really bad guys. And that distinction has become more important than ever at a time when Obama is intent on moving away from a "permanent war footing" and on restricting targeted killings exclusively to a handful of Qaida-linked senior terrorists.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.nationaljournal.com/magazine/is-the-cia-better-than-the-military-at-drone-killings-20140225">Read more</a></b> ....<br /><br /><b>My Comment</b>: I suspect that after the announcement was made last year of shifting the CIA out of the drone killing business .... someone found out that the rules of engagement were easier for the CIA than the Pentagon's to be approved .... and why change something that was working.

The CIA Is Better Than The Pentagon In Conducting Targeted Drone Strikes

Surgical strikes: A CIA specialty?(U.S. Air Force photo/Lt Col Leslie Pratt) Is The CIA Better Than The Military At Drone Killings? -- Micha...

The Pentagon's Largest Contractors Want To Do Business With Iran

1:00 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh24eNseeW7ZTmJND_0pz6ekYR7Jqie4DB7UML13Cn6kZH32B81z-xtqgj8GPQB37ljBZ55WB8oMn1PsfrBZFJqb01O_DGnHiTMboW-qJBKGContVYe4a7VoDoBWYNRY_xv4btCFa1jSZRT/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh24eNseeW7ZTmJND_0pz6ekYR7Jqie4DB7UML13Cn6kZH32B81z-xtqgj8GPQB37ljBZ55WB8oMn1PsfrBZFJqb01O_DGnHiTMboW-qJBKGContVYe4a7VoDoBWYNRY_xv4btCFa1jSZRT/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Pentagon Contractors Exploring Business With Iran -- Washington Free Beacon</b></span></div><br />Companies with more than $107B in DoD contracts eyeing Tehran<br /><br />Multiple companies currently exploring new business ventures in Iran are also cashing in on highly lucrative contracts with the U.S. Defense Department, raising questions about whether their dealings with Iran could run afoul of U.S. law.<br /><br />At least 13 major international companies have said in recent weeks that they aim to reenter the Iranian marketplace over the next several months. The companies have received Pentagon contracts totaling well over $107 billion, according to a Washington Free Beacon analysis that tracked DoD contracts awarded since fiscal year 2009.<br /><br />Many of the companies, which include carmaker Renault and oil giants such as BP, have already sent high-level trade delegations to Tehran to meet with Iranian officials about striking new business deals.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://freebeacon.com/pentagon-contractors-exploring-business-with-iran/">Read more</a></b> ....<br /><br /><b>My Comment:</b> This is unbelievable .... but not surprising. It's always about the money.

The Pentagon's Largest Contractors Want To Do Business With Iran

Pentagon Contractors Exploring Business With Iran -- Washington Free Beacon Companies with more than $107B in DoD contracts eyeing Tehran Mu...

Less Than 10 Percent Of U.S. Army Women Want To Serve In Combat Units

12:00 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVsFB5XrzOYZB2M4FbiZx6yJlJ9OJ2UAanJBYofE_A34W_3gy0Rw_LKrVHS-FJ47cwDZ1sCsUVYiUi75XYjqxFWawBzL3Mt7uhwKdVp8N-0qPiLeu2DqCrbxJhXnEJG96O8Qsy4BJBROwu/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVsFB5XrzOYZB2M4FbiZx6yJlJ9OJ2UAanJBYofE_A34W_3gy0Rw_LKrVHS-FJ47cwDZ1sCsUVYiUi75XYjqxFWawBzL3Mt7uhwKdVp8N-0qPiLeu2DqCrbxJhXnEJG96O8Qsy4BJBROwu/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Small Fraction of Army Women Want Combat Gigs -- Time</b></span></div><br />Army study comes as the service prepares to open new job opportunities to female soldiers<br /><br />Just 7.5% of women in the Army say they’re interested in moving into one of the combat jobs soon to be open to them, according to the results of an Army study reported Tuesday.<br /><br />Of the 30,000 women who responded to the study, only 2,238 said they would want a job in infantry, armor, artillery or combat engineering, the Associated Press reports. Most of the women who expressed interest in combat jobs were age 27 and younger. The year-long study comes after a Pentagon order forcing the services to open the same opportunities to women that are available to men.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://nation.time.com/2014/02/25/small-fraction-of-army-women-want-combat-gigs/">Read more</a></b> ....<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>More News On Reports That Less Than 10 Percent Of U.S. Army Women Want To Serve In Combat Units</b></span></div><br /><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/25/woman-combat-army_n_4853913.html">Few Women Want Combat Jobs In Army: Survey</a> -- Huffington Post/AP<br /><a href="http://freebeacon.com/most-women-not-interested-in-combat-roles/">Most Women Not Interested in Combat Roles</a> -- Washington Free Beacon<br /><a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/feb/25/few-army-women-want-combat-jobs-anyway-survey/">Few Army women want combat jobs anyway, survey shows</a> -- Washington Times<br /><a href="http://dailycaller.com/2014/02/25/survey-less-than-10-percent-of-army-women-want-to-join-combat-units/">Survey: Less than 10 percent of Army women want to join combat units </a>-- Daily Caller<br /><a href="http://www.hngn.com/articles/25231/20140225/women-in-the-army-say-they-dont-want-to-fill-combat-positions.htm">Women in the Army Say They Don't Want to Fill Combat Positions</a> -- HNGN

Less Than 10 Percent Of U.S. Army Women Want To Serve In Combat Units

Small Fraction of Army Women Want Combat Gigs -- Time Army study comes as the service prepares to open new job opportunities to female soldi...

