[Tolo News] Members of Afghanistan's House of Representatives on Wednesday asked President Hamid Maybe I'll join the Taliban Karzai ... A former Baltimore restaurateur, now 12th and current President of Afghanistan, displacing the legitimate president Rabbani in December 2004. He was installed as the dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001 in a vain attempt to put a Pashtun face on the successor state to the Taliban. After the 2004 presidential election, he was declared president regardless of what the actual vote count was. He won a second, even more dubious, five-year-term after the 2009 presidential election. His grip on reality has been slipping steadily since around 2007, probably from heavy drug use... to fire the interior minister and spy chief following the 21-hour attack in Kabul.
Six gunnies took over a half-completed multi-story building at the Abdul Haq roundabout and fired rockets at the US Embassy and Isaf's headquarters. Two jacket wallahs blew themselves up at two other sites in Kabul. A total of eight people died and 17 others were maimed in the attacks.
Some parliamentarians blamed the Afghan cops for their failure to prevent the attack.
The Coalition to Support Law, which is comprised of politicians fighting the Independent Election Commission's decision to disqualify nine MPs, said the assault resulted from the faulty policies of the international community and President Karzai's government.
If security officials are unable to maintain security in the country, they should no longer be in their positions, Coalition members said.
"The interior minister of Afghanistan does not have much pity for the victims and victims' families," MP Farouq Majrouh suggested.
Another politician, Mohammad Noor Akbari, said: "Security concerns have reached such a point that no one in the country - and particularly in the capital Kabul - can feel safe and secure. And more importantly, no security organization feels responsible."
Other parliamentarians blamed Pakistain's intelligence organization, the ISI, for criminal masterminding attacks in Afghanistan.
"The issue is clear nationally and internationally that Pakistain is behind terrorist attacks and serial liquidations in Afghanistan," said MP Daud Kalakani.
Experts warned that the premature withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan will herald the end of Karzai's administration.
Given the current situation, the additional transition of security responsibilities to Afghan forces would be a big mistake, according to former defence minister Sha Nawaz Tanai.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/15/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
If a group of armed fanatics are willing to give up their lives to get to you....., they will more than likely get to you.
...While walking in the [Cairo] street someone pushed me from behind with such force that I nearly fell over.
Turning around, I found myself surrounded by five men, one of whom tried to punch me in the face. I stopped the attack by pointing out how shameful it was for a Muslim to assault a guest in his country, especially during Ramadan.
Relieved that a seemingly random assault was over, I was appalled by the apology offered by one of my assailants. "Sorry," he said contritely, offering his hand, "we thought you were a Jew." Note the source
#2
Things are bad in Egypt. With oil production thousands of workers may return. They need the money. This is what I dislike about O so much. Going after people out of fear. They have money. They held us back. Outsiders, spies, make an even playing field so much envy, hate and fear.
"I thought you were an Arab" is OK for an ass-kicking then?
Posted by: Frank G ||
09/15/2011 19:07 Comments ||
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#4
Tourism used to be big business in Egypt and employed tens of thousands, including many that provided services to the Israeli tourists that came in to see Cairo and the Pyramids. Remember one point about Egypt: it imports 50% of the daily caloric intake of the Egyptian public, and you have to pay solid currency for grains. Not terribly smart to screw with the one industry that could be bringing in money to buy food with.
#5
"Not terribly smart to screw with the one industry that could be bringing in money to buy food with."
Nonsense, Shieldwolf - surely Allen will provide.
Posted by: Barbara ||
09/15/2011 19:27 Comments ||
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#6
when you meet someone as abysmally ignorant as this, they are fair game for cruel humor. Give them a lesson about "Jew identification" that will leave them totally confused. For example:
How to spot "secret Jews" pretending to be Muslims in their mosque.
#7
One other point, Israel and Egypt are two of the areas in the Middle East without major oil deposits; but Israel might just have a whole seacoast worth of natural gas. Egypt should remind itself of Pharaoh's dream about the seven fat cows and the seven skinny ones; because they just might have to forgo any military assistance per Camp David just to have enough money to buy food to avoid another revolution.
[Tripoli Post] The former front man of the Al Qadaffy ...a reminder that a single man with an idea can screw up an entire nation... regime, now relegated to just echoing his master's voice, Moussa Ibrahim, said in a statement in the English language that the leader (his leader Al Qadaffy) is gathering forces and intends to retake Libya
In a telephone statement that his been reproduced on its online version by the British daily newspaper, The Telegraph, Ibrahim said Colonel Al Qadaffy plans to "lead his people against the evil forces of NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It's headquartered in Belgium. That sez it all.... and the armed gangs."
Ibrahim said that the fight is as far away from the end as the world can imagine. "We are still very powerful, our army is still powerful. Our army is still powerful. We have thousands upon thousands of volunteers. We have huge areas of Libya under our control, in the northern coast, in the western are of the country, and the whole south belongs to us."
