Time to take side....

[sunny]

Junta Stations New Missile Battalion on Border

Burma has positioned a new air defense missile battalion close to the Thailand-Burma border, according to sources at the Coastal Regional Military Command in Mergui, also known as Myeik, in southern Burma.

“A new air defense battalion has been stationed in Aung Thar Warya Village in Palaw Township, Tenasserim Division,” said the source.

The new battalion is under the command of No.2 Air Defense Operation Command in Mergui, which was established in 2002 to control the air defense system along the southern Thai-Burma border.

http://irrawaddy.org/articlefiles/22857-air400.jpg
Tunguska-M1 Air Defense Systems

The military source said the battalion is made up of at least 12 Russian-made Tunguska M1 air defense vehicles teamed with three sets of surface-to-air missiles.

The Tunguska truck carries self-propelled, anti-aircraft gun and surface-to-air missile systems.
Normally, Burmese air defense battalions are also equipped with 57 mm and 40 mm anti-aircraft auto-cannons, 37 mm anti-aircraft guns and Russia-made IGLA, a portable anti-aircraft missile (SAM).

Besides deploying new air defense battalions in the southern region, the military recently built a new radar air defense warning station in Palaw Township.

“The War Office was ordered to find the highest hill among the Tenasserim mountain range in Palaw Township for the a radar station,” said a military source.

The radar station will monitor Thailand’s air space. Burma air defense warning battalions use the GALAXY early warning radar system including 1L radar, 117 radar, P 37 radar and other P series radar systems.

The Tatmadaw, Burma's military, has sent junior officers in air defense battalions to Russia to be trained in portable, air defense missile systems.

[sunny]

N. Korea Warns US to Stop Military Exercises with South

North Korea has said the United States must halt plans for military exercises with South Korea, if it wants to see a nuclear-free Korean peninsula. The warning came on the sidelines of a regional security meeting in Vietnam, which U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is attending.

North Korea delivered the warning on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations' Regional Forum.

The annual security meeting brings together foreign ministers from ASEAN's 10 members as well as 16 other nations and the European Union.

A spokesman for North Korea's delegation, Ri Tong Il, told journalists the United States must call off military exercises planned with South Korea for Sunday.

He says the military exercises and sanctions imposed on the North do not facilitate a dialog. He says the United States should "practically contribute" to peace in the region.

The exercises are intended as a show of force against North Korea after the sinking of a South Korean navy ship in March that killed 46 sailors.

Washington and Seoul say a North Korean torpedo sunk the ship. Pyongyang denies it was responsible.

On Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced further sanctions against Pyongyang.

Clinton and South Korea's foreign minister are also attending the ASEAN meetings in Hanoi, where further discussion of North Korea and its pursuit of nuclear weapons are expected to be high on the agenda.

ASEAN's members are Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

[sunny]

US dismisses NKorean warning that military drills could lead to war; cautions on provocations
By: Robert Burns

WASHINGTON - American officials on Thursday brushed aside North Korea's warning that new U.S. financial sanctions against the communist regime and the staging of military manoeuvrs off the Korean coast this weekend raises the risk of war.

Verbal skirmishes between the U.S. and North Korea are common, but the latest one comes amid new expressions of concern by U.S. officials that relations with Pyongyang have entered a dangerous period marked by military provocations.

Those concerns prompted the Pentagon to schedule large-scale air and naval exercises with South Korea, to include the USS George Washington, a Nimitz-class nuclear powered carrier, and the first-ever use of the U.S. Air Force's F-22 stealth fighter in South Korea.

The military drills, code-named "Invincible Spirit," are to run Sunday through Wednesday with about 8,000 U.S. and South Korean troops, about 20 ships and submarines and 200 aircraft. It is to be the first in a series of U.S.-South Korean exercises to be conducted in the Sea of Japan off Korea's east coast and in the Yellow Sea closer to China's shores.

