September 2006 Archives
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The Eagle and the Bear
By John
Sigh, I do miss the Cold War. That's why NORAD-vectored US and Canadian fighter jets intercepting Bear Bombers gives me nostalgic warm fuzzies.
Bring back the Evil Empire. Ivan was a far better opponent than the clowns we're fighting today.
Korean Central News Agency: Fair and Balanced!
By John
Have you guys ever read the English version of the North Korean News? It's some quality comedy.
U.S. Sinister Aim of "Transfer of Right to Command Wartime Operations" Disclosed --
Pyongyang, September 29 (KCNA) -- The U.S. and south Korea are now discussing the issue of "transfer of the right to command the wartime operations". What the U.S. seeks through this is to accelerate the preparations for a war of aggression against the north.
U.S. Encroachment on Territorial Sovereignty of Korea under Fire --
Pyongyang, September 29 (KCNA) -- It is an unpardonable encroachment upon territorial sovereignty that the United States called some places of south Korea "Florida" and "Hawaii" as it pleases. Rodong Sinmun says this in a signed commentary Friday. Rcalling that the U.S. has worked hard to Americanize even geographical names of south Korea in a bid to convert it into its permanent colony....
Undying Feats of Kim Jong Il Lauded --
Pyongyang, September 29 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun in an article today says Kim Jong Il is a gifted thinker and theoretician who has glorified the revolutionary idea of President Kim Il Sung as the eternal guiding idea of the era of independence with his outstanding ideological and theoretical activities
I can't make it through 2 pages of this stuff without howling in laughter. Ahh those whacky commies.
Weekend Humor
By Lt Col P
To balance out the somewhat dismal nature of the post on Islamic Expansionism below, I offer today's Day By Day cartoon on another Michelle Malkin post...
:-)
Wanted:
By Charlie
ACU Gore-Tex Parka, Size (M)
Like this one, except I don't want to pay that much for it.
Anyone know any good deals out there?
Required Reading on Islamic Expansionism
By Lt Col P
Don't want to dampen anyone's weekend spirits, especially now with the onset of fall, surely one of the mst wonderful times of the year. However, duty calls. Michelle Malkin has a long but extremely valuable post containing translations of two op-eds by European academics. For their candor they are now marked for punishment by the you-know-who's.
In the second piece, note the reference to the French king's 1535 treaty with Suleiman the Great. It was that pact that prevented said monarch from coming to the aid of the Knights of St John in 1565!
As the great Jeff Cooper said, "In 1492 we threw the Moors out of Spain. Apparently, we didn't throw them far enough."
Know your enemy, folks, because he definitely knows you.
Thru-Hiking PJs now deep inside Virginia
By Lt Col P
Got a nice email from Craig and David, the two USAF Pararescuemen who are hiking the length of the Appalachian Trail They wrote to say thanks for the link, and to report that they're at Route 60.
If they're at Route 60, they're very close to VMI. I sent a note to a good friend there suggesting that the AF ROTC department have a couple of motivated cadets make contact with them. I hope the word made its way to the right ears. If not, maybe someone will hear it now because they'll still be in reasonable driving distance of Lexington for a while yet.
If you haven't visited their site, Trail to Recovery, go there now. Drop 'em a line too. Anyone who's done any hiking on the AT will know that a couple days' hike is one thing, but to go from shelter to shelter every day for months on end takes exceptional dedication.
Linked Already?
By Charlie
What a coincidence! My first post since my long break and I get linked by Thomas P.M. Barnett –whose books I just read. The first was Blueprint for Action: A Future Worth Creating, As well as the Pentagon’s New Map.
For anyone who has been on an extensive military deployment, you are no doubt familiar with the fact that free time always seems to be either completely absent or horribly abundant. That being said, a good book is always something to keep in your assault pack for those longs lines at CIF, waiting for your firing order at the range, or just general barracks boredom. I’ve been reading quite a bit since I’ve been mob’d, and since I was linked, I think I’ll speak to some of the things Barnett mentions in his books. I thought they were good, pertinent, and thoughtful looks at today’s military, foreign policy, and place in the world today.
Read More »
Army Training vs. “interrogation techniques” used against terrorists
By Charlie
ABC news says these are some of the “enhanced interrogation techniques:”
1. The Attention Grab: The interrogator forcefully grabs the shirt front of the prisoner and shakes him.2. Attention Slap: An open-handed slap aimed at causing pain and triggering fear.
Others include The Belly Slap, Long Time Standing, The Cold Cell, and the much-ballyhooed Water Boarding. Now let me tell you about the real torture: OC Spray. What is OC Spray, you ask?
Oleoresin capsicum (OC) is an extract of pepper plants of the genus Capsicum. It is used as a spice in curries and salsas, as a pharmacological agent in anaesthetic and analgesic creams and as the principal active ingredient in OC spray, or pepper spray used by police and others as an antipersonnel agent.
What are its [horrible…horrible] effects?
For reasons I still don’t understand, I had to go through a “non-lethal” weapons course. Quick note- the terminology is now “less lethal” ( I guess non-lethal indicates that there is a 100% certainty that it won’t kill you. Less lethal gives you some wiggle room when your sponge grenade hits someone in the face and breaks their neck.)
When used against a person, OC spray typically has a severe impact. Skin exposure causes tingling, intense burning pain, swelling, redness and occasionally blistering.Respiratory responses to OC spray include burning of the throat, wheezing, dry cough, shortness of breath, gagging, gasping, inability to breathe or speak and, rarely, cyanosis, apnea and respiratory arrest.
Nasal application of OC spray causes sneezing, irritation, and reflex mucus secretion. Inhalation of OC spray can cause acute hypertension which in turn can cause headache, and increase the risk of stroke or heart attack.
Common eye symptoms associated with OC spray include redness, swelling, severe burning pain, stinging, conjunctival inflammation, lacrimation, blepharospasm and involuntary or reflex closing of the eyelids.
Anyway, as part of the non-lethal weapons course, I had to get sprayed in the face (a class 1 contamination) with OC. Presumably this was supposed to “sensitize” us to the use of OC in a riot-control situation. However, I don’t recall having to go through a “lethal” weapons course and getting shot with a .556 round in order to “sensitize” me to the battlefield effects of an M16…
After receiving a hefty dose of OC in the face your first initial action is to try to rub your eyes, which instantly start to sting. Bad move- rubbing your face only pushes the OC deeper into your pores, prolonging the horror. After exposure your skin starts to burn –not like a sunburn, but worse –like your face is literally on fire. Your eyes snap shut instantly, and begin to tear up. Breathing through your nose only draws the OC into your nasal passages, triggering coughs, sputters and a feeling of choking. The OC continues to burn into you for 45 minutes. Guys were screaming, punching walls, and generally hating life as they waited in the decon area.
Let me put it to you this way: I would rather take several continuous kicks to the family jewels than do that again –to say nothing about a “belly slap,” or simply standing in one place for 40 hours (ever been to CIF?).
The Army has tough, realistic training that prepares soldiers to fight a determined enemy -but there is a disconnect somewhere. If some things are ok to do to soldiers, why is it wrong to do them to the terrorists who try to kill them and ignore the Geneva Conventions in the process?
Happenings in Lebanon
By John
What the *&#$ is going on in Lebanon? UPI --
BEIRUT, Lebanon, Sept. 28 (UPI) -- U.N. peacekeeping forces in south Lebanon intervened for the first time Thursday with Israeli forces who arrested journalists in violation of Resolution 1701. Israel has not completed its total withdrawal behind the Blue Line dividing the two countries, and Lebanon complains the Israeli forces continuously commit violations since the offensive with the Shiite Hezbollah organization ended in line with Security Council Resolution 1701. Members of UNIFIL's French battalion almost clashed with Israeli troops who arrested a French journalist and a Lebanese photographer at an improvised checkpoint in the border area of Marwaheen in the western sector of south Lebanon.
Do your job, France. And that job is disarming Hezbollah, not babysitting reporters.
Gratuitous
By Charlie
gra·tu·i·tous Pronunciation (gr-t-ts, -ty-)
adj.
1. Given or granted without return or recompense; unearned.
2. Given or received without cost or obligation; free.
3. Unnecessary or unwarranted; unjustified:
Bigger and Badder or Leaner and Meaner?