Bank Runs By Depositors Is Putting Ukraine's Economy At The Brink Of Collapse

11:00 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlkilYzl7WyzNk3fi2oO2NP7pA5uZ4fUJNEb5Xwy2laiwf9XlBNQwNP7HdykFVVTWvL9TctPW9FtTXsOq2oaCc3IWMtc3iguXd-8qlSPnHlK1c5MeTF9rq4U8PNJx0NWhz6e_zAsocHrZu/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlkilYzl7WyzNk3fi2oO2NP7pA5uZ4fUJNEb5Xwy2laiwf9XlBNQwNP7HdykFVVTWvL9TctPW9FtTXsOq2oaCc3IWMtc3iguXd-8qlSPnHlK1c5MeTF9rq4U8PNJx0NWhz6e_zAsocHrZu/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Customers queue to withdraw hyrvnia currency from an automated teller machine (ATM) outside a Privatbank CJSC bank branch in Kiev on Feb. 20, 2014. Vincent Mundy/Bloomberg</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Ukraine Vows To Protect Bank Deposits As Government Vote Delayed -- Bloomberg</b></span></div><br />Ukraine is weighing measures to stem cash withdrawals after as much as 7 percent of deposits were taken from banks during last week’s bloody uprising, underscoring the need for action to fend off a default.<br /><br />Withdrawals peaked with as much as 30 billion hryvnias ($3.1 billion) Feb. 18-20 as police and anti-government demonstrators fought in the center of Kiev, Natsionalnyi Bank Ukrainy Governor Stepan Kubiv, 51, appointed Feb. 24, said yesterday in his first interview.<br /><br />The interim government is scrambling to secure as much as $35 billion in financial aid to fend off a possible default. Acting President Oleksandr Turchynov yesterday pushed back a parliamentary vote on the formation of a new administration to Feb. 27 after indicating that a new administration should be formed quickly. The U.S. and the European Union have pledged support to the new government. <br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-02-25/ukraine-central-bank-seeks-to-halt-deposit-outflow-after-7-drop.html">Read more</a></b> ....<br /><br /><b>Previous Post:</b> <a href="http://warnewsupdates.blogspot.ca/2014/02/ukraines-economy-will-collapse.html">Ukraine's Economy Will Collapse</a><br /><br /><b>Update: </b><a href="http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-02-25/bank-run-full-frontal-ukrainians-withdrew-7-all-deposits-two-days">Bank Run Full Frontal: Ukrainians Withdrew 7% Of All Deposits In Two Days</a> -- Zero Hedge<br /><br /><b>My Comment: </b>I first reported on these bank runs<b><a href="http://warnewsupdates.blogspot.ca/2014/02/what-is-ukraines-future.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+WarNewsUpdates+%28War+News+Updates%29"> a few days ago</a></b> .... but it appears that the situation has gotten worse <b><a href="http://rt.com/news/panic-ukraine-shops-banks-069/">from last week.</a></b> Russian banks are also now <b><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/25/ukraine-banks-fitch-idUSL1N0LU0Z720140225">dangerously exposed</a></b> .... raising fears in Moscow. Ukraine needs emergency funding now .... but I just do not see that happening. The EU has limited resources. The U.S. is not going to give money .... certainly not the tens of billions that Ukraine needs. And Russia .... they do not even recognize the new political leaders in Kiev. And as much as the EU, Russia, and the U.S. try their best to calm the situation .... when it comes to money in an emergency situation no one is going to trust what the government is saying. Bottom line .... this is not going to end well.

Bank Runs By Depositors Is Putting Ukraine's Economy At The Brink Of Collapse

Customers queue to withdraw hyrvnia currency from an automated teller machine (ATM) outside a Privatbank CJSC bank branch in Kiev on Feb. 20...

Is This The Kremlin Plan To Divide Ukraine?

