Libyan Rebels Meet Sarkozy, Ask for Weapons

PARIS - Military leaders from the rebel-held Libyan city of Misrata asked French President Nicolas Sarkozy on July 20 for extra aid to defeat ruler Moammar Gadhafi, a member of their delegation said.
"Insurgent commanders came to explain to the head of state that the keys to Tripoli are in Misrata because Misrata's fighters are disciplined, battle hardened and they have a key asset: a military victory already won" against forces loyal to Gadhafi, Bernard-Henri Levy told AFP after the meeting.

French writer Levy has been an ardent supporter of the Libyan revolt and attended the talks at Sarkozy's Elysee palace alongside rebel General Ramadan Zarmuh, Col. Ahmed Hashem and Col. Brahim Betal Mal.
France is taking part in NATO-coordinated strikes against Gadhafi's military assets and was the first outside state to formally recognize the rebels' Transitional National Council.
Sarkozy's main military advisor, Gen. Benoit Puga, took part in the talks, and a source close to the delegation said discussions between Libyan rebel leaders and French military top brass were ongoing July 20.
Misrata insurgents hope that France will provide similar support to that given to the rebel enclave in the Nafusa Mountains, southwest of Tripoli, the source said.
France in June said that it had delivered weapons to rebels there to help defend themselves against Gadhafi's forces.
Misrata, around 125 miles east of Tripoli, has been controlled by rebels since mid-May, after a two-month siege by Gadhafi forces.

U.S. Lawmaker Opposes Further Tank Sales to Egypt

Freshman U.S. Rep. Allen West, R-Fla., is opposing the latest proposed sale of M1 Abrams tanks to Egypt, a deal with an estimated cost of $1.3 billion.
On July 1, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified Congress of the potential sale.

If it goes through, the sale would include 125 M1A1 Abrams tank kits for co-production and associated weapons, equipment, parts, training and logistical support, according to the DSCA notice.
In a July 18 letter, West, a member of the House Armed Services Committee and the Tea Party Caucus, said he opposes any military sales to Egypt as long as the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist party, "remains active in the political process" there.
West sent the letter to Rep. Buck McKeon, R-Fla., the House Armed Services Committee chairman. Copies of the letter also were provided to House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and other House leaders.
Last month, the U.S. said it would resume direct contact with the Muslim Brotherhood, which has become an influential political force in Egypt since former President Hosni Mubarak was forced out of office earlier this year.
"We believe, given the changing political landscape in Egypt, that it is in the interests of the United States to engage with all parties that are peaceful and committed to nonviolence that intend to compete for the parliament and the presidency," Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said June 30 on a trip to Budapest.
Since Mubarak's departure, the Egyptian military has formed an interim government, which recognized the Brotherhood's political party in June. Parliamentary elections are scheduled for this fall, and a presidential election could take place by the end of the year.
Meanwhile, West says the proposed tank sale to Egypt could "seriously jeopardize" Israel's security.
"We must exercise caution with regards to military sales and support to the Egyptian Government until a government is formed absent of the radical elements of the Muslim Brotherhood that will maintain active peace with Israel," West writes.
Founded in 1928, the Brotherhood has never been classified a terrorist organization by the U.S. While the group renounces violence, it has verbally supported Hamas, which has carried out attacks against Israel.
According to the Congressional Research Service, the U.S.-Egyptian co-production of the M1A1 Abrams tank, which began in 1988, is "one of the cornerstones of U.S. military assistance to Egypt."
Egypt plans to acquire a total of 1,200 tanks. Some of the tank's components are manufactured at an Egyptian facility, while the remaining parts are produced in the U.S. and then shipped to Egypt for final assembly. The prime contractor is General Dynamics, located in Michigan.
"The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region," the DSCA notice says.
By law, the government is required to notify Congress of any foreign military sale over a certain value. Depending on the country and the sale, Congress has between 15 and 30 days to block the sale by a joint resolution of disapproval.
To date, no sale has ever been blocked by this method, although Congress came very close during the 1980s with an arms sale to Saudi Arabia.
Congress can also pass legislation to stop or modify sales at any time up to the point of delivery.

Iranian Navy Planning Atlantic Deployments

TEHRAN, Iran - The Iranian navy plans on deploying warships to the Atlantic Ocean as part of a program to ply international waters, Rear Adm. Habibollah Sayari said in statements published July 19.
But the commander of the navy, quoted by Kayhan newspaper, said he was waiting for "final approval" before launching the operation.

