"Times of Change"

Conference of Defence Associations media update:

The Conference of Defence Associations recently offered recommendations to the Minister of Finance as part of the National Consultation on Budget Actions to Protect Canada’s Economy:
http://www.cda-cdai.ca/Finance/Statement%20to%20Finance%20Minister%20Dec%2016...

In this week's media briefing, the Conference of Defence Associations
(CDA) would like to draw your attention to media coverage in the areas
of:

-Operational Stress Injuries
- Afghanistan
- Pakistan
- Strategy and Doctrine
- Recommended Reading

---Operational Stress Injuries ---

The Ombudsman’s Office has released a new report on Operational Stress Injuries in the Forces.
http://www.ombudsman.forces.gc.ca/rep-rap/sr-rs/osi-tso-3/index-eng.asp
http://www.ombudsman.forces.gc.ca/rep-rap/sr-rs/osi-tso-3/doc/osi-tso-3-fra.pdf

The Ottawa Citizen reports on the stress-related injuries that Canadian personnel are dealing with the need for more investment and action in addressing injuries and related issues.
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/soldiers+still+suffer/1088936/story.html

Alec Castonguay for Le Devoir reports on gaps in the system and the effects of an increasing number of soldiers with operational stress injuries.
http://www.ledevoir.com/2008/12/18/223889.html

Mike Blanchfield in the National Post details what happens when soldiers fall through the system’s cracks.
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/world/story.html?id=1088438

---Afghanistan---
John F. Burns for the New York Times reports on conflicting British opinions and messages concerning the Afghanistan mission.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/16/world/europe/16britain.html?partner=rss&emc...

Graeme Smith for the Globe and Mail and Bill Graveland for the Chronicle Herald report that Lieutenant-General Michel Gauthier, head of CEFCOM, expects increased violence in 2009 as the Taliban pushes back against additional troops in Afghanistan. While the situation is negative, LGen Gauthier expects it will be reversed.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081216.wafghancanada1216...

http://thechronicleherald.ca/print_article.html?story=1096301

Wendy Norris for the Colorado Independent covers the failings in Afghanistan. http://coloradoindependent.com/17489/why-were-failing-in-afghanistan

Ann Marlowe for the Weekly Standard reports on the problems with Afghan policing. She notes that police are in areas that are not yet even cleared, let alone held, or built, but are in the shaping phase, pre-clearing.
http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/015/922gzotm.as...

A Crisis Group report details the complications and challenges of building an effective police force in Afghanistan.
http://www.crisisgroup.org/library/documents/asia/south_asia/b85_policing_in_...
Following a recent visit to Afghanistan, Paul Wells in MacLeans reports on how Canada’s efforts along with NATO and Coalition efforts have been struggling toward development.
http://blog.macleans.ca/2008/12/18/the-growing-storm/
Peter Goodspeed in the National Post reports on the looming winter food crisis, given increased numbers of attacks, higher food prices, and the concerns of aid workers.
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/world/afghanistan/story.html?id=1080245

Rosie Dimanno for The Star looks beyond the casualties to see the value of war in Afghanistan.
http://www.thestar.com/printArticle/555117

An op-ed in the Edmonton Journal questions the Canadian political landscape in light of the Afghanistan mission.
http://www.edmontonjournal.com/opinion/editorials/hundred+lives+lost+Afghanis...

Christie Blatchford for the Globe and Mail reports on the media’s treatment of Canadian casualties in Afghanistan.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/GAM.20081217.BLATCHFORD17/TPStor...

P.J. Tobia for the Washington Post covers the soldier’s perspective on two-pronged approaches that combines combat and nation-building.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/12/AR20081212032...
Lorne Gunter for the National Post details why Afghanistan is still worth fighting for.
http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2008/12/17/lorne...
The Globe and Mail reports on the Canadian contributions in Afghanistan to date, and the significance of these contributions to the US and the coalition.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20081213.EAFGHANISTAN13/TPSt...

Samachaar reports on the Paris conference, which ended on a positive note.
http://samachaar.in/International/Afghanistan_conference_in_Paris_ends_on_pos...

A Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty interview with Lakhdar Brahimi calls for a strategy that will help the Afghan people, claiming NATO has been a disappointment for Afghanistan. http://www.rferl.org/Content/Afghan_Bonn_Architect_Says_Peoples_Needs_Forgott...
Terry Glavin reports for the National Post on the hope that coalition and NATO forces will stay in Afghanistan.
http://www.canada.com/components/print.aspx?id=1080173&sponsor

Washington military analyst Michael O’Hanlon reports in the Washington Times on positive signs in Afghanistan compared to Iraq. There are indications that the population is shifting toward supporting coalition forces.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/dec/12/afghanistan-not-iraq---but/

Graeme Smith for the Globe and Mail reports on the difficulty in securing areas in Afghanistan due to local leadership problems and innovations by insurgents, such as their recently directly attacking the effective IED sweep teams.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081215.wafghanroad15/BNS...

