News Links

• 10:40:38: Pentagon can't account for $8.7 Bn in Iraqi funds from 2004 and 2007 http://j.mp/9EdIoc
• 10:41:10: EU adopts trade sanctions against Iran in bid to pressure it to curb its nuclear program and return to talks http://j.mp/amOBjj
• 10:42:15: Somalia: Clashes btwn armed groups & Puntland forces break out in Sanag & Bari regions in north Somalia http://j.mp/c7D4WF
• 10:44:15: Africom is gaining acceptance in continent & is planning to increase its support for the African Union force in Somalia http://j.mp/bUNSUn
• 10:45:18: Somalia: Al Qaeda veterans now run Al Shabaab according to AMISOM report http://j.mp/bm5eT3
• 10:46:33: Africa: US won't provide safe haven for corruption, will go after money stolen by corrupt leaders & hidden in US & West. http://j.mp/9YAnIh
• 10:47:19: Egypt: 2 policemen went on trial charged w/ illegal arrest & torture of anti-corruption activist who died in custody http://j.mp/d629q9
• 10:47:39: 1 of 2 U.S. sailors missing in Afghanistan since last week has been confirmed dead and his body recovered http://j.mp/cp9uE6
• 10:49:40: Terra Firma Chrmn tells young to go east for opportunities, but many say golden period for investment in China is over http://j.mp/acf6k5
• 10:50:03: India welcomed & celebrated the head of Myanmar's isolated military government Tuesday despite international criticism http://j.mp/cuK8Ig
• 10:51:12: India's national interest lies in a strong & stable Myanmar that observes strict neutrality btwn India & China http://j.mp/aWnniD
• 10:54:39: Iran & Turkey discuss ways to shore up security in border, fight drug trafficking & facilitate Iranian pilgrims' travel http://j.mp/aoUORG
• 10:56:04: The Lesser-Known Internet Story in China: Govt using Internet to improve governance and state-society communications http://j.mp/9lB1zb
• 10:56:08: China's Currency Glasnost Has Its Limits http://j.mp/9ctGdH
• 10:56:24: Africa looks to vast forests for carbon credits http://j.mp/dpP2lV
• 10:57:01: Vietnam asks France for military upgrades, recently bought radar, helicopters & transport aircraft http://j.mp/99jN6G
• 10:57:49: Iran shows signs of willingness to negotiate, but only with the EU, on its nuclear program http://j.mp/bFtxkK
• 11:00:21: China warns US to stay out of dispute w/ its neighbors regarding islands in the South China Sea http://j.mp/cuHgMf
• 11:01:00: Russia: Preparations for Iran's Bushehr NPP launch to be finished by end of August http://j.mp/c6qUdG
• 11:01:29: Afghan & Pakistani Taliban have burnt down 150 houses in Barg-e-Matal district of the eastern Nooristan province http://j.mp/cM935k
• 11:01:50: Buzkashi, a Traditional Afghan Sport (Pics) http://j.mp/aiJJgK
• 11:02:39: RT @abuaardvark: How crazy would it be if "Iran ties to Al-Qaeda" is the breakout from WikiLeaks rather than civilian casualties, etc? h ...
• 11:03:06: RT @TheBugPit: Manas contractors hire former Bush aides as lobbyists http://bit.ly/9oXY47 #freekg
• 11:06:23: Turkey steps up support for strategic Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan nestled btwn Armenia & Iran http://j.mp/a7wld7
• 11:06:41: David Cameron has promised to "fight" for Turkey's membership of the European Union http://j.mp/bYMHYb
• 11:07:14: David Cameron accuses France and Germany of double standards over Turkey http://j.mp/daa6LQ
• 11:07:32: PM Cameron: Turkey can stop Iran getting nuclear bomb http://j.mp/c26BTH
• 11:09:21: Turkey emerges as new safety net 4 Iranian business as it insists it will abide by UN sanctions but not those of US & EU http://j.mp/cVoe8t
• 11:10:16: Iraq parliament delayed, no end to stalemate in sight http://j.mp/dew9mz
• 11:11:20: Israeli military chopper crash in Romania reportedly kills 7 people http://j.mp/c0ycCv
• 11:11:48: Indonesia sees security threat from some students who studied in Yemen, keeps tabs on them http://j.mp/bWz08u
• 11:12:36: Nigeria's drug enforcement agency seizes 450Kg of cocaine from Chile & arrests 2 Chinese nationals & a Nigerian http://j.mp/bvFl0L
• 11:13:20: Mitt Romney & START: Has a willingness to endanger US for partisan advantage become the Republicans' new litmus test? http://j.mp/beQh0o
• 11:14:14: Iran: Ultra conservative criticism of Ahmadinejad growing & Khamenei’s fatwa looks desperate. Regime infighting continues http://j.mp/ao1iam
