World War IV Daily

New Look, Same Great Taste?

2006-04-01T04:17:00.000-08:00

WWIV DAILY HAS MOVED!!!

If you were wondering why I suddenly stopped posting, it's because I've been setting up the new blog. But I suppose I should quantify what exactly I mean by 'new':

The new site is called 'Lima Charlie', and you can get to it here. Lima Charlie is military slang for 'loud and clear', and it pretty much sums up the spirit of the blog. I'll be covering the same issues I covered here at WWIV Daily, but in a cleaner, less demanding format and utilizing a much more versatile blogging service. (Let's hear it for TypePad) I've pretty much shelved the once-daily linkapalooza in favor of longer single-issue posts, but I haven't tossed it out completely. My main goal is to allow myself greater flexibility in posting, which should translate into a more interesting blog.

Anyways, hop on over to Lima Charlie and update your links and bookmarks. I'll see you there.

>>> Jesse

P.S. No, this is not an April Fools joke. I picked today because it also happens to be exactly six-months since I began writing WWIV Daily. I figured it would be the best possible time to make the transition. I'm weird like that.

SFS - Urban Warfare in Grozny

2006-03-25T14:54:00.000-08:00

I'm back!

Last term, I took a class in Russian History. In one of the papers we were assigned, we could write about anything we wanted, so long as it concerned Russia. I chose the First Battle of Grozny, specifically its urban warfare components. I ended up liking the paper enough--though I love blogging, I hate writing papers like the plague--that I decided to reproduce it here in its entirety.

****************

The First Battle of Grozny: A Study in Urban Warfare

Attack cities only when there is no alternative.

—Sun Tzu, The Art of War

In December 1991, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was dissolved and the Russian Federation emerged as its successor state and the Cold War—as well as Lenin’s dream of communist socialism—was over. Nearly 100 different nationalities and ethnic groups are represented in Russia, and during the Soviet period some of them were granted their own ethnic enclaves. After the collapse of the Soviet Union and the loss of a monolithic central authority, the question of provincial autonomy became a serious issue for many regions seeking greater freedom from their ethnically dissimilar rulers in Moscow.

One of these semi-autonomous republics seeking greater freedom was the tiny oil-rich region of Chechnya, located in the Caucasus Mountains just north of the former Soviet Republic of Georgia. In 1991, Chechen President Dzhokar Dudayev—a former General in the Soviet Air Force—declared Chechnya an independent nation. In the following years, Chechnya fell into chaos as Dudayev failed to maintain control of the region. Many of his political appointees and members of his teip—a Chechen tribal organization or clan—were involved in criminal activities, and Dudayev’s government soon became rife with corruption. Between 1991 and 1994, nearly 300,000 people of non-Chechen descent left the region; most of them were Russians. During this time, tens of thousands of people were murdered or kidnapped and put into Chechnya’s re-emerging slave trade. Most alarmingly, in May and July of 1994, Chechen terrorists took hostages in the Russian city of Mineralny Vody, and four people were killed. Finally, in December of the same year, Russian President Boris Yeltsin ordered the Russian military to retake Chechnya, having been convinced by his advisors that it would be a short, successful, and politically beneficial action to undertake.

The main objective of the invading Russian troops was the Chechen capital of Grozny. They began their assault on December 31st, 1994.

Urban warfare has historically been the bloodiest and the costliest form of military action ever to be undertaken, from the Peloponnesian War to the Battle of Mogadishu and beyond. It can be divided into two fields: The first is Military Operations in Urban Terrain, or MOUT, which is the strategic facet of urban warfare (i.e. the use of vehicles, conducting reconnaissance, coordinating air and indirect-fire support). The second is Close Quarters Battle, or CQB, which is the tactical aspect (i.e. how a squad of infantry should clear a building, proper use of explosives, detecting and neutralizing traps).

MOUT/CQB is usually complicated by limited fields of view and fire due to obstruction by buildings, the large amount of cover available for defenders, and the ease at which booby traps and snipers can be employed. MOUT/CQB also produces different casualties from normal military operations. In a typical combat operation, approximately 60% of the wounds are due to fragmentation. In a MOUT environment, however, 52% of the wounds are due to gunshots, which are more difficult to take care of. The following table, taken from a 1999 report published by the RAND Arroyo Research Center, details additional differences between MOUT/CQB and combat in other environments:

Some differences between Urban and other types of terrain

	Urban	Desert	Jungle	Mountain
Number of noncombatants	High	Low	Low	Low
Amount of valuable infrastructure	High	Low	Low	Low
Presence of multidimensional battlespace	Yes	No	Some	Yes
Restrictive rules of engagement	Yes	No	No	No
Detection, observation, engagement ranges	Short	Long	Short	Medium
Avenues of approach	Many	Many	Few	Few
Freedom of movement – mechanized forces	Low	High	Low	Medium
Communications functionality	Degraded	Normal	Normal	Degraded
Logistical requirements	High	High	Medium	Medium

More than any other type of combat, MOUT/CQB has by far the greatest potential for success of asymmetrical and unconventional warfare. This is what awaited the Russian military as it launched its New Year’s Eve assault on Grozny.

By far the most egregious mistakes of the Russian forces occurred before they even entered combat. Due to the fears that other semi-autonomous regions might view events in Chechnya as an inspiration, the Russian government felt they had to act very quickly, and they did so. It was to be the first of a great number of failures.

The Russians went into Grozny with an enormous lack of intelligence on the battlefield that awaited them. Such intelligence is always necessary for successful military action, but in MOUT/CQB its importance is far greater due to irregular nature of the combat zone. Most notably, they did not have dependable maps of the city. They possessed some, but they were not detailed enough to properly plan an effective military action, especially on such short notice. To make matters worse, the Chechens re-arranged the city’s street signs, only confusing the few Russian units who did have maps. Furthermore, Russian reconnaissance satellites—which could have been used to survey the city before the attack—had been turned off to save money, and aerial photography missions were rarely conducted. Russian troops entering the city knew almost nothing about its layout and what they could expect to run into once they began their assault. The Chechens, on the other hand, had been preparing for this battle for years.

Russian tactics were also unsuitable for an urban environment, especially against an enemy like the Chechen guerrilla teams who were able to move with almost complete freedom throughout the city. The Russians focused only on conventional objectives—such as the Presidential Palace, secondary government buildings, and public media facilities—which held little more than political significance as the rest of the city was still under Chechen control.

The Chechens, however, had the perfect strategy for MOUT/CQB. They fought in eight-man groups--known as Tiger Teams--each of which typically had two machine guns, two rocket-propelled-grenade (RPG) gunners, a scout/sniper, a rifleman/medic, a rifleman/ammo bearer, and a rifleman/radioman. With these small squads, the Chechens were highly mobile but still quite lethal. Usually up to three of these groups would operate together, but rarely would more than three Tiger Teams be involved in an engagement, allowing the Chechens to disengage quickly and avoid being captured by the Russians. Interestingly; the Chechens did not wear body armor. They thought that this would slow them down and prevent them from being able to fight efficiently.

The Chechens mastered the art of the ambush. They would typically funnel the Russian armored columns into kill-zones, and then the experienced Chechen RPG gunners would knock out the first and last vehicles in the line, thereby trapping the rest in the middle. At this point, the experienced Chechen gunners—of whom there were very few—would leave the scene in order that they could be preserved. Then less-experienced gunners would pick apart the rest of the Russian column, while Chechen riflemen, machine gunners, and snipers suppressed the Russian infantry. Almost useless in an urban setting, Russian tanks were unable to elevate their tank barrels high enough to engage the top floors of many buildings, or low enough to fire into the basements.

Russian training was also woefully inadequate. The entire Russian army was in fact in sharp decline during this time, and most forces received very little training in the years prior, with the exception of the ever-declining possibility of war against NATO, which was anticipated to be a tank war across the open fields of Europe, not an urban nightmare such as Grozny. Often, Russian soldiers were too afraid to leave the confines of their armored personnel carriers (APCs) and engage the enemy on foot. Many were killed when then vehicles they hid inside were destroyed by RPGs or set on fire by Molotov cocktails.

Russian soldiers also had very little experience in utilizing combined arms, and as such they brought an overwhelming amount of force to bear upon the city. As the battle progressed, the typical Russian strategy was to bombard an area mercilessly with artillery and air-strikes before an infantry assault, which would often level the neighborhood in question before the Russian troops even set foot in it. As such, the Russians were "faced with the dilemma of having to destroy Grozny in order to save it."

The psychological aspect of MOUT/CQB quickly overwhelmed the Russian soldiers. It was well-known that the Russians had tortured and killed Chechen POWs and raped and murdered non-combatants as well. The Chechens had no qualms about returning the favor. Often, the Chechens would hang the bodies of dead or wounded Russian soldiers in the windows from which they fired upon the Russian troops. In order to engage the Chechens, the Russians would have to shoot through the bodies of their comrades.

The Russian military was not simply under-trained: They went to battle without additional firepower that could have allowed them to seize the city easier, if only they would have waited. Most notably, an additional 38,000 infantry, 230 tanks and 450 armored vehicles gathered from additional Russian military units were on their way to assist in the invasion of Chechnya, yet the assault on Grozny was launched without them. Also curiously absent from the battle was the Russian special forces, the Spetsnaz. Such units were highly trained and very professional, yet they were not deployed to Grozny, possibly due to the rush to take the city.

In addition to these failures, the Russians suffered from poor leadership, especially at the non-commissioned officer (NCO) level. The NCO corps is the glue that holds together any effective army—namely by bridging the lower-ranked enlisted men and the officers—and in this the Russians were severely lacking. They also possessed ineffective night-vision equipment, thereby negating what could have been a possible advantage over the Chechens.

Arguably the Chechens’ greatest strength, however, was their sense of determination to defeat the invading Russians. The Chechens possessed a deep-seated cultural hatred of their invaders going back to Russian expansion in the 17th century. In 1865, the Russians had deported nearly 700,000 Chechens in order to quell a Chechen rebellion. In 1944, Stalin deported nearly 60 percent of all of Chechnya’s inhabitants, nearly obliterating the Chechen nation in the process. These events eventually led up to the First Battle of Grozny, when the Chechens finally dealt the Russians a serious blow on their own terms. It is said that determination wins fights, and the enraged Chechen snipers and RPG gunners surely possessed a far greater amount of resolve than the typical Russian soldier cowering in his APC.

The Russians eventually secured the presidential palace on January 19th, but the battle raged on around them, taking a number of weeks to finally die out in the city. The Russians continued to battle for control of Chechnya but were eventually unsuccessful. Though a Russian missile-strike killed Chechen President Dudayev in April 1996, the Chechens reclaimed their capital in the Second Battle of Grozny and the Russians were forced to sign a ceasefire agreement in August of the same year, a humiliating acknowledgement of defeat.

Over 25,000 civilians were killed in the First Battle of Grozny, and tens of thousands more died throughout Chechnya. The Russians lost several thousand soldiers in the assault on Grozny. They returned in 1999 for the Third Battle of Grozny, again subjecting the city to heavy bombardment and killing numerous civilians. This time, the Russians seized the city in far more cautious and deliberate fashion. Combat in Grozny and throughout Chechnya continues as of this writing.

There are a number of lessons to be learned from the Russian failures in Grozny: First, Russian operations there can provide important insights into Russian capabilities, tactics, and its ability to learn from military experience. For the United States, this provides a valuable look at another nation’s military capabilities without having to test them first-hand. Second, Grozny pitted a somewhat-modern military against an insurgency force on the latter's home turf. As such, the United States was able to observe the inherent difficulties of operating in a particular theater and reshape its doctrine accordingly, much like the lessons learned from the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan that were successfully applied to US military action there in 2001. The current war in Iraq not-withstanding, it is inevitable that the US military will be engaged in MOUT/CQB in the future. It is estimated that by the year 2010, seventy-five percent of the world's population will live in urban areas. Futhermore, cities are the centers of commerce, politics, and culture for all nations, and are thus strategically important. Finally, urban areas are by far the hardest to assault and the easiest to defend, and the enemies of the United States surely know this. We would do well to study the lessons of Grozny in order to better prepare for future conflicts.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2006-03-17T23:50:00.000-08:00

I have been unable to find time in the past few days to resume posting, and I am going to be out of the country for the next few days, so look for posting to resume next Saturday, probably. Hopefully from then on I can continue posting without interruptions.

Happy St. Pat's, everybody!

No, I Haven't Died. Yet.

2006-03-07T13:46:00.000-08:00

I'm still breathing and I'm still keeping track of the world and its crazy happenings, but I've been a little busy with school and being sick doesn't make things any better. (I'll let you know if I've got the bird flu; that might be a fun way to become famous...)

I'll probably post again soon, but no guarantees. I've discovered that trying to post everyday--the blog's called World War IV DAILY, for crying out loud--is a little too much like actual work, which I'm not a big fan of, so I'll be taking things a little more easily in order to preserve the quality of the blog as well as my sanity. Variety is the spice of life.

Thanks for continuing to stop by; you guys are excellent guests, and are welcome here anytime.

>>> Jesse

IOTW - Cindy Sheehan (sort of)

2006-03-05T20:51:00.000-08:00

I had orginally planned to eviscerate Cindy Sheehan for her planned protest near Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. (For those unfamiliar with the base, Landstuhl is the primary hospital facility where injured soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan are treated once they are evacuated.) Sheehan has long been shooting her mouth off and running protests/media orgies around the US and Europe, but the planned Landstuhl protest went beyond the pale. She certainly has the right to protest, but wounded servicemembers should be off-limits. Those men and women touched the face of death in war; let them move on towards life in peace.

However, she has since changed her mind.

Interesting. For once, this woman has grown up and shown our American service members the slightest amount of respect, something that until now was completely alien to her. I am as thankful as I am surprised.

As such, I no longer have a post to write. Sure, Cindy's a moron and she'll most likely continue to be, but I can't bring myself to excoriate her after such stunningly mature behavior from such an embarrassing human being. Bummer.

Of course, there's always next week.

SFS - The University of Oklahoma Suicide Bombing

2006-03-04T20:00:00.000-08:00

In my last SFS, I wrote about the domestic terrorist establishments of Jamaat ul-Fuqra within the United States. I mentioned that the story carried a great deal of personal significance with me as it broke just days after I first began this blog, and I was able to follow it from its beginnings to the present day. I still feel privileged to have 'been there' for that. Especially as a new blogger, it was an enormous incentive to continue posting. However, there was another event that had a similar effect.

On October 1st, 2005--the very day I began this blog--a young man named Joel Henry Hinrichs III (pictured left) was killed in an explosion at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, OK. He was 21 years old. The story sat for a hours, and a terse report from World Net Daily was one of the few initial news reports on the issue. It was known only that an OU student was killed by an explosion outside a stadium filled with 84,000+ people. Nothing was concrete until the details started to emerge. Then all hell broke loose.

The next day, the Northeast Intelligence Network--whose entire collection of reports on this issue can be viewed here--revealed that it had been a suicide bombing, at least in the extremely literal sense of the term. Hinrichs was sitting on a bench when an unknown quantity of explosives that he had been carrying detonated for unknown reasons. Authorities searched Hinrichs' on-campus apartment and discovered a "significant amount" of radical Islamic literature, some of it concerning how to construct bomb vests. An unknown quantity of the material was written in Arabic, which Hinrichs was unable to read. In addition to the Jihadist literature, the police and FBI seized an enormous cache of explosive material from his apartment. The NIN was the first to report that Hinrichs had used the explosive TATP--this was later confirmed--to make his bomb. TATP is an extremely unstable explosive compound that is popular with terrorists due to the ease of which it can be created. It was used most famously by unsuccessful shoe-bomber Richard Reid in 2001 and for the London bombings of July 2005.

A number of individuals soon came forward with additional information: Hinrichs MAY have attempted to enter the stadium, but ran away when gate security asked to search his backpack. (Video report here, courtesy of Oklahoma City News 9.) Also, Hinrichs had attempted to purchase ammonium nitrate, the primary ingredient of the explosives used in the infamous 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. An off-duty Norman police officer was at the store at the time and, like the store owner, became suspicious and called Hinrichs' license plate into his superiors. No further steps were taken. This occurred three days before the explosion that killed Hinrichs. (Video here.)

Soon questions arose about the involvement of additional individuals as well as the Islamic connection. It was learned that Hinrichs had possibly been visiting a local mosque--visited by Zacharias Moussaoui when he lived in Norman (see below)--and that his roommate--Fazal M. Cheema, a Pakistani--and three other Muslim students were detained and later released. There are still a number of questions surrounding additional involvement as well as a plane ticket to Algeria that Cheema had purchased. (Video here.) Both the police and the FBI were quick to discount any terrorist involvement. University of Oklahoma President David Boren stated that Hinrichs had "emotional difficulties" and that this was an isolated event. He further advised against a rush towards judgment (link in PDF format). Gates of Vienna questioned the rush to declare this an 'all clear', and the NIN wasn't happy either.

Some background on OU President David Boren is in order: A Yale graduate, he served as the governor of Oklahoma from 1975 to 1979 and as a US Senator (D-OK) from 1979 to 1994. He served on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and in fact was its longest-serving chairman. As such he has very close ties to the intelligence community, and is widely regarded as the mentor of former DCI George Tenet.

Boren's intelligence connections become even more interesting when the history of Norman, Oklahoma is considered:

>>> In July 2000, 9/11 hijackers Mohammed Atta and Marwan al-Shehhi visited Airman Flight School in Norman. In September of the same year, Zacharias Moussaoui contacted the same flight school via e-mail. In February 2001, Moussaoui opened a bank account in Norman in which he deposited roughly $32,000 in cash. From then until May, he attend Airman Flight School in Norman. (Source)

>>> On a bus trip to OU, Moussaoui was on the same bus as Nick Berg, the American man beheaded in Iraq in 2004. During the trip, Moussaoui asked Berg if he could use Berg's laptop computer. Berg gave Moussaoui his password. (Source)

>>> There is a Jamaat ul-Fuqra compound about 50 miles east of Norman in Talihina, OK. (Source)

>>> It has been REPORTED--I cannot stress that enough--that 9/11 hijacker Ziad Jarrah purchased his ticket from a computer terminal in the OU library. I have not found any information that would conclusively prove this, but the rumor is out there and I wanted to address it as such rather than leave it out completely. Again, this is UNCONFIRMED. Do not take my presentation of this information to mean anything otherwise.

Like the Jamaat ul-Fuqra story, there was no major media attention paid to this event except for local news reporting, which gradually died down. The story was mainly carried by the blogosphere, but after a few weeks they too moved on. There were a few sporadic updates afterwards, but not many: The search warrant for Hinrichs' apartment was initially sealed, but in late November it was revealed. In addition to the TATP discovered in Hinrichs' apartment, authorities discovered mixing bowls, a slow-cooker, a thermometer, plastic containers, a hobby fuse, a circuit board, rolls of tape, and chemicals used to make the TATP. The FBI discovered that Hinrichs had downloaded "numerous text and image files" concerning explosives, including TATP. A suicide note was also found.

Aside from that report in November 2005 by the NIN, no additional information was disclosed until just recently.

Fast forward to February 28th, 2006. Police Sergeant George Mauldin, head of the Norman bomb disposal unit, revealed that the OU explosion was likely an accident:

"I believe he accidentally blew himself up."

When asked about Hinrichs' possible intentions to enter the stadium with the explosives, Mauldin responded:

"I don't believe he intended for an explosion to occur at that spot. Someone saw him fiddling with [the backpack] shortly before the explosion occurred. I think he got cocky, and it went off."