Mark Thompson for Time reports that the US will have to scale down its vision for Afghanistan from a strong, central regime, to one focused on provincial and local militias.
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1866326,00.html

Bill Graveland for the Canadian Press reports that Brig-Gen Denis Thompson details his reservations about local defence forces, or militias in the South of Afghanistan.
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2008/12/15/7757736-cp.html

Richard Tomkins for RFE/RL reports on the Sons of Iraq.
http://www.rferl.org/Content/Incorporating_The_Sons_Of_Iraq/1359808.html

---Pakistan---
Christophe de Roquefeuil for the Associated Free Press reports on the meeting of Afghanistan’s neighbours and the agreement to 1) pursue existing initiatives, 2) reinforce cooperation, and 3) commit to effective implementation. The border was identified as key to addressing narcotics and terrorism in the region. Iran’s absence will be a challenge.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20081214/wl_asia_afp/afghanistanindiapakistandipl...

Attacks on NATO and Coalition supply convoys through Pakistan are becoming problematic for forces in Afghanistan. Al Jazeera net and Syed Saleem Shahzad for the South Asia Times report on the attacks on convoys. http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2008/12/200812186275608701.html
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/JL16Df01.html
Golnar Motevalli reports for Reuters that while most fuel supplied to NATO and Coalition forces in Afghanistan comes from the North, attacks on convoys is forcing other options to be explored, not just for the short-run, but for Afghanistan in the longer-run.
http://in.reuters.com/article/southAsiaNews/idINIndia-37026920081214

Abubakar Siddique reports for RFE/RL on the growing problem of securing NATO and Coalition supply lines through the Khyber pass. The organizations supplying truck drivers for the convoys are refusing to supply NATO and coalition forces due to risk. Germany has secured an agreement with Russia to use the latter’s rail lines.
http://www.rferl.org/Content/NATO_Supply_Route_Imperiled_As_Pakistani_Trucker...
A Times of India editorial comments on Pakistan’s responsibility in the Mumbai attacks and how Pakistan should be addressed.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Opinion/EDITORIAL_COMMENT__Seize_The_Oppor...

Daniel Markey reports for the Council on Foreign Relations that the Mumbai attacks are a battle in the war for Pakistan.
http://www.cfr.org/publication/17981/
Brajesh Upadhyay reports for the BBC News Washington that President-elect Obama should not focus too much on settling the Kashmir issue, which is too optimistic, but rather take a wider perspective on instability in the region.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7775160.stm
Carey Schofield reports for the Times Online on retribution against a Pakistani General when he allegedly opposed deals that senior Pakistani military officials had made with the Taliban.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article5337881.ece

Dawn reports on the conditions aligning against Pakistan and the difficulties it faces.
http://www.dawn.com/2008/12/19/ed.htm

---Strategy and Doctrine---
Gordon M. Hahn reports for the Mideast Monitor that the insurgents of the Caucasus are ahead of the curve compared to other insurgents in terms of implementing evolving and innovative tactics and is re-filling the “insurgency pond” with support as a result.
www.mideastmonitor.org

Alexander Golts in the Moscow Times reports that according to new Russian doctrine, the US and NATO are not the security threats for Russia that they once were.
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/article/1016/42/372453.htm

Ilya Kramnik for RIA Novosti reports on Russia’s new Military Doctrine for 2009 that will focus on regional and local wars.
http://en.rian.ru/analysis/20081217/118900951.html

Dale Herspring for RFE/RL reports on the planned overhaul of the Russian Military, which plans to 1) thin the officer ranks, 2) privatize, 3) professionalize, and 4) delegate to NCOs and junior officers. The result is to be a more Western-style force.
http://www.rferl.org/Content/Russias_Military_In_The_Throes_Of_Change/1360375...

Dmitry Solovyov reports for Reuters that the Russian army is unfit for modern wars, as evidenced in the conflict with Georgia.
http://www.javno.com/en/world/clanak.php?id=215480

The Saudi Gazette reports on opposition to Russian Doctrine reform.
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentID=2008121...

Andrew Liaropoulos for the Research Institute for European and American Studies writes on developments and resistance to change in Russian military doctrine, in particular the Ivanov Doctrine, which aims to create a lighter, more mobile military to fight modern threats. http://rieas.gr/index.php?Itemid=46&id=104&option=com_content&task=view

The Associated Free Press reports on a Russian warship manoeuvres around Cuba, which may be in response to US presence in the Black Sea and an attempt to revive Cold War relationships in Latin America.
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Russian_warships_bound_for_Cuba_in_new_show_o...

Mark Sappenfield for Christian Science Monitor looks at the War in Afghanistan through a Soviet lens.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/1219/p01s01-wosc.htm

---Recommended Reading---

Elisabeth Bumiller for the International Herald Tribune reports on President elect Obama’s approach that is characterized by listening and focusing on long term improvements and results. She details what this means from the perspective of the Joint Chiefs.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/12/15/america/16mullen.php?WT.mc_id=newsalert

Claude Arpi for Sify News looks at terrorism as a global problem, the solution for which cannot be found by addressing Afghanistan in isolation.
http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=14820166

Michael Evans reports for the Times Online that NATO must find its political voice. It is spreading itself too thinly, and should return to a Balkans focus.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/articl...

Robert D. Kaplan in the Washington Post compares the US in decline to the British Empire when it too was in decline. The US still has a pivotal influence.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/16/AR20081216024...

Spengler reports for the Asia Times Online on how fragile Muslim states are dealing in the economic times.
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/JL16Ak02.html