[Khaama (Afghanistan)] The United States Department of Defense has said the refurbishment work of 53 UH-60 or Blackhawk helicopters for the Afghan security forces has commenced.
According to a new Pentagon report on Afghanistan “Under the ANDSF Road Map, the SMW will also expand to provide additional helicopter crews, consolidate the PC-12 aircraft into a new fixed-wing kandak, and create an aviation support kandak.”
The report further added that Afghan Air Force will have more than double the size of its fleet by 2023 as a result.
“This reporting period, construction began on the first two of six additional A-29s for the AAF, refurbishment commenced on the first 53 of a planned 159 UH-60As, and funding was allocated for AC-208 light-attack aircraft and 30 additional MD-530 helicopters,” the report said.
It also added that the pilot, maintainer, and support personnel changes will be made within the authorized tashkil level of 195,000 for the ANA.
This comes as efforts are underway by the Afghan government and the international allies of Afghanistan to increase the air power of the Afghan security forces.
The commander of the United States Central Command General Joseph L. Votel requested the US Congress to approve the budget for the Afghan forces Blackhawk program.
In his statement before the Senate Armed Services Committee earlier in March this year, Gen. Votel informed regarding the significant capability gaps in Afghan Air Force, saying “Going forward, transitioning from Russian to U.S. airframes will ensure Afghan forces have a more sustainable fleet that is interoperable with U.S. forces and will enhance the Afghans’ ability to operate independently of coalition forces. The U.S. government is considering a critical AAF initiative to replace the unsustainable Russian-manufactured aircraft fleet and make up for combat losses in Afghan transport helicopters by providing U.S. UH-60s.”
Posted by: Fred ||
06/22/2017 00:00 ||
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#1
And metros can't get more police or patrol cars.
#2
..at least it would be American graft for the maintenance of the metro vehicles rather than graft for, most likely undone, maintenance of the Afghan vehicles.
#3
And metros can't get more police or patrol cars.
Plush bennies to cater to powerful public unions do have that effect on municipal budgets. Decertify public unions and institute hiring based strictly on civil service exams, and the problem goes away.
[AlAhram] Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi reiterated in a speech on Wednesday his position that reforming religious discourse is a key element in defeating terrorism.
The president said during an al-Azhar ceremony celebrating Ramadan's Laylat al-Qadr that four things need to be achieved defeat terrorism; renewing religious discourse, dealing with all terrorist groups equally, rebuilding regional states and their apparatuses, and cutting off funding to terrorist groups.
El-Sisi added that standing up to countries that support terrorism is essential to defeating the phenomenon.
The president also spoke of efforts undertaken by Egypt to defeat terrorism including pushing for peaceful resolutions to regional conflicts, which create an environment that breeds terrorism.
El-Sisi condemned countries in the region that "support and fund terrorism" and give terrorist groups access to media outlets.
"I say to such countries; enough, and let us agree to unite and cooperate for the interests of our nations," he added.
El-Sisi's statements come amid a severing by Egypt and several Gulf countries of diplomatic ties with Qatar ...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates... over what they say is the country’s support of terrorist groups, which Doha denies.
[Libya Herald] The commanders of western and central military areas appointed by the Presidency Council (PC) earlier this month were sworn in at a ceremony in the Prime Ministry building in Tripoli ...a confusing city, one end of which is located in Lebanon and the other end of which is the capital of Libya. Its chief distinction is being mentioned in the Marine Hymn... today.
Major-Generals Osama Juwaili and Mohammed Haddad took an oath of loyalty to the PC in the presence of Faiez Serraj, its head, as well as PC member Ahmed Hamza and the head of the Presidential Guard, Najmi Nakua. Also attending were the head of the head of the air force, Air Brigadier Abdulbaset Ben Jarid, and Brigadier Mohammed al-Nariyah, director of training.
Under the Libyan Political Agreement, the PC is the collective commander-in-chef of the Libyan armed forces.
Three weeks ago, the PC announced that it was dividing the country into seven military zones. So far, Haddad and Juwaili are the only two appointments to have been made.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/22/2017 00:00 ||
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[Libya Herald] The trials of Saadi Qadaffy and al-Baghdadi al-Mahmoudi were again adjourned today when they reopened at the Tripoli ...a confusing city, one end of which is located in Lebanon and the other end of which is the capital of Libya. Its chief distinction is being mentioned in the Marine Hymn... Appeals Court. A new date has been set for both, 11 July.