The Northeast Intelligence Network, again leading the way with coverage of this story, reveals that one law enforcement official, "disgusted that the truth is being withheld from the public", has confidentially admitted that there is far more to the story than what officials are saying. In light of absolute proof, however, I am forced to take the NIN's report with a grain of salt. I do not disbelieve or intend to discredit what they are saying--they have an absolutely stellar track record of accurate investigation--but I am committed to including the supporting information of absolutely everything that I publish on this blog. I do not rule out rumors, speculation, and hear-say, but I always label it as such.

indeed, the tricky part about this story is that while there is much that we do know for certain, a large amount of information remains speculative. For instance, there continues to be some confusion as to whether Hinrichs added shrapnel to his bomb, a popular tactic among suicide bombers for inflicting greater casualties. There were reports of numerous holes in a tree near the site of the blast, but nothing conclusive. Considering the lack of any significant proof of Hinrichs adding shrapnel to his bomb, I would settle on a more innocent--so to speak--explanation: One of the most lethal components of a suicide bomber is the bomber themselves. When the blast goes off, they are literally transformed into a human fragmentation grenade. The human body--especially bones and teeth--becomes a collection of shrapnel moving at tens of thousands of feet per second, much faster than even a high-powered rifle bullet. Such fragments are easily capable of killing a human being or perforating a large tree. With Hinrichs' bomb in his backpack--directly behind his rib cage--there would have been a large number of fragments thrown in one direction, similar to the detonation of a Claymore mine. Other items have the potential of becoming lethal projectiles as well, such as jewelry, loose change, or even a zipper on the backpack itself. (Think this photo, but thousands of times more powerful. Basically the difference between 150 mph hurricane winds and a 17,000 fps--that's over 11,000 mph!--detonation of TATP.)

But by no means is all the information in on this story. There are still a great many questions that need to be answered, such as:

>>> The status of Hinrichs' Pakistani roommate, Fazal Cheema. It would have been impossible for Hinrichs to run a bomb-making operation in his apartment without his roommate being aware of it. Not only does the procedure take a great deal of room to conduct--university apartments are not known to be very spacious--but the smell would be quite noticeable, if not overpowering. Sgt. Mauldin downplayed Cheema's potential involvement, yet he had this to say of the apartment:

"It smelled strongly of peroxide. [Hinrichs] was not really a very good housekeeper, which kind of hindered our search."

>>> There still exists a cover-up of sorts surrounding Hinrichs, specifically the Jihadist literature discovered in his apartment and his connection to a local mosque. Again, Mauldin denied the connection to the mosque, but did not produce additional information. Also, there was a rush to paint the entire situation as an individual suicide both by law enforcement officials and OU President David Boren. Such a description is acceptable--if it is truthful, of course--once ample time has been given to investigating the incident. Doing so just 48 hours afterwards may keep the public calm, but it is pre-mature and dishonest. Maybe 'cover-up' isn't the right terminology, but 'information vacuum' certainly is.

>>> The greater connection of Norman, OK with Islamic terrorism. The paths of too many known terrorists have crossed in Norman, enough that coincidence is safely out of the question.

As with any spectacular event, a lot of the speculation surrounding this case has turned out to be false or exaggerated, but the fact that enough substantial points have been corroborated warrants further investigation.

Finally, as to the authorities' assertion that the bombing was not an act of terrorism? Just because someone had no connections with a terrorist organization doesn't mean they don't have the potential to carry out a terrorist attack. In fact, Sgt. Mauldin summed it up the best:

"As far as anybody can tell, there is absolutely no indication that this guy was tied to any known terrorist organization. Doesn't mean that he wasn't a terrorist."

Exactly.

3.3.2006

2006-03-03T16:30:00.000-08:00

Why al-Qaeda Is At Home in Pakistan >>> Presented in chronological order with the appropriate amount of name-dropping, this is an excellent resource for understanding the present state of al-Qaeda and its shift from Afghanistan to Pakistan.

The Bloody Borders Project >>> Baron Bodissey from long-time WWIV Daily favorite Gates of Vienna has put together a site to geographically chart every act of Islamic terrorism since 9/11, dubbed the Bloody Borders Project. It's worth taking a serious look at, and I've added it to the NGO Resources section on the right. Oh yeah, and apparently the whole project was a honey-do of sorts for Dymphna, the Baron's wife. (Gates of Vienna is a husband-wife duo if you didn't know.) As she says, "The things we do for love..."

The Head of the Snake >>> This is Michael J. Totten's new post. Just read it.

How Not To Be Offensive >>> This one made me laugh. (Hat Tip: Murdoc)

3.2.2006

2006-03-02T03:56:00.000-08:00

al-Qaeda Strikes in Pakistan >>> al-Qaeda once again shows that it is no amateur when it comes to pulling off high-profile terror attacks with a hefty psychological impact. Four people were killed--including a US diplomat--and fifty-two people were wounded in a massive car bomb attack in Pakistan timed to coincide with President Bush's visit to that country. Roggio has a number of links that are worth following--especially this ABC News story--and he correctly notes the significance of Pakistan in connection with al-Qaeda. He also has a couple maps of the site where the attack took place for the tactically-minded to examine.

OU Suicide Bombing: The Truth Comes Out? >>> It's been a LONG time since anything new came out on the OU suicide bombing--refresh your memory here--but finally there has been some confirmation of what many of us were saying all along: It was a failed terrorist attack. I hope to cover this in additional detail in this weekend's SFS.

Jamaat ul-Fuqra in the Spotlight >>> The interesting thing about the York, South Carolina compound is that it seems to be tailored for a public relations role, where as the other JF compounds--like Red House, VA or Hancock, NY--are more of the paramilitary persuasion, with firing ranges, armed sentries, and boot-camp style obstacle courses. I have very little confidence that the news media will be able to reveal anything significant about these compounds or even Jamaat ul-Fuqra as a whole, but what they CAN do is attract the attention of certain people with both the capabilities and interest in doing so. Perhaps the US government?

3.1.2006

2006-03-01T16:13:00.000-08:00

Counterinsurgency in Iraq >>> This is one of the best articles I've seen on Iraq in a long time. It covers everything from the three general phases of the war--from 2003 to present--to the nature of the Iraqi insurgency and everything in between. There's even a great Hobbesian reference! If you read just one thing today, this should be it.

Foiled Suicide Attack in Jordan >>> This kind of stuff is always good to hear. Terrorism Unveiled has more.

Shop and Awe >>> Kris Alexander brings up the economic front of World War IV, an aspect of this conflict that so far has been largely ignored.

Marine Snipers Infiltrate Fallujah Factory >>> It's not often that I come across a story that details a specific operation, but today I found one about a Marine Corps sniper team tasked with supporting Operation Industrial Revolution--what's next? Operation Protestant Reformation?--in Fallujah. Great stuff.

Zogby Poll >>> Murdoc smells something fishy about this poll and wants to know more. The Officers' Club addresses it here and here.

How Not to Write A News Story >>> Journalism students, pay attention.

Frank Advice on Port Security >>> I thought this was worth linking to, so I linked to it. (Imagine that, eh?) Enjoy.

2.28.2006

2006-02-28T16:59:00.000-08:00

No time for a post today, but a friend of mine sent me an interesting picture that I wanted to share....

2.27.2006

2006-02-27T15:43:00.000-08:00

Iraqi Civil War? >>> Bill Roggio looks at the fallout from the Golden Mosque bombing, and provides a number of links worth following. Mohammad provides some background and another look at the situation from Baghdad here.

UAE Ports Deal: Not Six, Not Eight, But Twenty-Three >>> For some reason, only six American ports are being reported as on the table. P&O Ports, a subsidiary of the P&O Group which has been bought by Dubai Ports World, operates over 100 ports in 19 countries. As far as American acquisitions go, the Northeast Intelligence Network lists 21 ports in question, but they do not include P&O's operations in Portsmouth and Newport News, both in Virginia. In addition, P&O runs another 17 ports in British Columbia, Canada. One of these--Vancouver--is major shipping hub. To view the geographical operations of P&O Ports, go here. (Macromedia Flash Player required) In the upper left, click on the tab 'Container Terminals' and then click on North America to see P&O's large-scale operations there. Next, click on the tab 'General Stevedoring' and once again on North America to see the smaller stevedoring operations.

Just Plain Cool >>> There are two stories here. First, the development of the Iraqi Air Force: As the article states, "the Mi-17 is the first weapon system that the Iraqi Air Force has acquired and funded without direct Coalition involvement." Secondly, the story of Major Sadun: His transition from a prisoner under Saddam for refusing to fire on Iraqi Kurds to learning English from a fellow inmate and becoming one of Iraq's premier helicopter pilots is simply remarkable.

Chart of the Day: Army Operational Unit Diagram >>> Click on stuff to make additional information appear from out of nowhere. (Note that several ranks on the right margin have been left out for simplification.) Thanks to Charlie at The Officers' Club for this one. As he says, "If nothing else, we are here to educate the public on how military works."

WTC Bombing: Thirteen Years And One Day Ago >>> It is a day that must be remembered, not only for the lives lost but the opportunities wasted.

Dammit!

2006-02-25T18:39:00.000-08:00

I had posts planned for both today and tomorrow, but sadly I appeared to have gotten in over my head.

I have half-written my Saturday Featured Story--I'm tackling the Danish Cartoon Nonsense--but I lack the time to finish it in a way that is pleasing to me. (I have high standards.) Furthermore, I am unsure who to pick for my Idiot of the Week post tomorrow. It's not that I can't find any Idiots, but that there are too many to choose from. Any suggestions are welcome....

So it is with a heavy heart that I postpone both of these posts until next weekend. Hopefully none of you are die-hard WWIV Daily readers who try to catch every thing I post as soon as I write it. (If you are, thank you from the bottom of my heart, but I would advise against relying on me to do anything in a timely manner. You'll just end up frustrated and bitterly unhappy with the human race as a whole. But who could blame you?) I hate starting something new and then stopping it a week later, but I've got other work to attend to, and I feel that this is what's best for the blog.

Or something like that.

>>> Jesse

P.S. My daily average of readers has more than doubled since last weekend. Thank you to everybody who stopped by for the first time and those you who linked here. It's this kind of support that makes me feel so crappy about not posting on time....

2.24.2006

2006-02-24T16:47:00.000-08:00

Attack On Saudi Oil Refinery >>> Note that this was the first attack on an actual oil-processing facility. All past attacks have been on the commercial offices of the oil companies themselves. Were it successful, this attack could have had massive implications, and as Charlie at The Officers' Club points out, it doesn't take a lot to upset the price of oil.

Golden Mosque Bombing: Fallout? >>> Iraq is still pretty much in lockdown, with curfews in effect and the threat of escalating ethnic violence just over the horizon. Things appear to have settled down, but if the Danish cartoons uproar and the UAE ports story are any indication, these kinds of things can go months before making their largest impact. Iraq isn't out of this shadow yet.

Bush and the Ports Deal >>> Gates of Vienna takes a look at why President Bush is so adamant that what seems to be a simple commercial transaction--at least on the surface--take place.

That Was Close! >>> In the spirit of the weekend, and just in case you were starting to feel safe out there, I present to you the Top 20 Nuclear Close Calls, or at least the ones that we know about....

State of Flux >>> This week, I've been introducing several new blogs that have thoroughly impressed me. One of these is State of Flux, written by Minh-Duc, an American soldier who recently served in Iraq. Minh-Duc grew up in Communist Vietnam, and offers a unique view of what life is like under a totalitarian regime. His post on moderate Muslims is especially noteworthy.

2.23.2006

2006-02-23T13:41:00.000-08:00

Cutting Through the Crap: The UAE Ports Deal >>> The more I learn about this deal, the more I'm comfortable with it. A couple days ago I made it clear that I don't care who runs the day-to-day operations of these eight--not six--ports as long as the US government is responsible for its security and has complete freedom of movement to do so. The CT Blog points out that the much of the present-day port security takes place overseas, and that security for American ports is managed by the Coast Guard (the ports themselves) and Customs and Border Protection (the cargo). This entire issue has been spun to make it seem like Dubai Ports World would be directly in charge of security, which is untrue. Were it to be the case, I would be staunchly against this proposal. I wouldn't even want a British company in charge of port security, much less the UAE. Any aspect of security in this country--whether it be international airports or border crossings--needs to be nationalized (read: run by the government). Also, Bush's insistence to make this deal happen--A veto threat? This guy hasn't vetoed anything!--is a little unnerving, and I assume it has to do with his connections to the Dubai firm in question. But such is the dirty business of politics, and to base one's decision about this deal on those issues--questionable though they are--would be incredibly narrow-minded. This is simply the way deals are made in Washington. Welcome to the suck.

Iraqi Civil War? >>> Bill Roggio digs deeper than the MSM and lays out the indicators of civil war in Iraq, and whether or not things have reached that point.

The Next Attacks On America >>> I don't often get a chance to adequately read through one of John Robb's posts at Global Guerrillas. His work is deeply abstract and very theoretical, and I often don't possess the time or patience to sit down and truly appreciate it. However, I managed to dive into one of this recent posts, and I wanted to pass it along. Settle down, maybe grab something to drink, and then read his post. You can't just skim this stuff; you'd be a moron for trying.

Rantings of a Sandmonkey >>> I've added Sandmonkey's blog to the Blogroll on the right. His posts always provide a particularly enlightening view of the Middle East--specifically the Islamic culture in his native Egypt. I've linked to some of his stuff recently, and I decided that a more formal introduction was due. I would like to direct your attention to his two most recent posts, here and here.

2.22.2006

2006-02-22T16:12:00.000-08:00

Counterinsurgency School >>> Yesterday I related the success of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment and Col. H.R. McMaster in applying counterinsurgency tactics in Iraq. Unfortunately, not every US military unit and their respective officers are as competent as McMaster and the 3rd ACR at dealing with an issue as complicated as COIN. This is the attempt to change that.

Jamaat ul-Fuqra in Canada >>> CP has the details, as usual.

Golden Mosque Bombing >>> This is not your ordinary bombing in Iraq. The nature of the target makes it highly inflammatory, and the chances of Iraq's low-level civil war escalating into a real one have just gotten higher. By a lot. Omar at Iraq the Model relates the tension which is now gripping Baghdad and other parts of Iraq. Indeed, the whole place seems to have gone into lockdown; just reading his post gives you a sense of how close Iraq is to the edge of full-on civil war. Fortunately, both al-Sistani and al-Sadr have called for restraint from Iraqi Shiites, but this isn't over yet.

UAE Port Debacle >>> There has been a whole lot of shouting going back and forth about this deal--much of it is pretty senseless--but the CT Blog provides the most balanced and informative picture that I've seen so far. Sandmonkey also has a complete wrap-up of what everyone is saying. Oh yeah, and the deal actually affects eight ports, not just six.

PFC Janelle Zalkovsky >>> Murdoc gets a chance to interview an American woman serving in Iraq.

South Korean Kids Love the North >>> Well, there's no point trying to protect a nation that doesn't want our protection in the first place, so let's pull out the 2nd ID and use them somewhere else where they're badly needed. If North Korea invades, we can send the South Koreans nice little note saying "We told you so", and then see if they want our help. Sounds fair to me.

Sidewinders For Submarines >>> I'm kind of surprised that it's taken them this long to do this....

2.21.2006

2006-02-21T18:44:00.000-08:00

UAE Port Deal >>> The Dubai company's ties to the Bush administration are no surprise. That's how politics works. But regardless of whatever political machinations are behind it, this deal looks like bad news. I don't buy into the notion that because this is a Middle Eastern company and since there's lots of terrorism 'round those parts that it means our ports are going to be insecure. The UAE is not Syria or Iran. A few of the Persian Gulf states are actually quite Westernized, with stable and wealthy governments and none of the 'Death to America' stuff coming out of the rest of the region. In fact, the UAE will soon host one of the worlds first spaceports. (It will be built by a US company. How's that for irony?) But I still don't like this deal. Our ports are already a security nightmare, and they should adequately defended before they are bought and sold between companies. How about nationalizing the port security apparatus while leaving the shipping aspect to the private companies? I like Charlie Munn's take on the issue.

Intelligence Gets Even More Complicated >>> Government bureaucracy = yuck.

The 3rd ACR in Iraq >>> Those of you that are familiar with the 3rd ACR's CO, Colonel H.R. McMaster, will understand that he is definitely one of the major reasons for the success of the 3rd ACR. McMaster has a PhD in history and is an expert on the Vietnam War, which he wrote a book on. In addition to his strategic wisdom, he also has a history of tactical prowess on the battlefield. His effective use of the element of surprise in the Battle of 73 Easting--the decisive Gulf War tank battle which saw the outnumbered US 2nd ACR obliterate the Tawakalna Division of the Iraqi Republican Guard--played a large role in the success of one of the largest tank battles of the entire war.

Better Bunker Busters Part One and Part Two >>> Remember those huge drills in the Matrix Revolutions?

2.20.2006

2006-02-20T20:40:00.000-08:00

I was gone for most of the day, so I'll throw today's links in tomorrow's post.

In the meantime, be sure to check out Saturday's Featured Story on Jamaat ul-Fuqra, and Sunday's Idiot(s) of the Week.

IOTW - Jill Edwards and Ashley Miller

2006-02-19T20:02:00.000-08:00

>>> You knew it was coming, but there was nothing you could do to stop it! Welcome to Idiot of the Week, where each Sunday--maybe--I pick an individual or perhaps a group of people who are so inextricably stupid that to ignore them or simply disparage them is woefully inadequate. Stronger measures must be taken; a full-on assault must be executed via the written word. Expect a whole lot of hurt feelings and a bucket full of fun at somebody else's expense. This isn't about impartial analysis or good-spirited criticism; it's about people getting what's coming to them. Remember, when you cross the line of idiocy you enter a free-fire zone. Lock and load, people! <<<

****************

WHO: University of Washington Student Senators Jill Edwards and Ashley Miller

WHY: For ridiculous statements while discussing a proposed memorial for WWII war hero--and UW alumnus--Colonel Gregory 'Pappy' Boyington, a Marine Corps pilot credited with shooting down 26 enemy aircraft. He was eventually shot down and spent 20 months in a Japanese POW camp. He received the Navy Cross and the Medal of Honor for his actions.

[Source document here.]

First things first: In the interest of full disclosure, I should make it known that I am a college student and a resident of Seattle, where the University of Washington is located. I do not, however, attend UW.

With that out of the way, I will leave most of the information to the article itself, and address what I consider to be the most egregious examples of childish ignorance and nescient stupidity on the part of the UW student. We'll start by analyzing the minutes of Student Senate's February 7th meeting. The resolution to construct a memorial to Col. Boyington is first discussed on the bottom of page four.

The sponsor of the legislation, Senator Andrew Everett (e-mail address: apdge@u.washington.edu), outlines his proposal. He states that "he had read about Colonel Boyington and thought his achievements warranted recognition." After a bit of discussion, Senator Jill Edwards (pictured left; e-mail address: jae6@u.washington.edu) chimes in, questioning "whether it was appropriate to honor a person who killed other people." Of course, her position as--I kid you not--Chair of the Honors Croquet League makes her immensely qualified to make such a statement. Think I'm making this up? Check it out. Nice scarf.

We'll let her off the hook for her question about the appropriateness of honoring a 'killer', as I suppose the complex ethical justifications for taking a life are beyond the comprehension of a college student. Isn't a shame that everything can't be as simple as croquet? (But seriously, killing people gets such bad press these days. What gives?)