He went on to say that, "Indeed, we are gathering our forces, and we will liberate every single Libyan city, even if we have to fight from street to street, from house to house for years to come.`'
Without mentioning where he was speaking from, Ibrahim went on to say that Al Qadaffy is in good health, in high morale, and "feels whole-heartedly that he is doing what he should be doing, that is to lead his people against the illegal forces of NATO and the armed gangs, and the world needs to understand that this is a true fight for freedom for independence for Libya."
So, after more than 40 years of oppression, Al Qadaffy now wants to free the Libyan people, fighting for the sakes and for their freedom he says. Libyans who were given the chance to hear this latest message told The Tripoli Post that what the former Libyan dictator does not know, and his front man should tell him, is that Libya has already been liberated, from his clutches.
The same Libyans pitied Moussa Ibrahim. Abdul Mohammed said: "He should be wise enough to know that his horse is out of the race. He should start thinking seriously about saving himself. Clinging to the dream that Al Qadaffy could be back in power is vague. He has no straws to cling on to, therefore it will lead on to his drowning"
Posted by: Fred ||
09/15/2011 00:00 ||
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[Emirates 24/7] The Ennahda party tipped to dominate Tunisia's first post-revolution polls next month on Wednesday unveiled a campaign programme vowing to build a democracy based on Islamic values.
"Today's and tomorrow's Tunisia need to be based on the country's Arab-Muslim identity," Ennahda chairman Rached Ghannouchi told around 1,000 people gathered for the launch of his party's programme.
"Our programme aims to draw up a national development model that uses Islamic values as its point of reference," says the 50-page document.
Opinion polls rate the Islamist party as Tunisia's most popular, with 20 per cent of voter intention ahead of the October 23 constituent assembly vote.
Ghannouchi told AFP Tuesday he hoped to better that score.
The manifesto promises to safeguard religious freedom, the rights of minorities and the status of women, which is among the most advanced in the region.
The document also pledges to "protect the freedom of women against any imposed dress code".
Among the other priorities laid out by Ennahda are tackling corruption, which was endemic under the regime of deposed dictator Zine el Abidine Ben Ali, and cutting the unemployment rate back from 19 to 8.5 per cent by 2016.
One of the tasks of the constituent assembly to be elected in the October 23 polls will be to write a new constitution for the country.
The transitional administration in neighbouring Libya said on Tuesday that Islam would be the main source of legislation.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/15/2011 00:00 ||
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[Tripoli Post] Senior U.S. State Department official Jeffrey Feltman Wednesday arrived in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, to show support for the country's new leaders, and for talks with Libya's new leaders, Libya's National Transitional Council NTC. After meeting with Mustafa Abdul-Jalil, the head of the NTC, said the US would reopen its embassy in Tripoli.
Feltman, the assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs, is the highest ranking U.S. official to visit Tripoli since the NTC fighters freed it from the control of the Muammar Al Qadaffy ...whose instability has been an inspiration to dictators everywhere... regime on August 23. According to a senior envoy, Washington is encouraged by the increasing control Libya's interim rulers are exercising over security forces in the country.
Pledging US support for the National Transitional Council, Mr Feldman said: "We remain encouraged by growing command and control over security and police forces."
In his statement after his meeting with the NTC chief Mustafa Abdul Jalil, the American politician went on to say: "We understand that this is a difficult task," adding: "Libya's interim leadership is solidifying the steps and integrating militias under one civilian authority."
"Libya's interim leadership is solidifying the steps and integrating militias under one civilian authority."
Answering journalists about the strength of Islamist groups in the NTC that overthrew the former dictator, he said: "We are not concerned that one group will be able to dominate the aftermath of what has been a shared struggle."
But you will be...
Feltman added that he expected the new rulers in Tripoli to "share concerns about terrorism" with Washington.
Mr Feltman said that the US and its international partners have an enduring commitment to supporting the Libyan people as they chart their country's future. "This," he said, includes working with NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A collection of multinational and multilingual and multicultural armed forces, all of differing capabilities, working toward a common goal by pulling in different directions... and our coalition partners to continue operations to protect Libyan civilians until they are no longer under threat."
Mr Feltman's visit comes on top of the official opening of the Libyan embassy in New York and the acceptance of the credentials of the new Libyan ambassador to the US.
The US envoy's visit to Libya follows preparations by John Polaschik, the number two at the US embassy in Libya who returned to Tripoli on Saturday with a small advance team to make official preliminary contacts before Mr Feltman's visit.
Soon, the US also expects to reopen the U.S. diplomatic mission in Tripoli, again under former ambassador Ambassador Gene Cretz at the helm.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/15/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
Idiots, they're still an Islamic thugocracy, leave them at arms length (At least an ocean away, forgot 9/11 so soon)
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
09/15/2011 2:58 Comments ||
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[Daily Nation (Kenya)] Civilians who managed to escape on Wednesday from territory around Moamer Qadaffy ...whose instability has been an inspiration to dictators everywhere... 's hometown of Sirte spoke of the growing plight of residents of the loyalist-held enclave.
