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Abu Sayyaf beheads captive Philippine soldier
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Page 4: Opinion
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22 22:52 rammer [1] 
14 20:44 trailing wife [2] 
Page 1: WoT Operations
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Page 2: WoT Background
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Page 3: Non-WoT
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4 16:27 Thereth and Company9872 []
9 22:03 newc [1]
9 15:24 Nero White 3083 []
9 20:37 Skidmark [1]
4 20:27 trailing wife []
1 15:36 Skidmark []
10 16:54 Nero White 3083 []
7 13:44 Menhadden Bourbon4363 []
6 18:02 Procopius2k []
17 20:48 Skidmark []
2 09:45 Glenmore []
1 08:17 Procopius2k [1]
4 17:10 JohnQC []
7 23:43 Zenobia Floger6220 []
12 21:13 Frank G [2]
Page 6: Politix
2 17:05 CrazyFool []
9 14:01 Fat Bob Chomort7338 []
5 16:57 CrazyFool [1]
11 19:18 Alaska Paul []
-Signs, Portents, and the Weather-
CBS hates peace, love, and understanding
Posted by: DarthVader || 04/26/2017 09:18 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  I always got that notion about CBS whenever I had the misfortune of landing on their channel while channel-surfing on while watching Fox news on YouTube and then the channel automatically switched to CBSN. Jeebus, they are really bad.
Posted by: JohnQC || 04/26/2017 10:31 Comments || Top||


China-Japan-Koreas
The EMP Threat From North Korea Is Real, and Terrifying
h/t Instapundit
...An EMP disaster from a high-altitude blast seems like science fiction: There is a silent flash high in the sky, and everything using electricity just ... stops. Cars stop, power goes out, the Internet dies, satellites quit working, landline and mobile phone systems go out, and computers are destroyed. In a moment, we are back to 1850, as was dramatized in William Forstchen's 2009 novel One Second After.

While the total wipeout depicted in One Second After is probably exaggerated, the effects could knock out our power grid for months, and destroy critical communications and computer systems.

...In such a situation, there simply is no way to rule out the possibility that hundreds of millions could die.

To nuke one of our cities, the North needs to master ICBM construction, nuclear weapons miniaturization, precision long-range guidance technology, atmospheric re-entry vehicles, and fusing to trigger detonation at the right time after the hazardous re-entry. In contrast, an EMP attack requires only a small, light nuclear weapon and the ability to launch it as a satellite. Once over the U.S., it is detonated.

Already, two satellites launched by North Korea cross the U.S. every day.

Do they contain nuclear weapons? Probably not, but how can we know? Nuclear weapons don't emit much radiation until they go off, so they are hard to detect. I used to fly in a nuclear bomber with the weapon station just a few feet from my station with no shielding -- no need.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 04/26/2017 08:46 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  putting a nuke in a satellite is another step up from putting a live nuke in a missile warhead - and NKOR probably hasn't done the latter yet

on the defense side, while we are close to having missile intercept capacity, once a nuke is in orbit, there is nothing much we can do to protect the stratosphere from a radiation burst - such an event would disable every civilian satellite and probably most of the military ones also
Posted by: lord garth || 04/26/2017 9:10 Comments || Top||

#2  For some decades now I've advised all the hospital workers I know to always carry a standard, non-LED flashlight on their person at all times.
I once worked in a hospital where (1) local power failed (2) hospital generator came on (3) 30 seconds later the hospital generator failed. A surgery in the the OR paused while staff frantically looked for flashlights. Some were trapped in darkened stairwells & had to feel their way to the exits.
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 || 04/26/2017 11:07 Comments || Top||

#3  My habit whenever there has been a power failure is to find one of my transistor radios, turn it on & check to see if local stations are still on the air. Also pick up my landline phone (a 1983 Western Electric handset) to check for dial tone. If they're both working, I figure no EMP affecting me (at the moment). If all that goes dead along with the grid, hmmm...
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 || 04/26/2017 11:11 Comments || Top||

#4  An EMP attack sounds like a superior way to disable a modern nation, maximum damage for minimum effort. A short series of EMP attacks spaced out over a few hours or days would clear out the survivalist's backup devices they have been keeping in Faraday cages.
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 || 04/26/2017 11:13 Comments || Top||

