SYRIA
Syria Army Quit Base on Strategy Aleppo Road
Dominic Evans, Reuters – November 2, 2012
The Syrian army abandoned its last base near the northern town of Saraqeb after a fierce assault by rebels, further isolating the strategically important second city Aleppo from the capital. But in a political setback to forces battling to topple President Bashar al-Assad, the United Nations said the rebels appeared to have committed a war crime after seizing the base.
CHEMICAL & BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS
Fabric Repels Chemical, Biological Agents
UPI – November 21, 2012
A new fabric for military uniforms made with carbon nanotubes can repel chemical and biological agents, researchers in California say.
Scientists at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory say the material has been designed to undergo a rapid transition from a breathable state to a protective state.
IRAN
Iran Marks Anniversary of US Embassy Attack
AP – November 2, 2012
s Iranians marked the 33rd anniversary of the seizure of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, a commander of the powerful Revolutionary Guard on Friday offered a pot of gold to anyone who could prove that America is not “the most criminal regime on earth.” Speaking to a crowd of thousands outside the building that once housed the embassy, Gen. Mohammad Reza Naqdi said 10 kilograms (22 pounds) of gold would be given to anyone who found a regime “more criminal than the United States.”
Netanyahu Rival Blasts His Obsession with Iran
Reuters – November 1, 2012
Kicking off his election campaign, Israeli opposition leader Shaul Mofaz on Thursday accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of being driven by an obsession to bomb Iran. Mofaz, head of the centrist Kadima party that quit Netanyahu’s coalition weeks ago citing differences over how to rein in Iran’s nuclear program, unveiled a poster of a flaming mushroom cloud emblazoned with “Netanyahu will mire us in trouble”.
NORTH KOREA
Experts: North Korea Regime May Tighten Grip on Private Markets
Alexander Martin, Wall Street Journal – November 2, 2012
Various rumors and reports have been circulating in past months that North Korea’s new leader Kim Jong Eun was planning to introduce new reforms to lift his nation’s battered economy. But two North Korea experts in Japan now say that, contrary to such expectations, the authoritarian regime may actually be getting ready to tighten its grip on the economy through restrictions imposed on informal private markets.
North Korean Leadership Visualized
Tania Branigan, The Guardian – November 1, 2012
US based NK News and the Korea Economic Institute of America have launched the NK Leadership Tracker looking at every single event that Kim Jong Il and son Kim Jong Un have ever attended (which was reported), since 1994.
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION NEWS
Obama or Romney? Five Scenarios that Could Affect the Outcome of the Election
Ed Pilkington, The Guardian – November 2, 2012
The memory of Bush versus Gore will be hanging over next Tuesday’s election like a black cloud. Could it be possible that, as in 2000, we wake up on Wednesday morning with the next occupant of the White House still undecided? Quite possible, says Professor Edward Foley, an expert in election law at Ohio State University. He estimates, based on his knowledge of the legal landscape and his reading of the polls, that there could be up to a 1% chance of the outcome of the election still being in the balance beyond next Tuesday.
DEFENSE SPENDING
Hammond Sees Budget Cuts Driving Overhaul of Defense Industry
Robert Wall, Businessweek – November 2, 2012
Military spending cuts among developed countries and changes in export markets will force defense companies to restructure, U.K. Defense Secretary Philip Hammond said.
