Bulletin:Pentagon Prepared as Speaker Nancy Pelosi Departs for Asia on Military VIP Plane - Updated

The Department of Defense is prepared to deploy military assets to protect Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi (D-California) and her Congressional delegation,should she choose to visit Taiwan over hostile Chinese rhetoric against her planned visit at the invitation of Taiwan,the Associated Press quoted U.S. officials as saying.Mrs.Pelosi declined to reveal whether or not she was going to Taiwan for security reasons.As Speaker,Nancy Pelosi is third in line for the presidency,after Vice President Kamala Harris.It's been 25 years since one of her predecessors,Speaker Newt Gingrich,traveled to Taiwan in 1997.Although President Joseph R. Biden didn't seem enthusiastic about her plans,he has no authority to order her not to go,since she is a member of the co-equal Legislative Branch.Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,General Mark Milley,US Army,indicated that,should the Speaker or anyone else decide to visit Taiwan,the Pentagon will do what is necessary to ensure a safe conduct of her visit.Military assets already deployed to the Indo-Pacific Region are considered adequate for the task. China has warned it will take "firm and forceful measures" against such a visit in order to safeguard what it considers its national sovereignty and territorial integrity.Accompanying Mrs.Pelosi will be Congressman Gregory Meeks (D-New York),Chairman of the House Foreign Relations Committee and unspecified others. According to the AP sources,the protection provided to Pelosi and her delegation will apply to her flights into and out of Taiwan;but also while she is on the ground.There would be overlapping rings of protection for her throughout her visit.There would also be search and rescue assets on alert in case of an accident in the air or on the ground.In addition to possibly visiting Taiwan,the Speaker is planning to visit South Korea,Singapore,Japan and Malaysia.Said Congressman Darin La Hood (R-Texas): It is inappropriate for foreign governments,including the Chinese government,to attempt to influence the ability or the right to travel for the Speaker,Members of Congress,or other U.S. Government officials to Taiwan or anywhere else in the world.* The South China Morning Post said that the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) Carrier Strike Group had departed Singapore on Tuesday,heading in the direction of the South China Sea.A US Navy spokesman confirmed that the Reagan CSG was now in the South China Sea,but declined to comment on the Pelosi visit.Besides the USS Ronald Reagan,the CSG consists of the embarked Carrier Air Wing V (CVW5);the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Antietam (CG 54);and the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Higgins (DDG 76).Customarily,a nuclear-powered fast attack submarine also accompanies a Carrier Strike Group,but is not announced.A sensitive source told Radio Free Asia that the Reagan CSG could sail close to the east side of Taiwan in a show of power,but will not engage in any confrontation with the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA).U.S. Indo-Pacific Command declined to comment on the RFA report.* Updates:Speaker Pelosi's plane left San Francisco on Saturday.It is a Boeing C-40C and flew at an altitude of 32,000 ft/9.7536 km.The plane has an American flag on its tail and "United States of America" on its fuselage,with the livery resembling the Air Force One colours.The C-40C is a military version of the Boeing 737 Next Generation.It has auxiliary fuel tanks giving an unrefueled range of up to 5,000 nautical miles,or up to 5800 mi/9300 km.The C-40C is a VIP transport version for Cabinet members and Congressional use.The D.C. Air National Guard operates two of the aircraft,and the US Air Force Reserve 932nd Airlift Wing operates three more of them out of Scott Air Force Base,Illinois.* Also on Saturday,the PLA conducted live-fire drills near the Pingtan Islands off Fujian Province,near the Taiwan Strait.As well,the PLA Navy (PLAN) conducted exercises off the Chinese South Coast near Guangdong on the South China Sea,where the USS Ronald Reagan CSG is also sailing.