Throughout the day a trickle of families from villages around Sirte arrived in Sadada, 150 kilometres (95 miles) to the west and the first town firmly under the control of Libya's new rulers, an AFP correspondent reported.
They had piled their belongings into their vehicles and abandoned their homes in the hope of avoiding the looming battle for one of the toppled despot's last strongholds.
"They know that war is coming towards Sirte so they are looking for a safe place," said commander Omran Abdul Salam, adding that his men were checking the identities of passengers against a list of Qadaffy supporters suspected of having blood on their hands.
The National Transitional Council (NTC) fighters said pro-Qadaffy forces had formed a crescent-shaped chain of tanks around Sirte itself concealed with shrubbery and manned by mercenary units to prevent civilians from fleeing and to parry any assault on the city.
Those who live in the outskirts, however, were making a run for it.
"We are scared about the rebel advance that will come towards Sirte," said Issa al-Waji, who lives in the village of Hisha, between Sadada and Sirte.
"I've cried for days asking my husband to leave for Misrata," she told AFP.
Tahail Saleh Munghuzi from the village of Wishka spoke of a growing health crisis in the pro-Qadaffy enclave.
"People are sick and there are no doctors or medicine," he said.
Little is known of the conditions in Sirte itself but judging by the reports from villages on the outskirts, the outlook is grim.
"There is no water or electricity and all the shopkeepers have run away, afraid of the war, so life is hard," said Fadhi Abdel Salam Nawji, who also decamped from Hisha.
The city is also suffering from an information blackout, with the local radio station churning out Qadaffy propaganda, he said.
"He is broadcasting non-stop to terrify people. While many know Qadaffy is a liar, others are scared," said Nawji.
The NTC fighters said Qadaffy's propaganda was aimed at persuading Sirte's population they were all Islamists and terrorists.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/15/2011 00:00 ||
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[An Nahar] The head of Libya's National Transitional Council confirmed that French President Nicolas Sarkozy ...23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. Sarkozy is married to singer-songwriter Carla Bruni, who has a really nice birthday suit... will be among leaders visiting Tripoli on Thursday.
Mustafa Abdul Jalil confirmed to Agence La Belle France Presse that Sarkozy would visit, and added that "we say to the leaders coming tomorrow that they will be safe."
However, a lie repeated often enough remains a lie... the NTC chief made no reference to British Prime Minister David Cameron ... has stated that he is certainly a big Thatcher fan, but I don't know whether that makes me a Thatcherite, which means he's not. Since he is not deeply ideological he lacks core principles and is easily led. He has been described as certainly not a Pitt, Elder or Younger, but he does wear a nice suit so maybe he's Beau Brummel ... , who sources said earlier was also due to travel to the Libyan capital on Thursday.
Abdul Jalil was speaking during a visit to Zawiyah, a town some 60 kilometers west of Tripoli.
A Libyan aviation official said that an aircraft carrying VIPs from La Belle France has requested permission to land at 6:00 am (0400 GMT) on Thursday, without elaborating.
Several sources in Gay Paree said earlier that Sarkozy and Cameron were planning to visit Libya on Thursday.
They would be accompanied by Bernard-Henri Levy, the French philosopher who championed Libya's revolution and helped convince Sarkozy to back the rebels, the same sources said.
The trio were expected to meet with NTC leaders in Tripoli, while press reports said they may also travel to Benghazi, the eastern city where the uprising kicked off in February.
Both Cameron's and Sarkozy's offices declined to comment when asked about the trip.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/15/2011 00:00 ||
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[Emirates 24/7] Soddy Arabia's police are searching for mentally ill Pak man who managed to escape from an asylum where he was locked up after he was caught shouting in a public place that he loves the late Osama bin Laden. ... who went shovel-ready... The 33-year-old man triggered furor near a market in the western town of Makkah when he suddenly began singing like birds and chanting for bin Laden, the terror criminal mastermind who was killed by US troops in Pakistain early this year.
"He was expertly singing like birds before he started to chant for bin Laden...he was saying:' I love Osama bin Laden...he is my brother..'.....he then started to cry before he was seized by the police," Sabq daily said on Wednesday.
It said doctors examining the unnamed man found he was suffering from psychological problems "Whaddya think's the matter with him, Doc?"
"In technical terms? He's a nut. Completely off his trolley."
and decided to keep him in. "Mahmoud! Fetch a straight jacket. A size 8 or maybe a small 10..."
"But he later succeeded in escaping from the hospital....police are still looking for the man to deport him." "Chewed right through the straps, did he? That's not a good sign..."
Posted by: Fred ||
09/15/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
And if he is not crazy, with a knowledge of bondage?
#3
At this point, Israel would be doing the Turkish navy a major favor by using covert ops to create a "systemic" and very difficult to diagnose mechanical problem in their ships. I would suggest a fuel contaminant.
Turkey currently has 17 frigates (technically destroyers). 8 are former US Oliver Hazard Perry class. 4 are Yavuz class, German design. their 2 most modern are Barbados class, German design.