10:00 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM93IzPkjZU2eL7MyZjmM8lL7CGZyB9QC99jckTcw_xJ1ecZ53klCViDBPdEQkvKDwAOYhGAo5SdIGkjlF3czXg3vMoPumEPJs_BjKQ8pocjdB0BTgTcEjpoYh2LIzyZg3oxg4HY3XwoN8/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM93IzPkjZU2eL7MyZjmM8lL7CGZyB9QC99jckTcw_xJ1ecZ53klCViDBPdEQkvKDwAOYhGAo5SdIGkjlF3czXg3vMoPumEPJs_BjKQ8pocjdB0BTgTcEjpoYh2LIzyZg3oxg4HY3XwoN8/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">A map linked to a petition calling on Vladimir Putin to invade eastern Ukraine, showed how Ukraine would look if Moscow annexed its eastern regions, creating a separate country or super-region called 'New Russia' (in red) from Ukraine (in green)</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Is This The Kremlin plan To Divide Ukraine? 100,000 Russians Sign Call For 'New Russia’ Which Would Include Crimea – And Then Map Disappears From Website -- Daily Mail</b></span></div><br />* In under 24 hours, almost 100,000 had signed support for dividing country<br />* Politicians who have taken power in Ukraine see a threat in such a scenario<br />* Issued strong warnings over risk of separatism in Russian-speaking areas<br />* Putin has so far remained silent on his intentions over Ukraine crisis<br />* But he met with his top security aides yesterday to discuss the matters<br /><br />An online petition calling on Vladimir Putin to invade eastern Ukraine was dramatically deleted today after it went viral on the Russian-language web.<br /><br />A map linked to the petition showed how Ukraine would look if Moscow annexed its eastern regions, creating a separate country or super-region called 'New Russia'.<br /><br />In less than 24 hours, almost 100,000 had expressed support for dividing the country.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2567800/Is-Kremlin-plan-divide-Ukraine-100-000-Russians-sign-call-New-Russia-include-Crimea-map-disappears-website.html">Read more</a></b> ....<br /><br /><b>My Comment</b>: For the moment .... the sentiment among the Russian community in Ukraine on breaking-away is more of a "wait and see" altitude rather than rushing to be fully integrated with Russia. But if Ukrainian nationalists take control and start passing laws that discriminate against the Russian community .... expect blow-back and a call to split Ukraine.<br /><br />On a side note .... for the past few days Putin has been silent on the Ukraine crisis .... when he is like that is when you know that he is plotting something.<br /><br /><b>Update:</b> Oh oh .... this is ominous .... <b><a href="http://en.ria.ru/world/20140226/187893079/Moscow-Slams-Ukraines-Bill-on-Curtailing-Russian.html">Moscow Slams Ukraine’s Bill on Curtailing Russian</a></b> -- RIA Novosti

Is This The Kremlin Plan To Divide Ukraine?

A map linked to a petition calling on Vladimir Putin to invade eastern Ukraine, showed how Ukraine would look if Moscow annexed its eastern ...

Picture Of The Day

9:45 PM Tukiyooo 0

Picture Of The Day

EXERCISE SECURITY A U.S. soldier, front, provides security as members assigned to the Trinidad and Tobago defense force travel to Chacachaca...

Defense Spending Cartoons

9:30 PM Tukiyooo 0

Defense Spending Cartoons

WNU Editor : This gallery of cartoons can be seen here.

CIA Chief Made A Secret Trip To Pakistan Last Week

9:25 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihy3Wd_Wq0gK44zZ3Zz1x80YscahokF4-_qix7uIpIgtQ5kSEtnSiOOo0eA8ZglNryCHmq_q21Vixv6Njn8GHklhdkkjJKUSz4cji2IZeTfQqgcAEbPln9x6qjXsnjOP1TvNd6fFfKWsS3/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihy3Wd_Wq0gK44zZ3Zz1x80YscahokF4-_qix7uIpIgtQ5kSEtnSiOOo0eA8ZglNryCHmq_q21Vixv6Njn8GHklhdkkjJKUSz4cji2IZeTfQqgcAEbPln9x6qjXsnjOP1TvNd6fFfKWsS3/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">President Obama and CIA Director John Brennan (<a href="http://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/2013/01/09/new-questions-over-cia-nominee-john-brennans-denial-of-civilian-drone-deaths/">White House/ Pete Souza</a>)</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>CIA Chief Made Secret Trip To Pakistan -- Express Tribune</b></span></div><br />ISLAMABAD: The head of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) paid a secret visit to Pakistan last week to discuss key issues concerning the regional security particularly the Afghan endgame.<br /><br />A senior security official confirmed to The Express Tribune that CIA Director John Brennan traveled to Islamabad last Friday and held meetings with Army Chief General Raheel Sharif and his Pakistani counterpart Lt General Zaheerul Islam.<br /><br />However, the official, who requested anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to the media, insisted that he only ‘paid a courtesy call’ on the Army Chief. “It was a routine visit,” the official added.<br /><br />This was the first visit by the US spymaster to Pakistan since he was appointed CIA chief in March 2013.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/675792/cia-chief-made-secret-trip-to-pakistan/">Read more</a></b> ....<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>More News On CIA Director Brennan Making A "Secret Trip" To Pakistan</b></span></div><br /><a href="http://zeenews.india.com/news/south-asia/cia-chief-made-clandestine-visit-to-pakistan-report_913691.html">CIA chief made clandestine visit to Pakistan: Report</a> -- Zee News<br /><a href="http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-13-28744-CIA-chief-visits-Pindi-meets-army-chief">CIA chief visits Pindi, meets army chief </a>-- International News<br /><a href="http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/cia-chief-made-clandestine-visit-to-pakistan/article1-1187735.aspx">CIA chief made clandestine visit to Pakistan</a> -- Hindustan Times<br /><a href="http://twocircles.net/2014feb24/cia_chief_meets_isi_officials_pakistan_army_chief.html">CIA chief meets ISI officials, Pakistan army chief</a> -- Two Circles<br /><a href="http://thefrontierpost.com/article/78012/CIA-chief-meets-ISI-Army-chiefs/">CIA chief meets ISI, Army chiefs </a>-- Frontier Post<br /><br /><b>My Comment</b>: They are calling the CIA Director's visit a "courtesy call" .... yeah right. It is not hard to figure out what was discussed .... the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, Al Qaeda and other terror groups, CIA conducting drone strikes, sharing intelligence, and arms deals.

