United States Africa Command Public Affairs Office 2 December 2011

USAFRICOM - related news stories

Good morning. Please find attached news clips related to U.S. Africa Command and Africa, along with upcoming events of interest for December 2, 2011. Of interest in todays clips: The Houston Chronicle ran an article on the possibility of U.S. Africa Command relocating to Houston. According to German investigators, Tehran may be planning attacks on U.S. bases in Germany in the event of an American military strike against targets in Iran. In Somalia: Burundi calls for a doubling of troops in Somalia in the fight against Al Shabaab. Somalias TFG requests assistance from Qatar in helping to bring reconciliation among various Somali factions. In Libya: The ICC is investigating allegations of sexual abuse against women by members of the former Qadhafi regime. Libyas new minister of health faces an uphill battle against corruption. Aviation Week reviews lessons learned by U.S. and coalition units in Libya operations. Also, U.S. Africa Command's surgeon responds to a November 21 article in Stars and Stripes which inaccurately reported that Mefloquine is dangerous for all and no safe antimalaria is available. Provided in text format for remote reading. Links work more effectively when this message is viewed as in HTML format. U.S. Africa Command Public Affairs Please send questions or comments to: africom-pao@africom.mil 421-2687 (+49-711-729-2687) -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Top News related to U.S. Africa Command and Africa Letter to the Editor: Mefloquine best for some GIs (Stars and Stripes)
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http://www.stripes.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/mefloquine-best-for-some-gis1.162171 1 December 2011 U.S. Africa Command's surgeon responds to a November 21 article in Stars and Stripes which inaccurately reported that Mefloquine is dangerous for all and no safe anti-malaria is available. Iran 'planning attacks on US bases in Germany' (The Local) http://www.thelocal.de/national/20111201-39251.html 1 December 2011 Tehran may be planning attacks on US bases in Germany in the event of an American military strike against targets in Iran, German investigators have reportedly said. Houston vies for a big military prize (Houston Chronicle) http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Houston-vies-for-a-big-military-prize2338798.php 1 December 2011 Houston is among the cities vying to become the next home of U.S. Africa Command, one of the Defense Department's six regional military headquarters. Report: Amphib CO put sailors in danger (Navy Times) http://www.navytimes.com/news/2011/12/navy-report-amphib-co-put-sailors-in-danger120111/ 1 December 2011 By Bill McMichael The commanding officers blatant favoritism, demeaning words and micromanagement created a hostile work environment aboard the ship. She once ordered her ship to maneuver during flight operations although the flight deck wasnt cleared for takeoffs or landings. She failed to tell superiors about shipboard hazing in one division. African Union Must Double Force to Secure Somalia, Burundi Says (Bloomberg) http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-12-01/african-union-must-double-force-tosecure-somalia-burundi-says.html 1 December 2011 By Sarah McGregor and Desire Nimubona The African Union Mission in Somalia must double the size of its peacekeeping force in order to hold on to territory secured in Mogadishu and move into al-Shabaab areas outside the capital, a Burundian defense official said. Somalia seeks Qatar assistance in country reconciliation, reconstruction (Gulfnews) http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/qatar/somalia-seeks-qatar-assistance-in-countryreconciliation-reconstruction-1.941540 1 December 2011 By Habibb Toukmi Somalia's prime minister has asked Qatar to help achieve reconciliation between the various Somali factions and to assist with the reconstruction of the war-torn country.
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ICC Probing Sexual Crimes by Al Qathafi Troops Against Libyan Women (Tripoli Post) http://tripolipost.com/articledetail.asp?c=1&i=7406 1 December 2011 A team from the International Criminal Court, ICC, is in Libya to probe sexual crimes committed by loyalists of the former Libyan dictator, Muammar Al Qathafi during the conflict that ended his 42-year reign in the North African country. Battlelines drawn for fight over Libyan Islam (Reuters) http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/30/us-libya-islam-idUSTRE7AT1EP20111130 30 November 2011 By Christian Lowe When night falls on the street outside Tripoli's Abdullah Eshaab mosque, theological discussions often break out. Lately, they have taken place at the point of a gun. Doctor sets out to heal Libyas health care; New minister faces culture of corruption (Washington Times) http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/nov/30/doctor-sets-out-to-heal-libyashealth-system/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS 30 November 2011 By Ashish Kumar Sen Libyas new health minister says rampant corruption and nepotism have taken a terrible toll on the North African nations health care system. Dr. Fatima Hamroush told The Washington Times that hospitals have been stretched to the breaking point by the thousands of people wounded in the eight-month uprising that toppled Moammar Gadhafis 42-year regime. Reviewing Lessons from the Libya Campaign (Aviation Week) http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_generic.jsp?channel=dti&id=news/dti/20 11/12/01/DT_12_01_2011_p19394046.xml&headline=Reviewing%20Lessons%20from%20the%20Libya%20Campaign 30 November 2011 By Bill Sweetman European air forces that provided strike sorties in Operation Unified Protector, the air campaign over Libya, will be digesting its lessons for years. In November, Defence IQs International Fighter Conference here brought together a group of pilots, many of whom were involved in planning their nations operations or carrying them out. Drone Attacks, The French Revolution & President Obama (OpEdNews) http://www.opednews.com/articles/Drone-Attacks-The-French-by-Sherwood-Ross111130-913.html 30 November 2011 Forecasting a future of robotic warfare in which perverted science is put at the service of its Empire, the U.S. has built 60 bases around the world for its unmanned, remotely controlled killer drone warplanes. And more bases are under construction.
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Contractors to the Congo (Interernational Relations and Security Network) http://www.isn.ethz.ch/isn/Current-Affairs/ISNInsights/Detail?lng=en&id=134437&contextid734=134437&contextid735=134435&tabi d=134435&dynrel=4888caa0-b3db-1461-98b9-e20e7b9c13d4,0c54e3b3-1e9c-be1e2c24-a6a8c7060233 By Jody Ray Bennett 1 December 2011 From the outsourcing of security functions to widespread mercenary activity, contracting on the African continent is nothing new. For decades the continent has been a playground for private third parties involved in everything from the training of militaries to the toppling of governments, to the legitimate and illicit arms trades. Senate Backs Proposal to Let Military Chaplains Decline Performing Same-Sex Marriages (FOX News) http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/12/01/senate-backs-proposal-to-let-militarychaplains-decline-performing-same-sex/ 1 December 2011 Military chaplains could decline to perform same-sex marriage ceremonies under a measure approved this week by the Senate. ### -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------UN News Service Africa Briefs http://www.un.org/apps/news/region.asp?Region=AFRICA DR Congo: UN envoy on sexual violence in conflict welcomes sanctioning of militia leader 1 December The United Nations official leading efforts to combat sexual violence in conflict today welcomed the decision by a Security Council committee to place a militia leader in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) under sanctions for instigating acts of sexual assault, including mass rape, in the east of the country. Libya: UN official urges increased funding for mine action work 1 December A senior United Nations official has urged donors to increase funding for de-mining efforts in Libya, where mine action teams are striving to clear landmines and other explosive remnants of war after the recent conflict to ensure that the weapons do not harm civilians. Deploring election-related violence in DR Congo, top UN officials appeal for calm 1 December Top United Nations officials today deplored the violence that marred this weeks elections in certain areas in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and urged all sides to exercise restraint and to resolve any differences through peaceful means.
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(Full Articles on UN Website) ### -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Upcoming Events of Interest:

