China Hacks Congressional Computers

Representative Frank Wolf, R-Va., said four of his computers were compromised beginning in 2006. New Jersey Representative Chris Smith, a senior Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said two of the computers at his global human rights subcommittee were attacked in December 2006 and March 2007, according to the AP. More ominously, Wolf stated that after an attack, a car with license plates belonging to Chinese officials went to the home of a dissident in Fairfax County, Va., and photographed it. Simultaneously, the House International Relations Committee--now known as the House Foreign Affairs Committee--was targeted by someone working inside China, said committee spokeswoman Lynne Weil. Moreover, U.S. authorities are investigating whether Chinese officials secretly copied the contents of a government laptop computer during a visit to China by Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez. Wolf said he was introducing a House resolution that would help ensure protection for all House computers and information systems; he said Congress should hold hearings, specifically the House Intelligence Committee, Armed Services Committee and Government Operations Committee. Wolf has been outspoken on the subject of violence in the Darfur region of Sudan, where China has major oil interests. Smith has introduced the Global Online Freedom Act which would prohibit U.S. Internet companies from cooperating with countries such as China that restrict information about human rights and democracy on the Internet.

The annual review of the United States government computers and security make for sobering reading. In particular, several government agencies that you would think should be most secure are in not in fact. Rather than approach the hacks, which are not difficult, as a law-breaking issue the U.S. should counter the Chinese efforts in covert actions. The lethargic and tedious law enforcement strategy did not work when confronting the main threat to the U.S. in the 1990s--al-Qaeda--and this effort will not work now. The Air Force has finally and recently developed a Cyber-warfare center and this initiative should move forward with all deliberate speed.

Security concerns about China have arisen before. There was the unsuccessful purchase of 3Com Corporation by a group that included Bain Capital Partners LLC and China-based Huawei Technologies Co., with the latter taking 16.5% of the company. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., part of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, cited national security concerns and nixed the deal. 3Com products are used by the U.S. Department of Defense and the access that Huawei would then have to those products' specifications.

British Academic Speaks Out Against Poor Muslim Parenting

Graphic source: David Fleming/Telegraph

One of Britain's academics, who directs the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, a world-recognized academic centre of excellence associated with Oxford University that attracts visiting scholars from all parts of the Muslim world, has accused British Muslims of failing to ensure that their children learn English and support their education. Dr. Farhan Nizami, Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), noted that the parental failure alienates Muslims from mainstream society and leaves them prone to the appeal of radical Islamic groups.

Nizami should be an inspiration to American academics who often fail to identify the failings of thought systems which are destructive to the country that they inhabit. As one pundit used to say, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, that the only Communists to be found are the ones holding tenure in American Universities. The same point applies today except for the present challenge to liberty posed by contemporary thought systems.

Arabs Slowly Returning to Support Iraq Against Iran

Japan's increasing regional role coupled with Gulf Arabs who eye an elevated role in Iraq in order to counter Shi'ite Iran is a positive regional development. Sunni Arab governments who supported and funded Iraq's 1980-1988 war against Iran have been reticent be get involved but they are currently seeking to increase their involvement with the Shi'ite Iraqi government. No Arab ambassador has been stationed in Iraq since Egypt's envoy was kidnapped and killed shortly after arriving in 2005.
However, United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahayan on Thursday became the first Gulf Arab foreign minister to visit Iraq since the war.
In fact, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain have all recently pledged to reopen their embassies and appoint ambassadors to Baghdad amid U.S. pressure to bolster the Iraqi government. The Gulf Arabs apparently feel that the government has not done enough on political reconciliation, on disarming militias and on bringing back Sunni elements to the ruling structure," stated Christian Koch, Director of International Studies at the Dubai-based Gulf Research Centre.

Japan's Role in Afghanistan to Expand

The DD173 Kongo is equipped with the Aegis combat system. Graphic source: Japan Focus

There is of course not a flood but currently the U.S. welcomes Japan's expanded role in Afghanistan. If Japan's role enlarges this would be an additional country adding themselves to the Coalition. Instead of losing Coalition support, the U.S. appears to be slowly building to include more nations.