CIA Chief Made A Secret Trip To Pakistan Last Week

President Obama and CIA Director John Brennan ( White House/ Pete Souza ) CIA Chief Made Secret Trip To Pakistan -- Express Tribune ISLAMABA...

Pakistan Is Poised To Launch Major Military Operations In North Waziristan

9:20 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcMMLYUqa6pZyObJNWcd_tSeMehq4QP36n-YRnzQxa3lILz2jxGTlo-smZG0g132SYDTNdB3cD8kfJ5010ekP-4OpWGuw1O4DfV0O18dr4A8LPYpau7f1X5X8t5DpsMZEF86sMhyphenhyphen9_BJvt/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcMMLYUqa6pZyObJNWcd_tSeMehq4QP36n-YRnzQxa3lILz2jxGTlo-smZG0g132SYDTNdB3cD8kfJ5010ekP-4OpWGuw1O4DfV0O18dr4A8LPYpau7f1X5X8t5DpsMZEF86sMhyphenhyphen9_BJvt/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Pakistan Plans Military Operation In North Waziristan, Targeting Extremist Groups -- Washington Post</b></span></div><br />The Pakistani government is on the verge of launching a major military offensive in the North Waziristan tribal region following a series of brutal Taliban attacks in recent weeks and the apparent failure of peace talks with the militants, according to a senior Pakistani official.<br /><br />“It could be any day,” said the official, who added that military plans have been shared with top U.S. officials who have long urged an offensive.<br /><br />Planning for the operation comes amid a Pakistan-requested pause in U.S. drone strikes now entering its third month — the longest period without an attack in more than two years — and a series of high-level U.S.-Pakistan meetings.<br /><br />Pakistan’s defense secretary, Asif Yasin Malik, is currently heading a delegation of security officials in Washington. CIA Director John Brennan quietly visited Pakistan last week, days after Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, head of the U.S. Central Command, held meetings at military headquarters in Rawalpindi. <br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/pakistan-plans-military-operation-in-north-waziristan-targeting-extremist-groups/2014/02/25/b37cc58e-9d9e-11e3-b8d8-94577ff66b28_story.html">Read more</a></b> ....<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>More News On Reports That Pakistan Is Preparing To Launch Military Operations Against The Taliban In North Waziristan</b></span></div><br /><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/25/us-pakistan-airstrikes-idUSBREA1O1X820140225">Pakistan launches new strikes near Afghan border; warns militants</a> -- Reuters<br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/pakistan-poised-for-offensive-in-north-waziristan/2014/02/25/10db127c-9e6b-11e3-878c-65222df220eb_story.html">Pakistan poised for offensive in North Waziristan</a> -- Washington Post/AP<br /><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-26333578">Pakistan air strikes against militants in tribal areas</a> -- BBC<br /><a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/news/southasia/2014/02/pakistan-airstrikes-hit-tribal-areas-201422543128730317.html">Pakistan jets strike Taliban in tribal areas</a> -- Al Jazeera<br /><a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/afp/140225/pakistan-airstrikes-northwest-kill-30-0">Pakistan airstrikes in northwest kill 30</a> -- Global Post/AFP<br /><a href="http://english.alarabiya.net/en/views/2014/02/25/Why-Pakistan-is-on-the-verge-of-new-civil-war-.html">Why Pakistan is on the verge of a new civil war</a> -- Mansoor Jafar, Al Arabiya

Pakistan Is Poised To Launch Major Military Operations In North Waziristan

Pakistan Plans Military Operation In North Waziristan, Targeting Extremist Groups -- Washington Post The Pakistani government is on the verg...

Pakistan Warns That A Complete U.S. Withdrawal From Afghanistan Will Mean Civil War

9:15 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.defense.gov/imgHandler.ashx?h=350&w=0&img=/dodcmsshare/photoessay/2014-02/hires_140217-A-RU942-139a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.defense.gov/imgHandler.ashx?h=350&w=0&img=/dodcmsshare/photoessay/2014-02/hires_140217-A-RU942-139a.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Afghan army Maj. Gen. Mohammad Yaftali, center, commanding general of the 203rd Thunder Corps, observes engineering equipment during the ceremony to mark the first anniversary of the engineer corps on Forward Operating Base Thunder in Afghanistan's Paktya province, Feb. 17, 2014. U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Dixie Rae Liwanag</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Complete US Withdrawal From Afghanistan Means Civil War, Pakistani Warns -- Christian Science Monitor</b></span></div><br /><i>Seeing President Karzai as unlikely to sign the Bilateral Security Agreement, President Obama has directed the Pentagon to prepare for a full withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan.</i><br /><br />If the Obama administration follows through with threats for a “zero option” in Afghanistan, meaning no US troops would be left on the ground after 2014, the move could usher in civil war, a senior Pakistani official warned Tuesday.<br /><br />The departure of US forces would likely create “mayhem” in the country, which could ultimately prompt one third of Afghan security forces to desert their posts in the Army and police, the official said in remarks at the Center for Media and Security in Washington, D.C.<br /><br />“The zero option means a civil war in Afghanistan,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Security-Watch/2014/0225/Complete-US-withdrawal-from-Afghanistan-means-civil-war-Pakistani-warns">Read more</a></b> ....<br /><br /><b>Update:</b> <a href="http://www.defensenews.com/article/20140225/DEFREG02/302250036/Pakistani-Official-US-Withdrawal-from-Afghanistan-2014-Means-Civil-War-?odyssey=nav|head">Pakistani Official: US Withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2014 'Means Civil War' </a>-- Defense News<br /><br /><b>My Comment: </b>There is already a civil war in Afghanistan with U.S. soldiers present .... I guess this Pakistani official was implying that it would get worse.