However, her next comment is something completely different: According to the minutes of the Senate meeting, she said that "she didn't believe a member of the Marine Corps was an example of the sort of person UW wanted to produce." Wow. Well Ms. Edwards, I personally know several Marines and I personally know several UW students, and if those students are any indication of their peers then all 40,000+ UW students couldn't eclipse the honor, bravery, discipline, moral integrity, and uprightness of character of a single Marine if you combined them all together. Maybe the problem with your university is that you AREN'T producing people like Pappy Boyington. Just because you saw Jarhead doesn't make you an authority on Marines. You sleep safely in your bed at night because of such people, and you're damned lucky that they don't possess the selfishness to just give up and leave you to the wolves, because they've got plenty of justification to do so.

Apparently, Ms. Edwards has written about her travails--isn't college just awful?--in the weekly Honors Croquet (*snicker*) Senate Report. Appropriately, she says that "I am thouroughy [sic] regretting opeining [sic] my mouth." Well, you're on to something, Ms. Edwards. For your sake, I strongly advise you against doing so again.

Back to the Senate meeting. Immediately after Ms. Edwards made a fool or herself, ASUW (Associated Students of the University Washington) Vice-President Ashley Miller (pictured right; e-mail address: asuwvp@u.washington.edu) presented the idea that "many monuments at UW already commemorate rich white men." Oh God....

The argument that Boyington was a 'rich white man' is as inaccurate as it is insulting. First of all, Boyington was part Sioux. And maybe Ms. Miller hasn't checked the US military pay scale recently, but nobody who serves in the armed forces ever 'takes it to the bank'. Such a hasty generalization--she was no doubt shooting from the hip in an attempt to grab the first negative connotation she could--is inexcusable. Ms. Miller is either a moron or she's too lazy to do a little research. My money's on both. Unlike Ms. Edwards simple disdain for members of the United States Marine Corps, Ms. Miller is simply a victim of her own ignorance. I'm done wasting my time on her.

Col. Boyington's final interview was published in Aviation History Magazine in May 2001. It offers a remarkable glimpse at his life's accomplishments and especially the man himself. One particular quote stands out to me, simply because I would expect the University of Washington to appreciate this kind of sentiment:

"The Japanese civilians who had been bombed out and were always around us showed us respect, not antipathy. Many of them went out of their way to help us at great risk to themselves, slipping us food. When I think about how the Japanese civilians treated us as POWs in their country, I can only feel very ashamed at how we treated our own Japanese Americans, taking their homes and businesses and placing them in camps."

The UW Student Senate rejected the proposal for a memorial.

In all seriousness, I would like to sincerely apologize to the spirit of Pappy Boyington and every other WWII veteran slighted by my peers across the canal at the University of Washington. Here's hoping that Union Bay suddenly floods to 15th and 45th.

(Hat Tip: Belmont Club)

SFS - Jamaat ul-Fuqra in America

2006-02-18T14:14:00.000-08:00

>>> Welcome to the first edition of the Saturday Featured Story (SFS)! Every Saturday--if I can get my act together--I hope to provide an in-depth and comprehensive look at a given subject of my choosing. In conjunction with the Monday-Friday news format and my new Sunday feature, I hope to make WWIV Daily a more informative and more exciting place for all my readers (you people). Enjoy, and thanks for stopping by! <<<

****************

The blog that you are currently reading began as a daily e-mail exchange with a close friend of mine who shared my interest in military and counterterrorism issues, as well as the occasional random humor piece. After a week or so of sending interesting links back and forth, I realized that I might as well turn it into one of these new-fangled 'weblogs'. At the time, I already had a little bit of blogging experience under my belt: Shortly after Hurricane Katrina, I created a blog called 'The Idiot Spotlight'. I lit up a couple of especially-deserving people, but the blog was quickly overloaded by the sheer number of idiots in our native galaxy and I disbanded it after a week or so. (However, the ghost of The Idiot Spotlight lives on, and will be returning to haunt this very site starting tomorrow and continuing each Sunday after that.)

I first posted on October 1st, 2005. I spent the first week exploring other blogs, linking to many interesting stories, and generally becoming a smarter human being. I found The Belmont Club and I ate it up. Security Watchtower and Bill Roggio's The Fourth Rail--which has returned!--were quickly bookmarked. On October 10th, ten days after my first post, I stumbled across a blog called Gates of Vienna--I don't quite remember how, but we'll chalk it up to fate--and discovered this post concerning what appeared to be a militant Islamic group operating right here in the United States known as Jamaat ul-Fuqra. Suddenly I was all over this story. Family, friends, and acquaintances were quickly informed as I made every effort to 'get the word out', something the new blog and all two of my readers--thanks Mom and Dad--became useful for. Before we move on, for those of you that are unfamiliar with Jamaat ul-Fuqra--and are too lazy to follow the links--here's some background:

According to the South Asia Terrorism Portal, whose report on Jamaat ul-Fuqra (JF) can be viewed here, JF is a terrorist organization based in Pakistan and North America. Founded in New York State 1980 by the Pakistani cleric Sheikh Mubarak Ali Gilani, it's name is literally translated as 'community of the impoverished' and it's goal--as stated by Sheikh Gilani himself--is to 'purify' Islam through violence. Hiding behind a labyrinth of front organizations and charity organizations, JF leads a comfortable existence in some surprising places. According to the SATP:

"Although Gilani, the reclusive chief of Fuqra resides in Lahore, Pakistan, most JF cells are located in North America. Fuqra members have purchased isolated rural properties in North America to live as a community, practice their faith, and insulate themselves from Western culture. The group has set up and funded rural communes that the US authorities allege are linked to murder, bombings and other felonies throughout the US and Canada. Currently, there are half a dozen Fuqra residential compounds in rural hamlets across the US sheltering hundreds of cadres, some of who have reportedly trained in the use of weapons and explosives in Pakistan.

Muslims of the Americas, a tax-exempt group established in the US in 1980 by Gilani, operates communes of primarily black, American-born Muslims in many states in the US, including in Binghamton in New York, Badger in California, York in South California and Red House in Virginia. JF is reportedly linked through court documents to the Muslims of Americas. There is also a road in the name of Sheikh Gilani in the vicinity of Virginia. The cult houses between 100 and 200 people, many of them women and children in about 20 huge trailers."

It was the compound in Red House, Virginia that attracted the attention of Baron Bodissey and his digital camera. He knew what he was getting into:

[On Sheikh Gilani] "Sheikh Gilani, you may remember, is the cleric with whom Daniel Pearl had arranged an interview back in January of 2002. Unfortunately, Mr. Pearl was betrayed by his sources, and then abducted and beheaded. Sheikh Gilani was arrested later that month and languishes in Pakistani custody.

So this is the kind of people we are dealing with here. They launder money, smuggle firearms, plan and carry out assassinations and bombings, and conduct intense Islamist indoctrination, including inside American prisons."

Of course, The Baron documents his sources. His post cites information from the SATP report, a Defense Watch article, and an article from The Daily Excelsior of India. In the interest of time and space, I will refrain from reproducing that information here. However, the reader may kindly exercise the use of his/her mouse button on the blue underlined words. In short, Jamaat ul-Fuqra's history of violent activities in the United States is quite extensive.

The Baron was obviously nervous:

"So this is all I knew as I drove through Rustberg toward Red House on a gloomy Saturday afternoon."

Rather than steal his post, I now kindly direct you to Gates of Vienna. His excursion to Red House simply deserves to be read in its entirety.

Enter CP. Like me, he had stumbled across Gates of Vienna and was quite surprised at The Baron's findings. On October 14th, he revealed the fruits of his own research. These included a map and a listing of purported JF compounds as well as their activities. Suddenly the "half-dozen residential compounds in rural hamlets across the US" is a much larger issue.

Over the next several months, both Gates of Vienna and The Politics of CP continue their research. Baron receives some informative e-mails and reveals the dubious connections of Sheikh Gilani, and CP methodically details individual JF compounds in Colorado, California, South Carolina (since updated), New York, Virginia, Georgia, and Tennessee. In fact, all of CP's reports have been compiled into one place for easy access. Take some time to read through these reports. Aside from a few radio appearances by The Baron in October and CP just yesterday, there has been very little public coverage of Jamaat ul-Fuqra, something that for the past four months has been increasingly irritating. I'm sure CP and The Baron would echo those sentiments.

However, I think it may be fair to say that the coverage of Jamaat ul-Fuqra has turned a corner. CP has teamed up with the Northeast Intelligence Network--which has an excellent history of investigation--and a formal investigative report has been released.

That report can be viewed here in PDF format.

I will let the report speak for itself, but a short summary is due: After presenting an excellent collection of background information on Jamaat ul-Fuqra and Sheikh Gilani, the report details a comprehensive field investigation of the JF Headquarters in New York known as 'Islamberg'. Investigators have secured photos of the site, and conducted additional covert observation of areas of the compound not visible from any publicly-accessible position. Among their findings are an apparently well-used firing range, a military style obstacle and rope course, and numerous armed sentries patrolling the grounds armed with rifles. Above all, the layout of the compound appears to have been designed to prevent public observation. The report also details a number of interviews with local residents who live near the compound. Most notable are these two quotes:

"We see children - small children run around over there when they should be in school. We hear bursts of gunfire all of the time, and we know that there is military like training going on there. Those people are armed and dangerous. We get nothing but menacing looks from the people who go in and out of the camp, and sometime they yell at us to mind our own business when we are just driving by. We don't even dare to slow down when we drive by. They own this mountain and they know it, and there is nothing we can do about it but move, and we can't even do that. Who wants to buy property next to that?" [Source: CP/NIN Report, page 13]

And:

"These people need to be investigated. They are training for war, either for war here in this country or against our troops. Who in the hell is allowing this stuff to happen right here in our own backyard, and why?" [Source: CP/NIN Report, page 13]

Additional supporting information can be found in the appendix of the report.

By no means is the Jamaat ul-Fuqra story over. The CP/NIN effort states that it is an interim report, and that further investigations are pending. CP himself and Baron and Dymphna at Gates of Vienna continue to research and publish their findings. I myself am currently researching possible JF activities in my region of the country.

This story will always carry a special distinction for me, having been fortunate enough to follow this story from the day of its revelation by Baron Bodissey to the CP/NIN report and beyond. I am proud of my fellow bloggers who have made incredible strides in researching, compiling, narrating, and presenting any and all information they have uncovered. As an American, I am disturbed by the threats that organizations like Jamaat ul-Fuqra pose to our country, as well as the apparent impotence of the proper authorities to deal with the situation. However, if the past four months are any indication, I am confident that the American people will competently defend their homeland by raising awareness of this story and conducting private investigations in a thorough yet mature manner. Government knowledge of these investigations appears to be lacking, but progress is being made. (Both Gates of Vienna and CP were mentioned in a weekly NYPD counterterrorism briefing.) I am optimistic--something that usually doesn't come easily for me--that we will prevail.

But let me address the members of Jamaat ul-Fuqra themselves: Jamaat ul-Fuqra, Muslims of the Americas, or whatever you choose to call yourselves, we are watching you. We know where you are and we know what you are doing; we know what you believe and what you're hoping to do. If you're anywhere near competent, I expect that you've been following our reports and you're probably reading this right now. (Thanks for stopping by and upping my traffic, but don't let the door hit you on the way out.) Make no mistake, we will not allow our country to be attacked from within. You have managed to use and abuse the freedom and liberties inherent in American society to operate your illegal compounds, indoctrinate your followers with murderous ideology, and subvert the civil order of this nation by committing numerous murders, bombings, fraud, and other criminal acts. Yet we are not powerless against you. In accordance with the laws of our nation--the very laws which protect your rights to speak freely, assemble together, practice your ideology, and bear arms--we will expose your activities and bring you to justice. We know that you are patient and resourceful, but so are we.

Your days are numbered.

On The Road Again....

2006-02-17T10:53:00.000-08:00

No time for a post today, as I will spend much of it traveling.

However, do stop by tomorrow for the first installment of the new Saturday Featured Story. I will be discussing Jamaat ul-Fuqra and the CP/NIN Report. World Net Daily has picked up the story; you can read their article here.

Also, CP will be on the radio today.

Looks like Jamaat ul-Fuqra is going to have a busy weekend in the spotlight. It's about time.

2.16.2005

2006-02-16T15:06:00.000-08:00

RPG Killer >>> Very, very cool. If anybody out there has video of this, shoot me an e-mail.

Nukes Suddenly Halal? >>> This should come as no surprise, considering the close alliance between Ahmadinejad and the Iranian mullahs. What makes this more complicated is the complex nature of Islamic Shari'a and the 'fiqh'--Islamic jurisprudence--which is basically the collection of fatwas--religious decrees--by the Muslim jurists, imams, and mullahs. In addition to the Qur'an and the hadith, this ever-changing 'consensus' of sorts is to be treated as law by Muslims. Think 'living Constitution' and you'll get the idea. (This is why the May 2003 fatwa which granted bin Laden and other terrorist leaders permission to use NBC weapons was so serious. It basically removed any moral or religious obstruction to the use of weapons of mass destruction by Islamic militants.) In addition, Iran is a predominately Shia country. So? Well in Shia Islam--which adheres to the Ja'fari school of jurisprudence--these fatwas are taken much more seriously. Also, for better or worse, Ja'fari fatwas are typically more flexible than their Sunni counterparts, as each Ja'fari jurist is able to inject their opinion into the ruling, thus adding a further degree of complexity to the fatwa.

More on Gitmo >>> Though feeling a little ill, Murdoc still coughs up--sorry, it was a pun that had to be made--an excellent look at the misrepresentation of the US detention facility at Guantanamo Bay. No wonder Murdoc doesn't feel so well...

The Side of Islam You Don't See >>> (*WARNING* Not safe for work. Or kids. Viewer uhhh.... 'discretion' is advised. You've been warned!) I found this over at Sandmonkey's place, and I'll just let it speak for itself. If you have time, read some of the comments as well.

The Dilbert Blog >>> This has nothing to do with anything that I normally discuss here, but I recently added The Dilbert Blog to my Humor/Satire blogroll, and today's post is exactly the kind of reason why. (Yes, this is the same Scott Adams who publishes the comic strip.) I have never really gotten into the Dilbert comic strip--sorry Scott--but the blog is absolutely hilarious. Also, if you were unfortunate enough to miss the short lived Dilbert TV show, you need to purchase the DVDs immediately. It set the standard for animated comedy even before Family Guy made it cool.

2.15.2006

2006-02-15T18:28:00.000-08:00

Lasers! (And Passenger Jets) >>> Also mentioned at the NIN. I'm a huge fan of lasers--which is why anything that I write concerning directed energy military hardware is usually accompanied by a heartfelt 'Lasers!' or two--but this is not what they should be used for. Chances are this is a bunch of kids--sounds like me a couple of years ago--who decided to point their new laser pens at passenger aircraft because they were caught pointing them at the cheerleaders at the last high school pep rally and if the principal sees one more red dot on a cheerleader--not counting pimples--he'll call mom and dad. However, it would be irresponsible to assume this is simply benign teenage terrorism. I hate to bring this up cause I know it'll be taken the wrong way, but the area where most of these incidents took place--Dearborn, Michigan--has one of the highest concentrations of American Muslims in the entire country. Now settle down; I'm not suggesting anything malicious here, but it's worth at least noting the apparent coincidence. That's all. Just as assuming innocence would be a mistake, so to would be assuming guilt. You can make up your own mind on this one, but if you read anything into it and get yourself offended, then it's your own damn fault.

Muslim Institute Dares Ahmadinejad To Visit Auschwitz >>> I thought this was pretty cool. Of course, Ahmadinejad wouldn't bother, but it was nice to hear someone--especially a fellow Muslim--call him on his rhetoric. Also, people tend to forget that the Jews weren't the only ones methodically exterminated during the Holocaust. Though the Jews certainly made up the majority, the millions of slaughtered Sinti (Gypsies), Roma, Russians, Slavs, Poles, physically and mentally handicapped, homosexuals, and various religious minorities deserve remembrance as well. (Hat tip: Big Pharoah)

UN Report on Guantanamo Bay >>> Murdoc nails it. Regardless of what you think of Gitmo, any report whose authors declined a visit to the site in question should not be taken seriously. Obviously, if getting to the truth of the matter was important, they'd have 'taken the tour', so to speak. While I agree that the legal quandaries surrounding Gitmo do warrant some criticism, most people have a very misguided view that Guantanamo is some modern-day concentration camp; the Treblinka of the Tropics. Falsified Newsweek stories don't do anybody any favors, either. While I'm sure Gitmo isn't very pleasant, I doubt it's overly uncomfortable either. Anybody that's ever read Solzhenitsyn's Gulag Archipelago would never hasten to make such rash comparisons. Remember that a number of people who have been released from this facility have returned to their former 'occupations'. (Note the Afghan teenager in that story who spent two years in Gitmo learning English, playing sports, and watching movies. He was later recaptured with Taliban fighters in Afghanistan.) And I'm pretty sure everybody in Gitmo is eating better than they ever did in The 'Stan.

Israel SAM-Proofs Its Airliners >>> We need to do this yesterday! We'll do it eventually when we get one of our jetliners shot down, but until then we're just going to continue to sweep the threat under the rug. Grrrr....

Saluting the 3rd ACR >>> Just read the thing. It speaks for itself.

New Abu Ghraib Photos >>> Not what you expected, eh? The actual new photos are out there--should you desire to see them--but I won't be linking to them here. Like Michelle Malkin, I find it odd that American media outlets have no qualms about publishing these photos, but the Mohammed cartoons are off limits. (As an aside, I have yet to really address this whole Cartoon Nonsense. Hopefully it will die out--it won't--and I won't have to comment on it--I will--and we can all go back to whatever foolishness we were engaged in before all this happened.) The Mudville Gazette also posted an excellent Abu Ghraib quiz back in April, which is a must-see.

2.14.2006

2006-02-14T16:54:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the late posting, I had a lot of catching up to do. She's a lengthy one today....

Where are the WMD? >>> I know, even mentioning WMDs these days brings up the inevitable request to 'cease and desist your continued physical assaults on that deceased equine mammal', or some derivative thereof. However, seeing as we went to war over this issue, I think the horse deserves a few more kicks. Now, we know that Saddam possessed these weapons at some point--he used them during the Iran-Iraq War and at Halabja in 1988--and we know that he refused to cooperate with UN inspectors during the '90s concerning the whereabouts of these weapons. In short, the question we should be asking--because we aren't--is where did these weapons go? Were they all destroyed during Desert Storm and by subsequent UN inspections? Maybe, though no conclusive proof exists. Shipped off to Syria? Quite possibly. Maybe even by Russian Spetsnaz? That would certainly merit a cover-up. Did Saddam even have the weapons he thought he did? Now that would be ironic. Or are they still in Iraq? David Gaubatz thinks so. All of these theories are probable--the Russian Spetsnaz idea is a little far-fetched, but it certainly sounds exciting--and are mutually exclusive. So what gives? Why is nobody else asking this question? Could it be because the answer appears to be non-existent? If you read through the theories above, you'll fit into either of two categories: You're suddenly curious and wondering why this story has been written off so quickly, or you're hopelessly confused by the massive amount of conflicting information and you just don't care anymore. I wouldn't blame you.

The Arabic Gap >>> All I can say is that I hope that these kids taking Arabic in high school and college stick with it; and that we can make do until they graduate.

