India to Test US-Made Stryker AFVs for Enhanced Border Defense Against China

India is set to evaluate the US-made Stryker Armored Fighting Vehicle (AFV) to boost its defense capabilities against potential threats along its northern and western borders. The Stryker AFV has seen extensive use in global conflicts, most recently in Ukraine. Indian media reports indicate that the Indian Army will soon test these vehicles in desert terrains and the high-altitude region of Ladakh. Defense establishment sources reveal that the Indian Army aims to acquire around 530 armored fighting vehicles.

Following the 2+2 ministerial consultations in November 2023 between India and the US, a senior US defense official announced plans for the US and India to collaborate on producing Stryker AFVs for India. Although no official agreement has been signed, sources suggest that negotiations are at an advanced stage. Last month, Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan discussed the AFVs.

India is expected to make a limited off-the-shelf purchase of Strykers through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route. Subsequently, joint production of the vehicles is likely to take place in India under the US-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET). The Stryker is under consideration because Indian vendors have not met the required qualitative standards (QR).

However, the Stryker has some technical limitations that are being assessed. Concerns have been raised about the 350-horsepower Caterpillar C7 engine's performance at high altitudes due to thin air. To address this, the US has offered to replace it with a 750-horsepower Cummins Advanced Combat Engine, providing a significant upgrade.

With an eye on China’s People's Liberation Army near the disputed border, India needs an advanced, battle-tested armored vehicle for high-altitude terrains like Eastern Ladakh. The Indian Army, seeking to modernize its Russian-origin BMP-II amphibious infantry fighting vehicles, plans to replace them with wheeled and tracked Infantry Combat Vehicles. The Strykers are likely to be deployed in high-altitude areas along the border with China, such as Eastern Ladakh and Sikkim. Since the 2020 conflict, India has emphasized the need for light tanks and more armored combat vehicles to navigate the challenging high-altitude terrain.

Opinions about the Stryker in India are divided. Some military experts believe the vehicle will strengthen India’s arsenal against the PLA, while others argue that India already has the indigenous capability with the Wheeled Armoured Platform (WhAP). Although the WhAP has demonstrated its capabilities with multiple turrets, a sight system, and a fire control system, some defense sources argue that it lacks comprehensive sight systems, fire control systems, and weaponry.

If approved, the Stryker’s capabilities will need modifications to suit high-altitude regions like Eastern Ladakh. Proponents emphasize the Stryker's versatility, mobility, and flexibility as suitable for India’s needs. They also note similarities between the US Stryker and the Chinese armored vehicle VN22, highlighting the strategic importance of acquiring such technology.

Combatant Commanders require a brigade that can be quickly and strategically deployed, and Indian officials believe the Stryker meets this need. It is lighter and easier to move compared to larger tanks like the T-72 and T-90 in the Indian arsenal. The Stryker, while not as strong as tanks, can operate in various terrains like snow, mud, and sand.

The Stryker has been combat-tested in Iraq, Afghanistan, and more recently in Ukraine against Russian forces, proving its reliability and effectiveness in various combat situations. 

Germany Approves Funding for Supersonic Naval Missile Development and Extensive Missile Purchases

 

Germany's parliament has approved funding for the acquisition of thousands of missiles and the development of a supersonic naval cruise missile, as announced by the Defence Ministry.

In collaboration with Norway, Germany will work on developing the supersonic Tyrfing missile. A key parliamentary committee released funds for Berlin's first venture into creating modern naval missiles, which currently are mostly French or American-made.

While Norway and its state-owned arms manufacturer Kongsberg will lead the project, Germany plans to invest approximately €650 million ($695 million) into the development through 2033.

The new missile, named 3SM Tyrfing, is slated to be operational by 2035. The contract, expected to finalize by August, will involve Diehl Defence and MBDA working on the German side.

Initially, Germany’s portion will be funded from Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s special military fund, established following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. In subsequent years, funding will come from the regular defense budget.

Kongsberg describes the Tyrfing as a “new super missile” to succeed the Naval Strike Missile developed in the early 2000s. The 3SM (Super Sonic Strike Missile) is anticipated to be ready by 2035. Besides Norway and Germany, Kongsberg aims to market the missile to other European armed forces.

