DTN News - DISPUTED SOUTH CHINA SEA REGION: Philippines Accuses China Of Deploying 100 Ships In Scarborough Shoal

DTN News - DISPUTED SOUTH CHINA SEA REGION: Philippines Accuses China Of Deploying 100 Ships In Scarborough Shoal
**China in territorial disputes with all of its neighboring countries
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Guardian UK
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 26, 2012: There are now 92 Chinese ships at Panatag.

The Philippines accused China on Wednesday of flaring tensions anew by sending more government and fishing vessels to Scarborough (Panatag) Shoal despite ongoing talks to resolve the two-month-old standoff.

Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) spokesperson Raul Hernandez said the number of Chinese vessels at Scarborough Shoal increased to 92 from 77 on Tuesday. They included four government ships and fishing and utility boats.

Hernandez said the Philippines had only two vessels in the area, which both countries claim.

Hernandez said the DFA handed Chinese Ambassador Ma Keqing a diplomatic note on Monday to protest the presence on that day of 77 Chinese vessels-five government ships, 16 fishing boats and 56 dinghies used to load fish or corals.

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, Hong Lei, on Wednesday said that nearly 100 Chinese boats or dinghies arrived at the shoal.

"The Philippine side has recently taken some provocative actions in the Huangyan Island waters, thus the Chinese side has adopted corresponding measures to strengthen management and control," Hong said, using China's name for Scarborough Shoal.

"To our knowledge, now there are about 20 Chinese fishing boats working in that area. This number is roughly the same with that in the same period of the previous years," Hong said.

"The way these fishing boats are working complies with the related Chinese laws and the fishing moratorium issued by the Chinese government," he added.

Hernandez said that despite China's fishing ban, Chinese vessels were observed fishing and collecting protected corals at the shoal.

The Philippines has separately imposed its own ban on fishing in the area.

Seventh protest

Hernandez said the Philippines had filed a seventh diplomatic protest because of China's sending more vessels to the shoal despite ongoing talks to resolve the dispute.

He said that at around 7 p.m. on Monday, there were five Chinese government vessels (CMS 71, CMS 84, FLEC 301, 303 and 310) in the area, which were accompanied by 16 fishing boats (10 inside the lagoon and six outside), and 56 utility boats (27 inside the lagoon and 29 outside).

"Yesterday (Tuesday), there were still 16 Chinese fishing vessels and the number of utility boats went up to 76," Hernandez said

He explained that utility boats were dinghies that helped the fishing boats collect their harvest of giant clams and corals by dredging.

Pullout demanded

Manila demanded an immediate pullout of the vessels, saying they violate Philippine sovereignty and a nonbinding Declaration of Conduct on the South China Sea signed by China and Southeast Asian Countries.

"It is regrettable that these actions occurred at a time when China has been articulating for a deescalation of tensions and while the two sides have been discussing how to defuse the situation in the area," Hernandez added.

Both sides claim the uninhabited, horseshoe-shaped shoal, which is 230 kilometers (124 nautical miles) from Zambales province, the nearest Philippine coast.

Hernandez said the Philippines remained committed to defusing the tensions in the area.

He said Assistant Foreign Secretary for Asia-Pacific Affairs Teresa Lazaro and Ambassador Ma were discussing the dispute in Manila while similar talks were going on in Beijing.

The Philippines is also taking the dispute to the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea (Itlos), but China rejects international arbitration.

China also opposes the intervention of other countries in its territorial dispute with the Philippines.

"The Philippines' attempt to draw any third party into interfering or intervening through whatever means in the incident is bound to further escalate the situation or even change the nature of the issue and will meet steadfast opposition from the Chinese side," Hong said.

Hong was referring to Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario's earlier statement that some countries were helping the Philippines establish a "minimum credible defense posture" by providing the country with patrol boats and military aircraft to complement its diplomatic initiative in dealing with China.