By Charlie
The whole argument over the Army’s “transformation” can be encapsulated like this: During the Cold War we needed big, heavy, divisions with lots of men, tanks, self-propelled artillery, and armored personnel carriers. We needed this because we faced a similarly equipped enemy. After the Cold War, the unchallengeable American military had nothing to template itself against. For the decade of the 1990’s, the Army downsized, still trying to figure out how to effectively organize itself. Post 9/11, the military has two recent, and different, examples of how to organize itself for war against a medium-sized third world country.
The first is the “lean and mean” force the overthrew the Taliban. This force package revolves around a small, light, maneuverable, dispersed force that is backed up by a lethal reserve force of US airpower and shock troops. The “big and bad” strategy was used in Iraq, and consisted of dual heavy-armored convoys plowing through Iraqi defenses into Baghdad. Both of these strategies worked in the past, and both are used exclusively for “initial entry” into a hostile country and neither addresses the post-conflict stabilization period
A strategy for war brings with it new requirements for manning, equipment, and training –so which one worked out better in the past? Which one will be more prevalent in the future?
Read More »
Girl Scouts to Cav Scouts
By John
Help CJ over at A Soldier's Perspective get some Thin Mints to deployed Marines.
Even knuckle dragging grunts love cookies!
I Have Returned... Now Relax!
By Charlie
Now that I’ve found an internet connection, my contributions to OPFOR can continue unfettered. Being out of the loop for the past 2 months has been a blessing and a curse. I missed an entire war in the Middle East, so I am far behind the blogging power curve, but I’ll play catch-up to the best of my ability. On the bright side I’ve had some time to think about things, so I’ve got some new things to throw at you.
Now that I’ve got the awkward introduction over with, I want everyone to take a deep breath and relax –the country’s doing fine. What do I mean? My troops and I sit in the chow hall in the morning after PT, and in the evening after a long day of training, and we watch the news. Every day we are deluged with reports of war and violence spreading across the globe, political fractures threaten to split apart our society at home, and the threat of terrorism looms so close we can’t take a bottle of water on a plane! With all of this uncertainty and violence encroaching upon us –how can I remain optimistic, and have a belief that the future will turn out alright? Simple, every day I see the best of the country around me –the American riflemen.
Read More »
Yorktown: 28 Sept 1781
By Lt Col P
On this day in 1781, the combined forces of General George Washington and Comte de Rochambeau arrived at Yorktown, Virginia and besieged Lord Cornwallis' 8,500-strong army. The subsequent victory of the American and French force would spell the end of the American Revolution and the independence of the former British colonies.
How did Cornwallis, a very capable and enterprising soldier, come to be trapped in a relatively insignifcant little tobacco port? Quick thinking and action by Washington and Rochambeau got the army (and French navy) in place, but Cornwallis found himself there because he had been forced out of the Carolinas by General Nathaniel Green's deftly planned and executed campaign of 1780 and 1781. And that campaign we will discuss shortly, because it features some of the quintessentially American military actions.
Not Funny
By John
I'm no fan of Keith Olberman, but this giddy page six garbage from the New York Post is absolutely ridiculous:
Power Puff Spooks Keith (September 27, 2006) -- MSNBC loudmouth Keith Olbermann flipped out when he opened his home mail yesterday. The acerbic host of "Countdown with Keith Olbermann" was terrified when he opened a suspicious-looking letter with a California postmark and a batch of white powder poured out. A note inside warned Olbermann, who's a frequent critic of President Bush's policies, that it was payback for some of his on-air shtick. The caustic commentator panicked and frantically called 911 at about 12:30 a.m., sources told The Post's Philip Messing. An NYPD HazMat unit rushed to Olbermann's pad on Central Park South, but preliminary tests indicated the substance was harmless soap powder. However, that wasn't enough to satisfy Olbermann, who insisted on a checkup. He asked to be taken to St. Luke's Hospital, where doctors looked him over and sent him home. Whether they gave him a lollipop on the way out isn't known. Olbermann had no comment.
That's a pretty classless move, coming from a paper that was the victim of a real anthrax attack five years ago.
Even though I've been vaccinated against the stuff, it's a sure bet that I'd be insisting on a checkup too. Grow up, NYP.
America is Booming, and I Feel Great
By John
Yet Americans are polling like depressed teenagers. What gives?
On September 1, 2006, The Government Released New Jobs Figures – 128,000 Jobs Created In August. The economy has created more than 1.7 million jobs over the past 12 months – and more than 5.7 million jobs since August 2003. Our economy has now added jobs for 36 straight months. The unemployment rate is 4.7 percent – below the average of each of the past four decades.The Economy Remains Strong, And The Outlook Is Favorable
-Employment Increased In 48 States Over The Past 12 Months Ending In July.
-Over The First Half Of This Year, Our Economy Grew At A Strong 4.2 Percent Annual Rate – Faster Than Any Other Major Industrialized Country.
-Productivity Has Grown A Strong 2.4 Percent Over The Past Four Quarters, Well Ahead Of Average Productivity Growth In The Last Three Decades. Strong productivity growth helps lead to GDP growth, higher real wages, and stronger corporate profits.
-Per Capita Disposable Income Has Risen 9.2 Percent In Real Terms Since The Beginning Of 2001.
-Total Wage And Salary Income Increased In Real Terms At An Annual Rate Of 3.3 Percent In The Second Quarter. This follows an 11 percent surge in the previous three months.
-Manufacturing Production Has Risen 5.6 Percent Over The Past 12 Months. Manufacturing productivity has grown 3.8 percent over the past four quarters.
I'll admit there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq when the Dems admit all their scare tactics on the tax cuts were bogus.
Seriously though, I know I don't usually do economics, but with the economy marching along, gas falling, and America plus her interests overseas going terrorist-attack free for 5 years running, I'm feeling pretty good about the old U S of A right now.
Sure you can point to troubles in Iraq, but with this conflict being one of the lowest casualty wars in American history, is that really cause to abandon all hope?
Coalition "Routes" Taliban
By John
With the Taliban resurgent these past few months, it's nice to see headlines like this:
Coalition Routes Taliban, Extremists in Ghazni --
FORWARD OPERATING BASE GHAZNI, Afghanistan, Sept. 25, 2006 — Coalition forces serving in the Andar District of Ghazni Province dealt Taliban and foreign fighters a string of sharp defeats as the main effort of Operation Mountain Fury continued. Afghan National Army soldiers from the 203rd ANA Corps, along with Connecticut National Guardsmen from Task Force Iron Gray, scattered militants operating in Andar, inflicting heavy casualties along the way as coalition forces progressed through Ghazni Province.....
“I think we have the initiative,” added Army Lt. Col. Todd Brown, a foreign area officer attached to the Spartan staff. “The enemy is being forced to react to our actions on the battlefield.”
What's the difference between the Taliban and extremists though? Nationality? Crazy adherence to this silly ideology seems to transcend borders well enough. Just sayin'.
Farewell Tommy
By John
F-14 Tomcat backseater and OPFOR guest blogger Pinch Paisley covered the final farewell to one of the prettiest damn fighter jets ever to grace the combat airspace. In his post:
As I tell my students during my Combat Identification lectures, if you see a Tomcat anywhere in the world now, it is Iranian and can be positively identified as a bogey - a hostile - a bad guy. No ifs, ands, buts or maybes about it.
Iraq: Helping or Hurting?
By Lt Col P
**Update Below***
Which one is it—are we making little jihadists or snuffing them out with the campaign in Iraq?
Michelle Malkin has the NIE link and some further commentary. The boys at Blackfive weigh in too.
Update: And see this very interesting commentary by David Ignatius in the WaPo.
The answer is that we’re doing both. But to assert that because we are in Iraq the enemy is rallying and multiplying (and therefore if we weren't there the problem would evaporate) is to ignore a basic principle of warfare: it is the violent and chaotic clash of two hostile and irreconcilable wills, each trying to impose itself on the other. The enemy does what the enemy wants to do as a matter of his own will. The enemy fights us in Iraq because he chooses to; the enemy rallies recruits to his cause because he actively seeks to do so. That’s war.
Look at it this way. Did the large scale bombing of German cities increase or decrease the will and capability of the Third Reich to wage war? One might argue that the Germans, like the British, rallied to the cause when they endured day after day and night after night of air raids. One can also argue that, beyond the destructive effect of the raids, there was what we would call an “IO message” from the Allies: We will continue bombing as long as you continue the war. The planes you see day and night will pound you relentlessly for the war that you started. You can shoot some down but you can’t stop us, and every time you hear a plane overhead remember that it’s one of ours, not one of yours.
