This is an interesting bit of information...
From Fox News:
President Hugo Chavez's government has agreed to strengthen military ties with Iran.
Iranian Defense Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar met with Chavez for an hour late Wednesday and said they discussed defense cooperation to "protect peace and tranquility in the region," Venezuela's Information Ministry said in a statement.
"There's a strategic alliance between Venezuela and Iran," Najjar was quoted as saying. "There's a great deal of economic and industrial cooperation, and we started cooperating in the area of defense five years ago."
The government said Najjar and Vice President Ramon Carrizalez signed a memorandum of understanding to deepen military cooperation, though it did not say what that would entail.
Chavez has built a close relationship with Iran, which has stepped up its presence in Venezuela and is helping to build public housing and manufacture cars, tractors and bicycles in the country
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Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Combat Advisors In Afghanistan
http://smallwarsjournal.com/mag/docs-temp/234-bluesteen.pdf
I can not say enough about this article, absolutely great read.
I can not agree more with his comments about Advisor Teams being split up. I had a 16 man ETT that trained together for three months prior to deployment. Once we got to Afghanistan we were split to the four winds to fill holes in existing teams. The FRG we had worked to create was destroyed. The camaraderie was destroyed. The training was destroyed. In 12 years of active service, worst decision I have ever seen be made by far.
Check it out, it is well worth the read.
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I can not say enough about this article, absolutely great read.
I can not agree more with his comments about Advisor Teams being split up. I had a 16 man ETT that trained together for three months prior to deployment. Once we got to Afghanistan we were split to the four winds to fill holes in existing teams. The FRG we had worked to create was destroyed. The camaraderie was destroyed. The training was destroyed. In 12 years of active service, worst decision I have ever seen be made by far.
Check it out, it is well worth the read.
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Pakistan Update 29 April 09
From Al Jazeera English:
Pakistani troops have regained control of the main town of Buner district from the Taliban in the country's North West Frontier Province, a military spokesman has said.
The report on Wednesday came on the second day of an offensive by Pakistan after troops were dropped behind Taliban lines.
The Taliban's advance into Buner and Dagar - towns in Buner district - had brought the fighters within 100km of Islamabad, the country's capital, in what was seen as a move to expand their control.
Buner is about 140km southeast of the Afghan border.
Al Jazeera's Kamal Hyder, reporting from just outside Buner, said: "We have been told that the military has indeed taken back control of the district headquarters in Dagar after they surrounded it earlier this morning.
"There is stiff resistance from Taliban in certain areas but the military is still pressing on, using helicopter gunships and even main battle tanks in this operation which is said to be continuing."
From Fox News:
Pakistani airstrikes killed dozens of Taliban fighters in a fierce struggle to drive them from a district near the capital, while the militants took over police stations and kidnapped more than 50 security forces, the army said Wednesday.
One member of the security forces also died, the top military spokesman said.
Also Wednesday, a suspected U.S. missile killed at least five alleged militants in South Waziristan tribal region near Afghanistan, while shootouts in the volatile southern Pakistani city of Karachi killed at least 20 people.
Pakistan is acting under intense U.S. pressure to take a tougher line against Islamist militants expanding from the strongholds along the Afghan border, where Al Qaeda leaders including Usama bin Laden may also be hiding.
Government forces have begun trying to force the Taliban back into the Swat Valley, from where they had pushed out in the direction of an increasingly nervous Islamabad under the cover of a controversial peace process.
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Pakistani troops have regained control of the main town of Buner district from the Taliban in the country's North West Frontier Province, a military spokesman has said.
The report on Wednesday came on the second day of an offensive by Pakistan after troops were dropped behind Taliban lines.
The Taliban's advance into Buner and Dagar - towns in Buner district - had brought the fighters within 100km of Islamabad, the country's capital, in what was seen as a move to expand their control.
Buner is about 140km southeast of the Afghan border.
Al Jazeera's Kamal Hyder, reporting from just outside Buner, said: "We have been told that the military has indeed taken back control of the district headquarters in Dagar after they surrounded it earlier this morning.
"There is stiff resistance from Taliban in certain areas but the military is still pressing on, using helicopter gunships and even main battle tanks in this operation which is said to be continuing."
From Fox News:
Pakistani airstrikes killed dozens of Taliban fighters in a fierce struggle to drive them from a district near the capital, while the militants took over police stations and kidnapped more than 50 security forces, the army said Wednesday.
One member of the security forces also died, the top military spokesman said.
Also Wednesday, a suspected U.S. missile killed at least five alleged militants in South Waziristan tribal region near Afghanistan, while shootouts in the volatile southern Pakistani city of Karachi killed at least 20 people.
Pakistan is acting under intense U.S. pressure to take a tougher line against Islamist militants expanding from the strongholds along the Afghan border, where Al Qaeda leaders including Usama bin Laden may also be hiding.
Government forces have begun trying to force the Taliban back into the Swat Valley, from where they had pushed out in the direction of an increasingly nervous Islamabad under the cover of a controversial peace process.
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Swine Flu
A number of news articles about the ever changing situation with Swine Flu. Yes, yes, yes, I know I'm supposed to call it H1N1; it just doesn't sound as catchy though....no pun intended.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,518320,00.html
http://www.foxnews.com/health/infectious/index.html
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE53N22820090429
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2009/04/2009429202315692435.html
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http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,518320,00.html
http://www.foxnews.com/health/infectious/index.html
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE53N22820090429
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2009/04/2009429202315692435.html
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General Petraeus Speech
Great link to General Petraeus' speech on Monday at the Kansas State University Landon Lecture Series.
http://ome.ksu.edu/lectures/landon/bio/petraeus.html
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http://ome.ksu.edu/lectures/landon/bio/petraeus.html
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Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Lead, Design, Plan
As I talked about last night, today was the DOD Bloggers Round Table discussing the United States Army's and The School of Advanced Military Studies efforts concerning design. COL Johnson of The School of Advanced Military Studies (SAMS) did a great job of laying out what design is and is not.
To paraphrase him, Design is about teaching our leaders to be able to think critically and creatively. It seeks to provide tools that will enhance the ability of our war fighters to operate and plan in an increasingly complex and ambiguous operational environment. Most importantly it provides a tool to make sure we are solving the right problem and not the wrong problem right.
That all sounds well and good though, but I'm sure as another member of the round table asked, "What level is this done at?" That seems to be the crux of a lot of questions I have heard about design lately. To be very honest, when I started the design block of instruction 6 weeks ago, I had the same question. Design is not about the operational level though. Design is just as COL Johnson said, about providing tools to our leaders to understand complex operational environments and to solve the right problem.
Let me give you an example. When I deployed to Iraq the first time, we landed ourselves in the northern city of Mosul. Our mission was to secure and stabilize the city. Sounds easy enough, but the easiest sounding things are usually the hardest. Our Brigade, Battalion, and Companies immediately began trying to define what was this environment that we had entered. We then began defining the problem, and finally entered analysis of the solution that we sought to achieve. At the time, I just thought this sounded logical, and conducted my planning collaboratively with Battalion and Brigade. What I did not realize until I came to SAMS was that we were all conducting design.
Design is about thinking. More so, it is about critically and creatively thinking. Not just pulling the old plan off the shelf, dusting off the cobwebs and playing the one size fits all game. It seeks to understand what is the problem and what should we do. In todays environment nothing is as it seems and nothing is the same from one place to another. This is the brave new world that all of us live in. The Army has realized this, and is equipping its Soldiers with the tools needed to prosecute the mission for the good of the nation.
Another question that was asked, was whether this was in response to ambiguous mission statements from the strategic level. Again, this is missing the point. You could have the most clear cut mission statement in the world, and the complexity of the current operational environment would demand further refinement at the tactical level. There are just too many variables inherent in the environments that we are operating in. Think about it for a second, Sunni, Shiite, Kurd, Imam's, merchants, mayors, Sheik's, and foreign officers. This is just about 1% of the elements that a soldier has to deal with any given day. Design fills that void and gives that understanding to the Soldier.
There has been a lot of criticism of the School of Design by the IDF General Naveh and effects based operations in Military Professional Journals. Design is neither of these. Design seeks to increase the understanding and knowledge of our Soldiers so we can more effectively accomplish our Nation's missions.
In addition I have seen many criticisms of the Military and the Army specifically as not being enough of a learning organization. Design is the perfect reply to these criticisms. Here is a prime example of an effort by the Army to learn about ourselves, our successes and our challenges, and the operational environment that we conduct operations in. I can truthfully say that those nay-sayers have missed the boat and we are very much a learning organization.
To sum this article up, just as the SAMS logo says, "Lead, Design, Plan." We are first and foremost leaders of our Soldiers. We design to seek complete understanding of the operational environment. We use this understanding to plan how we will fight and win our Nation's battles to keep the American dream alive and well.
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Monday, April 27, 2009
Swine Flu From A Different Perspective
Many times we look at ourselves from our own internal perspective. I think it is a very good idea to see what outside news agencies have to say about events unfolding here.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2009/04/2009427203648307397.html
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http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2009/04/2009427203648307397.html
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Teaser For Tomorrow
Tomorrow is the DOD Bloggers Round Table discussing the US Army's current efforts with Design, Critical, and Creative Thinking. As this is what I have been studying for the last four months I will be talking in detail tomorrow night about it. So you can expect my personal opinions and the news from the Round Table. Hope to have you checking it out tomorrow night.
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Swine Flu News
From Fox News:
The head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that 40 people in five states have been sickened with swine flu.
Twenty-eight of the 40 cases are clustered at a single private school in Queens, N.Y. Another 17 cases of swine flu are suspected in New York.
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said all of students from St. Francis Preparatory in Queens, the largest Catholic high school in the U.S. with 3,000 students, are recovering.
In Mexico, the number of people who have died from swine flu may be as many a 149, a government official said. The country said it would close schools until May 6 as a precaution.
Mexico Health Secretary Jose Angel Cordova said only 20 of the deaths have been confirmed to be from swine flu and the government was awaiting tests results on the rest.
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The head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that 40 people in five states have been sickened with swine flu.
Twenty-eight of the 40 cases are clustered at a single private school in Queens, N.Y. Another 17 cases of swine flu are suspected in New York.
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said all of students from St. Francis Preparatory in Queens, the largest Catholic high school in the U.S. with 3,000 students, are recovering.
In Mexico, the number of people who have died from swine flu may be as many a 149, a government official said. The country said it would close schools until May 6 as a precaution.
Mexico Health Secretary Jose Angel Cordova said only 20 of the deaths have been confirmed to be from swine flu and the government was awaiting tests results on the rest.
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Interesting Comments From Pakistan
From Fox News:
Taliban militants said Monday their peace deal with the Pakistani government was "worthless" after authorities deployed helicopters and artillery against hide-outs of Islamist guerrillas seeking to extend their grip along the Afghan border.
A collapse of the pact would likely please Obama administration officials pressing Islamabad hard for more robust action against extremists threatening Pakistan's stability and U.S. and NATO troops in neighboring Afghanistan.