#4
Erdogen obviously has no clue about naval warfare. This "close to 100m" b.s. is laughable. Does he think that after the Turkish ships "disable" the Israeli weapons that they will send a boarding party aboard with cutlasses?
#9
E is in the same position as Stalin was before WWII: he has purged most of the competent officers from the Turkish military, and is relying on bluff to win his battles.
#10
Plus, the Greeks have to be loving this: they are in the middle of a desperate economic crisis, and their traditional enemy is insisting on an approach that will cost them the majority of their naval surface forces.
#11
Shieldwolf, one difference between Erdogan and Stalin is that when Stalin had his competent officers purged, they were dead. As far as I know, Erdogan just had them dismissed.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia ||
09/15/2011 22:32 Comments ||
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#12
So far, Rambler. Never trust an Islamist to not behead you at the first opportunity.
Several lawmakers are questioning the Obama administration about whether the controversial "Fast and Furious" gunrunning probe may have had a cousin in Florida that resulted in guns being trafficked to Central America.
Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., penned a letter Tuesday to Attorney General Eric Holder and ATF Acting Director Kenneth Melson inquiring about a program known as "Operation Castaway." Other top lawmakers are also starting to look into it, though ATF claims the program was above board and not similar to Operation Fast and Furious at all.
The Justice Department says Castaway was an anti-gun trafficking operation handled by an ATF division in Florida. It resulted last year in a slew of convictions for defendants the department claimed provided firearms linked to violent crimes around the world. But in light of questions surrounding the Fast and Furious probe out of ATF's Phoenix division, Bilirakis questioned whether Castaway bore the same suspicious hallmarks.
Bilirakis expressed concern about reports that the strategy "may not have been limited to weapons trafficking to Mexico."
He asked Holder and Melson whether "similar programs included the possible trafficking of arms to dangerous criminal gangs in Honduras with the knowledge of the ATF's Tampa Field Division" and a Justice Department office, via Castaway.
Bilirakis' letter specifically asked whether the Tampa division participated in a "gun walking" scheme allowing guns to go to Honduras. He also asked whether ATF or DOJ know if any of the firearms ended up in the hands of the "notorious" MS-13 gang -- a violent gang spread across Central America, Mexico and the United States.
Court documents from the Operation Castaway takedown claim that at least five firearms from the illegal sales of the main suspect ended up later being connected to crimes, several in Puerto Rico. One pistol was recovered in Colombia after being used in a homicide.
But an ATF official told FoxNews.com that the investigation, which targeted Florida gun dealer Hugh Crumpler III, did not appear to be designed like Fast and Furious. Though Justice and ATF have not yet formally responded to Bilirakis, the official explained that ATF got involved in the Crumpler case after the fact, and was not using the investigation to track firearms sales across international lines.
"We became involved with Crumpler at the first opportunity of realizing that criminal activity was afoot," the official said. "Once we were able to put our case together, establish probable cause ... then at that point, we did so at the soonest opportunity to stop the illegal activity."
The official noted that the case is "complete," though two fugitives are still at large.
Bilirakis apparently was alerted to Castaway by news reports, as well as calls received by his office.
An article on Examiner.com initially claimed the Tampa division was "walking guns" to Honduras in a way similar to Fast and Furious.
Bilirakis spokesman Creighton Welch said his boss saw the report, but also received "several calls from folks who I guess you could say were familiar with the situation in Tampa."
He declined to go into further detail about where the tips were coming from.
"We're placing a lot of firearms in potentially the wrong hands," Welch said. "There are a lot of unanswered questions for a potentially very dangerous situation."
By Sharyl Attkisson -- the CBS reporter staying on this story
Weapons linked to ATF's controversial "Fast and Furious" operation have been tied to at least eight violent crimes in Mexico including three murders, four kidnappings and an attempted homicide.
According to a letter from U.S. Assistant Attorney General Ronald Weich to Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) and Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), the disclosed incidents may be only a partial list of violent crimes linked to Fast and Furious weapons because "ATF has not conducted a comprehensive independent investigation."
When added to the guns found at the murder scene of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry in the U.S., the newly-revealed murders in Mexico bring the total number of deaths linked to Fast and Furious to four.
According to the Justice Department letter:
One AK-47 type assault rifle purchased by a Fast and Furious suspect was recovered Nov. 14, 2009 in Atoyac de Alvarez, Mexico after the Mexican military rescued a kidnap victim.
On July 1, 2010, two AK-47 type assault rifles purchased by Fast and Furious suspects were recovered in Sonora, Mexico after a shootout between cartels. Two murders were reported in the incident using the weapons.
On July 26, 2010, a giant .50 caliber Barrett rifle purchased by a Fast and Furious suspect was recovered in Durango, Mexico after apparently having been fired. No further details of the incident were given.
On Aug. 13, 2010, two AK-47 type assault rifles purchased by a Fast and Furious target were recovered in Durango, Mexico after a confrontation between the Mexican military and an "armed group."