TODAY: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP) Discussion on "Egypt: Is There a Way Forward?" Speakers: Marina Ottaway and Bahgat Korany. WHERE: CEIP, 1779 Massachusetts Avenue, NW CONTACT: 202-483-7600; web site: www.carnegieendowment.org SOURCE: CEIP - event announcement at: http://www.carnegieendowment.org/2011/12/02/egypt-is-there-way-forward/7nvt Middle East Institute (MEI) Discussion on "Insights from Egypt's First Round of Voting." Speakers: Joshua Stacher, Kent State University and Mohamed Elmenshawy, Al Shorouk News, Middle East Institute Scholar; moderated by Graeme Bannerman, Middle East Institute Scholar WHERE: MEI, 1761 N Street, NW CONTACT: 202-785-1141; web site: www.mei.edu SOURCE: MEI - event announcement at: http://www.mei.edu/Events/Calendar/tabid/504/vw/3/ItemID/370/d/20111202/Default.as px 7 DEC 2011 Social Media Briefing Speakers: Department of the Army Social Media Team WHERE: Kelley Theater, Stuttgart, Germany WHEN: December 7; 1430-1530 CONTACT: Lt. Col. Steven Lamb, AFRICOM Public Affairs, DSN: 314-421-2684; steven.lamb@africom.mil. TOPIC: As part of the AFRICOM Social Media Workshop (5-9 DEC) AFRICOM Public Affairs would like to invite you to an unclassified briefing by the Department of the Army Social Media Team on Social Media and its, uses, do's and don'ts. ###

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-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------New on www.africom.mil USS De Wert Helps School in Dar Es Salaam By Lieutenant Peter Dietz USS De Wert Public Affairs DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania, Nov 30, 2011 Sailors assigned to the guided-missile frigate USS De Wert (FFG 45) participated in a community service project at the Makongo Primary School in Dar Es Salaam, November 26, 2011.

### -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------FULL TEXT Letter to the Editor: Mefloquine best for some GIs (Stars and Stripes) http://www.stripes.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/mefloquine-best-for-some-gis1.162171 1 December 2011 U.S. Africa Command's surgeon, Dr. (Col.) Robert Miller responds to a November 21 article in Stars and Stripes which inaccurately reported that Mefloquine is dangerous for all and no safe anti-malaria is available. As the U.S. Africa Command surgeon, I felt compelled to respond to the Nov. 21 article U.S. Army shelves anti-malarial drug. Protecting Africa Command personnel from the deadly form of malaria (P. falciparum) present in Africa is one of my priorities. The alarming language in this article, including the headline and bolded quote (Its like you scream into a hurricane until you are hoarse. We knew we were right, spoken by retired Navy Cmdr. Bill Manofsky, a persistent critic of mefloquine), already has misled some personnel to conclude either that mefloquine is dangerous for all or that no safe antimalarial is available. Neither is true. Use of anti-malarial medications is critical as a last line of defense when other health protection measures fail to prevent bites from infected mosquitoes. Unfortunately, due to ever-changing resistance of the parasite, only three medications are currently effective in Africa: doxycycline, Malarone and mefloquine. All three medications are still appropriately available for use in the Department of Defense, and none has been shelved. Each medication has certain risks and benefits, which is why a medical provider decides which medication is appropriate for a particular patient after reviewing the medical history and considering the location of travel. Mefloquine is still an important option, though no longer the first choice for travelers to
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Africa. All military services support this position. It is true that patients must be carefully screened before prescribing, to limit risk of side effects, and mefloquine is not a dangerous drug if prescribed appropriately for select patients. Patients presently doing well on mefloquine should not stop treatment based on concerns raised by this one-sided article especially given the risk of developing malaria. It is unfortunate that some who quickly scanned this article were also misled to believe that all anti-malarial drugs are being shelved by the U.S. Army. Although it is regrettable that a patient would have a negative response to any medication, it is important for all to understand that malaria in Africa has resulted in deaths of U.S. personnel, and we are committed to preventing this from occurring again. Antimalarial medications, to include mefloquine, are one critical piece of a force health protection program that needs to be understood and strictly implemented by all travelers to Africa to ensure a safe, healthy return home. ### Iran 'planning attacks on US bases in Germany' http://www.thelocal.de/national/20111201-39251.html 1 December 2011 Tehran may be planning attacks on US bases in Germany in the event of an American military strike against targets in Iran, German investigators have reportedly said. The Bild newspaper reported on Thursday that experts with the Federal Criminal Police Office believe in the event of a US military action against Iran, the Iranians would attack US military airfields in order to disrupt supply and logistics operations. Federal prosecutors have launched an espionage investigation against a German businessman possibly connected to the plot who they believe has maintained conspirational contact with the Iranian embassy in Berlin, Bild reported. "We have an investigation on this issue," the head of the federal prosecutors' office, Harald Range, confirmed to reporters on Thursday. However, the head of the Federal Criminal Police Office, Jrg Ziercke, stressed: "We do not see any immediate danger right now." The report comes as tensions between Iran and the West have ratcheted up dramatically in recent days. A report on November 8 by the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency charged that Iran was likely trying to covertly develop its nuclear weapons program.