Additionally, the German budget committee has approved purchasing up to 3,266 Brimstone 3 rockets, scheduled for delivery by 2033 under a contract expected to pass next month. Initially, 274 missiles and necessary equipment will be purchased from MBDA Germany for about €376 million. An additional 29 Brimstones will be used for operational testing and 75 for training and telemetry.

These rockets are intended for the Eurofighter fleet, the core of Germany’s Air Force. Berlin first announced plans to acquire the air-to-ground missile in 2017. The British Royal Air Force has utilized the Brimstone family of missiles for nearly two decades, including in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria. A contingent of German Eurofighters is also deployed in the Baltics to bolster NATO’s stance against Russia.

The parliamentary budget committee also approved acquiring 506 Stinger man-portable air defense systems, valued at approximately €395 million, to replace 500 ground-to-air missiles sent to Ukraine.

Germany has been a leading supporter of Ukraine, providing more military aid than any country except the United States. According to the Germany-based Kiel Institute for the World Economy, the German government has sent €10.2 billion in military aid to Ukraine as of the end of April 2024.

U.S. Army to Deploy Over 1,000 Switchblade 600 Drones Under Replicator Program

 The U.S. Army plans to deploy more than 1,000 Switchblade 600 drones over the next year as part of the Replicator initiative. This program, spearheaded by the Pentagon, aims to field thousands of uncrewed systems. General James Mingus, the Army’s vice chief of staff, disclosed this quantity during a House Appropriations defense subcommittee hearing on June 21 at the Defense Innovation Unit’s headquarters in Mountain View, California.

Manufactured by AeroVironment, the Switchblade 600 loitering munition is among the initial systems the Defense Department will procure through the first tranche of the Replicator program. It is the only system officials have identified by name so far. Other systems include an unspecified fleet of maritime drones, uncrewed surface vehicles, and counter-drone systems.

Replicator, announced by Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks last August, has two main objectives. In the short term, the Pentagon aims to deploy large numbers of expendable drones to counter China. The larger goal is to establish a sustainable process for acquiring technology to meet the department’s urgent operational needs.

The Pentagon plans to allocate $1 billion to the Replicator effort during fiscal years 2024 and 2025, with funds sourced from prior year appropriations, a reprogramming request, a national security supplemental approved in August, and the department’s yet-to-be-approved FY-25 budget proposal.

Switchblade drones have seen significant use on battlefields in Russia, Syria, and Iraq. The Army initially intended to procure the system through its Low Altitude Stalking and Strike Ordnance program in smaller quantities. In October, the Army announced plans to purchase 100 Switchblade drones for testing and deployment within its units.

General Mingus highlighted the collaboration behind this innovation during the hearing, noting that the Switchblade was included as part of Replicator Tranche One and will now be scaled up to over 1,000 units in the coming year.

Deputy Defense Secretary Hicks announced last month that the department began fielding Replicator systems to Indo-Pacific Command in early May. However, the Pentagon has not disclosed the specific systems or quantities fielded.

“This demonstrates that warfighter-centric innovation is not only feasible but is also yielding tangible results,” Hicks stated. “As we deploy these systems, our comprehensive capability development process continues.”

Romania Initiates Major Expansion of Strategic Air Base Near Ukraine Amid Rising Tensions

 

The Romanian government has launched a significant expansion and modernization project for the Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base, situated less than 200 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. This multibillion-euro initiative aims to upgrade the base, which has been hosting U.S. forces since 1999, with new military equipment and infrastructure.

Defense Minister Angel Tîlvăr announced the project on June 11 during a ceremony at the base. The expansion includes constructing a new runway, a guard tower, and additional hangars to accommodate existing and future military assets. The total cost is estimated at €2.5 billion (approximately $2.7 billion).

Col. Nicolae Cretu, the base commander, explained that the decision to expand the base stems from Russia's actions in Georgia in 2008 and Crimea in 2014. Romania’s plans for the base have been in place since 2018, well before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Romania is currently focused on acquiring short-range and very-short-range air defense systems, with planned expenditures up to $2.1 billion. Additionally, the country received two more Patriot batteries last year, bringing the total to four, and is participating in the European Sky Shield Initiative to procure up to 1,000 Patriot PAC-2 GEM-T missiles.