US Prepares Strike Against Iran >>> At this point, considering the failure of diplomatic measures to elicit a positive response from the Iranians, military action seems inevitable. Somewhat surprisingly, 57% of Americans would support such action. I have predicted in the past that Israel would launch a unilateral strike on Iran near the end of March, especially given the recent Hamas victory in Palestine, which could make Benjamin Netanyahu the resounding victor in Israel's March 28th elections. Netanyahu has already made it clear that he plans to launch a pre-emptive strike on Iran. However, the prevailing wisdom now seems to be that such a strike would be best undertaken by the United States, and not simply for the political wisdom of keeping Jewish Israel out of a war with Muslim Iran. Such an attack would be extremely complicated, as this report from Security Watchtower illustrates. (I love how it puts the Sunday Telegraph's graphic to shame in terms of detail.) Though the US could probably pull off the attack, Israel certainly lacks the resources to do so, and their unique political situation effectively sidelines them. This burden falls upon the United States. Sadly, I feel that this is inevitable. I continue to believe that March-April 2006 will be--as an Israeli defense official described it--the 'point of no return'. Furthermore, it will certainly be costly, but I do think that this is an exaggeration.

Behind the Bomb Makers >>> An excellent article from Defense Technology International--in a cool online magazine format--with some very interesting background on the IED threat in Iraq. In related news, check out the IED Ray Gun. Woo hoo! Lasers!

Jamaat ul-Fuqra: The CP/NIN Report >>> (Link is in PDF format.) For several months now--almost as long as I've been running this blog--I have covered numerous reports concerning Jamaat ul-Fuqra, a domestic Islamic terrorist organization. These reports stretched over the period of many months, spearheaded largely by Gates of Vienna and The Politics of CP. CP led the way with numerous investigations into individual JF compounds--which I linked to as they were posted--based almost exclusively on open-source information. Now CP has teamed up with the Northeast Intelligence Network in researching and releasing a comprehensive report concerning Jamaat ul-Fuqra. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the NIN, they run an extremely polished and almost unbelievably informative site. In fact, many of the stories they report on take place on such a local level that they are effectively ignored by the rest of the media and the blogosphere. Honestly, the first time I stopped by the NIN, I was skeptical of their reports, at least until I studied their supporting information. Now they are one of my daily reads and they occupy the highest realm of my recommendations. I will be posting a more in-depth analysis of the CP/NIN report this weekend, but until then you can read it here in PDF format. If you have no idea what Jamaat ul-Fuqra is, CP has assembled a digest of coverage spanning back to mid-October 2005 when this whole story was first uncovered. Start there.

Obligatory Dick Cheney Link >>> Sorry, I just had to mention this. Seriously though, whatever happened to gun safety?

I'm Back

2006-02-13T11:49:00.000-08:00

Regular posting will resume tomorrow.

I've made up my mind about the changes I'd like to make to the blog and its formatting. (No, nothing big. I'm not going to start posting in Farsi or Mandarin Chinese--though I wish I could.) Here's what's going down:

Monday through Friday will consist of the usual daily news format--the 'Linkzookery', as Murdoc would call it.

Saturday will be a more traditional single-issue post on whatever I want, but probably somehow connected to the major news of that particular week.

Sunday will now host the 'Idiot of the Week'. Before I started this blog, I operated one for a couple weeks called 'The Idiot Spotlight'. For various reasons I discontinued it--not because of the lack of idiots, trust me--but it's spirit will live on here. Stop by this Sunday to see who the first one is.

Sabbatical

2006-02-05T19:17:00.000-08:00

I have two regrettable announcements to make, one of which is worse than the other. We'll do the really bad news first:

1. >>> The Seattle Seahawks lost the Super Bowl.

(and)

2. >>> I will have very little time for blogging this next week, due to mid-terms. The soonest I would be able to post--at least with any semblance of quality--would be on Friday, but I've decided I will resume posting again on Monday the 13th, and use the extra time to update the site and organize my information gathering system into something less chaotic. My previous pledge to have all posts up by noon Pacific Time has failed miserably, so I'm going to re-evaluate my methods. In the mean time, there is a whole lot going on in the world--which I will still be watching closely--and I plan to jump back into it as soon as possible. Until then, this blog has now reached the 100 post milestone. Take some time and read through some archived posts; when you write something almost everyday for 4 months, it's always interesting to go back and see which predictions turned out to be correct, and which ones were totally off.

>>> Jesse Clark

2.1.2006

2006-02-01T16:38:00.000-08:00

2006 State of the Union >>> If you missed it, the White House has a transcript and streaming video. Pretty decent speech, actually. CT blog breaks it down here.

IAEA: Iran Has Plans For A Bomb >>> Given this statement by the IAEA--and their report several months back in which they gave the shortest-yet estimate of how soon Iran could acquire nuclear weapons--it is odd that they have been the most cautious of all participants in the Iranian affair.

Fuqra Fugitives >>> CP continues his coverage of domestic terror organization Jamaat ul-Fuqra with a look at its connection with a number of wanted fugitives. He also expresses frustration at their removal from the list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations in 2000.

Lasers! >>> That's right! Lasers!

What's So Great About the .45? >>> This article doesn't mention it, but the .40 S&W cartridge is another spectacular round that offers increased performance (read: stopping power) over the 9mm, while producing less recoil than the .45 and carrying more ammunition. For those reasons, the .40 is my preferred pistol round. However, the argument over pistol caliber is a never-ending one, and gun enthusiasts will disagree over this issue forever.

1.31.2006

2006-01-31T16:37:00.000-08:00

Russia's New Missiles >>> A friend of mine discussed this story with a longtime friend and Raytheon employee who had this to say about Russia's new missile technology: "Trust me. There's nothing to worry about."

Jihad: Denmark and Norway >>> The statement reveals an interesting paranoia present in the Jihadist mindset. It is assumed that the West hates them and seeks their destruction. Of course, that's exactly right when it comes to Islamic terrorists, but Muslims in general are not to be included in that category--though many people would like them to be. So how do we separate the two? Do we even see a distinction between them? Do they understand that distinction? And just as many Muslims think we seek to destroy them, a good number of Americans--most of them are predictably Christian--view that Muslims as a whole seek to do the same to us. Make no mistake, the religious component of this war has been around for centuries and it's not going anywhere soon. But putting religion aside--let's hope it stays there for a while--there are practical choices that need to be made, and theological bickering isn't getting us anywhere. I've said for years that the only way we're ever going to do some serious damage against radical Islam is to enlist the help of regular Muslims against their militant relatives. Divide and conquer, anyone? Dymphna sums up the 'bad apple' in the barrel of Islam. Oh, as for this whole 'cartoon of Mohammad debacle', Big Pharoah's reaction is my favorite so far.

"Lo hara lo wara" >>> Mohammad at Iraq the Model asks whether democracy can succeed in Iraq, or even the Middle East as a whole. A great read.

Putin and Palestine >>> Putin's statement that 'Russia has never declared Hamas a terrorist organization' is nonsensical given Hamas' record, but it does highlight a frustrating lack of solidarity when it comes to the preposterously named 'War on Terror'. Who is the enemy? From an American standpoint the enemy is al-Qaeda. The Israelis have Hamas and Hezbollah, the Russians have militant Chechens, Spain has the ETA, Britain the IRA, and the list goes on and on. At present, 'terrorism' is simply a generic label for 'the bad guys' of any given nation-state. I don't mean to diminish the threat, but it's beyond cliche. If this was truly the 'War on Terror', we'd be going after more than just al-Qaeda, or even militant Islam. But it's not, and we aren't. To each his own?

The Tet Offensive: 38 Years Ago >>> Murdoc's closing paragraph is key; remember it.

1.30.2006

2006-01-30T16:22:00.000-08:00

Saddam Trial Judge >>> This is the Irony of the Century for what looks to be the Trial of the Century: The new judge is from the Kurdish town of Halabja--which Saddam gassed in 1988. Thousands of people died. Here's looking forward to justice.

Hamas and the Money Squeeze >>> Obviously, Hamas' terrorist history combined with its newly acquired authority in the Palestinian government presents a lot of problems. One of the most interesting dilemmas is the money issue. Wretchard provides some great analysis here, here, and here. For the ultimate background of Hamas' rise to power, check out Security Watchtower.

Cloaking Device >>> Now this is the ultimate Ghillie Suit. Awesome!

Iraqi 8th Army Takes Over >>> These two provinces--both in relatively peaceful Shi'a Iraq--are still fairly large, covering a territory about the size of Kentucky. The 270,000 mark for ISF personnel is approaching quickly, and I'm holding to my original prediction that we will reach that level around May-June, roughly two months sooner than the projected July-August timetable.

1.26.2006

2006-01-26T16:57:00.000-08:00

Hamas Sweeps Palestinian Elections >>> The idea that foreign leaders were 'shocked' by Hamas' win is ridiculous. Maybe I'm limited by my own perspective, but I knew this was coming and so did many others; anybody with even a casual interest in the Palestinian situation came to the same conclusion. What happens next shouldn't be much of a surprise either: In response, Israel moves to the right and elects Benjamin Netanyahu in their March 28 elections. Then--if they haven't already--they move to strike Iran. If you're wondering what's so bad about Hamas, read this. Also, the CT blog has some good analysis here.

Women in Special Operations >>> Hollywood productions aside, most people have no idea that women exist in this capacity. It's common knowledge that women have long been involved in intelligence and espionage, but combat is a whole different ball game. During World War II, the Soviet Union utilized a good number of female snipers with great success, but this was certainly the exception rather than the rule. Today, there is a great deal of controversy surrounding women in combat, which the asymmetrical nature of the war in Iraq has served to highlight. However, women have proved invaluable in many regards. For example, Delta Force's 'Funny Platoon'--named as such because it is the only place in the US military where women may serve in a combat role--specializes in infiltrating targeted areas and gathering information before the US military begins operations there. It is likely that the British SAS and a number of other countries employ women in a similar fashion.

Radical University Professors >>> As radical as this professor is, I know from personal experience that he is most certainly not the only one out there. This kind of nonsense has pervaded the American academic establishment for decades--on both sides of the political spectrum, thank you very much--and it doesn't look to be waning anytime soon. Looking for a sensible, impartial, and reason-based education? You'd be better off doing the research on your own and educating yourself. One of my favorite aphorisms is this: Never depend on anyone else for your information. If you want the truth, go and find it yourself.

More on Body Armor >>> The body armor controversy has been an interesting one. On one hand, you have people trying to enhance the survivability of US soldiers by calling for additional body armor--certainly an understandable and admirable desire. On the other hand, you have a substantial number of the soldiers themselves who are basically saying 'You don't get it. Too much armor can DECREASE our survivability!' In the words of Sgt. Chris Mettler--quoted by Murdoc--"I thank these people for their concern. But let us be the ones asking for extra armor." For some serious background on the Interceptor Body Armor in question, GlobalSecurity.org puts out. Make sure to check out the fifth paragraph, which details the effects of body armor on accuracy at varying distances. Interesting results.

1.25.2006

2006-01-25T16:47:00.000-08:00

Aircraft Carriers >>> I've made a few comments in the past concerning the enormous disparity between the naval power of the United States and, well.... everyone else. Most of the time, the argument is a hypothetical US vs. China match-up, but in all of these cases I've cited the number of aircraft carriers as the chief indicator of US naval supremacy. GlobalSecurity.org has the proof.

Joel Stein >>> I thought this blurb from Phil Carter at Intel Dump--who is currently serving with the US Army in Iraq--is the best response to Joel Stein's article about why he doesn't support the troops. I wasn't originally planning on commenting about this story--it really isn't much of a story; the conservative bloggers are making far too big a deal about it--but a few people have asked me what I thought, so here goes: First of all, Stein's article is a simple attempt to get some attention. A lot people had no idea who Joel Stein was a few days ago. Maybe a few of us knew he was a humor columnist--that's right, a humor columnist--for the LA Times. Now he's famous, thanks to the emotionally charged opening line in an otherwise bland piece of political satire. Well played, Mr. Stein. (Does this remind anybody else of The Producers?) However, I do have to give him points for honesty. A lot of people "don't support the war", but quickly dilute their opinion with a somber"but I do support the troops", often whether they mean it or not. Reckless charges of anti-Americanism by many Republicans only serve to make this disclaimer more popular. It's a valid opinion, but it's beyond cliche; a lack of imagination, if you will. Mr. Stein's straightforwardness-- flagrant attention grab or not--is admirable, especially since he knew the kind of hell he would raise. This is the beautiful thing about America: you can say whatever you want--no matter how childish and stupid it is--and then anybody who wants to can beat you to death with your own words.

The Cost of War >>> An excellent report from Security Watchtower on the comparative cost of the Iraq War to past American conflicts. There's even a colorful little chart for the illiterate!

1.24.2006

2006-01-24T18:40:00.000-08:00

Quadrennial Defense Review >>> For those of you unfamiliar with DOD-speak, the QDR is a strategic reassessment of US military priorities that happens every four years--hence the word 'quadrennial'. It usually plays a big role in determining what programs are going to receive the largest amounts of the hotly-contested defense budget for the next few years, and can thus be interpreted as the general 'game plan' which the US military hopes to implement. The interesting contrast in this edition is the two major opposing views concerning counterinsurgency (read: terrorism) and the growing threat of a Cold War with China--which I commented on in my January 20th post. Both threats are serious, yet the question is the correct balance between the two of them.

Hunting Terrorists In North Africa >>> An excellent article about counterterrorism in a part of the world that is often forgotten.

Naval School Professor Proposes 'Test' For bin Laden's 'Truce' >>> I've got to agree with Mr. Cochran. This guy should be fired immediately. If it were a liberal arts university it would be different, but this is a US Navy school. Professor Borer needs to go.

Al-Qaeda/Insurgent Rift >>> Conventional wisdom holds that since 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend', these two groups should be working hand in hand. Not surprisingly, however, things are as complicated in war as they are in peace. The average person thinks of the enemy in Iraq as a horde of mindless bomb-makers and RPG-shooters with little sophistication or complexity. They think these guys get up in the morning like little worker bees, go out and blow stuff up, come back for lunch, and then head out again. Perhaps the most difficult decision in the day of an Iraqi insurgent is picking which US soldier to shoot at. This notion is just pure crap. There are numerous subtleties concerning ethnic representation of the leadership, propaganda possibilities, target selection and methodology, popular support, religious doctrine, and so on. Like any organization, these guys have a whole lot of differing opinions and it's no surprise to hear that they're at odds with one another.

Oh, For Crying Out Loud! >>> I've spent a good deal of time ranting against ignorance in the journalistic community concerning all things military, but in the military itself? Firearms/ballistics aficionados, you might want to sit down before you read this one.

1.23.2006

2006-01-23T15:25:00.000-08:00

"Cans of Whup-Ass" >>> Take a minute and read through some of this stuff; it's astounding. Theoretically a single F-16 could destroy 160 targets; a single B-1 could destroy 1,200! Whenever you hear somebody start to talk about the size and the might of the Chinese Army, tell them about these little guys.

The Double-Edged Sword of Decapitation >>> With the attempt to kill al-Zawahiri in Pakistan and bin Laden's new video last week, decapitation strikes are getting some new attention. This article brings up a very important point, which audiences of the film Munich will find quite familiar--that killing terrorists sometimes only creates more terrorists. But as the above article quotes, "that doesn't mean you don't do it." So what is the right way--if there is one--to successfully decapitate a terrorist group? The answer--as I see it--lies in how the decapitation is carried out. Most importantly, you cannot kill any innocent people. Doing so will eclipse the death of the terrorist leader and become a rallying cry for future attacks. Israel's practice of firing rockets at the cars of Hamas leaders as they drive through crowded city streets is an example of this kind of recklessness. Blowing up a house in Pakistan with a Predator drone isn't smart either. (I've expressed mixed reviews of that strike, so I apologize if I've confused anybody. If you think carefully about what I've written, you should see where I'm coming from.) Sure, the Pakistanis have our hands tied, and maybe the 13 other people killed in the attack weren't really 'civilians', but the truth really doesn't matter. Perception--as always--wins the day. Without question, these terrorist leaders need to be killed/captured, but it has to be done right or more leaders will rise to fill the void. (Insert Hydra analogy here.) The problem is that, as precise as many of these strikes are, they are still not precise enough. Missiles, rockets, bombs, etc., are all quite messy. The alternative? Good old-fashioned bullets. Whether fired from mile-and-a-half or an inch-and-a-half they are extremely precise and relatively clean--at least compared to high explosives. Greater risks are involved--the shooter needs to escape, it's harder to get a good shot at the bad guy--but the collateral damage (read: public outcry) is drastically reduced. Israel, in particular, will be hard pressed to adopt this strategy. They love the spectacular attacks and the emotional impact they carry. But these things only bring more enemies out of hiding. A successful decapitation strike needs to focus on eliminating the target itself rather than broadcasting some kind of message. If counterterrorist organizations can kill terrorist leaders silently, they can disrupt their network while minimizing the chances for increased public support. The moral of the story is this: When you kill, do it as quickly and as quietly as possible.

Iraqi Insurgents vs. al-Qaeda: Ramadi Edition >>> This is a vastly underreported story, and in a place like Ramadi--probably the last serious bastion of insurgent/al-Qaeda forces--it's a big deal. However the potential for innocent people to get caught in the crossfire is huge. Furthermore, whether or not they are killed by insurgents or terrorists won't matter--any civilian deaths are the responsibility of the US-led Coalition. After all, it was they who invaded Iraq in the first place. As I mentioned above, perception--not truth--is what matters. As great as this kind of red-on-red warfare looks for us on paper, we need to stop it ASAP. Enough innocent people have died in Iraq.

Iraqi Army Officers Graduate >>> Excellent news, and way overdue. But it is still unclear whether the Iraqi Army can develop a strong NCO corps--the true backbone of an effective military. However, given the amount of 'hands-on training' (read: combat) that ISF forces are undertaking, such experience should be accrued rapidly. As I've stated a number of times before, every battle the Iraqi military fights makes them stronger and more experienced. Several years from now, don't be surprised when they're one of the strongest and most capable militaries in the world, certainly in the Middle East.

1.20.2006

2006-01-20T15:33:00.000-08:00

The Results Are In >>> And they're arguing about it, too! Sounds like a democracy to me. The important thing about the results--and the reason that the UIA is protesting--is that they fell short of the number of seats necessary to form a unilateral government. As such, the UIA will have to form a coalition government with another party, which should make for the same bargaining and deal-making we see in other countries, most recently in Germany.

China Training Venezuelan SOF >>> This underscores the low-level cold war going on between the United States and China. While obviously less intense than the Cold War between the US and the Soviet Union (so far), it is nonetheless quite heated in many areas, especially concerning intelligence/espionage and economic issues. China has also stolen a great deal of secrets from US research firms--most notably in Los Alamos--and it's widely known that Chinese hackers--with government sanction--regularly attempt to penetrate US government computer networks. A great deal of contemporary Chinese military hardware is based off of stolen US technology, and this story helps explain why: The Chinese are no fools, and they're soaking up any information they can get their hands on, whether it's missile guidance algorithms or Special Forces tactics. Smart move for them; warning sign for us.

Iranian Air Force >>> Unfortunately for the Iranians, ingenuity can only get you so far. Even a full squadron of F-14 Tomcats--an antiquated but still formidable fighter--cannot compete against a single F-22, technologically speaking. Throw in superior American pilot training, avionics, missile technology, and the enormous bonus of third-person target acquisition (i.e. having an AWACS of JSTARS relaying you the location of the enemy), and even our own F-14s could down theirs.

1.19.2006

2006-01-19T00:48:00.000-08:00

New Bin Laden Tape >>> The guy is still alive. Either he's out in the caves somewhere, lugging around a generator and a dialysis machine, or huddled in a safe house in Karachi or Islamabad. As for the sentiment that we're safer because we haven't had an al-Qaeda attack since September 2001, remember that the previous attack on US soil before that was in 1993. So we've got an eight-year gap to close before we can say that attacks--on our soil at least--have decreased. 9/11 was not some opening salvo; this war has been going on since 1972 or 1979, take your pick. 9/11 was simply the first time we decided to fight back.