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And on Wednesday Berlin temporarily recalled its ambassador to Tehran following the storming of the British embassy there by hard-line protestors. Western diplomats have said that Iranian authorities could have prevented the overrunning of the embassy but failed to do so. A series of mysterious explosions has also recently bedevilled Irans weapons facilities, although they have all been attributed to accidents. ### Houston vies for a big military prize (Houston Chronicle) http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Houston-vies-for-a-big-military-prize2338798.php 1 December 2011 Houston is among the cities vying to become the next home of U.S. Africa Command, one of the Defense Department's six regional military headquarters. Texas lawmakers, city officials and local business leaders hope Houston's low cost of living and many diplomatic and economic ties to the African continent will persuade the Pentagon to move AFRICOM from its current base in Germany to Ellington Field in Houston. If the bid is successful, it would bring hundreds of jobs - and a four-star general - to the city. AFRICOM led initial operations in Libya before NATO took over. Its presence at Ellington would boost Houston's strategic importance at a time when the U.S. is strengthening military partnerships in Africa as part of its proxy war against al-Qaida affiliate al-Shabab in Somalia. U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, has offered language in the Military Construction Appropriations Bill requiring a transparent process to the selection of AFRICOM's permanent headquarters. The language would not allow funds to be appropriated for a permanent AFRICOM headquarters overseas until the Pentagon analyzes the costs of establishing a permanent location in another country versus in the U.S. The bill has passed the Senate and is in conference in the House of Representatives. Other members of the Texas Congressional delegation are mobilizing behind Ellington, as well. Republican congressmen from Houston, Pete Olson and John Culberson, are drafting a letter to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta that will outline the benefits of Houston hosting AFRICOM. They're hoping to get the entire Houston delegation to sign it.
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U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, already sent a letter to Panetta Nov. 10, advocating for Ellington as "the future headquarters of U.S. Africa Command." 'A long way' Mario Diaz, director of the Houston Airport System, confirmed that his department and the city of Houston are in discussions and hopeful that an agreement can be reached to bring AFRICOM to Ellington, but he cautioned: "We are a long way from being at that point. "There are a lot of people, including myself who are working to make it happen," Diaz said. "It would be good for the Houston Airport System and Houston." For now, AFRICOM has no immediate plans to move from Germany. The Office of the Secretary of Defense is studying the strategic, operational and fiscal factors involved in determining where the command should be located in the long term. When the study is complete, Panetta will decide on a permanent home for AFRICOM, which has 2,100 personnel and administrative responsibility for military support to U.S. government policy in 54 African nations. The location of AFRICOM headquarters has been the subject of debate since the announcement of its formation in 2007. European Command, which previously oversaw missions in most African nations, provided staff and space for AFRICOM in 2008, but then-Defense Secretary Robert Gates deferred the headquarters basing decision until 2012. Immediately, members of Congress began to eye AFRICOM as a potential boon for their districts. Other cities competing for AFRICOM include Charleston S.C., Norfolk, Va., and Atlanta. And given that two commands - Southern Command and Central Command already operate in Florida, the Sunshine State could be a contender, too. Another shuttle? Some observers say the diminished political clout of Texas could foil Houston's chances, with AFRICOM going the way of the city's failed try for a retired space shuttle. "If you think of Governor Perry and his anti-Washington rhetoric, and then think about an appeal like this, or one for the shuttle, or for any other major benefit, the question would be why they would do it?" said Cal Jillson, professor of political science at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. "I think it's very difficult from a political perspective to argue day after day after day that the federal government is out of control and the administration is driving the country to wrack and ruin, but oh by the way, we want the next major plum." The bid for AFRICOM is part of a larger renewal project at Ellington, a former World
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War I airbase that now is a high-tech facility where Army, Navy and Marine Reserve units, along with Army and Air National Guard, train and drill for missions overseas. Thanks to a recent $100 million construction project, the number of military personnel stationed at the base has jumped from 1,500 three years ago to more than 6,000 today. Ties to Africa A prestigious active-duty command such as AFRICOM would seal Ellington's rejuvenated reputation and help protect it from future budget-driven base closures, said John Martinec, director of the Ellington Field Task Force, a regional committee within the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership. "It's the type of thing we've been dreaming for," Martinec said. Jeff Moseley, president and CEO of another economic development organization, Greater Houston Partnership, touted the city's links to Africa. Houston is home to 11 African consular offices and 209 businesses that operate on the continent. The airport system offers nonstop flights to cities in Nigeria and Angola. Another argument in favor of Houston is the growing involvement of local reservists in Africa. During the past year, the Army Reserve's 75th Mission Command Training Division at Ellington has participated in 10 training missions in far-flung corners of Africa, from Djibouti to Swaziland to Liberia. Most recently, the division sent 25 service members to Tanzania in August to train U.S. and African forces in humanitarian assistance and disaster response. Thirteen more such missions are scheduled over the next year and a half. ### Report: Amphib CO put sailors in danger (Navy Times) http://www.navytimes.com/news/2011/12/navy-report-amphib-co-put-sailors-in-danger120111/ 1 December 2011 By Bill McMichael The commanding officers blatant favoritism, demeaning words and micromanagement created a hostile work environment aboard the ship. She once ordered her ship to maneuver during flight operations although the flight deck wasnt cleared for takeoffs or landings. She failed to tell superiors about shipboard hazing in one division. But most shocking to Navy investigators, however, was when Cmdr. Etta Jones talked and gestured with her hand while holding a loaded 9mm pistol with its safety off while two sailors were in her stateroom aboard the Norfolk, Va.-based amphibious transport dock Ponce. The ship was under a security alert on April 13, the day of the incident. She was fired 10 days later after a Navy hotline complaint kicked off an investigation.
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Jones unfamiliarity with published directives, insufficient training, improper weapons handling and careless actions placed members of her crew at risk during the security alert, the initial investigating officer found, according to a report obtained by Navy Times under the Freedom of Information Act. Moreover, Jones, the officer said, was unable to provide a clear and concise account of the events surrounding the shipboard security alert. she did not remember details of the events essential to decision making that had been corroborated by bridge watch standers and personnel responding to the alert. Jones also could not say why she eventually handed her weapon to one of the sailors without placing it on safe and clearing the chamber, the investigator wrote. Vice Adm. Harry Harris, then-commander of 6th Fleet, fired Jones on April 23, while Ponce was on deployment in the Mediterranean, a day after a command investigation by U.S. Naval Forces Africa was completed. The unidentified Naval Forces Africa investigator concluded, Morale has declined appreciably as a result of the COs intimidating behavior. The officers and sailors have lost respect for CDR Jones as the CO of the ship. Harris also fired Ponces XO, Lt. Cmdr. Kurt Boenisch, for failing to provide support to the command and commanding officer. Jones was the eighth Navy commanding officer fired in 2011, a total that now stands at 21. ### African Union Must Double Force to Secure Somalia, Burundi Says (Bloomberg) http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-12-01/african-union-must-double-force-tosecure-somalia-burundi-says.html 1 December 2011 By Sarah McGregor and Desire Nimubona The African Union Mission in Somalia must double the size of its peacekeeping force in order to hold on to territory secured in Mogadishu and move into al-Shabaab areas outside the capital, a Burundian defense official said. Burundi, which along with Uganda provides most of the more than 9,000 troops in the so-called Amisom force, is preparing to send a sixth battalion of 1,000 soldiers to Somalia, said Colonel Gaspard Baratuza, spokesman for the Defense Ministry. The French and U.S.-trained forces will be deployed once Burundi receives equipment including armoured vehicles and bullet-proof vests, he said in an interview today in the capital, Bujumbura. Every soldier must have his own equipment, which we are waiting for from foreign
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countries, Baratuza said. The African Union peacekeepers are supporting soldiers from Somalias United Nationsbacked government in their fight against a four-year insurgency by al-Shabaab. The alQaeda- linked militia is trying to topple the administration of President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed in order to establish an Islamic state in the Horn of Africa country. The UN, which approved Amisoms mandate, has authorized an increase in troop levels to as many as 12,000 personnel. The 54- member African Union has asked for the operation to be expanded to 20,000 troops. While al-Shabaab withdrew from most of its bases in Mogadishu in August, leaving much of the city under government control, it still dominates the south and central regions of the country. Amisom plans to target the southern towns of Baidoa and Afgooye, as well as the ports of Kismayo and Marka, in the next phase of its campaign, Baratuza said. If we had enough strength in troop numbers we could stabilize the whole country, he said. ### Somalia seeks Qatar assistance in country reconciliation, reconstruction (Gulfnews) http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/qatar/somalia-seeks-qatar-assistance-in-countryreconciliation-reconstruction-1.941540 1 December 2011 By Habibb Toukmi Manama: Somalia's prime minister has asked Qatar to help achieve reconciliation between the various Somali factions and to assist with the reconstruction of the war-torn country. Dr Abdiweli Mohammad Ali said that made the request during meetings with senior officials in Doha. Emir Shaikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani and Prime Minister Shaikh Hamad Bin Jassim Al Thani pledged their assistance and insisted that Qatar would not abandon Somalia, the Somali leader told Qatar News Agency (QNA). He said that the talks in Doha have been fruitful and promising and lauded Qatar's positions at Arab, African, Islamic and international levels, expressing confidence about the pledges he received. Bilateral boost