#5  My first move after a blackout is to fire up the generator.
Posted by: 3dc || 04/26/2017 12:35 Comments || Top||

#6  An EMP = a nuke attack. The deaths resulting will just take longer. It should be responded to with an ACTUAL 'splodey nuke attack
Posted by: Frank G || 04/26/2017 12:40 Comments || Top||

#7  My first move after a blackout is to go to sleep.
Posted by: gorb || 04/26/2017 13:39 Comments || Top||

#8  always carry a standard, non-LED flashlight on their person at all times.

Why non-LED, Anguper Hupomosing9418?
Posted by: trailing wife || 04/26/2017 14:29 Comments || Top||

#9  The Light Emitting Diode is built of a semi-conductor circuit which will be 'burned' by the EMP burst TW.
Once you let the smoke out they no longer work.
Posted by: Skidmark || 04/26/2017 15:46 Comments || Top||

#10  We can't stop a boatload of cocaine.
Why would NK even consider joining two complex unproven technology platforms when they could float it into the LA basin, or San Diego navy yard on a raft driven by prevailing winds?
Posted by: Skidmark || 04/26/2017 15:49 Comments || Top||

#11  It would only take two, 10KT bombs, detonated at 250,000' to shut the light out to America for months, if not a couple years. While most folks only have enough food and water to last a few days, the riots and looting would begin within the first week. You don't have to blow America or other western nations up to destroy them. It would come from within. This plays the same for Russia, and it why I always say we don't need thousands of nukes. Just three or four detonated amongst the satellites over Russia and their country is over.
Posted by: 49 Pan || 04/26/2017 16:06 Comments || Top||

#12  I've got a dumb question. When the Enola Gay dropped Little Boy over Hiroshima, why did the generated EMP not fry the electronic circuits in the Enola Gay?
Posted by: JohnQC || 04/26/2017 16:44 Comments || Top||

#13  Good novel on the subject...One Second After by William R. Forstchen. Highly recommend.
Posted by: BrerRabbit || 04/26/2017 18:21 Comments || Top||

#14  I've got a dumb question. When the Enola Gay dropped Little Boy over Hiroshima, why did the generated EMP not fry the electronic circuits in the Enola Gay?

Not a dumb question at all! The electronics at the time were tube based. Modern electronics are transistor based and subject to EMP damage.

Main difference is that tubes anodes, cathodes and grids were large and spaced far enough apart that damages, if any, would have little effect. OTOH, transistors components are closely spaced, in fact are in direct contact with each others and easily damaged. Integrated circuits components are even smaller.

The military knows this and as such use hardened electronics designed specifically to withstand radiation and EMP. That's a major factor why military grade electronic cost so much.
Posted by: Seeking cure for ignorance || 04/26/2017 18:43 Comments || Top||

#15  JohnQC,

The quick answer is that tube-era tech is pretty much resistant to EMP. ICs and transistors....no Bueno.

One thing to keep in mind here though - EMP damage is a function of burst strength and altitude. There's a reason nobody's done it for real yet. (Not saying it CAN'T happen, but the threat is somewhat overhyped.) And if it was done, the ICBMs, bombers, and subs won't need the satellites to hit their targets in the DPRK.

Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski || 04/26/2017 18:45 Comments || Top||

#16  Sounds like an opportunity to pull out the old Windows XP systems from the garage and sell them on ebay for a car.
Posted by: Thereth and Company9872 || 04/26/2017 18:53 Comments || Top||

#17  I have a hard time believing any of the EMP hype. Yes, long electric lines will blow a bunch of breakers in substations all over the place, and some electronic systems that are unshielded will reset or much less likely be damaged. But, the energy received is proportional to the antenna surface which is tiny. And computers are mostly shielded inside grounded cases.

Like the northwest blackout it might take a few days to get things started up in the right sequence, but not many people would be injured.

Put those same weapons used for EMP on Seoul or Tokyo and at least a million people would be killed. Much much worse.
Posted by: rammer || 04/26/2017 19:38 Comments || Top||

#18  Whee! A Rantburg U masters seminar!