Ahmadinejad >>> An excellent psychological profile of Iran's President and his religious beliefs by a trained psychiatrist. A must-read.

Mexican Border Incursions >>> Like they did with Jamaat ul-Fuqra--which hasn't gone anywhere!--Gates of Vienna is again taking the lead in covering this issue. Good work Baron and Dymphna.

Speaking of Jamaat ul-Fuqra >>> CP covers the possible al-Qaeda connections of Jamaat ul-Fuqra. Note the first line of the post has three links to past al-Qaeda/JF associations. Check them all out.

Damadola Strike >>> Bill Roggio details the final result of the missile strike in Pakistan and its turbulent evolution. It was originally hoped to have claimed the live of Ayman al-Zawahiri, then was decried for its civilian casualties, and now is being praising for eliminating several al-Qaeda members.

1.18.2006

2006-01-18T15:57:00.000-08:00

Mexican Military Crossing US Border >>> Absolutely outrageous. Illegal immigrants is one thing, armed soldiers from another sovereign nation is another. While my first instinct is to call for the deployment of troops to whack these guys when they cross the border--bring the 10th SOG down from Fort Carson!--I suppose some degree of restraint is in order. Whoever's in charge, fix this.

Reporter Moved To Become A Marine >>> With my recent rant against military ignorance in journalism, this was a refreshing thing to hear. There are a lot of soldiers turned reporters, and many of them are actually quite good--Michael Yon, for instance--but there are very few reporters turned soldiers. Good for him.

US Strike Killed Al-Qaeda Bombmaker >>> What has been largely ignored in this story is that we did kill some bad guys. I'm not saying it was a clean strike and I'm not saying that it was the right play (tactically speaking), but killing bad guys is still awfully important. The rest is arguable. The CT Blog has some nifty photos.

Excellent New Blog >>> The other day I ran across Arms and Influence, a blog concerning the politics of war and other issues of that nature. It is well written and presented in a linear format, so you can look through the left margin and literally read it from its beginning. It's definitely worth your time; I'll add it to my blog listings shortly.

SEALs See Strange Animal In Africa >>> Not really an important story, but there are two points of interest: First, what kind of creature is this? Secondly, what were we doing in the DRC?

No Post, Sorry

2006-01-17T17:36:00.000-08:00

I know I did this a few days ago, but I won't be able to post today, either. I'd rather add more to tomorrow's post than rush today's.

I spent a good deal of the day travelling, and sadly there are still many places where the internet is unreachable.

1.16.2006

2006-01-16T18:15:00.000-08:00

Did German Spies Help Bomb Iraq? >>> A while back, Bush gave a speech about the Iraq War Coalition in which he stated something to the effect of 'there are Coalition members that remain secret'. This was thought to be a reference to a number of Muslim countries who wished to remove Saddam yet desired some degree of anonymity to protect them from retribution. But was Germany one of those 'secret Coalition members'?

Zawahiri Not Killed; Pakistan Condemns Attack >>> There are a number of points here: First of all, the intelligence that predicated the attack was most likely from Pakistani sources. Secondly, not only are the people in these regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan extremely friendly towards al-Qaeda types, but in that part of the world 'hospitality' actually means something. The culture dictates that any traveler who arrives at your home must be accepted as a guest and protected with your own life. This means that not only do al-Qaeda operatives have thousands of options for refuge, but whenever we make a missile strike--we have to, because Pakistan won't let us bring troops into their country--there are going to be civilian deaths involved. As they say, 'You've got to take that shot.' But the Pakistanis' protest brings up a separate issue: This is not Iraq. Diplomatic finesse and international platitudes are out of the picture. The people we are hunting in Pakistan attacked us directly--on our own soil--and killed nearly 3,000 of our citizens in the process. This goes beyond the idea of 'national interests' championed by Realist political thinkers. This is personal. Pakistan can either get its act together and contribute something besides protest and faulty intelligence or it can keep playing games and get pushed aside like the lightweights that they are, nuclear weapons included.

Iran: What Are Our Options? >>> Wretchard presents another substantial look at the Iran situation, and why Ahmadinejad may be a blessing in disguise. Like most Belmont Club pieces, this is definitely worth the read.

Aerial IEDs >>> Quite an ingenious piece of engineering, but I imagine that most helicopter shoot-downs are either small arms or RPGs. Helicopters are fragile creatures, and even the smallest amount of FOD (foreign-object damage) in the right spot can bring one down. Remember the Battle of Mogadishu?

What The Hell? >>> This crap gets so old so fast. Somebody needs to spend 20 minutes looking through GlobalSecurity.org or the Federation of American Scientists Munitions Guide. This is the same kind of ignorance that spawned the white phosphorus and depleted uranium uproars, both of which were as untrue as they were ridiculous. Please, I beg you, if you're a journalist writing on military issues, get your head out of your ass and into some facts.

1.13.2006

2006-01-13T14:54:00.000-08:00

In Contact >>> Wretchard takes a comprehensive look into the Iran situation and its inherent complexities. The post pretty much speaks for itself, but the Herald article mentioned is a must-read, and worth a second mention. You can check it out here. Also, Victor Davis Hanson provides another must-read on the issue, and I've added him to the 'People You Need To Read' category below.

Surge In Disposable Phone Sales >>> What's so interesting about this issue is the behavior of the suspects, four of whom were actually arrested. The Midland, Texas Police Report referenced by the ABC News article, can be viewed here in PDF format. Two things are worth noting: First is the statement that "actions observed by officers at the onset of the contact prompted the notification of local FBI officials". It is not clear what these 'actions' might have been, but they were apparently worth mentioning to the Feds. Second of all--and this is merely a little strange--the incident occurred at 0036 hours (just after midnight for normal people). If you're a terrorist trying to buy disposable phones without raising suspicion, why do it at midnight?

Austrian Sniper Rifles For Iran >>> Frustrating, but sadly inevitable.

Iraq Update >>> Bill Roggio on the latest developments in Iraq. Lots of links, but worth following. Also, he covers the conflict between Iraqi insurgents and foreign al-Qaeda fighters in Red-on-Red: The Hidden War In Iraq.

1.12.2006

2006-01-12T17:09:00.000-08:00

Iranian Military Plane Crash: Sabotage? >>> What remains to be seen is if the Iranian government accepts the sabotage theory and then takes any retaliatory action against its opposition. Obviously, this could heat up Iran's internal conflict. The tricky part is whether that would be a positive or negative development: Any further radicalization of the Iranian regime would be dangerous, given their present level of rhetoric. However, anything to widen the gap between the regime and the Iranian people--already working towards revolution--will only bring that revolution about faster. By far, revolution is preferred method of ousting Ahmadinejad and the entire Iranian mullahcracy, something that needs to be done one way or another and soon.

The Armor Debate >>> I covered this a few days ago, but I figured it was worth going back to again. More info here. As for my take on the whole armor issue, I just can't help but think about the men who fought in past wars--without any. Obviously, we must take any possible steps to protect our soldiers and extend their operational capability, but at what point does armor do more harm than good? And at what point did we apply the oh-so-typical American attitude of entitlement to body armor? The men who fought at Normandy or Guadalcanal or where-have-you didn't have the fortune of wearing body armor, yet they were victorious because they were soldiers, and soldiers are better at doing more with less than anybody else on the planet. These are not little boys who must be bubble-wrapped and closely guarded lest the outside world break their fragile little minds and bodies. These are warriors, highly-trained men whose job is to kill or be killed, who can save life or take it in the blink of an eye, who think fast and move faster. Give them whatever possible protection is available, but don't for a second think they need it.

US Military Recruiting >>> A great piece by Security Watchtower. I'll just let it speak for itself.

1.11.2006

2006-01-11T17:30:00.000-08:00

Syria Undermined Coalition Efforts In Iraq >>> For anybody who has been watching this issue closely, this is no surprise. This recent revelation follows the release of a book by Paul Bremer, who ran the interim Iraqi government after the US-led invasion in 2003. Syria continues to interfere in Iraq today, and is the main artery of foreign fighter infiltration in the country. Before the removal of Saddam, the Syrians and the Iraqis were quite close. Indeed, Syria is itself a Ba'athist regime, and the two countries cooperated with each other in many regards. A great deal of suspicion still remains surrounding possible Syrian involvement in the disappearance of Iraqi WMDs.

Spanish Soldiers In Iraq >>> Also from Bremer's book. His grievances with other members of the Coalition are hardly new. There are plenty of similar anecdotes from NATO operations in Kosovo, and the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu in Somalia is a textbook example of military command getting hosed up between nations. (In Mogadishu, US troops were placed under Pakistani command, a diplomatic nicety which indirectly contributed to the already disastrous operation which killed 18 US soldiers and--often forgotten--one Malaysian soldier. This brings us to a key issue concerning these 'Coalitions'. There are many situations in which military unilateralism is more effective. One chain of command, one language, one standard operating procedure. Throw in another force and things go to hell real fast. Even the United States and Britain, similar in all the aspects listed above, often butt heads while in the field together. Even the separate branches of the US military don't get along. So why bother with a Coalition? Because in this day and age, political support is just as important--if not more so--than military support. Also, many of these countries have taken advantage of the vast education opportunity of working alongside US forces. That's why you see countries like Azerbaijan or Uganda fielding troops in Iraq. Whatever capabilities their units--just a few hundred strong--bring to the table could just as easily be accomplished with another US brigade. But their military prowess is not the issue here: They came to Iraq to learn, and I for one appreciate their commitment, if not their combat capability.

OU Suicide Bombing >>> It's been a while since anyone made some noise about this issue. When it first happened, the blogosphere prided itself in carrying the story while the mainstream media ignored it. Well, the blogs have been silent about this for a few months now. For all the background on the story, go here. If you think this whole thing is 100% pure, un-cut, Colombian conspiracy, take 10 minutes of your life and read it anyway. You might be surprised.

Iraqi Insurgency: 2006 >>> Bill Roggio pens--types?--an excellent article on the future of the Iraqi Security Forces in 2006, which Roggio prophetically defines as the 'Year of the Police'.

No Post Today

2006-01-10T10:46:00.000-08:00

I'll be back tomorrow.

1.9.2006

2006-01-09T16:00:00.000-08:00

I've ditched the categories which I used in previous posts to lump stories together. I found they were a little too clear-cut to suit the issues at large and they took up space on the page. Any input on this or other changes?
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Saddam's Terror Training Camps >>> An excellent article by the Weekly Standard on Saddam's terror ties, how it was overshadowed by the hunt for WMDs, the sheer volume of the evidence in question, and the lumbering dinosaur that is the United States intelligence community. A must read.

Rockets Against Israel 'Ordered By Osama' >>> I don't buy it. Why would Osama bin Laden place so much importance in a trivial--and ultimately fruitless--attack? Some might argue that bin Laden's network is crippled and can only mount attacks in a limited capacity such as this one, but recent attacks have shown that to be somewhat questionable. Al-Qaeda has proved to be remarkably adaptive, even though its leader has been effectively nullified. Indeed, the line between bin Laden's al-Qaeda and Zarqawi's al-Qaeda is blurry at best, and it would not be surprising to find that the two were operating independently of each other. This could well be a simple effort by Zarqawi to lend some credence to his network.

Air Marshals >>> By far the most comprehensive and brutally honest account of the Federal Air Marshal Service, where its capabilities are lacking, and what needs to be done about it. Definitely worth reading if you plan on flying anytime soon.

Body Armor >>> A US soldier on why body armor may be doing more harm than good.

Some Changes

2006-01-07T12:39:00.000-08:00

Just as a heads up, I've decided--at least temporarily--to cease posting on weekends (Saturday and Sunday). This is for two reasons: News is often sparse on these particular days, and the posts end up being pretty weak. Second of all, I'm considering using the weekend for a larger, more in-depth post on a specific issue, rather than the usual headlines. It should look like this:

Monday-Friday: Daily News
Saturday OR Sunday: Featured Story

I'm not sure how soon I'll begin working on the featured story, (I just came up with this idea three minutes ago) but hopefully by the end of the month. That should add some variety to the site.

1.6.2005

2006-01-06T10:32:00.000-08:00

WW4

Ariel Sharon >>> Wretchard provides a look at the world's response to Sharon's failing health, and provides an interesting historical comparison.

There Go Those French Youths Again >>> Another example of the youth in France going nuts in the satirical yet logical style that only Dymphna can dish out. A great read.
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OIF

The Amman Effect: Ramadi Edition >>> The recent hotel bombings in Amman, Jordan by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's al-Qaeda in Iraq group had a radical effect on native Jordanians. Before the bombings, 55% of Jordanians expressed support for al-Qaeda. Afterwards, the public uproar against the terror organization was resounding, and the streets were crowded with people rallying against Zarqawi, a Jordanian himself. (Don't belief me? Here are the numbers.) The question we asked ourselves following those attacks was simple: What was Zarqawi thinking? Once again, we have to ask the same question in Ramadi, Iraq. Arguably the largest area of insurgent concentration left in Iraq, it symbolizes the remaining struggle in the Anbar province, of which it is the provincial capital. After yesterday's surge of violence throughout Iraq, the Amman Effect is coming into play. I don't presume to think that Zarqawi is a fool. In his business, you don't last as long as he has by being stupid. But try as I may, I have yet to grasp any sort of strategic or tactical value from these types of attacks.
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1.5.2005

2006-01-05T12:42:00.000-08:00

You might have noticed that the links in the right sidebar have been substantially enhanced. If you didn't, then now you know. Many of them are a reference tool so you can go about learning more about all this stuff. All of the Blogs of Note are worth checking out, and the Humor/Satire category should round out all of this 'serious terrorism business'. The 'People You Need To Read' category is just that. It's a small category for good reason: Anybody found there is the elite of the elite, and you should ignore them at your own peril. Also, I vastly expanded the Welcome Page. You can find a link to it on the right. In the next few weeks, I hope to add a few more improvements to the interface, and update the Acronyms Page with links. Any suggestions? E-mail is on the right.
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WW4

Bangladesh >>> An often ignored country in an often ignored part of the world, and it's becoming a terror hub for just that reason. Pakistani involvement is not surprising, and could be considered legitimate covert action except that these groups are likely engaged in terrorism, not 'freedom fighting' or what-have-you. The last sentence is particularly telling.
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OIF

Troops Say They're Still Needed >>> It is quite possible that the withdrawal of troops from Iraq will be rushed in a way that is detrimental both to Iraq and the remaining US troops, i.e. the 'last guys out'. Political pressure for withdrawal is enormous and with congressional elections later this year, expect some stupid decisions. I'm going to go ahead and make a prediction: We will pull out of Iraq a little bit too early, and the Iraqi forces will then have a deluge of violence on their hands. This will be cited by many as proof that the entirety of Operation Iraqi Freedom was a failure. At this point I'm not as certain: Either the ISF will prevail against the violence after a few weeks/months and re-assert control, or the violence will be such that they will take drastic measures and only make things worse. Doesn't sound so good, does it? That's why I hope I'm wrong, and we stay till the job is done.

After the Election >>> Iraq the Model details what it's like on the ground in Iraq amidst the frustration of the elections and the surge of violence in the past couple of days. You should read the whole thing, but if you're short on time at least read the last paragraph.
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DOMESTIC

US Agents Fired Upon Near Mexican Border >>> This reminds me of the constant attacks on Coalition aircraft in the Iraqi no-fly zones before the invasion in 2003. None of them were hit, but--absent some sort of intervention--it was only a matter of time before somebody on the ground got lucky. Same thing on the US-Mexico border.
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DEFENSE & TECHNOLOGY

Congress Cuts Funds For JSF >>> And then they revive a missile killed by DOD. I'm not trying to make any sort of statement about either of these actions by the Congress, but to reveal how the system works for developing new military technology. The DOD typically runs point, but Congress can move some serious weight when they want to. Like the rest of the system, only when the two can compromise on an issue will it be put to work.

X-Ray Vision >>> Cool.
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1.4.2006

2006-01-04T10:44:00.000-08:00

It's good to be back, and I hope you all had a great Christmas/Whatever. Keep an eye out for some improvements/modifications as I take the blog into 2006. Also, I'm not even going to try to sift through all the news that happened while I was gone. There's simply too much material so, with a few exceptions, I will start with the present and continue from there.
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WW4

London Bombs Cost 'A Few Hundred Pounds' >>> Note that not only did the London attack cost a few hundred pounds, but the money was apparently raised legitimately. In terms of pure economics, terrorism is not only extremely affordable in terms of death and/or injury per dollar, but incredibly difficult to trace.

Why This Is Truly World War IV >>> Bill Roggio--back from Iraq--has an excellent post on the global scale of the 'War on Terrorism' or whatever you'd like to call it. Also, Roggio has recently come under fire for his trip to Iraq by the Washington Post, and has since responded. Definitely worth a read.
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OIF

Female Soldiers in Iraq >>> Considering the cultural situation in Iraq, the increased role of female soldiers is not surprising, nor should it be frowned upon. Like all forms of warriors, they knew the risks when they signed up. Urban counter-insurgency combat is never symmetrical or clean-cut, so 'keeping the women out of it' is easier said than done. Remember all that Jessica Lynch crap?

Snipers >>> I've covered the efforts--and results--of US snipers in Ramadi for some time now, and it appears that they continue to be successful. As I noted above concerning the financial aspects of the London bombings and terrorism as a whole, sniping is also relatively inexpensive, as the first paragraph of this article will show you.

The Coalition of the Willing >>> As I predicted--probably a year ago so I have no blog 'receipt' to prove it--the withdrawal of Coalition partners from Iraq has been spun as 'unwilling to commit' and 'declining'. What nobody seems to consider is that when the US and other nations leave Iraq--as is inevitable eventually--it could be because the work is getting done, not because they're giving up. Naturally, any Coalition withdrawal is going to be led by smaller Coalition members. The US will be the last out of Iraq, as they constitute the largest force. They can't just reduce 10% of all Coalition forces incrementally, that would leave El Salvador, Azerbaijan, or Uganda with a half-dozen guys in Iraq. (That's right, those three countries are part of the Coalition. You wouldn't know it from watching the news. Just because France and Germany stayed home, people assume that the rest of the world stayed with them. Check out the Official Coalition List, you'll be surprised.) So when the US leaves, will the withdrawal be painted as a success or a retreat?
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DOMESTIC

Jamaat ul-Fuqra in Georgia >>> CP provides a look at another purported Jamaat ul-Fuqra compound in Commerce, Georgia. Then again in Dover, Tennessee.
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See You Next Year!

2005-12-19T14:15:00.000-08:00

I will be out of the country and away from an internet connection for the next several weeks, so the soonest I expect to post again is January 4th.

However, I have a few plans for when I resume posting. First of all, I hope to thoroughly update and enhance the links in the right margin of the site. I've discovered numerous blogs and research websites and I hope to add the links as soon as I can. Also, starting next year, I'm hoping to have each post up by noon Pacific Time. The majority of my readers are from the East Coast, so this should make daily reading easier.

In the two-and-a-half months I've been operating this blog, I have enjoyed the support and encouragement of numerous individuals. I would like to thank everyone who has stopped by--whether on purpose or accidentally--and especially those who have been gracious enough to link to my site. Thank you again.