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The Somali premier said that his visit focused on boosting bilateral relations and seeking Qatar's help in the reconstruction, reconciliation and development of his country in all areas. He said that Qatar was "one of key Arab states that could play a leading role in this regard." Abdiweli was appointed Somalia's prime minister in June amid hopes that the Harvard graduate will help end bickering between the constitutional institutions that had stalled the government's work for months. The highly educated technocrat holds degrees in public administration from Harvard and in economics from Vanderbilt University. ### ICC Probing Sexual Crimes by Al Qathafi Troops Against Libyan Women http://tripolipost.com/articledetail.asp?c=1&i=7406 1 December 2011 A team from the International Criminal Court, ICC, is in Libya to probe sexual crimes committed by loyalists of the former Libyan dictator, Muammar Al Qathafi during the conflict that ended his 42-year reign in the North African country. ICC investigator Ms Jane OToole who arrived in Libya Wednesday leading the team said they were in Libya to conduct an investigation into sexual crimes that were committed during Al Qathafis rule. Ms OToole, who attended a women's conference where some Libyan women spoke of atrocities committed against them by Al Qathafi officials before and during the rebellion, said their investigation would probe all aspects of major sexual crimes against women. "We are not into investigating every crime but those which are most grave and those that are major crimes," she said on the sidelines of the women's conference, adding that the investigation would look into who ordered those crimes. "We are still at the preliminary stage," she was reported saying Last June, ICCs chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo said that the court's investigators have evidence that Al Qathafi ordered mass rapes and bought containers of sex drugs for troops to attack women during the revolt. He said there was evidence that the Libyan authorities bought "Viagra-type" medicines and gave them to troops as part of the official rape policy. The ICC team headed by O'Toole, which leaves Libya on Friday ###

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Battlelines drawn for fight over Libyan Islam (Reuters) http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/30/us-libya-islam-idUSTRE7AT1EP20111130 30 November 2011 By Christian Lowe (Reuters) - When night falls on the street outside Tripoli's Abdullah Eshaab mosque, theological discussions often break out. Lately, they have taken place at the point of a gun. On three occasions this month, groups of ultra-purist Islamists have turned up at the mosque gates after dark, armed with Kalashnikov rifles, 106-mm anti-tank cannon and truck-mounted Grad rockets, according to a cleric at the mosque. They want to demolish the tomb, inside the mosque, of Suleiman Al-Feituri, a 12thcentury holy man, because they consider such tombs as idolatry. Facing off against them are the mosque's own, more moderate worshippers backed up by a militia unit armed with automatic weapons and two pickup trucks with anti-aircraft guns mounted on the back. "So far we've been trying to negotiate with them but if it does not work we will use force," said Omar Hajaj, a 30-year-old businessman who is also assistant to the cleric in charge of the mosque. "They are a bunch of extremists who do not want this country to settle down," he said, as the mosque's security detail stood outside with the safety catch off on their weapons. "We warn everyone of the danger of these people." Freed from Muammar Gaddafi's repressive 42-year rule, Libyans are now considering what kind of Islam they want and how big a role it should play in their everyday lives. The process has turned into a contest between mainstream Muslims, on the one hand, and on the other, Islamists who follow a stricter interpretation of the faith and believe it should inform society's rules and government policy. There's a huge amount at stake. Both sides have large quantities of weapons, and the outcome could also determine who ends up with political power in the new Libya. So far the Islamists -- who are better organized and offer an ideology that appeals to the young and disenchanted -- are the ones filling the vacuum left by Gaddafi's fall. "It is the law of physics," said Salah Ingab, a Libyan writer on Islam who is concerned about the rise of the Islamists. "An area of low pressure is filled from an area of high pressure. This is what is happening with Libya." BURQAS AND BEARDS