Our campaign in Iraq, as with our campaigns elsewhere, is a physical manifestation of our will to fight wherever we think it is necessary, and impose our terms on the enemy. For those who say it’s not worth the price, I would say, ask yourself what is the cost of not fighting?
Picture of the Day: CSR Korea
By John
An HH-60 Pavehawk crew prepares to recover two survivors while an A-10 Thunderbolt II flies overhead during combat search and rescue training Sept. 21 near Osan Air Base, South Korea. Annual training is conducted by survival, evasion, resistance and escape instructors to reacquaint aircrew members with combat search and rescue procedures and techniques.
Photo Courtesy of the US Air Force
Faces of Courage
By John
I received some outstanding news today, MSNBC has decided to run a series of 60 second vignettes honoring America's military heroes, appropriately titled Faces of Courage. The first bit, dedicated to Medal of Honor recipient Paul Ray Smith, will be shown on MSNBC in the coming days. So you can wait a few days, or you can watch it here now, heh.
I uploaded to YouTube, so feel free to share via email or blog. And that's the important part.
It's very important that you email them at email them and let the network folks know that you support them. Send the clip to your family and your friends. Post it on your blog. Do the right thing, and help honor America's fallen.
LtCol Jeff Cooper, R.I.P.
By Lt Col P
John Dean Cooper, Lieutenant Colonel, USMC, died yesterday at his home in Arizona. Known far and wide as "Jeff"-- I just called him "colonel"-- he was a Marine, a hunter, a marksman, and an author.
Read More »
Boeing's New EA-18 Growler: They're Grrrreat!
By John
Boeing Delivers First EA-18 Growler to the Navy (Aero News) --
Just over one month since the aircraft's first flight, representatives with Boeing told ANN Monday the company delivered the first EA-18G Growler airborne electronic attack (AEA) aircraft to the US Navy test site at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, MD.The first EA-18G, known as aircraft EA-1, made the two-hour flight from St. Louis to Maryland with US Navy pilot Lt. Matt Doyle and weapons system operator US Navy Cmdr. Jamie Engdahl on board. EA-1 is the first of two test aircraft built under a System Development and Demonstration contract Boeing signed with the Navy on December 29, 2003.
The Tomcat gets a thousand farewells, but no love for the venerable old EA-6 Prowler? Heh, I'm sure it has nothing to do with Prowler pilots getting a sleek new fighter jet.
She is pretty. And I suppose speed and maneuverability are useful on SEAD missions. Still, the Navy could have learned a thing or two from the Air Force and made their Wild Weasels invisible as opposed to sleek and slippery.
Read More »
The Furby Who Knew Too Much
By John
Once upon a time, there was an air force squadron commander with a heart of gold. Said squadron commander loved his family, a nuclear family by any definition. Which was appropriate, as the squadron commander was in charge of one of the Air Force's 9 strategic missile squadrons.
One father's day, the squadron commander's children presented him with a Furby, a popular interactive stuffed animal that could listen, speak, and even carry on basic conversation. It was a bit of a gag gift, as the squadron commander found the "damn things ugly as sin." Being the good father that he was, the squadron commander proudly took his present into the office the next day, showing off his kids' sense of humor to his subordinates.
"Look," he said to one of his Lieutenants, "the flipping thing talks." After a few minutes of playing with his new toy, the squadron commander pushed the Furby off to the side of his desk. "Anyway, go ahead with your briefing."
The Lieutenant did as he was told, and briefed the squadron commander on some of the new highly classified targeting data that had come down from United States Strategic Command. "Good brief, Jim. I want to know as soon as the guys in the field have this stuff uploaded onto their birds." The Lieutenant saluted and left.
Later that day, the squadron commander's boss -the wing commander- dropped in to check in on things. "Slow day sir," said the squadron commander. "We had some new targeting data come in, all flights were in compliance as of 1430 hours. Hey, did I show you my father's day gift?" The squadron commander flipped on the Furby, and the toy's eyes opened wide.
But to the squadron commander's shock, the Furby began to talk. "Romeo Romeo Foxtrot...." The Wing Commander's eyes were now as wide as the Furby's. "Target data effective at..." The squadron commander's hand flew in like a bullet, half slapping the Furby's back, half fumbling for the "off" switch. "The sunavabitch records," breathed the squadron commander, realizing that -in his failure to turn the Furby off that morning- the stuffed animal had recorded the Lieutenant's entire targeting brief.
"Seems like we've got a bit of a security incident on our hands Bill," said the Wing Commander. "Take care of it. Oh, and that ugly little bastard is now classified Top Secret."
That evening, the squadron commander came home with his head sagging. "Hey dad!" said his daughter, "what did the guys think of your new office decoration!?"
"Sweetheart I've got some bad news," confessed the squadron commander.
"What, dad??"
"We had to have the Furby put to sleep."
To this day, per National Security Agency guidance, all Furbys are banned from secure areas. True story.
Monday A.M. Prep Fires, 25 Sep 06
By Lt Col P
Yesterday, while I was enjoying larger than usual quantities of Hop Pocket Ale from Old Dominion Brewery and reading Thomas Sowell's excellent Basic Economics, the big story on Fox News appeared to be William J. Clinton's counterbattery on Chris Wallace's probing questions. I glanced up repeatedly to watch the several reports by the delightful Jamie Colby, as well as the equally edible Reena Ninan and Rudi Bakhtiar.
Clinton's reaction is revealing, as he is one of the most smooth and composed public figures in recent memory. When he reacts like that to questions, you know the interlocutor struck home. The exchange is significant for the long war because we know that al-Qaeda's war on America predates 9/11. It is ridiculous to argue that the war is Bush's fault, whatever you think of him. That previous adminstrations failed to identify the threat and address it comprehensively is not to their credit, but it is a fact. We are dealing with the consequences today.
The lesson, the take-away as it were, is that we're in it whether we like it or not, and we face a capable, adaptive and aggressive enemy. He did not appear with a change of adminstration and won't go away with the next one. We need to be prepared to face him and fight him, because we definitely know now who and what he is.
The Swiss have an Air Force?
By John
Oh yeah. And it looks like they know how to play, too. Thanks to OPFORian Chris T. for sending in this very cool video of the Swiss Air Force getting down and dirty. The footage is superb, the maneuvering spectacular, and the backdrop of the Swiss Alps is absolutely beautiful.
I spy Mirage IIIs and F-18s, but had some trouble identifying the other jets.
Marine Historian on Deck: LtCol Kurt Wheeler
By Lt Col P
I'd like to introduce my good friend and fellow Marine, LtCol Kurt Wheeler. Kurt is part of the Marine Field History Detachment and will head overseas in the not too distant future.
Kurt is one of the fewer and prouder, the Ivy League Marines. He has a BA and an MA from Harvard. A Desert Storm vet, he is also a high school history teacher and member of his town's governing body. In other words, your classic educated, engaged citizen-Marine.
He'll be blogging from the appropriately named Marine Historian.
Air Force PJs Hike the A.T.
By Lt Col P
By way of WTOP in Washington DC, a great story about two USAF Pararescuemen hiking the length of the Appalachian Trail.
Be sure to look at the updates page.
You can donate to the cause, too. And be sure to drop them an email. These guys are studs.
Hezbollah Rallies In Southern Lebanon
By Lt Col P
This is very little, if anything, that we can find comforting in that situation. An active, aggressive, capable foe remains at large, and now, perversely, we have virtually confirmed him in possession of the territory. Note the absence of any worry about the UN force. Why would they be worried? What will the UN force do to them?
The West gave them a breathing space when Israel was persuaded to cease offensive operations. That Israel chose to acquiesce is another matter. We shouldn't have given them anything, except constant hammering. No rest, no respite. Will we regret this lapse of will in the future? I think so.
Finally, remember this line from the article: "At the mention of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, a critic of America, cheers went up, repeated when Nasrallah defended Hezbollah's alliance with Iran and Syria."
Missing the Point 101
By John
Want crystal clear proof that the media doesn't understand this Long War that we are fighting?
War Price on US lives now Equal to 9/11 (AP) --
WASHINGTON - Now the death toll is 9/11 times two. U.S. military deaths from Iraq and Afghanistan now surpass those of the most devastating terrorist attack in America's history, the trigger for what came next.