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

>>> Jesse

12.18.2005

2005-12-18T15:35:00.000-08:00

WW4

Ahmadinejad and Hitler >>> Another great piece of historical allegory by Baron Bodissey. Mark Twain sums it up the best: "History does not repeat itself. It rhymes."
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OIF

Iraqi Democracy >>> Note that the Sunni turnout for the December election was 80%. Yes, the Sunni turnout. Even more remarkable is that they appear to have voted overwhelmingly for a Shiite! That's an even bigger democratic faux pas than voting across party lines! They are putting an EXTREMELY volatile religious schism behind them and voting in favor of a greater Iraqi nationalism, an idea that is still in its infancy! This is a sterling example of democracy. I believe, without a single reservation, that Iraq has a far brighter future than this country does. American economic muscle and military prowess are fleeting when compared to the grand scale of the ebb and flow of history. When a state that is governed by the people finds itself in a situation where those people--the very lifeblood of the nation itself--are too complacent to exert their rights to shape their country, that state is not only nearing its extinction, it is already brain-dead.
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12.17.2005

2005-12-17T18:28:00.000-08:00

WW4

NSA Surveillance: Benefits >>> I'm somewhat surprised that this NSA eavesdropping story is receiving so much press. They have always been in the SIGINT business, and unlike other intelligence methods SIGINT is extremely broad-based. There is a great deal of information collected and there is often little discrimination in where that information is coming from, making privacy somewhat difficult. In fact, the NSA is only a part of an international SIGINT network known as ECHELON, which intercepts over 3 billion communications every day. There's no way that all 3 billion aren't from private citizens.

British CT Operations Up 75% >>> The claim by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the United States 'rounded up hundreds of Muslim Americans with little debate or dissent is ridiculous. First of all, the hundreds of 'enemy combatants' or what-have-you that have been detained since 9/11 are not 'Muslim-Americans' (read: US citizens). There have been a few of these--such as Jose Padilla--but not 'hundreds'. Furthermore, the idea that these detentions--both US citizens and otherwise--didn't trigger debate or dissent is both incorrect and stupid.

British Intel: London Bombers Not A Threat >>> This is extremely important, so read this very carefully: Stories such as this one are exactly why you see an increased atmosphere of suspicion towards the people by the government after terrorist attacks. As with the Able Danger debacle, the idea that 'we had these guys ahead of time' is going to eliminate any benefit of the doubt in any future situation. Suspects will be assumed guilty before proven innocent. Not because of some Orwellian police state mentality, but because nobody wants to repeat the mistakes of the past. In CT, mistakes = dead people. It is pure Pavlovian conditioning, and people need to realize why.

Al-Qaeda And Iran: Friends Or Foes? >>> As with the Iraq-al-Qaeda connection, 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend.'
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DEFENSE & TECHNOLOGY

A History Of Precision Weapons >>> A cool little background on the mainstay of modern air support. Tesla rules!
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12.16.2005

2005-12-16T19:44:00.000-08:00

WW4

Hezbollah >>> Michael J. Totten spends some time in Lebanon and reports on his experiences with members of the famous terrorist group.
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OIF

Iraqi Vote: Reflections >>> More information here.

The Purple Finger >>> You're free to make up your own mind on this one.
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12.15.2005

2005-12-15T17:25:00.000-08:00

WW4

Jordan Vows Preemption >>> Great quote from Howard Dean.
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OIF

Iraqi Election >>> Mohammed and Omar from Iraq the Model get their purple fingers, and provide a massive compilation of reports from all across Iraq. Also, an Iraqi woman voting in Michigan speaks her mind (Video). Finally, Bill Roggio reports from Barwana, a city near the Syrian border that was major terrorist turf just months ago.
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DOMESTIC

Border Security >>> It would be nice to see some of the evidence of 'Arabic presence' along the US-Mexican border. If anybody has some relevant information about this, do us all a favor and start sending e-mails. The blogosphere will take it from there.

Radioactive Material Missing >>> This really isn't a lot of nuclear material, but it's never good to hear this kind of news.
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12.14.2005

2005-12-14T19:21:00.000-08:00

OIF

On The Eve Of The Iraqi Elections >>> Wretchard on the Iraqi Vote: Part Three

Murtha >>> I've so far refrained from commenting on the recent statements of US Representative John Murtha for a simple reason: What's the big deal? The media made him out to be a pro-military guy who recently turned against the War in Iraq, but in fact he's held that position for months, and he advocated the same type of withdrawal from Somalia in 1993. Not much of a story, if you ask me. However, this article written by a US soldier--and linked to by Gates of Vienna--caught my attention enough to get a link.

Inside The Wolf Brigade >>> 'An Iraqi approach to Iraqi problems.'

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DOMESTIC

Air Marshals To Patrol Land And Sea Transport >>> A number of individuals have expressed some doubt that 'air marshals' should also be assigned to other forms of transportation because they are 'air' marshals. Seriously, people. They should probably change their name to just 'marshals' or something, but the details aren't really important. In truth, the tactics of an air marshal aren't limited to the cabin of a jetliner. In fact, a bus or a train has a similar interior layout that a passenger jet has. But beyond that, marshals are trained to make tactical decisions in all situations. They aren't just limited to linear close quarters interdiction.
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12.13.2005

2005-12-13T13:18:00.000-08:00

WW4

Terrorism And Latin America >>> With a massive drug industry, large areas of inhospitable terrain, and poor central government authority, Central and South America are already pristine environments for operating a terrorist group, as groups like FARC and AUC--these guys have helicopter gunships!--have shown. Whether the radical Islamic variety has jumped on the bandwagon remains to be seen.
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DEFENSE & TECHNOLOGY

F-22: Return To Simplicity? >>> It remains to be seen what the balance will be between F-22s and F-35s. Both are representative of a different kind of war, and it is unclear what kind of threats the next 20 years will bring. Of course, chances are we won't see the threat until it's upon us. So how about half-and-half?

US Meets Recruitment Goals >>> The standard branches--the guys doing most of the fighting--exceeded their goals, while the Reserves and Guard units fell short. However, the Army National Guard did quite well.
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12.12.2005

2005-12-12T14:13:00.000-08:00

OIF

Insurgents vs. Al-Qaeda >>> More on the growing divide between the Iraqi insurgency. As there is very little reporting being done on this story, check out my post yesterday for additional information.

Voting Begins In Iraq >>> The major--relatively speaking--area of difficulty remains the Anbar province. Fallujah and Eastern Ramadi are clear, but the rest of Ramadi and the frontier towns along the western Euphrates are still troubled and many voting stations will be closed.

Interview With General Huck >>> Bill Roggio chats the with the commander of the Anbar Campaign. The 'Strategic Corporal' link near the bottom of the post is also worth checking out.
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DOMESTIC

Jamaat ul-Fuqra, New York Compound >>> CP finds another golden nugget of information about Jamaat ul-Fuqra, this time before the 1993 WTC bombing.
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DEFENSE & TECHNOLOGY

New Tank Round Finally Deploys >>> Yes, this makes the M-1 the world's largest shotgun.
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12.11.2005

2005-12-11T17:30:00.000-08:00

WW4

Nuclear Iran >>> Not only is Israel holding general elections on March 28th, but the leaders of the two major political parties have both made clear that they will launch a pre-emptive strike on Iran's nuclear assets if the international community fails to make any measurable progress on the diplomatic front. Keep your eyes and ears open around the end of March.

Terrorism And Drugs >>> Gates of Vienna has an excellent post covering the connection between the drug trade and terror, and a hypothetical solution worth thinking about.
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OIF

Insurgent Rift Widens, Again >>> This is certainly an important development, but the article fails to mention--not surprisingly--that it's been around for awhile. In my October 27th post, I linked to this article, in which a group of Sunni insurgents not only supported the October 15th referendum, they stood guard at their local voting site.
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12.10.2005

2005-12-10T15:29:00.000-08:00

WW4

Balkan Islamists Behind Israel Bombing >>> Another example of how globalization is not just limited to Starbucks and McDonalds.

The IAEA and Iran >>> When I first reported the 'Iran is months away from a bomb' story last week, the additional 2 years it would take to bring the Natanz plant online was missing. My mistake for not researching the story further, I'll start double-checking Drudge's stuff. However, el-Baredei's prediction is still the shortest timeline from an official source, making his attempts to 'cool brinkmanship' awfully ironic.
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OIF

Good News From Iraq >>> Note that these improvements are all within a fairly small region of Iraq, and are not indicative of the total progress being made in the entire country.

The Wild West of Anbar >>> Bill Roggio on the ever-changing face of Iraq and how the Coalition is responding.

Election Posters In Iraq >>> Iraq the Model takes us around Baghdad for a tour through the sea of campaign posters.
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12.9.2005

2005-12-09T15:27:00.000-08:00

WW4

Able Danger >>> An excellent look at Able Danger and 'data mining' techniques. A must read for anybody with half an opinion on the intelligence community.
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OIF

The Butcher of Ramadi >>> In case you missed it the first time, he was brought in by Iraqi civilians.
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DOMESTIC

AA Flight 612: Radar >>> It may take a little analysis to understand the images here. Be sure to compare the time codes with the altitude of the 'aircraft', as well as the fact the idea that one aircraft could have split into two. Background on this whole incident here.
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DEFENSE & TECHNOLOGY

UCAVs >>> Cheesy allusions to the movie 'Stealth' aside, the capability of UCAVs are already remarkable and we'll definitely be seeing more of them in the future.
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12.8.2005

2005-12-08T17:45:00.000-08:00

OIF

Insurgents Using Chemical Weapons--On Themselves? >>> There's a lot of background information to be sorted through here, but the drug-use theme is nothing new. Heroin use among insurgents is remarkably high and most people seem surprised to hear this, given the fact that they didn't see it on the nightly news.

Azerbaijani Troops In Iraq >>> An excellent example of the 'Coalition of the Willing'.
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OEF(A)

Afghans Optimistic About Their Future >>> There are numerous different poll questions, and the results give an insightful look at the state of Afghanistan today.
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DOMESTIC

Air Marshal Kills Passenger In Miami >>> The Counterterrorism Blog has the best summary of what happened and why. If the reports are true, then the response of the air marshal(s) was certainly justified, but witness reports of police action is disappointing. Eyewitness accounts indicated that they secured the plane with weapons raised and pointed at the passengers. (This is extremely reckless. Weapons need to be aimed downwards with the safety disengaged and finger outside the trigger guard until firing the weapon becomes necessary.) One passenger reported that he was instructed to turn around by an officer who pressed a shotgun barrel against the back of his head. (Aside from the obvious danger/psychological trauma involved with this tactic, you would have to be a complete idiot to choose a shotgun for a crowded environment like an airplane cabin.) The police either need some serious firearms training or at least a shot of common sense.

Truckers vs. Terror >>> Why not?

American Airlines Flight 612 >>> This is the full thread at the Free Republic internet forum concerning the report of a passenger jet out of LAX sighting what appeared to be a surface-to-air missile on November 28th. It is quite long, so don't bother reading it all unless you want to know absolutely everything. Most notable is an audio clip of a conversation between the aircraft and the LAX tower.
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DEFENSE & TECHNOLOGY

Russia Set To Dominate Portable Anti-Armor Market >>> Compared to the archaic RPG-7s in use in Iraq, these RPG-26/27s are formidable anti-tank weapons. Also note the minimal presence of the Chinese in the international production market. Why? Because they could buy them just as easily from Russian firms.

Myths About Military Recruits >>> Now you know, and knowing is half the battle!
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No Post Today

2005-12-07T20:59:00.000-08:00

I'm not going to have time to assemble a post today, as evidenced by the fact that I'm writing this at 9 PM! (Sorry)

But I will be back tomorrow.

12.6.2005

2005-12-06T13:36:00.000-08:00

OIF

The 'New' Strategy In Iraq >>> Security Watchtower has an excellent post on how developments in the Anbar province of Iraq have long been ignored and are just coming to the media's attention, often with interesting results. Once again, let's hear it for the blogs.

Patrolling Haqlaniyah >>> Bill Roggio on another day with the Marines in Western Iraq.
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12.5.2005

2005-12-05T14:28:00.000-08:00

WW4

IAEA Confirms: Iran Months Away From A Nuke >>> Well, this is a surprise in light of the optimistic reports shown here and here. The Israelis have repeatedly said that Iran was only months away from developing nuclear weapons, but the IAEA's confirmation adds a great deal of weight to their claim. Former Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, currently campaigning for the leadership of the Israeli Likud Party, has remarked that he would support a pre-emptive strike on Iran's nuclear program (more info here), though recent US military studies have ruled such a strike extremely difficult, if not impossible. And one more thing: As of yet, I have seen no coverage of the IAEA confirmation in any of the TV news networks or newspapers. Go figure.
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OIF

The River War In Iraq >>> Bill Roggio reports from Iraq on his time with the company of Marines guarding the critical Haditha Dam.
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DEFENSE & TECHNOLOGY

Israeli Arrow Test Successful >>> There are a number of excellent links at the bottom of this post for those of you looking for additional information.

Long-Distance Warriors >>> Behind every UAV is a pilot. Time Magazine goes behind the scenes in Nellis Air Force base outside Las Vegas, Nevada and sheds some light on the people behind victories like this. Note that while the article mentions the Predator can carry two Hellfire missiles, newer versions can carry up to fourteen.
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12.4.2005

2005-12-04T17:22:00.000-08:00

WW4

Al-Qaeda Rejects Algerian Recruits >>> If true, this is another example of the difficulty faced by Western intelligence agencies in penetrating the ranks of al-Qaeda.

'Wiped Off The Map' >>> Remember that the uproar over Ahmadinejad's comment was purely concerning his threat towards Israel, but as this post--which is over a month old--points out, the United States was also singled out as a target. As DoctorZin mentions, "Why is no one taking these threats seriously?"
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OIF

Iraqi Commandos >>> As tough as their training is, the real test for all of these troops is the fight against the insurgency in their own country.

Sorting Out The Iraqi Election >>> Omar and Mohammed at Iraq the Model have found an interactive online 'electionnaire' to make it easier for Iraqis to figure out which candidates they should vote for. It's worth noting that Mohammed, Omar and their two friends--a total of two Sunnis and two Shiites--all think along the lines of the two major Kurdish parties. I took the quiz, and so did I.
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DEFENSE & TECHNOLOGY

Go Big Or Go Home? >>> I am obligated to mention my past prediction that the XM8 will return, and it will be chambered for the 6.8mm cartridge.
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12.3.2005

2005-12-03T16:00:00.000-08:00

WW4

CIA Kills Al-Qaeda Operations Leader >>> This is currently receiving nowhere near the news coverage it should. Sure, good news is usually boring, but what's boring about a Predator UAV carrying out a covert missile strike on a terrorist leader? I'm enthralled! And another al-Qaeda leader blows himself up in Dagestan. Take a look at the chart of 'Foreign Mujahideen of the Caucasus' (PDF file) to see the big picture.

MANPAD At LAX? >>> Possible connection here? Also, check out the incident at Tinker Air Force base in July 2005, with supporting information here. And to top it all off, the TWA Flight 800 Conspiracy. Usually when I smell a conspiracy theory I quickly run in the opposite direction, but literally every time I go to an airport I am struck by the ease at which anybody with a basic SAM could down a passenger jet and escape undetected. The tactical vulnerabilities are just far too great. I'll be flying out of LAX in the next several weeks, and I have no allusions concerning my safety. My point is this: Just like a terrorist nuclear detonation in a major American city or a chemical/biological attack in a crowded location, this kind of attack will happen eventually.

International Terrorist Reveals All >>> An EXCELLENT article with information on everything from 'enhanced interrogation techniques' to another crack in the 'all terrorists are poor' argument. (Hat tip: DV)
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OIF

ISF AT 225,000 For Election >>> As I've mentioned before, given the current rate of increase, we are ahead of schedule for the goal of 270,000 by July/August 2006. I'm going to go ahead and predict that we reach the 270K mark around May/June.
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DOMESTIC

Jamaat ul-Fuqra, Part III >>> Baron Bodissey and the Open Source Intelligence Network of the blogosphere have provided another look into JF. This time, we travel back to the one that started it all--the compound in Red House, VA.
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12.2.2005

2005-12-02T15:18:00.000-08:00

WW4

Bangladesh's First Suicide Bombings >>> Note the 'al-Qaeda in South Asia' claim is other indication of how the name 'al-Qaeda' has transcended the limits of a physical organization to become an ephemeral ideology, in fact the calling card of 21st century Islamic terrorism.

Serbia: Terrorism And Organized Crime >>> The notion of the 'Western Gate of the Balkans' connecting Europe to the Middle East is not a new idea. Due to simple geographic fate, this part of the world has always been the avenue of all sorts of traffic between the two regions, whether it be trade, religion, or violent radicalism. A brief study of the fall of the Byzantine Empire and the rise of the Ottomans in the 15th century highlights the connection between the Balkans and the Aegean hinterland of Anatolia (Turkey), a connection which is still a major factor today.

The Visa Waiver Program >>> This is the wrench in the gears of American Anti-Terrorism. In asymmetrical warfare such as this, the enemy can take any form and come from any direction. With Europe being one of the major stomping grounds of radical--and violent--Islam, countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program make the perfect place to assemble an attack on the United States.

Iranian Air Defense >>> This is no surprise considering the chance of an Israeli strike on an Iranian nuclear reactor. After all, they did it to Iraq in 1981.
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OIF

Ramadi >>> Roggio has a look at yet another operation in Ramadi, and how the media has failed to grasp what's really going on there.
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DOMESTIC

Al-Qaeda In The US >>> More on the shift of al-Qaeda from organization to ideology here.

Sharp Objects On Planes >>> There is an important dynamic that has been largely ignored by these reports: Before 9/11, airplane hijackings were all about getting the plane to land somewhere else than was originally planned. Therefore, as long as the passengers didn't interfere, they would be unharmed. After 9/11, any airplane hijacking will be viewed as another potential suicide-style attack, and the passengers will quickly accept that their lives are forfeit and will move to prevent the attack in any way they can. I call this the 'Flight 93 Mentality'. With this in mind, a handful of terrorists armed with blades will pose little or no threat to the passengers and crew, who will certainly outnumber them by at least 20 to 1. The terrorists won't even make it to the cockpit, and whatever weapons they have will soon be rendered useless by the passenger assault, especially once they figure out that the 'flotation devices' underneath them would make an excellent shield against a boxcutter or folding knife. As for letting scissors or folding knives back on planes, consider this: With the ban in place, the terrorists would inevitably improvise some other type of weapon capable of escaping detection, a task which any prison inmate will tell you is ridiculously easy. However, the passengers would be largely unarmed--having not planned for any mid-air close combat within their travel itinerary--and their assault will be quite difficult. Now reverse the situation by lifting the ban and the advantage shifts. Statistically, the chances are that the much greater number of passengers will possess some sort of 'weapon' in a greater quantity than the small team of terrorists. The passengers will quickly defeat the terrorists with minimal losses, thanks to the statistical probability of their armaments.
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12.1.2005

2005-12-01T13:43:00.000-08:00

WW4

Belgian Couple Arrested For Plotting Suicide Attack >>> This comes after another Belgian couple attempted a suicide bombing in Iraq on November 9th. That attack failed when her VBIED failed to kill anybody and he was shot in the head by US forces. Why all the CT in Belgium? Background here.

And In Kenya >>> This is an interesting development for Africa. Excepting the 1998 Embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania and the more frequent attacks in Egypt, Morocco, and Algeria, the continent is largely free of suicide-style attacks. The arrest of three Ethiopian bombers who apparently wished to target South Africa is a radical new dynamic in Africa.
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OIF

96% Of Suicide Bombers Are Foreigners >>> This number seems very high, but keep in mind that suicide attacks are almost always undertaken by foreign fighters, as they are typically more radical--they traveled from Belgium or wherever just to blow themselves up--and they are inexperienced, which makes their death a relatively minor loss in terms of insurgent assets. This should not be used indicate the number of foreign fighters in Iraq--which is far from clear--but rather what particular method they tend to choose when carrying out their attacks. The same thing is now happening in the 'Stan.
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DOMESTIC

Jamaat ul-Everywhere >>> Baron Bodissey takes another trip to rural Virginia. This is a must read. So read it.
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DEFENSE & TECHNOLOGY

F/A/R/C/E-22 Raptor >>> This is getting just a bit ridiculous. The hype surrounding the F-22 is just a bit nauseating, considering we won't ever need the thing unless we find ourselves at war with China. As for cutting the F-35 in favor of the Raptor, Murdoc sums it all up here.