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The resurgence of Islamist ideas has become a feature of the "Arab Spring" uprisings across the region. In Tunisia, a moderate Islamist party now leads a coalition government. In Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood is poised to do well in a parliamentary election. In Libya too, Islamists have made their mark on the political landscape now taking shape. Abdel Hakim Belhadj, a former Islamist militant who spent time with the Taliban in Afghanistan but now says he has renounced violence, heads one of the country's most powerful militias. Mustafa Abdel Jalil, the head of the National Transitional Council, Libya's caretaker leadership, has said he wants the new order to be based on Islamic sharia law and that a ban on polygamy will be lifted. The Islamists' political role is in flux. In a caretaker cabinet announced last week, there was only one minister, for religion, who is an acknowledged Islamist. The full extent of their influence may not become clear until an election is held, probably around the middle of next year. But on the streets and in the mosques, there is no doubt that more hardline brands of Islam are gaining strength. Men with long beards and white robes -- the trademark dress of Salafists, followers of a purist interpretation of Islam -- can now be seen on the streets. Under Gaddafi, who waged a 15-year campaign to stamp out Islamists who he thought were trying to overthrow him, those outfits would have attracted the attention of domestic intelligence agents. Many Salafists were jailed by Gaddafi and those not imprisoned spent years avoiding any outward manifestation of their beliefs. The majority of Libyan women have long worn the hijab, or Islamic headscarf. Now some can be seen shopping at Tripoli markets in the burqa, a head to toe covering that masks the face. At Friday prayers last week at Al Nafathy mosque, which until now has attracted followers of traditional, mainstream Islam, the sermon was given by a new cleric, who spoke of the evil arising from the free mixing of men and women in public, and railed against the spread of songs in general and Western music in particular. Both are themes favored by Salafists, but until now unfamiliar to Libyans. A meeting of senior Muslim clerics in a Tripoli hotel this week adopted a recommendation that anyone who drinks alcohol should be barred from senior government posts.
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The sale of alcohol has been illegal in Libya for decades, though it is available on the black market. "If he repents, it's not a problem," for someone to join the government, said one of the clerics. RELIGIOUS FREEDOM Many Libyans say the freedom to worship as they choose is one of the benefits of the revolution. "During Gaddafi's time, people who came to dawn prayers were arrested," said a muezzin, who pronounces the call to prayer, at a mosque in Tripoli's old city. "The police thought they were too religious and people were afraid to come, they were tortured. All the religious people were afraid to come to the mosque," said the man, who did not want to give his name. "Now more people are coming. There is complete freedom." For many, the new piety takes some getting used to. "Many are dressed like people from Kandahar," he said, referring to the Afghan city where the extremist influence of the Taliban is strong. Some people are sanguine. "I am not afraid of Islamists in Libya. This is a moderate country and even if there is a small element of radicals, they won't be able to push their way through," said Houda, a 21-year-old engineering student. "Abdel Jalil was wrong to talk about polygamy ... but we see it as a mistake and we forgive him," she said. Others are very worried. Ingab, the writer on Islam, says he is a devout Muslim who prays five times a day. But he says there is nothing in the Koran to say that woman should wear veils or that governments should impose Islamic laws. The ring tone on his mobile phone is a song by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. "My friend said to me: 'He is a Jew.' I said I don't care. That is his problem. I do not care if he worships a cow. I love Bob Dylan."

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He pulls out a manuscript he wrote challenging the Islamists' interpretation of the Koran. "The time is not right to publish this because I will be killed on sight," he said. "It contains loads of things they disagree with. The Salafists are just ignorant people." BODY MISSING In the courtyard at Abdullah Eshaab mosque, Hajaj, the deputy imam, gets out his laptop. With the mosque's armed guards standing nearby, he scrolls through photographs showing tombs that hardline Islamists have managed to destroy. Some Islamists believe that tombs are a corruption of Islam's teachings because they turn graves into shrines and distract from the worship of God. One image showed a small building in Misrata, 200 km (125 miles) east of Tripoli, in ruins. Hajaj said that was all that was left of the 400-year-old tomb of holy man Sidi Hamed al-Bikr, after the attackers fired anti-tank guns at it. In Derna, near Libya's border with Egypt, he said Salafists had demolished the tomb of Sidi Nasr Aziz. He was a sheikh, or holy man, reputed to have been a companion of the Prophet Mohammed. On the other side of Tripoli were more wrecked tombs. Attackers broke into the Sidi Nasr mosque at night, when no-one was there, said the head cleric there, Omran Ali Dayek. They destroyed two tombs: one to a holy man who died in around 1760, and another to a sheikh who died 15 years ago. They removed the body from the more recent grave, and were about to dig up the second when they were disturbed and fled. "We went to all the graveyards in the area looking for the body but we could not find it. His family came here crying, asking where the body is," said Dayek. In the room where the tombs used to be, there are fresh concrete slabs where workers have covered up the graves. Mosque-goers say the new authorities seem reluctant to take on the radical Islamists. They point across the road at the offices of the state oil company, where a security camera points at the entrance of the mosque. They say it must have recorded the attack, but that the oil company will not surrender the tape. "Lots of people have come here to ask questions and take photographs, but nobody does anything," said Dayek. ###

