APSNet Semi-Weekly Bulletin, October 6, 2008

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APSNet 6 October 2008

  1. Losing Hearts and Minds in Afghanistan
  2. War on Taliban Cannot be Won, says Army Chief
  3. ASNO: Nuclear Watchdog Feels the Heat over Russia Deal
  4. Military Losing Edge: Combet
  5. The War on Terror: Seven Years On (Pt 2)
  6. Rise of the Rest: The Challenges of the New World Order
  7. PNG: Officers Back – But Not on the Beat

1. Losing Hearts and Minds in Afghanistan, Amin Saikal, SMH, 2008-10-04

Australian troops deployed in Afghanistan [have] managed to operate in ways that avoided antagonising the local population. But this approach was dealt a severe blow on September 19, when Australian SAS soldiers reportedly killed in a firefight Rozi Khan, a respected tribal leader. Australian forces can no longer conduct business as usual in Oruzgan. They are now seen as targets, not only by the Taliban but by those who may seek to avenge the death of their leader.

2. War on Taliban Cannot be Won, says Army Chief, Christina Lamb, Times, 2008-10-05

Britain’s most senior military commander in Afghanistan has warned that the war against the Taliban cannot be won. Brigadier Mark Carleton-Smith said the British public should not expect a “decisive military victory” but should be prepared for a possible deal with the Taliban. He said: “We’re not going to win this war. It’s about reducing it to a manageable level of insurgency that’s not a strategic threat and can be managed by the Afghan army.”

3. Nuclear Watchdog Feels the Heat over Russia Deal, William Birnbauer, Age, 2008-10-05

Australia’s nuclear safeguard agency has been accused of incompetence and providing false evidence to MPs who were assessing the merits of a proposed $1billion uranium export deal with Russia. The joint parliamentary committee on treaties’ majority report rebuffed most of the Australian Safeguards and Non-Proliferation Office’s (ASNO) arguments in favour of a nuclear agreement, citing serious doubts about the checks and balances on Russia’s nuclear facilities.

4. Military Losing Edge: Combet, John Kerin, AFR*, 2008-10-03

Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Procurement Greg Combet has warned that Australia risks losing its traditional military technological edge over regional rivals unless the Rudd government successfully reforms the country’s $100 billion weapons purchasing and maintenance program. [In response] to the release of a review by David Mortimer. The government is expected to respond to the report before Christmas.
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5. The War on Terror: Seven Years On (Pt 2), Paul Rogers, Open Democracy, 2008-10-02

There is a deeper point that goes far beyond the identity of the next political leader in the US. This is that the war on terror is best seen as classic “old thinking”, more reminiscent of the cold-war era than an appropriate response to the problems of the early 21st century. It is now being seen in many quarters as obsolete: a shift of perceptions that coincides with a steadily growing awareness of wider security issues, of economic circumstances and environmental trends.

6. Rise of the Rest: The Challenges of the New World Order, Wolfgang Nowak, Spiegel International, 2008-10-02

Who are the decisive powers in this new world order? The United States, Russia, India, China, Brazil and the European Union surely count among them. These countries are neither enemies, nor are they friends; they are “frenemies,” competitors for the world’s scarce resources. These countries assure their people that they can shape the coming global order and provide for their future welfare, but their respective visions of the future can differ greatly.

7. Officers Back – But Not on the Beat, Jonathan Pearlman, SMH, 2008-10-04

An AFP spokesman said three officers had arrived in PNG as part of an 11-person team to be deployed by the end of the year. “Efforts of the partnership will be focused on … the PNG environment and community [and] providing contemporary policing advice to the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary executive,” a spokesman said.

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