The George Washington will participate in the first exercise, in the Sea of Japan, but there are no plans for it to enter the Yellow Sea for subsequent exercises this summer, a senior defence official said Thursday. The official, who is privy to details of planning for the exercises, spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly.

China, a traditional North Korean ally, has voiced concerns that military drills in the Yellow Sea could inflame tensions on the Korean peninsula, especially if it involves the George Washington, which is among the most powerful symbols of America's global military reach.

North Korea warned the U.S. against attempting to punish Pyongyang for the Cheonan sinking at an Asia security meeting in Hanoi attended by top diplomats from both Koreas, as well as Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. A day earlier, Clinton announced that the U.S. intended to impose new and expanded sanctions against the North in coming weeks, in part to limit its ability to raise money for its nuclear weapons program.

Regarding the naval exercises, North Korean spokesman Ri Tong Il told Yonhap news agency in Hanoi, "Such a move presents a grave threat to the peace and security not only to the Korean peninsula, but to the region."

The spokesman added: "If the U.S. is really interested in the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, it should halt the military exercises and sanctions that destroy the mood for dialogue."

In Washington, State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley dismissed the Korean warning.
"North Korea has a habit of trying to deflect, you know, responsibility onto others," Crowley said.

Crowley acknowledged some U.S. officials were concerned that North Korea might use the heightened tensions to make further provocations.

"Are they capable of these kinds of steps? Tragically, the answer is yes," he said. "And the very kind of actions that we've announced in recent days, including military exercises that will be conducted in the near future, are expressly to demonstrate that we will be prepared to act in response to future North Korea provocations. We hope it won't come to that."

The U.S. has 28,500 troops based in South Korea and a treaty obligation to defend it against attack.
On a visit to Indonesia on Thursday, Defence Secretary Robert Gates was asked about the North Korean warning.

"My response to that is that I condemn their sinking of the Cheonan," Gates told reporters in Jakarta, referring to the South Korean ship that was sunk in March, killing 46 sailors.

South Korea and the U.S. accuse North Korea of torpedoing the Cheonan in violation of the military armistice that ended the Korean War in 1953; the North denies any role in the sinking.

In Seoul on Wednesday, Gates said recent aggressive actions by Pyongyang may be linked to the process of picking a replacement for North Korea's ailing, reclusive leader, Kim Jong Il.

"There has been some indication over the last number of months that as the succession process gets under way in the North that there might be provocations," Gates said.

That makes it all the more important, Gates said, to demonstrate U.S. solidarity with the South and to remind the North that they would have nothing to gain from war.

Officials said the military exercises this summer, including anti-submarine warfare training, are designed to prevent further events like the sinking of the Cheonan.

[sunny]

Pakistan army cancels U.S. talks over security checks

Pakistan's army said on Wednesday it scrapped talks with U.S. military officials after a military delegation sent to Washington had to go through "unwarranted" airport security checks.

Mistrust exists between Pakistan and the United States even though they have been allies for decades.

Security at U.S. airports has been especially stringent since the 2001 al Qaeda attacks on New York and Washington, with scores of passengers complaining they had been singled out for checks due to their "Middle Eastern" or "Muslim" appearance.

The Pakistani delegation was visiting the United States at the invitation of the U.S. military's Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"The delegation ... was subjected to unwarranted security checks at Washington airport by the U.S. Transport Security Agency," the army said in a statement.

The delegation was later cleared and U.S. defense officials expressed regret over the incident. The statement did not give the date of the visit.

"However, as a result of these checks, military authorities in Pakistan decided to cancel the visit and called the delegation back," the army said.

A U.S. embassy spokesman said talks were underway to possibly reschedule a visit.

Pakistan's Dawn newspaper said U.S. security officials detained an army brigadier who was part of the 8-member delegation at Dulles International Airport after a passenger complained he did not feel safe around the delegation.