Question: What about a camping lantern with several straight fluorescent bulbs? I have one of those as well as an old fashioned flashlight suitable for hitting someone over the head, if necessary.
Posted by: trailing wife || 04/26/2017 20:39 Comments || Top||

#19  Sometimes the deniers are right...ie the CME impacts received almost daily, OUTSIDE the magnetosphere.
Posted by: Skidmark || 04/26/2017 20:44 Comments || Top||

#20  The fluorescent bulbs may light themselves given sufficient blast energy. If you take the lantern under a high tension powerline do the bulbs glimmer?
Posted by: Skidmark || 04/26/2017 20:54 Comments || Top||

#21  Question: What about a camping lantern with several straight fluorescent bulbs? I have one of those as well as an old fashioned flashlight suitable for hitting someone over the head, if necessary.

If the filaments at the ends of the fluorescent tubes are still intact, they should mostly work fine. The 'mostly' issue is the electronic starter that start the fluorescent tube glowing, will they survive?

The flashlight may or may not work, again it's a filament thing, they are kind of fragile. You can make sure the spare bulb at the base of the flashlight is still good, there should be enough metal to protect it and you can swap it out if needed. Maglite knew what they were doing!

But, the energy received is proportional to the antenna surface which is tiny. And computers are mostly shielded inside grounded cases.

Sure if that's all there is. What most people seems to forget is the connectors; the wires connecting the IC to other devices, the computer wires for power, network, USPes, displays, etc.etc.. And then there's the circuit board traces, all of those makes wonderful antennas!

Computer metal cases are not to protect the computer interior, it's a FCC requirement to keep all those RF the computer generate from getting out. Otherwise we would see mostly all plastic cases. I would not rely on Computer cases to protect the computer from an EMP burst. A nearby lightning burst (which does produce EMP of various strength) is often enough to take out the computer.

Skidmark has it right, keep the smoke in the device and it'll work just fine, once the smoke escape, all bets are off!
Posted by: Seeking cure for ignorance || 04/26/2017 22:08 Comments || Top||

#22  I've been in an airplane struck by lightning multiple times on the approach. And am still here to comment. Not a thing for that plane and all of its stuff. And lighting on the surface of the plane half a meter from where I was sitting dumped way more EMP on my cell phone than some nuke in space ever could.

And that phone still works fine.

Just stuff your EMP dreams. It is not a thing. You need to worry more about bad bacteria at Chipotle or your neighbors smoking cigarettes in bed than EMP.
Posted by: rammer || 04/26/2017 22:52 Comments || Top||


Europe
Why Marine Le Pen is confident she will be France’s next president
[IsraelTimes] Macron’s victory in 1st round of elections has many assuming he will handily win the next stage, but things may not be so simple.

Supporters of Emmanuel Macron were not alone in cheering his victory Sunday in the first round of La Belle France’s presidential elections.

Far-right candidate Marine Le Pen, who finished second in the voting, saw it as excellent news. The two will face off in the final round next month after the centrist Macron won 23 percent of the vote, 2 points ahead of Le Pen.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: trailing wife || 04/26/2017 00:00 || Comments || Link || [2 views] Top|| File under:

#1  She is the last train to freedom. But her father who is publicly against her is scum.
Posted by: Speating Jolush7714 || 04/26/2017 0:23 Comments || Top||

#2  She will crush it!
Do not worry yourselves. The Ladies standing up MAY get you out of Shariah bullshit and colonization.

What a concept.
Posted by: newc || 04/26/2017 2:53 Comments || Top||

#3  Spoke with a lady today.
Her son is schooling in Bordeaux FR.
He reports many local French are extending their spring vacations in the Alps as the town is no longer safe for walking or bicycle commuting.
The Moroccans and Somalians control the streets.
Posted by: Skidmark || 04/26/2017 3:53 Comments || Top||

#4  They need to start fighting and begin mass deportation of these invaders.
Posted by: Hupeart Thaitch2372 || 04/26/2017 5:49 Comments || Top||

#5  They need to start fighting and begin mass deportation of these invaders.
Posted by Hupeart Thaitch2372