In the case of Mahmoudi, the reason for the adjournment because his lawyer did not show up. The court also wants more statements from witnesses. Already condemned to death two years ago for war crimes along with Saif al-Islam, Abdullah Senussi ...former Libyan supremo Muammar Qadaffy's right hand man. He looks like you always expected Luca Brasi to look.... , Abuzeid Dorda, and five other former regime leading figures, Mahmoudi is now facing charges of acts against the 17 February revolution and people’s freedom.
Saadi is still being tried on charges of ordering the murder in March 2006 of Ittihad Tripoli football team coach Bashir al-Rayani. He denies the accusation. The case first opened in May 2015.
Saadi and Mahmoudi along with Abdullah Senussi and other former regime prisoners were removed from the notorious Hadba prison by Haithem Tajouri ...Commander of the pro-(Islamist) government First Support Brigade... after his Tripoli Revolutionaries’ Brigade captured it from so-called revolutionaries led by former interior minister Khaled Sharif last month. A number of prisoners were freed by Tajouri while Saadi, Senussi, Mahmoudi and others have been transferred to more congenial accommodation.
Reports that an arrest warrant has now been issued by the Attorney General for Sharif has not been confirmed. He is alleged to have fled to The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire.... after Tajouri took the prison and then demolished his house.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/22/2017 00:00 ||
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#1
....Not like he's got anything to do.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
06/22/2017 5:29 Comments ||
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[9news.com.au] The first details about the man rubbed out as he tried to bomb Brussels' Central Station highlight the shadowy new challenge to security services across Europe - the lone-wolf krazed killer.
The 36-year-old Moroccan who part-detonated a suitcase packed with nails and gas bottles on Tuesday appeared to have acted alone, was virtually unknown in his home area and had never been identified by police as a threat.
Belgian authorities have identified the Brussels attacker only as O.Z. A Belgian security source told Rooters he was Oussama Zariouh.
In an overnight raid, Sherlocks found in his home bomb-making materials similar to the chemicals used in the attacks by Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... on Brussels airport and metro that killed 32 people last year.
Zariouh had lived in the poor Brussels borough of Molenbeek since 2013. But unlike the Lions of Islam who helped plan the 2015 Gay Paree attacks and who also lived there, Zariouh was largely unheard of, according to interviews with residents.
"Oussama is not an uncommon name, so I've heard the name, but here, in this area, no I don't know him," said a Belgian-Moroccan woman called Jamila who lived near Zariouh's home, echoing the sentiment of other residents.
According to Molenbeek Mayor Francoise Schepmans, Zariouh had been investigated only for a minor drug offence.
A Facebook account with his name and matching details said he had graduated from a Moroccan university in 2002 and was self-employed. His postings showed no obviously radical comments or krazed killer links and attracted very few responses.
The account, not updated for a year, showed many shots of Zariouh, clean-shaven or with a thin beard, apparently alone at the wheel of a car.
So far, no group has grabbed credit for the abortive Tuesday attack. Kenneth Lasoen, a security and intelligence expert at the University of Ghent, said its clumsiness showed a lack of operational support.
"This looks like the work of a lone wolf," Lasoen said. "He did not know what he was doing. If this had been ISIS (Islamic State), he would have had better instructions about how to do this awful act."
After Zariouh part-detonated his suitcase bomb, he ran downstairs to the station platforms then back up to the concourse and towards a soldier on a routine patrol, shouting "holy shit! Allahu akbar" - God is greatest, in Arabic.
The soldier shot him several times.
Zariouh's isolation may reflect krazed killers' greater need for secrecy as Europe's security forces step up their surveillance.
"Because of the heightened security, if Lions of Islam want to be successful in a planning an attack, they cannot make their intentions clear to anyone, because at some point that will be picked up by the intelligence services," Lasoen said.
"ISIS is saying: as much as you can, do it on your own," he said.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
06/22/2017 02:02 ||
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#1
Headline now says "Four arrested over Brussels bomb attack"
Good catch, Bright Pebbles. The original article at the link (from Ay Pee) has been replaced by an entirely new one (also from Ay Pee). Still, it's nice to know the Belgian police are busily identifying and getting on file the particulars of future known wolves.
