LONDON - British defence chiefs warned the government to pull up to half of the countrys troops out of Iraq to help boost its campaign in Afghanistan against a resurgent Taleban, a newspaper reported on Sunday.
In a message delivered six months ago to then defence secretary John Reid by the then head of the British army, General Mike Jackson, military chiefs warned that the soldiers stationed in Iraq should be withdrawn by May 2007, The Observer weekly said.
The warning followed a detailed analysis by strategic planners concerned by the pressure on British troops they concluded that the army could cope with military engagements in both Iraq and Afghanistan in the short-term. However, if we continue to have the same level of need for forces in Iraq, it will be difficult to find the number and types of troops needed to make Afghanistan a success, an unnamed military source told the newspaper.
The same source told The Observer that the message conveyed by General Jackson to Reid was that somewhere between one-third and one-half of our operational troops in Iraq should be brought out by next May.
A spokeswoman for Britains defence ministry told AFP: Allegations that John Reid was advised that it was necessary to withdraw troops from Iraq to deploy to Afghanistan are false. Iraq and Afghanistan are separate operations but the planning for each fully factors in the planning for the other.
However it makes sense to pull some Brit troops from the south; it's not like they're stopping the Mahdi Army types anyway, and the whole idea is to turn security over to the Iraqis.
Posted by: Steve White ||
10/16/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
The Holy Shia Theocracy of Mesopotamia.
There's your real theocratic mishmash, Zen. BTW, nice last-minute bullshit comment on this thread yesterday (RB Time). That is a drive-by - and a very chickenshit thing to do.
France plans to withdraw around 200 special forces from southern Afghanistan at the start of next year following a recent surge in violence, reported the French newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche on Sunday. The French Defence Ministry was not immediately available for comment. The French military is participating in various missions in Afghanistan, and the small special forces team has been under US control since 2003 as part of operation Enduring Freedom. Nine French troops have died fighting in Afghanistan, and Le Journal du Dimanche said the relatively high death toll had played a part in the decision to withdraw the forces.
The US was also downscaling its Enduring Freedom operation, the newspaper said, adding that some 1,000 French troops deployed around Kabul under NATO control would be staying put. Afghanistan is going through its bloodiest phase since US-led troops drove the Taliban from power after the September 11, 2001, attacks, and NATO has called on its member countries to send in more soldiers to help combat the upsurge in violence. France, however, declined to dispatch more troops last month, saying it already had its hands full with the peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, where it has committed some 2,000 soldiers.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/16/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
I am not ready to give up on the French, despite an endless series of defeats and capitulations, capped by the disgraceful spectacle of the "youths" and the carbecues and church-arsons last year. Keep in mind that the WW2 resistance, the heroic stand at Dien Bien Phu, and the great (though temporary) victory over Islamist terrorism in the Battle of Algiers all happened within living memory. When the French have had enough, it will be enough, and the crusader's mailed fist will emerge from the appeaser's velvet glove.
#2
Hi, welcome back, O Venerable One!
As for the french sursaut, I wish I was as confident as you (but then again, I'm part of the problem, not of the solution).
#4
I try to keep in mind that rotten corrupt triangulating leadership, coupled with the unvarnished assistance of the MSM, makes it very hard to fairly judge a populace. Yes, they elect the leadership - and sometimes the agenda is in plain view and they deserve what they get as a result... but sometimes it's not so obvious.
When TGA was here, he tried to remind us of this on occasion - as AC is doing here. In honor of AC's return, and in hopes that TGA will also rejoin us, I'll try to keep an open mind on the populace that may have been sold a bill of goods.
BTW, it can, and some say will, happen here in the US come November - so a little charity seems apropos.
Remember Entebbe. It was an Air France plane which was hijacked by Germans who'd been more or less hired by the Palestinians.
After the non-Jews were allowed to leave (the "selection" which turns a Jew's blood cold), the Air France crew elected to stay with the Jews to do what they could.
It was well done of them, and them not soldiers, either.
Posted by: Richard Aubrey ||
10/16/2006 10:32 Comments ||
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#6
I'm not too put out. Weren't they just replaced by the Dutch special forces?
Posted by: Fred ||
10/16/2006 13:20 Comments ||
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KABUL: Afghanistan on Sunday accused Pakistan of trying to play down the threat of "international terrorism" by labelling the Taliban uprising in Afghanistan an ethnic issue. Addressing a news conference in Kabul, Afghan Foreign Minister Rangeen Dadfar Spanta responded to the claim made by President Musharraf that Taliban insurgents had roots among Afghanistan's Pashtun tribes. In a clear reference to Pakistan, the Afghan foreign minister went on to say: "The terrorism which is religious extremism is a global network operating against Afghanistan and other democratic states from Russia to India to America with the support of a country... Terrorism is not an ethnic issue.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/16/2006 00:00 ||
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MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) - A former detainee in the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay returned home Sunday to Bahrain after being held for five years, officials said. Salah Abdulrahim al Blooshi was at his family's home Sunday night, said the head of Bahrain's public prosecutors office, Nawaf al-Ma'wdah, who declined to provide additional information about al Blooshi or his release.
And nothing at all about what he was doing in Afghanistan working for the Widows Ammunition Fund.
Earlier Saturday, al Blooshi's father, Abdulrahim al Blooshi, thanked the small Persian Gulf country's king, members of parliament and civil rights activists including Nabeel Rajab, the former head of the now dissolved Bahrain Center for Human Rights, for his son's release.
Two other Bahrain nationals remain in custody at Guantanamo Bay.
Posted by: Steve White ||
10/16/2006 00:00 ||
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The BBC has spent thousands of pounds trying to block the release of a report which is believed to be highly critical of its Middle East coverage.
The BBC has spent thousands of pounds of licence payers' money trying to block the release of a report which is believed to be highly critical of its Middle East coverage.
The corporation is mounting a landmark High Court action to prevent the release of The Balen Report under the Freedom of Information Act, despite the fact that BBC reporters often use the Act to pursue their journalism.
The action will increase suspicions that the report, which is believed to run to 20,000 words, includes evidence of anti-Israeli bias in news programming.
The court case will have far reaching implications for the future working of the Act and the BBC. If the corporation loses, it will have to release thousands of pages of other documents that have been held back.
Like all public bodies, the BBC is obliged to release information about itself under the Act. However, along with Channel 4, Britain's other public service broadcaster, it is allowed to hold back material that deals with the production of its art, entertainment and journalism.
The High Court action is the latest stage of a lengthy and expensive battle by Steven Sugar, a lawyer, to get access to the document, which was compiled by Malcolm Balen, a senior editorial adviser, in 2004.
Richard Thomas, the Information Commissioner, who is responsible for the workings of the Act, agreed with the BBC that the document, which examines hundreds of hours of its radio and television broadcasts, could be held back. However, Mr Sugar appealed and, after a two-day hearing at which the BBC was represented by two barristers, the Information Tribunal found in his favour.
Mr Sugar said: "This is a serious report about a serious issue and has been compiled with public money. I lodged the request because I was concerned that the BBC's reporting of the second intifada was seriously unbalanced against Israel, but I think there are other issues at stake now in the light of the BBC's reaction."
The BBC's coverage of the Middle East has been frequently condemned for a perceived anti-Israeli bias.
Figures released by the Information Commissioner's Office show that there have been 105 complaints about the BBC's attitude to the Act since it came into force in January 2005. Only four of these have been dismissed and the rest are being examined. The BBC has lodged at least 25 complaints about the way other organisations have dealt with its requests.
The BBC declined to say how much it was spending on the High Court action. "We will be appealing the decision of the Information Tribunal," a spokesman said. "This case has wider implications relating to the way the Act applies to public broadcasters."
#1
BBC is biased. Can there be any doubt. There was a time 2 decxades back when BBC Radio beamed all over the World was a respected source of info. (Then they shortened the World service broadcast hours to save money). No more, that was another world....good that the Internet took over in a most timely way.
#3
Those rich bastards only care about cashflow and not accuracy. As many times as they've claimed that the truth must be known, they've shown they're just a bunch of hypocrities who want to keep their conspiracy secret. They've been politically flavoring their articles for years. The BBC has vilified the military and glorified the jihadist because it sells adverstising.
#4
As far as I am concerned the BBC's anti US bias is akin to an open war against the United States. It's employees therefore are fair game to any act that results from the status of open war. That attitude got me banned from one website where they love to talk about BBC bias but refuse to take any action other than talk.
Minister will order police and councils to identify hotspots of extremism
Hotspots of Islamic extremism will be identified in schools, colleges and universities under government plans to be announced today.
Ruth Kelly, the Communities Secretary, will defy growing anger from Islamic leaders by ordering police and local authorities to root out Muslim extremists.
The announcement comes after the revelation yesterday that new faith schools could be forced to offer at least a quarter of their places to pupils of other religions and non-believers.
Ms Kelly will urge representatives from 20 key local councils to consider if they are doing enough to tackle extremism in schools, colleges and universities, and if they have identified hot-spot neighbourhoods and sections of the community that could be breeding grounds for such activity.
In major parts of Britain the new extremism were facing is the single biggest security issue for local communities, she will stay. This is not just a problem for Muslim communities. The far Right is still with us, still poisonous, still trying to create and exploit divisions.