Roundups and deportations did not go well for Europe in the last century. Perhaps this helps explain the reluctance.
Posted by: Besoeker || 04/26/2017 7:02 Comments || Top||

#6  Why do I see this scenario where she loses, and - in a few years the "mainstream" government implementing hers anti-Islam platform?
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 04/26/2017 8:16 Comments || Top||

#7  I am not so sure about a Le Pen victory. French cuisine cannot be challenged, but the French have a certain knack for snatching defeat from the jaws of political victory.
Posted by: Besoeker || 04/26/2017 8:23 Comments || Top||

#8  Macron is France's Obama: a non-entity with no history who can mouth the 'correct' platitudes whenever his handlers push the little button in his back.
If he wins, the problem starts when he decides he knows how to think...
Posted by: ed in texas || 04/26/2017 8:38 Comments || Top||

#9  g(r)om, i'm afraid that in a few years the "mainstream" government implementing hers anti-Islam platform? is a coin toss with in a few years the "mainstream" government implementing sharia for all muslims in France and moving to pass control to the muslims.
Posted by: AlanC || 04/26/2017 8:48 Comments || Top||

#10  AC, I trust European elites to be total bastards when their position is threatened.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 04/26/2017 8:53 Comments || Top||

#11  I grant you the total bastards part but I'm not sure this threatens their position. They'll still be in total oligarch, globalist mode regardless. (see also the sheiks of the Arabian penninsula)
Posted by: AlanC || 04/26/2017 12:51 Comments || Top||

#12  No they not. No more than American "elites" will stay in power after Mexicanising the USA.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 04/26/2017 12:57 Comments || Top||

#13  Anymore Sharia BS, no-go zones, illegal immigration invasion by Muslims, Islamic terrorism and Le Pen ought to be a shoo-in. I heard part of an old Obama speech today on the tube and he said Trump will never become POTUS--Trump became POTUS. He also was against Brexit--it passed. Macron and Le Pen were very close in the first round.
Posted by: JohnQC || 04/26/2017 17:37 Comments || Top||

#14  JohnQC, many of the candidates who didn't make it are telling their voters to pull the lever for Macron; but there's talk about voters boycotting the final round, so who knows what will happen.
Posted by: trailing wife || 04/26/2017 20:44 Comments || Top||



Who's in the News
32[untagged]
8Islamic State
4Sublime Porte
3Govt of Syria
2Houthis
2Arab Spring
2Abu Sayyaf (ISIS)
2al-Shabaab (AQ)
1Govt of Pakistan
1al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula
1Hamas
1Haqqani Network
1Hezbollah
1al-Qaeda
1Jamaat ul-Ahrar
1Maute group (IS)
1Taliban
1Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis (IS)
1Commies
1Govt of Iran

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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.
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Two weeks of WOT
Wed 2017-04-26
  Abu Sayyaf beheads captive Philippine soldier
Tue 2017-04-25
  Sweden arrests second suspect over deadly truck attack
Mon 2017-04-24
  Drone strike kills 5 Qaeda suspects in Yemen
Sun 2017-04-23
  5 terrorist suspects arrested in Brussels after arms, ammo & drugs seized in police raids
Sat 2017-04-22
  Dozens of About 140 Afghan troops dead in Taliban base attack
Fri 2017-04-21
  ISIS Media Chief dies in airstrike
Thu 2017-04-20
  Paris - cops shot, 1 killed. Suspect dead, Suspicious package left
Wed 2017-04-19
  US: Man screams 'Allahu akbar!' and kills three civilians
Tue 2017-04-18
  Pakistani Taliban leader Ehsanullah Ehsan 'surrenders'
Mon 2017-04-17
  Pirates killed while trying to hijack ship near Somalia
Sun 2017-04-16
  At least 43 killed as car bomb hits Syria evacuees
Sat 2017-04-15
  Islamic State mufti killed in Mosul air strike, Iraqi forces say
Fri 2017-04-14
  Iraqi command says controls 60% of western Mosul
Thu 2017-04-13
  US drops MOAB on ISIS tunnel complex in Afghanistan
Wed 2017-04-12
  Bomb attack on Dortmund team bus

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