The strategic location of the Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base has been crucial for Romania and NATO allies, particularly noted during the Iraq war for projecting force over long distances. Recent enhancements have included hosting NATO Enhanced Air Policing missions and the first deployment of Finnish F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets.

Romanian media suggested the modernization could result in a facility comparable in size to Germany's Ramstein Air Base, though this has not been officially confirmed. With its access to the Black Sea and proximity to Russian territory, the air base remains a pivotal asset for NATO operations in the region.

Pentagon's Replicator Initiative Faces Skepticism Amid Push for Rapid Drone Deployment

 The Pentagon's Replicator initiative, aiming to deploy thousands of drones in two years to counter China, has garnered mixed reactions. The initiative, announced by Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks, faces skepticism as details remain vague. While hailed as innovative, doubts persist about Replicator's ability to navigate bureaucratic barriers and deliver tangible results. Industry leaders, investors, and lawmakers express cautious optimism, emphasizing the need for transparency on funding, procurement processes, and the practicality of deploying drones to deter conflicts, particularly around Taiwan. Replicator's success hinges on overcoming funding challenges, engaging nontraditional companies, and defining clear strategies for selecting and deploying drone systems.

If you want to read the original article, here is the link:

https://www.defensenews.com/pentagon/2023/12/19/replicator-an-inside-look-at-the-pentagons-ambitious-drone-program/

Iraq considers Czech made Fighter jets

PRAGUE — The Czech Republic is looking to sell dozens of Czech-made L-159 subsonic jet fighters to Iraq, Defence Minister Alexandr Vondra said after talks Jan. 23 with his Iraqi counterpart in Prague.

"The talks are very intensive ... and concern dozens of planes," Vondra told reporters after meeting Iraq's acting Defence Minister Saadun al-Dulaimi. Al-Dulaimi said Iraq was "really very interested in the planes," which it wants as soon as possible.

Vondra said the Czech side was offering new fighters made by Czech manufacturer Aero Vodochody, as well as 36 unused L-159s, which the defense ministry has been trying to sell for years.

"Iraq is logically interested in new planes ... but it also wants the fighters as fast as possible, so we can use at least part of the unused planes owned by the defense ministry," Vondra said, refusing to give details about the price of the planes, which are facing competition from Britain's Hawk and South Korea's TA-50.

Aero Vodochody, controlled by Czech-Slovak private equity group Penta, is the largest Czech aircraft producer and a subcontractor for Sikorsky, Saab and EADS and other manufacturers.

Iraq and Egypt talk to boost military cooperation

CAIRO — Egypt’s military ruler Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi on Jan. 18 held talks with Iraqi Defence Minister Saadun al-Dulaimi on ways of boosting military ties between the two nations, officials said.

Talks centered on “training Iraqi officers and exchanging military expertise,” as well as regional and international efforts to support stability in Iraq, one source said.

The meeting was attended by armed forces chief of staff Lt. Gen. Sami Annan and several members of the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces which took over after president Hosni Mubarak’s ouster last year.

More than 200 people have been killed in Iraq since U.S. forces completed their withdrawal last month from the country.

Since then the country has been in the throes of a festering dispute between the Shiite-led government and ministers from the Sunni-backed Iraqi bloc with analysts warning violence could rise if the row is not contained.

U.S., Israel Postpone Joint Missile Exercises

JERUSALEM - Israel and the United States have agreed to postpone a major military defence exercise scheduled for spring, a senior security official Jan. 15 Sunday, amid rising regional tension over Iran's nuclear programme.

"Israel and the United States have agreed to postpone the maneuver planned for spring," the official said on condition of anonymity.

"The exercises will take place between now and the end of 2012," the official added, without elaborating.

Earlier, public radio said the "Austere Challenge 12" exercise would be pushed back to the end of 2012 over unspecified budgetary concerns, citing military sources.

Israeli Army radio, citing a defense official, said it was being postponed to avoid "unnecessary headlines in such a tense period."