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Doctor sets out to heal Libyas health care; New minister faces culture of corruption (Washington Times) http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/nov/30/doctor-sets-out-to-heal-libyashealth-system/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS 30 November 2011 By Ashish Kumar Sen Libyas new health minister says rampant corruption and nepotism have taken a terrible toll on the North African nations health care system. Dr. Fatima Hamroush told The Washington Times that hospitals have been stretched to the breaking point by the thousands of people wounded in the eight-month uprising that toppled Moammar Gadhafis 42-year regime. I am not inheriting roses from the previous government. I am inheriting a very corrupt health care system, Dr. Hamroush said in a phone interview from her home in Dublin. When corruption is on such a large scale, like an infectious disease, it is incompatible with progress. Last week, Libyan interim Prime Minister Abdurraheem al-Keib appointed a 24-member Cabinet with Dr. Hamroush, an ophthalmologist, as one of two female ministers in the government. The other is Mabrouka Jibril, who will serve as the minister of social affairs. The Cabinet will run the interim government until the election of a national assembly in eight months. Dr. Hamroush, who left Libya 17 years ago, said the health care system will require a major overhaul. We have to have a clean start. It is not one mans task. It is a colossal task, she said. Contracts to procure hospital equipment often are decided not on the basis of quality, but on the size of the bribe. Hospitals end up with defective equipment that hinder doctors abilities to do their jobs. The goal of those signing the hospital contracts is not to get the best services for the hospitals, but to get the best deals in their pockets, said Dr. Hamroush. That is why a lot of them are rich beyond imagination. When it comes to hiring hospital staff, social connections often trump qualifications, and that undermines the quality of care, she added. High among Dr. Hamroushs priorities is rooting out corruption and nepotism, but she acknowledges that such a task will take generations. We have a lot of mess that we need to clean up. It is a very serious stage in our history, she said. One solution would be to enforce laws. In Gadhafis time, no one feared being taken to
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task for corruption. They felt they were above the law, she said. Another of Dr. Hamroushs priorities will be to ensure proper medical care for the thousands of people wounded in the uprising against Gadhafi. Those patients are among thousands sent to Ireland, the U.S. and other countries for treatment not available in Libya and to ease the pressure on Libyan hospitals. We will need to set up a system in the country that looks after them. Sending them abroad is an emergency measure, Dr. Hamroush said. Gadhafis regime was toppled by an uprising that started in February. The conflict continues to exact a toll on Libyans weeks after it ended. Unexploded bombs litter towns and cities. In Gadhafis former strongholds of Sirte and Bani Walid, where fighting was fierce in the last weeks of the war, residents have been maimed while clearing war debris. The civil war has produced another challenge: an untold number of female and male victims of sexual crimes, including rape. Libya is a conservative Muslim society, where victims of sexual assault are reluctant to report the crimes. People prefer not to talk about it publicly. It has got a lot of stigma, Dr. Hamroush said. Weighed down by the vast numbers of people seeking treatment, hospitals have struggled to provide some services. Libya has good doctors, but they have had problems dealing with specific war wounds bullet wounds and shrapnel wounds, etc., Soaade Messoudi, a spokeswoman for the International Committee of the Red Cross, said in a phone interview from Tripoli. Care for those wounded in the conflict has become an explosive issue, said a resident of the western Libyan city of Misrata who spoke on the condition of anonymity, citing his close ties to the government. The sheer number of people who need multiple operations and prosthetic limbs is overwhelming, the resident said. In Misrata alone, the number of wounded exceeds 13,000. More than 3,000 have been sent abroad for treatment. There are good intentions, but it is not being translated into good action yet, the Misrata resident said. Ali Othman Bezanti, a Tripoli-based doctor who is coordinating treatment for wounded Libyans in the United States, said in a phone interview that only those who require advanced surgery are sent abroad.
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We can manage here, but some people will need special care, Dr. Bezanti said. Many of the wounded also suffer from psychological problems, including post-traumatic stress. Most of the revolutionaries were professionals with no military training. International sanctions prevented the sale of medical equipment to Libya, further compounding the crisis in hospitals across the country. Dr. Hamroush said Libya has enough money and talent to set up a health care system of international standards. I dont think we need financial assistance. Libya is one of the richest countries in the world, and we are only 6 million people, she said. However, she added, the international community could play a key role in programs to train doctors and nurses. Dr. Hamroush said she is honored to have been picked for the job, but wishes the Cabinet had more women. Two is a low number really, but it is a start, she said. ### Reviewing Lessons from the Libya Campaign (Aviation Week) http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_generic.jsp?channel=dti&id=news/dti/20 11/12/01/DT_12_01_2011_p19394046.xml&headline=Reviewing%20Lessons%20from%20the%20Libya%20Campaign 30 November 2011 By Bill Sweetman European air forces that provided strike sorties in Operation Unified Protector, the air campaign over Libya, will be digesting its lessons for years. In November, Defence IQs International Fighter Conference here brought together a group of pilots, many of whom were involved in planning their nations operations or carrying them out. It did not go smoothly for everybody. The Swedish air forces Saab Gripen contingent, under Operation Karakal, launched without knowing their destination and learned on landing to refuel in Hungary that they would operate from the U.S. Navys Sigonella Air Base in Sicily. First problem: the Gripen was not certified to use the Navys highflashpoint JP-5 fuel. Until JP-8 supplies arrived, the fighters would take off light and immediately refuel from the Swedes C-130 tanker. It took more than three weeks to provide the Gripens with NATO cryptography keys. Secure communications to NATO standards were also unavailable and, along with air-toground Link 16 integration, would be an early upgrade. Nevertheless, eight Gripens in a first batch and five in a second group that succeeded them (without tanker support) delivered 650 reconnaissance and defensive counter-air sorties to the coalition.
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In Swedens defense, the air force had not engaged in combat, or deployed operationally, for 50 yearsalso in Africa, when J29 Tunnan fighters reinforced the United Nations in the Congo. Also, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) was particularly crucial to the campaign, which, as some delegates pointed out, was different from the close air support activities that were dominant in Iraq and Afghanistan, because there were no ground controllers. The Royal Danish Air Force, with a background of Afghanistan operations, had an easier time integrating into operations. The six Lockheed Martin F-16AM fighters deployed on the operation delivered 930 bombs17% of munitions dropped in the campaignin 600 missions from Sigonella, including conventional and laser-guided Joint Direct Attack Munitions and older laser-guided Paveway weapons. The RDAF also flew the last attack mission of the campaign. At one time, the RDAF was the only force in the operation with the BLU-109 bunkerbusting warhead, which was important because command-and-control centers were highpriority targets. On one occasion, a BLU-109 was guided into a hole made by another bomb immediately before it, to destroy a multilevel bunker; on another, two weapons were released on a shallow-angle delivery and destroyed a cave complex. The RDAF also brought what Maj. Hans-Peter Bagger, head of RDAF Tactical Air Commands fighter office, called the reluctant approach to the campaign. We were careful to only get involved in parts of the operation we could accept, he told the conference. Targets had to be positively identified and the attack graded against the rules of engagement. A collateral damage estimate was performed before an engagement was authorized by the joint task force commander. Even then, each nation had its own red card holder who could stop the attack. Precision was important. We have never seen the precision that we have seen here, Bagger said. Like other air forces, the RDAF is looking at low-yield, high-precision weapons, including the U.S. Small Diameter Bomb (SDB) and Raytheons proposed airto-surface AIM-9X. However, a higher priority is improving reconnaissance capability and upgrading or replacing the F-16s Lantirn extended-range laser designation pods (LDP), which, even though they were delivered under a 2006 contract, are not equivalent to the latest generation. France is planning improvements to the Damocles LDP for the same reasonbetter identification of small targetsas well as a reduced collateral-damage weapon, either an SDB-class bomb or under-loaded conventional weapon. French officers pronounced satisfaction with the Sagem Hammer bomb family, because of its versatility, with dual homing heads and multiple warheads. One of the weapons was used at a standoff range greater than 25 nm to destroy an S-125 (SA-3) SAM from outside the SAMs range. That engagement was based on pre-loaded ISR data, but improvements are expected to permit the Rafale fighter to detect an emitter with its Spectra electronic warfare system,
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locate it with sufficient accuracy to slew the improved LDP pod on to it, and engage it with the imaging-IR version of the Hammer. ### Drone Attacks, The French Revolution & President Obama (OpEdNews) http://www.opednews.com/articles/Drone-Attacks-The-French-by-Sherwood-Ross111130-913.html 30 November 2011 Forecasting a future of robotic warfare in which perverted science is put at the service of its Empire, the U.S. has built 60 bases around the world for its unmanned, remotely controlled killer drone warplanes. And more bases are under construction. "Run by the military, the Central Intelligence Agency, and their proxies, these bases...are the backbone of a new robotic way of war," writes Nick Turse, an investigative journalist for AlterNet and TomDispatch. The bases "are also the latest development in a long-evolving saga of American power projection abroad---in this case, remote-controlled strikes anywhere on the planet with a minimal foreign "footprint' and little accountability," Turse points out. He notes that there may be even more than 60 bases since the Pentagon has dropped a "cloak of secrecy" over its operations. With the recent murder of American citizen Anwar al-Aulaqi in Yemen, the drones are now assassinating suspects in no fewer than six countries, Turse says. Meanwhile, the Washington Post also reports the Obama Pentagon is building a constellation of secret drone bases in the Horn of Africa and the Arabian peninsula to attack al-Qaeda affiliates in Somalia and Yemen. A number of the drone bases are located in the U.S., centered at Creech Air Force base outside Las Vegas, Nev., where "pilots" seated in front of computer screens can direct the unmanned drones and command them to launch a Hellfire missile on a suspect in Afghanistan, 7,500 miles away. At Ft. Benning, Ga., a new, advanced drone is being tested that the Washington Post reports is the next step toward a future in which drones will "hunt, identify, and kill the enemy based on calculations made by software, not decisions made by humans." In the first 10 months of his administration, President Obama vastly increased the number of drone attacks in the Middle East, assigning the CIA the role of launching them in Pakistan. It should be noted that Obama is a former CIA employee and approved an Agency drone strike during his first week in office.