On Nov. 14, 2010, two AK-47 type assault rifles purchased by Fast and Furious targets were recovered in Chihuahua, Mexico after "the kidnapping of two individuals and the murder of a family member of a Mexican public official." Sources tell CBS News they believe this is a reference to a case we previously reported on: the terrorist kidnapping, torture and murder of Mario Gonzalez Rodriguez. Rodriguez was the brother of then-attorney general Patricia Gonzalez Rodriguez. The terrorists released video of Rodriguez before his death, in handcuffs surrounded by hooded gunmen.
On May 27, 2011, three AK-47 type assault rifles purchased by Fast and Furious targets were recovered in Jalisco, Mexico after having been fired. No other details of the incident were provided, but the date and location match with another incident previously reported by CBS News. On May 27 near Jalisto, cartel members fired upon a Mexican government helicopter, forcing it to make an emergency landing. According to one law enforcement source, 29 suspected cartel members were killed in the attack.
Who do you blame if a drone mis-fires and kills an innocent -- the programmer, the operational commander, the commander of the air wing? Current drones like the Predator do little 'thinking' on their own, but the new drones such as the X-47B will create legal issues. At least according to the lawyers...
What about the following?:
1. A drone robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
2. A drone robot must obey any orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
3. A drone robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.
Hmm. Guess that might not work. Oh well. Thanks anyway, Mr. Asimov!
As long as we define jihadis as 'not human' this might work...
Posted by: Steve White ||
09/15/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
But can we marry one iff it looks like DARYL HANNAH, BLONDE OR BRUNETTE???
#2
Just don't connect them to SkyNet; nothing good comes from that...
Posted by: Steve White ||
09/15/2011 0:32 Comments ||
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#3
*bleep* the Three Laws! The whole point of drones is to have semi-sentient, autonomous killbots. As for SkyNet, we'll burn that bridge when we come to it.
#8
lotp: I don't think we'll be seeing fully autonomous drones any time soon.
During Vietnam, because of an intense shortage of junior officers to act as ground Forward Observers with infantry units, the Army very hesitatingly permitted enlisted FOs, who were already very experienced artillerymen, to call in fires.
It was part of the today almost forgotten "Deathwatch" program. And it was insanely effective. Infantry units loved those guys, as they were a hundred times better with calling in fires than any officer they had ever seen.
"Zen and the Art of Fire Missions."
Subsequently, infantry patrol casualties dropped to just "natural" casualties, from disease and accident, because every time there was a hint of enemy, the enemy would be blown to smithereens by the FO before the infantry could get close enough to be attacked by them.
And this bugged the hell out of the command. They hated the very idea of enlisted men calling in fires with a stupid passion. They even argued that it somehow violated the Geneva Conventions to give enlisted men that much responsibility.
So at the first opportunity, the Deathwatch program was killed deader than a doornail. It is only remembered by the former infantrymen whose lives were saved, who made it through months of heavy combat patrols in 'hot' areas without a scratch, while inflicting very serious hurt on the enemy.
I mention all this, because I strongly suspect that the military command just won't stand for it. If it happens at all, it will be a unilateral CIA op, and even then it will only last until the first autonomous drone fouls up and takes out a bus full of orphans.
#11
When a manned aircraft does such things it is assumed to be at the agency of the pilot unless equipment malfunction can be proved.
We're talking about combat here, right? So the pilot makes a mistake. That's agency? And what are the consequences for the pilot? What compensation do the unintended receive for the tort?
#13
The mil has a strong reluctance to introduce fully autonomous weapon systems for this very reason. That said, they are clearly more open to stretching the envelope with aircraft than ground systems. The Army won't even field ground-based robotic weapon systems that have a nearby operator in control of the system (e.g.: MAARS robot). Crazy.
#14
The Army won't even field ground-based robotic weapon systems that have a nearby operator in control of the system (e.g.: MAARS robot). Crazy.
Posted by remoteman
You might not believe what "The Army" will no longer do or intentionally impedes through mind numbing, morale breaking, bureaucratic hierarchy regarding kinetic strikes.
A few weeks old so just a summary: the Marine air wings are pushing their F/A-18s to the 9,000 total flight hour cap, a limit established as to when the aircraft should be retired. The Marines were hoping to hang in with the Lawn Darts until the F-35s arrived, but the ops tempo for Afghanistan is such that the planes are getting close to their limits.
Posted by: Steve White ||
09/15/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
But the NAVY repor wants to switch from F-35's to UAVS ASAP ATAP AMAP???
#4
Steve S: I heard that!
and the word out here in Puget Sound is that Boeing is jumping for joy with the word that the USN may buy more of YOUR beloved Lawn Darts to bridge the JSF introduction date, and to use as leverage to decrease the total F-35 buy. Why, it almost looks like the sequel to A-12 Avenger II, or why the Flying Dorito never made it past a few scattered parts.
