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North Korea Holds Mass Rally - to pledge loyalty to the country's new leader Kim Jong Un

North Korea Holds Mass Rally
VOA - January 10th, 2012

North Korea's powerful military has held a mass rally in the capital, Pyongyang, to pledge loyalty to the country's new leader Kim Jong Un.

Armed forces chief Ri Yong-Ho read the pledge of loyalty to Kim Jong Un of the three branches of the military. In typically exaggerated language, the pledge promised to “wipe out the enemies to the last one if they intrude into the inviolable sky, land and seas of the country even 0.001 mm.”

“We will become ten thousand rifles and ten thousand bombs to serve as the supreme commander Kim Jong Un's first line of lifeguards and Kim Jong Un's first line of death-defying corps.”

During the rally, navy officers promised to “become rifles and bombs” to protect their leader.

“If the enemies intrude our sea even by one inch, we, the navy who protects our country's sea, pledge that we will bury them at sea forever by a firm and merciless strike, and we also pledge that we will advance the day when we bring our supreme leader to the naval port on the South Sea of unified land.”

The rally ended with a march.

Pyongyang also announced a rare amnesty for prisoners, starting February 1. The official news media said the amnesty would apply to “convicts,” but it did not give numbers or elaborate on who would benefit.

North Korea proclaimed Kim Jong Un the successor of his father Kim Jong Il, who died last month. Kim Jong Un, who is in his late 20s and does not have active military experience, has been appointed supreme commander of the 1.2 million-member military.

Rights groups say that thousands of people are held in North Korea's prisons and labor camps, mostly for political and not criminal reasons.

This year the country marks the 70th anniversary of the birth of Kim Jong Il and the 100th anniversary of the birth of Mr. Kim's father, North Korea's founding President Kim Il Sung. The amnesty is in commemoration of the two events, but observers say it is part of the effort to get wider support for the new leader.

New Military Shaped by Budget Cuts

Obama Unveils New Military Shaped by Budget Cuts
Thursday, January 5th, 2012 - VOA

U.S. President Barack Obama has unveiled the outline of a new defense plan reflecting billions of dollars in budget cuts and what he described as a “moment of transition” after a decade of war.

The president outlined the strategic review at the Pentagon Thursday. Joining him were Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey.

Mr. Obama said the new strategy will include focusing on Asia and the Middle East

“As I made clear in Australia, we'll be strengthening our presence in the Asia Pacific, and budget reductions will not come at the expense of this critical region. We're going to continue investing in our critical partnerships and alliances, including NATO, which has demonstrated time and again – most recently in Libya – that it's a force multiplier. We're going to stay vigilant, especially in the Middle East.”

The plan shifts slightly from the Pentagon's decades-old strategy of being prepared to fight two major regional land wars at once. But Panetta said the U.S. will maintain the ability to confront multiple enemies.

“Our strategy review concluded that the United States must have the capability to fight several conflicts at the same time. We are not confronting obviously the threats of the past, we are confronting the threats of the 21st century, and that demands greater flexibility to shift and deploy forces to be able to fight and defeat any enemy anywhere.”

President Obama said the military will be leaner but added the world must know the United States will maintain its military superiority. He said the country is moving forward from “a position of strength,” following the war in Iraq and amid the transition away from combat in Afghanistan.

Panetta said troop numbers would be cut, but said exact numbers would be revealed when the budget is announced. He also discussed the need to review military pensions and health care spending for troops and their families, but vowed that basic benefits will be protected.

With reduced resources, the Defense Department says it will no longer be big enough to conduct large, “prolonged stability operations” in troubled nations.

Even as the military undergoes reductions, Panetta said the U.S. will protect and in some cases increase its investments in areas such as special operations and cyberspace capabilities.

Panetta said the U.S. posture in Europe must evolve and adapt.

Former U.S. defense official Frank Gaffney told VOA the new strategy has many problems. He said both the strategy and the budget could keep the U.S. from being able to simultaneously deal with any potential conflicts, including with China and Iran.