The joint maneuver was to have been the biggest yet between the two allies and was seen as an opportunity to display their joint military strength at a time of growing concern about Tehran's nuclear ambitions.

Israel, the United States and much of the international community accuse Iran of using its nuclear program to mask a weapons drive, a charge Tehran denies.

The postponement appeared to suggest fears the exercise could dangerously ramp up regional tensions, at a time when Iran has already threatened to close the strategic Strait of Hormuz - a chokepoint for one fifth of the world's traded oil - in the event of a military strike or severe tightening of international sanctions over its nuclear program.

Meanwhile, the United States sent Iran a letter over its threatened closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the Iranian foreign ministry spokesman said Jan. 15, without revealing the letter's contents.

"The U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Susan Rice, sent a letter to Mohammad Khazaie, Iran's U.N. representative, which was conveyed by the Swiss ambassador, and finally Iraqi President Jalal Talabani delivered its contents to officials" in Iran, the official IRNA news agency quoted Ramin Mehmanparast as saying.

"We are in the process of studying the letter and if necessary we will respond."

Last month, the Israelis insisted the joint maneuvers were planned in advance and denied they were related to Iran.

"The exercise scenario involves notional, simulated events as well as some field training and is not in response to any real-world event," the military said.

The postponement was not expected to affect a visit to Israel by top U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, who is scheduled to arrive this week and meet with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz.

But the delay was announced as reports suggested unease in U.S.-Israeli relations over the best response to Iran's nuclear program, and after an Israeli official voiced "disappointment" at Washington's approach.

Washington has spearheaded a push for international sanctions against Iran, including on its oil exports and financial institutions.

But Israel's Strategic Affairs Minister Moshe Yaalon told public radio he thought U.S. President Barack Obama's administration should be tougher.

"France and Britain understand that the sanctions must be strengthened, in particular against the Iranian Central Bank," Yaalon said. "The U.S. Senate is also in favor, but the U.S. government is hesitating, fearing higher oil prices in an election year. It's disappointing."

Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon, speaking Jan. 15 ahead of a trip to Britain, also accused the international community of dragging its feet.

"It is regrettable that the international community has not yet used all the means at its disposal to stop the Iranian nuclear program," he told public radio.

Israel has made no secret of its desire to see crippling sanctions imposed on Iran in a bid to slow its nuclear development, and reports suggest it has also taken other actions to delay the program.

The Jewish state is suspected of involvement both in a computer worm that reportedly set back Iran's nuclear efforts, as well as a campaign of assassinations of Iranian nuclear scientists.

Media reports have pointed the finger at Israel's intelligence agency Mossad.

Foreign Policy magazine reported that Israel's actions had created friction with Washington, and The Wall Street Journal reported Jan. 13 that U.S. officials had warned Israel against unilateral military action against Iran.

Yaalon said Jan. 15 that a military strike remained a last resort for Israel.

"Israel must defend itself. I hope that we will not arrive at that point," he said.

U.S. Draws Up Contingencies in Case Israel Attacks Iran: Report

WASHINGTON - The U.S. government is concerned that Israel is preparing to take military action against Iran over U.S. objections, and has stepped up contingency planning to safeguard U.S. facilities in the region, The Wall Street Journal reported Jan. 13.

The newspaper said U.S. President Barack Obama, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and other top officials have delivered a series of private messages to Israeli leaders, warning about the dire consequences of a strike.

Obama spoke by telephone Jan. 12 with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, will meet with Israeli military officials in Tel Aviv next week, the report said.

The report said that the U.S. military was preparing for a number of possible responses to an Israeli strike, including assaults by pro-Iranian Shiite militias in Iraq against the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.

Up to 15,000 U.S. diplomats, federal employees and contractors still remain in Iraq.

To help deter Iran, the United States is maintaining 15,000 troops in Kuwait, and has moved a second aircraft carrier strike group to the Persian Gulf area, the report said.

Russia Vows Review After Villager Finds 79 AK47s

MOSCOW - A villager in provincial Russia has caused a national scandal after finding 79 Kalashnikov assault rifles in crates that he bought to use as firewood, Russian media reported on Jan. 13.