According to Hong, "the Chinese side has been actively engaged in diplomatic consultation to urge the Philippine side to correct its wrongdoing and ease the situation, for the sake of normal growth of bilateral relations."

"China's principles and stance over the Huangyan Island issue are clear-cut," Hong said. "Huangyan Island has always been China's territory, and China possesses indisputable sovereignty over the island. The Philippine side should concretely respect China's territorial sovereignty. At the same time, China's position of committing to diplomatic consultation to address the current situation remains unchanged."

Hernandez said "the plan [to establish a minimum credible defense posture] has been there for a long time."

"We have to substantiate our diplomatic capacity with a minimum credible defense posture … that is what we're doing. We are trying to upgrade or modernize our military which has been neglected for several years," Hernandez said.

Help from Japan, Korea  

Del Rosario earlier said that Japan would likely provide the country with 10 40-meter patrol boats under its official development aid and two larger ones as grants.

He said South Korea had provided the Armed Forces of the Philippines equipment, such as vests and helmets, under a logistics agreement. "I understand our defense department is looking to possibly purchase aircraft from there," Del Rosario said.

In November last year, President Benigno Aquino III asked visiting South Korean President Lee Myung-bak for aircraft, patrol boats and other hardware to help boost the Philippines' military capability amid tensions with China on the Spratly islands in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).

Lee's response was not disclosed, but he said Seoul wanted to help Manila resolve its maritime problems.

Del Rosario said the Philippines could expect to receive from Australia "a number of vessels for search and rescue, as well as significant training here and abroad for large numbers of our military" when a status of visiting forces agreement between the two countries is ratified this week.

Earlier, the military announced it would be getting a second Hamilton-class cutter from the United States.

Del Rosario has repeatedly said the country was determined to "improve our national defense by building a minimum credible defense posture."

He said that this year, the Philippines would receive S$160 million (about P6.25 billion) in defense assistance from the United States.

He also said he had secured US funding for a S$70-million (about P2.3 billion) radar system for the Philippine Coast Guard.

The Chinese Embassy in Manila admitted that the People's Liberation Army recently conducted a "regular training program" in the "West Pacific waters."

Citing the Information Office of China's Ministry of Defense, the embassy said, "The recent drill by a naval fleet of China's People's Liberation Army in the West Pacific waters is a regular training program included in its annual plan, not aimed at any particular country or target."

Related News;

• 14 Apr 2012
  China and Philippines end fishing standoff
• 11 Apr 2012
  Philippine warship in standoff with China vessels
• 8 May 2012
  China stirs up trouble with Philippines
• 24 Aug 2010
  Philippines hostage deaths draws anger from China over gunman's TV view

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Guardian UK
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DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Asia's Military Spending To Surpass Europe's For First Time

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Asia's Military Spending To Surpass Europe's For First Time
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Yifei Zhang - IBT
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 26, 2012: 2012 will be a historic moment in the shift of global power from the West to the East. According to expert estimates and figures on military spending, in 2012 Asia's spending on defense will eclipse Europe's for the first time in the modern era.

The International Institute for Strategic Studies, a UK-based think tank focusing on global military and political research and analysis, released its influential "Military Balance 2012" report back in early March.

The report claims that since 2008, financial crises in the West have led to major reductions in defense spending in Europe. Drawdowns in Afghanistan and Iraq will likely contribute to decreasing numbers in the future. Meanwhile, Asia's continued economic growth, and efforts to modernize and build military forces there, have reinforced higher spending. In the IISS calculations, Europe does not include Russia, and Asia does not include the Middle East, but does include Australasia.

While per capita spending in Europe is still higher, press releases form the institute say that "Asian defense spending is likely to exceed that of Europe, in nominal terms, during 2012." The U.S. accounted for nearly half of all worldwide military spending in 2011, a figure which may be in slight decline over the following years due to defense cutbacks.

IISS says that in real terms, declines in defense spending by 16 out of 28 member states of NATO exceeded 10 percent between 2008 and 2010. Asian spending increased almost 3.2 percent in real terms between 2010 to 2011.