"In case of final approval, a fleet of the navy will be sent to the Atlantic [Ocean]," Sayari was quoted as saying without giving details about the fleet or where in the Atlantic Ocean it would be deployed.
"The presence [of ships and submarines] in the Mediterranean Sea, the Suez Canal and the Indian Ocean and international waters is still on the agenda of the navy," Sayari said.
According to Sayari, navy ships assigned to long-distance missions will be equipped with Noor cruise missiles.
"Ships going on missions are equipped with surface-to-surface Noor missiles," which have a range of 125 miles (200 kilometers), Sayari said.
Iran in February moved two warships into the Mediterranean Sea, crossing the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, triggering anger in Israel, which branded the move "political provocation" and put its navy on alert.
The ships docked in Syria on Feb. 24, marking Iran's first such mission since the 1979 Islamic revolution.
Analysts said Iran was trying to project its clout in the region at a time when anti-government protests sweeping the Arab world are shifting the regional balance of power.
In recent years Iranian warships have also guided Iranian ships and those of other nations as they made their way across the pirate-infested Gulf of Aden.
Kilo-class Iranian submarines escorted warships to the Red Sea "to collect data" in June, in their first mission in distant waters.
Iranian maritime forces are composed mainly of small units equipped with missiles and are operating under the control of the Revolutionary Guards in the Gulf.
The ocean-going fleet is also small and under the command of the Iranian navy. which comprises a half-dozen small frigates and destroyers from 1,500 to 2,000 tons, and three submarines of 3,000 ton Kilo class, purchased from Russia in the 1990s.

Hacker Group Claims Hit on U.S. Defense Contractor

SAN FRANCISCO - Hacker group Anonymous on July 11 released a trove of military email addresses and passwords it claimed to have plundered from the network of U.S. defense consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton.

AN IMAGE OF a data center in Chicago. Hackers say they stole thousands of passwords for U.S. military email addresses by getting into Booz Allen Hamilton's network. (Microsoft)

Anonymous made available a file containing more than 90,000 email addresses and other information it said in online messages that it stole from an unprotected server at Booz Allen.

"While this should certainly be embarrassing to Booz Allen Hamilton, the real impact is on the U.S. military," the post continued."Anonymous claims to have erased four gigabytes worth of source code and to have discovered information which could help them attack U.S. government and other contractors' systems," computer security firm Sophos said in a blog post.

In a message accompanying the data at file-sharing website The Pirate Bay, Anonymous said Booz Allen was targeted in a "Meltdown Monday" as part of an anti-security, or "antisec," movement.

"So in this line of work you'd expect them to sail the seven proxseas with a state-of-the-art battleship, right?" Anonymous said, using pirate jargon and playing off a reference to proxy computer servers.

"Well, you may be as surprised as we were when we found their vessel being a puny wooden barge," the message continued. "We infiltrated a server in their network that basically had no security measures in place."

Although some downplayed the value of the looted data, computer security specialists warn that the email addresses could be used to target messages that trick recipients into revealing information or downloading viruses.

Booz Allen declined to comment on the incident, citing a company policy of not discussing "specific threats or actions taken against our systems."

Anonymous rose to infamy last year with cyber attacks in support of controversial whistle-blower website WikiLeaks.

The group was linked to attacks on Visa, Mastercard and Paypal, which blocked donations to WikiLeaks after it published thousands of U.S. diplomatic cables.

Early this year, Anonymous took credit for breaking into the website of HBGary Federal, stealing tens of thousands of email messages and temporarily routing traffic to a page with a vitriolic message.

Anonymous claimed to have busted through HBGary Federal computer defenses in February because the firm was working with federal agents to expose the hackers' identities.

The HBGary hack was more sophisticated than the distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks last year on the Amazon, Visa and MasterCard websites in apparent retaliation for their decisions to stop working with WikiLeaks.

In a typical DDoS attack, a large number of computers are commanded to simultaneously visit a website, overwhelming its servers, slowing service or knocking it offline completely.

In recent months, police in Spain, Turkey and Italy have arrested suspected members of Anonymous, which is believed to have branches in several countries.

2 U.S. Senators Unhappy With Missile Defense Plan

WASHINGTON - Two Republican U.S. senators on July 12 expressed concerns about a possible agreement to base a missile-shield radar in Turkey, citing the NATO ally's strained ties with Israel and relations with Iran.

Sens. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., and Mark Kirk, R-Ill., wrote Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton seeking reassurances on the possible deal, which was described in a news report last week.

The lawmakers asked for "written assurances" that data collected by a so-called X-band radar "will be made available, in real time" to staunch U.S. ally Israel to be "fully integrated into its battlement management and control."

They also sought a guarantee that "Turkish entities are not engaged, or suspected of engaging" in activities that fall afoul of various U.S. laws aimed at curbing suspected nuclear weapons programs in Iran and Syria and keeping sensitive know-how from North Korea.

And President Obama's administration must also certify that the powerful radar will only be operated by U.S. personnel, and for 24 hours a day, seven days a week, except for maintenance breaks, the senators said.

Kyl, the No. 2 two Senate Republican, and Kirk also questioned whether the reported decision to locate the radar in Turkey would "ensure the best defense of the United States against the Iranian long-range ballistic missile threat."