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The New Yorker magazine reported in its edition of October 25, 2009, that since taking office up to that time President Obama sanctioned at least 41 CIA drone strikes in Pakistan that killed between 326 and 538 people, many of them, critics say, "innocent bystanders, including children." In fact, the first two strikes took place on Jan. 23, the President's third day in office and the second of these hit the wrong house, that of a pro-government tribal leader that killed his entire family, including three children, one just five years of age. The magazine noted that when another suspect was attacked while sunning himself on his roof, the missile also demolished his house wiping out his entire family. The killing of 25 Pakistan soldiers last week by American aircraft only reinforces the belief that U.S. intelligence agencies are not to be trusted in deciding who is the enemy any more than they could provide reliable information on whether Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. The drone planes, particularly those named Predator and Reaper, have become so popular in the Pentagon defense contractors can't keep up keep up with the demand for building them. In fact, the Pentagon plans to buy 700 new medium and large unmanned aircraft systems over the next decade, reliable sources say. What's more, the government plans "new generations of tiny "nano' drones, which can fly after their prey like a killer bee through an open window," The New Yorker says. Suspects targeted for killing by drones are first identified by the CIA and military intelligence agencies. Who knows what legal standards, if any, are used? Is a man a terrorist who takes up arms against troops who occupy his country? None of the suspects ever get to retain a lawyer. None of them ever see a judge or get a chance to plead to a jury. In short, President Obama's enemies are being assassinated with absolutely no pretense of a legal proceeding. Webster's dictionary defines assassination as "to kill suddenly or secretively, especially to murder a politically prominent person" and also "to destroy or harm treacherously and viciously," which describes the Pentagon-CIA attacks perfectly. This is just one more aspect of the American empire's mass arrests of innocent individuals who are never brought to trial. At Guantanamo, for example, some 800 prisoners have been arrested and tortured and over a ten-year period only seven have been brought to trial. That's not a judicial system. It's a non-judicial system. And the drone warfare campaign is also non-judicial. At least in the Terror spawned by the French Revolution, the accused came before a sort of mob called the Paris Revolutionary Tribunal, which is more that can be said for the drone strike victims. In Paris, the accused could not hire a defense lawyer or call witnesses and the only sentence that could be passed was death. This same despicable standard is being applied in today's drone attacks with the approval of President Obama,
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who has turned back the clock of international jurisprudence by 200 years. Why does he not qualify to be called the American Robespierre? ### Contractors to the Congo (Interernational Relations and Security Network) http://www.isn.ethz.ch/isn/Current-Affairs/ISNInsights/Detail?lng=en&id=134437&contextid734=134437&contextid735=134435&tabi d=134435&dynrel=4888caa0-b3db-1461-98b9-e20e7b9c13d4,0c54e3b3-1e9c-be1e2c24-a6a8c7060233 By Jody Ray Bennett 1 December 2011 From the outsourcing of security functions to widespread mercenary activity, contracting on the African continent is nothing new. For decades the continent has been a playground for private third parties involved in everything from the training of militaries to the toppling of governments, to the legitimate and illicit arms trades. That an impressive volume of literature and documentary evidence exists on the private involvement of individuals and companies in the shaping of the African security economy speaks to this. DynCorps contract And so it follows: last June, DynCorp International - one of the Big Three armed security contractors that arrived in Iraq back in 2003 alongside Blackwater/Xe and Triple Canopy - announced that it had been awarded a State Department contract to provide training to the military of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. While the details of the mission remain purposely ambiguous, the contract does specify that the task order was issued by the State Departments Bureau of African Affairs, has a base time limit of one year with two additional option years and will focus on training junior to mid-level military personnel in functional areas such as communications, logistics and engineering. This is consistent with the recent political history of Africa. Private security contractors have been active in the rebuilding of Liberia since the removal of Charles Taylor. They have also had a role in training AMISOM (the African Union Mission in Somalia) peacekeepers as well. Traditionally, training on this level has been offered only by those [US military personnel] currently serving on active duty. But this contract reveals just how thinly spread the US Military is around the world, Scott A Morgan, an analyst of US policy in Africa, told ISN Insights. When the announcement was made, it sent a signal throughout the Western private military and security industry that the African continent may be a re-emerging market if a major drawback in forces from Iraq and Afghanistan were ever to come to fruition. As US troops withdraw, fewer private contractors will be required for related protection, contingency and security duties in both states. And, with those markets shrinking, firms are looking to African instability to revitalize their business. The problem of oversight
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Some were skeptical of the State Departments award. Whilethere is not enough government oversight of these companies and the NGO community has been weak in exposing these firms, Hillary Clintons State Department is giving its seal of approval via an export license for DynCorp to gain access to the DRC, D.C.-based author and investigative journalist Wayne Madsen told ISN Insights. It may be wondered why DynCorp was awarded another multi-million dollar contract after its Afghan bacha bazi dancing boys-and-drugs scandal in northern Afghanistan last year. However, the State Department will undoubtedly gain intelligence from DynCorp, as well as training and security enhancement aligned with its interests in the DRC. The TransAfrica Forum, a non-profit global justice organization, cites two further cases involving contractor activity that went sour on the continent. The first refers to 1996 when Military Professional Resources, Inc. (MPRI) was working with the Rwandan army. According to the French intelligence service, US Special Forces and mercenaries from MPRI participated in the murder of Rwandan Hutu refugees on the Oso River in 1996. The second refers to DynCorps failure to train 2,000-4,000 Liberians after being awarded a $35 million pledge from the US government in 2005. The main issue here has always been the lack of oversight concerning private military contractors hired by the US government. They are audited but very often guilty parties face no prosecution, Morgan said. Loopholes and consequences It could be argued that the training of foreign militaries has to occur somehow; if the US military is unable or unwilling to deliver it themselves, then the private sector is always going to find a way. However there exists the real possibility that private sector involvement can make a bad situation even worse. Command and Control is a serious issue within the Congolese Military and there will be little oversight in the US [Congress]. The only way that any oversight will be conducted is by a US State Department audit or if the shareholders of DynCorp somehow catch wind of any wrongdoing, Morgan told ISN Insights. However, the idea of proxy control by the State Department does have merit because [it] can then determine who can become a future leader to be properly groomed [and aligned with] US interests. Managing by proxy seems to be exactly the desire of the State Department. First, it decreases the visibility of state-owned troops and casualties; second, and perhaps more importantly, the use of contractors gives governments the advantage of plausible deniability, even when contractor missions and activities are widely reported. When asked why DynCorp had been awarded a contract back in 2004 to operate in the Sudan, an anonymous US government official told CorpWatch: The answer is simple.
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We are not allowed to fund a political party or agenda under United States law, so by using private contractors, we can get around those provisions. Think of this as somewhere between a covert program run by the CIA and an overt program run by the United States Agency for International Development. It is a way to avoid oversight by Congress." In a recent article discussing the use of private contractors on the African continent, Johnnie Carson, the top official for African affairs in Obamas State Department put it bluntly: We do not want an American footprint or boot on the ground. The issue of oversight and accountability of private firms acting on behalf of the US Departments of State or Defense has long been the Achilles heel of the private military and security industry. That a private company financed by taxpayers money will be representing US strategic goals in a place like the DRC indicates the issue is far from resolved. While the expansion of the market has yet to be realized by the industry, time will tell if Africa provides the next boom for private military and security providers. Until then, DynCorp is leading the way into the jungle. ### Senate Backs Proposal to Let Military Chaplains Decline Performing Same-Sex Marriages (FOX News) http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/12/01/senate-backs-proposal-to-let-militarychaplains-decline-performing-same-sex/ 1 December 2011 Military chaplains could decline to perform same-sex marriage ceremonies under a measure approved this week by the Senate. The amendment, proposed by Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., was added Wednesday to the massive, must-pass defense spending bill. The Senate approved the spending bill Thursday night by a vote of 93-7. The chaplain proposal comes after the Pentagon in September authorized chaplains to perform the ceremonies -- as long as it's allowed by state law -- as the repeal of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy banning gays from serving openly in the military took effect. Wicker said the proposal would allow chaplains to "maintain the freedom of conscience necessary to serve both their nation and their religion without conflict." "Protections for military chaplains should be guaranteed in any policy changes being implemented," Wicker said in a statement. But Wicker's proposal still has to be reconciled with a competing proposal on military chaplains in the House-passed bill.