The Department for Education has also prepared plans to ask university staff and lecturers to inform police of Muslim and Asian-looking students they suspect of involvement in supporting terrorists. An 18-page document due to be sent to universities and colleges by the end of the year expresses concern over Islamic societies and students from segregated backgrounds.
Alan Johnson, the Education Secretary, is expected to suggest that opening up admissions to faith schools would help to ease racial tensions and give parents more choice. The move comes after a proposal this month by the Church of England to open up voluntarily 25 per cent of places in all its new schools to children irrespective of their religious beliefs.
The changes are likely to prove more controversial with Roman Catholics and Muslims. Critics of faith schools have long complained that they are exclusive and divide society, rather than promote cohesion. About a third, or 7,000, of all state schools in England have a religious ethos, mostly Christian. Four fifths of the top 200 secondaries are faith schools.
Mr Johnson will table an amendment to the Education and Inspections Bill when it returns to the Lords this week requiring new faith schools to reserve a quarter of their places for non-believers or children of other faiths. The change would place the initial decision about a schools intake in the hands of the local education authority (LEA), enabling it to demand that up to a quarter of its places are open to families of different or no faiths.
It is not a quota, per se, only obviously if there is a demand for places, a source close to Mr Johnson said. But if there is demand they [LEAs] will have the power to insist on up to 25 per cent of places being given up to non-faith pupils.
Where there is opposition to the policy within the school, the Church or community, an appeal could be made to the Secretary of State who could allow the LEA to approve a faith school with fewer than 25 per cent non-faith pupils.
Shahid Malik, the Muslim Labour MP for Dewsbury, said of the move: This is part of a strategy which says we cant ignore segregation any longer. We have to start working to make people have a greater understanding of one another.
Last week Lord Bruce- Lockhart, the head of the Local Government Association, suggested in The Times that state schools should introduce ethnic quotas into admissions criteria to break down the extreme segregation of pupils along cultural and religious lines.
A Tory spokesman gave Mr Johnsons plan a guarded welcome, saying that David Cameron had made clear that he supported such initiatives, but that it should not be a matter of uniform national rules. Idris Mears, of the Association of Muslim Schools, said that imposing the proposals on minority faiths seemed to be socially unjust. Most Muslim schools already have this provision in their regulations, but to impose it on us without increasing our numbers substantially doesnt seem fair, he said.
There are seven Muslim state schools in England, and five more are recommended for public funding. Tony Blair hopes to bring more of the 150 private Muslim schools into the state sector. There are two Sikh schools, 37 Jewish schools, 2,041 Catholic schools and 4,646 Church of England schools.
#1
It is not a quota, per se, only obviously if there is a demand for places, a source close to Mr Johnson said. But if there is demand they [LEAs] will have the power to insist on up to 25 per cent of places being given up to non-faith pupils.
Where there is opposition to the policy within the school, the Church or community, an appeal could be made to the Secretary of State who could allow the LEA to approve a faith school with fewer than 25 per cent non-faith pupils.
Last week Lord Bruce- Lockhart, the head of the Local Government Association, suggested in The Times that state schools should introduce ethnic quotas into admissions criteria to break down the extreme segregation of pupils along cultural and religious lines
Bottom line - the religious schools can get out of that 25% if there is any objection but the state schools need to have "ethinic" admission quotas.
The British have really been sold down the river. Who would have thought it would be this bad so quickly?
#3
Mustn't malign all good curry as "purging" by nature. ;) In East Asia, you would recognise and would have heard/known of how some Indian Muslim curry causes that mainly because of being stored overnight - more than a night without being completely replenished with fresh ones....just add the new ones to the new in the same pot. Oh yeah, it's cultural alright!
#5
Ruth Kelly, the Communities Secretary, will defy growing anger from Islamic leaders by ordering police and local authorities to root out Muslim extremists.
They will if they want Britain to survive. Sadly, it seems as if they have crippled this effort from the very start.
#1
"Next time you need to make sure that the internal gun alignment is less than 0.05 millimeters off-axis with respect to the overall placement of your receiving subcritical mass, otherwise much lower non-reactive isotope contamination levels will be required of any subsequent Purex runs.
MURDERED Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya had obtained video evidence that purported to link Ramzan Kadyrov, the 30-year-old Prime Minister of Chechnya, to the kidnapping of two civilians. The grainy footage, shot on a mobile phone, shows a man resembling Mr Kadyrov - President Vladimir Putin's strongman in the bombed-out republic - looking on as a group of people in camouflage jackets bundle the civilians into the boot of a car.
One victim is seen resisting and is forced into the boot by the men, who were described by Politkovskaya as members of the Prime Minister's ruthless militia.
One victim is seen resisting and is forced into the boot by the men, who were described by Politkovskaya as members of the Kadyrovtsy, the Prime Minister's ruthless militia. The cameraman can be heard apparently identifying Mr Kadyrov on the film. The fate of the abducted men is unknown.
Politkovskaya, Russia's most prominent investigative journalist, who was gunned down in the lift of her Moscow apartment block last weekend, never tired of accusing Mr Kadyrov and his men of kidnapping, torture and murder. Colleagues believe the video may contain clues to her own killing. She had sent it to the Russian prosecutor's office and hoped it would lead to action against Mr Kadyrov, whose father, Ahmad, was president until his assassination in 2004.
On October 5, Politkovskaya said on Radio Liberty in her last interview that she wanted to see him put on trial. "Kadyrov is a Stalin of our times," she said. "Kadyrov is a coward armed to the teeth and surrounded by security guards ... I dream of him some day sitting in the dock, in a trial that meets the strictest legal standards, with all his crimes listed." She added that she would give evidence against him. The prosecutor's office refused to comment on its inquiries into Mr Kadyrov or its investigation into the murder of Politkovskaya, 48.
Mr Kadyrov, a keen boxer who keeps a pet tiger, has always denied any wrongdoing and dismissed suggestions in the Russian press last week that one of his supporters may have been responsible for the murder. "Chechens don't kill women," he said. "Women are sacred to us. I have never killed a woman. I think the people who ordered her killing did it to blacken my name." He added that Politkovskaya's work "helped me".
Last week Novaya Gazeta, Politkovskaya's paper, published the article she was writing the day she was shot. It detailed evidence of torture by police in Chechnya.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/16/2006 00:00 ||
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Thoth posted the headline without text. Ya gotta know we want the details! And the snark, of course. AoS.
Kim Myong-chol, director of the Center for Korean-American Peace, who is regarded as an unoffical spokesperson for Kim Jong-il has claimed in a radio interview that North Korea has an H-bomb and is ready to test it. When asked for evidence the director replied, "thats why we are going to test the bomb."
They won't really know if it's an H-bomb until they test it. Chances are it's a blob of plutonium and some circuitry.
He went on to say "If the Bush administration makes more provocations, both New York City and Tokyo will be blazed."
It's a real, live nukooler Sea of Fire! Don't settle for anything less!
The South Korean Ministry of Unification minimised the importance of the remarks, saying they should be ignored. Kim however claims to be in contact with high ranking North Korean officials and that his comments are representitive of Pyongyang.
"He's a loonie. He's a Nork. We repeat ourselves. Pass the kimchee."
Kim also said that thee North is targeting the United States but does not want to wage a war against the South as long as Seoul takes a neutral position. "The destiny of the Korean Peninsula will be decided within a week, and South Korea should maintain its neutral stance, Seoul should request that Washington not mobilize U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) even if a war breaks out."
Yup, we should just stay in our barracks, you betcha.
Posted by: Steve White ||
10/16/2006 13:38 ||
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``If the Bush administration makes more provocations, both New York City and Tokyo will be blazed, Kim said.
Well, there it is, right on the table. I think we should take the threat of nuclear attack seriously no matter what the source.
TOKYO - Japan needs to discuss whether it should possess nuclear weapons in response to North Koreas claimed nuclear test, the ruling partys policy chief said on Sunday.
You knew this was coming.
Shoichi Nakagawa, chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Policy Research Council, said he believed Japan would adhere to its policy of not arming itself with nuclear weapons, but added that debate over whether to go nuclear was necessary. We need to find a way to prevent Japan from coming under attack, Nakagawa told a television programme, referring to what Tokyo should do following North Koreas reported nuclear test. There is argument that nuclear weapons are one such option. I want to make clear that I am not the one saying this, and Japan will stick to its non-nuclear principles, but we need to have active discussions, he said.
Nakagawa also said that the constitution does not prohibit the possession of nuclear arms, adding that having such weapons may reduce or remove the risk of being attacked.
While some analysts have pointed out the possibility of Japan the only nation to suffer an atomic bombing seeking nuclear weapons in response to North Koreas announced test, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has flatly rejected the idea.
He'll reluctantly allow his hand to be forced.
And victims of the 1945 atomic bombing on Hiroshima by the United States condemned Nakagawas remarks. I question and I feel indignation towards such comments made by someone in such a responsible position, said Sunao Tsuboi, co-chairperson of the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations. As an A-bomb victim, I cannot comprehend the idea of possessing nuclear weapons ... To think that because the other side did it, we can, is just so frivolous, said the 81-year-old Tsuboi, who still has burns suffered from the bombing of his hometown 51 years ago.