Speaking Of China >>> This will be China's first aircraft carrier. The United States has twenty-four of them, and one of our normal Nimitz carriers is substantially larger than China's. So why do we keep hearing that a US-China brawl would end with us having to learn Mandarin? (Hat tip: DV)

New Zealand's Super Weapon >>> Sorry. I couldn't resist.
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11.30.2005

2005-11-30T14:57:00.000-08:00

WW4

Belgium Arrests 14 >>> These individuals were already under surveillance, yet the female suicide bomber managed to slip away to carry out her attack near Baghdad in early November.
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OIF

Combined Forces >>> Bill Roggio details his experiences with the new Iraqi forces and makes it clear that they are certainly a diverse group. He also reports on Operation Iron Hammer in Hit, and the transfer of a US base near the Syrian border to ISF forces.

Coalition Propaganda In Iraq >>> David Axe's point is worth repeating: "A couple bad apples don't represent the entire Coalition infowar effort."

The Plan >>> This is it, in PDF format. For those of you tired hearing that there is no exit strategy from Iraq, here is your rebuttal: The National Strategy For Victory In Iraq. Whether it works or not remains to be seen, but the plan itself exists. So shut up.
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DEFENSE & TECHNOLOGY

MANPADs >>> All you ever wanted to know about a simple device that will one day bring down a US passenger jet--if it hasn't already--courtesy of the US State Department.
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11.29.2005

2005-11-29T12:05:00.000-08:00

WW4

Bangladesh >>> Largely ignored by the media, Bangladesh is certainly on the front lines of WWIV. Several attacks have occurred in the span of a few months, including one that involved nearly 500 bombs in 50 cities.

Fawaz Damra >>> While this shouldn't reflect negatively on the other signatories, it is certainly an embarrassing revelation and a mark on the fatwa's credibility.

Cross-Pollination In Iraq >>> Another example of how CT is a double-edged sword.

How Organized Crime Pays For Terror >>> This is a long article, but you aren't a coward, are you?
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OIF

Belgian Woman Conducts Suicide Attack >>> While this is the first documented case of a European suicide bomber, there are many more Europeans conducting non-suicide attacks in-theater, and many of them have been killed.

Sex And Iraq >>> Certainly the moral trappings of Islam would be an obstacle to this kind of behavior, but as they said, 'Why screw up a great recruiting incentive?'
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11.28.2005

2005-11-28T14:42:00.000-08:00

OIF

Walking Husaybah >>> Bill Roggio--now reporting from Iraq--is near the Syrian border in the footprint of Operation Steel Curtain and its predecessors.
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DEFENSE & TECHNOLOGY

Thermobarics >>> The Marine Corps' Project Albert is especially worth looking at. Follow the link via the word 'significant' to view a PowerPoint presentation on thermobaric weapons in an urban environment.
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11.27.2005

2005-11-27T15:25:00.000-08:00

WW4

Iran Training Chechen Fighters >>> With the degree of suspicion between Moscow and Tehran escalating, the Russian proposal concerning Iran's nuclear program may be falling apart. Add the allegation of Iranian involvement in training Chechen fighters, this only deepens the rift.
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OEF(A)

Gumbad Investigation Concludes >>> Compared to the uproar that was created when this incident was first reported, the investigation has garnered very little press, and even those reports have been trivial and unfocused.
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OIF

Building The Iraqi Army >>> While the Iraqis might not be lucky enough to get any M-1s, any American leftovers would be a substantial contribution to their growing military.

Lions, Tigers, And Bears, Oh My! >>> After Operations Panthers, Bruins, and Lions, Operation Tigers targets the eastern districts of Ramadi. As mentioned before, the strategy in Ramadi is to bring the city to a 'slow-boil' with a number of precision operations rather than a massive Fallujah-type assault. We'll see if it works.
****************

No Posts Until Sunday the 27th

2005-11-25T22:21:00.000-08:00

Due to the hectic schedule of this weekend, I won't have time for any posts until Sunday the 27th. Have a great weekend!

11.24.2005

2005-11-24T13:23:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving! >>> Jesse
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WW4

CT In France >>> This legislation has not been passed yet, but the vote should happen by the end of the year. More info here. CT operations continue in Germany, Belgium, Bosnia, and Spain, just to name a few.
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OIF

Operations In Ramadi and Bayji >>> Bill Roggio--who is now in Iraq and reporting for ThreatsWatch.org--has a look at another small-scale operation in Ramadi and an air assault on a 'terrorist hideout' in Bayji, conducted jointly by soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division and the new Iraqi 4th Army Division. Also worth noting is the turnover of a Forward Operation Base in Tikrit to the ISF.
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OTHER

Israeli Politics For Dummies >>> And you thought American politics were messy....
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11.23.2005

2005-11-23T15:30:00.000-08:00

WW4

Assassination Plot Conviction >>> For the conspiracy theorists out there, chew on this: He was born and raised in Falls Church, VA. Now, there is purportedly a Jamaat ul-Fuqra compound located in Falls Church. Connection? Put on your tin-foil hats, get online, and see what you can find!
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OIF

Ramadi >>> As the provincial capital of the Anbar province, Ramadi signifies the last major stronghold--if you can call it that--of insurgent activity. Note the force deployment of Operation Bruins is roughly 450 US Marines and ISF forces, an example of the increasingly smaller--and therefore more agile--strike forces that make up the more localized precision operations that are becoming more and more common--finally--in Iraq. Also, Ramadi is significantly larger than Fallujah, yet a large combined-arms assault is not necessary.

Steel Curtain Wraps Up >>> Security Watchtower has an in-depth look at the accomplishments of Steel Curtain, as well as links to their daily coverage of it.

The Foreign Fighters Debate >>> Evan Kohlmann at The Counterterrorism Blog has a thorough and well-balanced (read: free of partisan nonsense) look at the issue of foreign fighters in Iraq. There are several links within his post that are worth following. Don't worry, a little reading won't spoil the long weekend ahead of you. It may even give you something to talk about with your family as you gorge yourself with turkey and pumpkin pie tomorrow....

Iraqi Air Force? >>> Yeah, this could use some work. But as a matter of priority, an Air Force really isn't that important. In fact, New Zealand and the Philippines have ditched theirs.

Exit Strategy >>> Armed Liberal at Winds of Change has an excellent example of how we should be framing the issue of withdrawing our troops from Iraq.
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11.22.2005

2005-11-22T12:06:00.000-08:00

WW4

Car From Japan Used In Hariri Assassination >>> No, it wasn't just made in Japan, it actually came from there! This is reminiscent of the story of a truck from Texas being used for a suicide attack in Iraq. Everything is connected....

Padilla Indicted >>> The charges against Jose Padilla are anything but clear, but at least he's finally been indicted. Whether he is guilty or not will eventually be decided, but this story is a definite example of CT gone wrong. Unlike the Guantanamo detainees that get so much press attention, Padilla is a US citizen. 'Enemy combatant' or not, holding him for three years without charges is not only a violation of his rights but is a sharp contrast to the overall theme of the US legal system and the Constitution. Sure, maybe this guy was trying to blow something up and his lawyer was smuggling messages to his 'followers', but if the government can't hack it enough to find a legitimate charge and some evidence to back it up, you've got to let him go. Then follow him and if he does anything illegal, grab him and charge him. The Bush people are going to chalk this up as a victory for the PATRIOT Act, but this kind of stuff only encourages the police state conspiracy theories.
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DEFENSE & TECHNOLOGY

Cold War Redux? >>> Just when you thought about renting out your bomb shelter....

White Phosphorus A Chemical Weapon? >>> This site looks a little bit off the deep end, but information doesn't play favorites. The idea that the Pentagon refers to WP as chemical weapons when used by Saddam but not by us is indeed hypocritical, but beside the point. Whether the Pentagon refers to them as 'chemical' or not, they are 'incendiary weapons', which means their destructive effects derive from fire and/or explosive force. Yes, WP is made up of a chemical composition, but so is dynamite and C4. And gunpowder. It's a chemical, but it's not a 'chemical weapon'. There are precise categories for defining this stuff, and in the vast history--since 1874--of banning chemical weapons, WP has never made the list. Anybody--including the Pentagon--who labels WP as a chemical weapon is seriously misguided.
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OTHER

OSM Puts The Pajamas Back On >>> A somewhat humorous--and thankfully peaceful--misunderstanding between Open Source Media (OSM) and Open Source (a separate site concerning a radio show by Christopher Lydon) has been resolved. Both sites have acknowledged the graciousness and understanding of the other as this was all sorted out, and Lydon's reply can be read here. At the end of the day, friends were made and both sites got some free advertising. Besides, I think Pajamas Media is a much better name than OSM. Good call, gentlemen!
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11.21.2005

2005-11-21T15:24:00.000-08:00

WW4

Egypt >>> The number of 48 reported suspects--11 killed and 37 arrested--is an awful lot for one attack, considering the 9/11 attacks were planned and carried out by roughly 35-40 people.

Morocco >>> Yet another example of former Guantanamo detainees stirring up trouble. The screening process at Gitmo needs some serious review. Now.
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OIF

Fallujah: One Year Later >>> Note the correlation between unemployment and violence. Also, Col. Berger presents an interesting view concerning the number of US military trainers working with the ISF: that less could be more. For a look at Fallujah this time last year, view this excellent video.
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DEFENSE & TECHNOLOGY

Depleted Uranium >>> Like the white phosphorus uproar, there are plenty of misconceptions about depleted uranium and any negative health effects it may have.

Nineteen Types of UAVs In Iraq >>> Note the reference to on-board weapons systems, specifically energy weapons. Sure this is ten years out, but science fiction keeps getting closer to reality.

How To Down An F-117 >>> This is why technology, though it makes an impact, will never be as important as training, initiative, and imagination.
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11.20.2005

2005-11-20T13:37:00.000-08:00

WW4

Family To Zarqawi: Don't Call >>> It seems that the Jordanians are really taking this one seriously. Also, there is a great deal of intelligence potential from this, as several of his family members may know the details concerning Zarqawi's whereabouts. Years from now, when this guy is in the ground--either from a Coalition bullet or an Iraqi/Jordanian death sentence--I think that the Amman bombings will be viewed as the turning point in the fight against Zarqawi.
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OIF

SAS In Iraq >>> Arguably the finest special operations team in existence, the SAS is quite adept at these sorts of operations and it can readily assumed that this was only one of many. Also, SAS involvement in Iraq has always been suspected, but this is the first official confirmation of such.
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11.19.2005

2005-11-19T14:47:00.000-08:00

WW4

CIA Interrogation Techniques >>> Don't let the headline on this ABC News story fool you; it is a fair and well-researched story. Note that the methods listed could hardly constitute torture, with the possible exception of waterboarding. According to the story, the number of individuals that have experienced such 'enhanced interrogation' is just over a dozen.

Index of Political Freedom >>> Note that this index only regards the Middle East.
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11.18.2005

2005-11-18T12:58:00.000-08:00

OIF

The Mayor Of Ar Rutbah >>> In April 2003, with just $3,000 and 14 days, a US Special Forces company of roughly 72 men established a functioning democracy in a town of 25,000 people in the western frontier of Iraq. (see map) Taking place before the now-infamous Iraqi insurgency had even materialized, the success in Ar Rutbah is a story that would not be replicated until nearly two years afterwards. Unfortunately, the city now has a moderate insurgent presence, although the article's claim that it is now 'overrun with foreign insurgents' is quite a stretch. Though the city is still under Coalition and Iraqi control, it appears there is more work to be done in Ar Rutbah.

The Butcher Of Basra >>> An insiders perspective on Saddam's Iraq, as well a potential lead concerning the WMD debacle.
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DEFENSE & TECHNOLOGY

Australia Chooses F-35 >>> Their decision making process helps shed some light on the differences between modern fighter aircraft, and the cost disparity between the F-22 and F-35 is surprisingly large.
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11.17.2005

2005-11-17T00:11:00.000-08:00

WW4

Algerians Arrested In Italy >>> And more in Norway. While this story only concerns Algerians, this is indicative of how widespread these terror cells can be, especially in places like Europe where a free-society allows such operations to be sustained with great ease.

Troops On The Border >>> While Murdoc has a point in comparing the US-Mexico border to the Iraq-Syria border, stationing troops on our border is not an effective use of military manpower. While it is certainly valuable training and, their job is not to interdict marijuana smuggling and illegal immigration. There needs to be another group to take care of that, but good luck getting full-time volunteers who want to do it.
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OIF

Ramadi >>> The Coalition and the Iraqi Government is going to try and secure this place before the December 15th elections, and it won't happen. As Roggio's post states, they are building up the ISF force level slowly, rather than by mounting a large Fallujah or Tal Afar like operation. While this strategy may certainly work--the best way to kill a frog in a pot of water is to bring it to a slow boil--it won't happen very quickly, and the elections are less than a month away. Regardless of the election, it will be interesting to see if the 'slow boil' strategy works. If it doesn't, then--as I've stated before--Ramadi will be 2006's Fallujah or Mosul, and in a few months we'll be watching another Marine-led urban assault on a medium-sized town in Iraq.

Iraqi Special Operations Forces >>> These guys are already quite good, and with several years of urban combat and counter-insurgency work ahead of them chances are that in 5 years Iraq will possess one of the most highly-trained and battle-hardened SOF in the world, with its standard military not far behind.
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DEFENSE & TECHNOLOGY

Artillery Out Of A Job >>> The distinction here is not that the bombs are guided--because there are guided artillery shells and MLRS-launched rockets--but that the bombs have a much greater impact than the shells or rockets, (known as indirect-fire weapons). A 500 or 1,000 pound bomb dropped from thousands of feet in the air has both a greater amount of kinetic energy to penetrate the target and more explosive charge to let off once it does so. The indirect-fire is easier to deploy in theater--no waiting for an F-18 to arrive from the Gulf--and the smaller payload decreases the chances of collateral damage. But when there's hard target to take down, nothing works like a JDAM.
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11.16.2005

2005-11-16T20:26:00.000-08:00

DEFENSE & TECHNOLOGY

Small Arms In Iraq >>> A soldier's perspective on what worked and what didn't. Very insightful, though mind the occasional soldier language throughout.
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OTHER

Pajamas Media Becomes Open Source Media >>> Today is an exciting day for bloggers (and their readers) everywhere with the launching of OSM, formerly Pajamas Media. As Matter at Security Watchtower said, 'the Pajamahadeen cometh!'
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11.15.2005

2005-11-15T15:37:00.000-08:00

WW4

Terror Warning In India >>> Rather than any specific intelligence, this is most likely a combination of the increased caution after the Amman bombings and upcoming holidays in India.

Are You Listening, Zarqawi? >>> It is quite possible that the divisions here go far deeper than we first imagined. While there are certainly tactical differences between the Zarqawi Doctrine and the bin Laden/Zawahiri Doctrine, this could be the beginning of a major schism within al-Qaeda. At this point it seems strictly ideological, but it is possible that these differences could spark violence within the organization, much like the recent fighting between al-Qaeda in Iraq and the home-grown Iraqi insurgency.
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OIF

French Help In Iraq >>> The French antics in the Balkans were notoriously under-reported, but thankfully the Pentagon remembered them. Stereotypical French bashing aside, France has a well-trained military and an excellent intelligence service, but they clearly had ulterior motives concerning possible involvement in Iraq, as the Oil For Food fallout has made clear.

Ubaydi >>> Another update here. Make sure to view the aerial photos, as they give a real sense of just how small these towns are. The insurgency is no longer making its stand in the Fallujahs and Mosuls, but in the tiny backwater frontier towns on the Syrian border. The only exceptions to this are sections of Ramadi and Baghdad. Slowly but surely the Iraqis, with Coalition help, are solidifying their control over their own country.
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DEFENSE & TECHNOLOGY

Cold War Sabotage >>> 23 years later, all this seems kind of funny....
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11.14.2005

2005-11-14T14:56:00.000-08:00

WW4

Women Suicide Bombers >>> Apparently the woman arrested in Jordan could know a great deal of information about Zarqawi's terror network. Hopefully the Jordanians didn't jeopardize any potential CT response by publicizing her arrest so quickly after the bombing. As with any CT operation, there always is (or at least should be) a delay between the capture of an individual and the public declaration of said capture. Once the suspect has been interrogated and all relevant information has been gathered and acted on, then the announcement can take place. Failure to wait may allow additional individuals who could have been captured/killed with the new intelligence to escape to safety. Then again, maybe she knew nothing, and therefore the Jordanians saw no harm in publicizing her arrest. In CT, everything is double-edged sword.

Al-Qaeda Gets New MANPADs >>> This is bad news no matter how you look at it.
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OIF

Steel Curtain Continues >>> Steel Curtain has pretty much fallen below the radar screen of the media, but it's still alive and kicking. More at Security Watchtower. Make sure to check out the maps.
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DEFENSE & TECHNOLOGY

Thermobaric Weapons In Urban Combat >>> Mr. Hambling's assessment is spot-on. If the military refuses to talk about these kinds of weapons it defaults the information to the media, which is more than happy to do the talking for them. Almost all of the time the media screws it up, as the link below will demonstrate. The military needs to get out there and explain what these weapons are how they are used. More importantly, they need to make it clear what they AREN'T, and how they ARE NOT used.

White Phosphorus, Yellow Journalism >>> A excellent and informed perspective on the WP uproar. This story is just one more example of what happens when you combine ideology with ignorance of military doctrine and technology. The reason I post on defense and technology issues is so that this garbage doesn't find any more fertile ground than it has to. I have zero military experience, yet I could run Juan Cole into the ground talking about white phosphorus or any other aspect of the military, and he's the accomplished scholar. Go figure.
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11.13.2005

2005-11-13T16:02:00.000-08:00

WW4

Iraqi Woman's Bomb Failed To Explode >>> It is interesting that not only did al-Qaeda have knowledge of the Amman bombings before they occurred, but they tipped their hand by revealing so much information afterwards. They admitted that a husband and wife team were responsible for one of the bombings without realizing that the wife's bomb had failed to go off. Acting on the information, Jordanian authorities quickly arrested her.

New Delhi 'Mastermind' Arrested >>> The New Delhi bombings have been widely reported as an al-Qaeda attack, which is erroneous. Al-Qaeda is just a fraction of the worldwide terror network of militant Islam but they get the most media attention, given their high-profile attacks like 9/11. The organization behind this attack was a little-known Kashmiri group, but the attack was still quite devastating.
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OIF

Saudi Suicide Bombers In Iraq >>> While the actual percentage of Saudi involvement is unknown, it is not surprising to hear that it may be quite high. Suicide bombers in Iraq have come from all over the world, even France.
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11.12.2005

2005-11-12T16:16:00.000-08:00

WW4

Iranian Nuclear Program >>> An extensive overview of the Iranian nuclear situation. It is extremely important that the intelligence failure regarding Iraq not be allowed to interfere with the Iranian issue. They are two separate weapons programs and failures in identifying the first should not be assumed to indicate failures regarding the second.

