Blog post

IAVA Daily Brief 6.29.10
Posted by Blake Henderson on June 29 2010

MUST READS

1) Petraeus to Modify Afghanistan Rules of Engagement, Source Says
 
A military source close to Gen. David Petraeus said that one of the first things the general will do when he takes over in Afghanistan is to modify the rules of engagement to make it easier for U.S. troops to engage in combat with the enemy. Troops on the ground and some military commanders have said the strict rules -- aimed at preventing civilian casualties -- have effectively forced the troops to fight with one hand tied behind their backs. Gen. Petraeus starts his confirmation hearing on Tuesday - and it is expected to be a smooth process.
 
2) Report faults U.S. for being too optimistic about Afghan security capabilities
 
The U.S. military has systematically overstated or failed to adequately measure the capabilities of Afghan security forces, whose performance is key to the Obama administration's exit strategy for the war, according to a new government audit.  Gen. Petraeus is expected to be questioned about training Afghan security forces at his confirmation hearing.
 
3) IAVA Launches Campaign with Miller High Life
 
IAVA has partnered with iconic American brand Miller High Life to launch a bold new campaign called "Give a Veteran a Piece of the High Life." The groundbreaking effort provides up to one million dollars in cash and experiences to America's newest generation of veterans and their families. See the campaign's new commercial here.

AFGHANISTAN

• Since President Obama authorized a surge of troops in Afghanistan in December 2009, there has been a notable absence of public debate or interest about this conflict, argues a Princeton University professor.
• As Gen. Petraeus prepares to take command of the Afghanistan war, President Karzai's outreach to the Taliban is drawing warnings from some Afghan factions, particularly women and ethnic minorities.

IRAQ

• The withdrawal of American combat troops and equipment from Iraq is 60 percent complete two months ahead of a deadline.  Camp Victory, a giant sprawling base on the edge of Baghdad airport, is one of eight sites where American soldiers are sorting through the mass of hardware and supplies that must either be taken home, sent to Afghanistan, or destroyed.
• After two years, ex-militiamen from Muqtada Sadr's Mahdi Army are being seen again in Baghdad neighborhoods. Officials fear the shadowy group could take advantage of Iraq's festering political crisis and U.S. troop withdrawals.

MILITARY AFFAIRS

• A farm outside of San Diego, California, offers veterans a place to reconnect, find peace, and more importantly, learn crucial job skills.
• VA has issued more than $3.6 billion to the newest generation of veterans attending school under the Post-9/11 GI Bill implemented.
• Five years after Hurricane Katrina, a new VA hospital being built to replace one that was ruined by flooding will create a New Orleans biosciences corridor and create thousands of jobs.

INSIDE WASHINGTON

• The Department of Labor's Veterans' Employment and Training Service has awarded $4 million in Incarcerated Veterans Transition Program grants designed to aid veterans "at risk" of homelessness. The 16 grants will serve more than 1,400 formerly incarcerated veterans in 13 states.
• Stymied by political opposition and focused on competing priorities, the Obama administration has sidelined efforts to close the Guantánamo prison, making it unlikely that President Obama will fulfill his promise to close it before his term ends in 2013.

A wide-range of views, positions, and publications are represented in these articles. These views, positions and publications are not endorsed by nor do they necessarily represent the views of IAVA.

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