Japan has stuck to its self-imposed three principles that ban the possession, production and import of nuclear arms, and politicians who even questioned the ban in the past have faced fierce criticism. But faced with the threat of North Koreas nuclear and missile programmes, the nuclear taboo is easing among the public and more lawmakers now challenge the ban without receiving the disapproval they would have in the past.
Posted by: Steve White ||
10/16/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
When I was a little babe in the mid 50s... my babysitter was a Nakagawa by marriage. (Taiwan national married to a Japanese Diplomat stationed in Nazi Berlin and disappeared on a train in the middle of the USSR when Stalin delcared war on Japan.)
Her sister was married to a good friend (one time steel magnate under Japan rule and then antique dealer with his foundry assets abscounded with by Chaing's buddies.)
#4
This is the message that China needs to be hearing. No more of this concilliatory crap. If the Mandarins want to play such a "deep" game with their little Rottweiler Kim, they'd better be ready to pay the piper.
I wonder which came out first, Japan's mention of nuclear weapons or China's revelations about coup attempts in North Korea?
#5
I think that I'll just hang out... On the Beach.
The Vacation from History™ is over. Am I the only one wondering why we are consolidating our military facilities and downsizing our heavy armored forces? Maybe we need to rethink BRAC and the whole effects-based thing. I'm just saying.
#6
I liked how KRAUTHAMMER said it [paraphrased] > " Nuclear/ABomb Politics + Proliferation is like GUN CONTROL - 'GUN CONTROL' is useless = idiotic when only the Bad Guys are allowed to have and use a gun, but the Good Guys are NOT", or words to that effect!?
#7
Behind the scenes, Japan has been building up its military forces for quite a few years. The standard media meme is still that it is practically an unarmed country. Many students, for example, have taken it for granted that Japan has no armed forces at all.
The Japanese are circumspect about all this, to be sure. Their Aegis cruisers and the new light aircraft carrier are officially classed as "destroyers."
Our Navy contingent would be amazed to see a 13,500 ton ship with a flat deck, a starboard island superstructure, and 20+ aircraft called a "destroyer," but that is the official designation.
The nuclear weapons idea has been floating around for many years, the west's focus on the noisy Japanese anti-nuclear community notwithstanding. Until fairly recently, nuclear weapons advocacy was confined to the extreme right and the neo-militarists, but this is by no means a small influence. That is probably why it has burst into the mainstream so suddenly, the idea has been there for a long time and many Japanese are familiar with it but it was one of those things they tend to conceal from the gaze of the west. No more. The Japanese death penalty is another such hidden reality.
#11
What do you tin-can types think? Destroyer or not?
Not a tin-can type or even a veteran, but it looks like a sub hunter. Too small to carry fixed-wing aircraft, but capable of carrying many more helicopters than a traditional destroyer.
Considering where they are, who their opponents are likely to be, and their dependence on shipping, makes a hell of a lot of sense.
As for labeling it "destroyer", well, that's like the Brits and their "through-deck cruiser".
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
10/16/2006 7:51 Comments ||
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#13
Am I the only one wondering why we are consolidating our military facilities and downsizing our heavy armored forces?
11A5S, just a couple thoughts which may or may not be on target.
I'm not sure the Chinese threat is best answered with heavy armor, if by that you mean land forces, although we shouldn't allow those to age away. Tanks worked well in Baghdad, to the surprise of many. And, keeping the navy and air force up to date for major force-on-force makes sense to me.
Maybe we need to rethink BRAC and the whole effects-based thing
Talking with some of the analysts who drafted the Army's proposal on BRAC, it appeared that most of the facilities they consoldated/closed were older and less useful. One of the considerations was having enough room for significant tank training, complex urban ops training etc.
There may have been some desireable sites that got closed too -- I didn't go over the list in detail. But the analysts who worked that were pretty cognizant of long term threats we might have to train and equip for. BRAC gives the Pentagon cover for closing unneeded / outdated bases in the face of political pressure to keep the jobs local.
Re: "effects based thing", my own take is that this is a doctrine that can be applied well or poorly. It can easily be just a buzzword that spilled over from (appropriate) use in USAF to the other services. Or, it can be a doctrine that draws on our historical strengths vs. other countries' militaries.
Effects based operations says is that in choosing the means of attack you consider all of your objectives and choose means that best allow you to reach them all, according to a priority list. In conflicts like Iraq those objectives go well beyond the seize territory/attrit enemy of major force on force wars, to include keeping the economy as intact as possible (and hence not bombing the hell out of infrastructure, for example).
EBO generally results in giving unit commanders the objectives to be reached and letting them adjust the means as necessary to meet all of the objectives as prioritized by higher. The result is, or should be, a more flexible response to conditions on the ground than if tactics are planned up at higher HQ.
Full disclosure: A couple years ago I had a role in the EBO tracking system for Afghanistan, which got upgraded and is used across CENTCOM now. My biggest concern at the time was that the staffers using it weren't trained in EBO and didn't necessarily understand the impact and intent of the doctrine.
#14
Since I was being deliberately oracular, I can't blame you for missing my point.
On the Beach is a novel that decribes the results of a world with _massive_ nuclear proliferation.
If you have lots and lots of small nations with what are essentially tactical nuclear warheads, then you are going to need heavily armored forces if you are going to fight them and win without using our own strategic arsenal.
The reason we kept all of those bases open (against all economic sense) during the cold war was for survivability. As nuclear weapons proliferate, survivability once again trumps economics when it comes to basing. For example, putting multiple carrier strike groups in one port is a major mistake.
Finally, effects based thinking is hubristic like the doctrine of "information dominance." It assumes that you are so smart and so good that you can always find the tipping point that will allow you to apply the minimum force to achieve maximum effect. I think that we need to spend more time studying Clauswitzian concepts like "friction" and "fog" and much less time on EBO. Maybe EBO is possible when you have air supremacy and are bombing electrical substations. It is silly when conducting operations against a determined, ground-based foe.
#16
Heh,Heh, Heh. If a bear is peacefully hibernating and you sneak up on him and gouge him with a cattle prod, you can expect a very angry bear when he rears up on his haunches. The dumbass Chicoms, feeling their oats for the first time in 50 years, thought they could keep kicking their humbled neighbors without a response. F**ked up again.
#17
One last point, before this soapbox I'm on gets put away. ;-)
The Counterterrorism Blog has an apropos quote from a US Army analysis of insurgency. Read the whole excerpt at CTB, or download the whole paper from the Army link. But here is what the Army has to say:
(S)ome strategic thinkers contend that the United States is now facing the first insurgency of a global scale ¯ created by the interlinkage of multiple national insurgencies ¯ led by a network motivated by radical Islam. The Global War on Terrorism has all of the characteristics of an insurgency: protracted, asymmetric violence, ambiguity, dispersal, the use of complex terrain, psychological warfare, and political mobilization designed to protect the insurgents and eventually alter the balance of power in their favor; avoidance by insurgents of battlespaces where they are weak and a focus on those where they can compete, particularly the psychological and the political. The insurgents are fighting a total war with limited resources; the counterinsurgents are self-restrained by ethics and a desire to control costs. This belief suggests that the appropriate American response is to build a grand strategy modeled on counterinsurgency which reflects the differences between national and liberation insurgencies. . . .
Because insurgents attempt to prevent the military battlespace from becoming decisive and concentrate in the political and psychological, operational design must be different than for conventional combat. One useful approach would be to adopt an interagency, effects-based method of counterinsurgency planning focused on the following key activities...
#18
Only question I have about Japan's "through-deck" destroyer is, does it have torpedo tubes? The Japanese have always had a mastery on torpedos. If it's got torpedo tubes, it's a HEAVY destroyer (I.E., da$$$$ effective).
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
10/16/2006 14:13 Comments ||
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#19
Not a tin can type, but I know a flattop when I see one; reminds me of our WWII 'Jeep' or escort carriers; and don't discount the abilities of rotary winged aircraft; they can put a hurt on a sub. Real useful IRT NKor's vast diesel subs.
Re: BRAC; A lot of infrastructure duplication that can be efficiently pared down, but so far all I have seen is a reduction in operational readiness (despite what the heavies say) and an extensive renaming effort. Active duty Navy guys on shore duty are being sent TAD to some underway activity, and then 3 years later, getting sea duty orders. And a lot of shore billets are getting outsourced ( GS civilian or contractor), so when it is time for rotation back to shore duty, there is nowhere to go. This hasn't reached critical mass yet, but I predict in another 5 yrs or so it will. Any active duty types out there, please chime in and update / correct as necessary.
#21
Unfortunate placement of elevators. A dozen F-35Bs would spruce up the old gal.
Posted by: ed ||
10/16/2006 14:24 Comments ||
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#22
Atomic Conspiracy (or anyone else), the article you linked about the Japanese carrier destroyer mentions the following:
ICWI (Interrupted Continuous Wave Illumination) is a technology that enables a missile control system to guide several missiles simultaneously to various threats, greatly enhancing a ship's defence capabilities.
Any background on this? I'm familiar with APAR (Active Phased Array Radar), and how delay timing can be used to steer detection emissions originating from a static source. Are there any other connotations involved with the interrupted continuous wave effect that go beyond this (that can be disclosed without compromising military security)?