Pakistan Warns That A Complete U.S. Withdrawal From Afghanistan Will Mean Civil War

Afghan army Maj. Gen. Mohammad Yaftali, center, commanding general of the 203rd Thunder Corps, observes engineering equipment during the cer...

U.S. Intensifies It's Campaign Against The Taliban-Linked Haqqani Network

9:10 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.defense.gov/imgHandler.ashx?h=318&w=478&img=/dodcmsshare/homepagephoto/2014-02/hires_140218-F-VY794-604c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.defense.gov/imgHandler.ashx?h=318&w=478&img=/dodcmsshare/homepagephoto/2014-02/hires_140218-F-VY794-604c.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">A U.S. Marine performs battlefield movements during a live-fire exercise at Arta Range, Djibouti, Feb. 18, 2014. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Staci Miller</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Eyeing Afghan Exit, U.S. Intensifies Campaign Against Haqqani Militants -- Reuters</b></span></div><br />KABUL/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States has intensified its drive against the Taliban-linked Haqqani network in an attempt to deal a lasting blow to the militants in Afghanistan before foreign combat forces depart this year, according to multiple U.S. officials.<br /><br />The effort is taking on added urgency as the clock ticks down on a NATO combat mission in Afghanistan set to end in December, and as questions persist about whether Pakistan will take action against a group some U.S. officials believe is quietly supported by Pakistani intelligence.<br /><br />The Obama administration has created a special new unit based in Kabul to coordinate efforts against the militant group, according to officials familiar with the matter. It was set up late last year, as part of a new strategy that involves multiple government agencies.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://ca.reuters.com/article/topNews/idCABREA1O1SV20140225">Read more</a></b> ....<br /><br /><b>My Comment:</b> This focus on the Haqqani network is long overdue .... they should have done this years ago.

U.S. Intensifies It's Campaign Against The Taliban-Linked Haqqani Network

A U.S. Marine performs battlefield movements during a live-fire exercise at Arta Range, Djibouti, Feb. 18, 2014. U.S. Air Force photo by Sta...

Will The U.S. Withdraw All Of It's Forces From Afghanistan?

9:05 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/9_HhLZVn72E" width="560"></iframe><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>No Bluff: U.S. Planning Possible Withdrawal Of All Troops From Afghanistan -- Barbara Starr and Tom Cohen, CNN</b></span></div><br />Washington (CNN) -- We're not bluffing, the Obama administration told Afghanistan on Tuesday in announcing for the first time it has started planning for the possible withdrawal of all U.S. troops by the end of the year if no security agreement is signed.<br /><br />Statements by the White House and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel showed President Barack Obama's impatience with Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai's refusal to sign the agreement that would keep several thousand American troops in the country after combat operations conclude this year.<br /><br />In a phone call with Karzai on Tuesday to discuss upcoming elections for a new Afghan leader, Obama made clear that time was running out to properly plan for keeping any U.S. forces in the country beyond 2014, the White House said.<br /><br />Meanwhile, a senior Pakistani official warned that pulling out U.S. troops could have dire consequences, leading to a civil war in Afghanistan.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/25/politics/us-afghanistan-troops/">Read more</a></b> ....<br /><br /><b>My Comment:</b> The U.S. left Iraq .... a far more important strategic country to the U.S. than Afghanistan. So .... will the U.S. do the same for Afghanistan .... I must confess that a part of me is hoping that this will be the case. But realistically .... I doubt that such a withdrawal is going to happen. The return of safe havens for terror groups in Afghanistan would be a major strategic failure for the U.S.  .... and it would be a lasting legacy for the Obama administration .... a legacy that I am sure President Obama will not want.. My prediction .... Karzai's predecessor will sign the agreement, and there will be a few thousand U.S. soldiers and advisers in the field conducting training programs and .... if need be .... special ops against terror leaders.

Will The U.S. Withdraw All Of It's Forces From Afghanistan?

No Bluff: U.S. Planning Possible Withdrawal Of All Troops From Afghanistan -- Barbara Starr and Tom Cohen, CNN Washington (CNN) -- We're...