Thankfully our casaulties in World War II were far under the 2,400 that died in Pearl Harbor. Otherwise destroying fascism wouldn't have been worth it.
Headline: Convert to Islam Free to Live Life, Head Remains Affixed to Shoulders
By Lt Col P
A little off the beaten path, but I'd like to bring to your attention the tens of millions of Americans who aren't calling for this guy's beheading.
Cafe Ground Zero: Serving up Nuked Food for over 50 Years
By John
Bummer, a true cold war relic is fading into the sunset...
9/20/2006 - WASHINGTON (AFPN) -- The hot dog stand in the Pentagon's center courtyard, which long has been a source of Cold War intrigue, will be torn down in the coming months and replaced with a new eating facility."Rumor has it that during the Cold War the Russians never had any less than two missiles aimed at this hot dog stand," said Brett Eaton, an information and communications officer for Washington Headquarters Services. "They thought this was the Pentagon's most top secret meeting room, and the entire Pentagon was a large fortress built around this hot dog stand."
Reportedly, by using satellite imagery, the Soviets could see groups of U.S. military officers entering and exiting the hot dog stand at about the same time every day. They concluded that the stand was the entrance to an underground bunker.
Heh. If we could get the Soviets to dedicate two nuclear sorties to a hot dog stand, is anyone really surprised that we won the Cold War?
Rangel Punk-Slaps Chavez
By Lt Col P
Go to Drudge and read what U.S. Representative Charles Rangel said to hideous Hugo.
Read and be proud: "AN ATTACK ON BUSH IS AN ATTACK ON ALL AMERICANS... 'You do not come into my country, my congressional district, and you do not condemn my president."
That's what I've been waiting for-- any member of Congress or any prominent American to stand up and say to Chavez, "Look, f*ckface, shut your trap and hit the road. Americans can criticize other Americans, you don't rate an opinion."
And I finally heard one.
NATO Punk-Slaps Taliban
By Lt Col P
Looks like some positive developments coming out of the 'Stan.
WashTimes reports that Op Medusa has killed a large number of the Taliban's hard-core fighters. The Globe & Mail reports that Canadians were on the tip of the spear.
If Gen Jones' assessment is correct, then a couple of things are also true. First, NATO stood firm and did the deed, despite casualties and squawking in their home countries. Second, the Taliban miscalculated and paid the price for engaging in essentially conventional combat. Third, with the onset of the Afghan winter not too far off, the failure of the Taliban to gain control of the populace gives us the chance to exploit the victory with reconstruction and stabilization ops.
The Taliban will be back, later this year perhaps and certainly next year, but it is with these incremental operations that the war will be won.
Agenda Driven Journalism of the Day
By John
Here's a quick and easy lesson on how to make good news in Iraq seem like bad news.
UN Says Iraq Deadlier, Italians Pull Out
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Italian forces ended their mission in Iraq on Thursday, handing over the southern province they patrol to Iraqis, while the United Nations said the country has become deadlier than ever.
The Italian mission in southern Iraq has been a real success story, yet the Reuters lead was deliberately calculated make it appear as they are retreating from an unwinnable fight. What the UN says about Iraq is completely irrelevant to the Italian withdrawal, which has been planned for some time now. It has everything to do with the Italians successfully managing the sector, to the point where Iraqi troops can comfortably handle the security load on their own.
How incredibly slimy. Ends justify the means. Reuters doesn't mind making a steadfast ally look like a failure and a coward, so long as it satisfies their political narrative.
Former CENTCOM Commander Speaks
By John
General Binford Peay, who served as CENTCOM commander prior to General Anthony Zinni, has commentary up in yesterday's Richmond Times-Dispatch that is worth reading. General Peay is currently serving as VMI's 14th superintendent.
All services are important. But at the end of the day the nation requires and should demand a much larger . . . Army. A full-spectrum force backed up with large tiered reserves of different readiness levels.A total Army that has the capabilities to fight simultaneously at the high-, mid-, and low-end of the spectrum against both modernized and asymmetrical low intensity threats . . . .
WHAT ARE our national values and responsibilities in this world order? Three points: First, the volunteer force was never envisioned to fight a long war. As a result we now rotate our active . . . forces at one year deployed and one to one and a quarter years at home station.
For the Army Reserve it would be one [year deployed] to four (or five) years [at home station] and for the Army National Guard one [year deployed] to six years [at home station]. No organization can sustain that pace for a long war.
Today, over two-thirds of the Army's active and reserve operating forces, at home, are unready. We have over-relied on technology and air power as a replacement for land power. Our history is replete with examples of adventurism by adversaries when we reduce our national defense posture . . . .
Today, the nation spends less than 4 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) on defense, and allocates 24 percent of its defense spending to the Army. We should commit greater than 6 percent of the GDP [to defense]. In fact, the average from 1975-1994 as we rebuilt the Army after Vietnam was 5.8 percent of the GDP -- which, I add, resulted in winning the Cold War arguably without firing a shot.
The volunteer force and end-strength of the Army should be expanded to 650,000 from its approximately 500,000 . . . . The Army is simply not large enough to regenerate and refresh itself to be ready and professional . .
Could not agree more on defense spending.
Read the whole thing.
Bluegill Fish
By John
Delicious defenders of freedom.
Picture of the Day: Clean Burning Buffs
By John
Never thought I'd see the day....
A B-52 Stratofortress takes off from Runway 22 during a Fischer-Tropsch test flight from Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on Sept. 19. During the flight, two of the aircraft's eight engines ran on the natural gas-based Fischer-Tropsch fuel blend. The bombers are from the 5th Bomb Wing at Minot Air Force Base, N.D
They can do this to a flipping B-52 but not my Ford Expedition?
19 Sept 1777: The Battle of Freeman's Farm
By Lt Col P
On this day in 1777 took place the battle of Freeman's Farm, the first of the two main actions that are commonly but erroneously known as the "battle" of Saratoga in the American Revolution.
The action featured the use of regulars and irregulars on both sides, and was not notable for any tactical innovations. Gen Daniel Morgan and his Virginia riflemen acquitted themselves well, as Virginia riflemen are apt to do. At the end of the day the British, under "Gentleman Johnny" Burgoyne, held the field but little else. One of the leading figures on the American side was Benedict Arnold of Connecticut, who displayed once more the dash and bravery that made him famous.
The Saratoga campaign is worth studying because it is a good illustration of how a concerted series of actions forms a campaign, and how the outcome of said campaign has a direct effect on the war.
In this case, the series of actions included not only Freeman's Farm (and its successor, Bemis Heights) but maneuver, and shaping actions such as Hubbardton, Fort Ticonderoga, and Bennington. Not all these fights went to the Americans, including Freeman's Farm, but the net effect of the campaign up to that point was to place the British in a progessively weaker position vis a vis the Americans, although they were ostensibly the stronger force and in possession of the field.
Also of note is the relation of this campaign-- and the combined strategic effects-- of other operations in the war. The setback at Saratoga cost the British dearly, for it emboldened the French and then the Spaniards and the Dutch to enter the war. Several years later, a similar series of actions in the southern department would expel the main British army from the Carolinas and set it up for defeat by a combined force of Americans and French on the land and the sea. But of that, more later.
Iraq & Al Qaeda
By John
Good stuff. I don't think Threats Watch is trying to force some connection between Saddam and 9/11, but their "actionable intel" point is rock solid.
Some information was removed from consideration, as noted in the Committee Action section (Pg. 135), including the observations of Brigadier General Vincent Brooks upon the US offensive and takeover of the terrorist training camp at Salman Pak. Available in open source, General Vincent told an AP reporter that “The nature of the work being done by some of those people we captured, their inferences about the type of training they received, all these things give us the impression that there is terrorist training that was conducted at Salman Pak. It reinforces the likelihood of links between this regime and external terrorist organizations.” This is actionable field intelligence, shared in part by the deputy operations commander in Iraq, which led to the offensive on Salman Pak.
Wounded Warriors
By Lt Col P
The incomparable Warrant Officer Mike Fay has been working on a series of sketches and watercolors of wounded Marines. You can see some of them at his site, posted on 4, 12, 14 and 15 Sept 06.
(Update: three of those sketches are by the newest Marine combat artist, Sgt Kris "King Of" Battles.)
No further comment is necessary.
Bring Back the Jesuits
By John
A HARDLINE Somalian cleric has called for Muslims to "hunt down" and kill Pope Benedict for his controversial comments about Islam.And an Iraqi armed group has threatened to carry out attacks against Rome and the Vatican.