“It may not be up to us how many wars we have to fight. Enemies who perceive us unable to deal with more than one problem at a time may decide to collaborate and work in a simultaneous fashion that will simply over tax us. And worse, the perception that we are so weak as to be unable to deal with that sort of danger invites it.”

The Defense Department faces cuts of at least $450 billion – about 8 percent of its budget – over the next decade. However, additional cuts, totaling more than $500 billion, may be possible as Congress and President Obama seek to reduce the U.S. budget deficit.

The Pentagon budget for this year is about $530 billion.

U.S. Military Formally Ends Iraq Mission

December 15, 2011
US Ends Military Mission in Iraq
VOA - Luis Ramirez | Baghdad

The U.S. military has formally ended its mission in Iraq. At a ceremony in Baghdad, U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta watched as American troops lowered their command's flag, marking an end to the nearly nine-year war that drove out Iraqi ruler Saddam Hussein.

It was a solemn, low-key ceremony outside a terminal at Baghdad's airport in a fortified area surrounded by concrete barriers.

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta flew in briefly for the ceremony, which was held in front of scores of U.S. troops and foreign media. There was a seat reserved for Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. But he did not attend.

Soldiers took the flag representing the U.S. military command in Iraq, rolled it around the staff, and slipped into a camouflage cloth case. The gesture marked the symbolic end of Operation New Dawn and the war that lasted nearly nine years, killed more than 4,000 Americans along with tens of thousands of Iraqis, and unleashed sectarian violence in the country.

Panetta called’s Thursday’s ceremony a historic occasion. "To be sure, the cost was high, in blood and treasure for the United States and for the Iraqi people. Those lives were not lost in vain," he said. "They gave birth to an independent, free and sovereign Iraq."

What U.S. forces leave behind is a stability that is fragile at best. Violence has diminished in the past few years, but continues to flare, with attacks carried out by insurgents, some of them operating with Iranian support.

Some U.S. officials had wanted to keep several thousand troops in place beyond a December 31 deadline that Washington and Baghdad set three years ago. However, President Obama announced a total withdrawal in October after his administration failed to reach an agreement for Iraq to provide immunity to U.S. troops.

At the time of the announcement, there were about 50,000 troops in Iraq. That number is down to a few thousand as the last convoys of trucks make their way south to bases in Kuwait.

In his remarks Thursday, Panetta said Washington will remain engaged in Iraq.

“Let me be clear," said Panetta. "Iraq will be tested in the days ahead by terrorism and by those who would seek to divide it; by economic and social issues; by the demands of democracy itself. Challenges remain, but the U.S. will stand by the Iraqi people as they navigate those challenges to build a stronger and more prosperous nation.”

The American embassy in Baghdad houses the United States’ largest diplomatic presence in the world, and a small number of troops will remain, mainly to protect diplomats.

Some Iraqis this week celebrated the departure of U.S. troops, while others expressed concern that the country could again slip into chaos and violence.

Whatever the outcome, the future of Iraq remains in the hands of its people.

Veterans’ Day Observances

Obama Honors US Veterans
Kent Klein | White House
November 11, 2011 - VOA


President Barack Obama honored America’s war veterans Friday, as part of Veterans’ Day observances. The president took part in ceremonies at the nation’s largest military cemetery.

On a sunny, windy autumn day at Arlington National Cemetery, a military band and chorus performed patriotic music, in tribute to those who have served in the nation’s armed forces.

A military honor guard presented its weapons, and President Obama laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns, then bowed his head.

A short time later, the president thanked the roughly 22 million American veterans for their service.

“You are part of an unbroken chain of men and women who have served this country with honor and distinction," said President Obama. "On behalf of a proud and grateful nation, we thank you.”

Mr. Obama reminded those at the ceremony that his administration is ending the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“In just a few weeks, the long war in Iraq will finally come to an end," said Obama. "Our transition in Afghanistan is moving forward. My fellow Americans, our troops are coming home.”

When those troops arrive, they will face a sluggish economy, where unemployment has persisted at about nine percent for several months.

The president said he has ordered the federal government to increase the number of veterans it hires. And he and his wife Michelle have mounted a campaign to persuade private industry to put thousands of veterans to work.