• 11:15:09: Mexican drug cartels bring violence with them in move to Central America, destabilize already fragile democracies http://j.mp/cIFXkt
• 11:15:28: Police fired tear gas to break up clashes between Turkish & Kurdish protesters in southern Turkey http://j.mp/bDLAU5
• 11:17:04: 3 Czech generals, a presidential staff member, NATO rep, forced to leave army in 2009 after Russian spy contact http://j.mp/9ho2sd
• 11:17:49: Oil-rich Nigerian states back Jonathan 2011 bid. Not surprising, since he comes from Niger Delta & is seen as one of them http://j.mp/a2DdYW
• 11:18:29: More important for Jonathan is what Northern states decide, & whether PDP can modify its rotating Presidency rules http://j.mp/a2DdYW
• 11:18:38: Gazans want "Marshall Plan", Israel policy falls short http://j.mp/auhh72
• 11:19:37: Fmr Pakistan ISI Chief Gul denies accusations he supports the Taliban, which is of course, what you'd expect him to say http://j.mp/cJ0I2f
• 11:20:40: Discovery of large natural gas reserves under eastern Mediterranean could mean big economic windfall for Israel & Lebanon http://j.mp/c5okIO
• 11:21:13: Of course, the discovery of natural gas reserves could also lead to a new Lebanon-Israel war http://j.mp/c5okIO
• 11:21:52: Venezuela said it beefed up its troop presence along the border with Colombia http://j.mp/d6YZzc Venezuela's economy continues dive
• 11:23:01: Looks like the WSJ is the first out of the gate w/ a "Wikileaks bolsters suspicion of Iran ties to al Qaeda" http://j.mp/9wgjle Sigh
• 11:23:13: Fidel makes latest appearance as Cuba says no rush on reform http://j.mp/dmJNVE
• 11:24:13: US investigators arrest 2 US soldiers & suspend Afghan truck cos on suspicions they helped soldiers steal $1.6 Mn in fuel http://j.mp/9y7PR5
• 11:24:23: Al-Qaida In Iraq Weakened But Still Dangerous http://j.mp/a9Cgf6
• 11:25:08: Nicaragua prosecutors drop Ortega/Sandinista investigation of massacre of 64 Miskito Indians in 1980s http://j.mp/aN52ep
• 11:25:35: Surest sign of 'peacebuilding' in Sierra Leone? A trash truck now plies the streets of Freetown http://j.mp/aG3h2y
• 11:26:05: Police guard Nigerian "Taliban" mosque a year after uprising http://j.mp/cRLb9d
• 11:28:10: For a take down of the "OMG Iran & al Qaeda ties" fluff see here: http://bit.ly/aNeG2f via @abuaardvark
• 11:29:04: France declares war against Al Qaeda after hostage killed http://j.mp/cO6jQk
• 11:29:34: Ecuador says it will start renegotiating contracts w/ private oil cos as it moves to increase state control over sector http://j.mp/cys89a
• 11:30:41: Deportations of undocumented immigrants increase in US under Obama admin http://j.mp/aRWaHv GOP gives him no credit, see AZ law
• 11:31:21: UK PM Cameron condemns Israeli blockade of Gaza Strip, describing territory as a "prison camp" http://j.mp/bGojWP
• 11:31:33: Hamas official says group considering military draft in Gaza http://j.mp/cy92S1
• 11:31:48: Jordan’s anti-Israeli voices grow louder http://j.mp/c1DJ6s
• 11:32:03: The Fallout of the Afghanistan Wikileaks Files http://j.mp/dcNodj
• 11:32:53: Hired Guns: Lobbying for foreign countries, esp rogues, has become big business for the most prestigious firms in DC http://j.mp/9X7Biq
• 11:33:06: In Afghanistan, why does counterinsurgency work in some places but not others? http://j.mp/9dfD0W
• 11:34:16: India hopes US opposition to China-Pakistan nuclear deal carries enough weight when plan goes b4 Nuclear Suppliers’ Group http://j.mp/9cyClR
• 11:34:28: RT @EurasiaNet: Party Time in Kyrgyzstan http://bit.ly/cI13yd
• 11:34:31: RT @nytimesglobal: Leave Serbia and Kosovo Alone - Misha Glenny in the Herald Tribune Op/Ed pages - http://nyti.ms/cx90Em
• 11:34:34: RT @EurasiaNet: Should Osh Retain its UNESCO Status? http://www.eurasianet.org/node/61612
• 11:35:15: RT @nytimesglobal: More Job-Seekers Hitch Ride on Asian Economy - http://nyti.ms/aAWakQ
• 11:35:27: RT @kwheaton: Where are the world's intel agencies? http://sourcesandmethods.blogspot.com/2010/07/interactive-map-of-all-of-worlds.html
• 11:41:39: RT @AJEnglish: Iraq reconstruction funds 'missing': Audit finds US is unable to account for over 95 per cent of Iraqi oil money. http:// ...