President Asif Ali Zardari called for more foreign support for cash-strapped Pakistan to prevent any danger of its nuclear arsenal falling into the hands of al-Qaida and its allies.
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Taliban militants said Monday their peace deal with the Pakistani government was "worthless" after authorities deployed helicopters and artillery against hide-outs of Islamist guerrillas seeking to extend their grip along the Afghan border.
A collapse of the pact would likely please Obama administration officials pressing Islamabad hard for more robust action against extremists threatening Pakistan's stability and U.S. and NATO troops in neighboring Afghanistan.
President Asif Ali Zardari called for more foreign support for cash-strapped Pakistan to prevent any danger of its nuclear arsenal falling into the hands of al-Qaida and its allies.
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Saturday, April 25, 2009
Swine Flu
Follow the links to the latest information and stories about Swine-Flu.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,517876,00.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/talking_point/8018428.stm
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,517773,00.html?sPage=fnc/health/infectious
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/25/AR2009042503128.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/26/world/americas/26flu.html?ref=health
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http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,517876,00.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/talking_point/8018428.stm
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,517773,00.html?sPage=fnc/health/infectious
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/25/AR2009042503128.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/26/world/americas/26flu.html?ref=health
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More On Pakistan
When I hear things like this I worry....I don't put too much credit upon an un-named Pakistani Source who won't go on the record. But, just in general, this is a very bad idea. Expanding the war through direct action beyond Afghanistan brings with it a host of issues that we have not even begun to scratch the surface of yet.
From Fox News:
America made clear last week that it would attack Taliban forces in their Swat valley stronghold unless the Pakistan government stopped the militants' advance towards Islamabad.
A senior Pakistani official said the Obama administration intervened after Taliban forces expanded from Swat into the adjacent district of Buner, 60 miles from the capital.
The Pakistani Taliban's inroads raised international concern, particularly in Washington, where officials feared that the nuclear-armed country, which is pivotal to the U.S. war against the Taliban in Afghanistan and against Al Qaeda, was rapidly succumbing to Islamist extremists.
"The implicit threat - if you don't do it, we may have to - was always there," said the Pakistani official. He said that under American pressure, Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency told the Taliban to withdraw from Buner on Friday.
However, reports Saturday indicated that the Taliban withdrawal was less than total. As a result, hundreds of thousands of people in the district were still at the mercy of armed militants and their restrictive interpretation of Islamic law.
American military and intelligence forces already run limited ground and air operations on Pakistani soil along the border with Afghanistan. But an overt military operation such as that threatened in Swat, away from the border, would mark a major escalation.
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From Fox News:
America made clear last week that it would attack Taliban forces in their Swat valley stronghold unless the Pakistan government stopped the militants' advance towards Islamabad.
A senior Pakistani official said the Obama administration intervened after Taliban forces expanded from Swat into the adjacent district of Buner, 60 miles from the capital.
The Pakistani Taliban's inroads raised international concern, particularly in Washington, where officials feared that the nuclear-armed country, which is pivotal to the U.S. war against the Taliban in Afghanistan and against Al Qaeda, was rapidly succumbing to Islamist extremists.
"The implicit threat - if you don't do it, we may have to - was always there," said the Pakistani official. He said that under American pressure, Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency told the Taliban to withdraw from Buner on Friday.
However, reports Saturday indicated that the Taliban withdrawal was less than total. As a result, hundreds of thousands of people in the district were still at the mercy of armed militants and their restrictive interpretation of Islamic law.
American military and intelligence forces already run limited ground and air operations on Pakistani soil along the border with Afghanistan. But an overt military operation such as that threatened in Swat, away from the border, would mark a major escalation.
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Friday, April 24, 2009
More Updates From Pakistan
Fox News Video:
Fox News Article:
From Google News and the AP:
From Miami Herald and the AP:
From Calgary Herald:
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Fox News Article:
From Google News and the AP:
From Miami Herald and the AP:
From Calgary Herald:
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Good News From Pakistan?
Well it looks like for now Taliban elements are pulling back. I'm not holding my breath yet though.
From Fox News:
Taliban militants began pulling out of a recently seized district of northwestern Pakistan on Friday, a local official and the insurgents said, after the government warned it would remove them by force.
The withdrawal, if completed, eliminates the most immediate threat to a peace agreement in the militant-held Swat Valley that the U.S. government worries has created a haven for allies of Al Qaeda.
Television pictures showed dozens of militants emerging from a high-walled villa that served as their headquarters in Buner, a rural area just 60 miles from the capital.
The men, most of them masked with black scarves and carrying automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades, clambered into several pickup trucks and minibuses before driving away.
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From Fox News:
Taliban militants began pulling out of a recently seized district of northwestern Pakistan on Friday, a local official and the insurgents said, after the government warned it would remove them by force.
The withdrawal, if completed, eliminates the most immediate threat to a peace agreement in the militant-held Swat Valley that the U.S. government worries has created a haven for allies of Al Qaeda.
Television pictures showed dozens of militants emerging from a high-walled villa that served as their headquarters in Buner, a rural area just 60 miles from the capital.
The men, most of them masked with black scarves and carrying automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades, clambered into several pickup trucks and minibuses before driving away.
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Thursday, April 23, 2009
Up, Up, and Out???
Paul Kane wrote this Op-Ed Piece a couple of days ago, and I'm just getting around to responding to it now. Its been a busy week. But enough of my sniveling, this article misses the mark entirely.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/21/opinion/21kane.html?_r=1&th&emc=th
His first assertion, in my humble opinion is just insane, "First, the Air Force should be eliminated, and its personnel and equipment integrated into the Army, Navy and Marine Corps." Then he goes on to say, "Yes, air power is a critical component of America’s arsenal. But the Army, Navy and Marines already maintain air wings within their expeditionary units."
Well first off, no, we in the Army do not maintain Air Wings. We have attack helicopter units, lift and recon squadrons, but no fixed wing fast mover types.
Secondly, how is this supposed to work? How does this all fit in? Who takes over basing? Who gets what? What happens amongst the personnel systems? What happens to the expertise? These are just a few questions I am left with. Its nice to make vast sweeping statements. Almost sounds like he is running for office. But I'd like to see how he would propose doing this.
He then goes on to say that the Air Force is not at war. Now, don't get me wrong, I like to give my counterparts in the Air Force a hard time as much as the next grunt, but they are shouldering more then their share of the weight. They are moving us back and forth. They are flying all of our supplies in and out of theater. They are conducting taskings as advisors in Afghanistan. They are flying close air support for us. The list goes on and on. His statement is outright a fallacy and I am personally offended for my brethren in the Air Force.
His next shot is at the personnel system claiming that, "Any soldier passed over for promotion twice must leave or retire." News flash, this was suspended back during the early days of the Global War On Terror. In addition, I can not speak for the Navy or the Marines, but I know within the Army people have been bending over backwards to assist people stay in who are deserving of that. So again, the facts are not correct, and I don't even know where he is getting info from at this point.
His final comments really got to me though:
"Last, Mr. Gates should urge President Obama to confer with Congress and introduce national service at age 18 for all Americans. Under such a system, young people from all classes and backgrounds would either serve in the military or do other essential work like intelligence assessment, conservation, antipoverty projects, educational tutoring, firefighting, policing, border security, disaster relief or care for the elderly. The best qualified would be assigned to the military.
The 1.6 million Americans who have served in the current wars represent less than one percent of all citizens. We need to spread the risk and burden of fighting our wars. If more of our national leaders had been in uniform, or knew they might have children at risk in war, their decisions during military confrontations might be better."
Ok, where do I start. First off, I do not want a draft military. The men and women that we have now, want to be here. They are motivated to be here, and have requested this mission. Their are no finer Soldiers to be found anywhere else in the world.
Secondly, we live in a Federal Style Republic. That means that people have the right to choose. Now, I am all for volunteering. I think it is a very good thing. I think we should do more of it. But, to place into law that people MUST do this, concerns me greatly. Where does it stop? What other legislation would we make to legislate people's lives?
Lastly, why would the military only get the best? Are you inferring that only the best of our society volunteer to serve in the military? I personally know many young men and women who are serving our nation as school teachers in the inner city. I know some that wanted to serve their country after 9-11 and joined the State Department and the CIA. The military is not for everyone. That does not mean they are less of a person or care about their country any less then I do.
Yes, I have gone to war twice now for my country. I have seen my men, shot, maimed, and killed for our great Nation. I have seen the blood, sweat, and tears that have been given for our Nation's Colors. BUT, if we forget who we are, what makes this nation great, and adopt this last idea, I fear that may all be in vain. The purpose of the government is to maintain life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all of our citizens. It is invested with the power of the people, by the people, and for the people. Not the other way around. Yes, some of us volunteer to serve within the military. But that is my choice. Others may not make that choice, and that is OK with me. If you think you owe us something, don't impress people into service, just tell us thank you.
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http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/21/opinion/21kane.html?_r=1&th&emc=th
His first assertion, in my humble opinion is just insane, "First, the Air Force should be eliminated, and its personnel and equipment integrated into the Army, Navy and Marine Corps." Then he goes on to say, "Yes, air power is a critical component of America’s arsenal. But the Army, Navy and Marines already maintain air wings within their expeditionary units."
Well first off, no, we in the Army do not maintain Air Wings. We have attack helicopter units, lift and recon squadrons, but no fixed wing fast mover types.
Secondly, how is this supposed to work? How does this all fit in? Who takes over basing? Who gets what? What happens amongst the personnel systems? What happens to the expertise? These are just a few questions I am left with. Its nice to make vast sweeping statements. Almost sounds like he is running for office. But I'd like to see how he would propose doing this.
He then goes on to say that the Air Force is not at war. Now, don't get me wrong, I like to give my counterparts in the Air Force a hard time as much as the next grunt, but they are shouldering more then their share of the weight. They are moving us back and forth. They are flying all of our supplies in and out of theater. They are conducting taskings as advisors in Afghanistan. They are flying close air support for us. The list goes on and on. His statement is outright a fallacy and I am personally offended for my brethren in the Air Force.
His next shot is at the personnel system claiming that, "Any soldier passed over for promotion twice must leave or retire." News flash, this was suspended back during the early days of the Global War On Terror. In addition, I can not speak for the Navy or the Marines, but I know within the Army people have been bending over backwards to assist people stay in who are deserving of that. So again, the facts are not correct, and I don't even know where he is getting info from at this point.
His final comments really got to me though:
"Last, Mr. Gates should urge President Obama to confer with Congress and introduce national service at age 18 for all Americans. Under such a system, young people from all classes and backgrounds would either serve in the military or do other essential work like intelligence assessment, conservation, antipoverty projects, educational tutoring, firefighting, policing, border security, disaster relief or care for the elderly. The best qualified would be assigned to the military.
The 1.6 million Americans who have served in the current wars represent less than one percent of all citizens. We need to spread the risk and burden of fighting our wars. If more of our national leaders had been in uniform, or knew they might have children at risk in war, their decisions during military confrontations might be better."
Ok, where do I start. First off, I do not want a draft military. The men and women that we have now, want to be here. They are motivated to be here, and have requested this mission. Their are no finer Soldiers to be found anywhere else in the world.