“Our economy needs their tremendous talents and specialized skills, so I challenged our business leaders to hire 100,000 post - 9/11 veterans and their spouses over the next few years, and yesterday, many of these leaders joined Michelle to announce that they will meet that challenge," he said.

The president and Mrs. Obama began the day by hosting a White House breakfast for veterans.

The observances at Arlington were the president’s last appearances before leaving on a nine-day trip to Hawaii, Australia and Indonesia.

In the state of Hawaii, where Mr. Obama was born, he will host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, or APEC, and the North American leaders’ summit. He will later attend the East Asia summit in the Indonesian resort of Bali.

Mr. Obama’s first stop on the trip combines a salute to veterans with his favorite sport, basketball. The president and first lady were to attend a college basketball game (North Carolina vs. Michigan State) on the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, off the coast of California.

The body of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden was buried at sea from the deck of the Vinson earlier this year.

Veterans’ Day began as Armistice Day, marking the agreement ending World War I at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918. It was later renamed Veterans’ Day and broadened into a national holiday saluting all who have served in the US armed forces.

Veterans Day in the USA

Veterans of Iraq, Afghan Conflicts Differ on US Role Abroad
VOA - Elizabeth Lee | Los Angeles
November 10, 2011




The United States observes Veterans Day November 11, a national holiday to remember and honor military veterans of all wars. Veterans Day dates back to the end of World War I in 1918. This year it falls less than two months before all U.S. troops are due to leave Iraq, and while nearly 100,000 American service members are still in Afghanistan. Veterans of those recent wars have differing views about the U.S. military presence abroad.

Inside a classroom at Santa Monica College, a group of students meet once a week to make friends and for support. They are all military veterans, and for some, such as Monica Scates, the horrors of war are still very real.

“When I came home it took three years to transition after getting out. That was such a feeling of being lost, that we were given no transitional training, no decompression,” she said.

Scates served in the first Gulf War against Iraq 20 years ago. When she returned home she was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

“I lost my marriage. I lost my family, my home,” she said.

Scates eventually received treatment, and has just started college.

Fellow Army veteran Daniel Anderson served in both Iraq and Afghanistan. He joined the military shortly after finishing high school.

"I gave myself an ultimatum. If I don't do well in college, I'll join the military," Anderson said.

Another veteran of the war in Afghanistan, Christopher Bellingham, joined the Army for the education benefits that military service provides.

"I wanted some money for college," Bellingham said.

While these three Army veterans had military experience under combat conditions, their views about America’s future course in Iraq and Afghanistan are not the same.

Scates says U.S. troops should not leave Iraq at the end of this year. “To be honest with you, no, because it will be just like what we did during Vietnam. We have to stabilize the people first. They don’t have a stable government. They don’t have a stable force,” she said.

Anderson disagrees. “I think it’s about time that we pull out because they, I think, are ready to stand up take it on their own,” he said.

Anderson says he is not sure whether the fight in Iraq was worth the cost, in either human or military terms.

“I’m glad Saddam Hussein was ousted from power. And there is a lot of corruption, and you can see it. ... But that’s just a much more muddied water, you know. I think that war was a political, strategic war, as opposed to a necessary, on-the-ground fight,” Anderson said.

Bellingham says the U.S. should also get out of Afghanistan.

"There’s no purpose any more. We’ve pumped so much money in that economy that we are their GDP [their entire economy]. We are how they’re making money now. Regardless of when we pull out, they’re not going to be able to sustain to the level we brought them up to. The longer we’re there, the more damage we ... bring," Bellingham said.

But Anderson says the Afghan people need U.S. help against the Taliban.

"I think the people are really oppressed by that terrible organization. I think that one is really worth fighting for," he said.

All three veterans say they don’t think the Americans fully understand what their troops are fighting for in Iraq and Afghanistan. In part, they blame the American news media.

"The 'talking heads' on TV ... It gets lost in opinion as oppososed to fact," Anderson said.

For these veterans, their experiences in the military are shaping their future plans.

Monica Scates wants to help homeless veterans.