• 11:56:36: The average smartphone user on Verizon uses about 421 MB of data/month, compared to 338 MB used by Apple’s iPhones http://j.mp/aO9MLa
• 12:11:58: Blaming it on Apple, 57% of consumers will never buy an iPhone 4 b/c of handling of Antenna gate debacle http://j.mp/c6V83h
• 12:22:24: Jordan's King Abdullah II, Israeli PM Netanyahu meet http://j.mp/9Afbsr
• 12:23:57: Wyclef Jean mulling Haitian presidential bid http://j.mp/9kPFPY
• 12:24:20: African Union Wants South African Marine Forces to Help Stabilize Somalia http://j.mp/dqYGQM
• 12:25:11: Chavez Embargo Threat Fails To Roil Oil Markets http://j.mp/dkY1hf Probably b/c everyone knows he's full of it.
• 12:26:00: RT @afpakchannel Afghans and NATO at odds over civilian deaths report http://j.mp/9WD1jJ
• 12:26:27: RT @GlobalPost: WikiLeaks: the Taliban, the ISI and U.S. strategy in Afghanistan. http://ht.ly/2hi5m
• 12:27:01: RT @SteveHynd: Kabul urges West to review Pakistan policy after leaks http://trunc.it/9tyjg
• 12:27:30: RT @newsworldtoday: WikiLeaks fallout: The Taliban and the ISI -- Pakistani intelligence fooled only those who didn't pay attention. #ne ...
• 12:28:00: RT @politifact: Geithner claims U.S. had six months of positive job growth in the private sector. We found it True. http://bit.ly/btfhNy
• 12:28:17: RT @WSJMidEast: Rebels Capture Yemeni Soldiers http://on.wsj.com/9UJJpn
• 12:30:53: RT @tnr: Ahmed Rashid from TNR's Afghanistan symposium: A plan to salvage whatever we can of the country http://bit.ly/amxYib
• 12:51:35: RT @newsworldtoday: Israel demolishes Bedouin village of 300 #news http://bit.ly/cQUawS
• 12:52:12: RT @AJEnglish: Blix: Intelligence on Iraq was poor: Former UN weapons inspector tells British that UK and US relied on dubious so... htt ...
• 12:57:46: RT @WAJournal: #Chavez threatens #US #oil supply;Chile,Peru,Colombia pursue #China trade;Dangerous to ignore Venezuela FARC complicity h ...
• 13:14:02: Boat Crashes Into Oil Well, Creating New Spill in Gulf of Mexico http://j.mp/dtx2rR Why you little @&**^Y#!
• 13:16:29: RT @USArmyAfrica: VOA NEWS: Burundi Ruling Party Wins Parliamentary Elections: Authorities in Burundi report country's rulin... http://b ...
• 13:16:34: RT @SteveHynd: RT @alexlobov: The SIGIR report on the missing billions in Iraq http://bit.ly/93UyKX [pdf] (via @MyHollyTree)
• 13:18:11: RT @blakehounshell Ahmadinejad attacks Paul the Octopus as symbol of everything wrong w/ West http://bit.ly/9vVtNX Now he's gone too far!
• 13:21:45: You can now lose signal and drop calls on a shiny new white iPhone 4 http://j.mp/bBstZT
• 14:34:01: I have to say, swype on my droid works really well.
• 15:30:13: Glenn Beck's Non-Political rally will headline Sarah Palin & NRA http://j.mp/dbdpb3 If you see this as political, you're just a commie
• 16:08:24: RT @vali_nasr: Why are #Palestinians treated as second class citizens in Lebanon? http://gu.com/p/2hqzx/tw
• 17:07:49: RT @FP_Magazine: RT @joshrogin GOP senators leaning towards yes on New START http://bit.ly/b0Iwdj
• 18:03:34: RT @PacificCommand: U.S. Strengthens Asia Military Links Amid Concerns Over China (via Bloomberg) http://ow.ly/2hpo5