Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- October 9, 2014

Tactical: A member loyal to the Islamic State in Iraq waves an ISIL flag in Raqqa. Photo: Reuters

The Islamic State Is A Formidable Tactical Fighting Force, Experts Say -- Sydney Morning Herald

At one time, it was perhaps easy to dismiss the Islamic State as a bunch of frenzied marauders who have extemporaneously slaughtered their way across much of Syria and Iraq. It was easy to dismiss them, as President Obama once did, as a "JV (Junior Varsity) team" in a "Lakers uniform".



The Islamic State, as demonstrated by its siege of Kobane under a relentless US aerial assault, is a tactical fighting force, capable of maintaining discipline even in the face of another determined force, the Kurdish YPG. And as the militant group continues its quest to expand the borders of its nascent caliphate, there appears to be an emergent, sophisticated military strategy that experts have now discerned.



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Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- October 9, 2014

Pentagon sees Baghdad at risk of Islamic State takeover, expects Kobani to fall -- Washington Times



The Islamic State’s Anbar Offensive and Abu Umar al-Shishani -- Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, War On The Rocks



Where Does the Islamic State Get Its Weapons? -- Foreign Policy



General Who Championed Air Power Challenges Pentagon on ISIS -- Mark Thompson, Time



Obama, military assess Islamic State strategy -- AP



Obama: Ebola and Islamic State are security priorities -- USA Today



Kerry: Anti-Islamic State Strategy Is 'Evolving' -- VOA



The U.S. War on the Islamic State, Now on Your Computer -- Bloomberg



Navy to commission missile defense base in Romania -- Stars and Stripes



US Plans To Deploy MK 41 Launchers In Romania And Poland: Implications For INF Treaty – Analysis -- Eurasia review



Russia to Create Space-Based Ballistic Missile Warning System -- RIA Novosti



US think-tank says it located possible blast at Iran military site -- Reuters



Nukes on the High Seas: Israel's Underwater Atomic Arsenal -- National Interest



China Builds Military Airstrip in Disputed South China Sea -- The Diplomat



China, Zimbabwe agree to enhance military cooperation -- Xinhuanet



Kim Jong Un Is Missing, But North Korea Still Has A Powerful Military -- That It Probably Can't Use -- IBTimes



Historical shift: Japan & US beef up defense pact to counter ‘China threat’ -- RT



Tokyo and Washington Writing New Guidelines for Military Partnerships -- Defense News



China media criticise 'growing' US-Japan military ties. -- BBC



Is South Korea ready to take over control of troops on peninsula? -- Stars and Stripes



US Military Aircraft Arrive in Liberia -- ABC News/AP



Military picks up pace in Ebola fight in Liberia -- Stars and Stripes



Ebola: The kind of enemy the US military excels at fighting -- Dan Murphy, CSM



Obama Meets at Pentagon With Hagel, Military Commanders -- US Department of Defense



Obama makes rare trip to Pentagon for wide-ranging briefing -- Military Times



President warns of 'draconian' military cuts -- The Hill



US Navy Chief: Two Carriers in The Gulf Region is Unlikely -- Defense News



Army Seeks New Trucks While Upgrading MRAPs -- DoD Buzz



Army Propels Next Generation Helicopter Program Forward -- Defense Tech



U.S. Air Force moving X-37B spaceplanes to former shuttle hangars -- Reuters



What could go wrong? Pentagon prepares to put high-risk secret documents in the cloud -- RT



The key to keeping cyberspace safe? An international accord. -- James Andrew Lewis, Washington Post



US Navy uses prototypes, in-house know-how to speed weapons work -- Reuters



The US Marine Corps Is The Best Military Branch, According To Glassdoor -- Business Insider



Members of Congress propose military smoking ban -- ABC News



Does The War Machine Have Brakes? -- John T. Bennett, Defense News