President Obama Orders The Pentagon To Prepare For A Complete Withdrawal From Afghanistan (Updated)

9:01 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Gbtev47sYX4" width="560"></iframe><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Obama to Karzai: No Post-2014 Presence Without Signed Security Agreement -- Voice of America</b></span></div><br />THE WHITE HOUSE — President Obama called Afghan President Karzai on Tuesday to reiterate that there will be no U.S. troop presence on the ground in Afghanistan unless the Afghan government signs a bilateral security agreement.<br /><br />Before they spoke on the phone Tuesday, Obama and Karzai were not known to have spoken for months.<br /><br />The Afghan leader has refused to sign the Bilateral Security Agreement that the United States and NATO insist is necessary to plan for a post-2014 troop presence to support counter-terrorism and training of Afghan forces.<br /><br />White House Press Secretary Jay Carney expressed growing concerns on Tuesday.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.voanews.com/content/obama-tells-pentagon-to-prepare-for-complete-afghan-pullout/1858909.html">Read more</a></b> ....<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>More News On Reports That President Obama Is Considering The Zero Option For Afghanistan</b></span></div><br /><a href="http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=121710">Contingency Plans Begin for Possible Full Afghanistan Withdrawal </a>-- US Department of Defense<br /><a href="http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304834704579405112343045736?mg=reno64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052702304834704579405112343045736.html">Obama Warns Karzai of a Pullout, But Keeps U.S. Options Open</a> -- Wall Street Journal<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/26/world/asia/obama-keeps-options-open-in-afghanistan.html?gwh=120522722E9EC12F12DEE4441BFDEB45&gwt=pay">Obama Tells Karzai He Is Moving Ahead Without Him </a>-- New York Times<br /><a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/feb/25/obama-karzai-us-troops-prepping-leave/">Obama to Karzai: U.S. troops prepping to leave </a>-- Washington Times<br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/obama-orders-pentagon-to-prepare-for-complete-withdrawal-from-afghanistan/2014/02/25/cfae2206-9e49-11e3-a050-dc3322a94fa7_story.html">Obama orders Pentagon to prepare for complete withdrawal from Afghanistan </a>-- Washington Post<br /><a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/news/military/pentagon-readies-plans-troop-withdrawal-afghanistan-n38396">Pentagon Readies Plans For Troop Withdrawal From Afghanistan</a> -- NBC<br /><a href="http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2014/02/25/219294/obama-speaks-with-karzai-presses.html">Obama speaks with Karzai, presses on post-combat security agreement</a> -- McClatchy News<br /><a href="http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2014/02/25/Obama-tells-Karzai-US-will-plan-for-2014-withdrawal-from-Afghanistan/5381393353979/">Obama tells Karzai U.S. will plan for 2014 withdrawal from Afghanistan</a> -- UPI<br /><a href="http://www.dw.de/us-warns-afghanistan-of-complete-troop-pullout-without-security-deal/a-17456971">US warns Afghanistan of complete troop pullout without security deal</a> -- Deutsche Welle<br /><a href="http://www.voanews.com/content/obama-tells-pentagon-to-prepare-for-complete-afghan-pullout/1859012.html">Obama Tells Pentagon to Prepare for Complete Afghan Pullout</a> -- Voice of America<br /><a href="http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-02-25/obama-asks-pentagon-to-ready-full-afghan-withdrawal-this-year">Obama Asks Pentagon to Prepare for Full Afghan Withdrawal</a> -- Bloomberg Businessweek<br /><a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/afp/140225/obama-warns-karzai-security-deal">Obama warns Karzai on security deal</a> -- Global Post/AFP<br /><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/25/obama-pentagon-us-troops-withdrawal-afghanistan">Obama orders Pentagon to prepare for full troop withdrawal from Afghanistan</a> -- The Guardian<br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/obama-karzai-discuss-stalled-security-agreement/2014/02/25/f4bc74a4-9e39-11e3-878c-65222df220eb_story.html">Obama tells Pentagon to plan for Afghan pullout</a> -- Washington Post/AP<br /><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/25/us-afghanistan-usa-obama-idUSBREA1O1B420140225">Obama prepared to leave no troops in Afghanistan after 2014</a> -- Reuters<br /><a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/02/25/obama-discusses-stalled-security-agreement-with-afghan-president-karzai/">Obama asks Pentagon for complete Afghanistan withdrawal plan, speaks with Karzai</a> -- FOX News<br /><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-26346115">US planning full Afghan pullout, Obama tells Karzai</a> -- BBC<br /><a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/news/americas/2014/02/us-plans-full-troop-pullout-from-afghanistan-201422517730747909.html">US plans full troop pullout from Afghanistan </a>-- Al Jazeera<br /><a href="http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/120186-obama-warns-karzai-on-security-deal">Obama Warns Karzai on Security Deal</a> -- Naharnet<br /><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2014/02/25/obama-warns-karzai-bsa/5808959/">Obama warns Karzai he's running out of time for BSA </a>-- USA Today<br /><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/24/nato-talks-afghanistan-obama-zero-option">NATO To Hold Crunch Afghanistan Talks As Obama Weighs Military 'Zero Option' </a>-- The Guardian<br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2014/02/25/obama-about-to-repeat-iraq-disaster/">Obama about to repeat Iraq disaster </a>-- Jennifer Rubin, Washington Post<br /><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/02/25/readout-president-obama-s-call-president-karzai">Readout of President Obama’s Call with President Karzai </a>-- White House

President Obama Orders The Pentagon To Prepare For A Complete Withdrawal From Afghanistan (Updated)

Obama to Karzai: No Post-2014 Presence Without Signed Security Agreement -- Voice of America THE WHITE HOUSE — President Obama called Afghan...