Secondly, we live in a Federal Style Republic. That means that people have the right to choose. Now, I am all for volunteering. I think it is a very good thing. I think we should do more of it. But, to place into law that people MUST do this, concerns me greatly. Where does it stop? What other legislation would we make to legislate people's lives?
Lastly, why would the military only get the best? Are you inferring that only the best of our society volunteer to serve in the military? I personally know many young men and women who are serving our nation as school teachers in the inner city. I know some that wanted to serve their country after 9-11 and joined the State Department and the CIA. The military is not for everyone. That does not mean they are less of a person or care about their country any less then I do.
Yes, I have gone to war twice now for my country. I have seen my men, shot, maimed, and killed for our great Nation. I have seen the blood, sweat, and tears that have been given for our Nation's Colors. BUT, if we forget who we are, what makes this nation great, and adopt this last idea, I fear that may all be in vain. The purpose of the government is to maintain life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all of our citizens. It is invested with the power of the people, by the people, and for the people. Not the other way around. Yes, some of us volunteer to serve within the military. But that is my choice. Others may not make that choice, and that is OK with me. If you think you owe us something, don't impress people into service, just tell us thank you.
God Bless America
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Pakistan
This is starting to worry me more and more. If Pakistan goes south then it is going to make a stable Afghanistan almost impossible. That's just my personal opinion, but think about these dynamics.
1. The border between Pakistan and Afghanistan is largely porous. Infiltration is difficult but not impossible.
2. This would completely secure a legal base of operations within Pakistan. This is almost the case now, but this would make it completely legal. In addition they would have no issues maintaining supply lines of communication to these staging bases.
3. Planning and training could be conducted with only space, sky, and covert assets. You would not have any semblance of cooperation with Pakistan Authorities.
4. They have nuclear weapons.
Those are just my top four. I can think of a lot more, but you get the picture. Its ugly.
From Fox News:
Pakistani paramilitary forces rushing to protect government buildings and bridges in a Taliban-infiltrated district just 60 miles from the capital were met with gunfire Thursday that killed one police officer, authorities said.
It was not immediately clear if the gunmen were Taliban militants, but the clash in Buner district is likely to heighten concern about the viability of a government-backed peace deal with the Taliban in northwest Pakistan.
The deal imposes Islamic law in a large segment of the country's northwest in exchange for peace with Taliban militants in the neighboring Swat Valley.
In recent days, the valley's militants have entered Buner in large numbers — establishing checkpoints, patrolling roads and spreading fear. Their movement has bolstered critics' claims that the deal would merely embolden the militants to spread their reign to other parts of the province bordering Afghanistan.
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1. The border between Pakistan and Afghanistan is largely porous. Infiltration is difficult but not impossible.
2. This would completely secure a legal base of operations within Pakistan. This is almost the case now, but this would make it completely legal. In addition they would have no issues maintaining supply lines of communication to these staging bases.
3. Planning and training could be conducted with only space, sky, and covert assets. You would not have any semblance of cooperation with Pakistan Authorities.
4. They have nuclear weapons.
Those are just my top four. I can think of a lot more, but you get the picture. Its ugly.
From Fox News:
Pakistani paramilitary forces rushing to protect government buildings and bridges in a Taliban-infiltrated district just 60 miles from the capital were met with gunfire Thursday that killed one police officer, authorities said.
It was not immediately clear if the gunmen were Taliban militants, but the clash in Buner district is likely to heighten concern about the viability of a government-backed peace deal with the Taliban in northwest Pakistan.
The deal imposes Islamic law in a large segment of the country's northwest in exchange for peace with Taliban militants in the neighboring Swat Valley.
In recent days, the valley's militants have entered Buner in large numbers — establishing checkpoints, patrolling roads and spreading fear. Their movement has bolstered critics' claims that the deal would merely embolden the militants to spread their reign to other parts of the province bordering Afghanistan.
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Secretary Of State Perspective On Pakistan
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/04/23/clinton-raises-alarms-spiraling-security-pakistan/
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is raising alarms that the Pakistani government is losing control of its country and ceding ground to Taliban extremists, as she presses lawmakers to approve fresh funding for the region.
In back-to-back days of testimony on Capitol Hill, Clinton raised concern that government-backed law enforcement was losing the northwest region of the country.
"We have to try to strengthen civilian law enforcement" in those tribal areas, she told a House appropriations subcommittee Thursday, after calling the nuclear state a "mortal threat" to the security of the world a day before. "(The administration is) deeply concerned by the increasing insurgency that is destabilizing Pakistan."
Clinton had harsh words Wednesday for the country that is supposed to be the United States' key ally in the war against the Taliban and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan.
"I think that the Pakistani government is basically abdicating to the Taliban and to the extremists. But look at why this is happening," she told the House Foreign Affairs Committee. "If you talk to people in Pakistan, especially in the ungoverned territories, which are increasing in number, they don't believe the state has a judiciary system that works."
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Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is raising alarms that the Pakistani government is losing control of its country and ceding ground to Taliban extremists, as she presses lawmakers to approve fresh funding for the region.
In back-to-back days of testimony on Capitol Hill, Clinton raised concern that government-backed law enforcement was losing the northwest region of the country.
"We have to try to strengthen civilian law enforcement" in those tribal areas, she told a House appropriations subcommittee Thursday, after calling the nuclear state a "mortal threat" to the security of the world a day before. "(The administration is) deeply concerned by the increasing insurgency that is destabilizing Pakistan."
Clinton had harsh words Wednesday for the country that is supposed to be the United States' key ally in the war against the Taliban and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan.
"I think that the Pakistani government is basically abdicating to the Taliban and to the extremists. But look at why this is happening," she told the House Foreign Affairs Committee. "If you talk to people in Pakistan, especially in the ungoverned territories, which are increasing in number, they don't believe the state has a judiciary system that works."
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Wednesday, April 22, 2009
More Disturbing News From Pakistan
From Fox News:
Taliban militants have extended their grip in northwestern Pakistan, pushing out from a valley where the government has agreed to impose Islamic law and patrolling villages as close as 60 miles from the capital.
Police and officials appear to have fled as armed militants also broadcast radio sermons and spread fear in Buner district, just 60 miles from Islamabad, officials and witnesses said Wednesday.
Pakistan's president signed off on the peace pact last week in hopes of calming Swat, where some two years of clashes between the Taliban and security forces have killed hundreds and displaced up to a third of the one-time tourist haven's 1.5 million residents.
Critics, including in Washington, have warned that the valley could become an officially sanctioned base for allies of Al Qaeda — and that it may be just the first domino in nuclear-armed Pakistan to fall to the Taliban.
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Taliban militants have extended their grip in northwestern Pakistan, pushing out from a valley where the government has agreed to impose Islamic law and patrolling villages as close as 60 miles from the capital.
Police and officials appear to have fled as armed militants also broadcast radio sermons and spread fear in Buner district, just 60 miles from Islamabad, officials and witnesses said Wednesday.
Pakistan's president signed off on the peace pact last week in hopes of calming Swat, where some two years of clashes between the Taliban and security forces have killed hundreds and displaced up to a third of the one-time tourist haven's 1.5 million residents.
Critics, including in Washington, have warned that the valley could become an officially sanctioned base for allies of Al Qaeda — and that it may be just the first domino in nuclear-armed Pakistan to fall to the Taliban.
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This Is Pretty Cool
Good idea. The only question I would have is what level would this operate at, and who is going to operate it? Do I have to pull another man out of the platoon or company to operate it? Great idea, but there is always a cost associated with anything.
From the article on Fox News:
The U.S. Army is testing the Autonomous Rotorcraft Sniper System (ARSS) — a remote-controlled unmanned Vigilante robot helicopter equipped with a high-velocity sniper rifle.
Its RND Edge semi-automatic gun is mounted on a self-stabilizing turret with built-in zoom camera, and fires 7 to 10 precisely aimed .338-caliber rounds per second.
Back on the ground, a human directs it using a modified Xbox 360 controller, which plugs into a laptop so that the operator can see what the drone sees.
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Tuesday, April 21, 2009
More Issues With Somali Pirates
I hate to sound like a broken record on this subject, but until there is a policy statement and strategy from NATO and or the US on this subject, things like this are going to continue to happen.
From Fox News:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,517311,00.html
Dutch marines board a fishing boat and free two dozen Yemenis from Somali pirates. They seize and destroy AK-47s and a rocket-propelled grenade launcher but then put the nine bandits back in their skiff and set them free.
The Dutch government says its navy made a mistake, but Saturday's catch and release in the Gulf of Aden underscores confusion over what to do with captured pirates — and led to calls in Washington for tougher NATO action.
The Dutch marines were among a NATO flotilla that has helped fend off several pirate attacks in recent days in the crowded shipping lane off Somalia's coast; in each case the culprits were released amid questions over jurisdiction to arrest them.
That drew criticism from the Obama administration, which killed three Somali pirates and arrested one in the dramatic April 12 rescue of an American cargo ship's captain. The surviving pirate was arrested and sent to New York for trial.
Releasing pirates "sends the wrong signal," Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said after meeting her Dutch counterpart Maxime Verhagen in Washington on Monday. Both ministers said they would push for NATO to begin arresting pirates.
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From Fox News:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,517311,00.html
Dutch marines board a fishing boat and free two dozen Yemenis from Somali pirates. They seize and destroy AK-47s and a rocket-propelled grenade launcher but then put the nine bandits back in their skiff and set them free.
The Dutch government says its navy made a mistake, but Saturday's catch and release in the Gulf of Aden underscores confusion over what to do with captured pirates — and led to calls in Washington for tougher NATO action.
The Dutch marines were among a NATO flotilla that has helped fend off several pirate attacks in recent days in the crowded shipping lane off Somalia's coast; in each case the culprits were released amid questions over jurisdiction to arrest them.
That drew criticism from the Obama administration, which killed three Somali pirates and arrested one in the dramatic April 12 rescue of an American cargo ship's captain. The surviving pirate was arrested and sent to New York for trial.
Releasing pirates "sends the wrong signal," Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said after meeting her Dutch counterpart Maxime Verhagen in Washington on Monday. Both ministers said they would push for NATO to begin arresting pirates.
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Monday, April 20, 2009
Change Of Mission, Off To Afghanistan
From Fox News:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,517227,00.html
Only in Iraq a few weeks, nearly 500 U.S. Army combat engineers who specialize in clearing roads of explosives learned they were being shipped off to southern Afghanistan, one of the clearest signs of America's shifting wartime priorities. The transfer, which moved into its final stages Monday, is the largest movement so far of personnel and equipment from Iraq as President Obama puts the focus on the fight in the Taliban heartland.
"We are probably going to be the beginning of the influx you are going to see to Afghanistan," Lt. Col. Kevin Landers, commander of the Fort Carson, Colo.-based 4th Engineer Battalion, said as crews packed crates and cleaned vehicles for the flight to Kandahar.
It's now clear some of the troops and firepower will flow directly from Iraq, where the Pentagon plans to gradually draw down its more than 132,000 personnel before the withdrawal of all combat forces by September 2010.