The newspaper said the brigadier was removed from the flight and detained along with other members of the delegation after they disembarked, and were later released.

In March, a Pakistani parliamentary delegation called off a two-week U.S. trip, sponsored by the State Department, after lawmakers were tagged for further screening at Washington's airport as they were en route to New Orleans.

Washington sees Pakistan as a vital ally in the fight against militancy and wants it to crack down on Afghan Taliban militants who cross the border to attack U.S.-led NATO troops in Afghanistan.

Mistrust between the two countries involves a range of issues, from security cooperation to how aid is delivered. Anti-American sentiment runs high in Pakistan.

The U.S. has given billions of dollars in aid to Pakistan since it joined its war against al Qaeda and the Taliban in 2001.

Reuters

[hacksecrets]

Officials say second suspected US missile strike kills 2 militants in northwest Pakistan
By: Abdul Sattar,Ishtiaq Mahsud

DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan - Pakistani officials say the second suspected U.S. missile strike of the day has killed two people in the country's restive tribal region.

They said they believe both men slain in the vehicle in the village of Datta Khel in North Waziristan were foreign militants. The two intelligence officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the information to the media.

The day's first suspected U.S. missile strike killed at least five people in an area controlled by the Haqqani network. The group is battling Americans in neighbouring Afghanistan alongside the Taliban.

The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing that killed at least 43 Shiite Muslims in southwest Pakistan on Friday.

___

Sattar reported from Quetta

[sunny]

Suspected US missile strike kills 6 militants in NW Pakistan, say intelligence officials
By: Ishtiaq Mahsud

DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan - A suspected U.S. drone killed at least six militants in northwestern Pakistan on Wednesday when it fired a missile at a house linked to a group that often carries out attacks on NATO troops in neighbouring Afghanistan, intelligence officials said.

The U.S. has stepped up drone strikes in recent days, carrying out five suspected attacks in less than a week in North Waziristan, a tribal area along the border that is effectively controlled by militants at war with foreign troops in Afghanistan.

The U.S. refuses to publicly acknowledge such strikes, but officials have said privately that they have killed several senior Taliban and al-Qaida militants.

Wednesday's strike hit a house in the village of Dande Darpa Khel near Miran Shah, the main town in North Waziristan, two Pakistani intelligence officials said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.

The house was owned by Maulvi Azizullah, a member of the Haqqani network, a militant group based in North Waziristan that U.S. military officials have called the most dangerous threat to NATO troops in Afghanistan.

The Haqqani network is closely allied with the Taliban and is led by Jalaluddin Haqqani, a well-known fighter during the war against the Soviets in Afghanistan. Haqqani received support from the U.S. and Pakistan during the Soviet war but has since turned against the Americans.

The U.S. has repeatedly urged Pakistan to launch an offensive against the network, but the government has not done so, a decision many analysts believe is driven by Pakistan's desire to maintain its historical ties with the group.

The militants have refrained from launching attacks inside Pakistan, and analysts believe the government views them as an important ally once foreign troops withdraw from Afghanistan.

Without a Pakistani military offensive, the U.S. has had to rely on drone strikes to battle the group.

The Pakistani government has publicly criticized the missiles strikes as violations of its sovereignty, but many analysts suspect it actually helps the CIA carry out the attacks, especially when they target militants at war with Pakistan.

Militants have stepped up attacks in Pakistan in recent days, possibly taking advantage of the army's focus on helping millions of victims from the worst floods in the country's history. A string of four big attacks have killed at least 135 people in less than a week.

[ฅนไท]

Colombian president, Chinese defense minister hold talks on bilateral ties

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos (1st R) meets with Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie (3rd R) in Bogota, Colombia, Sept. 6, 2010. Liang Guanglie arrived in Bogota
on Sept. 4 for a three-day visit.