“I want to work with [troubled] vets, I want to get them off the streets,” Scates said.

Christopher Bellingham wants to conduct research on brain disorders, such as post traumatic stress syndrome.

"Definitely experiencing and seeing my friends go through PTSD, and their emotional coping, piqued a greater curiosity and drive," Bellingham said.

Anderson wants to be a screenwriter, to tell the story of what he saw.

Their experiences in war changed the lives of these three veterans, and they hope that life experience will enable them to change the lives of others - the people they will touch in their future careers.

China's First Aircraft Carrier Completes Initial Sea Trials - Taiwan responded to China's aircraft carrier trials by exhibiting a supersonic missile which it called the "aircraft carrier killer."

China's First Aircraft Carrier Completes Initial Sea Trials
VOA

Chinese news media say the country's first aircraft carrier has returned to the northeastern port of Dalian after completing its initial sea trials.

The Shanghai Daily reports that the carrier was towed back into the shipyard Sunday morning amid firecracker blasts and cheers. The report says that some navy personnel were seen walking on the deck, but that all the weapons were covered.

This refitted former Soviet vessel that China bought from Ukraine in 1998 began its inaugural sea trials last Wednesday, at a time of increased regional tensions in the South and East China Seas.

The United States has expressed concern about Beijing's lack of transparency regarding the carrier.

But Chinese officials have responded that the vessel is not a threat to anyone and that its primary purpose is scientific research and training. They also have pointed out that China is the only one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council without an operational aircraft carrier.

The United States has sent two of its carriers to the region. The George Washington arrived Saturday in international waters off the coast of Vietnam and has invited Vietnamese military and government officials to visit the 333-meter Nimitz-class vessel. The Japan-based vessel is said to be on a goodwill tour of Asia-Pacific nations.

The USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier began a four-day visit to Hong Kong Friday. It offers visiting tours to the general public.

Taiwan responded to China's aircraft carrier trials by exhibiting a supersonic missile, which it called the "aircraft carrier killer." The Hsuing Feng-3 was displayed against a huge photo of a burning aircraft carrier that bears a striking resemblance to China's carrier.

The French News Agency quoted legislator Lin Yu-fang as saying that Taiwan is developing a new mobile version of the missile, which will have a longer range and carry a heavier warhead.


August 14, 2011
VOA

Cyber Security - U.S. Defense Department unveiled its strategy for defending military computer networks and responding to growing threats in cyberspace.

Pentagon Unveils New Strategy for Cyberspace VOA - Meredith Buel | Washington - July 14, 2011 The U.S. Defense Department Thursday unveiled its strategy for defending military computer networks and responding to growing threats in cyberspace. The Pentagon is moving away from a passive defense of its computer networks to treating cyberspace as an “operational domain,” in which trained military forces defend against attacks. In a speech at the National Defense University at Fort McNair, Deputy Defense Secretary William Lynn said the increasing dependence on information technology virtually guarantees future enemies will target the Pentagon’s reliance on computer networks for military operations. “Our assessment is that cyber attacks will be a significant component of any future conflict, whether it involves major nations, rogue states or terrorist groups,” Lynn said. Lynn said tools capable of disrupting or destroying critical networks and causing physical damage exist today, making a strategic shift in the ever evolving danger in cyber space. “As a result of this threat, keystrokes originating in one country can impact the other side of the globe in the blink of an eye.  In the 21st Century, bits and bytes can be as threatening as bullets and bombs,” Lynn said. Lynn revealed that earlier this year a foreign intelligence service stole 24,000 computer files from a defense contractor developing systems for the U.S military. Lynn said a nation state was behind the theft, but declined to identify which country was involved. In a new pilot program, the Pentagon is sharing classified threat intelligence information with a handful of companies to help them identify and block malicious activity. The strategy outlined by Lynn is oriented toward defensive rather than offensive measures. “Far from militarizing cyberspace, our strategy of securing networks to deny the benefit of an attack will help dissuade military actors from using cyberspace for hostile purposes,” Lynn said. Lynn said substantial progress has been made working with private industry and other government agencies to make critical infrastructure more secure. He said the Pentagon is also working with allies and international partners to build collective cyber defenses. “These active defenses use sensors, software, and signatures to detect and stop malicious code before it affects our operations, thereby denying the benefit of an attack,” Lynn said. Lynn said it is not clear how much damage digital thievery has done to U.S. economic competitiveness and national security, but he said a recent estimate put cumulative economic losses at over $1 trillion.