Somali Sheik Abubukar Hassan Malin urged Muslims to find the Pope and punish him for insulting the prophet Mohammed and Allah.
An excellent response to the contention that violence and religion are incompatible. Perhaps it's time that the Catholic Order of Jesus, the Jesuits, get back to their Navy SEAL roots:
Regimini militantis ecclesiae (“On the Supremacy of the Church Militant”) was the papal bull promulgated by Pope Paul III on September 27, 1540, which gave final approval to the formation of the Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits, but limited the number of its members to sixty, who swiftly acclaimed Ignatius as their general, against his opposition, and solemnly pledged him absolute obedience, recognized him as "holding the place of God" in relation to them.
Catholic Encyclopedia --
[Ignatius'] early plan was the conversion of Mohammedans, an idea which, a few decades after the final triumph of the Christians over the Moors in Spain, must have strongly appealed to the chivalrous Spaniard. The name "Societas Jesu" had been born by a military order approved and recommended by Pius II in 1450, the purpose of which was to fight against the Turks and aid in spreading the Christian faith. The early Jesuits were sent by Ignatius first to pagan lands or to Catholic countries; to Protestant countries only at the special request of the pope and to Germany, the cradle-land of the Reformation, at the urgent solicitation of the imperial ambassador.
While Catholicism grew out of "conversion by the sword" centuries ago (Islam take note), I see no problem in the Vatican getting medieval on some Islamofascists when their own safety is in jeopardy.
The RCR and the Princess Pats
By Lt Col P
As we have noted here before, Afghanistan is heating up again. One analysis I heard was that the Taliban was seeking to gain ground before the winter sets in. NATO forces have dealt them some pretty heavy casualties, but hard fighting continues. An article in the Toronto Star today says that since 1 May, 21 Canadians soldiers have been killed.
I don’t know who is bearing what portion of the fighting there, but I do know that the Canadian soldiers deserve our thanks and praise for wading into the fight and taking on a tenacious and vicious foe.
The Star article mentions that one of the recent casualties was from Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. Four more casualties, earlier this month, came from the Royal Canadian Regiment, the senior infantry regiment in their army. The names of these famous units remind us of the British traditions that dominate the Canadian forces, where the regiment is not a tactical formation as it is, for example, in the Marine Corps, but rather a home, a family, a patria.
Go read about those units, and take a good look at their lineage and honors. If today they are small in numbers they strong in heart and arms. I’m glad they’re with us.
(Also, if you want a good account of just how tough were the Canadian divisions that went to France in 1914, read McBride's incomparable book, A Rifleman Went To War.)
The Future of Civilization at Stake?
By John
Surprising commentary from the LA Times today. Surprising in that their op-ed illustrates -in the most striking fashion- the dangers of the rise of Islamic barbarism, even more suprising in that it was written by Sam Harris, a noted liberal academic & author.
In their analyses of U.S. and Israeli foreign policy, liberals can be relied on to overlook the most basic moral distinctions. For instance, they ignore the fact that Muslims intentionally murder noncombatants, while we and the Israelis (as a rule) seek to avoid doing so. Muslims routinely use human shields, and this accounts for much of the collateral damage we and the Israelis cause; the political discourse throughout much of the Muslim world, especially with respect to Jews, is explicitly and unabashedly genocidal.Given these distinctions, there is no question that the Israelis now hold the moral high ground in their conflict with Hamas and Hezbollah. And yet liberals in the United States and Europe often speak as though the truth were otherwise.
We are entering an age of unchecked nuclear proliferation and, it seems likely, nuclear terrorism. There is, therefore, no future in which aspiring martyrs will make good neighbors for us. Unless liberals realize that there are tens of millions of people in the Muslim world who are far scarier than Dick Cheney, they will be unable to protect civilization from its genuine enemies.
I am equally frustrated with the Left. I want nothing from them but their support in the war on terror, yet they are absolutely paralyzed by their obsessive hatred of President Bush.
This abandonment of reason is dangerous, as Harris clearly illustrates. Liberals, by their own choice, have given us every indication that they are physically and mentally incapable of fighting the war on terror.
That doesn't mean I hate them and it doesn't mean I think they're bad people. It does mean that I cannot trust them with the national defense, and will continue to vote Republican until they prove otherwise.
Spouse Buzz Launches
By John
I'm proud to say that the First Lady of the Milblogosphere, in conjunction with our Viceroys at Military.com, have launched a new blog dedicated to hardest working folks in the military: the spouses.
Over the past year, I’ve received a lot of email from frustrated spouses, especially reserve and National Guard spouses who find themselves with a deployed spouse but without the local military infrastructure or support system available to active-duty spouses. We’re attempting to fill that void, and bring milspouses together with SpouseBUZZ, a great new blog devoted exclusively to life from the perspective of a milspouse. It’s not a Milblog per se, no politics, no military strategy, etc., this blog will focus solely on milspouse issues. The authors are incredible, and I’m sure they will provide a lot of support for their fellow military spouses.
If you're in the service, pass the word to your spouse. Then have him/her pass it on to the base spouse's club. Think pyramid scheme, only useful.
Spouse Buzz is going to help, big time. The folks at Military.com know benefits better than Congress, the Joint Chiefs, and most veteran associations out there....this will make your life as a member of the military family easier, guaranteed.
And it's free. Get to it!
Monday A.M. Prep Fires, 18 Sept 06
By Lt Col P
The WaPo reporter who wrote a recent book on failures in Iraq—no, not Ricks, this time it’s Chandrasekaran—will be in an online chat today at 1200 EST. That’s noon eastern for all you military types. Check out excerpts from his book here. I haven’t read the book or fully read the excerpts, so I’ll withhold comment for now.
There is continued tumult in Afghanistan, but that’s really nothing new in historical terms. It’s a fractious place. However, the horizon certainly looks stormy. I think it’s time for NATO to “ruck-up” as one of my Brother Rats would say. A coalition is all fine and good if it’s made up of real partners and not partners in name only. The quality of the NATO troops is not in question; the will of their governments and people is. Afghanistan is shaping up to be a real test for them: what are you willing to fight for? The answer is not yet forthcoming.
Finally, on a very sad note, one of the greatest Americans alive today is not in good health. Hunters and shooters and a segment of the military will know him well, and the rest of us—especially the military and police—should take the time to get to know something about him. I would suggest starting with his commentaries or his books. The vast improvement in the practical marksmanship training and capabilities of the military in recent years can be traced directly or indirectly to him. I am privileged to have met him not once but twice.
The Plot Thickens
By John
Ah yes...
Israeli-US plot behind pope's remarks: Iran hardline press
Iranian hardline newspapers said there were signs of an Israeli-US plot behind remarks by Pope Benedict XVI that linked Islam to violence and created a wave of anger across the Muslim world.
The daily Jomhuri Islami said Israel and the United States -- the Islamic republic's two arch-enemies -- could have dictated the comments to distract attention from the resistance of the Shiite militant group Hezbollah to Israel's offensive on Lebanon."The reality is that if we do not consider Pope Benedict XVI to be ignorant of Islam, then his remarks against Islam are a dictat that the Zionists and the Americans have written (for him) and have submitted to him."
Indeed. My reaction:
Read More »
Ignoring the Wolf
By John
I'm always on the lookout for evidence that left wing blogs take terrorism seriously. Only fair to give them the benefit of the doubt, methinks.
That said, I found one left wing blog that decided to address the Islamic world's collective temper tantrum over Pope Benedict's "slightest of slight."
Who ever would have guessed that attacking the faith of a billion people would cause such a commotion? He's a uniter, not a divider. Oh, that's the other guy, but same, same. They both seem oblivious to the modern world and stuck in the dark ages with their thinking. Now the Pope is being criticized for his half hearted attempt to skirt around the issue instead of just apologizing. Worse yet, he could not even do that himself and passed the message through others. There's real leadership for the world. How bold. Too bad the Vatican doesn't have press conferences like other politicians have so someone could ask him how he thought those words would help bridge the religions.
Great. Not only is it the Vatican's fault, they managed to inject some Bush Derangement Syndrome in their commentary as well.