DARPA is taking some F-16s, F-18s and F-22s and putting current UAV flight control computers and associated software in them and fly them as surrogate UAVs to gain the needed confidence in their autonomous flight laws.
on a serious note, the F-18, as originally conceived was a great airplane, but the 'one size fits all mentality forced compromise after compromise on it; now it does many jobs 'OK,' instead of one or two 'great.' it was to be a replacement for the LTV A-7 light attack aircraft; look at what we got. No medium carrier based attack, no fighters with any sort of legs, and marginal EW ( due to wing loading and flight restrictions with the pods on the 'Growler.')
But it is sexier to look at than a Prowler or Intruder, have to admit that.
#5
as originally conceived was a great airplane, but the 'one size fits all mentality forced compromise after compromise on it; now it does many jobs 'OK,' instead of one or two 'great.'
Yeah, the Super Hornet was a stretch (literally!), and once they started down that road... But if two African swallows can carry a coconut suspended between them on a bit of creeper, I don't see why two Hornets can't carry a fuel bladder suspended between them and make a kinda sorta halfway-acceptable tanker.
I've always been a fanboi for funky looking, but lethal airplanes - Warthogs, Aardvarks, Intruders, those scary-ass Russian helos and such. Personally, I never forgave those bastiges for deep-sixing the Intruders.
#6
Don't know what kind of flying is presumed in the 9000 hours. But I've heard that the current ops include stooging around at low power settings, trying to stay awake until somebody needs a smart bomb. Yank and bank, turn and burn, not so much. And if the jarheads have actual airfields, the launches and traps are not as tough on the aircraft. So maybe a few more years can be wrung out of these things.
Posted by: Richard Aubrey ||
09/15/2011 8:14 Comments ||
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#7
Richard, that's exactly the plan according to the article. Right now the Marines have Harriers in Afghanistan (rotated in to replace the Hornet squadrons that were there), and the Harrier ain't exactly new.
I don't think they'll buy any F/A-18A's, though more E/F/G's may be in the offing if the F-35 is delayed again (oh, what are the odds of THAT?).
I recall when the F-35 first hit the public and the word was that it, like the F-16, would be the 'cheap fighter', while the F-22, like the F-15, would be the 'pricey fighter'. Ha.
Posted by: Steve White ||
09/15/2011 8:57 Comments ||
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#8
But it is sexier to look at than a Prowler or Intruder, have to admit that.
Angelina Jolie (it is the only current actress I have heard about) is still sexier than an F18 so I guess they should be replaced with AJ19s.
#9
But it is sexier to look at than a Prowler or Intruder, have to admit that.
I was very fond of the A-7 Corsair II. Great light-attack bomber, but a bitch to work on.
Posted by: Secret Asian Man (New Delhi) ||
09/15/2011 10:18 Comments ||
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#10
as originally conceived was a great airplane, but the 'one size fits all mentality forced compromise after compromise on it; now it does many jobs 'OK,' instead of one or two 'great.'
That also is a great description of the F-35. Another factor in the F-35's story is the "Let's save money by removing capability and add it in later" theory of project management.
In my opinion the F-35 as it stands now is useless and a rip off. DOD should have kept the F-23 and cancelled the F-35.
Al
Posted by: Frozen Al ||
09/15/2011 11:11 Comments ||
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#11
I seem to remember Russia testing and winning carrier group air space control post F-14.
Washington: The American battle plan executed in Libya will not be the blueprint for how the U.S. military wages war in the future, the Army general who was in charge of that effort said today.
There were key lessons that U.S. forces did pick up during the Libyan mission that DoD can use in future conflicts, particularly in coordinating with non-NATO militaries and fighting as a coalition force, according to Africa Command chief Gen. Carter Ham. But the exclusive use of sea and air power to support a small Libyan force -- in this case anti-government rebels fighting against troops loyal to Col. Muammar Qaddafi -- with no American boots on the ground won't be the new normal for U.S. soldiers in combat, Ham said.
"It would be wrong" to assume that every future conflict the U.S. could be involved in would follow the Libyan template, Ham told reporters today.
As head of Africa Command, Ham had a direct hand in planning and coordinating U.S. missions in support of the Libyan operation.
U.S. action to enforce the United Nations peacekeeping mandate in the North African country earlier this year was not an indication that Africa Command was "going offensive" with its operations in country, Ham added.
Given the quick and violent way U.S. forces smashed through the Qaddafi's defenses and command centers, with little to no American casualties, some suggested the Libyan operation was a window into how the U.S. could fight future wars. Also, with manpower levels set to shrink over the next few years, as a result of budget pressures, those same advocates suggested it could be a more efficient way to wage war as well.
But Ham was clear that every conflict was different, and there was not a one-size-fits-all plan that could be applied in Libya and elsewhere and produce the same types of results. Trying to extrapolate an full-blown combat strategy based on the results of one operation is assuming a lot, Ham suggested, and those kinds of assumptions can be dangerous when made on the battlefield.
Posted by: Steve White ||
09/15/2011 00:00 ||
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"It would be wrong" to assume that every future conflict the U.S. could be involved in would follow the Libyan template, Ham told reporters today.
C+ for 'expectation management' general. Boots on the ground soon in Sub-Saharan Africa you suppose?