[YourNuz.com] Denmark has been declared the best place in the world to live while the Central African Republic is the worst, according to a new study.
Australia ranks ninth out of a total of 128 countries, the United Kingdom comes in 12th while the United States is 18th.
The results were revealed in the 2017 Social Progress Index which measures 50 indicators of what life is like for people living in different nations around the world. I wonder how they conducted their poll?
Usually such things are done by asking X number of a reasonably matched set of people from each country the same questions and noting how they rate their experience for each on a scale from one to five, where one is awful and five is wonderful or vice versa. But they don't ask what they mean by their answers, and so the stoic Danes say everything is wonderful even as they live on antidepressants, as I recall. Americans are critical of imperfections, so we are ranked as considerably unhappier.
#1
[I]ndex of ‘social progress’... measures basic human needs, foundations of well being, and opportunities.. Basic human needs includes data on access to medication, sanitation, shelter and security; wellbeing takes in information on education, access to communications and environment; while opportunity covers rights, freedoms, tolerance, and access to higher education... Overall the world has made progress since 2014, the report authors noted, saying that access to communications and education have increased rapidly, though noted that personal rights, personal safety, and tolerance had stagnated or decreased..
#4
Iceland was ranked the second best place to live on a list that heavily favoured European countries – making up seven of the top 10
Those indicators are broken down into three categories – basic human needs, foundations of wellbeing and opportunity.
That ought to tell you something. And this -
Some of the most troubled countries in the world – such as Venezuela, Iraq and Syria – were not included in the study because data could not be collected.
Posted by: Bobby ||
06/22/2017 13:57 Comments ||
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Nineveh (IraqiNews.com) A number of tribal feuds flared recently in Mosul between families of Islamic State fighters and civilians who had relatives killed by the group, Nineveh province council said Wednesday.
Council member Hossam al-Abbar told Almaalomah website that feuds broke out at the Qayyara, Hammam al-Alil and other regions south of Mosul after more displaced civilians returned to their home regions from refugee camps.
Security forces intervene temporarily to defuse the tensions, the official stated.
“The judiciary should be the arbitrator between the culprit and the victim,” Abbar urged.
Earlier on Wednesday, London-based al-Quds al-Arabi quoted Khaled al-Jar, mayor of Qayyara, saying that 500 people from his town protested demanding to expel IS members relatives. It added that tribal chiefs in Hammam al-Alil also urged to deport IS relatives for fear of vengeful acts.
Speaking to the newspaper, an officer from Nineveh police service said that, based on Iraqi laws, families linked to the Islamic State cannot be punished for the actions of one family member, explaining that others who pledged allegiance to the group can not also be held accountable, given that many did under threat rather than voluntarily.
[Al Jazeera] Egypt has begun to deliver one million litres of fuel to the Gazoo Strip, in an attempt to ease the Paleostinian enclave's desperate electricity crisis.
The fuel, trucked in through the otherwise besieged Rafah border between Egypt and Gazoo, will be routed on Wednesday to the territory's only power station - closed for several months owing to fuel shortages.
But Al Jazeera's Harry Fawcett, reporting from West Jerusalem, said that sources from inside the power company told Al Jazeera that the Paleostinian Authority (PA), which operates in the occupied West Bank but contracts the power company in Gazoo, has instructed the company not to accept the Egyptian fuel.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/22/2017 00:00 ||
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[NEWS.XINHUANET] U.S.President Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior Middle East advisor, Jared Kushner, arrived in Israel on Wednesday in an effort to revive the peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.
Kushner is scheduled to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem and with Palestinian leaders in Ramallah.
Shortly after arriving, Kushner visited the family of Hadas Malka, a border police officer who was stabbed to death by a Palestinian while she was on duty in East Jerusalem's Old City last week.
A spokesperson for the Malka family said that Kushner was accompanied by U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, and spend about 30 minutes with Hadas' parents.
"Kushner said that President Trump himself asked him to express condolences on behalf of the U.S.," a friend of the family told the Hebrew-language Ynet news site.
Kushner joined Jason Greenblatt, a top U.S. national security aide, who arrived in Israel on Tuesday and had met with Netanyahu.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/22/2017 00:00 ||
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#1
President Trump has also loaded up daily schedules for VP Pence, Mrs. Pence, Melania and Ivanka for meetings with numerous organizations nationally and internationally. Mr. Trump this week focuses on Agricultural Innovation initiatives, which is interesting in that he has been a metro-New Yorker all of his life.