This lapse of judgment is striking. And telling. And unnerving. We need all Americans on board for this global fight against militant Islam. And yet, we cannot rely on the support of the anti-war crowd even when cheap thugs respond to the tiniest of offenses with the most terrible of crimes: murdering nuns and torching churches. Civilized society has barbarians at the gates, yet the towns folk would rather blame the gatekeeper than the invading hordes. Or tell us the Barbarians aren't there.
Good grief, if there was ever a time to condemn militant Islam....
Back From Leave
By Lt Col P
I'm back from a most restorative and pleasant week of leave, spent in Saranac Lake, NY (home of the world-famous winter carnival). For those of you who are cross-country skiers, please see an exceptionally well written article on that area's magnificent Jackrabbit Trail in Cross Country Skier magazine.
The drive north through NY was a tour through some of America's most famous battlefields, like Saratoga and Fort Ticonderoga. If you haven't seen those sights, not to mention the great Adirondack State Park, you owe yourself a visit.
BTW, in line with John's post below on the Poles (God Bless 'em), I invite you to peruse this website, and you'll get a good idea of what kind of ally we have in Poland. In the three years since the article was written, I think they've only gotten better.
Will be posting more shortly!
sf
LtCol P
Cue Blue Oyster Cult
By John
9/14/2006 - WASHINGTON (AFPN) -- The Air Force chief of staff announced "Reaper" has been chosen as the name for the MQ-9 unmanned aerial vehicle.The Air Force is the Department of Defense's executive agent for designating and naming military aerospace vehicles. In the case of the Reaper, Gen. T. Michael Moseley made the final decision after an extensive nomination and review process, coordinated with the other services. "The name Reaper is one of the suggestions that came from our Airmen in the field. It's fitting as it captures the lethal nature of this new weapon system," General Moseley said.
Hell, beats the Black Mamba.
**Update** Below the fold, OPFORian Mike sends the Saturday Night Live version....
Read More »
Thank You Poland
By John
Today's news cycle went from this:
BRUSSELS -- NATO failed to win new troop commitments for its Afghanistan campaign yesterday, but said a 10-day offensive to dislodge Taliban fighters from their southern strongholds was achieving its goals despite the shortage of troops.
To this:
Poland to Send 1,000 More Troops to Afghanistan
WARSAW, Poland - Poland said Thursday it would send 1,000 new troops to join its existing 100-strong contingent in Afghanistan in response to NATO calls for reinforcements to step up the fight against Taliban insurgents
Is anyone surprised that it was a "new" European country that answered the call?
The Warriors of Asadabad
By John
Two of our fallen SEALs were posthumously awarded the Navy Cross today, for their actions in support of Operation Red Wing.
Read the medal write up below the fold. Bin Laden and his ilk would have never started this war if he knew we had troops like Petty Officers Axelson and Dietz.
Read More »
Iraq and Afghanistan Escalating
By John
BAGHDAD, Sept. 13 -- Nearly 100 people were killed or found dead in a series of bloody incidents throughout the Iraqi capital over the past 24 hours, authorities said.At least 62 unidentified bullet-riddled corpses--all bearing signs of torture--have been found throughout the city since Tuesday night, said Brig. Gen. Abdullah Mahmood of the Interior Ministry.
And things aren't looking much better in Afghanistan. Mike Yon's latest at National Review:
Until recently, suicide bombings were virtually unknown in Afghanistan. Today they are common. Several CADG employees, including one Brit, were driving on a dangerous section of road recently and came upon a fresh car-bomb detonation. An Afghan employee got out and picked up the hand and brought it back to the car, took it to the office, and buried it. Five suicide bombings have occurred this year in the immediate vicinity of CADG operations, although each attack was targeting a different person. Daily attacks of various sorts make reconstruction projects increasingly difficult to complete.
There is a dedicated movement in this country who manipulates news of this sort into an argument for giving up. On the contrary, I see it as reason to step up, to intensify.
Pro-war bloggers have a habit of ignoring the bad news, in the same way that anti-war bloggers ignore the good news. I'll be the first to admit guilt in that courtroom. But that's the wrong path.
We simply must acknowledge our military defeats. We must learn from them, adjust, and rededicate ourselves to accomplishing the mission and winning the war. The news that 62 innocent Iraqis were tortured and beheaded isn't reason to despair or give up hope, it's a call to arms a reminder of the pure evil of that we are fighting. It reaffirms our belief that we are the good guys, they are the bad guys, and that good guys killing bad guys is one of the few cosmic rights in this universe.
Guys like Mike Yon understand that. In an email earlier today, he wrote:
We are going to lose that war if we do not make radical changes. We are not seriously trying to win it.
Yon's got what I call focused pessimissm. When he writes that the ground sit in Iraq or Afghanistan is taking a dive, it's out of a true, apolitical desire to win the war. He understands that selling blood, toil, tears, and sweat didn't go out of style in the mid-40s. People, Americans especially, respond to challenges. This war is a challenge, and it's time we start responding to it.
Half of any fight is how you pull yourself up after you've taken one on the chin. If we can't stand back up, then we stay on the mat. And we lose the war.
Friendly Advice
By John
If you are going to protest at an airshow....
Do NOT use one of the Air Force's new 120 million dollar stealth fighters as a soapbox.
Have it on good authority that military security police meted out some justice in response, and -as a result- the protest was very short lived indeed.
Read More »
Conspiracy Cranks
By John
New York Post --
Feb. 7, 2005, I became a member of the Bush/Halliburton/Zionist/CIA/New World Order/Illuminati conspiracy for world domination. That day, Popular Mechanics, the magazine I edit, hit newsstands with a story debunking 9/11 conspiracy theories. Within hours, the online community of 9/11 conspiracy buffs - which calls itself the "9/11 Truth Movement" - was aflame with wild fantasies about me, my staff and the article we had published. Conspiracy Web sites labeled Popular Mechanics a "CIA front organization" and compared us to Nazis and war criminals.For a 104-year-old magazine about science, technology, home improvement and car maintenance, this was pretty extreme stuff. What had we done to provoke such outrage?
Research.
Read the whole thing.
Stop Blaming America for Terrorism
By John
The UK's Daily Telegraph offers a refreshing outlook on the rise of terrorism:
I think it's worth looking back at what people really felt on September 11, 2001, because not everyone felt the same, then or later. Certainly it's true that, five years ago, Tony Blair spoke of standing "shoulder to shoulder" with America, that Iain Duncan Smith (remember him?) echoed him, and that Jacques Chirac was on his way to Washington to say the same.But it's also true that this initial wave of goodwill hardly outlasted the news cycle. Within a couple of days a Guardian columnist wrote of the "unabashed national egotism and arrogance that drives anti-Americanism among swaths of the world's population". A Daily Mail columnist denounced the "self-sought imperial role" of the United States, which he said had "made it enemies of every sort across the globe". That week's edition of Question Time featured a sustained attack on Phil Lader, the former US ambassador to Britain – and a man who had lost colleagues in the World Trade Centre – who seemed near to tears as he was asked questions about the "millions and millions of people around the world despising the American nation". At least some Britons, like many other Europeans, were already secretly or openly pleased by the 9/11 attacks.
And all of this was before Afghanistan, before Tony Blair was tainted by his friendship with George Bush, and before anyone knew the word "neo-con", let alone felt the need to claim not to be one. The dislike of America, the hatred for what it was believed to stand for – capitalism, globalisation, militarism, Zionism, Hollywood or McDonald's, depending on your point of view – was well entrenched. To put it differently, the scorn now widely felt in Britain and across Europe for America's "war on terrorism" actually preceded the "war on terrorism" itself. It was already there on September 12 and 13, right out in the open for everyone to see.
Did the global war on terror, Gitmo, Iraq, Abu Gharab, et al make things worse? Probably. But there exists a certain unbalance in the "hate America" ideology, in that our mistakes are amplied to drown out our successes.
The victim of the intercontinental bickering is ourselves, both America and Europe. For all of our military power, we still need our European allies, and vice versa. And this is what I really liked about the article. The Telegraph recognized European lamenting over ambiguous greivances like American "arrogance" as unhelpful and useless whining, which takes the anger and frustation that should be directed at our Islamist enemy and instead sends it across the Atlantic.
When it comes to American doing her part to sustain the alliance, I'm open to suggestions. Just so long as they don't involve America apologizing for our success, or way of life, or our President.
Yon in National Review
By John
The intrepid Mike Yon has a sobering piece in the National Review today, on guns, drugs, bombs, and Afghanistan.