They cited a U.S. Missile Defense Agency study that found that the South Caucasus to be "the optimum placement" if the system is designed to defend against an eventual Iranian ballistic missile attack.

"The administration's plans for missile defense will require the cooperation of the Congress; the prospects for such cooperation are jeopardized if the Congress is not provided the information it requests," they warned.

U.S. Firm Says It Illegally Sent Plans To China

WASHINGTON - A U.S. defense contractor pleaded guilty July 12 to one charge of conspiring to illegally export U.S. Defense Department weapons plans to China in an apparent money-saving scheme, the Justice Department said.

From 2004-09, New Jersey-based Swiss Technology had contracts with the Defense Department to make rifle and machine gun parts to use in military operations, the Justice Department statement said.

But rather than manufacture the parts itself, Swiss Technology outsourced plans for the work to China "at a much cheaper price per unit" without first obtaining the required license from the U.S. State Department, the statement said.

"We simply can't risk that companies trying to manufacture military equipment on the cheap will expose our troops to more danger than they already face," said Paul Fishman, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey.

Swiss Technology admitted that it entered into the Chinese contracts for its own financial benefit, the statement said.

The government said the fraudulent contracting meant a loss of more than $1.1 million to DoD.

Under terms of the plea agreement, Swiss Technology will pay that money back to the Pentagon. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 15.

France Says 1,000 Troops To Leave Afghanistan

FORWARD OPERATING BASE TORA, Afghanistan - President Nicolas Sarkozy said July 12 that France would withdraw a quarter of its 4,000 troops from Afghanistan by the end of next year, becoming the latest NATO power to downsize its combat mission in the war-torn country.

The French leader announced the withdrawal during a surprise visit to meet troops stationed in Sarobi district, northeast of Kabul, and to be briefed on progress against the Taliban by a French general.

"It's necessary to end the war," Sarkozy told journalists at the base. "There was never a question of keeping troops in Afghanistan indefinitely."

France has around 4,000 troops deployed in the country, mostly in Sarobi, Kabul, and in northeastern Kapisa province.

"We will withdraw a quarter of our troops, that's to say 1,000 men, by the end of 2012," he said. Those remaining in Afghanistan will be concentrated in Kapisa, where they have been deployed since 2008.

"The first group will leave at the end of this year," Sarkozy said, without specifying the magnitude of this "first phase."

That withdrawal will be "in consultation with our allies and with the Afghan authorities," he said, as "the situation allows."

The partial drawdown follows similar announcements by Britain and the United States, as Western leaders look to a final deadline of the end of 2014 to extract all combat troops from an increasingly deadly and costly conflict.

In Kabul, Sarkozy held talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who was in a somber mood after receiving news shortly before the discussions that his younger brother Ahmed Wali Karzai had been assassinated in Kandahar.

Sarkozy did not rule out that French military advisors and trainers would remain after combat troops leave, "if the Afghan authorities want", adding that civilian cooperation would also continue.

"We must not abandon Afghanistan. We will continue to help Afghanistan. We'll go from military to economic cooperation," Sarkozy said after his meeting with Karzai before flying out of the country.

The French leader earlier met the top U.S. commander on the ground, Gen. David Petraeus, who will oversee the initial drawdown of 33,000 U.S. troops set to leave by the end of next summer - effectively ending a military "surge" ordered into Afghanistan, principally the south, in late 2009.

Britain has said 500 of its soldiers will leave by the end of next year. Belgium has also announced some of its troops will depart and Canada last week ended its near 3,000-strong combat mission in the southern province Kandahar.

It was Sarkozy's third visit to the battle-scarred country since becoming president and came two days ahead of the Bastille Day French national holiday. His earlier trips were in December 2007 and August 2008.

His trip came a day after a 22-year-old French soldier was killed in a shooting blamed on "accidental fire" by a fellow French soldier.

France has lost 64 soldiers in the course of the war, according to figures compiled by the independent icasualties.org.

Last month, Sarkozy said "several hundred" French troops would be withdrawn from Afghanistan before the end of the year.

His office had said earlier that France would carry out a progressive pullback of its 4,000 troops "in a proportional manner and in a timeframe similar to the pullback of the American reinforcements."

Sarkozy's visit comes days after that by new U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and a week after a visit by British Prime Minister David Cameron, with Western leaders focused on efforts to draw down troops and end the long war.

Commanders are now preparing to hand over seven NATO-held areas to Afghan control starting in mid-July, although there is widespread doubt over the ability of Afghan forces to take full responsibility for their own security.

Sarkozy said he shared U.S. President Barack Obama's belief that security had improved since the killing of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden in May and that the handover to Afghan troops and police was proceeding smoothly.

Should the situation improve, the pullout of all Western combat troops in 2014 might be "brought forward", he said.

U.S.-led coalition forces have been fighting the Taliban-led insurgency in Afghanistan since they invaded in late 2001 in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks orchestrated by bin Laden.