Released Guantanamo Detainee Involved In Nalchik Attacks >>> Sure, one can easily use this story to further the view that though the Guantanamo system is nowhere-near a sound solution, the people being held there are indeed dangerous and should be imprisoned. However, I would like to go a different route: Why did the US release this individual in the first place?

Zarqawi's Reckless Strategy >>> It would interesting to hear what Ayman al-Zawahiri thinks of the Jordan attacks given his recent displeasure at the public relations shortcomings of Zarqawi's other tactics, such as the Iraqi beheadings. It is quite possible that Zarqawi is running his own rogue group within al-Qaeda; a fanatical splinter group of an already fanatical terrorist organization.
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OIF

Hungarian T-72s Arrive In Iraq >>> This is both a fine example of generosity towards Iraq from other countries and a testament to the spirit of the new Iraqi military units.
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11.11.2005

2005-11-11T16:17:00.000-08:00

For every man and woman who has ever lived and died in the United States Armed Forces at home and abroad, thank you for your service and your sacrifice. >>> Jesse
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WW4

120 Arrested In Jordan >>> 120 people is an awful lot in two days and likely means one of two things: Either the Jordanian security forces are grabbing anybody who arouses the slightest suspicion, or they already had a list of people with terrorist connections and just hadn't arrested them yet. Choose your poison.

Zarqawi Hometown Reacts >>> It seems ludicrous that Zarqawi would attack the only Middle Eastern country where support for his organization has increased, but remember the response that al-Qaeda received after the Madrid bombings: Spain pulled their troops out of Iraq and al-Qaeda chalked up the victory. Jordan is lending a great deal of support to the United States' efforts in Iraq and therefore is a prime target for al-Qaeda, so Zarqawi's efforts are easily understood, flawed though they may be. Al-Qaeda does not understand that most of the Western world reacts to terrorism by fighting against it, and their victory in Madrid only added to the confusion.

More On Jordanian Reaction >>> Bill Roggio has his take on the Amman bombings, as well as an interesting theory: Perhaps Zarqawi struck in Amman because his ability to launch attacks in Iraq has been negated by US and ISF operations in that country.
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OIF

Ramadi >>> Look for Ramadi to take center stage as Insurgent City of the Year in 2006, just as Fallujah was in 2004 and Mosul in 2005.

Al-Douri Dead? >>> This is NOT confirmed, and false reports of al-Douri's death have surfaced in the past as he is reportedly suffering from leukemia. Al-Douri is said to have a large influence over the Iraqi insurgency, having been chosen to oversee it by Saddam himself just before the 2003 invasion of Coalition forces.
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11.10.2005

2005-11-10T14:55:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday, USMC. Semper fi! >>> Jesse
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WW4

Al-Qaeda Claims Amman Attacks >>> No surprise here. There is also a report floating around that three Iraqi nationals have been arrested, but at this point there is no evidence to conclusively prove this.

Jordanians Stunned >>> A little while back, I posted a link detailing the decline of al-Qaeda's public support in the Muslim world, specifically the Middle East. Jordan was the only country where public support of al-Qaeda had increased. All that changed on Wednesday.

Israelis Evacuated Before Bombings >>> Whether this is accurate or not is unknown, but it is disturbing that only the Israelis would be evacuated. Even if they were the target, other people were just as easily killed by the bombs. Death does not respect the boundaries of nationality, sex, race, or religion.

But You Didn't Evacuate This Guy? >>> This is awfully ironic....

Australian Arrests >>> It is still unclear what the targets were, but the rivalry between the Melbourne group and the Sydney group is quite interesting. At the very least, it forced the Melbourne cell to rush their plans, possibly tipping their hand and allowing the Australian government either the reason or the ability to take them down.
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OIF

On To Karabilah >>> Note the strategy of US and ISF troops was to first take Sa'dah, the eastern-most of the three towns, then skip to the western-most, Husaybah. That leaves Karabilah in between the two of them, allowing a greater range of motion for the Coalition assault.

Insurgency Split Widens >>> While at first glance this looks like the Sunni vs. Shi'a civil war we've been promised, both of these groups are Sunni. Also, though this seems like a positive development for the Coalition and Iraq as a whole, any sort of open combat in the streets of Iraq is a losing situation for everybody. Sure, it's great that the insurgents are killing each other off, but we don't need anymore stray bullets and RPGs adding to the civilian casualties in Iraq. Whether they died under Coalition or insurgent fire is beside the point, because at the end of the day the United States will be blamed for the death of every Iraqi civilian since they first invaded, whether they were actually responsible for it or not. After all, it was the United States that brought the war to Iraq.
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11.9.2005

2005-11-09T14:19:00.000-08:00

WW4

Suicide Attacks In Jordan >>> At this point, information is still coming in, but don't be surprised to see the name 'Zarqawi' turn up eventually.

JI Bomb-Maker Killed >>> There is a great deal of background information in this article, most of notable of which is that fact that Azahari was a university lecturer and had a PhD, making him another example of the higher education prevalent in many terrorist groups.

Indonesian Terror Training Camp >>> It can reasonably be assumed that Azahari had some connection to this camp. Perhaps they discovered its location from information found in his residence, or maybe he even taught bomb-making skills there. The geographics of an archipelago like Indonesia make it quite easy for small camps like these to evade detection by the Indonesian government.
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OIF

Operation Steel Curtain Completed >>> As Col. Davis mentioned, construction is underway on facilities to enable a permanent presence of Coalition and ISF forces in the region, thereby bringing the 'clear and hold' phase of the Anbar Campaign to yet another town.

Chaos Over Iraq >>> The downside of technology. Whoops.
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11.8.2005

2005-11-08T00:12:00.000-08:00

WW4

Car-B-Q >>> Wretchard continues to lead the field in his reporting on the French riots. Note that the graph is measuring the total Car-B-Qs PER DAY, not the running total since the riots began. The total number of Car-B-Qs is somewhere over 5,000. Now let's assume that each car cost 10,000 US dollars, which is a fairly conservative number. That would total 50 million US dollars in damage just from the destroyed cars.

CT Down Under >>> Whether any 'catastrophic act of terrorism' was prevented or not is unclear, but the 17 or so arrests made yesterday have already inspired a new series of raids, and the wheels of Australian CT are turning. We'll see what they produce. Read more about the raids here. Note the Molotov cocktail reference in the last paragraph. Sound familiar?
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OIF

Al-Qaeda Demands End Of Steel Curtain >>> Oh. I'm sorry. Were we bothering you?
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DEFENSE & TECHNOLOGY

Middle Eastern Air Forces >>> It should be noted that while Syria seems to have a greater number of aircraft compared to it's neighbors, they are certainly the most antiquated.

Iran Protests UAV Flights >>> It would be interesting to hear if there are UFO sightings coming out of Iran.
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11.7.2005

2005-11-07T15:08:00.000-08:00

WW4

French Riots Continue >>> Wretchard continues to provide excellent coverage of the riots, and the map at the bottom of his post is a startling example of how widespread these riots really are.

Spread to Germany? >>> This is not surprising. Given that many of the rioters in France are impressionable teenagers who are having the time of their lives setting cars on fire, the kids in Germany must be feeling a little left out of the action.
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OIF

Steel Curtain - Day 3 >>> We'll just have to wait and see what kind of response al-Qaeda musters.

Video of Steel Curtain >>> CNN has a nice video report of the combat in Husaybah. There is excellent footage of Iraqi forces in training, and Steel Curtain is put in its proper context as part of the overall Anbar campaign.

The Jimmy Massey Story >>> His stories were hardly investigated by the media outlets that reported them, and now this guy has people believing him. And how did this guy ever make it to staff sergeant in the Marines?
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DOMESTIC

Jamaat ul-Fuqra Returns >>> Once again, The Baron ventures out into rural Virginia.

There's More >>> The Politics of CP takes Baron's findings and uncovers some interesting leads.
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11.6.2005

2005-11-06T12:38:00.000-08:00

WW4

French Riots Continue >>> The Belmont Club provides a view of the riots in comparison to other notable urban battles, and how the tactics of the French youth are quite similar.

Police Find Bomb-Making Factory >>> No, this is not Iraq. This is France.

Nuclear Bombs For Dummies >>> Why these kinds of websites are allowed to operate is puzzling, but perhaps there's something working beneath the surface. It's possible to track people who visit the site, but with 57,000 hits where do you start?
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OIF

Snipers vs. IEDs >>> Note the amount of freedom that the sniper teams have in engaging their targets. While obviously they relay information up the command chain, it's their choice when and where to pull the trigger. They simply wait for hostile intent, which can include anything from a guy digging a hole alongside a road to a man with binoculars observing the sniper team or any other friendly forces in the area. No doubt this freedom amounts to a great deal of the effectiveness of the sniper team.
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11.5.2005

2005-11-05T15:47:00.000-08:00

WW4

France On Fire >>> Wretchard once again provides an excellent look at the ever-growing riots in France, as well as the conditions that brought them about and what the French government is doing (or not) about it.
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OIF

Operation Steel Curtain >>> This is the largest operation in the Anbar province since the Battle of Fallujah almost exactly one year ago. Read more here.

NY Times' Objective Reporting >>> No surprise here. This is merely one of many examples of MSM bias.
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11.4.2005

2005-11-04T14:19:00.000-08:00

WW4

Paris Riots Expand >>> Wretchard provides some excellent analysis of how widespread the riots are and what the French government is doing about it.

Al-Qaeda Cell Disrupted In Canada >>> Note that none of these men were actually arrested; instead they were deported to the United States and are still at large. Check out the links for more on GSPC.

Ahmadinejad's Mein Kampf >>> A sobering comparison between the Iranian president and Adolf Hitler.

Al-Qaeda's Internal Debate >>> It's important to understand the necessity of an actual physical location from which the Jihad can base itself. Surely the idea of 'liberating' any part of Iraq or Afghanistan is far-fetched, but there is certainly a good amount of 'prime real estate' for al-Qaeda in places like Syria, Pakistan, Somalia and Iran. Of course, more clandestine establishments could be easily constructed in Germany, France and the UK, though it is probable that they already exist.
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OIF

Iraq Update >>> The Fourth Rail has the details on what's new in Iraq.
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11.3.2005

2005-11-03T12:35:00.000-08:00

WW4

Key al-Qaeda Figure Arrested >>> It's interesting to note that while US officials claim he was arrested in Pakistan, Pakistani authorities say they aren't aware of any arrests. Sounds like a CIA snatch-and-grab.

Riots Continue In Paris >>> It's important to recognize that the rioters are Muslims and that this is a much bigger issue than the accidental death of two teenagers.

And In Denmark >>> More on the Paris riots and those in Denmark from Winds of Change.
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OIF

ISF Reaches 210,000 >>> Note that if the current trend continues, the 270K mark will be met ahead of schedule.
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DOMESTIC

Five Muslim Men Detained At Stadium >>> Five people, who happened to be Muslims, congregating next to the main air duct of a stadium full of 80,000 people and a former President. Even if they were just praying, how stupid can you be? And why wasn't this area sealed off?

Jamaat ul-Fuqra >>> Politics of CP has the details on a notable JF associate, named Clement Rodney Hampton-El.
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DEFENSE & TECHNOLOGY

More Praise For The Stryker >>> The debate over the Stryker continues to rage, even after good reviews from those who used them in Iraq.
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11.2.2005

2005-11-02T14:09:00.000-08:00

WW4

Sorry, I Couldn't Resist >>> While this is certainly a little tongue-in-cheek, it is quite interesting that while there is a massive democratic revolution underway in Iraq, there are riots in Paris. I'll just let this one speak for itself.
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OIF

Anbar Campaign Update >>> There seems to be a slow-but-steady war of attrition being mounted against al-Qaeda fighters in Western Iraq. Every day brings another two-or-three captured or killed, many of them in some sort of leadership capacity. While not very substantial in their own right, they do add up quickly.
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DEFENSE & TECHNOLOGY

Raven UAV Draws Praise >>> There are several good links at the bottom of the page with additional information on UAVs, including their use in combat zones such as Fallujah.

XM-8 Cancelled? >>> While the XM-8 is a superb weapon, recent experience in Iraq and Afghanistan have raised serious questions about the effectiveness (meaning stopping power) of the 5.56mm round. ***PREDICTION ALERT*** Look for the XM-8 to make a comeback in the new 6.8mm Remington cartridge.

Marines Get SOF >>> No word yet on how this will affect the USMC's Force Reconnaissance and the other various special teams they operate.
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11.1.2005

2005-11-01T12:06:00.000-08:00

WW4

Syria Feels The Heat >>> The exchange between Straw and al-Sharaa is quite interesting. No word on whether the UN response to Syrian non-compliance will be an actual resolution stating their displeasure or simply a note.

The Myth Of Cheap Terrorism >>> An extremely well-written article by Joshua Prober about the various financial aspects of not only pulling off a bombing, but training the operatives responsible and establishing the infrastructure for their attack to be successful.

The Cicero Articles >>> These articles, published by the German magazine Cicero, examine the threat of Iran's radical Islamists with great detail. Note that portions are of the second article are first quoted in German, but if you scroll down you will find the English translation. The two articles together are a good deal of reading, but they are certainly revealing enough to be worth the time.
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OIF

Animals >>> Bill Roggio lets loose on the morally reprehensible tactics of the Iraqi insurgency.

Ba'quba >>> Another textbook example of how things are getting better in Iraq and nobody is talking about it.
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OEF(A)

Small Unit Tactics In The 'Stan >>> Once again, technology and combined arms make it possible.
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10.31.2005

2005-10-31T14:15:00.000-08:00

WW4

Muslim Brotherhood vs. The World >>> There is no detail of the actual specific plans of 'The Project', but the basic strategy shines through. Note the connection to Tariq Ramadan, whom I mentioned in a post a little while back concerning the influence of Islam in the United Kingdom.

Nigerian Plane Crash Deliberate? >>> Douglas Farah has the details on the growing suspicions of the October 22nd crash that killed 117 people. Given that amongst the dead were several regional military and CT officials, as well as an American Special Forces officer, there is certainly a motive for sabotage.

The 'Suitcase Nuke' Myth >>> All you ever wanted to know about portable nuclear weapons and terrorism. An excellent article by Richard Miniter.
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OIF

Iranian Smuggling Routes >>> While there is no doubt that some sort of 'smuggling routes' of some kind between Iran and Iraq do exist, the precise locations marked on the map must be taken with a grain of salt.
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DEFENSE & TECHNOLOGY

Gunshot Detectors Improved >>> Though an interesting and apparently effective device, many specifics are unknown, such as its effective range and how well it will work in an urban setting.
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10.30.2005

2005-10-30T18:21:00.000-08:00

OIF

Iraqi Deaths Estimated At 26,000 >>> Note that this number is from insurgent attacks only, and is since January 2004. Though an estimate, the number seems awfully inflated for a period of 22 months.
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DEFENSE & TECHNOLOGY

Why The Army Doesn't Want More Troops >>> Basic quality vs. quantity. Another important point not mentioned in the article is that World War IV is a very asymmetrical war, which therefore requires smaller groups of soldiers. For example, Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan was won chiefly with special operations troops and air support.
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10.29.2005

2005-10-29T14:15:00.000-07:00

WW4

Bombings In New Delhi >>> So far there has been no claim of responsibility, though it can reasonably be assumed that some type of Jihadist group was behind the attacks.

Iran vs. Israel >>> This is the whole text of President Ahmadinejad's comments concerning Israel.

al-Qaeda Takes A PR Hit >>> An interesting look at public opinion of al-Qaeda, as well as a noteworthy glimpse of Jordanian demographics.

MANPAD Attack In France? >>> Why is the word 'terrorists' in quotations in the title blurb at the top of the page?

Zarqawi's Network Rivals bin-Laden's >>> The culture of terrorism has finally developed its own celebrity, and now bin-Laden has been greatly upstaged by Zarqawi. Whether this was Zarqawi's intention (and what bin Laden thinks about it) is a whole different issue.
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OIF

US Soldier Killed Hotel Bomber >>> There is something to be said in the fact that Spc. Green would defend with his life a hotel full of journalists when those very journalists have made very little effort to morally defend the actions and mission of Spc. Green and other soldiers like him.

More On The Basra Prison Break >>> The amount of restraint demonstrated by the SAS operators is extremely noteworthy. They could have easily defeated the Iraqi police in a shootout, but instead chose to surrender and allow themselves to be tortured in order to save the lives of the Iraqi policemen.
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OEF(A)

Former al-Qaeda Training Site Abandoned >>> Hopefully one of these camps will be saved and some sort of monument will be built there to signify what it once was.
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10.28.2005

2005-10-28T12:44:00.000-07:00

WW4

Denmark Arrests Linked To Bosnia >>> Note that all the suspects were between the ages of 16 and 20. As for a motive, Denmark has roughly 500 troops stationed in Iraq.

Jihad Watch Turns Two >>> Robert Spencer's blog is two years old today and, with an average of 400K hits daily, is still going strong. I wish him the best as he continues his extremely relevant work.

Huh? >>> Security Watchtower discovers an interesting inconsistency in the MSM.
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OIF

IEDs >>> Wretchard has an excellent look at the characteristics of IEDs and their history in conflicts other than Iraq.

Snipers In Iraq >>> This CENTCOM news release highlights the importance of snipers in urban combat. Arguably, there hasn't been a battlefield this suitable for snipers (on both sides) since the Battle of Stalingrad.

Nearly 3,000 Iraqi Police Graduate >>> You won't find this story in the media, obviously. Note that some of the officers graduated from neighboring Jordan.
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DEFENSE & TECHNOLOGY

Jamming With B-52s >>> 2014? Why will it take nine years to outfit a B-52 with an electronic jamming system?

SF Expands; Revises Training >>> The more than 200% increase in new SF operators is a welcome change from the dwindling numbers they'd seen pre-9/11. The increase of veteran training instructors is also very substantial, as it helps pass along critical knowledge that be would otherwise only be gained through combat.
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10.27.2005

2005-10-27T12:10:00.000-07:00

WW4

Iran Calls For Israel's Destruction >>> When people ask why Israel can have nuclear weapons and Iran can't, it's because Israel would never make a statement like this.

New Website For Terrorism Research >>> There are several interesting powerpoint presentations, and an open forum to discuss terrorism-related issues with other readers.

Al-Qaeda Members Harbored In Iran >>> No surprise here. Seems to fit in with Richard Miniter's reports of bin Laden being traveling to Iran in 2002.

Morrocan Jihad >>> This from another excellent terrorism website.
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OIF

"We Don't Need Al-Qaeda" >>> A reporter from the Guardian spends five days with a Sunni insurgent leader and his followers in Iraq. The entire article is extremely revealing: The widespread Sunni regret of having boycotted the January elections. Abu Theeb's desire to vote; even using his men to guard the polling station. He harbors a great amount of distrust and rejects Al-Qaeda, their beliefs, and their tactics. His instructions to his men to only set up IEDs outside of a two kilometer radius of the town in order to prevent civilian casualties and an American reprisal. Also worth noting is the Sunni stuffing of ballot boxes, even while some Sunnis claimed the Shi'a did the same thing.
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10.26.2005

2005-10-26T13:06:00.000-07:00

OIF

2,000 >>> Faces From the Front has an excellent perspective on the US military's 2,000th death in Iraq and the media frenzy surrounding it.

Bill Roggio Heads to Iraq >>> The Fourth Rail has consistently been the premier source of intelligent and conclusive analysis concerning Iraq, and with Roggio's travel there that is sure to increase. Please donate and support his efforts.
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DEFENSE & TECHNOLOGY

New South Korean Tank >>> The South Koreans seem to be realizing that someday their neighbor to the north might come knocking, and it's best to be prepared.
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