New US Military Deployments to Europe Bolster NATO'S Force Posture

In light of Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine,including several war crimes,NATO called for a robust response from NATO Allies.The Pentagon has answered the call by bringing US troop strength in Europe first up to 100,000.Now it will commit even more forces to the mission of deterring Russian aggression in Europe.The exact number of troops hasn't been released yet,but the list of new deployments is substantial.These include the following: in Poland,the U.S. Army is establishing a permanent Headquarters Command Post for U.S. Army V Corps,an Army Garrison Headquarters,and a Field Support Battalion.This will facilitate Command and Control of U.S. Forces in the Eastern Flank of NATO; in Romania,a new Brigade Combat Team of 3,000 Infantry and 2,000 Support Troops will be rotationally deployed; in the Baltic Sea Region,there will be increased rotational deployments of armoured,air defence,and Special Operations Forces; in Rota,Spain,the number of homeported Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers is being increased from four to six; in the UK,two new F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter Squadrons are being forward deployed; in Germany,there will be new forward deployments of an Air-Defence Artillery Brigade Headquarters;a Short Range Air-Defence Battalion,a Combat Sustainment Support Battalion Headquarters;and an Engineer Brigade Headquarters; in Italy,there will be a new forward deployed Short Range Air-Defence Battalion.* Additionally,NATO announced it is transforming the NATO Response Force by increasing ready forces from 40,000 to over 300,000 troops on alert for short notice deployment from their home countries.As well,the Enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroups are being scaled up from Battalion size (300-1,000 troops) up to Brigade size (3,000-5,000 troops).New eFP Battlegroups are to be located in Hungary,Slovakia,Romania and Bulgaria,joining the current Battlegroups in Latvia,Lithuania,Estonia and Poland.*

NATO Secretary General with 🇺🇸 US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, 02 JUNE 2022

Message to Russia:US,UK Bulking Up NATO'S Eastern Flank

In a matter of days,US and British forces will be reinforcing key NATO Allies in the Baltic and Black Sea Regions.On 2 February 2022,the Pentagon announced that,as ordered by US President Joseph R. Biden,3,000 US troops would be heading mostly to Poland and Romania;while British Prime Minister Boris Johnson indicated earlier that the UK would be bolstering its troop presence in Estonia by about 900,on top of the 900 Soldiers already there leading a NATO enhancedForward Presence Battle Group.As well,the UK intends to send warships and fighter jets to the Eastern Flank. The US Air Force has already augmented NATO's Air Policing Mission in Estonia with six F-15 Eagle fighters from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base,North Carolina's 336th Fighter Squadron,and the Harry S.Truman Carrier Strike Group has been leading Exercise Neptune Strike 22 in the Mediterranean Sea. The new US deployment will be separate from the 8500 troops in the US recently placed on high alert for call-up by the NATO Response Force.Two thousand of the newly designated troops will be sent from the US to Poland and Romania,US Army paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division and 18th Airborne Corps.A small headquarters unit will reportedly be sent to Germany.In addition,a 1,000 member US Army 2nd Cavalry Regiment Stryker Brigade Combat Team already in Germany will be deployed to Romania.These deployments have been under discussion with the NATO Allies concerned for some time. A Stryker BCT is a mechanised infantry brigade centered around the Stryker eight-wheeled variant of the General Dynamics LAV III,which is a light armoured vehicle.* Spain has detailed a minesweeper and frigate to augment NATO'S Standing Maritime Group 2;while France is sending Soldiers to Romania as well.* The rationale of the US and British deployments were articulated by UK officials in recent days.On 1 February 2022,British Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke at a news conference in Kyiv,Ukraine alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky: we will always stand up for freedom and democracy and Ukrainian sovereignty in the face of aggression.Somebody said we are exaggerating the threat-were the UK and the US trying to big this up? I've just got to say that is not the intelligence we're seeing.This is a clear and present danger and we see large numbers of troops massing;we see preparations for all kinds of operations that are consistent with an imminent military campaign...it is about the whole European security architecture,because be in no doubt about what I think President Putin is trying to achieve here.I think he is trying,by holding a gun,as it were,to the head of Ukraine,to get us to change the way we look at somerthing that was absolutely fantastic.And it wouldn't just be Ukraine that was drawn back into the Russian sphere of influence;you've got to think about Georgia;you've got to think about Moldova,other countries.I've just got to repeat what I said:our view is that time is urgent and this is something that needs to be addressed now.* The UK Chief of Defence Staff,Royal Navy Admiral Sir Tony Radakin,told a Cabinet meeting on 1 February that: a significant proportion of Russia's land combat power was now gathered on the Western border,coupled with deterrence operations such as military exercises on a scale never seen before.* Prime Minister Johnson informed the Cabinet that this: fitted into a pattern of coercion and intimidation that sought to undermine the values and principles of the West.*