Obama has ordered 17,000 more U.S. soldiers and Marines to Afghanistan to bolster the 38,000 American troops already battling the resurgent Taliban.
"We are going to take this footprint out of Iraq," said Landers, whose battalion received word of its reassignment last month just after taking command of clearing roads in Baghdad of bombs and debris.
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http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,517227,00.html
Only in Iraq a few weeks, nearly 500 U.S. Army combat engineers who specialize in clearing roads of explosives learned they were being shipped off to southern Afghanistan, one of the clearest signs of America's shifting wartime priorities. The transfer, which moved into its final stages Monday, is the largest movement so far of personnel and equipment from Iraq as President Obama puts the focus on the fight in the Taliban heartland.
"We are probably going to be the beginning of the influx you are going to see to Afghanistan," Lt. Col. Kevin Landers, commander of the Fort Carson, Colo.-based 4th Engineer Battalion, said as crews packed crates and cleaned vehicles for the flight to Kandahar.
It's now clear some of the troops and firepower will flow directly from Iraq, where the Pentagon plans to gradually draw down its more than 132,000 personnel before the withdrawal of all combat forces by September 2010.
Obama has ordered 17,000 more U.S. soldiers and Marines to Afghanistan to bolster the 38,000 American troops already battling the resurgent Taliban.
"We are going to take this footprint out of Iraq," said Landers, whose battalion received word of its reassignment last month just after taking command of clearing roads in Baghdad of bombs and debris.
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Iran At It Again
And we are even considering talking to him?
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,517151,00.html
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad unleashed a blistering attack Monday against Israel and the United States, calling the Jewish state "racist" and lashing out at Americans for their support.
Ahmadinejad called Israel the "most cruel and racist regime."
He followed by blaming the United States, Europe and Israel for the world's financial crisis, but shrugged off a question later about whether the U.S. not attending the conference would further hurt relations between the two countries.
"We should listen to all and choose the best of the ideas," Ahmadinejad said at a news confercence after his speech.
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http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,517151,00.html
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad unleashed a blistering attack Monday against Israel and the United States, calling the Jewish state "racist" and lashing out at Americans for their support.
Ahmadinejad called Israel the "most cruel and racist regime."
He followed by blaming the United States, Europe and Israel for the world's financial crisis, but shrugged off a question later about whether the U.S. not attending the conference would further hurt relations between the two countries.
"We should listen to all and choose the best of the ideas," Ahmadinejad said at a news confercence after his speech.
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Sunday, April 19, 2009
Great Event
I don't even come close to the followership and number of readers Chuck has, but I have to pass this on. If for some reason you have missed his blog, I highly recommend you read it. Chuck and his Code Monkey run a first class blog that I read and follow multiple times a day. My hat is off to them, for all that they do for wounded Soldiers / Hero's; and to Chuck for all that he does while being a wounded Soldier / Hero himself. He is truly a class-act, an exemplary officer, and one helluva an American.
http://tcoverride.blogspot.com/
http://www.active.com/donate/2009FOA/CZiegen1
http://www.worldteamsports.org/
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http://tcoverride.blogspot.com/
http://www.active.com/donate/2009FOA/CZiegen1
http://www.worldteamsports.org/
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News Brief On Pakistan
Suspected US Missile Strike in Pakistan:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,517081,00.html
More Aid To Pakistan:
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2009/04/20094184031943503.html
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http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,517081,00.html
More Aid To Pakistan:
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2009/04/20094184031943503.html
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Saturday, April 18, 2009
Additional Information On Pakistan
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2009/04/20094181144454174.html
The attack was condemned as a "cowardly act of terrorism" in a statement from the office of Yousuf Raza Gilani, the prime minister, which added that the government would use an "iron hand" against opposition fighters.
The checkpoint is near the Orakzai tribal region in Pakistan, which has emerged in
recent months as stronghold for pro-Taliban fighters who have stepped up their battle against the government.
Western nations are pressing Pakistan to take greater action against pro-Taliban forces and al-Qaeda elements in the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan.
I fear we are going to see more of this. The largest issue is that everything that happens within Pakistan is completely tied to actions in Afghanistan. More to follow on this as the spring months continue.
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The attack was condemned as a "cowardly act of terrorism" in a statement from the office of Yousuf Raza Gilani, the prime minister, which added that the government would use an "iron hand" against opposition fighters.
The checkpoint is near the Orakzai tribal region in Pakistan, which has emerged in
recent months as stronghold for pro-Taliban fighters who have stepped up their battle against the government.
Western nations are pressing Pakistan to take greater action against pro-Taliban forces and al-Qaeda elements in the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan.
I fear we are going to see more of this. The largest issue is that everything that happens within Pakistan is completely tied to actions in Afghanistan. More to follow on this as the spring months continue.
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More Information On Pirates
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,517042,00.html
NATO forces rescued 20 fishermen from pirates who launched the latest attack in the Gulf of Aden on Saturday, but let the Somali hijackers go because they had no authority to arrest them.
The release underscored the difficulties of stopping the skyrocketing piracy scourge in the Horn of Africa, where sea bandits also seized a Belgian-flagged ship carrying 10 foreign crew near the Seychelles islands and started hauling it toward Somalia.
"There isn't a silver bullet" to solve the problem, said Roger Middleton, a piracy expert at London-based think-tank Chatham House. He said it's common for patrolling warships to disarm then free brigands because they have rarely have jurisdiction to try them.
Pirate attacks have increased in recent weeks, with fishermen-turned-gunmen from Somalia searching for targets further out to sea as ships try to avoid the anarchic, clan-ruled nation.
Pirates have attacked more than 80 boats this year alone, nearly four times the number assaulted in 2003, according to the Kuala Lumpur-based International Maritime Bureau. They now hold at least 18 ships and over 310 crew hostage, according to an Associated Press count.
Well they are correct unless the US and NATO put forth a policy statement and a strategy this legal issue will remain just that, an issue.
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NATO forces rescued 20 fishermen from pirates who launched the latest attack in the Gulf of Aden on Saturday, but let the Somali hijackers go because they had no authority to arrest them.
The release underscored the difficulties of stopping the skyrocketing piracy scourge in the Horn of Africa, where sea bandits also seized a Belgian-flagged ship carrying 10 foreign crew near the Seychelles islands and started hauling it toward Somalia.
"There isn't a silver bullet" to solve the problem, said Roger Middleton, a piracy expert at London-based think-tank Chatham House. He said it's common for patrolling warships to disarm then free brigands because they have rarely have jurisdiction to try them.
Pirate attacks have increased in recent weeks, with fishermen-turned-gunmen from Somalia searching for targets further out to sea as ships try to avoid the anarchic, clan-ruled nation.
Pirates have attacked more than 80 boats this year alone, nearly four times the number assaulted in 2003, according to the Kuala Lumpur-based International Maritime Bureau. They now hold at least 18 ships and over 310 crew hostage, according to an Associated Press count.
Well they are correct unless the US and NATO put forth a policy statement and a strategy this legal issue will remain just that, an issue.
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Thursday, April 16, 2009
DHS Apology?
Like I said this morning, the pseudo-apology that was given this morning didn't do it for me. I was deeply offended the first day the report came out, more so the day after when the DHS Director defended it, and still offended after 48 hours of public outcry when she said that an apology might be needed if people took it the wrong way.
Extremism, whether it is right or left wing, is plain wrong. But we need to be very careful when we use that word and accuse people of being a threat. That is the problem with the report in my opinion. It is very vague and throws around a great deal of identifiers that I have trouble swallowing. Just one in particular was the returning veterans, but obviously that struck the largest chord with me.
I read the entire report three times, and I was flabbergasted by it. The fact that veterans were singled out, surprised me on some levels, but on others it did not. Over the last four years I have traveled a great deal. Over 90% of the time I have gone through the security lines at airports, I have been pulled out for extra screenings. After about 10 of these I asked the young man why? What about me was generating this signal to them? His answer shocked me. He said that he had been told military looking people needed to be watched. To this day, I am still left with a sense of disbelief.
Now on top of that experience, I am reading this document. In it, it clearly states that returning veterans are of a much higher risk to become right wing dangerous extremists. By that statement, and logical deduction and simple math, it is stating, that some of our returning veterans will become threats to the nation. From that statement and this policy letter, that means that the DHS will target returning veterans for increased surveillance. That is why these policy white papers are written; to inform people on appropriate actions.
That is the crux of my offense to this policy. An apology is one thing. Withdrawing the study and having it rewritten is another. If the DHS wants to truly apologize to Veterans and make a difference they will withdraw the policy white paper completely.
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Extremism, whether it is right or left wing, is plain wrong. But we need to be very careful when we use that word and accuse people of being a threat. That is the problem with the report in my opinion. It is very vague and throws around a great deal of identifiers that I have trouble swallowing. Just one in particular was the returning veterans, but obviously that struck the largest chord with me.
I read the entire report three times, and I was flabbergasted by it. The fact that veterans were singled out, surprised me on some levels, but on others it did not. Over the last four years I have traveled a great deal. Over 90% of the time I have gone through the security lines at airports, I have been pulled out for extra screenings. After about 10 of these I asked the young man why? What about me was generating this signal to them? His answer shocked me. He said that he had been told military looking people needed to be watched. To this day, I am still left with a sense of disbelief.
Now on top of that experience, I am reading this document. In it, it clearly states that returning veterans are of a much higher risk to become right wing dangerous extremists. By that statement, and logical deduction and simple math, it is stating, that some of our returning veterans will become threats to the nation. From that statement and this policy letter, that means that the DHS will target returning veterans for increased surveillance. That is why these policy white papers are written; to inform people on appropriate actions.
That is the crux of my offense to this policy. An apology is one thing. Withdrawing the study and having it rewritten is another. If the DHS wants to truly apologize to Veterans and make a difference they will withdraw the policy white paper completely.
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Why I Don't Watch CNN / MSNBC Anymore....
First off lets put all political persuasions aside. I am a firm believer that as a military officer, in public forum, I am completely A-Political. I am not going to try to lie to you, that within the privacy of my own home, I don't have certain beliefs. But, I will never espouse them publicly. We are servants of the people of this country, all citizens, not just one persuasion of thought.
This went over the line though yesterday. No matter where you stand on the Tax Day Tea Parties that occurred yesterday, these were American Citizens utilizing their Constitutional Right to assemble and protest what they believed to be wrong actions by the government. I have watched numerous times anti-war protests or environmental protests occurring, and covered by CNN and MSNBC with not one derogatory comment made.
But, as I flipped around last night between channels, all I heard on CNN and MSNBC was filth mouthed defamation of these American Citizens. Fox News even had an article on it this morning that is included at the conclusion of my post.
Who do these people think they are? Do they think they are better then anyone else? I have news for you, you are not. Your job is to tell the American People the news not take cheap pot-shots at a group that you don't agree with. To me, this more then anything, displayed an elitist attitude that I don't have to listen to. My TV won't be turned to any of them again. I'll be sticking with FOX, BBC, and Al Jazeera English. At least Al Jazeera English does a semi-decent job of covering their agenda, or at a minimum they tell you its a personal opinion.