Japan would add non-combat troops on the ground, nonetheless, the support and assistance of an important ally would be significant in the region.

Japan's navy currently supports the U.S.-led coalition forces with a refueling mission in the Indian Ocean. Since 911, Japan has been active as part of the “Operation Enduring Freedom - Maritime Interdiction Operations (OEF-MIO).” Japan is also a party to the interdiction of alleged weapons of mass destruction under the US-led Proliferation Security Initiative.

Sheik Vows to Fight Foreign Invader: al-Qaeda

Sheik Ahmed Fateh Khan al-Rishawi at his home near Camp Ramadi on April 14, 2007. Graphic source: Louie Favorite/AJC

Iraqi Sheik Ahmed Fateh Khan al-Rishawi offered to fight Bin Laden and as the hero of Anbar promised he would stir a revolt in Afghanistan. According to a story in The New York Sun the Sheik prepared a 47-page study on Afghanistan and its tribes for the deputy chief of mission at the American embassy in Kabul, Christopher Dell. If asked for military assistance to assist the Americans the Sheik stated: "I have no problem with this; if they ask me, I will do it."

"Al Qaeda is an ideology," Sheik Ahmad said, "We can defeat them inside Iraq and we can defeat them in any country." Ahmad continued: "We have to rebuild a national Iraqi army, not built on sects, but the same way they built up the Anbar police," he said. "They must be well-armed, so they will be able to protect the country and all the American interests in the area. We also have to make a friendship treaty based on mutual respect between the two parties, and then the United States will be able to withdraw from Iraq, if they wish, and we will succeed in Iraq the same way America succeeded in Japan and Germany."

The sheik favored a status-of-forces agreement, something currently being discussed now beteen the two nations. Ahmad stated: "With a diplomatic understanding we will be able to solve all the problems. We fully trust the Americans. We know the United States never in its history occupied a country. On the contrary, they were occupied and they were able to fight the occupier," referring to the American rebellion against the British in 1776.

Pakistan Asks EU to Drop Free Expression

Pakistan is sending a delegation to ask the European Union countries to amend laws regarding freedom of expression in order to prevent offensive statements such as the printing of caricatures of Muhammad and a film by a Dutch legislator. The delegation will point out that the recent attack on the Danish Embassy in Pakistan could be a reaction against free expression. If the EU will not comply, the delegation would also tell the EU that more attacks on the EU diplomatic missions abroad could not be ruled out. Let's see if the EU will cave in on the whole free expression thing if they will not be attacked any more for at least that reason.

England Proactive in Protecting Young Against Al-Qaeda

Graphic source: Wikipedia Commons

Yorkshire is a fairly ordinary and representative area of England but interestingly enough, Al-Qaida is grooming Yorkshire pupils for terrorism. In the classroom, young people are "falling prey to extremists," according to Sir Norman Bettison, chief constable of the West Yorkshire Police, in a story published by the Yorkshire Post. Who would have thought the same general area that spawned the Beatles and rock guitarist, Mick Ronson, would produce AQ?

According to the constable, the force referred at least 10 youngsters, and two of them only 13 years old, to a programme designed to counter those who are prey to radicalism. The kids most prone to extremism are the brightest, those who had just entered senior school, and who had developed a penchent for extremist material from internet chatrooms. The Channel Programme employs five full-time community field officers who talk to kids who demonstrate an unusual interest in violent, extremist material. The programme only began four months ago but it identifies impressionable younger people from 13 to 27 years old. The idea is to get the younger people involved in alternate activities such as sports and it holds classes in citizenship. According to the constable, those engaged in grooming the young people are among the 2,000 suspected terrorists who are being monitored by police and MI5.

The efforts are not confined to terrorist groups but has included any violent extremists. For example, two 13-year-old boys, one Asian and one white, have been identified as reactionary right-wing types.

