APSNet Semi-Weekly Bulletin, August 28, 2008

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"APSNet Semi-Weekly Bulletin, August 28, 2008", APSNet Semi-Weekly Bulletin, August 28, 2008, https://nautilus.org/apsnet/apsnet-28-august-2008/

APSNet 28 August 2008

  1. New Army Chief Flags Shake-Up to Fight Modern War
  2. ‘Too Few’ Troops Confront Taliban
  3. Afghan Government Obliges NATO to Get Clearance for Air Strikes
  4. Public Opinion in Australia towards Defence, Security and Terrorism
  5. Greenhouse Cops Needed On Planetary Beat
  6. ASEAN Agrees Region to Have Nuclear Power Plants
  7. Pakistan’s Political Turmoil: Musharraf and Beyond
  8. China Civil Society Report: Mass Incidents in China

1. New Army Chief Flags Shake-Up to Fight Modern War, Brendan Nicholson, Age, 2008-08-28

The Australian Army has too many headquarters and a command structure that has not evolved to keep up with modern warfare in the “email and Blackberry age”. Chief of Army Ken Gillespie announced a restructuring of high command to make land forces more flexible and better able to fight modern wars, often in heavily built up areas. The changes are the most significant since the 1970s.

2. ‘Too Few’ Troops Confront Taliban, Age, 2008-08-28

One of Australia’s most experienced military officers believes the war in Afghanistan will be won only when the number of coalition troops is increased significantly. Major-General Jim Molan said that after 30 years of neglect followed by a decade of increased spending the ADF was still not well enough equipped to do its job properly and safely.

3. Afghan Government Obliges NATO to Get Clearance for Air Strikes, IRNA, Global Security.org, 2008-08-26

The Afghan government has obliged foreign troops including NATO and the United States not to bomb suspected areas without getting clearance from respective officials to avoid civilian casualties. The declaration came after several military operations involving American forces resulted in heavy civilian casualties, most recently air strikes in western Afghanistan that killed more than 90 people.

4. Public Opinion in Australia towards Defence, Security and Terrorism, Special Report Issue 16, Ian McAllister, ASPI, 2008-08-22

Following the 9/11 attacks in the United States, the Bali bombings in October 2002, and a generally heightened awareness of the potential threat from Islamist terrorism, defence has, for the first time in three decades, rated as an issue that the public is concerned about. In turn, that awareness has stimulated a greater public debate about defence issues and priorities.

5. Greenhouse Cops Needed On Planetary Beat, Anthony Bergin and Ross Allen, Australian, 2008-08-16

Climate change could have wide-ranging implications and challenges for Australia’s police. The financial scale of emissions trading and the proposed future linkages to existing international carbon trading schemes suggests the AFP will need to explore what opportunities exist for criminal activity, particularly where emission trading intersects with world financial markets.

6. ASEAN Agrees Region to Have Nuclear Power Plants, Jakarta Post, 2008-08-27

The ASEAN working group on the establishment of nuclear power plants announced that the ten member countries supported all current nuclear projects in the region. The working group head, Carunia Firdausy, said no ASEAN member country objected to the plans of Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam plans to establish nuclear power plants.

7. Pakistan’s Political Turmoil: Musharraf and Beyond, Shaun Gregory, Open Democracy, 2008-08-27

The damaging political fallout of Musharraf’s departure is an early insight into the nature of his entire political legacy to Pakistan. Pakistan is in a far more parlous state in 2008 than it was twenty years ago and much of the blame for that rests squarely on Musharraf’s shoulders.

8. China Civil Society Report: Mass Incidents in China, Yu Jianrong and Yu Debao, Nautilus Institute, Policy Forum Online 08-065A, 2008-08-26

In a time with so much social conflict, little contradictions can trigger mass unrest, affecting the whole society. If such incidents cannot be solved properly, both society and the whole country will pay a heavy price.

9. Updated Information from Nautilus Institute

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Richard Tanter,
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