God Bless America
Bryan
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/04/16/cable-anchors-guests-use-tea-parties-platform-frat-house-humor/ Sphere: Related Content
This went over the line though yesterday. No matter where you stand on the Tax Day Tea Parties that occurred yesterday, these were American Citizens utilizing their Constitutional Right to assemble and protest what they believed to be wrong actions by the government. I have watched numerous times anti-war protests or environmental protests occurring, and covered by CNN and MSNBC with not one derogatory comment made.
But, as I flipped around last night between channels, all I heard on CNN and MSNBC was filth mouthed defamation of these American Citizens. Fox News even had an article on it this morning that is included at the conclusion of my post.
Who do these people think they are? Do they think they are better then anyone else? I have news for you, you are not. Your job is to tell the American People the news not take cheap pot-shots at a group that you don't agree with. To me, this more then anything, displayed an elitist attitude that I don't have to listen to. My TV won't be turned to any of them again. I'll be sticking with FOX, BBC, and Al Jazeera English. At least Al Jazeera English does a semi-decent job of covering their agenda, or at a minimum they tell you its a personal opinion.
God Bless America
Bryan
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/04/16/cable-anchors-guests-use-tea-parties-platform-frat-house-humor/ Sphere: Related Content
DHS Apologizes....
I will be talking more on this tonight. In short I'm not buying it. Personally, I'm still offended on a number of levels.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/04/16/napolitano-apologizes-offending-veterans-dhs-eyes-rightwing-extremism/
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http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/04/16/napolitano-apologizes-offending-veterans-dhs-eyes-rightwing-extremism/
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Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Great New Army Unit Website
The 3rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command sent me the link to their website this weekend and I was quite impressed. Lots of great stories about their mission, and about their tremendous Soldiers carrying out some very heroic and dangerous missions across Iraq. Check them out. Ill be talking more about them in the days to come.
http://www.army.mil/info/organization/unitsandcommands/commandstructure/3rdesc/
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http://www.army.mil/info/organization/unitsandcommands/commandstructure/3rdesc/
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More on Pirates and Policy
Well the pirates turned around and grabbed four more ships today. Many of the MSM pundits were feigning shock over this "escalation." Unfortunately, I wasn't that shocked.
They talk via satellite phones, and they moved where there were no Naval Ships. Without a plan, and a policy on a way forward, it is sad to say but this will continue.
Strategy is imperative on formulating a policy on a situation like this. We must decide and publicly proclaim what that will be. Without one, I fear, this will just continue.
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They talk via satellite phones, and they moved where there were no Naval Ships. Without a plan, and a policy on a way forward, it is sad to say but this will continue.
Strategy is imperative on formulating a policy on a situation like this. We must decide and publicly proclaim what that will be. Without one, I fear, this will just continue.
God Bless America
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Monday, April 13, 2009
Piracy and Policy
This situation has many implications. Some are immediate, and some are long term. But, make no mistake, we need to choose the correct way forward. These pirates are tied to terrorist elements and the money they are gaining through piracy is being used to support terrorism. This has to be stopped. If we still had a Global War on Terror I would say it is a vital front to contend with right now.
First off, my opinion of a way forward.
1. Arm the crews. I'm not advocating automatic weapons or anything outrageous. But these sailors need at a minimum semi-automatic rifles, shotguns, and pistols. Truthfully in a situation like this I would want a nice 12 gauge sawed off shotgun with buckshot or flechette ammo. This would give them an ability to defend themselves and their ship.
2. Enhance and increase the presence of the 5th Fleet in this region. Frigates, Destroyers, and an Expeditionary Strike Group would go a long way in securing the sea lanes off of Somalia. Give them a very clear ROE, you see pirates, you kill / capture them.
3. Engage NATO / EU and India to assist in this patrolling effort. The UN will never put together a resolution. But that does not mean, that ourselves, the European Allies, and the Indians couldn't form a coalition against this menace.
4. Conduct limited surgical strikes against Pirate Hard Sites. Destroy their mother-ships, destroy their base camps, and destroy any Command and Control nodes (if there is any).
5. Utilizing USAFRICOM as lead agency, in conjunction with NATO / EU, engage the African Union to deal with the internal instability and complete lack of government in Somalia.
As you can see, the first four points are the initial kinetic responses. But, number 5 is the most important. Only through the African Union working to deal with the instability in Somalia will there be a long term solution. We could kill every pirate we could find, and they would only continue to produce more. The instability in Somalia is the base line issue that must be addressed.
This is the exact reason USAFRICOM was created, and now its time for them to shine; and I know they will.
God Bless America
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First off, my opinion of a way forward.
1. Arm the crews. I'm not advocating automatic weapons or anything outrageous. But these sailors need at a minimum semi-automatic rifles, shotguns, and pistols. Truthfully in a situation like this I would want a nice 12 gauge sawed off shotgun with buckshot or flechette ammo. This would give them an ability to defend themselves and their ship.
2. Enhance and increase the presence of the 5th Fleet in this region. Frigates, Destroyers, and an Expeditionary Strike Group would go a long way in securing the sea lanes off of Somalia. Give them a very clear ROE, you see pirates, you kill / capture them.
3. Engage NATO / EU and India to assist in this patrolling effort. The UN will never put together a resolution. But that does not mean, that ourselves, the European Allies, and the Indians couldn't form a coalition against this menace.
4. Conduct limited surgical strikes against Pirate Hard Sites. Destroy their mother-ships, destroy their base camps, and destroy any Command and Control nodes (if there is any).
5. Utilizing USAFRICOM as lead agency, in conjunction with NATO / EU, engage the African Union to deal with the internal instability and complete lack of government in Somalia.
As you can see, the first four points are the initial kinetic responses. But, number 5 is the most important. Only through the African Union working to deal with the instability in Somalia will there be a long term solution. We could kill every pirate we could find, and they would only continue to produce more. The instability in Somalia is the base line issue that must be addressed.
This is the exact reason USAFRICOM was created, and now its time for them to shine; and I know they will.
God Bless America
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Sunday, April 12, 2009
Captain Phillips
I'm sure more info will continue to come out, but here is a decent wrap up as of right now.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,514775,00.html
Bottom Line: Captain Phillips is safe. He and the brave men of the US Navy are heros.
I will be talking about the future implications tomorrow.
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http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,514775,00.html
Bottom Line: Captain Phillips is safe. He and the brave men of the US Navy are heros.
I will be talking about the future implications tomorrow.
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Captain Freed Confirmation
Now, its confirmed. Great news story. Again, the story is saying he jumped overboard and the Navy grabbed him up quickly. Great job Captain Phillips. You are truly one hell of a Captain.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,514719,00.html
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http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,514719,00.html
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Captain Freed?
I'm seeing sporadic reports on AJE, Reuters, and FOX that undisclosed sources are saying the Captain has been freed from the Pirates. They are unsubstantiated at this time and from anonymous sources. Stay tuned for more info.
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Happy Easter
Everyone, Happy Easter. I sincerely hope that you and yours have a great day and a very Happy Easter.
To all my brethren overseas, Happy Easter, stay safe, grab a little something to eat, and we'll see you all soon on the high ground.
God Bless America and may he always be with our Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Coast Guardsmen, and Airmen.
Bryan Sphere: Related Content
To all my brethren overseas, Happy Easter, stay safe, grab a little something to eat, and we'll see you all soon on the high ground.
God Bless America and may he always be with our Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Coast Guardsmen, and Airmen.
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Saturday, April 11, 2009
Army Warrior Soldier of the Week
CPL Ayers was one heck of a man and soldier. I knew him, and he was the epitomy of all that is good and true about the United States Army and it's unbelievable Soldiers. He will be greatly missed. I count myself truly blessed everyday to be counted among them.
Please click on the photo for the close-up version.
God Bless CPL Ayers, his Family, and the United States of America.
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Friday, April 10, 2009
Code Pink Newest Silliness
Well they are at it again. Code Pink has given out their newest policy statement about Iraq and Afghanistan, and like normal, they are way off base. Well, they are so far outside the ballpark of sanity I don't think they can see the parking lot never mind the bases, but that's a different issue for later discussion.
Tonight I am going to focus on what they said in their policy statement dated March 27, 2009. Every quote I use is a direct lift from their policy statement. The link is directly below.
http://www.codepink4peace.org/article.php?id=4793
CODEPINK calls for a reallocation of war funds into the needs of the American people: health care, education and infrastructure, a rapid withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Afghanistan, the closing of bases, and tireless diplomatic engagement with Afghan and Pakistan governments.
I'm not going to discuss the financial situation. We all know it's pretty bad. But the most important part is their last statement about stopping the tireless diplomatic engagements. First off I always thought Code Pink says we should talk to people? Second, then what is the alternative? We don't talk to anyone? We become isolationist, and withdraw from the world? We just leave all of these people (to include the women and children that they say they champion) to death and torture at the hands of the extremists? Hate to say it there Code Pink, but that has gotten us into trouble a number of times in the past. Never seems to work out well. Personally, I don't exactly like the idea of leaving women and children to death, famine, rape, and torture.
"Sending more Americans to kill and die in a quagmire in Afghanistan is a tragic mistake," said Medea Benjamin, co-founder of CODEPINK. "Obama needs to live up to his promise of change by reversing course — focusing on negotiations and bringing our troops home."
OK, wait, let me get this straight, now you want to negotiate? I'm confused, above you said that we needed to stop the tireless diplomatic efforts. Now we need to negotiate. Negotiate with whom? Negotiate with the hard line Taliban? Here's a little ray of insight for you. They don't negotiate; they stall, delay, and talk while they jockey and strategize for a better position. There is no negotiation with Muslim Extremists. Make no mistake either, you pull out, and there will be no moderate Taliban to talk to. They will either go along with the extremists or they will be killed.
In addition, if you pull out right now, you will destroy everything that you stand for. Code PINK says it stands for womens and childrens rights. News Flash, if the Taliban came back to power, there will be no womens or childrens rights. There won't be rights for anyone. Wear your beard too short, and your killed. Show an inch of skin in your burka, and your beheaded. You will cause a humanitarian crisis that the world has not seen before, if we were to withdraw immediately.
If you need an example, look at the butchery and savagery that happened when the Soviets withdrew and we abandoned our Afghan Allies.
Code Pink you have it wrong. Worse yet, you veil your comments under the premise of helping women and children. In all honesty, every single one of your comments would lead to the deaths and torture of tens of thousands. Not to mention the devastating damage to the US through your misguided and incorrect foreign policy assertions.
God Bless America
Bryan Sphere: Related Content
Tonight I am going to focus on what they said in their policy statement dated March 27, 2009. Every quote I use is a direct lift from their policy statement. The link is directly below.
http://www.codepink4peace.org/article.php?id=4793
CODEPINK calls for a reallocation of war funds into the needs of the American people: health care, education and infrastructure, a rapid withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Afghanistan, the closing of bases, and tireless diplomatic engagement with Afghan and Pakistan governments.