NATO Secretary General with 🇺🇸 U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, 04 O...at the Pentagon

Brink of War:Constellation of US Forces Gathers in the Middle East

A number of US troops,ships and aircraft have been deployed to the Middle East in the past month to ensure the protection of US forces already in the region,at the request of US combatant commanders.This is in light of Iran's threats and/or aggression against maritime traffic and US troops in the US Central Command AOR.*
On 24 May 2019,former US Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan said an initial bolstering force:
will include approximately 1500 military personnel and consist of
-a Patriot battalion to defend against missile threats,
-additional intelligence,surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft,
-an engineer element to provide force protection improvements throughout the region
-and a fighter aircraft squadron to provide additional deterrence and depth to our aviation response options.*
On 17 June 2014,Mr.Shanhan said:
I have authorized approximately 1,000 additional troops for defensive purposes to address air,naval,and ground-based threats in the Middle East.The recent Iranian attacks validate the reliable,credible intelligence we have received on hostile behavior by Iranian forces and their proxy groups that threaten US personnel and interests across the region.*
Besides these assets deployed to undisclosed bases,it is known that the US Navy's Carrier Strike Group 13,led by aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72),is underway in the Middle East to deal with the Iran crisis.Carrier Air Wing 7,with its 9 squadrons and detachments,is aboard the Lincoln.
The Carrier Strike Group includes Destroyer Squadron 2:
-USS Bainbridge (DDG 96),
-USS Mason (DDG 87),
-USS Nitze (DDG 94);
as well as guided-missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55).A submarine may also be assigned to a CSG,but would not be disclosed.*
Mr.Shanahan has resigned from his position for personal reasons.President Donald Trump has appointed Secretary of the Army Mark T. Esper as Acting Secretary of Defense.Mr.Esper is a graduate of the US Military Academy (West Point) and a combat veteran of the Gulf War 1990-91,having served with distinction as a US Army Infantry officer with the 101st Airborne Division.

New Pentagon Report Paints Stark Picture of Islamic State Reality

The 16th Lead Inspector General for Operation Inherent Resolve's report to the US Congress blows away political aspirations with cold on the ground facts.Based on a Pentagon official's inquiries to US CENTCOM and Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve officials, the report notes that:
The effort to defeat ISIS (another name for Islamic State) continues as ISIS remains a potent force of battle-hardened and well-disciplined fighters that 'could likely resurge in Syria' absent continued counterterrorism pressure.
US CENTCOM officials believe that:
ISIS is regenerating key functions and capabilities more quickly in Iraq than in Syria, and "absent sustained pressure,ISIS could likely resurge in Syria within six to twelve months and regain limited territory."*
What is more:
ISIS remains active in rural Iraq and continues to conduct attacks, assassinations,and to resort to robbery and money laundering to raise funds.
*
The IG's report covers the period from 1 October 2018 to 31 December 2018.According to the report:
ISIS is still able to coordinate offensives and counter-offensives,as well as operate as a decentralized insurgency.
In Iraq, the Iraqi Security Forces are still reliant on the United States and Coalition support.*
As for the Syrian Democratic Forces,CJTF-OIR said Coalition support is 'vital to the SDF's ability to defeat ISIS in the Middle Euphrates River Valley.'
Iraq's problems​ include lack of a tasking system for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance assets and vetting procedures for HUMINT.Even trained ISF units have shortfalls​ in command and control; leadership; physical resilience; and ability to execute basic minor infantry tactics, the IG's report indicates.