A truck driver was supposed to take the crates for disposal from the factory in the central city of Izhevsk where Kalashnikovs are manufactured, but he thought they were empty and sold them to the unnamed villager.

The man who had hoped to use the wood as fuel for his stove called the police, and an investigation was launched amid concerns about security at the nationally renowned Izhmash arms factory, local police said.

"Probably there are weapons in other boxes as well. We must check how weapons were stored and utilized and whether anything else is missing," a police spokesman said according to news agency ITAR-TASS.

The case caused Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin to express exasperation on his Twitter feed.

"A pensioner has found dozens of Kalashnikov rifles. Oh my!" Rogozin wrote.

He said that he would travel to Izhevsk later this month to hold talks at the Izhmash weapons plant.

The Kalashnikov AK47 and its more modern versions are the weapons of choice for dozens of armies and guerrilla groups around the world.

More than 100 million Kalashnikovs have been sold worldwide and they are widely used by fighters in conflict zones such as Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia.

The designer of the AK47, Mikhail Kalashnikov, was given the prestigious 'Hero of Russia' award in 2009, and there is a museum in Izhevsk entirely devoted to his life and work.

Bulgaria 2011 Arms Sales Total $380M: Report

SOFIA, Bulgaria - Bulgaria's defense industry has escaped unscathed from the general economic crisis, with its exports hitting $380 million in 2011, Pressa newspaper reported Jan. 12.

It cited figures by the Bulgarian Defense Industry Association (BDIA). Such statistics are usually kept secret.

The organization, which groups Bulgaria's major arms and munitions makers, refused to specify where its sales went to.

The newspaper however cited Algeria, Afghanistan, the United States and Iraq as traditional buyers of Bulgarian light weapons and ammunition.

Bulgaria's defense industry exports had stood at $200 million in 2008, Pressa said citing data from the same association.

"It is still hard to compare the situation with the years before (the fall of communism in) 1989," BDIA co-chairman Stefan Vodenicharov told the newspaper.

Before the end of communism, Bulgaria's armaments industry was around 10 times the size it is now, employing 115,000 people and shipped abroad an annual $700 million to $800 million worth of armaments - at prices from then.

But the advent of democracy, the disbanding of the Warsaw Pact and a number of international arms sales embargoes to countries in Africa and the Arab world plunged the industry into a deep crisis in the 1990s.

The majority of production facilities have since been privatized with the government recently selling its remaining stock in the Arsenal Kazanlak light arms and munitions plant, the only licensed producer of Russian Kalashnikov assault rifles during the Cold War.

It had also prepared a strategy to soon put on the table VMZ Sopot, its biggest defense firm to remain fully state-owned.

China State Media Cautious on New U.S. Defense Plan

BEIJING - China's official Xinhua news agency said Jan. 6 it welcomed a bigger U.S. presence in Asia, but only if it helped promote peace in the region, after President Barack Obama unveiled a new military strategy.

The plan calls for the U.S. military to strengthen its presence in Asia and prepare for possible challenges from countries such as China, while downplaying future huge counter-insurgency campaigns such as those in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Beijing has given no official response to the review, but Xinhua said Jan. 6 that the United States was welcome to make "more contribution to peace and stability in the Asia Pacific region", while urging it against "warmongering".

"The U.S. role, if fulfilled with a positive attitude and free from a Cold War-style zero-sum mentality, will not only be conducive to regional stability and prosperity, but be good for China," it said in a comment piece.

"However, while boosting its military presence in the Asia Pacific, the United States should abstain from flexing its muscles," it added. "If the United States indiscreetly applies militarism in the region, it will be like a bull in a china shop, and endanger peace instead of enhancing regional stability."

The United States is increasingly focusing its attention on the Asia-Pacific region, where commanders worry about China's growing military power.

The People's Liberation Army is the world's largest active military, and is extremely secretive about its defense programs, which benefit from a huge and expanding military budget.

In November, Obama went on a week-long tour of the Pacific in a bid to enhance the role of the United States in the region, positioning Marines in northern Australia and pushing for a trans-Pacific trade pact.