#3
Of course, accords with "Palestinians" ain't worth the paper they're written on. To put it into proper perspective - why don't you (Mr President) get Muslims entering USA to sing a paper obliging them to refrain from Jihad?
[FreeBeacon] A senior Iranian leader and confidant of the Islamic Republic's president is threatening to "depose" President Donald Trump if he continues his policy of confronting Iran and its terror proxy groups in the Middle East, according to recent comments that come as Iranian military leaders threaten missile strikes on U.S. forces and bases in the region. Hence becoming a major demoncratic ally
Mostafa Tajzadeh, a leading Iranian politician and ally to President Hassan Rouhani, claimed this week that the Trump administration is too "fragile" to confront Iran and that if U.S. officials do "anything unwise against Iran," the Islamic Republic will see that Trump is "deposed," according to Farsi-language comments independently translated for the Washington Free Beacon.
The threats come as Iranian politicians and military leaders amp up their rhetoric against the Trump administration following a series of strikes in Syria on Iranian-backed forces bolstering embattled President Bashar al-Assad.
Continued on Page 49
Same thing the Left is desperately trying to do domestically. Except they're not 'threatening', but actively engaged in a low level putsch (cause a full scale putsch would result in the active use of those 300 million weapons in the American public's hands).
#2
I think they're trolling to see if they can cause an uprising over here, which they would then swoop in and put the regressive-progressives over the top. Starting with Berkley.
Posted by: Bobby ||
06/22/2017 13:54 Comments ||
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#3
If the Geraniums didn't like President Reagan's "Operation Praying Mantis" back in 1988, they are going to absolutely hate President Trump's "Operation Godzilla Rapes Tyrannosaurus Rex" in 2017.
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Australia said on Thursday it would resume air strikes into Syria, ending a two-day suspension implemented after the downing of a Syrian military aircraft triggered a Russian threat against Washington-led coalition planes.
Russia said on Monday it would treat US-led coalition aircraft flying west of the River Euphrates in Syria as potential targets and track them with missile systems and military aircraft, but stopped short of saying it would shoot them down.
As a result of the threat, Australia said on Tuesday it would suspend its military campaign.
On Thursday, a decision was made to resume the air strikes in Syria after an assessment of the Russian statement, although it did not say when they would begin again.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/22/2017 00:00 ||
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Some people say the most egregious nonsense. The Iran PressTV then interviews them.
[Iran Press TV] America’s strategy in Syria has been to utilize terrorist groups to undermine independent governments and wreck havoc in the Middle East, an American political analyst in Virginia says.
“It seems to me that the long-term plan that the United States has is to essentially use ISIS as a means of destabilizing the region, the Middle Eastern region, said Keith Preston, chief editor of AttacktheSystem.com.
“It’s not that the United States has a favorable view of the ISIS but I think that the United States is simply trying to work both ends against the middle in the sense that they want ISIS to be a disruptive force in Syria and in other parts of the Middle East where there are governments that the United States ultimately wants to over-flow,” Preston told Press TV on Wednesday.
“At the same time, I think that the United States does not want ISIS to engage in terrorist actions against the United States itself or against its allies in Europe or the Middle East such as Israel and the [Persian] Gulf states,” he added.
“So, on one hand the United States wants to convene ISIS, at the same time I don’t think they want to see ISIS completely defeated, because of their usefulness as a disruptive source in the region and because they are inflicting so much destabilization on Syria.”
US President Donald Trump has ordered increased military operations in Syria and delegated more authority to his generals despite lacking a comprehensive strategy, an approach that may spark a confrontation with Syria, Iran and Russia, according to US officials and analysts.
This article starring:
Keith Preston
Posted by: Fred ||
06/22/2017 00:00 ||
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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.
[FreeBeacon] A senior Iranian leader and confidant of the Islamic Republic's president is threatening to "depose" President Donald Trump if he continues his policy of confronting Iran and its terror proxy groups in the Middle East, according to recent comments that come as Iranian military leaders threaten missile strikes on U.S. forces and bases in the region.
[Iran Press TV] America’s strategy in Syria has been to utilize terrorist groups to undermine independent governments and wreck havoc in the Middle East, an American political analyst in Virginia says.