In Afghanistan, heroin has become the Devil’s cocktail. “Smack” is already one of the most addictive and destructive drugs on Earth, and now numerous academic studies show addiction levels on the rise, particularly among younger children. In the place where 90 percent of the world’s heroin supply originates, the Taliban, al Qaeda, and others harvest profits from opium poppy cultivation to buy weapons and equipment used to attack soldiers and civilians engaged in a mostly stalled reconstruction mission.
A reverse symbiosis is at work: Those who benefit most from the opium/heroin trades also benefit most from a destabilized Afghanistan, because a stable country with functioning government systems, reliable security forces, and a framework of laws is a bad climate for the drug trade. Conversely, farmers growing crops such as cotton and beans benefit from a stable government climate, which affords the opportunity to think beyond the next crop cycle. In order to make agriculture a more successful business venture, farmers need a stable government as a partner. But since the interests of poppy farmers and narco-kings are in aggressive opposition to any plan to stabilize Afghanistan, this partnership is not even in the talking stages.
"Reverse symbiosis?" Sheesh Mike.
Flags of our Fathers
By John
Military.com has an exlusive trailer up for Flags of our Fathers.
It looks absolutely superb.
Labor Day
By John
Phew, after the 9/11 five-year, let's lighten things up a bit....
Minnesota.
Man, if it weren't for the winters.....
Read More »
Requiem
By John
Never forget the victims....
Never forget our enemies....
September 11th… 1565
By Lt Col P
The fifth anniversary of September 11th 2001 is upon us. It is fitting that the day should see both a solemn remembrance of the dead and the renewal of a cold-hearted resolve to win the war that was declared on us.
There is however, another September 11th that we should also remember, and from which we can take heart in our own struggle. It is September 11th 1565; the scene was different and so were the actors too, but the nature of the battle was all too familiar. On that day, a small force of European knights and the entire population of Malta dealt Ottoman Turkey a decisive defeat, and in doing so probably saved western civilization.
Read More »
Lebanon After The Fight: What Next?
By Lt Col P
An interesting article in today WaPo on internal Lebanese factional politics.
"Lebanon Left to Face Most Basic of Issues"
Absent from the discussion are mentions of the Druze, whom we have talked about before. Why that is I don't know, because everything I have read indicates that they are a substantial force when they throw their lot in with one side or the other.
So the question is, what is Lebanon? Is it a state where multiple groups can get along fairly well, or is it an appendage of a militant armed group that brings the country into ceaseless war with a neighbor and threatens the other groups in the country?
If we're smart, we'll help keep the country together by backing the peaceful fusion of the various groups and sects, who seem to be able to get along in the absence of provocateurs. A good start would be to squash Hezbollah, the perennial troublemakers.
Air Force Memorial
By Pinch
On a bit of land near the Pentagon, next to Arlington Cemetary, construction continues on the Air Force Memorial, a soaring, stylized trio of silver arcs, evoking the "...modern image of flight by jet and space vehicles."
The other services have memorials scattered throughout the Washington DC area - the Navy Memorial downtown on Pennsylvania Avenue, the Marine Corps War Memorial over near Rosslyn, and the US Army First Division Memorial just outside the Old Executive office Building and others.
Dedication is only a little over a month away for the memorial, scheduled for 14/15 October.
Should be quite the party that weekend in town! I'll try to be there - unless I have crew rest I need to catch up on!
In all seriousness though, it will be a wonderful and beautiful addition to the skyline surrounding the city.
Picture of the Day: Mini Booms
By John
Airpower that enables the warfighter at the tactical level gives me warm fuzzies.
A GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bomb I strikes a BM-21 rocket launcher during a test at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., in 2005. SDB I will be integrated on the F-15E Strike Eagle first, and is being delivered to combat units through the world for use in the war on terrorism.
Photo Courtesy of the US Air Force
Hezbollah and the Iron Wall
By John
When former (and future?) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu talks about terrorism, people listen. And for good reason, Netanyahu has fought Islamist extremists his entire life, from his days in the elite Israeli Sayeret Matkal commadno unit to his tenure as Prime Minister. He has written four books on the subject, two of which -Fighting Terrorism and Terrorism: How the West Can Win- I consider to be among the most important literature on the subject of fighting and defeating Islamofascism. And that's a bold statement for two books that were written prior to September the 11th.
Speaking yesterday at the Hudson Institute, the MIT educated Netanyahu warned of another looming Israel-Hezbollah war, and laid out a simple strategy for victory.
To defeat "Militant Islam," Mr. Netanyahu said, one "must deprive it of victory." Every time you retreat, every time terrorists gain victory, that's when they recruit. "Power attracts, weakness repeals," he said. "Victory attracts, defeat repulses."
Wise words that were ignored by Israel, who ended their sea and air blockade of Lebanon earlier today. There's no doubt that Hezbollah considers their most recent war with Israel a victory, a point that Netanyahu has seized on:
Mr. Netanyahu told the gathering at the Four Seasons that Prime Minister Olmert's Kadima party was built on the policy of unilateral withdrawals – a premise that is now dead. And so, went his implication, is the party and Mr. Olmert's premiership. The policy of unilateral withdrawals started with the Oslo Accords. He spoke of how, from Israel's founding until then, Israel's military and her relations with her Arab neighbors had been based on Vladimir Jabotinsky's concept of the "Iron Wall."This was a reference to a phrase used by the right of center Zionist, who held that only when the Arabs became convinced that they couldn't destroy Israel – with every attack on Israel met by an "iron wall" – would peace follow. If Israel's deterrence and response to attack was so strong the Arab's found themselves banging themselves against an "Iron Wall," they'd realize the futility of trying to destroy Israel and seek peace. The "Iron Wall" principle, said Mr. Netanyahu, led to peace with Egypt and Jordan. They attacked Israel, were soundly defeated, and sued for peace.
The same applied, in a way, to Arafat's PLO after the first Intafada. The prolonged low-intensity conflict had all but bankrupted terror organization, forcing Arafat to the negotiating table.
Withdrawing from Gaza led to a kidnapped soldier and a new war, withdrawing from Lebanon in 2000 led to 2 kidnapped soliders and an even larger war. And the contention that the Oslo Accords made terrorism worse is more fact than theory.
Follow Sun Tzu, one of the most critical dimensions in warfare is the capacity to know and understand your enemy. Netanyahu understands terrorism and understands what can defeat terrorism. Bring back the Iron Wall.
Pray for Maj. Metzger
By John
The US Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI) and officials from Kyrgyzstan are frantically searching for an officer who was discovered missing on Sept. 5.
Maj. Jill Metzger, a personnel officer, was last seen at a Zum shopping center in Bishkek, according to the Air Force.
In response, 22 OSI agents have been dispatched to Kyrgyzstan to aid in the search. Col. Joel Reese, 376th Air Expeditionary Wing Commander, has sworn "not to rest" until Maj. Metzger is found.
Kyrgyzstan, a former Soviet republic, is 75% Muslim. It's also infamous for the brutal tradition of "bride kidnapping," where brides are kidnapped and forced into marriage by Kyrgyz men.
The Air Force maintains a refueling and airlift base (Manas AB) in Kyrgyzstan which supports operations in Afghanistan.
Pray, and pray hard.
More at Thirdwave
A U.S. military spokeswoman said Thursday that nothing has been ruled out in the disappearance of an American servicewoman who vanished two days ago, even though the local police chief said she was not kidnapped. Investigators continued their search for Air Force Maj. Jill Metzger, 33, who disappeared Tuesday after being separated from a group of servicemen while visiting a department store in Bishkek. "I rule out the theory that the U.S. citizen may have been kidnapped," Interior Minister Murat Sutalinov told reporters. He said that police had received no demand for ransom.
No demands? Perhaps that bride kidnapping theory has more merit than originally thought....
**Update** Phew, Maj Metzger has been found alive:
ISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan — A U.S. Air Force officer who disappeared earlier this week in Kyrgyzstan was found alive late Friday, reportedly telling people who helped her that she had been kidnapped, Kyrgyz and U.S. officials said.Maj. Jill Metzger, 33, was located by Kyrgyz law enforcement agents who informed authorities at the U.S. air base at the airport in Bishkek, the Central Asian nation's capital, base spokeswoman Capt. Anna Carpenter said.
Iran's President to Speak at the UN
By John
I couldn't think of a more appropriate venue....