In England, forty people were convicted last year and 160 are awaiting trials (for alleged terrorism offences). The police work is intended to be proactive.

Labour peer Lord Ahmed of Rotherham denounced extremists stating: "As a Muslim I am even supporting the death penalty for those people who prey on innocent minds and where we can prove people are preparing to use innocent, vulnerable people."

Despite Significant Progress: Iraq Not Ready

Iraq seeks to have American troops in Iraq confined to bases and private security guards would be subject to local law. In the status of forces agreement (SOFA) under discussion several points come to mind. The sovereignty of Iraq is an important consideration but the country is in no position to be play a card with this point about sovereignty. Iraq's sovereignty, at this time, is guaranteed by one factor: the U.S. military.

The 150,000 or so U.S. troops in Iraq who live on scores of bases across the country, from little 30-men outposts to sprawling camps often built around old Iraqi army barracks, arises from the fact that this was the only military manner to ensure Iraq's security. To dismantle this system, post-surge, is unrealistic since the country would quickly descend into the maelstrom that characterized the poor military arrangement that was previously in place. Unless Iraq is ready now to completely take over its security, then the U.S. military should remain as it is now.

The second main point is even more troublesome, whether private security companies working for U.S. forces will continue to enjoy immunity from Iraqi law. Herein lies the problem. What Iraqi law? The rule of law came as a result of 1) the U.S. military; and, 2) private security companies. If Iraq is ready to handle the responsibility of the rule of law then indeed private contractors should be subject to Iraqi-American law. With significant terrorist opposition, the U.S. military and private contractors would be operating with a severe handicap that the insurgents are not subject to.

At this point, and despite significant progress, Iraq can not handle its own security and the law has not penetrated deeply enough, not yet anyway.

Ali al-Dabbagh, an Iraqi government spokesman, stated (about the Americans): "They have to be there in the back and . . . in their camps. Whenever we ask them they will be ready to support and help.” So let me get this straight, `don't call us, we'll call you.' That is a policy that is fraught with failure.

The outrageous incidents involving Blackwater, the largest private security company in Iraq, are really regrettable but unless Iraq can secure the country and ensure the rule of law the private contractors should remain.

The U.S. has a status of forces document for more than 80 countries, including Japan, Turkey and Singapore, and these should provide the model with which the Iraqi accord can conform.

American Soldiers Embrace Islam in Afghanistan

In Afghanistan American troops are engaged in "Operation Embrace Islam." Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment are expanding the program started by its predecessors in the province, the 10th Mountain Division’s 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry, to include refurbishing mosques in Paktika province. About 300 mosques have benefited directly through the program: new paint, solar-powered loudspeakers to announce prayer times, copies of the Quran, and new carpeting. The battalion hands out prayer rugs, turbans, shoes, teakettles and water jugs to local mullahs. These donations are expensive by Afghan standards, between $150 to $200, and the mosque refurbishing kits are even more expensive, sometimes costing several thousand dollars. There are about 35,000 villages and about the same number of mosques. The Americans have their work cut out for them to win hearts and minds by promoting religious objects in the province.

Note on The Naked Olympics

The boxers pictured here are engaged in the most lethal of Olympic sports. Greek athletes wrapped their fists in leather thongs and pummeled one anothers heads until one contestant surrendered. The head was the only fair target since hitting the body was against the rules.

Quite a romp through the ancient Olympic games is Tony Perrottet's The Naked Olympics. Although based on sound historical research he entertainingly describes the social and the more humorous aspects of the Olympics. For a brief but soundly researched and thoroughly entertaining volume you would do well to read this work. The work is timely now that the Beijing Summer Games are upon us.

Offensives Throughout Afghanistan

Graphic source: The Long War Journal

In some of the worst and violent anti-government activity to date, Afghan and Coalition forces launched separate offensives throughout most of the insurgency-plagued areas of Afghanistan: Badghis, southwestern Farah province and central Uruzgan province, southeastern Zabul province; Kapisa province, and in the provinces of Kandahar and Helmand.