Planned spending on defense, from different countries worldwide, 2011. Graphs from IISS.

Five countries -- China, Japan, India, South Korea, and Australia -- accounted for more than four-fifths of all regional defense spending. A major focus of spending in Asia is geared towards building newer, bigger fleets of warships and aircraft. Further geographic distances, greater territorial distributions of water, and the predominance of air and naval forces in modern warfare are the main factors driving Asian funding for air forces and navies.

Nations such as China and India are developing new and more powerful ballistic and cruise missiles as well as aircraft carriers. All of the five countries above, save Australia, have active space programs aimed at deploying greater systems of satellites for surveillance and communications, as well as plans for building next-generation stealthy super-jets, like the U.S. F-22 Raptor.

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Yifei Zhang - IBT
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DTN News - NATO SUMMIT IN CHICAGO: Barack Obama Snubs Asif Ali Zardari At NATO

DTN News - NATO SUMMIT IN CHICAGO:  Barack Obama Snubs Asif Ali Zardari At NATO
*U.S. has dole out over $100 billion to Pakistan since 1950 with zero gain and multifaceted problems
>Five Decades of Aid to Pakistan, 1950 - 2001
It is not much of an exaggeration to state that since independence in 1947, Pakistan has been an aid-dependent nation. Some estimates suggest that the gross disbursement of overseas development assistance to Pakistan from 1960 to 2002 (in 2001 prices) was $73.1 billion, from both bilateral and multilateral sources.
Almost 30 percent of this official development assistance came in the form of bilateral aid from the United States, the largest single bilateral donor by far.
>U.S. Financial aid to Pakistan since 9/11
Between 2002-2010, Pakistan received approximately 18 billion in military and economic aid from the United States. In February 2010, the Obama administration requested an additional 3 billion in aid, for a total of $20.7 billion.
Western officials have claimed nearly 70% ( roughly $3.4 billion) of the aid given to the Military assistance has been misspent in 2002-2007 and used to over Civilian Deficit. However U.S-Pakistani relationship has been a transactional based and U.S military aid to Pakistan and aid conditions has been shrouded in secrecy for several years until recently . In a startling revelation, an update released says that US funding to Pakistan has more than doubled since President Obama took office in 2009. In fiscal 2010 US gave nearly $4.3 billion to Pakistan, up from about $3 billion in 2009 and $2 billion in 2008. The US fiscal year runs from October to September.
>As of May 21, 2012 - Is Pakistan an opportunistic or a greedy country
In an unmistakable snub, President Barack Obama left Pakistan off a list of nations he thanked Monday for help getting war supplies into Afghanistan and refused to meet Mr Zardari yesterday in the midst of Pakistan's refusal to compromise over increasing the fee for trucks to pass through its territory to Afghanistan from $US250 ($253) to $US5000 almost two-thousand percent increase. Now, Pakistan has lost its credibility globally as a reliable or a dependable ally to fight or to stamp out terrorism and militancy.
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources BY: BRAD NORINGTON, WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT From: The Australian
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 21, 2012: BARACK Obama has snubbed Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari despite inviting him to a NATO summit in Chicago, as a bitter dispute rages over supply routes that could disrupt the planned US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.

The US President refused to meet Mr Zardari yesterday in the midst of Pakistan's refusal to compromise over increasing the fee for trucks to pass through its territory to Afghanistan from $US250 ($253) to $US5000.

Pakistan closed its borders and then demanded the huge price rise for moving US supply trucks through its territory after US air strikes killed 24 Pakistani soldiers in November.

Mr Zardari was invited to the NATO talks at late notice and US officials appear to have hoped a settlement of the transportation issue could have been reached before his arrival.

Instead, the conflict worsened yesterday.