Shortly afterwards, China announced it would conduct routine naval exercises in the Pacific Ocean, in what some saw as a symbolic move aimed at the United States. Meanwhile, the Global Times - an official, nationalistic daily newspaper - accused the United States of trying to contain China and called on Beijing to "strengthen its long-range strike abilities and put more deterrence on the U.S."

"The U.S. must realize that it cannot stop the rise of China and that being friendly to China is in its utmost interests," it said in en editorial.

The new U.S. strategy unveiled Jan. 5 calls for a leaner military, and also focuses on preventing Iran from securing nuclear weapons.

Cypriot Protesters Demand British Forces Leave

NICOSIA - Protesters demanding that British forces withdraw from Cyprus clashed with police at a military base, leaving around a dozen people hurt, police said Jan. 2.

Among the injured at the British military base of Akrotiri were demonstrators, police officers and a journalist. State television said at least three people were arrested.

Around 120 people had turned up at the Akrotiri compound near the southern coastal city of Limassol, and the protest got off to a peaceful start before quickly deteriorating.

Demonstrators threw stones, sticks and bottles at the base's police force outside the compound.

Shops and cars were also damaged in the skirmishes with the police, who are mostly Greek Cypriot.

A helicopter was dispatched and loud explosions could also be heard, although police on state television attributed them to firecrackers.

The protest was orchestrated by a new group calling themselves the National Anti-Colonial Platform, with their demands being the immediate withdrawal of British forces from the Mediterranean island.

The group's website vowed to return to a British base to continue their demonstrations.

Britain has retained two sovereign military bases on Cyprus - at Akrotiri in the southwest and Dhekelia in the southeast - since the island gained independence from British rule in 1960.

Last month, Britain confirmed it would retain both, with Defence Secretary Philip Hammond saying they "are in a region of geopolitical importance and high priority for the United Kingdom's long-term national security interests."

The bases, home to some 9,000 personnel and their families, are seen as strategically imperative and have been used by British forces in offenses against Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya.

Maliki Declares 'Iraq Day' to Mark U.S. Pullout

BAGHDAD - Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki declared "Iraq Day" on Dec. 31 to mark the end of a pact allowing U.S. forces to stay in the country, two weeks after they left and with Iraq mired in a political row.

IRAQI PRIME MINISTER Nuri al-Maliki delivers a speech Dec. 31 during a ceremony at Al-Shaab stadium complex in central Baghdad. Maliki declared 'Iraq Day' to mark the withdrawal of U.S. forces. (Ali Al-Saadi / AFP via Getty Images)

Maliki called for Iraqis to unite, and said the country's days of dictatorship and one-party rule were behind it, even as rival politicians have accused him of centralizing decision-making power.

Speaking at a ceremony attended by several ministers and top security officials at the Al-Shaab stadium complex in central Baghdad, Maliki said Dec. 31 was "a feast for all Iraqis" and marked "the day Iraq became sovereign".

"I announce today, the 31st of December, which witnessed the completion of the withdrawal of U.S. forces, to be a national day," Maliki said. "We call it Iraq Day."

"Today, you are raising the Iraqi flag across the nation, and unifying under that flag. Today, Iraq becomes free and you are the masters."

He continued: "The withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq returns the country to normality. That makes targeting civilians, police, the army and other security forces, or carrying out any sabotage against infrastructure a huge betrayal, and that puts those who commit these acts in the corner of the enemy."

U.S. troops completed their withdrawal from Iraq on Dec. 18, nearly nine years after Washington launched a controversial war to oust dictator Saddam Hussein.

At their peak, American forces in Iraq numbered nearly 170,000 and had as many as 505 bases. Now, just 157 remain, under the authority of the embassy, to train Iraqi forces to use equipment purchased from the United States.

In 2008, Baghdad and Washington signed a deal which called for all U.S. soldiers to leave Iraq by the end of 2011.

Efforts to keep a significant American military training mission beyond year-end fell through when the two sides failed to agree on a deal to guarantee U.S. troops immunity from prosecution.

The Iraqi premier also told his countrymen that they should "be totally confident that Iraq has rid itself forever of dictatorship and the rule of one party, one sect, and one ruler."