I'm not going to discuss the financial situation. We all know it's pretty bad. But the most important part is their last statement about stopping the tireless diplomatic engagements. First off I always thought Code Pink says we should talk to people? Second, then what is the alternative? We don't talk to anyone? We become isolationist, and withdraw from the world? We just leave all of these people (to include the women and children that they say they champion) to death and torture at the hands of the extremists? Hate to say it there Code Pink, but that has gotten us into trouble a number of times in the past. Never seems to work out well. Personally, I don't exactly like the idea of leaving women and children to death, famine, rape, and torture.
"Sending more Americans to kill and die in a quagmire in Afghanistan is a tragic mistake," said Medea Benjamin, co-founder of CODEPINK. "Obama needs to live up to his promise of change by reversing course — focusing on negotiations and bringing our troops home."
OK, wait, let me get this straight, now you want to negotiate? I'm confused, above you said that we needed to stop the tireless diplomatic efforts. Now we need to negotiate. Negotiate with whom? Negotiate with the hard line Taliban? Here's a little ray of insight for you. They don't negotiate; they stall, delay, and talk while they jockey and strategize for a better position. There is no negotiation with Muslim Extremists. Make no mistake either, you pull out, and there will be no moderate Taliban to talk to. They will either go along with the extremists or they will be killed.
In addition, if you pull out right now, you will destroy everything that you stand for. Code PINK says it stands for womens and childrens rights. News Flash, if the Taliban came back to power, there will be no womens or childrens rights. There won't be rights for anyone. Wear your beard too short, and your killed. Show an inch of skin in your burka, and your beheaded. You will cause a humanitarian crisis that the world has not seen before, if we were to withdraw immediately.
If you need an example, look at the butchery and savagery that happened when the Soviets withdrew and we abandoned our Afghan Allies.
Code Pink you have it wrong. Worse yet, you veil your comments under the premise of helping women and children. In all honesty, every single one of your comments would lead to the deaths and torture of tens of thousands. Not to mention the devastating damage to the US through your misguided and incorrect foreign policy assertions.
God Bless America
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Thursday, April 9, 2009
Pirate Update
Update as of 2200 Eastern Time:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,513797,00.html
It appears right now from Fox News and CNN reporting on television that another US Destroyer and the USS Wasp are enroute to the scene. That means US Marines are enroute, that's a good thing.
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http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,513797,00.html
It appears right now from Fox News and CNN reporting on television that another US Destroyer and the USS Wasp are enroute to the scene. That means US Marines are enroute, that's a good thing.
God Bless America
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Pirate Update
Update as of 1600 Eastern Time:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,513797,00.html
The U.S. military will increase its presence around Somali pirates near the Horn of Africa within two days, Gen. David Petraeus said.
Petraeus, the head of the U.S. Central Command, spoke in West Palm Beach, Fla. on Thursday as a hostage standoff with pirates continues off Africa.
He did not give specifics, but said "we want to ensure that we have all the capability that might be needed over the course of the coming days."
A U.S. official told the Associated Press that the Navy is talking to pirates holding the captain of the U.S.-flagged Maersk Alabama.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/04/09/ship.hijacked/index.html
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2009/04/200949154717534602.html
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http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,513797,00.html
The U.S. military will increase its presence around Somali pirates near the Horn of Africa within two days, Gen. David Petraeus said.
Petraeus, the head of the U.S. Central Command, spoke in West Palm Beach, Fla. on Thursday as a hostage standoff with pirates continues off Africa.
He did not give specifics, but said "we want to ensure that we have all the capability that might be needed over the course of the coming days."
A U.S. official told the Associated Press that the Navy is talking to pirates holding the captain of the U.S.-flagged Maersk Alabama.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/04/09/ship.hijacked/index.html
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2009/04/200949154717534602.html
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Using us against us....
This was pretty scary. I'm not all together surprised, but this is scary. The take-away is; if they can use our home based web hosting services, there is nothing stopping them from using those same services to access sites in the US from other US sites.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,513499,00.html
On March 25, a purported Taliban Web site called the voice of the "Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan" heralded a deadly attack on coalition forces in the country. The site claimed four soldiers were killed in the ambush and the "mujahideen took the weapons and ammunition as booty."
The message, while written by the Taliban across the globe, was broadcast from Texas.
Web hosts like ThePlanet, located in Houston, are falling victim to the militant efforts, renting cyberspace at inexpensive prices and unknowingly becoming the voice of extremists.
"The relatively cheap expense and high quality of U.S. servers seems to attract jihadists," Rita Katz, co-founder of the Site Intelligence Group, told the Post.
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http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,513499,00.html
On March 25, a purported Taliban Web site called the voice of the "Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan" heralded a deadly attack on coalition forces in the country. The site claimed four soldiers were killed in the ambush and the "mujahideen took the weapons and ammunition as booty."
The message, while written by the Taliban across the globe, was broadcast from Texas.
Web hosts like ThePlanet, located in Houston, are falling victim to the militant efforts, renting cyberspace at inexpensive prices and unknowingly becoming the voice of extremists.
"The relatively cheap expense and high quality of U.S. servers seems to attract jihadists," Rita Katz, co-founder of the Site Intelligence Group, told the Post.
God Bless America
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Further Update on Pirates
Update as of 0900 Eastern Time:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,513536,00.html
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http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,513536,00.html
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Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Pirate Update
Update as of 2000 Eastern Standard Time:
From Fox News:
The Sec State hit this one on the head. I wouldn't use the words take them out though. Too ambiguous for me. But, possibly, destroy Pirate Infrastructure, or attrit the Pirate's Network sounds like something I can understand and grab a task and purpose from, and it gives me a clear end-state.
But, this is a larger problem though. As long as there are large un-controlled areas with people who have no other form of income or security, there will be actions like this. Now, I am not advocating some type of large solely military action by any stretch. But this is why commands like USAFRICOM exist. To assist the host nations with both military efforts and the whole of government approach to more holistically deal with the challenges within that theater.
But, even larger then just us. This is something that the United States and the EU need to engage the African Union on, to more acutely deal with this issue from an African Perspective. Now that is getting somewhere.
God Bless America
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From Fox News:
The Sec State hit this one on the head. I wouldn't use the words take them out though. Too ambiguous for me. But, possibly, destroy Pirate Infrastructure, or attrit the Pirate's Network sounds like something I can understand and grab a task and purpose from, and it gives me a clear end-state.
But, this is a larger problem though. As long as there are large un-controlled areas with people who have no other form of income or security, there will be actions like this. Now, I am not advocating some type of large solely military action by any stretch. But this is why commands like USAFRICOM exist. To assist the host nations with both military efforts and the whole of government approach to more holistically deal with the challenges within that theater.
But, even larger then just us. This is something that the United States and the EU need to engage the African Union on, to more acutely deal with this issue from an African Perspective. Now that is getting somewhere.
God Bless America
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Pirate Update: Crew Retakes Ship But Captain Still Hostage?
Information on this one is sketchy, but here is the latest.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,513258,00.html
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http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,513258,00.html
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Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Tensions and North Korea
The movie Team America keeps running through my head and the sternly worded letter portion of it. If you haven't seen it, here's a quick summary:
North Korea: We don't have Nukes.
UN: I have to look for them anyway.
North Korea: What will you do if you happen to find some?
UN: We will send you a sternly worded letter, very sternly telling you that we are not happy with you.
Yes it's silly, and yes I left out most of the more colorful language ( I try to keep this PG at a minimum) but the point is very accurate. What is the UN willing to do, and who won?
By North Korea launching their missile they created tensions for everyone involved. The US, China, Japan, South Korea, and the UN. OK, maybe I went too far, the UN isn't too tense. But I digress. For the US, we are angry over them breaking the rules as we see it, launching a missile in our general direction, and possibly ruining chances for scrapping missile defense. (oops)
For China, this is causing them political headache akin to when one of your dogs keeps on barking at the neighbor. Its not really doing anything to them, but its annoying you and the neighbor.
Japan, well they are really the only ones who had a concrete worry / tension, since if the missile failed completely it probably would have landed on top of them or near them.
But, the North Koreans by causing all of this tension, got a lot of positives back. Iran has now seen them demonstrate an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile. Iran and other nations have seen them stand up to the rest of the world. The same thing they are trying to do. Finally, internally, the North Korean people are given an enemy again. They are told that the US tried to stop the launch. We were going to shoot it down. The same as Iran does. Giving their people an enemy to look at, so they don't notice everything else that is going on.
Sounds like a pretty good day. Even if the "satellite" didn't make it into orbit, they accomplished a lot. And just like in Team America, there was no sternly worded letter sent.
Am I frustrated...just a little...
God Bless America
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North Korea: We don't have Nukes.
UN: I have to look for them anyway.
North Korea: What will you do if you happen to find some?
UN: We will send you a sternly worded letter, very sternly telling you that we are not happy with you.
Yes it's silly, and yes I left out most of the more colorful language ( I try to keep this PG at a minimum) but the point is very accurate. What is the UN willing to do, and who won?
By North Korea launching their missile they created tensions for everyone involved. The US, China, Japan, South Korea, and the UN. OK, maybe I went too far, the UN isn't too tense. But I digress. For the US, we are angry over them breaking the rules as we see it, launching a missile in our general direction, and possibly ruining chances for scrapping missile defense. (oops)
For China, this is causing them political headache akin to when one of your dogs keeps on barking at the neighbor. Its not really doing anything to them, but its annoying you and the neighbor.
Japan, well they are really the only ones who had a concrete worry / tension, since if the missile failed completely it probably would have landed on top of them or near them.
But, the North Koreans by causing all of this tension, got a lot of positives back. Iran has now seen them demonstrate an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile. Iran and other nations have seen them stand up to the rest of the world. The same thing they are trying to do. Finally, internally, the North Korean people are given an enemy again. They are told that the US tried to stop the launch. We were going to shoot it down. The same as Iran does. Giving their people an enemy to look at, so they don't notice everything else that is going on.
Sounds like a pretty good day. Even if the "satellite" didn't make it into orbit, they accomplished a lot. And just like in Team America, there was no sternly worded letter sent.
Am I frustrated...just a little...
God Bless America
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The President in Iraq
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/04/07/president-obama-makes-surprise-visit-iraq/
Obama also met with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who said afterward that he had "assured the president that all the progress that has been made in the security area will continue."
Obama said he had "strongly encouraged" the Iraqi leader to take steps to unite political factions, including integrating Sunnis into the government and security forces.
Obama, who opposed the war in Iraq, said earlier that it is time for the Iraqis to "take responsibility for their country and for their sovereignty," which will require political accommodations. He said the U.S. "can't do it for them but what we can do is make sure that we're a stalwart partner that we are working alongside them."
Obama said U.S. troops will be committed to training security and civilian forces, which will help Iraq achieve a more effective government. He said the Iraqis will know that "they have a steady partner with us."
"You will be critical in terms of us being able to make sure that Iraq is stable that it is not a safe haven for terrorists, to make sure that they're a good neighbor and a good ally and we can start bringing our folks home," he said.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/07/obama/index.html
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Obama also met with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who said afterward that he had "assured the president that all the progress that has been made in the security area will continue."