It was made clear that Mr Obama was unwilling to meet Mr Zardari, and the diplomatic task was handed to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

The dispute with Pakistan has forced unacceptable costs on the US as trucks transporting up to 40 per cent of equipment to and from Afghanistan have been forced to use a longer route through Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

The US insists strikes that killed Pakistani soldiers were accidental because the troops concerned appeared hostile.

It has also refused to issue a full apology, which has been demanded by Pakistan.

The rise in Pakistan's fee per truck is not only considered unreasonable retaliation but also a potential stumbling block as Washington draws up plans for withdrawing large amounts of military equipment from Afghanistan for a planned troop withdrawal by the end of 2014.

The argument over transportation fees is only the latest flare-up in relations. It follows US doubts about Pakistan's loyalty and its alleged double-dealing with the Taliban and insurgent groups considered terrorists.

The US still suspects senior Pakistani intelligence officials knew al-Qa'ida leader Osama bin Laden was hiding in a town with one of the country's largest military barracks for five years when Mr Obama ordered a commando raid on his hideout last year.

Meanwhile, the Pakistani government resents the unauthorised raid on its territory.

The US President yesterday met Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai at the NATO summit in Chicago.

The pair discussed plans to wind down the war and hand security to local forces while maintaining an American military commitment for a decade after the official 2014 withdrawal.

Using words similar to those for Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Mr Karzai thanked Mr Obama for "taxpayers' money" used to support his country as the US pledges continued support for an Afghan military after the official foreign troop withdrawal at a cost of $US4 billion a year.

Under the withdrawal schedule, local Afghan forces are meant to be responsible for the country's security by mid-next year.

All combat troops are to be withdrawn by the end of 2014.

Administration officials said yesterday that the invitation to Chicago for Mr Zardari had not come from Mr Obama personally but through NATO.

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources BY: BRAD NORINGTON, WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT From: The Australian
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DTN News - CANADA May 21 2012: Happy Victoria Day

DTN News - CANADA May 21 2012: Happy Victoria Day
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 21, 2012: Victoria Day is a public holiday observed across Canada on the Monday before May 25th.

Victoria Day celebrates Queen Victoria's birthday (May 24th). Canada is still a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, of which the Queen is head. 

Victoria Day is always on a Monday, and thus the holiday is part of a long weekend, which is commonly referred to as the Victoria Day Weekend, the May Long Weekend, the May Long, or the May Two-Four (a case of beer there is called a "two-four" and many of these are consumed over the holiday). The weekend is also called the May 24th weekend, although it does not necessarily fall on May 24th.

The Victoria Day Weekend always falls on the weekend before Memorial Day in the U.S.
The Victoria Day Weekend is the first popular weekend for spring / summer travel. Lots of people open up their cottages, plant gardens, or just get away. Expect crowds at resorts and hotels and busy highways. Fireworks displays are common, especially on Monday night.


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DTN News - TECHNOLOGY NEWS ~ FACEBOOK: Mark Zuckerberg’s And Priscilla Chan Tied The Knot

DTN News - TECHNOLOGY NEWS ~ FACEBOOK: Mark Zuckerberg’s And Priscilla Chan Tied The Knot
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith 
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 21, 2012: Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg has updated his status to "married."

While all the media talk was about Facebook’s initial public offering, Mark Zuckerberg and his nine-year-old girlfriend Priscilla Chan secretly tied the knot on Saturday. According to Us Weekly, the couple spent the past five months preparing for the wedding, but they preferred not to mention anything because they wanted an intimate ceremony. 

Zuckerberg and 27-year-old Priscilla Chan tied the knot at a small ceremony at his Palo Alto, Calif., home Saturday, capping a busy week for the couple.