Crush the Enemy:CIA Covert Forces Expand Afghanistan Mission

Far from being drawn down as US military forces are being augmented in Afghanistan under the President's new South Asia Strategy,the CIA's Special Activities Division/Special Operations Group paramilitaries are reportedly also expanding their role in a conflict that has spanned more than sixteen years.It is said that President Donald Trump and his CIA director,Mike Pompeo,are determined to make the most of the Agency's paramilitary capability in hopes of quickening the end of the Taliban militants and other Islamist extremist elements who are trying to wreck the emergent democracy,such as al-Qaida,the Haqqani Network and ISIL-Khorasan.Speaking at the University of Texas in October,Mr.Pompeo said:
This is unforgiving,relentless.You pick the word.Every minute,we have to focus on crushing our enemies.If we are not out pushing the envelope,the Agency will not succeed.*
Immediately after the 9-11 attacks,the CIA was first on the ground in Afghanistan in the form of a small paramilitary team codenamed JAWBREAKER.This team and its follow-ons linked up with the indigenous resistance,the Northern Alliance,under Ahmad Shah Masood,gathering HUMINT on the Taliban and their al-Qaida guests and conducting joint operations with US and British military SOFs and the NA to eject the Taliban from cities such as Kabul and Mazar-e-Sharif.Once the Taliban had been thrown out of power in Afghanistan,however,the SAD Ground Branch settled into the role of training Afghan forces and collecting HUMINT,while the Air Branch struck targets inside Pakistan with armed Predator drones.*
The Agency's paramilitaries,be they recruited from the Armed Forces' Special Operations Command or from within the CIA,are trained for proficiency in:
sabotage;abduction;bomb damage assessment;personnel and material recovery;hostage rescue;and counterterrorism.That's not surprising,what with them being the heirs of the World War II Office of Strategic Services.
Typically operating in teams of six or less,they may even be tasked with solo missions.On the other hand,they have been frequently sent on joint operations with the Pentagon's SOFs and the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces.This is the joint role they are moving into now,as leaders of hybrid Counterterrorism Pursuit Teams with Pentagon SOFs detailed to the CIA under the Omega Program and ANDSF members.They are to range across the country seeking to quash Taliban bomb-makers in particular,as the mainline US SOFs and Afghan commandos focus on recapturing Taliban territory.The Taliban IED factories are a rising threat as the militants turn more to destabilising bombing campaigns,unable to make headway against the greatly improved ADNSF and their US advisors.
The CPTs will also include Afghan intelligence officers from the National Directorate of Security as well as CIA contractors.The SAD Air Branch was trying to expand its role to include an armed drone campaign within Afghanistan itself,not just striking militants in neighbouring Pakistan,but it isn't known if that was finally approved.

The Secret History of the CIA (2005) - Steve Coll,Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author on his book "Ghost Wars"