June 2008 Order of Battle

Graphic source: The Long War Journal

Events have gone so well in Iraq after the surge I've only listed the significant weaknessess as noted by the best accounts of ground action as reported by The Long War Journal.

Significant weaknesses are:

• Logistics and intelligence are weak.

• The army will not start to aquire its first field artillery until 2009.

• Additional corps and support elements are being built and is needed for current force, but the force does need further expansion of line elements. The Iraqi Security forces are currently adding their fourth corps level joint command, Anbar Operational Command.

• Major increases in armored vehicles, especially tanks, are needed.

• The Iraqi Air Force is a decade from independence. It takes two years to train a pilot compared to only three months for an infantryman.

Military Occupation and a Positive Precedent by the Heroic Generation

The Iraq fiasco has been widely lamented although similar situations

have worked out more positively and provides a precedent for the nay-sayers to consider.

Lucius Clay states:

This government was established under Military Government and it was timely that our remaining task in Germany be transferred to civil authroity. An occupying army had taken the lead in restoring self-responsibility to the German people and in encouraging the formation of democratic government. It was something of which the Army could be proud and which might well set a valuable historical precdeent.

The U.S. military has been a successful occupation force after an invasion in the case of both Germany and Japan that Richard J. Barnet admirably describes.

So what did the heroic generation have that we don't have? Clay describes the difficulty of seizing, managing, and making productive a key industry. In Germany it was the energy resources and in Iraq its oil. He makes it crystal clear that no opposition would be tolerated and notes small examples of resistance that were crushed. The problems of post-war construction were as seemingly as insurmountable as an unilaterally-governed Iraq but Germany was perhaps an even more intractable situation. The additional complication that Clay resolved was multilateral governance in particular given the truculence of the French and of course the hostility of the Russians. Religion was given free reign and Clay was reluctant to interfere in this matters with the U.S. belief that government should be neutral in religious matters.

One main accomplishment may be noted Iraq with the emergence of Maliki and somewhat competent government. This is a recent positive goal that I thought nearly impossible just over a year ago. We are on the right track.

One other striking difference is true in contrasting Germany and Iraq. The incredible good will and personal involvement by ordinary Americans is almost completely absent today. There has been a dearth of activity by ordinary Americans in outreach and in humanitarian efforts and without this type of personal interest it is no wonder that Iraqis find it difficult to believe that Americans have strong values. Democracy does not flourish without involvement and Americans in many ways participate much less in their own democratic affairs much less take an interest in exporting democracy elsewhere. We do not have the leaders of the heroic generation nor do we have the same quality of Americans who would not consider themselves heroic but more simply just being who and what they are.

Anonymous Commentators Weigh In On Latest OLPC

What's an educator to do? On the one hand, we have the gushy optimism of Mike Elgin, technology evangelist, who tells us the OLPC's latest incarnation will transform the world. On the other hand, there are all those nasty commentators who immediately dissed the project. I quote them (anonymously):

Submitted June 6, 2008 - 08:09.

I think the OLPC 2.0 is what the UMPC's should be. I agree, it is the future of notebook computers and computing in general. Even if it costs $200, IMO - it will be worth it.
future?

Submitted June 6, 2008 - 08:32.

A few years back the floppy drive on a laptop the school owned failed. I contacted the maker and was told 750.00 for the floppy drive replacement. That was excessive so I purchased a recertified one from a firm in Tx. That floppy drive also failed in about 45 days. I called the firm in Tx and I was told that there was only a 30 day warranty on the 500.00 recertified drive. They decided not to replace the floppy and instead upgrade the memory. The memory upgrade cost close to 750.00. Then they passed the laptop off on another user who promptly called me and wanted the floppy drive replaced. I told them about the money already spent and they still wanted the floppy drive replaced. I found another floppy drive from another vendor in Ca. and that only was 450.00 but that floppy lasted longer then the recertified one and it had a year warranty.