This photo provided by Facebook shows Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan at their wedding ceremony in Palo Alto, Calif., Saturday, May 19, 2012. Zuckerberg updated his status to "married" on Saturday. The ceremony took place in Zuckerberg's backyard before fewer than 100 guests, who all thought they were there to celebrate Chan's graduation. (AP)

Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan are seen in this screengrab of a wedding photo posted on Zuckerberg's Facebook page May 19, 2012. Zuckerberg wed longtime girlfriend Chan on Saturday, announcing the nuptials through a status update on the social networking site. (REUTERS)

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his girlfriend Priscilla Chan walk near Fuxing Road in Shanghai in this March 27, 2012, file photo. Zuckerberg wed longtime girlfriend Chan announcing the nuptials through a status update on the social networking site May 19, 2012. (REUTERS)

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his girlfriend Priscilla Chan walk near Fuxing Road in Shanghai in this March 27, 2012, file photo. Zuckerberg wed longtime girlfriend Chan announcing the nuptials through a status update on the social networking site May 19, 2012. (REUTERS)

Facebook Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, shown in this image from Reuters video, celebrates after ringing the NASDAQ Stock Market Opening Bell remotely from "Facebook" headquarters in Menlo Park, California, May18, 2012. Investors are bracing for Facebook's Wall Street debut on Friday after the pioneering online social network raised about $16 billion in one of the biggest initial public offerings in U.S. history. To rapturous applause from employees, Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg rang the bell to kick off trading on the Nasdaq market at the company's Silicon Valley headquarters at 6:30 a.m. Pacific time. (REUTERS)

FILE- In this July 9, 2011, file photo, Mark Zuckerberg, president and CEO of Facebook, walks to morning sessions with his girlfriend Priscilla Chan during the 2011 Allen and Co. Sun Valley Conference, in Sun Valley, Idaho. On Saturday, May, 19, 2012, Zuckerberg and Chan tied the knot at a small ceremony at his Palo Alto, Calif., home, capping a busy week for the couple. (AP)

Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg loves wearing a hoodie just about everywhere, including on a December trip to China with girlfriend Priscilla Chan (second from right). (GETTY)

Facebook’s founder Mark Zuckerberg (2nd L) and his girlfriend Priscilla Chan (3rd R) holding flowers offered to them by local tourist officials during their private trip to Ha Long Bay in northeastern province of Quuang Ninh. They are on December 26, 2011 visiting the northern mountainous tourist site of Sapa, according to local media saying the couple received a two-week long Vietnamese tourist visa. (AFP)

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith ~ DTN News
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DTN News - NATO SUMMIT IN CHICAGO: ISAF Nations To Decide On Next Transition Milestone

DTN News - NATO SUMMIT IN CHICAGO: ISAF Nations To Decide On Next Transition Milestone
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources By Cheryl Pellerin - American Forces Press Service & 'Pak Wants US To Apologise For Salala' - The News
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 21, 2012: Representatives from 50 nations that contribute to the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan will decide today on the next milestone for the transition in Afghanistan, President Barack Obama said here today.

On the second day of the NATO summit in Chicago, the president and NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen made statements before the closed meeting.

Obama spoke from his place at the circle of tables formed around the blue NATO logo. About 250 heads of state and other officials were in attendance.

At today’s summit meeting, the president said, attendees “will set a goal for Afghan forces to take the lead for combat operations across the country in 2013, next year, so that ISAF can move to a supporting role.”

This will be another step toward the goal of having Afghans take the full lead for their security by the end of 2014, when the ISAF combat mission will end, Obama added.

NATO and its partners aim to preserve the coalition’s hard-won progress in Afghanistan, he said.

“The strategic partnership agreement that President [Hamid] Karzai and I signed in Kabul ensures that as Afghans stand up, they will not stand alone,” the president said. “Today we can agree on NATO's long-term relationship with Afghanistan beyond 2014, including our support of Afghan security forces.”

Two years ago at NATO’s summit in Lisbon, Portugal, Obama said, coalition nations agreed on a framework for transition in Afghanistan that would allow a responsible drawdown of the war by the end of 2014, and afterward allow for a long-term partnership with Afghanistan and the Afghan people.

Important progress has been made during the past two years, the president added.

“Our forces broke the Taliban's momentum, more Afghans are reclaiming their communities, Afghan security forces have grown stronger, and the transition that we agreed to in Lisbon is well under way,” he said.