Russia Challenges NATO by Deploying New Missile,Violating Treaty

According to Administration officials who spoke anonymously to The New York Times,Russia has now deployed a new land-based intermediate range cruise missile in clear violation of the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.The INF Treaty was signed by President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in 1987.US intelligence has known about Russian testing of such a weapon since 2008 and the Obama administration formally accused Moscow of violating the INF Treaty by testing the missile in 2014.*
Known as the SSC-8 by the Pentagon,the missiles are seen as a direct threat to Europe.Russia has two battalions of the SSC-8.One of them is based at the Russian missile test range at Kapustin Yar;while the other was moved from there in December to an undisclosed location in Russia.Each battalion consists of four missile launchers and more than four missiles,intelligence analysts believe.The short range nuclear-tipped ballistic missile Iskander-M uses a similar type of launcher,but is not itself in violation of a treaty.The Pentagon has drawn up options to respond to the SSC-8 with,such as beefing up European missile defences or developing new US air or sea-based cruise missiles.*
The INF Treaty bans US and Russian missiles that can travel 300-3400 miles.It also forbids the production of launchers for such missiles.*
According to former US Defense Secretary and CIA Director Robert Gates,appearing before Congress in 1985,Soviet deployment of cruise missiles provides them with new multidirectional capabilities against US targets.*
At a 1 December 2015 Congressional hearing,Brian P. McKeon,Principal Undersecretary of Defense for Policy,said that the Joint Staff assessment tells us that the deployment of such a system by the Russian Federation would increase the risk to our allies and be an indirect threat to the US...the Administration determined that we need to consider Russian actions with respect to the INF Treaty in the context of its overall aggressive and bellicose behaviour that flouts international legal norms and destabilises the European security order.Russia is not violating the INF Treaty in isolation from it overall aggressive behaviour.*
Speaking at the same 2015 hearing,Rose Gottemoeller,who was then Undersecretary of Arms Control and International Security,and is now Deputy Secretary General of NATO,saidwe have made it very clear that this is not a technicality,a one-off event,or a case of mistaken identity,but a serious violation of one of the most basic obligations under the INF Treaty.Russian officials have denied violating the Treaty and told us the issue was closed.We do not accept this response.*

Apache Gunships Brought Into Battle of Mosul - actually had been used earlier

Small numbers of US Army Boeing AH-64 Apache attack helicopters have been used in the effort to drive Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant militants from their northern stronghold of Mosul,Iraq.Fewer than 10 Apaches have been used in the operations,officials told Agence France Presse.*
I can confirm that Apaches have been used with significant effect,said Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook.My understanding is,there's been particular targets that have included VBIEDs and specific obstacles and impediments that we've seen ISIL put forward in Mosul.The Apaches have demonstrated a capability with very precise targeting to make a difference there,again,operating in a standoff position.They're able to do that from some distance back.*
The helicopter gunships also undertook night operations against ISIL in the early stages of the Battle of Mosul in October.Even before then,the Apaches had seen action in the Tigris River Valley back in June.The vulnerability of Apaches to fires from the enemy on the ground,however,given their typically slow speed and low altitude operational profile,has limited their usage in the anti-ISIL Operation Inherent Resolve to these small-scale standoff attacks.As well,the Iraqi government is reluctant to allow any more direct US involvement in the battle than is absolutely necessary.*
Boeing (BA)

The War On ISIL:Progress Amid Concern

A status report on the war on the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant was presented to journalists by Pentagon spokesman Colonel Steve Warren,US Army,on Monday 20 April.Ramadi,capital of Anbar Province,Iraq remains highly contested-it's a tough fight there right now.We're hopeful that coalition air power along with the resolve of the Iraqi ground forces will be able to hold.In Beiji,Iraqi troops successfully linked up with forces on the ground in the oil refinery and have thus far been able to secure the refinery.We are dedicating some air power to the fight and it remains a contested situation.
In Afghanistan,we don't necessarily believe that conditions are such that ISIL would be welcome.We don't see the rebranding of disaffected Taliban and other militants to ISIL as a cause of increased violence in Afghanistan yet,but it is certainly something that we're going to continue to watch.
In Libya,the Department is beginning to see more than a rebranding effort.I think Libya is probably where ISIL most wants to gain a foothold.At this point,they have gained at least a toehold in Libya based on an extraordinary amount of unrest and an almost completely deteriorated security situation.
Nearly every one of the press releases that we issue every day indicates damage to tactical units-that's fighters being killed.So I would submit to you that we've delivered punishing blows to ISIL over the past six months.We've started to see cracks in ISIL's ability to bring on new forces.ISIL is turning now to conscription,to forcing people into their armed forces,and in some cases to child soldiers.So the pressure that the combination of air and ground power we're applying to ISIL is having an effect,COL Warren concluded.*
The Pentagon says in a special report that since the kinetic engagement with the Islamist extremists began in August 2014,ISIL has lost about 25-30% of the territory it held in Iraq.*
In Syria,the Pentagon reports that attack,fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 10 airstrikes between 8 am local on 19 April and 8am on 20 April:
Near Hasakah,three airstrikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and a mortar position,destroying a fighting position.Near Kobani,seven airstrikes struck seven tactical units,destroying two vehicles,a fighting position,mortar tube and an ISIL anti-aircraft artillery piece.
The Royal Canadian Air Force has now joined the air campaign against ISIL targets in Syria,as well as Iraq.They fly the CF-18 Hornet,as well as mission support aircraft.

