In a very blunt memo, a US advisor, Col. Timothy R. Reese, in Iraq stated that even though there are numerous deficiencies in Iraqi forces, they are now capable of protecting the Iraqi government, and it is now time for US soldiers to return home.

Forces on the ground have grown concerned that in recent events Iraqi leadership have made forceful moves to regain authority. Senior officials have restated that cooperation between Iraqi forces and the US have increased and are in good standing.

Col. Timothy R. Reese in his memo had outlined numerous concerns regarding military weakness, corruption, bad management, and a lack of resistance to Shiite political influence. Yet, the commander stated that extending US presence in Iraqi may do little to help this situation. Worst yet, extending the stay in Iraqi may cause the fire of resentment by Iraqi populations to burn hotter.

Pakistan’s military once used Google Earth to plan air assaults on targets. The lack of precision offered by off-the-shelf consumer satellite technology may have lead to undesired damage or fatalities.

Recently Pakistan’s Airforce has improved its targeting capabilities for guided missles, which will greatly contribute to its fight against the Taliban in the Swat Valley and also reduce the probability for collateral damage. The Pakistan Airforce has moved away from scorched-earth artillery and air tactics that had been used last year against insurgents in the the Bajaur tribal agency. The Pakistan air force is now using spy planes and other surveillance aircraft along with laser guided bombs to improve accuracy.

One of the main reasons for Pakistan’s move to improve their targeting technologies was prevent the alienation of the population within regions of conflict should civilian deaths be incurred.

For the fourth consecutive month, home pricing are showing improvements according to Standard & Poor’s. Home prices improved in 13 of the 20 cities measured in the study Standard & Poor’s Case-Shiller Home Price Index. Of the cities that showed a drop in prices, Las Vegas was the worst with a Las Vegas with 2.6 percent decline. Cleveland Ohio showed the largest increase in housing prices, followed by Dallas Texas.

Stand Down*, an annual three-day tent city, helps veterans whose lives have seen hardship and are part of the Department of Veterans Affairs’ efforts to provide services to homeless veterans.

In recent days, Stand Down events have seen record numbers as veterans struggle to find gainful employment within the environment of this economic slowdown. The San Diego event brought in 950 veterans compared to the 830 from last year (also a record). Younger veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars are now also beginning to appear in the events. The younger veterans, many who bare traumatic brain injuries or psychological stresses, may have fallen through the safety nets faster than expected.

Some of the services offered within the Stand Down events often include: hot food, haircuts, massages, dental care, legal aid, referrals to drug programs and federal benefits. Some of the veterans also seek out these events to temporarily escape the harsh life on the city streets.

*Stand Downs are collaborative events, coordinated between local Veterans Affairs, other government agencies, and community agencies who serve the homeless. The first Stand Down was organized in San Diego in 1988 by a group of veterans.

Top antitrust officials and senior democratic law makers are seeking to focus on industries that may be plagued with antitrust concerns. This is a major reversal on the previous administration’s policy of not prosecuting large, dominant companies who have engaged in antitrust practices.

Some of the cases being reviewed by the antitrust chief at the Justice Department:

• Small agricultural operations may have been improperly obstructed by larger food processors. This is most notably true with the milk industry.
• Compliants are being examined whether the Federal Trade Commission and consumer groups are within or unreasonably preventing pharmaceutical drug companies from marketing generic drugs.
• Another case is between book publishers and Google regarding Google’s book scanning operation.
• Verizon and ATT filed a compliant against Cablevision and Cox Communications, saying that they are unable to purchase sports shows and other programs produced by the cable operators.

In Osama Bin Laden’s Letter To America, the topics of women and family take a deeply personal tone.

(vi) You are a nation that exploits women like consumer products or advertising tools calling upon customers to purchase them. You use women to serve passengers, visitors, and strangers to increase your profit margins. You then rant that you support the liberation of women.

(d) The American people are the ones who employ both their men and their women in the American Forces which attack us.

Al Queda promotes a traditional understanding of family. In this system of belief, the purpose of women is bound intricately to the process of reproduction — a social existence centered around raising children and home building. This traditionalist belief system is at the core of the al Queda campaign — not dissimilar from Fundamentalist Christian or Judaism. The extremes to which al Queda is willing to go makes this group unqiue however. Theirs is a deep and thorough hatred of of contemporary society as spear-headed by the United States.