Finally, I note that this method is used to provide fire control for the ESSM (Evolved SeaSparrow Missile) system being developed by the Tri-lateral Frigate Cooperation (Canada, Netherlands & Germany). Isn't this the system that the Europeans are itching to sell communist China? And if so, isn't this military suicide? I would think that 360° APAR represents the pinnacle of operational fire control.
#23
Put a ski jump on its front end, and you have a Harrier carrier. Right now, that "destroyer" looks a lot like what we Americans call an LPH. The US Marines are particularly fond of them, they have the Iwo Jima class.
#24
Japan will not build an F-35 carrier, nor will it build nukes, IMHO. But this debate does lay the ground work for a substantial increase in the proportion of Japanese GDP directed to defence. We'll see systems that are not me too knock-offs and not power projection oriented but are oriented to preventing China from utilizing power projection forces. Carriers, even if called destroyers, for UCAVs comes to mind. These relatively specialized forces will allow more general purpose U. S. forces to range more widely knowing the Chrysanthemum has the Dragon under control.
#25
On second thought, look up the LHD-1 Wasp class of ships. And then compare them to this DDH class of the Japanese. The Japanese ship looks like the two-door no-frills version of the LHD-1 {the one with no AC and a manual transmission}, while the LHD-1 looks like the top of line 4- door sedan with power everything. Interesting comparison, if you go to "www.fas.com".
#26
Zenster:
As I've said, I know very little in this area, but I'm willing to give it a try.
First, they really tick Me off with some of these names. "Interrupted Continuous Wave." It's either one or the other, n'est ce pas? OK. What I think this does is that it doesn't pulse on any target. So, if you have two targets, you emit one CW signal and switch between the two bearings. The missiles see the reflection from the targets and go after it. By not pulsing, you get more energy on the target (in case of a glancing shot), and more frequent error updates.
Now, I know it can't be that simple because a simple CW emission is way too easy to trick with ECM. So, the "interrupted" actually has to be on each target to make a known (to us) pattern, so that the enemy can't spoof it. Unless, perhaps, they are "interrupting" by switching targets. That might work, though you will have to either have to put a lot of smarts and a big pre-launch message to the missile, or will have to send uplink data from the ship to the missile during flight.
Oh, and by the way, you don't need ICWI to go after multiple targets with a single radar system. All you need is a beam that can be steered quickly (such as an ESA), very good time sync between the missiles and the host, and lots of computing power.
Well, as I said, this is not My field, so don't bet big money that I'm right.
North Korea has expressed interest in reviving stalled six-nation talks on its nuclear programme, Russia's envoy to the forum said on Sunday, but his South Korean counterpart played down hopes of any early meeting. Russian deputy foreign minister Alexander Alexeyev, Moscow's top nuclear negotiator, held talks in Pyongyang last week with his North Korean counterpart Kim Kye-Kwan. "We both agreed (in Pyongyang) that we should continue to work for a diplomatic solution and that the six-party process should be revived," Alexeyev told reporters.
He was speaking after talks with South Korea's delegate to the talks, Chun Yung-Woo. "I was repeatedly told in Pyongyang that they are for the continuation of the (six-party) process and they are for the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula on the basis of the joint statement and on the basis of the main fundamental points of this joint statement, word for word, deed for deed."
Chun said it was too early to be confident the talks could be restarted, as the UN security council demanded in a resolution imposing sanctions on the North for its nuclear test declaration. "We have to see how North Korea will respond to the sanctions. After then, we can confidently talk about the diplomatic process," he said.
At the talks in September last year, the North in a joint statement agreed to give up its nuclear programme in exchange for energy and economic aid and security guarantees. But it has boycotted the forum since November in protest at US financial restrictions. The talks group Russia, the two Koreas, China, Japan and the United States.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/16/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
*snicker*
Only a diplodink or MSM tool could possibly buy into this crap. This is just Putty and Lavrov spinning for UNSC cover. Waste of time, IMO, everyone knows the Russia / China game - we've had 3 years of it with Iran.
#2
GUAM K57.com Radio > AUSTRALIAN NEWS [Unconfirmed] > NORTH KOREAN OFFICIAL threatens to missle-strike US bases around the Pacific, including GUAM + HAWAII, iff North Korea is pushed too far. Basically, from Aussie News > Any KOREAN WAR 2 = PACIFIC-WIDE CONFLICT, NOT LIMITED TO ONLY JAPAN-KOREAS or J-K-TAIWAN(???). Without concessions-agreements from Tokyo-Seoul vv going nuklar, North Korea will continue to serve as China's PC, SACRIFICAL PROXIES = CANNON FODDER against the USA-Allies, read NORTH KOREA = KOREANS DIE FIRST BEFORE CHINESE DO. TAIWAN > is important to China becuz China's "normal" littoral shipping lanes can easily be blocked/denied, thus China realistically needs Taiwan as one access [of several in South-SE Asia]to extra-Asia warm-water Pacific ports = trade routes, + steppingstone to those strategic Pacific islands which China hopes to dominate = control one day. THE CHICOMS IDEALLY WANT THE USA OUT OF THE ENTIRE ASIA-PACIFIC IFF THEY COULD HELP IT - CHINA WILL DO LITTLE OR NUTHIN AGZ KIMMIE BECUZ THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT INTRA-NORKIE POLITICS UNLESS CHICOM CONTROL OF NORTH KOREA, REAL ANDOR PERCEIVED [WEST], IS DIRECTLY THREATENED.
I have pondered whether china, which controls NorK, is spoiling for a pre-emptive war for control of the pacific.
NorK won't peep without secret Chinese OK for the move. They are totally dependant. That means whatever Kimmie says, or the Chinese say in public, in private the Chinese have secretly told him it's OK by them.
Look:
In the past year, China was caught with a thousand spies in Australia.
A thousand.
Sounds like science fiction but it was all over our MSM, and they have requirements for backing up those kinda stories with documents and witnesses.
Second: Chinese frigates hanging about our northern borders: one hovered off coast of PNG during recent troubles, only moved off when Aussies sent warship to help contain situation.
Chinese motherships stealing our fish in Timor Sea, hanging just outside maritime boundary, sending in indonesian fishermen to do dirty work, they come back for refueling/cargo unloading to the big mothership then go back for more.
These boats not just about plunder they are also mapping our coastline and that of the south pacific.
China is plundering our fish stocks and our resources. Have come to Australia, and bought up future production of mines for next 30 years and are hungry for more. Are poking about everywhere in this region.
They infiltrated Papua New Guinea: recent riots destroyed the new chinatown and china flew its citizens back to the motherland in a special charter flight.
I'm saying all these things added together indicate probing and mapping.
China knows conflict with the US is inevitable sooner or later over Taiwan and also for leadership and dominance.
Perhaps the time draws near for them to challenge the US for global dominance.
They use the NorKs as their beating stick.
It's a good time: US is occupying Iraq and Afghanistan, thus deploying troops elsewhere...
they could use the NorKs to draw the US into a conflict, stand back and then hit hard right at the worst time and make hay out of it?
THey could have a big imperial sphere of influence...
#6
Thanks for pulling together all those bits into one place, anon1. From occasional rumbles here, it sounds like our Navy is somewhat at loose ends, while the Army, Marines, and somewhat less so the Air Force are going full out. I've absolutely no military expertise beyond what I read here and elsewhere, but my impression is that any hot war we would fight against China would be via over-the-horizon missiles from warships that would break key bits of Chinese infrastructure (dams, ports, railyards, storage depots, power plants, command-and-control), causing the country would come to a standstill pretty quickly. Here in the US 'tis said the cities are a week from starvation, and Chinese city dwellers haven't the size pantries we do.
There is no need for a physical invasion if our aim is to stop aggression rather than conquest.
Please take this with a truckload of salt, though. I am, after all, just a little civilian, suburban housewife with an unreasoning horror of deliberately inflicting pain, and all my reading cannot enable me to have more than a surface understanding of such matters. So I hope those with actual expertise will weigh in on the subject. Thanks, guys!
#7
Color me sceptical on the Chinese "offensive" getting violent in our life time. They can't project power, though they will be happy to cajole and bully thier way over as much of the Pacific as its inhabitants will tolerate. And as the great military theorist Vizzini said, "Never get involved in a land war in Asia." So any armed confrontation will only be ther result of overextension or gross miscalculation.
I'd be more inclined to believe Iran is calling the tune and has laughed in Kimmie's face, refusing to fund the next round of NRE based on his failure to meet his most recent milestone. So Kimmie is just trying to get the west to pay him to do what he has to do anyway.
#8
#4 .com - I didn't read the WaPo article as a step down, but rather as a not so subtle threat:
Passivity in the face of this threat will lead to sharp questions from Congress and the public about the continuing value of the U.S. alliance with South Korea, to say nothing of China's supposed status as a "responsible stakeholder" in the international system.
Absent sufficient cooperation, Washington will have to weigh other risky measures. Among these are a stop-and-search blockade of North Korea's ports, secondary sanctions against companies that continue to trade with it, and aggressive criminal proceedings that could entangle individuals and institutions in other countries, including China, with unforeseeable but potentially far-reaching diplomatic and economic consequences.
#10
lotp - Hmmm. Was out having First Breakfast. Will re-read with your comments in mind - Thx.
