July 4, 2009
Russia Opens Route for U.S. to Fly Arms to Afghanistan

By PETER BAKER

MOSCOW — The Russian government has agreed to let American troops and weapons bound for Afghanistan fly over Russian territory, providing an important new corridor for the United States military as it escalates efforts to win the eight-year-old war, officials on both sides said Friday.

afghan_guns

The agreement, to be announced when President Obama visits here Monday and Tuesday, represents one of the most concrete achievements in the administration’s attempt to ease relations with Russia after years of tension. But the two sides failed to make a trade deal or resolve differences over missile defense, and are struggling to draft a preliminary nuclear arms agreement.

The blend of success and stalemate leading to Mr. Obama’s visit suggests that it is easier to talk about a “reset” button than to press it. The promise of a new era of cooperation was always predicated on the tenuous notion that a change of tone and shift in emphasis might be enough to bridge deep divisions. But even with both sides eager for warmer ties, the issues that have torn Washington and Moscow apart did not go away with the transition at the White House.

Mr. Obama is less enthusiastic than President George W. Bush was about an anti-missile system in Eastern Europe or NATO membership for Ukraine and Georgia, but has not abandoned either goal, to the consternation of the Kremlin. Despite American pressure, Moscow has not yielded in its ongoing confrontation with Georgia a year after their brief war.

So Mr. Obama’s first visit here as president will be a test of his foreign policy. American officials said that the larger message is that if the Russians do not take his open hand, he will move on to other priorities.

But Mr. Obama faces a reservoir of resentment among Russians who believe America has rarely followed through on such gestures. “There’s a lot of suspicion that this has been talk, talk, talk — let’s see some real action,” said Vladimir Pozner, a state television talk show host. “At this point, there is a little bit of hope and a lot of distrust,” (more…)

_46007919_1-1

Spiral Galaxy M51 [BBC]

aksat_440x297 6309

Tonight: Some clouds. Low 53F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.
Tomorrow: Partly cloudy. High 71F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.
Tomorrow night: Partly cloudy skies. Low around 55F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.

AK_ADN 6309

Following three days of intense fighting—casualties numbered more than 40,000—the Battle of Gettysburg ended on this day in 1863 with a victory for the Union forces and was seen as a turning point in the American Civil War.

Battle-Of-Gettysburg,-1863,-Printed-By-L.-Prang-And-Co.,-1887

By The Associated Press
Thu Jul 2, 8:24 pm ET

As of Thursday, July 2, 2009, at least 642 members of the U.S. military had died in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan as a result of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, according to the Defense Department. The department last updated its figures Thursday at 10 a.m. EDT.

1141260129015250882S425x425Q85

Of those, the military reports 475 were killed by hostile action.

Outside the Afghan region, the Defense Department reports 68 more members of the U.S. military died in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Of those, three were the result of hostile action. The military lists these other locations as Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba; Djibouti; Eritrea; Ethiopia; Jordan; Kenya; Kyrgyzstan; Philippines; Seychelles; Sudan; Tajikistan; Turkey; and Yemen.

There were also four CIA officer deaths and one military civilian death.
___
The latest deaths reported by the military:

• A soldier died Thursday during sporadic gunbattles in southern Afghanistan.
___
The latest identifications reported by the military:

• No new identifications reported.
___
On the Net:
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/
Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved.

Father Among The Saints, Anatolios, Archbishop Of Constantinople

The Associated Press

(07/02/09 23:15:31)

JUNEAU — The National Society of Newspaper Columnists chose Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as the winner of its annual Sitting Duck Award, a tongue-in-cheek honor that pokes fun at the most ridiculed newsmakers in the United States.

sarah-palin

Palin beat out Democrat Rod Blagojevich, the ousted former governor of Illinois allegedly caught trying to sell President Barack Obama’s Senate seat.

Blagojevich was the runner-up. Palin was noted for making headline after headline, month after month.

The selection was made last week at a conference in Ventura, Calif.

There’s no physical award to go with the Sitting Duck title.

Copyright © Fri Jul 03 2009 14:47:18 GMT-0800 (AKDT)1900 The Anchorage Daily News (www.adn.com)

posted by: GinaMarie Cheeseman 15 hours ago

The U.S. is ranked seven in the G8 Climate Scorecard, in a recently released study by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and global insurance company Allianz SE. The U.S. was ranked behind Canada, and ahead of Russia, a slight improvement from previous years when it ranked last.

climate_change_0

The study rated the climate performance of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the U.S. The countries were rated for the reduction/growth of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions since 1990, the percentage of their energy portfolio from renewables, and investment in clean energy technology.

The U.S., according to the study, has a “strong dependence on coal and oil.” However, the Obama administration was praised by the study for having a “very positive and encouraging attitude towards climate policies.” It acknowledged the economic stimulus package, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), as having “included significant support for renewables and energy efficiency.”

A quote by Richard Moss, Vice-President and Managing Director for Climate Change in the WWF USA, was included in the study. Ross said, “President Obama has done more to support a clean energy economy in the last four months than has been done in the last three decades to get her in the US. If Congress pick s up on this leader ship and passes a strengthened clean energy bill, the US ranking will change quite dramatically in the coming years.”