Submitted June 6, 2008 - 08:44.

Give up the mouse and an actual keyboard? I wonder how long that will last...

Submitted June 6, 2008 - 08:47.

I suspect that as long as people continue to use tactile -- and therefore separate -- keyboards, they will continue to use some physical mouse equivalent distinct from the screen. A mouse near the keyboard rather than a foot away on the screen is much more ergonomically acceptable and faster to use. Therefore I do not expect the mouse to disappear before the keyboard.

But in a few decades I don't expect separate keyboards to be common at all. Rather, I think vocal or subvocal speech recognition or some other more direct technology will have replaced using the fingers to enter text one letter at a time.

Submitted June 6, 2008 - 10:23.

The OLPC is probably a footnote at this point in time. Why?

They decided to, effectively, abandon their revolutionary Sugar OS for--Microsoft. This has resulted in a loss of support from the FOSS community and necessarily changes a unique, hardware-light foray into new territory into an underpowered just-another-box.

It's clear that our entire model has to change to give us anything really new--face it, a programmer or user from 1950 would recognize today's character-by-character keyboard entry. A mouse wouldn't be any real shocker, either.

But the entire paradigm of Windows is going to be a real stretch to a kid in the third world--which was a major premise of Sugar.

One step forward, two steps back.

The comments indicate an immediate, visceral reaction on the part of people who have vocal, detailed, and emotional responses; and yet, the original inspiration and dream of the project is a sound humanitarian, and fascinating endeavor.

What is the reality?

The OLPC project is a wonderful dream and a worthwhile project that I've been interested in consistently over time. If the aims of the OLPC group could be realized it would be a fabulous accomplishment. The commentators have sound points to make though. The project never realized its cost limitations and a healthy part of their vision was lost with the decision to abandon open source technology.

While we debate whether the glass is half empty or half full the kids who could benefit from the technology are helped enormously. That is why I remain hopeful that at least some of the less grandiose but realistic plans of the OLPC project can be realized.

The different modes of the next-gen OLPC laptop.

Graphic source: One Laptop per Child

International Examples of Counter-Terrorism

The balance in the war on terrorism is vigilance tempered by a respect for civil rights. This is not the case worldwide. Foreign Affairs ran an interesting piece about the worst places to be a terrorist.

France is repressive but not for the reasons that the journal notes. It is true that France first dealt with international terrorism with the Algergian situation in the 1950s. The real reason France has effective prosecutions though is that the Napoleonic tradition is more prosecutorial as opposed to English common law in the first place. Not surprisingly, in the war on terror France is a bad place to be a terrorist.

Jordan has enjoyed one of the quietest experiences, and lack of terrorist activities despite its easy access to some of the world's worst places for terrorism, but at what cost? The November 2005 al Qaeda hotel bombings in Amman provoked King Abdullah II so much that he has stopped the infiltration of terrorists from neighboring Iraq and Syria. Jordan’s intelligence service, the General Intelligence Department, is close to Sunni tribes in Iraq’s Anbar province. It also has a first-rate specidal forces unit and special operations training center.

Egypt has also been one of the most adamant about shutting down terrorists but for the U.S. our relationship with Egypt has done little other than providing terrorists with another reason to despise the U.S. The Muslim Brotherhood began in Egypt, and they have directly confronted the Egyptian Islamic Jihad so the country is no stranger to its dangers. Hosni Mubarak ruthlessly represses terrorist activity routinely tortures prisoners.

Singapore, 15% Muslim, has effectively combatted regional terrorist groups such as the al Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah. Since 2003 though the government aimed to rehabilitate arrested militants with volunteer clerics who counsel detainees and rebut extremist arguments. This is a potential area for the U.S., who is reportedly studying the idea, to explore more fully.