Tense Encounter:Russian Su-27 Fighter and US Air Force RC-135 Spy Plane

A US Air Force Boeing RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft was buzzed by a Russian Su-27 Flanker in international air space over the Baltic Sea on 7 April,the Pentagon revealed on Sunday.The unarmed and unescorted RC-135 was intercepted off of Northern Poland while flying a routine route,most likely to monitor Russian forces in Kaliningrad and Western Russia.The Pentagon plans to file a complaint with Russia through diplomatic channels,spokesman Mark Wright said.During the encounter,the Flanker came within six meters of the RC-135,approaching at a very high rate of speed from behind the RC-135 and circling it,also rolling over to flash its armament.This maneuver was then repeated before disengagement.
In a statement,the Pentagon's chief spokesman,Colonel Steve Warren,US Army,said that unprofessional air intercepts have the potential to cause harm to all aircrews involved.More importantly,the careless and unprofessional actions of a single pilot have the potential to escalate tensions between countries,COL Warren added.
In service in several variants since 1961,the 22 USAF RC-135s are based at Offut Air Force Base,Nebraska and deployed to forward operating locations worldwide.They are used by the USAF Air Combat Command's 55th Wing and Britain's Royal Air Force Number 51 Squadron to support theatre and national intelligence consumers with near-real time collections,analysis and dissemination.The current variants in service include:
-3 RC-135S Cobra Ball ballistic missile intelligence planes
-2 RC-135U Combat Sent adversary radar emitter intelligence planes
-17 RC-135V/W Rivet Joint SIGINT planes
-a Royal Air Force RC-135W SIGINT plane,which was delivered in September 2013 and has been placed in service in Operation Inherent Resolve against ISIL since July 2014.Two more are on order.The three aircraft will replace the Nimrod R1.
Rivet Joint is the standard airborne SIGINT platform,detecting,identifying and geolocating signals within the entire electromagnetic spectrum with its advanced sensor suite.The Rivet Joint crew consists of cockpit crew;electronic warfare officers;intelligence operators;and airborne systems maintenance personnel.
Rivet Joint airframe and mission system modifications are made exclusively by contractor L-3 Communications.L-3 is a US-based prime contractor in aerospace systems and national security solutions,providing a broad range of communications and electronic systems and products for military and commercial platforms.*
Boeing (BA),L-3 Communications Holdings Inc (LLL)

American Two Star General Dies in Attack on NATO Troops

An Afghan man the Kabul government described as a terrorist in uniform shot a US Army major general dead and wounded up to 15 other NATO troops Tuesday,Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby said.The gunman was wearing military clothing and fired on the allied troops with a light machine gun at the Marshal Fahim National Defense University in Kabul,Afghanistan,where Afghan commissioned and non-commissioned officers are trained at the British-led academy.The NATO soldiers were on a routine site visit,RADM Kirby told reporters.*
Believed to be among the wounded are a German general and at least seven Americans and five British troops.Some of them were seriously wounded;others received only minor injuries.
The general who was killed has been identified as General Harold J. Greene,deputy commanding general of the Combined Security Transition Command.A 34-year veteran,he is the highest ranking US soldier to have been killed in either the the Iraq or Afghan War,which began in 2001 following the 9-11 attacks.*
The so-called green on blue attack is the latest of a long series of similar incidents,many of them attributed to disgruntled Afghan National Security Forces personnel.*
Army Lieutenant General Timothy J. Maude died in the 9-11 attack on the Pentagon.*
General Joseph F. Dunford,Jr.,US Marine Corps,Commander of ISAF forces in Afghanistan,briefed Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel on the incident this morning.The attack will be jointly investigated by ISAF and Afghan personnel.ISAF consists of NATO troops and those of partner nations.
Most US and allied forces are to be withdrawn by the end of 2014,but plans to leave a limited number of trainers and special operations troops in Afghanistan beyond 2014 are on hold until the disputed Afghan presidential election is resolved.An audit of the election finally began on Sunday even as squabbling between the parties continued,with one candidate's supporters boycotting the audit.

