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The stunning comments from Democrat Sen. Barack Obama that the United States needs a "civilian national security force" that would be as powerful, strong and well-funded as the half-trillion dollar United States Army, Marines, Navy and Air Force have mysteriously disappeared from published transcripts of the speech. In the comments, Obama confirmed the U.S. "cannot continue to rely on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives we've set." Campaign officials have declined to return any of a series of WND telephone calls over several days requesting a comment on the situation. Nor have they posted a transcript...

Within this year, Kosovo expects to launch its own army, to be called the Kosovo Security Force (KSF). Compared to other military forces in Europe, the KSF will be small and lightly equipped; its size will be limited to 2,500 active troops and 800 reserves. It will be primarily responsible for crisis response, explosive ordinance disposal and civil protection. The plans are to develop the force out of a current emergency response organisation, the Kosovo Protection Corps (KPC). Established eight years ago under UNMIK and KFOR supervision, it is involved in activities such as firefighting, search and rescue and medical...

Tibetans, Chinese Security Forces Clash in Qinghai RFA[Thursday, June 02, 2005 10:16] WASHINGTON — Thousands of Tibetans in China’s Qinghai Province have clashed violently with security forces in a protest over alleged graft by officials in remote Yushu Prefecture, sources have told Radio Free Asia’s Tibetan service. An official from the Yushu Prefecture government who asked not to be named confirmed that a clash had occurred in Dzato (in Chinese, Zado) County on May 20-21. But the official described the incident as “not serious.” Further calls to prefecture and county government offices during business hours went unanswered. Other sources, who...

United States Marines Antiterrorism ForceSpecial weapons and tactics of this new elite brigade BY SCOTT R. GOURLEY Carefully adjusting the variable scope on top of the new sniper rifle, a unit marksman squinted toward the far end of the training site where a fellow Marine was removing his chemical protection mask. "This is sweet," he chuckled. "I can look down his ear canal with this thing." The next person whose ear comes in the crosshairs of the enhanced Designated Marksman Rifle (DMR) will get more than an impromptu earwax inspection. Already field-tested in Afghanistan, the DMR version of the 7.62mm...