British: Strategy and Alliance

Top British Diplomat Blasts ‘War On Terror’, (Washington Times)…Unattributed
British Foreign Secretary David Miliband wants a rethink of the strategy against terrorism, calling the notion of a war on terrorism “misleading and mistaken.”

Britain To Attack Its Afghan War Allies, (Financial Times)…James Blitz, 14 Jan 09. John Hutton, Britain’s defence secretary, will on Thursday launch an attack on the commitment of the UK’s European Union allies to the war in Afghanistan, warning that Europe can no longer continue “freeloading” on the back of US military security.

Diplomacy, Smart Power

Clinton Touts ‘Smart Power’ Use, (Washington Times)…Nicholas Kralev, Jan 14, 2009

Secretary of State-designate Hillary Rodham Clinton pledged Tuesday to use “smart power” to reduce the military’s role in U.S. foreign policy and put a “civilian face” on America’s role abroad after the Bush administration’s heavy reliance on the use of force.

Iran Policy

In Interview, Obama Talks Of ‘New Approach’ To Iran, (New York Times)…Brian Knowlton, Jan 11, 2009

President-elect Barack Obama addressed some of the most delicate foreign policy issues over the weekend, confirming that he intended to pursue a clear policy of engagement with Iran and to press immediately for peace in the Middle East.

Policy: Israel and Iran, Nuclear Sites

U.S. Rejected Aid For Israeli Raid On Iranian Nuclear Site
(New York Times)…David E. Sanger. Jan 10, 2009. President Bush deflected a secret request by Israel last year for specialized bunker-busting bombs it wanted for an attack on Iran’s main nuclear complex and told the Israelis that he had authorized new covert action intended to sabotage Iran’s suspected effort to develop nuclear weapons, according to senior American and foreign officials.

U.S. Thwarted Israeli Plan To Bomb Iranian Nuclear Facility
(Washington Post)…Karen DeYoung, Jan 11, 2009. President Bush last year rejected an Israeli request to provide sophisticated, deep-penetration bombs to attack Iran’s underground nuclear enrichment facilities, Pentagon officials said yesterday.

Joint Strike Fighter

A Defensive Strike For Its Fighter Jet (Dallas Morning News)…Eric Torbenson, Jan 6, 2009.

Seven years ago, Lockheed Martin Corp. won a bitterly fought contract for what would end up being the world’s most expensive fighter jet program. Today, it finds itself in an odd position: having to defend the plane it won the right to build.

Published reports saying the F-35 – featuring the latest in avionics – fared poorly in a military exercise with Russian jets also stirred up military watchers.

Both criticisms were rebutted by Lockheed and generals who called the plane a racehorse. It carries much more fuel to expand its range and hides many of its weapons internally, both big advantages over current aircraft, they said. Its three variants will have many common parts, lowering maintenance expenses.

Lockheed’s F-22 Raptor fighter program has already been scaled back and faces more budget cuts in the next Congress, analysts say. A program initially devised to build 750 F-22s has been cut to 183 – and some in Congress want even fewer.