On its face, i.e. the headline, it's simply a stupid assertion. No how, no way, will Kimmie give up his "International Elevator Shoes" voluntarily - ala Libya, which is what the headline implies. So you might say I went in with a skeptical attitude, lol.
#12
GUAM K57.com Radio > AUSTRALIAN NEWS [Unconfirmed] > NORTH KOREAN OFFICIAL threatens to missle-strike US bases around the Pacific, including GUAM + HAWAII, iff North Korea is pushed too far. Basically, from Aussie News
JOE! Damn boy, why not take the time to communicate your thoughts. If you just spit them out incoherently - what's the point?
#13
Lol, anon. JoeM has reached icon status for some. I, however, usually don't find it worthwhile to parse the stuff. Note that he can, when in the mood I guess, write coherently, so I don't "get it" either. :-)
#17
Anon1, what you consider probing and mapping I consider another form of Chinese government assisted piracy. They allow pirates to hide in their ports all the time, stealing fish is just another aspect of their games. I believe if the West countered hard the Chinese would quickly distance themselves from that kind of operation but we won't.
#18
Even if they give up the nukes in the long run(which I don't think will happen), the goal or policy seems to be for them to to reform(which I also have a hard time believing) or collapse.
Question... if the regime fails in NK, is it South Korea or China's playground? Or something homegrown /internal?
THE Chinese are openly debating "regime change" in Pyongyang after last week's nuclear test by their confrontational neighbour. Diplomats in Beijing said at the weekend that China and all the major US allies believed North Korea's claim that it had detonated a nuclear device. US director of national intelligence John Negroponte circulated a report that radiation had been detected at a site not far from the Chinese border.
The US may have employed highly classified satellite technology to detect tiny leaks of gas or elements associated with nuclear detonation, according to a diplomatic source in the Chinese capital. This would explain Washington's reluctance to explain the findings in public. The Washington Times disclosed that US spy satellites photographed North Koreans playing volleyball just a few hundred metres from a test site tunnel after the underground explosion.
In today's DPRK Government, there are two factions, sinophile and royalist. The objective of the sinophiles is reform, Chinese-style, and then to bring down Kim Jong-il's royal family. That's why Kim is against reform. He's not stupid."
The Chinese Government has been ultra-cautious in its reaction. However, since Monday, Foreign Ministry officials have started to make a point of distinguishing between the North Korean people and their Government in conversations with diplomats. Ahead of yesterday's Security Council vote, some in Beijing argued against heavy sanctions on North Korea for fear that these would destroy what remains of a pro-Chinese "reformist" faction inside the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. "In today's DPRK Government, there are two factions, sinophile and royalist," one Chinese analyst wrote online. "The objective of the sinophiles is reform, Chinese-style, and then to bring down Kim Jong-il's royal family. That's why Kim is against reform. He's not stupid."
More than one Chinese academic agreed that China yearned for an uprising similar to the one that swept away the Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu in 1989 and replaced him with communist reformers and generals. The Chinese made an intense political study of the Romanian revolution and even questioned president Ion Iliescu, who took over, about how it was done and what roles were played by the KGB and by Russia.
Mr Kim ordered North Korean leaders to watch videos of the swift and chaotic trial and execution of Ceausescu and his wife, Elena, the vice-prime minister, as a salutary exercise.
Mr Kim, for his part, ordered North Korean leaders to watch videos of the swift and chaotic trial and execution of Ceausescu and his wife, Elena, the vice-prime minister, as a salutary exercise.
The balance of risk between reform and chaos dominated arguments within China's ruling elite. The Chinese have also permitted an astonishing range of vituperative internet comment about an ally with which Beijing maintains a treaty of friendship and co-operation. Academic Wu Jianguo published an article in a Singapore newspaper - available online in China - bluntly saying: "I suggest China should make an end of Kim's Government."
"The Chinese have given up on Kim Jong-il," commented one diplomat. "The question is, what are they going to do about it?" Hinting at the options, Chinese online military commentators have exposed plots and purges inside North Korea that were previously unknown or unconfirmed. They have described three attempted coups that ended in bloodshed. In 1996, the Sixth Field Army was planning to revolt but the scheme was betrayed by a new commander. One or two plotters got away but Kim Jong-il's personal guards arrested senior officers and the Sixth Field Army's political commissars.
Xin Cheng, an estate agent in the high-rise district of Wang Jing, which is popular with resident South Korean businessmen, said many high-ranking North Koreans were buying property there.
On March 12, 1998, Kim suddenly announced a martial law "exercise" in Pyongyang and there was gunfire in the streets of the city. The Chinese later learned that two ministries were involved in a coup attempt, and that more than 20 ministerial-level officials were killed after it was crushed. In October 1999, a company of the Third Field Army rebelled in dissatisfaction over grain distribution during the nation's prolonged famine, which may have killed a million people.
There are rumours that Kim's eldest son, Jong-nam, is estranged from his father and living in the Chinese capital, where he enjoys a reputation as a capricious imbiber of whisky. A younger son, Jong-chol, has emerged as heir apparent.
Meanwhile, some of the North Korean elite are seeking their boltholes in China. Xin Cheng, an estate agent in the high-rise district of Wang Jing, which is popular with resident South Korean businessmen, said many high-ranking North Koreans were buying property there.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/16/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Great PR stuff, lol. If they were serious about deposing Kim, it wouldn't be in The Australian. This is prolly "run it up the flagpole and see if anyone salutes" stuff to gauge the effect - and from whom.
#2
"The Chinese have given up on Kim Jong-il," commented one diplomat. "The question is, what are they going to do about it?" Hinting at the options, Chinese online military commentators have exposed plots and purges inside North Korea that were previously unknown or unconfirmed. They have described three attempted coups that ended in bloodshed. In 1996, the Sixth Field Army was planning to revolt but the scheme was betrayed by a new commander. One or two plotters got away but Kim Jong-il's personal guards arrested senior officers and the Sixth Field Army's political commissars.
On March 12, 1998, Kim suddenly announced a martial law "exercise" in Pyongyang and there was gunfire in the streets of the city. The Chinese later learned that two ministries were involved in a coup attempt, and that more than 20 ministerial-level officials were killed after it was crushed. In October 1999, a company of the Third Field Army rebelled in dissatisfaction over grain distribution during the nation's prolonged famine, which may have killed a million people.
This is pretty revealing stuff. I can only suppose that the politburo is sniffing around to see whether Kim's armor is developing any "chinks" (as it were).
More than anything, China's own relatively unrestrained speculation about coups and such points towards obvious concerns that it may be more prudent for them to pre-empt Kim than await developments that might see the communists nudged aside in favor of a more Western-friendly government.
#3
CHINESE BLOGGERS/POSTERS > China and its PLA suffered millions of csualties fighting KOREAN WAR 1 + saving North Korea from MacArthur = USA/US-owned UNO. VIEW = CHINA FOUGHT THE KOREAN WAR, NOT NORTH KOREA, ERGO NORTH KOREA = KOREAS BELONGS TO CHINA BECUZ CHINA PAID FOR NORTH KOREA = KOREAS IN CHINESE/CHICOM BLOOD.
#6
NK has been perceived by China as useful for being its 'junkyard dog' , as one Rantburger put it.
Maybe now they perceive that NK has outlived its usefullness. If so, they can make Kim disappear and we should be happy to let them do it. If, as Joseph says, China views Korea as its own, so be it. We will gladly stamp the UN seal of approval on Chinese occupation and stabilization of the North in conjunction with Russia and SK and some long term roadmap for integration with the democratic South. China's geopolitical stock will go up, but the Korean people will benefit and we will be rid of another Axis of Evil regime.
Hope this article is correct. Logically, it should be.
#8
The Beijing olympics are coming up. Toppling Kim would be a PR coup that would make the media-driven world fawn all over the Chicoms. Nothing they could do would so elevate their status. And while there could be a real economic impact upon "freeing" the NKOR's, I would guess that they could get the rest of the world to pay for it.
#9
We will gladly stamp the UN seal of approval on Chinese occupation and stabilization of the North in conjunction with Russia and SK and some long term roadmap for integration with the democratic South.
Whatever you're smoking, lay off of it, JAB. No way in hell should America "gladly stamp the UN seal of approval on Chinese occupation and stabilization of the North". For North Korea to evolve into another fully "functional" communist state would be a huge setback. Whether South Korea wants to admit as such or even finance it, reunification is the ticket required here. Some international financing of this reassembly may be necessary, but there is no way that China should be allowed to repossess North Korea. That would automatically prohibit any notion of a "long term roadmap for integration with the democratic South." For decades at least.
#10
And while there could be a real economic impact upon "freeing" the NKOR's, I would guess that they could get the rest of the world to pay for it.
Again, same scenario, same response. If China reabsorbs North Korea, it alone should bear the burden of rehabilitating this cesspool that it spawned. Not a penny of foreign aid should go to assisting the communists. China is more deserving of universal condemnation than any sort of praise. Their propping up of Kim Jong-il perpetuated one of the most hideous crimes against humanity in modern times. The famine, cannibalism and incessant violation of human rights known as North Korea must be hung for all to see, like an albatross, around China's neck.