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and visiting Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie held talks here Monday, vowing to make joint efforts to boost bilateral military ties.
　　
Liang, also a state councilor, said ties between the two countries had been developing smoothly since diplomatic relations were established 30 years ago.
　　
China attached great importance to the development of bilateral ties and would like to make joint efforts with Colombia to further boost the ties, he said.
　　
Liang said the military ties, an important component of bilateral ties between China and Colombia, had been strengthened, with great achievements made in the fields of mutual visits and personnel training.
　　
He added that China was willing to enhance its military ties with Colombia and expand bilateral military exchanges and cooperation.
　　
Santos said he agreed with Liang on bilateral military ties, saying the two countries should join hands to continuously explore the cooperative fields.
　　
Liang also met with Colombian Defense Minister Rodrigo Rivera, and both sides agreed to promote military exchanges and cooperation.
　　
Liang arrived here Saturday for a three-day visit at the invitation of Rivera.

Visiting Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie (L, Front) meets with his Colombian counterpart Rodrigo Rivera (R, Front) in Bogota, capital of Colombia, on Sept. 6, 2010.



Visiting Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie (L) and his Colombian counterpart Rodrigo Rivera attend a joint news conference in Bogota, capital of Colombia, on Sept. 6, 2010.

Xinhua

[satan_baby]

Record number of US airstrikes hit Afghan militants in Pakistani border region

ISLAMABAD - Drone aircraft unleashed two missile attacks in a lawless tribal region on the Afghan border, making September the most intense period of U.S. strikes in Pakistan since they began in 2004, intelligence officials said.

The stepped-up campaign that included Tuesday's strikes is focused on a small area of farming villages and mountainous, thickly forested terrain controlled by the Haqqani network, a ruthless American foe in Afghanistan, U.S. officials say. There is some evidence the network is being squeezed as a result, one official said.

American officials said the airstrikes were designed to degrade the Haqqanis' operations on the Pakistani side of the border, creating a "hammer-and-anvil" effect as U.S. special operations forces carry out raids against their fighters across the frontier in Afghanistan. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing classified operations.

The missiles have killed more than 50 people in 12 strikes since Sept. 2 in the Pakistani region of North Waziristan, according to an Associated Press tally based on Pakistani intelligence officials' reports. Many struck around Datta Khel, a town of about 40,000 people that sits on a strategically vital road to the Afghan border.

The border region has long been a refuge for Islamist extremists from around the world. Osama Bin Laden and other al-Qaida leaders are believed to have fled there after the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.

U.S. and Pakistani intelligence officials said most of this month's strikes have targeted the forces of Jalaluddin and Sirajuddin Haqqani, a former anti-Soviet commander and his son who are now battling American forces in eastern Afghanistan.

The raids targeting the group in Afghanistan are led mainly by the Joint Special Operations Command. Such raids across Afghanistan are now more frequent than at any previous time in the nearly nine-year war, with some 4,000 recorded between May and August as special operations numbers were boosted by troops arriving from Iraq.

The raids have focused on the Haqqanis for the last two years, officials said.

A senior American intelligence official in Afghanistan said the U.S. had reports that Haqqani commanders were under pressure from the operations.

"We're seeing from some of the raids that some of the more senior guys are trying to move back into Pakistan," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss matters of intelligence.

The official cautioned that the Haqqanis often employ military disinformation. And so far, the official said, neither the special operations raids nor the missile strikes on the Pakistan side of the border appear to have degraded the militants' ability to fill the ranks of the slain.

But sometimes, the U.S. official said, the replacements are far less competent than their predecessors.

The Pakistan army has launched several offensives in the tribal regions over the last 2� years, but has not moved in force into North Waziristan. The U.S. is unable to send ground forces into Pakistani territory, and must rely on the drone strikes.

A major offensive in North Waziristan became even less feasible last month after massive flooding forced tens of thousands of Pakistani soldiers to focus exclusively on rescuing stranded victims, redirecting flood waters and rebuilding damaged infrastructure.