Last week saw more progress, Obama said.

“We very much welcome President Karzai's announcement of the third group of areas to begin transition,” he said. “This means that 75 percent of the Afghan people live in areas where Afghan forces will be moving into the lead.” This phase will see 122 more districts across the nation transition to Afghan control, Karzai said May 17.

In his remarks before the morning session, the secretary general said that as Afghan forces step up, coalition forces will step back into a supporting role, focusing on training, advising and assisting Afghan partners.

“By the end of 2014, Afghan forces [will] have assumed full security responsibility throughout Afghanistan. By end of 2014, the ISAF operation will terminate and the NATO-led combat mission will end,” Rasmussen said.

But the commitment of NATO and the international community in Afghanistan is for the long term, said he added.

“From 2015, we expect to maintain a NATO-led presence to train, advise and assist the Afghan security forces,” Rasmussen said. “And NATO and ISAF nations will also pay their share to help sustain the army and police Afghanistan needs for the coming years. We all remain committed to our goal: a secure and democratic Afghanistan in a stable region.”

Obama said the region and the world have a profound interest in an Afghanistan that is stable, secure and not a source of attacks on other nations.

“And today, as always,” the president said, “our thoughts are with our brave forces who are serving in this vital mission.”

'Pak Wants US To Apologise For Salala' - The News

Hours before the start of Nato summit in Chicago on Sunday, Pakistan Ambassador in the US, Sherry Rehman called for the US administration to execute Pakistan's five demands to salvage the relationship between the two countries.

In her write-up published today in foreign media, Sherry Rehman topped the five-point demand list with the tendering of apology by the US for Salala attacks that killed 24 Pakistan soldiers.

She said significant progress could be made towards resetting the bilateral relationship if the US tenders apology for Salala attacks, reimburses CSF, enhances sharing of intelligence, ceases the drone attacks and shifts to policy of trade not aid.

"The US and Pakistan have had a rocky year. The unilateral raid on Abbottabad, the Raymond Davis CIA provocation, the U.S.-led NATO air assault in Salalah that tragically killed 24 Pakistani soldiers and the continuing unauthorized drone attacks on Pakistani soil have frayed our 60-year special relationship," Sherry Rehman said.

If the war against extremism is to succeed, the war of words between democratic allies must end, she asserted.

The ambassador said Pakistan has taken the first step to restoring normalcy to Pak-US relations by working to reopen the NATO supply routes that were closed after the Salalah tragedy.

Additional NATO News;

ISAF Nations to Decide on Next Transition Milestone       CHICAGO - Representatives from 50 nations that contribute to the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan will decide at the NATO summit on the next milestone for the transition in Afghanistan, President Barack Obama said.

05/21/2012 Allen Explains Priorities in Afghanistan       WASHINGTON - Coalition forces will fulfill their missions in Afghanistan, Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen, commander of the International Security Assistance Force, told reporters at the beginning of the NATO summit.

05/21/2012 Face of Defense: Marine Serves Second Afghan Tour       KHAN NESHIN DISTRICT, Afghanistan - Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Brandon M. Barton is on his second tour of duty in Afghanistan, yet earlier in his life he’d never thought he would find himself wearing a Marine Corps uniform.

05/21/2012 Combined Afghan, Coalition Force Detains Taliban Facilitator       WASHINGTON - A combined Afghan and coalition security force detained a Taliban facilitator in the Zharay district of Kandahar province.

05/21/2012 Rotational Deployments to Boost U.S. Asia-Pacific Presence       WASHINGTON - Welcoming new Marine rotational deployments in Australia and Navy rotations planned for Singapore, the top U.S. Pacific Command officer said he’ll seek similar arrangements, possibly to include the Army, that expand U.S. presence in the region without the need for more permanently based forces.