You might wish to add the "Afghan template" (whatever the hell that is) to your list as well general. It's under "A" in the shared drive folder labeled 'total, unmitigated cock-ups.'
#2
If Libya didn't have all that oil we would have stood back politely and wrung our hands. We won't engage in any sub-Saharan foolishness unless the country in question has oil, rare minerals, diamonds, ...
...oh, okay, maybe we will then.
Posted by: Steve White ||
09/15/2011 8:59 Comments ||
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Libya ain't even the blueprint for current wars!
Ten years down the road since the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the subsequent war on terror launched by the United States, Pakistan seems to have been turned into the suicide bombing capital of the world, with the countrys security forces, especially the army and the police, often being targeted by lethal human bombs.
In 303 suicide attacks carried out in almost every nook and corner of Pakistan 4,808 people were killed and 10,149 others injured in the decade to September 11, 2011, according to Ministry of Interior data.
Statistically speaking, that staggering death toll means that on average, suicide bombers have killed 480 people and injured 1,014 others every year across Pakistan since September 11, 2011 - though, post-9/11, the phenomenon first struck in 2002. Likewise, Pakistan has suffered an average 30 suicide bombings every year of the decade, or four attacks a month.
In comparison, in Iraq, suicide bombers have killed more than 12,000 civilians and wounded more than 30,000 since the war began in 2003, according to study released by the British medical journal Lancet
[Dawn] The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa ... formerly NWFP, still Terrorism Central... Assembly members on Tuesday condemned the Beautiful Downtown Peshawar school van attack and criticised law-enforcers for failing to curb militancy.
PML-Q MPA Nighat Orakzai told the House on a point of order that law-enforcement agencies, including police, had set up checkpoints across the quiet provincial capital but miserably failed to arrest the van attackers.
She said there was no denying the fact that law-enforcers had rendered tremendous sacrifices in the fight against militancy but the grim reality was that hard boyz continued to kill innocent people in the province at will.
Nighat said hard boyz attacked the school van but police insisted that unidentified people were behind the attack.
She also criticised police for closing roads in the name of security arrangements for the ongoing session and requested Speaker Kiramatullah Chagharmati to order early opening of the arteries near the assembly building to the traffic.
Saqibullah Chamkani, of ANP, also condemned the van attack and held the intelligence agencies for it.
"Unfortunately, our agencies have yet to adopt a clear policy against militancy and terrorism. I don`t know where the law-enforcement and state agencies have gone," he said.
The MPA suggested that the government set up a special committee consisting of all parliamentary leaders for extensive briefing by intelligence agencies on militancy.
He said hard boyz had stepped up their activities in his constituency, adding that five schools were blown up of late.
Chamkani said hard boyz were bringing a bad name to Islam and Pakhtuns by killing innocent people, including children.
"They are neither Mohammedans nor human beings. They are simply beasts," he said.
MMA MPA Akhtar Ali regretted that not a single bad turban had been punished over the years.
He said the growing incidents of terrorism in the country showed that the government had yet to take concrete steps for fighting out militancy.
"The government should take an across-the-board action against bad turbans," he said.
Naseer Midadkhel, who also belongs to MMA, said the government should have a clear policy regarding militancy and enforce it without delay.He complained that police in Lakki Marwat had stopped people of Pizo Darra from re-constructing houses destroyed in suicide kaboom after Eidul Fitr.
Provincial Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain denied that the government had a vague anti-militancy policy.
He said mistrust among Pakistain, Afghanistan and the U.S. was a major hurdle to counterterrorism. He urged all stakeholders to get together against terrorism and militancy.
The minister said the May 2 U.S. raid in Abbottabad to kill the late Osama bin Laden ... who has left the building... increased the mistrust among three major players.
"Militancy can`t be defeated if the mistrust continues," he said.
Hussain feared that the killing of innocent people by hard boyz could continue for 15 more years.
"People should prepare themselves for difficult times," he said.
The minister urged MPAs to rise above party politics for counterterrorism.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/15/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
I saw "Lawyers" and quit reading, Who gives a shit what the Lawyers think.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
09/15/2011 3:02 Comments ||
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[Dawn] The judicial commission investigating the May 2 raid by US Commandos in Abbottabad recorded statements of at least 30 people on Wednesday, including bigwigs.
The commission, which is on a three-day visit to Abbottabad, spent a busy day recording the statements of the officials.
Two army officers also appeared before the commission.
Chairman of the commission Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal and its members Lt-Gen (retd) Nadeem Ahmad, Abbas Khan and Ashraf Jehangir Qazi had on Tuesday visited the compound where the Al Qaeda chief was killed.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/15/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
Let's cut to the chase, shall we? Yeah, we did it. We're not sorry. And we just might do it again.
WASHINGTON US lawmakers warned the Palestinian leadership Wednesday that they could lose hundreds of millions of dollars in aid if they continue to seek recognition of statehood at the United Nations.