Last month also saw a lull in U.S. airstrikes, until an attack on Sept. 2 began days of repetitive missile attacks.

U.S. officials did not discuss specific reasons for the surge of airstrikes this month. A former American military official said poor weather often hampers drone operations.

Until now, the highest number of airstrikes inside Pakistan in a single month had been the 11 launched in January 2010 after a suicide bomber killed a Jordanian intelligence officer and seven CIA employees at a base in Afghanistan.

"Usually when there's this type of intensity in strikes, they're going after something specific," Bill Roggio, of the Long War Journal, which tracks the strikes, said of this month's attacks. "They hit it, watch what moves, then hit it again. It becomes an intel feedback loop," that fuels further strikes, he said.

U.S. officials do not publicly acknowledge the missile strikes but have said privately that they have killed several senior Taliban and al-Qaida militants and scores of foot soldiers in a region largely out of the control of the Pakistani state.

Critics say innocents are also killed, fueling support for the insurgency.

A Pakistani intelligence official told the AP that "most of the fighters killed in recent weeks are from the Haqqani network," adding that Arab militants had also been killed. He spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the topic.

"We live in constant fear," said Munawar Khan, 28, who lives in the nearby village of Darpa Khel. "We have missile strikes every day."

U.S. forces began targeting Pakistan's tribal regions with aerial drones in 2004 but the number of strikes soared in 2008 and has been steadily climbing since then, with nearly 70 attacks this year, according to an AP tally.

There has been little evident public or official outrage inside Pakistan in the wake of September's airstrikes, but the Pakistani government says it has not altered its long-standing objection to such attacks, which have also targeted Pakistani Taliban militants who carry out attacks inside the country.

"The position of the army and government is the same, that it harms more than it helps," said Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas, an army spokesman.

The Haqqanis worked closely with Pakistan's intelligence service during the anti-Soviet war and have not waged attacks inside Pakistan.

In Afghanistan, however, they often use suicide bombs in civilian areas and do not let suicide bombers back out of an attack, unlike the Afghan Taliban, the U.S. intelligence official told The Associated Press.

There's some disagreement in U.S. intelligence ranks as to whether the Haqqanis are part of the Taliban, or simply allied with them in what an intelligence official in the U.S. called "a marriage of convenience."

Many in the Haqqani leadership have roles as Taliban commanders. But officials say the Haqqanis seek dominion only over the areas in which they hold sway — Afghanistan's mountainous eastern provinces of Paktika, Paktia, and Khost, stretching to the outskirts of the capital, Kabul. The Taliban, by contrast, want to take over the whole country. The two ruled those areas side by side when the Taliban governed Afghanistan — though Haqqani was subservient to Taliban ruler Mullah Omar and did not have independence.

___

Dozier reported from Kabul. Associated Press writers Michael Weissenstein in Islamabad, Rasool Dawar in Mir Ali and Ishtiaq Mahsud in Dera Ismail Khan contributed to this report.

[DeathPower]

Intel officials say suspected US missile strikes kill 9 people in Pakistani tribal region.

ISLAMABAD - Two suspected U.S. missile strikes have killed nine people in a northwestern Pakistan tribal region along the Afghan border, Pakistani intelligence officials said Friday

One evening strike in the town of Mohammad Khel killed four people and a second in Datta Khel killed five, two officials said.

The identity of the dead was not immediately known, but the area of the strikes in North Waziristan is believed to be controlled by Pakistani Taliban militants.

The officials said all nine dead are believed to be militants and some may be foreign fighters. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

They had no further details.

The strikes would be the seventh and eighth missile attacks this month, keeping up a recent surge in such CIA-run, drone-fired attacks.

In September, the U.S. is believed to have launched at least 21 such attacks, an unprecedented number and nearly all in North Waziristan.

The U.S. rarely acknowledges the covert missile strike program. Pakistan officially opposes the program, but is believed to secretly support it.