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That proposal, sponsored by Rep. Tim Huelskamp, R-Kan., was aimed at prohibiting chaplains from performing the ceremonies on bases no matter what the state laws say. Huelskamp's amendment presumably would achieve that by blocking funding for chaplain training. At the time, the Navy had recently issued, then rescinded, a decision allowing chaplains to perform same-sex marriages. Gay advocacy groups have lambasted the Huelskamp amendment for trying to slow down the "don't ask, don't tell" repeal implementation. But once the repeal took effect, the Pentagon issued a broader decision anyway allowing the ceremonies on and off base in states where it's legal. Huelskamp offered a qualified endorsement of Wicker's latest military chaplain proposal in a statement to FoxNews.com. "I am comfortable with it even though the Obama administration will say it is not necessary. But, I would like to see stronger protections of chaplains' freedoms to preach and counsel as they see fit," he said Thursday. Both chambers would have to agree to the same policy in order for the entire defense bill to pass Congress. While Wicker's proposal comes in the context of the "don't ask, don't tell" repeal, the amendment itself would allow military chaplains to decline to perform any marriage "as a matter of conscience or moral principle."

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/12/01/senate-backs-proposal-to-letmilitary-chaplains-decline-performing-same-sex/#ixzz1fM4uw1uf ### END REPORT

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