Obama said he had "strongly encouraged" the Iraqi leader to take steps to unite political factions, including integrating Sunnis into the government and security forces.
Obama, who opposed the war in Iraq, said earlier that it is time for the Iraqis to "take responsibility for their country and for their sovereignty," which will require political accommodations. He said the U.S. "can't do it for them but what we can do is make sure that we're a stalwart partner that we are working alongside them."
Obama said U.S. troops will be committed to training security and civilian forces, which will help Iraq achieve a more effective government. He said the Iraqis will know that "they have a steady partner with us."
"You will be critical in terms of us being able to make sure that Iraq is stable that it is not a safe haven for terrorists, to make sure that they're a good neighbor and a good ally and we can start bringing our folks home," he said.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/07/obama/index.html
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Monday, April 6, 2009
Interesting Story From Afghanistan
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/04/06/envoys-hear-mix-approval-concern-afghan-war-strategy/
"No problem in Afghanistan can be solved by fighting," the mullah, speaking through an interpreter, told veteran diplomat Richard Holbrooke and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on Monday during their fact-finding tour.
Urging the Afghan government to grant a general amnesty for all insurgents, the mullah warned: "Don't tell the Taliban to lay down their weapons or to surrender. They will never do that."
The response from the Afghans appeared generally positive, although some were outspoken in their suspicions of the U.S. military's new tack.
In his opening remarks to Holbrooke, the most senior mullah on the Ulema Council -- the highest religious authority in Afghanistan -- said that Afghans are pleased that the U.S. has adopted a new war strategy. And he said the religious leaders have resisted demands by the Taliban to issue decrees against the Americans, whom the Taliban view as occupiers.
"Our answer to them was that the Russians were invaders and occupiers," the mullah said, referring to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, which led to years of occupation that ended after U.S.-armed resistance forces fought a bloody insurgency. "The U.S. and NATO are here to help us."
The mullah and other Afghans who met with Holbrooke and Mullen were not shy about criticizing the American efforts.
"We also have some complaints against you," the senior mullah said, focusing on the failure to stop the infiltration into Afghanistan from neighboring Pakistan of Taliban and other insurgent elements.
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"No problem in Afghanistan can be solved by fighting," the mullah, speaking through an interpreter, told veteran diplomat Richard Holbrooke and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on Monday during their fact-finding tour.
Urging the Afghan government to grant a general amnesty for all insurgents, the mullah warned: "Don't tell the Taliban to lay down their weapons or to surrender. They will never do that."
The response from the Afghans appeared generally positive, although some were outspoken in their suspicions of the U.S. military's new tack.
In his opening remarks to Holbrooke, the most senior mullah on the Ulema Council -- the highest religious authority in Afghanistan -- said that Afghans are pleased that the U.S. has adopted a new war strategy. And he said the religious leaders have resisted demands by the Taliban to issue decrees against the Americans, whom the Taliban view as occupiers.
"Our answer to them was that the Russians were invaders and occupiers," the mullah said, referring to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, which led to years of occupation that ended after U.S.-armed resistance forces fought a bloody insurgency. "The U.S. and NATO are here to help us."
The mullah and other Afghans who met with Holbrooke and Mullen were not shy about criticizing the American efforts.
"We also have some complaints against you," the senior mullah said, focusing on the failure to stop the infiltration into Afghanistan from neighboring Pakistan of Taliban and other insurgent elements.
God Bless America
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Defense Cuts 2
Here is the link to the speech given by The Honorable Robert M. Gates today:
http://www.defenselink.mil/speeches/speech.aspx?speechid=1341
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http://www.defenselink.mil/speeches/speech.aspx?speechid=1341
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Defense Cuts
Initial Report from FOX News:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/04/06/gates-calling-cuts-high-tech-weapons-programs/
Defense Secretary Robert Gates is proposing deep cuts to some big weapons programs such as the F-22 fighter jet as the Pentagon takes a hard look at how it spends money.
Gates announced a broad range of cuts Monday to weapons spending, saying he plans to cut programs ranging from a new helicopter for the president to ending production of the $140 billion F-22 fighter jet. The Army's modernization program would be scaled back, while a new satellite system and a search-and-rescue helicopter would be cut.
Gates says his budget will "profoundly reform" the way the Pentagon buys weapons and does business.
To fight new threats from insurgents, Gates is proposing more funding for special forces and other tools.
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http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/04/06/gates-calling-cuts-high-tech-weapons-programs/
Defense Secretary Robert Gates is proposing deep cuts to some big weapons programs such as the F-22 fighter jet as the Pentagon takes a hard look at how it spends money.
Gates announced a broad range of cuts Monday to weapons spending, saying he plans to cut programs ranging from a new helicopter for the president to ending production of the $140 billion F-22 fighter jet. The Army's modernization program would be scaled back, while a new satellite system and a search-and-rescue helicopter would be cut.
Gates says his budget will "profoundly reform" the way the Pentagon buys weapons and does business.
To fight new threats from insurgents, Gates is proposing more funding for special forces and other tools.
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More on North Korea
From Fox News:
From CNN:
Of course, there was no decisive action from the United Nation Security Council.
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From CNN:
Of course, there was no decisive action from the United Nation Security Council.
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Sunday, April 5, 2009
North Korea's Missile Launch
For all reports I've seen in the news, it seems like it was a dismal failure. Now the question that remains, and the most important one....will the United Nations be able to do anything about this that will make a difference? I'm not holding my breath....
God Bless America
Bryan
http://blog.wired.com/defense/2009/04/north-koreas-sa.html
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/04/05/prepares-emergency-session-gives-clues-north-korea/
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/04/05/north.korea.rocket/index.html Sphere: Related Content
God Bless America
Bryan
http://blog.wired.com/defense/2009/04/north-koreas-sa.html
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/04/05/prepares-emergency-session-gives-clues-north-korea/
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/04/05/north.korea.rocket/index.html Sphere: Related Content
Friday, April 3, 2009
This is a travesty......
This shocked me. I've worked with many interpreters that fit this mold. Absolutely honorable, courageous, and intelligent. To read this story absolutely was like getting kicked in the stomach. Read on below at FOX News and at Black Five.
Fox News Link:
An Iraqi translator who has earned commendations for risking his life repeatedly to save the lives of many American soldiers in combat has been denied a visa to live in the United States because of nonviolent actions he took to overthrow Saddam Hussein — at the same time the U.S. government was calling for regime change in Iraq.
Jasim, whose name is being withheld for his safety, has received strong support from the U.S. military, and the Department of Homeland Security approved his application for a visa. But the State Department has denied Jasim a visa because he was arrested in 1996 for actions against the Saddam dictatorship.
Some of Jasim's supporters, however, believe the real reason he's been denied a visa is that he has become a "nuisance" to State Department personnel at the Baghdad Embassy. The State Department, citing privacy concerns, declined to discuss Jasim's case.
Because Iraqi translators are seen by jihadists and former Baathists as "traitors," Jasim's life is at greater risk the longer he stays in Iraq, according to multiple State Department and U.S. military officials. A number of translators and their families have already been tortured and/or murdered.
Jasim said his stepbrother, in fact, was captured in the fall of 2007 and was tortured to death in an effort to get to him. The U.S. Army officer who received and processed the report on the murder, Major Leslie Parks, told FOXNews.com that Jasim's stepbrother was tortured with an electric drill through his eyes.
U.S. military officials familiar with Jasim's case believe that he will be in even greater danger after U.S. forces withdraw from most of Iraq next year.
The State Department, meanwhile, has told Jasim that he must wait three more years before he can apply for a waiver of its visa rejection.
Parks, who worked with Jasim and estimates that the translator has gone on 1,300 combat patrols, believes the State Department may be singling out Jasim for being a "nuisance."
"Jasim's been high-profile for a while, starting with being featured on 60 Minutes in early 2007 (as 'Timmy,' his previous cover name) about translators who weren't getting the visas, despite their lives being threatened," Parks said.
“He’s also been a whistleblower on a few occasions, exposing potentially embarrassing information regarding the Embassy and other U.S. and Iraqi government agencies operating in the Green Zone.”
Starting a few months ago, Jasim organized his fellow translators to oppose a provision negotiated by the State Department to hand over the names and personal information of all translators to the Iraqi government. Translators feared that their lives would be at risk if their identities were learned by Iraqis who view them as "traitors."
Making sure their voices would be heard, Jasim gathered a public meeting of over 100 translators in Baghdad last December — during the time his visa application was being processed.
In a FOXNews.com story on this issue in January, Jasim criticized the State Department's deal. "We work so hard to get the bad guys, to capture terrorists, and now, because of a political deal, they're putting our lives at risk," he said. FOXNews.com identified him only by first name in that story. The consular officer who denied Jasim's visa, though, admitted that he knew of Jasim's role in leading opposition to the release of translators' personal information.
For now, Jasim continues his work with U.S. forces, hoping that the country he has served loyally for the past three years will welcome him, his new wife and their baby. Asked if he regrets his decision to support the U.S., he replied, "No, I'm proud of what I've done. I have to do what is right."
Every day he walks out in public, Jasim knows he could be murdered for working with the U.S. He is much more worried, though, about the safety of his family.
From BlackFive:
God Bless America and may he be with Jasim; and my dearest hope that this is resolved quickly.
Bryan Sphere: Related Content
Fox News Link:
An Iraqi translator who has earned commendations for risking his life repeatedly to save the lives of many American soldiers in combat has been denied a visa to live in the United States because of nonviolent actions he took to overthrow Saddam Hussein — at the same time the U.S. government was calling for regime change in Iraq.
Jasim, whose name is being withheld for his safety, has received strong support from the U.S. military, and the Department of Homeland Security approved his application for a visa. But the State Department has denied Jasim a visa because he was arrested in 1996 for actions against the Saddam dictatorship.
Some of Jasim's supporters, however, believe the real reason he's been denied a visa is that he has become a "nuisance" to State Department personnel at the Baghdad Embassy. The State Department, citing privacy concerns, declined to discuss Jasim's case.
Because Iraqi translators are seen by jihadists and former Baathists as "traitors," Jasim's life is at greater risk the longer he stays in Iraq, according to multiple State Department and U.S. military officials. A number of translators and their families have already been tortured and/or murdered.
Jasim said his stepbrother, in fact, was captured in the fall of 2007 and was tortured to death in an effort to get to him. The U.S. Army officer who received and processed the report on the murder, Major Leslie Parks, told FOXNews.com that Jasim's stepbrother was tortured with an electric drill through his eyes.
U.S. military officials familiar with Jasim's case believe that he will be in even greater danger after U.S. forces withdraw from most of Iraq next year.
The State Department, meanwhile, has told Jasim that he must wait three more years before he can apply for a waiver of its visa rejection.
Parks, who worked with Jasim and estimates that the translator has gone on 1,300 combat patrols, believes the State Department may be singling out Jasim for being a "nuisance."