Big Security Push:Hundreds More US Troops Sent To Iraq

Two hundred more US troops have arrived in Iraq,in addition to the 180 Special Operations Forces advisors already there.These new 200 will assist with securing the US embassy in Baghdad,as well as Baghdad International Airport and roads connecting them.The embassy would be a prime target for ISIL militants,should they get much closer to Baghdad.The militants have long-range artillery now,which they have captured.
A further 100 US troops are on the way from the Middle East,where they have been on standby,to help with security and logistics.The total number of US troops now in Iraq is said to be about 750.
South of Baghdad lie the country's main oil fields,which must also be considered prime targets of the ISIL militants.
The new US troops are bringing more helicopters and drones for airfield and travel route security,the Pentagon said.A major concern is evacuating the thousands of American civilians who remain in Iraq,in the event of a militant push into the capital city.

Iraq Crisis:The Role of Special Forces and Intelligence

The Special Operations Forces team that arrived in Iraq Saturday will assess where the other SOF members should be stationed,said Rear Admiral John Kirby,Pentagon Press Secretary.Some of the troops at the US embassy may be reassigned to assist the SOF troops.
The SOF team's mission in Iraq is to assess the enemy's capability;the equipment they have;and how bad off is the Iraqi army.They will also be drawing from military contractors,many of them former SOF members,RADM Kirby revealed.*
The Iraqi state is in danger,warned Senator Dianne Feinstein,D-California,a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee.The piercing with human intelligence is very difficult.This is extraordinarily difficult to do.The terrorist recruiting in Europe,the number of passport fighters,including Americans who are coming back into this country through countries we have a visa agreement with-there will be plots to kill Americans.*
A hundred Americans are believed to have been recruited by social media and are fighting alongside Islamist militants in Syria.*
What is the contingency plan for a complete takeover of Iraq and Syria?I don't know what the contingency plan is.I do know we're at the foot of an all-out civil war.We're on the verge of something very serious.I think our allies have to help us,and I think Iran can help encourage an inclusive Iraqi government.There has to be one.There can be a direct threat to US national security,Senator Feinstein said.*
Both manned and unmanned reconnaissance flights are going on over Iraq.A target list is being reviewed and revised constantly,the Pentagon added.
Out in the countryside,our very accurate airpower can do a successful job,said Admiral James Woolsey,US Navy retired and former CIA director.In the cities,I'm not sure it's appropriate,ADM Woolsey noted.*
The SOF troops are believed to include members of the US Army Delta Force,US Navy SEALs and US Army Rangers.

