IAVA Daily Brief 7.27.10

IAVA Daily Brief 7.27.10
Posted by Blake Henderson [1] on July 27 [2] 2010

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Here are some of today's top stories and happenings at IAVA.  Prefer to receive real-time updates about major stories and legislation that IAVA is tracking?  Follow us on Twitter @IAVAPressRoom [4] or subscribe at www.IAVA.org/DailyNewsBrief [5].

NOTE: Please be advised the IAVA Daily News Brief will be on hiatus from Wednesday, July 28th through Friday, July 30th.

MUST READS

1) IAVA Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff on WikiLeaks and Afghanistan [6]
 
IAVA Executive Director and Founder Paul Rieckhoff joined Rick Sanchez on CNN to discuss the latest news involving Wikileaks and the 92,000 documents the website leaked relating to the war in Afghanistan.  Rieckhoff stressed the importance of context when discussing the leaks and emphasized that WikiLeaks' stated agenda is to end the war in Afghanistan.  He also spoke with Fast Company [7] about the issue.
 
2) Iraqi forces frail as U.S. troops head home [8]
 
When the U.S. ends its combat mission in Iraq five weeks from now, the security of the nation will be in the hands of the local police and military forces.  But with this deadline fast approaching, there are major questions about whether the Iraqi forces will be ready in time.
 
3) Guard and reserve suicide rates climbing [9]
 
Suicide rates for Army and Air National Guard and Reserve troops have spiked this year and the military is at a loss to explain why. Sixty-five members of the Guard and Reserves took their own lives in the first 6 months of 2010, compared with 42 in the same period last year.
 
AFGHANISTAN

• One of two soldiers missing from Afghanistan [10] has been confirmed dead by NATO.  The other is reportedly being held by the Taliban.
• In an editorial, IAVA Board Member Les Gelb argues that the documents released by WikiLeaks shed light on the United States' relationship with Afghanistan and Pakistan [11], but also give the U.S. an opportunity to reassess these policies.
• The U.S. has suspended two Afghan companies from doing business with the U.S. government and two former soldiers have been charged with conspiracy to commit theft of government property after the military uncovered a scheme of trying to steal $1.6 million in fuel [12] from a military base.

IRAQ

• A suicide bomber blew himself up in front of a popular Arabic new station [13], killing six, in Baghdad on Monday.
• Iraqi militants [14] have been holding up hospitals and blood banks to steal blood for their wounded fighters, rather than risk them being arrested at medical facilities.

MILITARY AFFAIRS

• The Pentagon is reviewing the documents leaked by WikiLeaks to determine the potential for damage to the lives of U.S. servicemembers [15] and those of the coalition partners.
• Advancements in robotic technology [16] are making an impact on the military and on the battlefield, where robots can search for IED's and even fire machine guns.
• State and federal governments are making progress [17] in becoming better equipped to treat veterans returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan, but gaps still exist.

INSIDE WASHINGTON

• An Army investigation has uncovered 20 years [18] of problems at Arlington National Cemetery from mislabeled gravestones to unfilled plots and misleading maps. 

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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