Hand-wringing Experts, however, told the House Foreign Affairs Committee that cutting off US funding, particularly to Palestinian Authority security programs, would benefit extremists and hurt Israel.
Should the Palestinians pursue their unilateralist course, the hundreds of millions of dollars in annual assistance that we have given them in recent years, will likely be terminated, representative Howard Berman said.
And that could well result in the collapse of the Palestinian Authority, the influential Democrat told the committee.
A Democrat warned the Paleos? That definitely twitched the surprise meter.
Republican representative Steve Chabot told the committee that most of the 600 million dollars in annual US aid would be withdrawn if the Palestinians did not change course.
If the Palestinians continue on their current path, the question before this Congress will not be what portion of our aid will be cut, but rather what portion will remain, Chabot said.
How about, 'zero'?
But Elliot Abrams, who was a deputy national security advisor for president George W. Bush, urged lawmakers against hasty action.
Some of the programs that are up for cutting are actually in our interests and in the interests of Israel, such as the security programs, said Abrams, who is now an expert at the Council on Foreign Relations think tank.
Did his government time and now is getting his money, his lovely office and his resume in order for the next Pub administration...
Generally cutting off the PA (Palestinian Authority) is a very difficult thing to do, he said, warning that the PAs collapse would benefit the extremist group Hamas.
Everything benefits Hamas. Especially giving the Paleos money...
Instead, he urged lawmakers to differentiate between the PA, which is an effective administrative body, and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which he said is the driving force behind the UN bid.
For this reason, he said, lawmakers should endorse a move to close the PLO office in the United States if the Palestinian UN bid goes ahead.
David Makovsky, a specialist at the Washington Institute for Near East Peace, also urged caution.
A total suspension of assistance would certainly be warranted if the PA took a pre-meditated turn towards a third intifada ....but President (Mahmud) Abbass record strongly suggests that this is not his intent, he said.
Policy makers must ask would would benefit from an aid cut-off, he argued.
The group that stands to gain the most from a cut-off of US aid to the PA would be Hamas, he said. In stark contrast, the PAs cooperation and security relationship with Israel over the last four years has produced real and favorable change.
Posted by: Steve White ||
09/15/2011 00:00 ||
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David Makovsky, a Paleo symp specialist at the Washington Institute for Near East Peace, also urged caution.
Posted by: Frank G ||
09/15/2011 7:48 Comments ||
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They are terrorists...the only 'aid' they should get is supposed to come from JSOC in the form of every member of Fatah and Hamas and all the others being found with a third, fourth and fifth eye in the head, preferably in the .45 range;P
Posted by: Silentbrick - Halliburton Lost Drill Bit Division ||
09/15/2011 13:46 Comments ||
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[An Nahar] Russia warned on Wednesday that "terrorist organizations" may arise in Syria should President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad One of the last of the old-fashioned hereditary iron-fisted fascist dictators. Before going into the family business Pencilneck was an eye doctor... 's regime fall under pressure from ongoing street protests.
"If the Syrian government is unable to hold on to power, there is a high probability that bully boyz and representatives of terrorist organizations will become entrenched," Interfax quoted a top foreign ministry official as saying.
Russia has been attracting increasing international anger over its continued support for Syria despite a government crackdown on protests that the United Nations ...an organization which on balance has done more bad than good, with the good not done well and the bad done thoroughly... estimates has killed around 2,600 people.
Moscow has refused to support Western sanctions against its Soviet-era ally and argues that equal pressure should also be placed on protesters who refuse to engage Assad in direct talks.
President Dmitry Medvedev last week also said that some of those taking part in the Syrian demonstrations had links to "terrorists".
The foreign ministry's new challenges and threats department chief Ilya Rogachyov said that Libya could become another safe haven for orc groups following the fall of Moammar Qadaffy ...Custodian of Wheelus AFB for 42 long years... .
"Strange things are happening in Libya," Interfax quoted Rogachyov as saying during a lecture in Russia's second city of Saint Petersburg.
"Weapons storages have been burgled and no one knows what happened," he said. "We can say with a high degree of probability that the weapons fell into the hands of the regional department of al-Qaeda."
Russia heavily criticized the NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A cautionary tale of cost-benefit analysis.... -led campaign against Qadaffy's forces after abstaining on a U.N. vote that authorized the action.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/15/2011 00:00 ||
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#1
"Regional dept. of Al-Qaeda" > AQIM, AQIY aka AQAP, or AQ in GAZA aka AQ IN TRANSJORDAN???
#6
More likely, they are worried that some of the Chechens will move operations to areas of Syria, where they could mingle with the Circassian population.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
Qadaffy
[Emirates 24/7] The Ennahda party tipped to dominate Tunisia's first post-revolution polls next month on Wednesday unveiled a campaign programme vowing to build a democracy based on Islamic values.
David Cameron
[Dawn] The 
WASHINGTON US lawmakers warned the Palestinian leadership Wednesday that they could lose hundreds of millions of dollars in aid if they continue to seek recognition of statehood at the United Nations.
President-for-Life Bashir 