Pentagon Unveils New Strategy for Cyberspace Cyber Security article from VOA

Military Aid to Pakistan - US Suspends $800 Million

US Suspends $800 Million in Military Aid to Pakistan

VOA - William Ide | Washington - July 10, 2011

A top White House official says the United States is suspending some $800 million in military aid to Pakistan, a move some analysts say is being made to pressure the Pakistani military to step up cooperation. The decision comes as ties between the two countries are under intense strain in the wake of the U.S. raid on a compound in Pakistan that killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden.

White House Chief of Staff William Daley says that while the U.S. relationship with Pakistan is difficult and complex, it must be made to work over time.

"They've been an important ally in the fight on terrorism. They've been the victim of enormous amounts of terrorism. But right now, they've taken some steps that have given us reason to pause on some of the aid which we were giving to their military. And we're trying to work through that," he said.

Russia - Military Weapons Modernization - $730 Billion

Russia to Spend $730 Billion on New Weapons VOA - Anya Ardayeva | Moscow - July 06, 2011 Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has announced his government plans to spend hundreds of billions of dollars on weapons modernization by 2020. In his address to parliament earlier this year, Putin said Russia must be strong enough to fend off any threats from abroad, so missile production will double starting in 2013.  Analysts in Moscow say this ambitious plan is intended mainly to preserve the government's domestic and regional influence. Upgrade Russia plans to spend $730 billion by 2020 to upgrade and re-arm its military.  That's nearly $20 million a day. The new state arms procurement program includes purchases of eight missile-carrying strategic submarines equipped with Bulava ballistic missiles.  Plus 600 aircraft and S-400 and S-500 air defense systems.  The arms purchases, both at home and abroad, would allow Russia to raise the proportion of modern weaponry in its arsenal to 70 percent by 2020. Independent military analyst Pavel Felgenhauer says upgrading the strategic nuclear forces is at the top of the list, but the rest of the military needs a boost as well. "Then there's of course the air force, the air defense system, the army - actually, everything needs re-arming because right now they say that [only] 10-15 percent of our weaponry is modern," Felgenhauer noted. Budget increase As Russia exports weapons worth billions of dollars abroad, the country's armed forces are mostly equipped with outdated Soviet-era weaponry.  In the last 10 years the government has increased the defense budget tenfold, says Felgenhauer, but still failed to bring the military up to date. "Now the present defense minister says that there was massive misappropriation of funds," Felgenhauer added.  "The Russian defense industry, which is also downgraded, and its capabilities are much smaller than in Soviet times, responded to more funding by just raising prices.  They are producing the same several fighters or missiles, but for a much bigger price." Foreign threats  Prime Minister Putin says it is necessary to spend billions on re-arming the military due to the need to fend off foreign threats.  But while that will demonstrate Russia's military might, analysts say the main goal really is to create more business for the country's military-defense complex ahead of next year's presidential and parliamentary elections.

Iran and Syria Denounced in United Nation's Nuclear Talks Opener

Iran, Syria Denounced in UN Nuclear Talks Opener
VOA - Monday, June 6th, 2011

The head of the United Nation's nuclear watchdog says Iran may have carried out nuclear work with possible military purposes.

Speaking at the start of a week-long board meeting on nuclear developments in Vienna, International Atomic Energy Agency chief Yukiya Amano criticized Iran Monday for not cooperating with international nuclear experts.

Anniversary of D-Day, the allied invasion of Normandy in Nazi-occupied France during World War Two

Nation Marks 67th Anniversary of D-Day
Monday, June 6th, 2011

Monday, June 6, marks the 67th anniversary of D-Day, the allied invasion of Normandy in Nazi-occupied France during World War Two.

