World News Briefs -- October 1, 2013

US Government Shuts Down -- Voice of America

Much of the U.S. government has been shut down for the first time in 17 years, after the two branches of Congress failed by the October 1 deadline to agree on a single spending bill to keep the government operating.

Thousands of federal workers are arriving at their jobs and being told they are on furlough and being sent home.

Other federal workers, considered essential, are being told to stay on the job but there is no guarantee when they will be paid.

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MIDDLE EAST

U.S. considering working with allies to develop moderate Syrian military, police forces.

Russia doubts mid-November date for Syria peace talks.

Experts say Nov. 1 deadline can be met for Syria's chemical threat.

Syria conflict: Chemical arms experts cross border.

Iraq violence kills nearly 900 in September, gunmen storm police station.

Iranian President faces backlash over US visit.

Obama on Iran: We won't take military option off the table.

Iran FM accuses Israel's Netanyahu of lying.

Kurdish militants say Turkey's rights reforms not aimed at peace.

Yemen military officers taken hostage in suspected al-Qaida assault.

ASIA

Asia reacts with caution, surprise to US government shutdown.

China ‘shocked’ as embassy in Syria hit by mortar; 1 hurt.

Bangladesh opposition leader sentenced to death for war crimes.

Buddhist mobs kill 1, torch 70 homes in Myanmar.

In historic step, Japan PM hikes tax; will cushion blow to economy.

Former Afghan Foreign Minister registers for election.

AFRICA

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta vows to keep troops in Somalia to battle Islamic extremists.

Nigeria at 53: Extremist killings, tight security.

Unrest in Central Sudan leads to arrests of 700.

Discontent simmers in Sudan after protest deaths.

Africa terrorism is symptom of intractable problems.

Guinea opposition decries 'appalling' poll fraud.

ICC unveils arrest warrant for Ivory Coast politician Ble Goude.

EUROPE

Spain's public debt to approach 100 percent of GDP end-2014.

Berlusconi faces obstacles in bid to topple government.

Scottish referendum: Vote registration begins for those 16 and older.

Eurozone unemployment 'may have peaked'.

German unemployment in surprise increase.

Four MPs from Greece's Golden Dawn to appear in court.

Insight: As Ukraine looks west to Europe, Russia's shadow looms.

UN presses Spain over Franco-era crimes and mass graves.

AMERICAS

U.S. Politics Live.

U.S. government shutdown starts; Congress deadlock remains.

Political ‘dysfunction’: Attorney General Eric Holder sees FBI furloughs possible in shutdown.

Venezuela expels three US diplomats over 'sabotage'.

Colombia busts former Presidential security chief for drug ties.

Canada's GDP growth highest in two years.

TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR

'Foreign terrorists' fighting in Syria - Walid Muallem.

Zawahiri's man in Shabaab's 'secret service'.

US intel info suggests al-Shabaab may be planning new attacks.

U.S. tries to salvage case against Bin Laden's publicist.

ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS

Germany's Siemens to axe 15,000 jobs.

Merck to fire 8,500 in strategy overhaul that shifts R&D.

Stocks rise as investors shrug off shutdown.

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Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- October 1, 2013

U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel speaks to the media about the U.S. government shutdown, at his hotel in Seoul October 1, 2013. REUTERS/Jacquelyn Martin/Pool

Pentagon Chief Says Shutdown Hurts U.S. Credibility With Allies -- Reuters

(Reuters) - The U.S. government shutdown will undermine American credibility abroad and lead allies to question its commitment to treaty obligations, the U.S. defense chief warned on Tuesday as he prepared to put 400,000 civilian workers on unpaid leave.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, who was visiting South Korea to celebrate the two nations' 60-year-old mutual defense treaty, said Pentagon lawyers were analyzing a new law passed by Congress to see if additional civilian workers could be spared unpaid leave.

But for the moment, when the department's 800,000 civilians report to work on Tuesday, approximately half will be told they are not exempted by law from the government shutdown and asked to go home, Hagel told reporters.

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MILITARY AND INTELLIGENCE NEWS BRIEFS

In video message, Obama tells troops: 'You and your families deserve better' -- Stars and Stripes/AP

Hagel Issues Message to Workforce as Potential Shutdown Looms -- US Department of Defense

Obama Focuses on Military as Government Shuts Down -- ABC News/AP

Shutdown to Freeze DoD Contracting -- DoD Buzz

400,000 DOD Civilians to Get Shutdown Furloughs -- Defense One

Hagel: Pentagon lawyers hoping to minimize how many Defense workers are furloughed -- Washington Post

In Shutdown, Pentagon Would Remain Vigilant, Possibly Unpaid -- Wall Street Journal

Pentagon Wants More Workers Exempt From Furloughs -- New York Times/AP

Europe bases suspending work as shutdown begins -- Stars and Stripes

U.S. considering working with allies to develop moderate Syrian military, police forces -- Washington Times

Obama on Iran: We won't take military option off the table. -- RT

Iran Boasts UAV Self-Sufficiency -- Defense News

The Sorry State Of Russia's Defense Industry -- World Crunch

Norway's Former Defense Chief Blasts 'Dysfunctional' Conscript-based Military -- Defense News

S. Korea Parades Cruise Missiles, Military Hardware to Deter Pyongyang -- Voice of America

SKorea Displays New Missile at Military Ceremony -- ABC News/AP

US commander says he worries most about NKorea’s missiles, cyber threats -- Washington Post/AP

U.S. military commander says ‘close watch’ needed on N. Korea’s Kim Jong Un -- Washington Post

China-U.S. Military Ties Grow as They Eye Each Other at Sea -- Bloomberg

Indonesia, US Deepen Defense Ties Amid Exercises and Arms Deals -- Defense News

Carter: U.S.-India Defense Collaboration Moves to Next Level -- US Department of Defense