Russia has brooked no opposition since Vladimir Putin rose to the fore and counterinsurgency and counterterrorism have been his forte. Russia has ruthless attacking terrorists in Chechnya. Oddly, they promoted former rebel Ramzan Kadyrov to the presidency of the now largely peaceful region. The Russian tactics include the sacrifice of civilians if need be when attacking terrorists which would not work for Americans. Next to the largely pacified Chechnya, the neighboring regions of Dagestan and North Ossetia remain hotbeds for militants.

The U.S. can learn little from other countries and has to prosecute terrorists with fervor while protecting American liberties. This is no easy task and the road is long and difficult. None of the areas that are troublesome for terrorists provide a legal framework for the United States to build on. We are more concerned with the liberty of citizens, the safety of hostages, and even when dealing with international terrorists, we are more adamant to rule with the law than the governments of these nations are. Singapore provides the only possibility of a place where the U.S. could learn a thing or two.

More Iraqi Refugees Enter U.S.

The U.S. accepted 1,141 Iraqi refugees in May which is the most the U.S. has taken in one month. 4,742 Iraqi refugees have entered the U.S. since the fiscal year began in October. May's number was more than half of the total for all of 2007: 1,608. But the U.S. needs to accept about 7,200 more Iraqi refugees over the next four months to meet the State Department's goal of 12,000 that I've noted before.

Extreme IT On the Frontlines: Literally

IT support in Afghanistan (clockwise from upper left): Specialist Wood tests a satellite communications trailer before deployment to a combat outpost in Afghanistan; PFC Cuellar configures a server in a remote forward operating base; two soldiers install a phone box; Chief Warrant Officer 3 Hooser tests one of the small satellite terminals used throughout Afghanistan.

Graphic source: Computerworld

Computerworld ran an article entitled, "Extreme IT: Battling dust, heat and bombs in Afghanistan and Iraq." The picture provides a sample of how the troops are coping with the extreme IT conditions on the ground. This is really inspirational about how IT professionals, as soldiers, are coping with conditions in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Ohio Man Guilty in Bomb Plot

Christopher Paul, 43, of Columbus, Ohio, is accused of plotting to bomb European tourist resorts and overseas U.S. military facilities and pled guilty to a single terrorism charge as part of a deal that could result in a 20-year prison sentence, according to federal court documents. Graphic source: AP Photo/Franklin County Sheriff's Office

Paul joined al-Qaida in the early 1990s and taught fellow Muslims to bomb U.S. and European targets. Paul is a U.S. citizen born and raised in Ohio. He was indicted in April 2007 and had been set to go to trial early next year. In 1999 Paul traveled to German to train members of an alleged terrorist cell knowing the group planned to make bombs and car bombs to use against Americans vacationing at overseas tourist resorts. The German group also planned to use bombs against Americans in the United States and against overseas U.S. facilities. The Justice Department had also accused Paul and two other men of discussing terrorist attacks during an August 2002 meeting at a coffee shop in suburban Columbus. The other two pled guilty and were convicted: Nuradin Abdi in connection with an alleged plot to blow up an Ohio shopping mall, and Iyman Faris in connection with a plot to destroy the Brooklyn Bridge.

Paul converted to Islam in the late 1980s and joined al-Qaida after traveling to Afghanistan in the early 1990s. He fought in Afghanistan against the pro-Soviet Marxist government. He was a recruiter and taught martial arts at a local mosque.

Note on Wissner-Gross

Easy read but a helpful book especially when coupled with Wissner-Gross' other work, What High Schools Don't Tell You.

Note on Mapping History Battles and Campaigns by Malcolm Swanston

This is quite servicable as a discount book. The illustrations are well made and mostly instructive. The text is spare but adequate. There are minor battles, e.g., Ap Bac in Vietnam, and when coupled with major battles such as Waterloo the presentation appears flawed and out of proportion. The major appeal of a book such as this is its oversized maps and material which make it easier to see and enjoy in its own right. The text and contents should not be accepted in and of itself without supplement by more extensive works.