05/20/2012 NATO Declares Missile Defense System Operational       CHICAGO - During its first session at the 25th NATO Summit, the alliance’s senior governing body declared operational the missile defense system it endorsed at its November 2010 summit in Lisbon, Portugal, NATO’s secretary general said.

05/20/2012 Panetta Meets With United Kingdom Counterpart       CHICAGO - U.S. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta met in Chicago with his counterpart from the United Kingdom, Secretary of State of Defense Philip Hammond.

05/20/2012 Summit Reaffirms Commitment to Collective Security, Obama Says       CHICAGO - A year and a half after the NATO members at their summit in Lisbon, Portugal, pledged bold action to revitalize the future alliance, heads of state and government are reaffirming commitment to their collective defense and security, President Barack Obama said.

05/20/2012 Obama: Summit Will Reflect Consensus on Afghanistan       CHICAGO - The NATO summit largely will be devoted to ratifying and reflecting broad consensus on long-term support for Afghanistan, President Barack Obama said after a meeting in Chicago with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

05/20/2012 Secretary General Kicks Off NATO Summit in Chicago       CHICAGO - NATO’s largest-ever summit opened in Chicago to focus on keeping Afghanistan secure, ensuring NATO’s capability in the 21st century, and enhancing the alliance’s global network of partners, Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said.

05/19/2012 Panetta Discusses Cooperation With French Defense Minister       WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta met with newly appointed French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian to discuss Afghan transition prior to the upcoming NATO Summit, a senior Pentagon spokesman said.

05/19/2012 Panetta Praises Troops on Armed Forces Day       WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta today thanked troops and their families for their service in an Armed Forces Day message, in which he also noted the importance of the upcoming NATO Summit in Chicago.

05/18/2012 President Issues Armed Forces Day Proclamation       WASHINGTON - In a proclamation declaring May 19 Armed Forces Day, President Barack Obama urged all Americans to recognize and honor U.S. military members for their “unparalleled service” in defense of the nation.

05/18/2012 Summit to Highlight NATO’s Evolving Capabilities       WASHINGTON - There are three big agenda items and one strategic priority that will occupy center stage at NATO’s May 20-21 summit in Chicago, James J. Townsend Jr., deputy assistant secretary of defense for European and NATO policy, told Pentagon Channel and American Forces Press Service reporters.

05/18/2012 Report Depicts China’s Military Progress, Strategic Thinking       WASHINGTON - The Defense Department’s 2012 Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China report details China’s growing military capabilities, and points to areas of cooperation between the United States and China, a senior DOD official told Pentagon reporters.

05/18/2012 NATO General Outlines Summit Topics, Alliance Changes       WASHINGTON - NATO’s plan for military operations in Afghanistan up to and beyond 2014 will be the top agenda item at the organization’s May 20-21 summit in Chicago, Danish Army Gen. Knud Bartels, chairman of the NATO Military Committee, told American Forces Press Service.

05/18/2012 Face of Defense: Quick-thinking Airman Prevents Tragedy       SOUTHWEST ASIA - When Air Force Senior Airman Lanea Trevino noticed abandoned shower supplies in the wash stall next to hers, she set out in search of the items’ rightful owner and ended up saving another airman’s life.

05/18/2012 Locklear: Pacom’s Priorities Reflect New Strategic Guidance       WASHINGTON - With clear direction from President Barack Obama and Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta, the new U.S. Pacific Command chief said he’s using the new strategic guidance as a roadmap as he sets priorities and engages with the region.

05/18/2012 Combined Force Seizes Opium Cache       KABUL, Afghanistan - An Afghan and coalition security force discovered a drug cache of opium during a patrol in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province.

05/18/2012 U.S. European Command, NATO Boost Cyber Defenses       WASHINGTON - Navy Adm. James G. Stavridis, the commander of U.S. European Command, says preparing a good defense to deter cyber attacks ranks among his top concerns.

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources By Cheryl Pellerin - American Forces Press Service & 'Pak Wants US To Apologise For Salala' - The News
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