"Jasim's been high-profile for a while, starting with being featured on 60 Minutes in early 2007 (as 'Timmy,' his previous cover name) about translators who weren't getting the visas, despite their lives being threatened," Parks said.
“He’s also been a whistleblower on a few occasions, exposing potentially embarrassing information regarding the Embassy and other U.S. and Iraqi government agencies operating in the Green Zone.”
Starting a few months ago, Jasim organized his fellow translators to oppose a provision negotiated by the State Department to hand over the names and personal information of all translators to the Iraqi government. Translators feared that their lives would be at risk if their identities were learned by Iraqis who view them as "traitors."
Making sure their voices would be heard, Jasim gathered a public meeting of over 100 translators in Baghdad last December — during the time his visa application was being processed.
In a FOXNews.com story on this issue in January, Jasim criticized the State Department's deal. "We work so hard to get the bad guys, to capture terrorists, and now, because of a political deal, they're putting our lives at risk," he said. FOXNews.com identified him only by first name in that story. The consular officer who denied Jasim's visa, though, admitted that he knew of Jasim's role in leading opposition to the release of translators' personal information.
For now, Jasim continues his work with U.S. forces, hoping that the country he has served loyally for the past three years will welcome him, his new wife and their baby. Asked if he regrets his decision to support the U.S., he replied, "No, I'm proud of what I've done. I have to do what is right."
Every day he walks out in public, Jasim knows he could be murdered for working with the U.S. He is much more worried, though, about the safety of his family.
From BlackFive:
God Bless America and may he be with Jasim; and my dearest hope that this is resolved quickly.
Bryan Sphere: Related Content
Thursday, April 2, 2009
New Policy
Well, I can't say I agree. I'll talk about why below.
The Thunder Run posted this story a bit ago, and I had to comment. The link below is to their coverage of this.
http://www.thunderrun.us/2009/04/gates-releases-new-dover-media-policy.html
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has approved a policy change that, under strictly delineated conditions, allows media filming of dignified transfer operations of fallen service members' remains at Dover Air Force Base, Del.
The new policy is slated to be implemented, April 6, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman told reporters today. If immediate family members consent to media coverage, Whitman said, reporters would be provided the basic information on the servicemember and the expected time of arrival of the flight bearing the remains.
"The core of the policy," Whitman said, "is built around the desires of the family members, and it will be the families that decide whether or not media have access to any of these dignified transfers."
Per the memorandum, the following actions are to be taken in conjunction with implementation of the new policy:
-- The undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness and other Pentagon elements will revise defense regulatory documents to reflect the new policy at Dover;
-- Deceased service members' remains will be transferred from the combat theater of operations to the Dover facility as soon as possible;
-- The primary next of kin will make the family's decision regarding media access to dignified transfer operations at Dover;
-- Families of deceased service members will be briefed on the option to allow media coverage of the dignified transfer at the time of notification of the member's death or as soon as possible thereafter;
-- If the primary next of kin permits media access at Dover, reporters will be given the name, rank, military service and hometown of the "believed to be" casualty. A more complete identification of the deceased service member, including unit, place, date and circumstances of death, will be released following the confirmation of the casualty's identity at the Dover mortuary, and then only 24 hours after the last of the deceased's next of kin have been notified of the loss; and
-- Primary next of kin and two other family members may travel to Dover at department expense to observe the dignified transfer operation. The services may fund the travel of additional family members on a case-by-case basis.
With all respect, and I mean this completely, with all respect, I have to disagree. The point I disagree on is that fact that we will ask the primary next of kin what they want in regards to media. I can not even imagine being the Casualty Notification Officer or the Casualty Assistance Officer and having to ask this question. The next of kin are bombarded with emotions, grieving, and administrative issues enough at this point.
I've lost a good deal of friends both on my tours, and in between them. But, this is one question I can not even imagine asking the grieving widow.
God Bless America
Bryan Sphere: Related Content
The Thunder Run posted this story a bit ago, and I had to comment. The link below is to their coverage of this.
http://www.thunderrun.us/2009/04/gates-releases-new-dover-media-policy.html
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has approved a policy change that, under strictly delineated conditions, allows media filming of dignified transfer operations of fallen service members' remains at Dover Air Force Base, Del.
The new policy is slated to be implemented, April 6, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman told reporters today. If immediate family members consent to media coverage, Whitman said, reporters would be provided the basic information on the servicemember and the expected time of arrival of the flight bearing the remains.
"The core of the policy," Whitman said, "is built around the desires of the family members, and it will be the families that decide whether or not media have access to any of these dignified transfers."
Per the memorandum, the following actions are to be taken in conjunction with implementation of the new policy:
-- The undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness and other Pentagon elements will revise defense regulatory documents to reflect the new policy at Dover;
-- Deceased service members' remains will be transferred from the combat theater of operations to the Dover facility as soon as possible;
-- The primary next of kin will make the family's decision regarding media access to dignified transfer operations at Dover;
-- Families of deceased service members will be briefed on the option to allow media coverage of the dignified transfer at the time of notification of the member's death or as soon as possible thereafter;
-- If the primary next of kin permits media access at Dover, reporters will be given the name, rank, military service and hometown of the "believed to be" casualty. A more complete identification of the deceased service member, including unit, place, date and circumstances of death, will be released following the confirmation of the casualty's identity at the Dover mortuary, and then only 24 hours after the last of the deceased's next of kin have been notified of the loss; and
-- Primary next of kin and two other family members may travel to Dover at department expense to observe the dignified transfer operation. The services may fund the travel of additional family members on a case-by-case basis.
With all respect, and I mean this completely, with all respect, I have to disagree. The point I disagree on is that fact that we will ask the primary next of kin what they want in regards to media. I can not even imagine being the Casualty Notification Officer or the Casualty Assistance Officer and having to ask this question. The next of kin are bombarded with emotions, grieving, and administrative issues enough at this point.
I've lost a good deal of friends both on my tours, and in between them. But, this is one question I can not even imagine asking the grieving widow.
God Bless America
Bryan Sphere: Related Content
GEN Petraeus Statement on Pakistan and Afghanistan
This was quite interesting.....
From the NY Times:
Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top American commander for Iraq and Afghanistan, warned a Senate panel on Wednesday that militant extremists in Pakistan “could literally take down their state” if left unchallenged, as he and two other top officials presented a grim picture of growing dangers in the region.
Michele A. Flournoy, a top Defense Department official, told the panel that there would be “higher human costs” for the United States in Afghanistan this year, while the chief of the military’s Special Operations commandos, Adm. Eric T. Olson, called the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan “increasingly dire.”
The trio testified jointly before occasionally skeptical members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, who had their first chance to question in public some of the officials who helped formulate President Obama’s new strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, which was announced at the White House last week.
The panel pressed the officials on two major issues: how the Obama administration will measure progress in the region and whether Pakistan and its spy agency, the Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence, or ISI, can be trusted. Mr. Obama has promised more aid to Pakistan and called on its leaders to crack down on Al Qaeda and other militant groups that operate within its borders.
“How does this end?” asked Senator Jim Webb, Democrat of Virginia, echoing comments that General Petraeus once made when he was the commander in Iraq.
Ms. Flournoy responded that “a key point of defining success is when both the Afghans and the Pakistanis have both the capability and the will to deal with the remaining threat themselves.”
General Petraeus said that he would “echo” Ms. Flournoy and that “the task will be for them to shoulder the responsibilities of their own security.”
The general also said that the government was doing a “deep dive” of investigation into claims made Tuesday by the leader of the Pakistani Taliban, Baitullah Mehsud, that his group was planning an attack on Washington. American intelligence officials were dismissive of Mr. Mehsud’s claim, but General Petraeus told the panel that “any time there is any threat that could be against the homeland, I think you have to take it seriously.”
He added, “Obviously everyone is quite riveted on analyzing that and seeing what further we can find out about that.”
God Bless America
Bryan Sphere: Related Content
From the NY Times:
Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top American commander for Iraq and Afghanistan, warned a Senate panel on Wednesday that militant extremists in Pakistan “could literally take down their state” if left unchallenged, as he and two other top officials presented a grim picture of growing dangers in the region.
Michele A. Flournoy, a top Defense Department official, told the panel that there would be “higher human costs” for the United States in Afghanistan this year, while the chief of the military’s Special Operations commandos, Adm. Eric T. Olson, called the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan “increasingly dire.”
The trio testified jointly before occasionally skeptical members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, who had their first chance to question in public some of the officials who helped formulate President Obama’s new strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, which was announced at the White House last week.
The panel pressed the officials on two major issues: how the Obama administration will measure progress in the region and whether Pakistan and its spy agency, the Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence, or ISI, can be trusted. Mr. Obama has promised more aid to Pakistan and called on its leaders to crack down on Al Qaeda and other militant groups that operate within its borders.
“How does this end?” asked Senator Jim Webb, Democrat of Virginia, echoing comments that General Petraeus once made when he was the commander in Iraq.
Ms. Flournoy responded that “a key point of defining success is when both the Afghans and the Pakistanis have both the capability and the will to deal with the remaining threat themselves.”
General Petraeus said that he would “echo” Ms. Flournoy and that “the task will be for them to shoulder the responsibilities of their own security.”
The general also said that the government was doing a “deep dive” of investigation into claims made Tuesday by the leader of the Pakistani Taliban, Baitullah Mehsud, that his group was planning an attack on Washington. American intelligence officials were dismissive of Mr. Mehsud’s claim, but General Petraeus told the panel that “any time there is any threat that could be against the homeland, I think you have to take it seriously.”
He added, “Obviously everyone is quite riveted on analyzing that and seeing what further we can find out about that.”
God Bless America
Bryan Sphere: Related Content
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
New Vehicle
From Fox News:
Photo is from BAE Systems and Fox News.
I've only been in a MRAP a couple times. I'm a Stryker guy by nature. But from only those few times, yes, it wasn't what was needed in Afghanistan. The roads as they say below are absolutely horrible. From what I've read this has a lot of promise. I'm looking forward to going for a spin.
Ask any soldier who's been to both countries: Afghanistan is not Iraq. It's a different war against a different enemy in a different country with an entirely different terrain and altitude.
One thing is the same, though. The Improvised Explosive Device — the deadly "IED" roadside bombs that blew up Humvees and the soldiers inside them along the dusty roads of Iraq — is an equally effective weapon in the rocky steeps of Afghanistan.
When the Humvee proved unable to withstand IED attacks in Iraq, the U.S. military built a new vehicle — the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) — to replace it. And like a neglected sibling, the troops in Afghanistan automatically acquired the MRAP as a hand-me-down. It's the wrong vehicle for the new war
Enter the M-ATV.
A scaled-down, all-terrain, four-wheel offspring of the larger MRAP, the M-ATV is one of the first tactical vehicles designed specifically with Afghanistan in mind, and the Defense Department has put an urgent priority on getting it into the war zone by the end of this year.
“The M-ATV is designed to have the same level of protection as the previous MRAPs, but with the mobility of a Humvee,” says Steve Field, spokesman for BAE Systems, one of several competing manufacturers designing this vehicle of the future.
God Bless America
Bryan Sphere: Related Content
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