In the United States, two veterans of the Normandy invasion will share their experiences with visitors to the National World War Two Museum in New Orleans .

Cyber Attacks - US: Military Response Possible

US: Military Response Possible in Case of Cyber Attack
Tuesday, May 31st, 2011

The U.S. Defense Department says it will consider all options, including a military response, if the United States is hit with a cyber attack.

A Pentagon spokesman, Colonel David Lapan, said Tuesday a response to a cyber attack would not necessarily be a cyber response. He said the United States reserves the right to do various things in response, just like it would if it were attacked with explosives or the use of force.

Rolling Thunder at the Pentagon in Washington D.C. - US Remembers Its War Dead Memorial Day Weekend

US Remembers Its War Dead

VOA News May 29, 2011

Americans are observing Memorial Day weekend, a time meant to honor the nation's war dead, with ceremonies, parades, sporting events and picnics.

The last Monday in May of each year is designated as Memorial Day, a time to place flowers on military gravesites and honor the U.S. servicemen and women who gave their lives in service of the country.

At Arlington National Cemetery near Washington and many other national cemeteries, volunteers place a small American flag on every military grave. Thousands of motorcycle riders from a nationwide group called "Rolling Thunder" stage a ceremonial ride into the nation's capital, to call attention to veterans' issues and to remember service members who went missing in action.

President Barack Obama Would Replicate Osama Bin Laden Mission

Obama Would Replicate bin Laden Mission
VOA News May 22, 2011

U.S. President Barack Obama says if necessary, he would order another raid into Pakistan like the one that killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden.

In an interview with the BBC aired Sunday, Obama said the U.S. respects Pakistan's sovereignty but that his administration's job is to secure the United States. He said he would approve another attack in Pakistan if, in his words, "someone actively planning to kill our people or our allies' people" was found there.

A squad of elite U.S. forces flew into the Pakistani city of Abbottabad on May 2 and killed bin Laden in his walled compound. The attack has strained relations between Washington and Islamabad.

Obama, in the interview, also said he is prepared to open negotiations with the Taliban in an effort to end the fighting in Afghanistan. But he said Taliban leaders must first cut their ties with al-Qaida.

The president's interview with the BBC was conducted in advance of his visit to Britain. The president leaves later Sunday for a European tour that begins with a stop in Ireland. He will also visit France and Poland.

Obama Would Replicate bin Laden Mission
Article from VOA

Analysts Say Fear of India Drives Pakistani Support for Militants

Analysts: Fear of India Drives Pakistani Support for Militants

VOA - Gary Thomas | Washington May 18, 2011

The furor over the U.S. raid that killed Osama bin Laden has again spotlighted charges that Pakistan supports militant groups.  Many analysts say such support is rooted in Pakistan’s concern about what it sees as growing Indian influence in Afghanistan and in U.S. policy circles.

Top Chinese General Says China Will Never Challenge the US Military

Top Chinese General: China Will Never Challenge the US Military
VOA - Wednesday, May 18th, 2011

A top Chinese military officer says China never intends to challenge the United States military.

General Chen Bingde, chief of staff of China's People's Liberation Army, told an audience of U.S. military officers in Washington Wednesday that there is a huge gap between the Chinese and the United States. He says China does not have the capability to challenge the United States.

Pakistan Turns to Longtime Friend China

Reeling After Osama, Pakistan Turns to Longtime Friend China

VOA - JulieAnn McKellogg May 17, 2011

Anti-terror allies Pakistan and the United States are struggling to mend their often uncomfortable relationship which has been strained by the secret U.S. raid that killed Osama bin Laden in Abbottatad, Pakistan.

Now, it appears Pakistan is looking to its northern neighbor, China, for support.

Conclusions From Material Seized From Bin Laden Compound

US Draws Initial Conclusions From Material Seized From Bin Laden Compound

VOA - Michael Bowman | Washington May 08, 2011

The Obama administration says material recovered from Osama bin Laden’s compound in Pakistan show the terrorist leader was concerned about the image he projected to the world, and that he remained active in al-Qaida operations nearly 10 years after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.