F-22 Raptor Intercepted Iranian F-4,General Reveals

More details of a March 2013 encounter between US Air Force and Iranian jet fighters were recently provided by General Mark Welsh,Air Force Chief of Staff.Speaking at an Air Force Association conference September 17,General Welsh indicated an F-22 Raptor,currently the Air Force's most advanced tactical aircraft in service,approached an Iranian F-4 Phantom,a Vietnam era fighter,and,flying beneath it undetected,assessed its armament.The Iranian had been closing within 16 miles of a US MQ-1 Predator drone off the coast of Iran.Assessment completed,the F-22 pilot,Lt.Colonel Kevin "Showtime" Sutterfield,US Air Force Reserve,pulled alongside the Iranian's left wing and radioed a warning to the F-4 pilot,according to General Welsh.No shots were fired during the incident,which the Pentagon disclosed when it occurred in March,but did not then identify what type of US aircraft were involved in the successful intercept.*
During a March Pentagon briefing,spokesman George Little specified that two US aircraft participated.The Predator drone had been on a routine classified surveillance mission over international waters when the Iranians drew near to it,he said.This was seen as an unacceptable threat to the drone's force protection mission,so the US fighters responded.*
In November 2012,an Iranian fighter had actually fired on another US drone in the Persian Gulf area.Iran also threatened to close the strategically important Strait of Hormuz,the entrance to the Gulf through which much of the world's oil supply passes.This threat had reportedly caused the Air Force to base an F-22 squadron at Al Dhafra Air Base in the UAE in April 2012,which would explain where the F-22s in the March 2013 incident came from.*
The F-22 is known for its stealth and extreme agility.Some F-22 Raptor pilots have experienced blackouts for lack of oxygen,causing the Air Force to ground the planes on occasion.General Welsh expressed confidence that the problem would be solved.

Defense Secretary Warns Iran

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta issued a warning to Iran and others not to miscalculate over the U.S. withdrawal from Iraq.For Iran and anybody else who has any other ideas,let me make clear that the United States maintains 40,000 troops in that region;23,000 in Kuwait,and numbers of others in countries throughout that region,Mr.Panetta stated while on an Asian trip last week.
Almost all U.S. forces will be withdrawn out of Iraq by 31 December on orders by President Obama.The only exceptions will be a small cadre of U.S. Marines who guard the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad-the largest U.S. Embassy in the world-as well as a small number to help with arms transactions with Iraq.
As well as maintaining those U.S. troops currently stationed in the Persian Gulf region outside of Iraq,the Pentagon is reportedly considering transferring some of the soldiers now in Iraq to neighboring Kuwait,The New York Times ascertained.The U.S. Navy may also keep more warships in the region.A Pentagon spokesman said they're going through a range of options and no decisions have been made.
The vacuum created by U.S. withdrawal from Iraq is a growing concern for America's Sunni Muslim Persian Gulf allies,who are wary of more Iranian Shiite Muslim influence in the region.

Leon Panetta's Brisk Entrance

Leon Panetta was sworn in as the new Defense Secretary on 1 July.The former Member of Congress had been serving as CIA Director.Mr.Panetta will be replaced at CIA by General David Petraeus,U.S. Army,who currently commands the International Security Assistance Force,or ISAF,in Afghanistan.
Mr.Panetta,73,is known for his outspoken manner,in contrast to the quieter ways of his predecessor,the esteemed Robert Gates,who received the Medal of Freedom,the nation's highest civilian honor,from President Barack Obama when he recently retired.
Mr.Panetta laughingly puts his demeanor down to being Italian.One thing is certain:the troops he serves,the world leaders he meets and the adversaries he warns will have no doubt about their standing with the United States and its new Pentagon chief.He wasted no time in addressing all three with his prompt journey to Iraq and Afghanistan.
While Mr.Panetta was traveling,Admiral Michael Mullen,outgoing Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,was meeting with the Chinese brass in an effort to restore relations with the People's Liberation Army,as China's military is known.Tensions over North Korea's behavior,Taiwan's defences and the status of the South China Sea have in recent years cast a chill over exchanges between the two strongest armed forces,which had been halted altogether for most of 2010.

The Piracy Menace

Admiral Mullen observed that piracy is a greater concern for the maritime forces.The overall number of attacks is growing and starting to have an impact on the commercial side.It's a growing issue and we're gonna have to continue dealing with it.The pirates are very good tactically and well-armed.It becomes very hard to get them off because they hold hostages.Countries have by and large been paying the ransom that the pirates ask,Admiral Mullen reported to the Pentagon journalists.