The study mentioned that plans are underway for “s significant new policies and legislative initiatives.” One of the legislation initiative mentioned was the American Clean Energy and Security (ACES) Act, which contains emissions reduction targets that are, according to the study, “less ambitious in the short-term.” (more…)

JULY 3, 2009, 5:30 PM

By MITCHELL L. BLUMENTHAL AND KATE PHILLIPS

Robert DeBerry/The Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman, via Associated Press Sarah Palin at the news conference on Friday afternoon.

Update | 5:30 p.m. Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska announced Friday that she would step down by the end of the month and not seek a second term as governor, fueling speculation that she is trying to position herself as a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012.

03palin2_190

Ms. Palin, who was Senator John McCain’s vice presidential running mate last year and solidified the support of the party’s conservative base, explained her decision at a news conference at her home in Wasilla, Alaska, accompanied by her husband, Todd, and other family members.

“We know we can effect positive change outside of government,” she said in making the announcement. Her official statement here.

Known as Sarah Barracuda when she played basketball in high school, Ms. Palin used point guard analogy in explaining her decision, saying she knows “exactly when to pass the ball so the team can win.”

She said that she planned to hand over the reins of the state government to Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell, who would be sworn in at the governor’s picnic in Fairbanks later this month.

“This decision came after much consideration,” Ms. Palin told reporters gathered at her home, and added, “I really don’t want to disappoint anyone with this announcement.”

There had been wide speculation that she would seek to be the Republican Party’s presidential candidate in 2012. Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota, who is also considered to be a leading Republican candidate for president in 2012, announced last month that he would not seek re-election.

By leaving office early, Ms. Palin, a 45-year-old mother of five, will be able to travel around the country more freely and not be constrained by the duties and responsibilities of being a governor. (more…)

02afghan-600
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Marines unloaded supplies from a helicopter in Afghanistan’s Helmand River valley, where a new offensive against Taliban insurgents was underway

By THOM SHANKER and RICHARD A. OPPEL Jr.

WASHINGTON — The first major operation launched with the additional troops ordered to Afghanistan by President Obama is devised to clear Taliban havens across a strategic southern province — and then, in a marked departure from past practice, to leave clusters of Marines in small bases close to the villagers they were sent to guard and aid, according to senior military officers.

Despite the troops’ substantial numbers and firepower, the strategy is not without risks. Indeed, on Thursday, the first Marine was killed in the operation.

Although American and allied forces have previously swept through the province, Helmand, killing or capturing as many guerrillas as they could, often with airstrikes, the military has never before had enough ground troops to hold onto large areas that were cleared of insurgent fighters in combat operations.

This time, a force of about 4,000 Marines, which arrived just weeks ago, was joined by 650 Afghan soldiers in the sweep into Helmand Province, a hotbed of Taliban activity and the largest producer of the opium poppies that are a major source of money for the insurgency.

“Essentially what they are trying to do is create and sustain a productive presence in Helmand Province, including both combat power and civil-engagement capabilities,” a senior military officer said.

“This is not simply to remove Taliban influence, but to replace that influence with security operations and reconstruction,” the officer said. “It is not simply about killing the enemy, but about protecting the population and improving their lives, which will help prohibit the return of insurgent elements.”

Commanders promised that the Marines would remain in significant numbers, setting up many small operating and logistics bases among the population. That tactic was central to the success of the so-called troop surge in Iraq.

Marines pushed into three significant towns along a 75-mile stretch of the Helmand River south of Lashkar Gah on Thursday, encountering sporadic resistance that grew throughout the afternoon, a Marine spokesman said.

The Marines now have a presence in Nawa and Garmsir in central Helmand Province, and in Khan Neshin in southern Helmand, said a spokesman for Marine forces in the province, Capt. Bill Pelletier. He described the contact with Taliban fighters as “mostly hit and run.” Some Marines were treated for heat exhaustion because temperatures reached 110 degrees, he said.

The mission appears to be intended to show residents that the troops are there to protect them and to prevent civilian casualties, either from NATO and American forces or from the Taliban.

Captain Pelletier said the Marines have used no artillery or bombs from aircraft, in an effort to show that the operation is focused more on protecting people than on killing the enemy. “The success of this operation is going to be dependent on how the populace views this, not just in how we deal with the enemy,” he said.

But perils of the Iraq mission are lurking in the shadows of this operation as well. Although the American military is capable of clearing insurgents from an area and may even have the numbers to hold that territory, the troops will be exposed to ambush and roadside bombs as they patrol villages. And it remains unclear whether the civilian agencies representing the Afghan, American and allied governments are prepared to take on the job of stabilization and reconstruction quickly and successfully.

Ian C. Kelly, the State Department spokesman, said in Washington that two civilians — one from the State Department and one from the Agency for International Development — were working in Helmand Province, and that an additional development officer would arrive this weekend, with three more to follow in the next several weeks.

In May, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates visited several hundred Marines who had just landed at Camp Leatherneck as the vanguard of more than 20,000 additional troops ordered to Afghanistan by Mr. Obama. At the time, many of the Marines had not even received their equipment. “Had we not added resources to this fight, we would not be able to conduct an operation on this scale this quickly,” said another senior military officer involved in the mission.

Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company

Next Page »