More than a week after the death of Osama bin Laden, the Obama administration is making initial comments on what has been described as a "treasure trove" of data acquired from computer hard drives and other equipment seized at the bin Laden hideout.

"Still looking at it at this point. The size is quite notable," said Tom Donilon, national security advisor of the president, who spoke on Fox News Sunday. "It is the largest cache of intelligence information gotten from a senior terrorist that we know of. It will need to be translated, it will need to be assessed. And we are in the process of doing that."

Donilon says recently released videos in which bin Laden appears to be rehearsing statements, watching television newscasts about himself, and seemingly having dyed his beard provide insights into the deceased terrorist leader.

"I think it shows an attention to his own image, and an attention to the propaganda aspects of the al-Qaida operation," said Donilon.

The national security advisor declined to comment on any specific intelligence gleaned from the seized material to date, or whether it might lead to the discovery of other al-Qaida figures or terrorist plots. But he did say the material reveals bin Laden was very much involved in the terrorist network.

"Osama bin Laden was not just a symbolic leader of al Qaida," said Donilon. "In fact, he had operational and strategic roles he was playing. And that is clear in the information we have been able to see to date."

Donilon said among the first people President Barack Obama contacted after the successful Special Forces operation in Pakistan was former President George W. Bush.

Also appearing on Fox News Sunday was former Vice President Dick Cheney, who congratulated Obama on killing Osama bin Laden. But Cheney bemoaned the Obama administration’s stated policy of not employing water boarding to pry information from terror suspects.

"I think a lot of the techniques that we had used to keep the country safe for seven years [under President Bush] are no longer available," said Cheney. "It is not clear to me today if we still have an interrogation program that we could put somebody through should we capture a high-value detainee that had crucial information."

CIA Director Leon Panetta has said some of the intelligence that led to the killing of Osama bin Laden came from detainees who were subject to so-called "enhanced interrogation".

US Draws Initial Conclusions From Material Seized From Bin Laden Compound

Article from VOA

Bin Laden Death Photos - Obama Won't Release

Obama: 'I Won't Release Bin Laden Death Photos'

VOA News May 04, 2011

 

U.S. President Barack Obama has decided not to release death photos of Osama bin Laden that were taken after he was killed by U.S. commandos early Monday.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said Wednesday the president decided there is no purpose in releasing any of the photographs.  He said the graphic images would create a national security risk and could incite violence.

The president announced the decision in an interview Wednesday with the U.S. television network CBS.  Mr. Obama said he has no doubt that U.S. forces killed bin Laden. He said the man behind the September 11, 2001 attacks received the justice the deserved.

Carney said Wednesday the majority of Mr. Obama's closest advisors decided to keep the photos classified.  He said compelling arguments could be made for and against releasing a photo, but that no visual evidence of bin Laden's death will be made public.

The spokesman reiterated U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder's statement that the raid was lawful.  He said the U.S. special forces would have taken the world's most wanted terrorist into custody if he had surrendered.

Holder also said the killing of bin Laden was an act of national self-defense.  He said the United States ultimately will be more safe because of it.  However, he warned of possible retaliatory attacks, and said the fight against terrorist threats is far from over.

Holder said he has ordered law enforcement agencies to be on alert, and said there still are serious concerns that the United States must address.

In testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Holder said bin Laden's death is a "tremendous step forward" in obtaining justice for the thousands killed in the September 11 al-Qaida attacks against the United States. He called on Congress to reauthorize for a "substantial period of time" provisions in the Patriot Act that expire at the end of the month.

The provisions set to expire allow roving wiretaps on people with suspected terror ties, access to records, and tracking someone with no ties to a terrorist group, a so-called "lone wolf."  Holder said those provisions are needed now more than ever.

The chairman of the Senate committee, Democrat Patrick Leahy, welcomed the successful raid that killed bin Laden.  He said bin Laden paid for his actions against innocent Americans and people around the world, calling him a terrorist and murderer who "perpetuated hate and destruction."

Obama: 'I Won't Release Bin Laden Death Photos'

Article from VOA