Maliki's remarks came amid a festering political standoff in Iraq, with authorities having charged Sunni Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi with running a death squad and Maliki calling for Sunni Deputy Prime Minister Saleh al-Mutlak to be fired.

Mutlak and Hashemi's Sunni-backed Iraqiya party has boycotted parliament and cabinet meetings. Hashemi, who is holed up in the autonomous Kurdish region, rejects the accusations, while Mutlak has decried the Shiite-led government as a dictatorship.

The support of Iraqiya - which narrowly won a 2010 poll and garnered most of its seats in Sunni areas, is seen as vital to preventing a resurgence of violence.

The Sunni Arab minority dominated Saddam's regime and was the bedrock of the anti-U.S. insurgency after the 2003 invasion.

Turkish Leaders Struggle with Airstrike Aftermath

ANKARA - Turkey's government is struggling to contain the fall-out from a blunder in which the military killed 35 young Kurdish smugglers in an air strike they thought was directed at Kurdish separatist militants.

KURDISH PEOPLE MOURN for victims of a Turkish air raid at the cemetery of Gulyazi Village, Sirnak province, near the Iraqi border on Dec. 30. (Bulent Kilic / AFP via Getty Images)

The conservative, Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP) has followed previous administrations in cracking down on the separatist rebels of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). But it is no closer to finding a solution to the complaints of the country's substantial Kurdish minority.

Turkey's military said they directed Dec. 28's air strike near the Iraqi border against what they thought was a group of around 40 fighters from the PKK, with whom they have been involved in a bitter, decades-long conflict.

When the dust cleared, however, the bodies were of local villagers - most of them between the ages of 16 and 20 - who had been smuggling cigarettes and fuel across the border.

Grief-stricken, enraged local villagers had denounced the attack within hours; local television pictures showed them using mules to carry the dead down off the snow-covered mountains in Uludere district.

But while the AKP conceded Dec. 29 that there could have been a blunder, it took until Dec. 30 for Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to unequivocally acknowledge the mistake.

Expressing regret for the killing of 35 Kurds, he offered his condolences to the victims for what he described as an "unfortunate and distressing" incident.

At the same time, however, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu insisted that Turkey was engaged an anti-terrorist operation against the PKK while respecting the rule of law. The blunder Dec. 28 had been an exception, he said.

Media commentators and opposition politicians were scathing of the AKP's handling of the crisis.

"The state bombed its own people," was the headline in the liberal daily Taraf.

Fikret Bila, a columnist with Milliyet newspaper, remarked on CNN-Turk television: "The government is always readying to take credit, notably for economic successes.

"One wonders why no one has apologized on behalf of the government."

Kemal Kilicdaroglu, head of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), called for the government to act - and for those responsible to resign.

The outrage within the Kurdish community itself expressed itself in protests in several cities Dec. 29 and 30, with some protesters clashing with the police.

Down near the border with Iraq, some bereaved villagers dismissed talk of an error, accusing the army of having deliberately targeted the civilians. The PKK itself made the same case.

"This massacre was no accident ... It was organized and planned," Bahoz Erdal of the PKK's armed wing said in a statement.

The PKK took up arms in Kurdish-majority southeastern Turkey in 1984, sparking a conflict that has claimed about 45,000 lives. But clashes between the rebels and the army have escalated in recent months, with Turkey raiding PKK bases inside northern Iraq in October in response to an attack that killed 24 soldiers in the border town of Cukurca.

"The government cannot, must not have this affair covered up," Rusen Cakir,a specialist on the Kurdish issue, wrote in the Vatan newspaper. "To do so would only spur the PKK on to step up its attacks."

After he came to power in 2002, Erdogan pushed through important reforms granting greater rights to the Kurds, who make up 15 million of the nation's 73 million population. But after the heavy losses suffered by Turkey's army in October, he bowed to public pressure and hardened his line against the Kurdish rebels.

Resolving the Kurdish conflict remains one of the toughest challenges facing Turkey, the world's 17th-largest economy and a major regional player. The air strike Dec. 28 only made that task harder.