#11
The Chinese state may be unitary, but that does not mean the Communist Party is. There are several major factions in the Chinese Communist Party, and every time there is a major leadership change, those are revealed to the outside. Not clearly revealed, but the machinations, retirements, promotions, and replacements all show which faction is in ascendency. I am certain that there is a faction that would like to dump Kimmie and his crew, just like I am certain that there is a faction that still considers him useful. What is important is which faction is in control right now, and whether this latest test has harmed or helped them politically.
#12
R: Toppling Kim would be a PR coup that would make the media-driven world fawn all over the Chicoms.
I don't think China trades in PR coups. Kim's fall would set off a succession battle in North Korea with the potential for civil war, which might bring in South Korean intervention - with the potential for full unification, which China opposes. For two reasons - (1) the removal of the North Korean threat means USFK is no longer tied down in South Korea and (2) a unified Korea with 80m people - and without a North Korean sword hanging over its head - is every bit of a strategic threat as Japan.
#13
There is no way that China is going to let NK go. But I disagree with you ZF on whether they play in the PR world. Feeding the poor masses and giving them the opportunity of the average Chinese (whom most in the west perceive as reasonably free - not an accurate perception, but the overriding perception nevertheless) would make them look like the world's leading humanitarians. That is currency in today's world, if for nothing more than giving them cover to force pressure on other issues (Taiwan).
#14
Zenster, not smoking anything here but I will admit that my analysis is not based on any special knowledge of the area, just an assessment of how our interests might overlap with Chinas. What you think that W would say if Hu called him and said the following:
"We've change our mind about North Korea. I am going to offer Kim an exile package. We will have him killed by General X if he does not take the deal. We will fly him out if he does. We will then take over the state run media in North Korea and announce a plea for order and a promise for relief and respect for Korean sovereignty. We will send 10 divisions into NK to maintain order, setup refugee camps and enable relief transport. We will coordinate with the Russians and South Koreans who we expect to, at some point, send in troops to sectors of the country. We understand that you are concerned with WMD and will establish a liasson process with you regarding military incursions necessary to secure WMD. Once the country is stable, China will facilitate a conference to plan long term economic aid and chart the political future of North Korea. Once Kim is gone, will you support this Chinese led stabilization plan at the UN? Will you contribute funds for humanitarian relief and encourage Japan and other allies to do so?"
Obviously this is a fantasy scenario and it will not happen. But, if it did, I think the US would say 'yes' and then hope to minimize Chinese influence in the post-regime state.
I would love to hear your critique of the conclusions in this Atlantic article. Basically, Kaplan says that the South Koreans may make China the ultimate beneficiary of the committment the US has made to them.
Also, Thomas Barnett (the "Pentagon's New Map" dude) is a huge proponent of the us making China 'strategically comfortable' with handling NK. I think he is a bit too egotistical, overestimates how ready China is for geopolitical primetime and has a bad case of 'Bush Derangement Syndrome." However, he makes some good points overall.
#15
If China is going to support a coup I doubt they'd let anyone know until it was over. Better to just open up the border to North Korea refugees, create a crisis, and when Kim pops up have him killed and blame it on anti-government forces.
Then shove those raskly refugees back into North Korea under your new puppet General and its game on again.
THE UN Security Council has shocked North Korea with a series of harsh economic and arms sanctions that punish the Stalinist dictatorship for its provocative nuclear test last week. The council's historic Resolution 1718 will deprive North Korea of military hardware such as tanks, missiles, artillery systems, combat aircraft, attack helicopters and warships; freeze the financial assets of entities and individuals involved in weapons programs; impose travel and financial bans on key figures in the Pyongyang regime; and ban all trade in luxury goods, including the lobster and fine French wine cherished by supreme leader Kim Jong-il.
The US-drafted resolution also authorises UN member states to interdict and search cargo ships going to and from North Korean ports for weapons and weapons material. And it demands that North Korea return to the table for talks on its military agenda and immediately abandon all its nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction programs in a "complete, verifiable and irreversible manner".
But the resolution carries no mention of follow-up military action if North Korea refuses to comply, although the US has warned that it will seek further measures in the council if Pyongyang continues its pursuit of nuclear weapons. The resolution, the toughest passed by the Security Council for many years, was branded "gangster-like" by Pyongyang's UN ambassador Pak Gil-yon before he angrily stormed from the council chamber, the second time he has done so this year. Mr Pak accused the council of double standards and said Pyongyang would regard any further US pressure as a "declaration of war".
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
10/16/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Hyperbole redux, when considering the story above from the same source, The Australian. Good grief - this has been obvious since the missile fiasco. Kimmie knows he can circumvent any sanctions that he wants - as long as he plays a useful role in China's traiangulation game. I'm sure Russia will play, too.
#2
For the Professional Hand-Wringer's take, try this article. The UNSC sure is a sacred cow thingy to the toothless. Glad to have the Ozzies and Japanese onboard. The ChiComs are overplaying their hand...
#4
Um, I may be mistaken, but that whole ship inspection thing & ban on luxury goods sounds like just this side of a full-bore blockade. It's a hell of a lot more than I ever expected China to accept unless they were getting serious about regime change.
Tell me again why Bolton's still not a Senate-confirmed ambassador?
Posted by: Mitch H. ||
10/16/2006 10:51 Comments ||
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#5
He refuses to mow Kimmy's grass.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/16/2006 13:45 Comments ||
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#6
Mebbe we can get Bolton confrimed before the election? Whotta October surprise that's be!
Yeah, I know it can't happen.
Posted by: Bobby ||
10/16/2006 16:02 Comments ||
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TOKYO: Japan's foreign minister Sunday hailed UN sanctions on North Korea and said the country should provide support for the US military in inspecting Pyongyang's ships, a major step for the pacifist country. Hours after the UN Security Council's unanimous resolution in response to North Korea's declared nuclear test, Aso said it was "only natural" for Japan to help prevent military shipments. "The resolution calls on countries to carry them out," Taro Aso said of inspections. "It is only natural to offer our cooperation."
Japan has been officially pacifist since its World War II defeat and its help to US military operations has been confined to far-away Afghanistan and Iraq.
Under a 1999 law, Japan can provide fuel and other back-end support to US warships in "surrounding areas", but the measure has never been used.
Aso suggested Japan could take part actively in ship inspections. Asked whether Japan should limit itself to logistical support, Aso said: "I don't think so. It will depend on the situation." But such cooperation is set to be controversial both at home and abroad.
China, which has been trying to repair sour relations with Japan, has voiced reservations about inspections on North Korean ships even though it supported the unanimous UN resolution.
China, still bitter over Japan's past aggression in the region, had criticised Tokyo's groundbreaking military mission to Iraq.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/16/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Interesting. Though the blockade / inspection regime was pulled from the UNSC resolution, this public affirmation for the original US plan indicates that, with or without the UNSC, the plan is likely to proceed. Japan calculates its public moves as carefully as the ChiComs - I think this is not to be dismissed or ignored.
Right on schedule, aren't they? Predictable as the sunset...
BEIJING: Humanitarian groups are sounding alarm bells over the potential impact of UN sanctions on North Korea, saying that as winter sets in, tough action may hurt the downtrodden people more than the communist regime. Some experts fears that as North Korea heads towards another of northeast Asia's long and bitter winters, economic sanctions could contribute to a new humanitarian crisis in a nation barely able to feed its own people.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/16/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
They want us to keep sending aid + $$$ which these groups know most of which will end up being diverted to the DPRK armed forces and Party, which in turn bears the real risk of US-Allied milfors incurring higher level of casualties should any mil action take place against the NOrkies. PLUS, ONCE AGAIN, 'TIS ONLY THE USA-WEST THAT IS DEMANDED TO ENGAGE IN EQUALISM = UNILATERAL "HUMANISM/HUMANITARIANISM", NOT THE NORKIES vv THEIR OWN PEOPLE.
#2
PakiWaki Daily Slimes. The people of Kimmie's Gulag are screwed, regardless, will receive no aid, regardless, and will suffer, regardless, as long as Kimmie's Gulag exists.
#4
Humanitarian groups are sounding alarm bells over the potential impact of UN sanctions on their bloated bureaucratic structures, saying that as the money dries up, tough action may hurt their pampered holier-than-thou jobs more than the communist regime.
#6
Rolling out the "bitter Afghan winter" theme again.
I guess Chomsky et al have not yet acknowledged that 2 million Afghans failed to starve to death in 01-02. The Afghans defeated the Soviet army by outlasting it and they defeated the Soviets' ideological heirs by simply staying alive.
#11
Yes, because the North Korean famine has gotten to the point where the peasantry is surviving solely on imported luxury goods, drugs, and weaponry.
'Cause nothing keeps the wolf from the door and the cannibals from Granny's fresh-dug grave like Scotch, lobsters, heroin and Scud spare parts.
Posted by: Mitch H. ||
10/16/2006 10:59 Comments ||
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#12
The only alternative to sanctions is a direct military attack.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
10/16/2006 12:26 Comments ||
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#15
uh, huh! I think we will see nothing but non-stop MSM coverage of how much these sanctions are going to hurt the poor starving North Koreans. It's because they on the left are so caring and we are not, don'tcha see? (of course, it will be necessary to ignore the fact that only the Christian news channels and conservative blogs have been the voices calling out in the wilderness about this genocide for 15 years!) I expect liberalhawk should be here real soon to tell us how important of an issue this is now. He's always right on cue with the talking points of the day. And of course Alec Baldwin will soon be front and center stage to praise Kim Jong Il's beautiful communist system to call attention to how uncaring and cruel the Bush administrations policies are.