Diplomats at the United Nations were sent into disarray yesterday when President Ahmadinejad of Iran declared that he intended to attend the General Assembly of the world body on September 19 and to debate his country's nuclear program with President Bush, who is due to address the Assembly that day.
Although, I digress....I think I've heard this story before.
Read More »
Question of the Day: Hollywoodistan?
By John
With the swirl of controversy surrounding The Path to 9/11, today's question of the day is:
Can patriotic, guy kills the terrorist & gets the girl films still survive in Hollywood?
Take into account that terrorists/terrorism wasn't mentioned once in World Trade Center....
Mmm Mmm Good
By John
And I thought the mess hall food at VMI was bad.... just looky at what U2 pilots get to chow down on...
You're looking at beef stew, peach cobbler, and the lovely oozing stuff in the middle is the vegetarian selection.
All I can say is, by the looks of that applicator, I hope that stuff is designed to go in your mouth....
Iran's New Fighter
By John
Iran Deploys Locally Manufactured Warplane (AP) -
Iran deployed its first locally-manufactured fighter bomber plane on Wednesday during large-scale military exercises, state-run television reported. "The bomber Saegheh or lightening is similar to (the American) F-18 but more powerful. It was designed, optimised and improved by Iranian experts," the report said.
Better than the superbug eh? Alright, sounds interesting...let's have a look.
WTF? Is that an old F-5 with twin canted vertical stabilizers? Iran expects us to break a sweat over this jalopy?
It’s the classic “pig wearing a rolex” thing: It may look good on him, but he can’t do a damn thing with it, and it won’t save his life come harvest time.
I'd be hesitant to compare this aviation abortion to a "rolex," or to concede that it looks good. She's got a face that only her Iranian mother could love. Plus calling a Vietnam era fighter with upgraded stabilizers "new" is a bit of a stretch.
But, even if this fighter could accomplish all the wonderful things that the Iranians say it can, Lex is right...they wouldn't have a clue what to do with it. The Iranian's have no idea how to apply modern technology on the battlefield.
Not that this piece of crap is modern....
Hotel Tango to Will Collier @ Vodkapundit.
**Update** Murdoc has more, with pics.
2006 US Tour - Khatami Rocks!
By Pinch
Former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami is making the rounds in the US this week, invited to speak at various venues by the UN-sponsored Alliance of Civilizations (for a slightly different view of this organization, check out FrontPageMag's article).
as an aside, I have *no* idea why the State Department granted this guy a visitor visa.
Anyhow, Khatami sounds like some on the far left in this country, blaming the US for terrorism around the globe:
"As America claims to be fighting terrorism, it implements policies that cause the intensification of terrorism and institutionalized violence," Khatami said at the Islamic Society of North America's 43rd annual convention.
He then, of course, qualifies his statement by saying that Americans can help out the situation by lobbying the government and forming consensus with other Americans.
wait....he said American MUSLIMS can do this:
...American Muslims "through active participation in the social arena" can form lobbying groups and form a consensus with other Americans.
He also said:
"Public opinion can be rescued from the grips of ignorance and blunder and the domination of arrogant, warmongering and violence-triggering policies will end," he said.
Now that's entertainment! Iran's former president lecturing the US on being an arrogant, warmongering and violence-triggering society. What was it again that Iran says they want to do to Israel?
To finish up, blaming the US for much (or any) of the current terrorism that plagues the world is like blaming Bush for global warming (which the left does, anyhow). US foreign policy has had little to do with causing terrorism or terrorist activities throughout history. Whether isolationist, as we were back in the 20's and 30's and watching Europe descend into the political terrorism hell of the National Socialist party of Germany (which affected us), in the heart of the cold war and facing ideological terrorist groups such as the Red Brigades and the Red Army faction (which affected us) or in the more recent years, having to fight religion-based terrorism on every continent around the world (which affects us), terrorism exists, regardless of what the US does. Fighting it - eradicating it - killing it at its source is the only way to ensure it does not end up on our doorstep.
Unless you are Ned Lamont. Then you can negotiate with your enemies.
hat tip to Laurie for the headline alert.
NATO Takes the Fight to the Taliban
By Lt Col P
NATO and Afghan forces engage the Taliban in southern Afghanistan. Unfortunately, four Canadian soldiers were killed, one of them by friendly fire.
The Toronto Star has coverage here and here.
The intrepid Bill Roggio has coverage here.
Lightning From The Sky: ANGLICO Blogger In Iraq
By Lt Col P
By way of Andi's World I just found Lightning From The Sky, by Captain Charlie, a Marine in 2d ANGLICO now on duty in Iraq. He has some great posts, including a sad one today on one of their "'terps" who has just been killed.
Use his blog to learn something about ANGLICO too, if you have questions. That is a particular capability found only in the Marines.
I'd like to point out that Capt Charlie is one of the truly few and truly proud, the VMI Marines!
Conflicted on Khatami
By Lt Col P
I'm of two minds on how to handle former Iranian "president" Mohammad Khatami's visit to the U.S. NRO had a good back-and-forth on the subject.
COA 1: Give him a free pass to all fifty states. Neither hinder him nor assist him in his trip. Let him see exactly what the U.S. is all about, or as much as he can in a short visit. And let him get up close and personal with as many Americans as he wants to, or can stand. Especially some former hostages.
COA 2: Seize him, beat the Shi'ite out of him, humiliate him on camera and hold him for 444 days.
Like I said, I'm conflicted. It's a coin-toss, folks. Help me out.
On the other hand, I'm not at all conflicted on what needs to be done with this POS.
Picture of the Day: Virtual Wetting-Down
By Lt Col P
I'll be getting at the remnants of these later, join me in spirit with your spirits...
Aberlour is my go-to scotch. I gave up Grey Goose years ago in favor of Belvedere; if the Poles are standing by us in the war, it's the least I can do for them.
LtCol P
Labor Day Hiatus
By John
Just an OPFOR public service announcement, I'm taking some much needed leave (first vacation since Christmas!) and visiting some old VMI buddies in Minnesota. Apparently you can boat from bar to bar on one of Minnesota's 10,000 lakes, an activity in which I will be an eager participant.
Until then, Maj Lt Col P and Pinch have the conn.
You're in good hands, back Wednesday.
Spot-On Analysis of the Long War
By Maj P
Tried to post this yesterday but we had some massive IT problems...
Even though most Op-Forians are probably Blackfive readers as well, I would like to mention a post there by Grim. He links to a powerpoint brief by Rear Admiral Sullivan of the JCS, and then along with an Army officer provides some running commentary. I strongly recommend reading both in depth; the brief is one of the most cogent analyses I have yet seen. I'll shut my yap and let you be the judge.
Katrina and the US Navy
By Pinch
The Navy has a relatively large footprint and presence along the Gulf Coast, including such bases and facilities as Naval Air Station Pensacola, Naval Station Pascagoula, the Naval Air Station / Joint Reserve Base at New Orleans and numerous other installations along the entire gulf coast.
So when Katrina came a’visiting last year, the Navy had a rather significant vested interest in the region, not to mention having the capability and ships and infrastructure in the neighborhood to provide an impressive amount of support.
And what was the result of this vested interest and support?
- More than 9,790 Americas were rescued or evacuated by the 50+ Navy aircraft from deployed ships, as well as NAS Pensacola and Atlanta.
- 17 Navy ships on station including Iwo Jima, Bataan and USNS Comfort, which treated 1,000 patients.
More than 3,400 Seabees deployed to the region and helped clearing roads, disposing of debris and building shelters.
- Ship’s small boats performed 380 evacuations, 28 MEDEVACS and six rescues. They delivered 68,900 pound of food and 113,000 pounds of water. Onboard aircraft flew 1,730 sorties.
- The ships performed 380 evacuations, 28 MEDEVACS and six rescues. They delivered 68,900 pound of food and 113,000 pounds of water.
- The Navy took care of the more than 800 Navy families who lost everything.
USS IWO JIMA, pierside at downtown New Orleans (below), provided such tremendous support as a command center and a base of operations that during a tour of the ship, VADM Thad Allen, the senior federal officer on scene, said to Chief of Naval Operations ADM Mike Mullen: "Mike, you should consider renaming this ship The City of New Orleans.“
Bravo Zulu, Navy!
050910-N-8933S-001 New Orleans (Sept. 10, 2005) - The amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) sits pier side in New Orleans in support of Hurricane Katrina humanitarian assistance operations. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 2nd Class Robert Jay Stratchko (RELEASED)