Pentagon Proposes Massive Cuts In The U.S. Military Budget -- News Updates And Roundup (Updated)

9:00 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/-gjwAcQi18U" width="560"></iframe><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Hagel Outlines Budget Reducing Troop Strength, Force Structure -- US Department of Defense</b></span></div><br />WASHINGTON, Feb. 24, 2014 – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has proposed cuts in military spending that include further reductions in troop strength and force structure in every military service in the coming year as part of an effort to prioritize U.S. strategic interests in the face of reduced resources after more than a decade of war.<br /><br />At a Pentagon news conference today detailing President Barack Obama’s proposed Pentagon budget for fiscal year 2015, Hagel called the reductions -- including shrinking the Army to its smallest size since before World War II and eliminating an entire fleet of Air Force fighter planes -- “difficult choices” that will change defense institutions for years to come, but designed to leave the military capable of fulfilling U.S. defense strategy and defending the homeland against strategic threats.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=121703">Read more </a></b>....<br /><br /><object data="http://www.bloomberg.com/video/embed/TJp5ZoxiT5qOMyMKPSFCKA?height=395&width=640" height="430" style="overflow: hidden;" width="640"></object><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>More News On The Pentagon Proposing Massive Cuts In The U.S. Military Budget (Evening Updates)</b></span></div><br /><a href="http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303880604579403053470965422?mg=reno64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052702303880604579403053470965422.html">Hagel's Military Budget Focuses on Changing Threats</a> -- Wall Street Journal<br /><a href="http://www.dodbuzz.com/2014/02/24/winners-and-losers-in-the-2015-budget/">Winners and Losers in the 2015 Budget </a>-- DoD Buzz<br /><a href="http://defensetech.org/2014/02/24/hagel-moves-to-kill-cold-war-aircraft-fleets/#more-22401">Hagel Moves to Kill Cold War Fleets </a>-- Defense Tech<br /><a href="http://www.stripes.com/news/navy/hagel-orders-cut-to-lcs-plans-reduced-operations-for-carriers-1.269789">Hagel orders cut to LCS plans; reduced operations for carriers</a> -- Stars and Stripes<br /><a href="http://www.defensenews.com/article/20140224/DEFREG02/302240026/Pentagon-Changes-Course-Halts-LCS-32-Ships">Pentagon Changes Course, Halts LCS at 32 Ships</a> -- Defense News<br /><a href="http://www.nti.org/gsn/article/hagels-cuts-us-military-retain-nuclear-triad/">Nuclear Triad to Survive Hagel Cuts in Pentagon Spending </a>-- Global Security Newswire<br /><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2566638/Hagel-proposes-big-cuts-Army-2015-budget.html#ixzz2uH9GdzNZ">'American Dominance In The Seas, Sky And Space can No Longer Be Taken For Granted,' Admits Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel As He Slashes Army To Smallest Size In 74 YEARS</a> -- Daily Mail<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/24/us/politics/pentagon-plans-to-shrink-army-to-pre-world-war-ii-level.html?_r=0">Pentagon Plans to Shrink Army to Pre-World War II Level</a> -- New York Times<br /><a href="http://rt.com/usa/us-military-cuts-budget-423/">US military plans steep cutbacks, roils ranks </a>-- RT<br /><a href="http://www.defensenews.com/article/20140224/DEFREG02/302240029/Pentagon-Ground-Forces-Can-Fight-One-Theater-Support-Air-Sea-Forces-Another">Pentagon: Ground Forces Can Fight in One Theater, Support Air, Sea Forces in Another</a> -- Defense News<br /><a href="http://money.cnn.com/2014/02/25/news/economy/commissary-budget-cuts/">$3,000 hike slated for military family grocery bills</a> -- CNN<br /><a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/military-spending-cuts/big-bite-pentagon-budget-cuts-could-raise-troops-grocery-bills-n37726">Big Bite: Pentagon Budget Cuts Could Raise Troops' Grocery Bills </a>-- NBC<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Morning Updates On The Pentagon's Proposal For Massive Cuts In The U.S. Military Budget</b></span></div><br /><a href="http://www.defense.gov/news/">Secretary of Defense Speech Outlining Budget Reducing Troop Strength, Force Structure</a> -- US Department of Defense<br /><a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/feb/24/hagel-to-propose-big-cuts-in-army-in-2015-budget/">Hagel says US military must shrink to face new era </a>-- Washington Times<br /><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/25/us-usa-defense-budget-weapons-factbox-idUSBREA1N1P120140225">Factbox: How Pentagon's 2015 budget affects key weapons programs</a> -- Reuters<br /><a href="http://www.dodbuzz.com/2014/02/24/winners-and-losers-in-the-2015-budget/">Winners and Losers in the 2015 Budget</a> -- DoD Buzz<br /><a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/military-spending-cuts/winners-losers-pentagons-new-budget-n37626">Winners, Losers in Pentagon's New Budget</a> -- NBC<br /><a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5j1E4GZD-3YYRKxC6etxYbguQw0eg?docId=3cc2a2ce-9cff-4354-9579-7e77d29c124f">Pentagon budget looks to leaner, more hi-tech force</a> -- AFP<br /><a href="http://mashable.com/2014/02/24/proposed-u-s-military-budget-cuts/">Defense Secretary Proposes Big Cuts to U.S. Military Spending </a>-- Mashable<br /><a href="http://www.ibtimes.com/pentagon-about-undergo-these-major-budget-cuts-1557630">The Pentagon Is About To Undergo These Major Budget Cuts</a> -- IBTimes<br /><a href="http://www.cnbc.com/id/101441175">The Pentagon's new budget: Who wins and who loses</a> -- CNBC<br /><a href="http://www.military.com/daily-news/2014/02/24/proposed-budget-cuts-benefits-end-stength-ships.html?comp=7000024213943&rank=1">Proposed Budget Cuts Benefits, End Strength, Ships</a> -- Military.com<br /><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-26326969">Pentagon's Chuck Hagel plans to downsize US military </a>-- BBC<br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/pentagon-blueprint-would-cut-army-size-as-military-adjusts-to-leaner-budgets/2014/02/24/c029e2b4-9d8d-11e3-9ba6-800d1192d08b_story.html">Pentagon blueprint would cut Army size as military adjusts to leaner budgets</a> -- Washington Post<br /><a href="http://in.reuters.com/article/2014/02/25/usa-budget-defense-idINL1N0LT1IC20140225">Budget cuts to slash U.S. Army to smallest since before World War Two</a> -- Reuters<br /><a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iqSLM097v9zSy_mekFYs5om9LQbg?docId=4c68e3c6-ab69-4bd4-980f-f192b2892c87">Pentagon plans to shrink US Army to pre-WWII level</a> -- AFP<br /><a href="http://www.voanews.com/content/report-us-army-to-shrink-to-preworld-war-two-levels/1857855.html">US Army to Shrink to Pre-World War II Levels</a> -- Voice of America<br /><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/02/24/pentagon-budget-sequestration-army-size/5775291/">New Pentagon budget calls for smaller Army, pay changes</a> -- USA Today<br /><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2014/02/pentagon-proposes-cutting-the-army-to-pre-wwii-level/">Pentagon Proposes Cutting the Army to Pre-WWII Level </a>-- ABC News<br /><a href="http://www.military.com/daily-news/2014/02/24/hagel-budgets-for-smallest-army-since-world-war-ii.html?comp=700001075741&rank=2">Hagel Budgets for Smallest Army Since World War II</a> -- Military.com<br /><a href="http://www.euronews.com/2014/02/24/washington-plans-to-shrink-us-army-to-smallest-size-since-pearl-harbor/">Washington plans to shrink US Army to smallest size since Pearl Harbor </a>-- Euronews<br /><a href="http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2014-02-24/hagel-to-propose-big-cuts-in-army-in-2015-budget">Hagel to propose big cuts in Army in 2015 budget</a> -- AP<br /><a href="http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/feb/24/defense-budget-2015-preview/">DOD budget: Smaller army, more drones </a>-- UT Sand Diego<br /><a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Security-Watch/2014/0224/Pentagon-plan-to-downsize-Army-a-sign-of-US-reluctance-to-nation-build">Pentagon plan to downsize Army: a sign of US reluctance to nation-build</a> -- Christian Science Monitor<br /><a href="http://www.military.com/daily-news/2014/02/24/defense-budget-would-cut-troop-pay-and-benefits.html?comp=700001075741&rank=1">Defense Budget Would Cut Troop Pay and Benefits</a> -- Military.com<br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/federal-eye/wp/2014/02/24/pentagon-budget-would-cut-military-medical-benefits-and-commissary-funding/">Pentagon budget would cut military health benefits and commissary funds </a>-- Washington Post<br /><a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/02/24/3957934/proposed-defense-cuts-would-hit.html">Proposed defense cuts would hit some bases, spare others</a> -- Miami Herald/McClatchy News<br /><a href="http://www.armytimes.com/article/20140224/NEWS05/302240038/Hagel-Ground-forces-can-fight-one-theater-support-air-sea-forces-another">Hagel: Ground forces can fight in one theater, support air, sea forces in another </a>-- Army Times<br /><a href="http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/pentagon-budget-reflects-changing-conflicts">Pentagon budget confronts sequestration, end of Afghanistan war</a> -- MSNBC<br /><a href="http://www.defenseone.com/management/2014/02/pentagons-post-war-budget-marks-end-war-era/79288/?oref=d-channelriver">Pentagon’s Post-War Budget Marks End of War Era</a> -- Stephanie Gaskell, Defense One <br /><a href="http://www.defenseone.com/management/2014/02/winner-and-losers-obamas-defense-spending-request/79273/?oref=d-channelriver">The Winners and Losers in Obama’s Defense Spending Request</a> -- Sara Sorcher and Jordain Carney, Defense One/National Journal<br /><a href="http://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2014/02/pentagon-picking-unnecessary-fight-congress/79279/?oref=d-channelriver">The Pentagon Is Picking an Unnecessary Fight With Congress</a> -- James Joyner, Defense One<br /><a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2014/02/24/chuck_hagel_proposes_military_cuts_the_latest_from_ukraine_and_more_from.html?wpisrc=burger_bar">The New American Way of War</a> -- Josh Voorhees, Slate

Pentagon Proposes Massive Cuts In The U.S. Military Budget -- News Updates And Roundup (Updated)

Hagel Outlines Budget Reducing Troop Strength, Force Structure -- US Department of Defense WASHINGTON, Feb. 24, 2014 – Defense Secretary Chu...