Haven't heard much about Darfur lately. Must not be politically useful anymore.
#17
What about the argument that these 'poor huddled masses' are in no small way responsible for the type of government they have? So the NKors don't like their oppressive, evil, totalitarian governmental cult of personality? Fine. Are they willing to lay down their lives to rid themselves of it? Sometimes that's what it takes. Ditto for Iran. Ditto for all the nations run by two bit thugs. We have what we have because at some time in the past, someone was willing to DIE for what they believe. There's no free lunch. Don't want sanctions to 'hurt' you, NKors? Stop being cowards and overthrow the regime, with nothing but human waves if necessary.
Yep, I'm back, from Iraq no less (more about that later), and ready to resume the war here on the homefront. Media beasts are hereby warned.
SEOUL, Oct. 15 (UPI) -- Four in 10 South Koreans blamed the United States more than any other country for North Korea's test of a nuclear weapon, a survey said. Of 500 adults questioned by South Korea's Research Plus research firm, 43 percent selected the United States over other countries as the one most responsible for the test North Korea performed Monday, the Korea Times said Sunday.
North Korea was chosen second with 37 percent, followed by South Korea with almost 14 percent, China with about 2 percent and Japan with 1 percent. Look what they made us do!! Wah! Wah!
About 20 percent of the respondents said they were not particularly worried by the test and nearly 30 percent said panic buying was unnecessary and another 35 percent said they didn't engage in panic buying because they were desensitized to the issue. lemmings, pre-brainwashed into giving up without a fight, a fight they would win if they tried.
Panic buying is an indicator of people's attitudes, the Times said.
About 12 percent of those questioned said the lack of panic in South Korea was attributable to improved relations between the two countries. The telephone survey conducted Tuesday and Wednesday has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percent, the Times said. US culpability is a very common theme in media-industrial complex coverage of the Korean issue (and every other issue, for that matter). In this case, there is no attempt at a factual defense, just constant repetition to plant the meme in gullible segments of the population. In an interview last week, for example, left media maven and Parade magazine editor David Wallichensky brazenly proclaimed that both North Korea and Iran had initiated their nuclear programs after the US invasion of Iraq made them feel less secure.
This is ridiculous on its face, since these programs were provably initiated many years ago, but large elements of the media-conformist population won't know any better. Wallichensky's claim went unchallenged, btw.
A second media meme, constantly treated as something to be taken for granted and therefore never challenged, involves the alleged invincibility of the North Korean conventional forces, Kim's "million man army." These reports sometimes mention the 37,000 US troops in South Korea but ignore the very existence of the South Korean (ROK)forces, let alone their stength and efficiency.
This myth/meme is especially popular among the MSM's academic counterparts. I recently heard a poli-sci type from Texas A&M declare that even if we nuked the north, "what was left of Kim's army would capture Seoul in about 15 minutes." This is serious bravo-sierra but, again, nobody was able to offer a challenge.
Incidentally, how many people remember MSM references to Saddam's "battle-hardened million man army" in 1991?
#2
It's clear that it is perfectly safe to use the US as the global bogeyman. The various HR orgs figured it out long ago - criticize the US and stay in 4 or 5 star hotels. It's safe and the MSM will play along - no one will actually come to get you, much less stifle your screechery, and you can get on the A-List.
Yep, We B Evil, alrighty.
I can't help but wonder what the Korean War Era SKors think of their progeny - and the society that generated them.
#4
Today on cable tv some guy was saying that in the event of war with the NorKs, the US would win in about 30-90 days, it's inevitable but that we'd lose about 50,000 US lives fighting a ground war there.
My response to that is: NorK isn't worth 50,000 US lives.
If it comes down to it, I think the US should spare 50,000 US lives and instead lose a couple of million NorK lives by dropping a couple of nukes on Pyongyang.
If NorK attacks they will have brought it on themselves. You get the leaders you allow/deserve and if your leader is Kim Jong Il and he decides to invade, then you put your life at peril of nuclear attack as far as i'm concerned.
I don't mean tactical nukes either. I mean the full on fusion bomb. I believe the fusion bombs are even bigger and deadlier than the fission bombs. Good. Drop them if need be but don't waste US lives on a ground war there.
#5
It's easy to blame the top dog. Especially when you know the top dog won't bite you. At least you feel like you're getting something done even if it's not related to the real problem that NorK has been developing these weapons for the last umpteen years before the US could have even been called a remote concern for Kimmie's paranoid mind.
#6
May I add another false MSM meme I hear constantly repeated but never seriously challenged? The meme that only bilateral talks between the USA and the Norks will solve the problem. Mind you, this meme is trumpeted by the very same folk who, in another context, will be heard to claim the USA is always wrong for acting unilaterally.
Nobody calls the so-called experts or editorial boards on this as near as I can tell. These a**holes are never made to explain why it is that bilateral talks between the USA and the Norks can succeed where multilateral talks amongst the neighbors are doomed to fail.
I heard it again over this past weekend: What is (was) needed to avert a new arms race is bilateral talks exclusively between the USA and Norks ansd because the USA rejected one on one talks all has been lost and we're doomed so blame Bush.
The same BS was heard when Germany, France, and the Brits tried to "negotiate" with the Iranians. You'd hear that the negotiations were doomed to failure because the USA (Bush) wouldn't play one on one with Iran.
I'm just fed up hearing the BS meme that unless the USA negotiates one on one then therefore it's the fault of the USA if and when the rogue regimes acquire nukes.
Posted by: Mark Z ||
10/16/2006 7:46 Comments ||
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#7
If it would cost 50,000 American lives to win a war with North Korea, we wouldn't win. I doubt if the people would stand for losses in the single digit thousands before successfully demanding withdrawal. That is, unless virtually all the casualties were incurred during the initial day or two, e.g. from nuke attack on major bases - in that case a 'gloves off' counterattack, nukes and all, should lead to the total destruction of the North with few added US losses.
#8
The problem with a war with North Korea is that it is not a country, but a terrorist organization masquerading as one, a wholly owned subsidiary of the PLA. If China backs the Norks, the war is with China. If China doesn't back the Norks, the war is over in less than a week if only the SoKors fight, two daqys if we do; but in any case it would probably be unnecessary as China would already have replaced the Korean management with one more to its liking, returning us to the China backs the Norks scenario.
#9
Mark-
Don't forget (as the MSM does) that under Clinton we had one-on-one talks with NorK (under that idiot Sec. of State whose name shall not be mentioned). Kimmie, of course, blew off his end and proceeded with development. What does it take to get some folks to recognize a stall tactic when they see one? Same with Iran. The only answer I can come up with is that they're on the other side.
#14
Welcome back AC, Go take a hot shower and rid yourself of the sand, no shower hours or time limits here. Go to your car and get in it, skip the bomb check, commo check, weapons ck etc... Drive any route you want to the nearest diner. Go in and sit with your back to the door, bet you can't do it! Order up a fat pork steak and a cold beer from the cutest waitress in the joint. Be sure to call her darlin and let her catch you checkin her out, no burka betty's here. Then sit back eat, drink that beer and smile, your home-aint it great!!
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
10/16/2006 14:21 Comments ||
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#15
Excellent advice, Pan. Thanks again to all for the welcome home messages. I have actually been a little jumpy and moody since I got back, a little off balance. I get frustrated at traffic lights and so many of the local elite, officials, media, business types, seem like so many posturing baboons to me, as though they wouldn't know reality if it jumped out and bit them on the ass. I see the enemy within much more clearly than I did. The local Moonbats do not connect their sound bites and canned rhetoric and petitions and posters with shattered bodies and screaming victims on the streets of Baghdad. To them, it is a game, a declaration of cultural identity in the pursuit of status. To me, it is the power that drives the jihad, for the head choppers and car bombers have no other hope of achieving their goals.
#16
Gotta keep that hot button under control. I stayed distant for about six months until I got numb to the dumbshits that really believe the retoric they spew. Now I have come to realize you can't argue with the stupid, or streelights for that matter, but I can finish my beer, kick the ol pan to life and move on.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
10/16/2006 16:34 Comments ||
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#17
The US should have left South Korea long ago. They are industrialized democracy that knows their neighborhood best. Let them defend themselves, and if that fails let North Korea have them.
The US should help folks to help themselves, we should not be bodyguards that allow our clients to grow arrogant and defenseless behind our shield.
#18
AC & 49 -
Sounds like we need to rotate a couple million folks through Iraq, so statistically we get a Charles Whitman back to go postal and 'adjust' a bunch of Moonbats.
Seriously though, thanks for doing some of the heavy lifting for the rest of us.
#1
Complaints about the abuse had been lodged last week with the Pentagon by Marine Lt Col Colby Vokey and his assistant Sgt Heather Cerveny.
Whose names are featured elsewhere in today's Rantburg.
Posted by: Bobby ||
10/16/2006 6:39 Comments ||
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I hope Hicks gets locked up for the term of his natural life or gets the death penalty: is that still an option?
I'm sick of the bleeding hearts in Australia ranting on about how he's innocent etc.