Senate passes bill to grant visas for Iraqis who helped the US military -- The Hill

Afghan pullout 'even more difficult' than Iraq, says top general -- The Hill

Pentagon Signs Off On Next Two Lots Of F-35 Buys -- Aviation Week

F-35 JPO Draws ‘Quality Assurance’ Critique from DoD IG -- Defense Tech

Two Marine generals lose their jobs over deadly Taliban attack -- CNN

Raytheon's Griffin missile demonstrates maritime protection capabilities -- Space Daily

US Navy dolphins help clean up seabed off of Croatia resort town -- Stars and Stripes

Sneaker makers want Pentagon to buy American -- Politico

Report done on Navy Academy sexual assault case -- Stars and Stripes/AP

Vietnam POWs say camaraderie helped them rebound -- USA Today

War on illegal drugs failing, medical researchers warn -- BBC

Obama to Military: Blame Congress -- Kevin Baron, Defense One

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U.S. Secretary Of State John Kerry: Terrorists Need ‘More Economic Opportunities’

Kerry: Potential Terror Recruits Need ‘More Economic Opportunities’ -- CNS News

(CNSNews.com) – Launching a new global counter-terror fund, Secretary of State John Kerry spoke of the importance of “providing more economic opportunities for marginalized youth at risk of recruitment” – although much research has debunked the notion of a link between poverty and Islamist terrorism.

At a meeting in New York Friday of the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF), Kerry and his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu unveiled a $200 million initiative designed to leverage public and private funding in support of what the GCTF calls “countering violent extremism” (CVE) efforts.

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My Comment: Osama Bin Laden was a multimillionaire .... the current head of Al Qaeda is Ayman al-Zawahiri, a doctor .... they had all the opportunities in the world but this did not stop from becoming hard-cord Islamists. And while I do agree that economic conditions may have an influence, this is also an ideological/religious conflict .... and for a good number of Jihadists this is more important than having a job.

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Retired Military Working Dog Discovers His First Kitten

Halt! Who Goes There? The Moment Retired Military Dog Met A Kitten For The First Time -- Daily Mail

Chef the retired military dog met a kitten for the first time and the Internet almost melted down with the cuteness of it all.

The adorable meeting was captured by his owner Louise Vaughan and uploaded onto YouTube last month and so far has garnered almost 600,000 views.

Responding to the interloper in the house as if the kitten is there to be investigated, Chef seems perplexed at first by the white, fluffy cat, but then proceeds to poke and prod until the two seem to form a friendship of sorts.

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How Al Shabaab Makes Money To Stay Active

Al-Shabaab Backed By Money From U.S. -- Peter Bergen and David Sterman, CNN

(CNN) -- After the attack on the Westgate mall in Nairobi, Kenya, substantial attention was given to the some 40 Americans who have traveled to fight for Al-Shabaab in Somalia during the past several years.

But much less attention has focused on Al-Shabaab's supporters in the United States who have helped to fund the terrorist group. Those supporters have funneled tens of thousands of dollars via money transfer businesses to the terrorist organization and have often maintained direct contact with Al-Shabaab leaders and fighters in Somalia.

After the 9/11 attacks, when it became clear to investigators that al Qaeda's deadly assaults on New York and Washington had cost as much as $500,000 to mount, the U.S. government became far more aggressive about trying to block funds going to terrorist organizations.

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Update: Somali Militants Mixing Business and Terror -- New York Times

My Comment:  Money is the driving force of all groups and institutions .... cutting this flow will result in groups like al Shabaab dying on the vine.

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Pentagon’s Inspector General: F-35 Program Struggles With Quality Management Issues

Two F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing aircraft ferry from Lockheed Martin's production facility in Fort Worth, Texas, to Marine Corps Air Station Yuma in May. (Lockheed Martin)

Pentagon Report: F-35 Program Struggles With Quality Management -- Defense News

While there have been improvements, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program continues to struggle with quality management issues, according to a new report from the Pentagon’s Inspector General.

The watchdog found 363 issues, 147 of which it identified as “major.” The report defined major issues as “a nonfulfillment of a requirement that is likely to result in the failure of the quality management system or reduce its ability to ensure controlled processes or compliant products/services.”

Challenges identified in the report include the need for improved training, the need to improve criteria for acceptance of a plane, and unnecessary over-mixing of sealant used on the wings.

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More News On The Pentagon’s Inspector General Reporting That The F-35 Program Is Struggling With Quality Management Issues

Report: Military Lost Control of F-35 Contractors, Errors Abound -- ABC News
US F-35 jet plagued by shoddy quality control: audit -- Space Daily/AFP
Report: F-35 production process flaws made jet fighter more costly -- UPI
Lockheed, Pentagon cite improved F-35 quality work since end 2012 -- Reuters
U.S. Stealth Jets Have 363 Production Flaws, Inspectors Say -- Killer Apps/Foreign Policy

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U.S. Government Shutdown May Mean That DoD Contractors May Not Get Paid

Shutdown May Disrupt DoD Contractor Pay, Official Says -- Defense News

A government shutdown could potentially disrupt or delay payments to contractors and some will not be paid at all, according to a Sept. 26 letter from a top DoD official.

Frank Kendall, undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, said in a letter to trade groups that contractors performing work on contracts made in fiscal 2013 or before will “generally” be paid, but that only fiscal 2014 contracts for “excepted” activities will be paid during a shutdown.

“There may, however, be delays or disruptions in payments because of the effects of shutdown on government employees who process payments,” he said.

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My Comment: As of now the U.S. government is shutting down .... and here is an easy prediction .... as soon as all of these top defense executives get into their office, every one of them  will be calling their lobbyists and politicians demanding to know what are they going to do to fix this mess.

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