He converted to Islam and by his own admission in letters to his dad and a taped interview broadcast on australian television, he believed in the ideology of the taliban
he fought for the taliban; he was an Islamofascist
he is a traitor, who fought against his home country in a war. he knew what he was doing and he is a waste of space on this planet.
Opposition Leader Kim Beazley has unsuccessfully attempted to censure Prime Minister John Howard over the war on Iraq. Mr Beazley's move comes after Britain's army chief said British troops should pull out of Iraq because their presence there was exacerbating security problems.
After using eight of the opposition's 10 questions in parliamentary question time to quiz Mr Howard about Iraq, Mr Beazley moved a censure motion against the prime minister for sending Australian troops to war "on a lie". He also accused Mr Howard of contributing to the spread of radicalism, spawning a new generation of Islamic terrorists. "There is nobody in the United States administration, in the British administration, in the leadership of the United States administration through to the leadership of the British administration, and I dare say the civil servants, the public servants that advise this government, who now believe that going to war in Iraq was the right thing to do," Mr Beazley told parliament. "The whole panoply of disasters that has surrounded this war has put those of us in the West, struggling for a decent outcome to protect ourselves and to encourage a victory for mainstream Muslims, ... all on the back foot."
Mr Howard said Mr Beazley had not considered the consequences of the policy he was now proposing. He said Mr Beazley was obliged to explain to the Australian people how an allied defeat in Iraq would make Australia safer. "He is talking about the security of our nation yet he is advocating a policy that would give an enormous boost to the terrorist cause, not only in the Middle East but also in our part of the world," he said. "That is the central failure of the leader of the opposition's speech. He has not explained, let alone justified, how the policies that he advocates could in any way make this country safer."
Mr Howard said he could not imagine a more catastrophic defeat for the cause of the west and anti-terrorism than a precipitous withdrawal which plunged Iraq into chaos. He said Mr Beazley's claim that Australian troops were despatched to Iraq on a lie was itself a lie. Mr Howard said opposition foreign affairs spokesman Kevin Rudd himself said in 2002 that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction. "That was the informed, received official foreign policy belief of the Labor opposition three years ago," he said. "Their argument was not whether Saddam had the weapons but what we should so about them." Australia has 900 troops in Iraq, compared with the US's 141,000.
Mr Rudd told parliament there was a time when the people of Australia actually believed Mr Howard. "It did not cross their mind that he would tell them blatant lies," he said. "But what they have seen over the last three and a half years is a prime minister who ducks and weaves at each opportunity around the truth, each time he is pinned down, each time he is asked a difficult question."
Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said Labor often claimed the government went to war based on the lie of the existence of weapons of mass destruction. But he said Opposition Leader Kim Beazley had also believed Saddam Hussein possessed such weapons prior to Iraq's invasion.
Mr Downer said the Labor Party was weak when it came to tyranny and would not confront dictators until they were left with no choice. He said the Labor Party received $500,000 from Saddam Hussein for its 1975 election campaign. "I don't much warm to lectures from the Labor Party about Saddam Hussein," he said. The censure motion was defeated along party lines, 80 votes to 58.
#1
You have to read all the way to the end to get past the same ol' lying talking points:
He said the Labor Party received $500,000 from Saddam Hussein for its 1975 election campaign. ... The censure motion was defeated along party lines, 80 votes to 58.
THE US Marine Corps has threatened to punish two military lawyers if they continue to speak publicly about reported prisoner abuse at Guantanamo Bay, a civilian colleague has said. The threat to Lieutenant-Colonel Colby Vokey and Sergeant Heather Cerveny follows their report that guards bragged about beating prisoners, said Muneer Ahmad, a law professor at American University in Washington who helps in the defence of a Canadian suspect.
The order has heightened fears among the military defenders of Guantanamo prisoners that their careers will suffer for exposing flaws and injustices in the system, Professor Ahmad said at the weekend. "In one fell swoop, the Government is gagging a defence lawyer and threatening retaliation against a whistleblower," he said. "It really points out what is wrong with the detainee legislation that [President George] Bush is scheduled to sign on Tuesday: it permits the abuse of detainees to continue, immunises the wrongdoers and precludes the detainees from ever challenging it in court."
The Marine Corps said the gag had been ordered to ensure the legal team's actions complied with professional standards. "The chief defence counsel of the Marine Corps, as Lieutenant-Colonel Vokey's direct supervisor, has directed him not to communicate with the media on this case pending her review of the facts," said First Lieutenant Blanca Binstock, of the corps' public affairs office.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/16/2006 00:00 ||
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Whoa there, Bessie, first is t'was Torture, then yestiddy ABU GHRAIB > A SEX ORGY???
#4
Whether you're a trench digger or an Attorney, if you are in the military, you do not own yourself. This kind of propaganda might wash in the civilian world, but not at Guantanamo.
If you're in the military, and you really want to blow whistles, there are official channels for that. You freedom of speech is abridged by your duty to uphold Esprit de Corps, as well as the chain of command.
Besides, these two are full of sh*t. Anecdotal heresay stories about 'bragging' of abuse, without a shred of physical or direct evidence? Shut the hell up.
#5
I can almost forgive the Sgt but a LtCol? No he should know better. IF he had knowledge of abuse then he knows the chain of command and that taking matter outside that prejudice the accusations. FYI Someone bragging about busting heads in the NCO Club does not equal abuse and it may be just a case of trying to pump ones self up in front of a skirt. Yes girls we men will LIE to get into your pants.
PESHAWAR: Nationalist leader and Awami National Party (ANP) President Asfandyar Wali Khan said on Sunday that religious parties were responsible for the deaths of 2.3 million Pakhtuns in the name of Islam in Afghanistan and Waziristan. People like Sirajul Haq (NWFP senior minister) should stop criticising nationalist parties, or they will be held answerable for the blunders of Maulana Abu Ali Maudoodi and Mian Tufail, Asfandyar told reporters at an iftar dinner hosted in his honour by ANP leader Azam Khan Hoti.
Maudoodi was known as "the great apostasizer" for his habit of throwing people he didn't agree with out of the ummah. There weren't many people he agreed with.
He said religious parties were equally to blame as the government for the failed foreign policies. He said, The government has made their brethren (Afghans) hostile towards Pakistan while promoting friendly relations with India. Khan alleged that the countrys religious parties allowed the slaughter of 2.3 million Pakhtuns in Afghanistan and Waziristan to gain power in the NWFP.
Asfandyar alleged that all signatories of the North Waziristan peace deal were those wanted by the government and its intelligence agencies for terrorist acts and challenged the government to disclose the name of a single signatory of the deal who had been a tribal elder in the past. He said the current strained relations with Afghanistan were because of that deal, which, he said, increased conflict in Afghanistan. He said that the government should have consulted all stakeholders before signing the peace deal, especially Afghanistan, which was directed affected by the activities in the Pakistani tribal areas. He said that the deal was signed in haste and had resulted in a tremendous increase in terrorist activities in Afghanistan, including a life attempt on Maulana Kalam, for which he held the Taliban in Pakistan responsible. He said that his party would support any agreement between the governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan and suggested that a grand jirga be set up for the task.
#3
We're supposed to give up our liberty to keep from offending Muslims.
F**k that. And them.
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
10/16/2006 7:11 Comments ||
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#4
Rob: It doesn't stop there. As I'm sure they'll get 'round to telling you eventually, cartoons should also not be used to make unfair criticisms of public servants and undermine confidence in public institutions. Especially the UN.
Posted by: Mike ||
10/16/2006 7:22 Comments ||
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#5
Everybody has a breaking point. I think freedom loving westerners have almost reached theirs. I see an incredible backlash coming against not only muzzies, but the entire PC apparatus that mollycoddles and protects them.
Or to put it more eloquently, in the inimitable words of Rob, "F**k that. And them."
#8
I agree with mcsegeek1. I can feel a storm brewing in this country. I fear things may get very ugly indeed. People are starting to talk not only in private but also publicly about the Mooselimbs latest atrocities and the need for change in our political system, schools and media outlets. The people are beginning to understand that if we do not put a stop to this multicultural PC Bull Sh*t that we are all doomed. The west will not survive the coming onslaught. We must clean our house before we can win this war. All of us must be on the same page. The seditious media must be silenced and the traitors among us prosecuted with extreme prejudice.
#10
Well, I'm glad you agreed with me Dreamsmith, as far as I went. However, I didn't say anything about the west not surviving, or 'silencing the seditious media'. Good luck with that...never happen. I'm talking about an individual backlash, primarily at the ballot box. Let the seditious media spout their lies, and they will continue to lose power, influence, readers and listeners, just as they have been doing for some time now.
The backlash will come, if I'm right, in a changing of the political landscape. Real Americans are sick of the lies.
#12
When the Persian king Xerxes offered to spare the lives of the vastly outnumbered Spartans at Thermopylae if they would lay down their weapons, the Spartan king replied,
(in transliteration) Molon labe, i.e. "Come and take them."
It's since become a slogan for those who support the right to keep and bear arms, among others.
A verdict against Saddam Hussein and seven co-defendants charged with crimes against humanity in connection with an anti-Shi'ite crackdown in the 1980s will be issued by early next month, with sentences handed out the same day for those found guilty, the chief prosecutor in their trial said Sunday. Jaafar al-Moussawi said a court hearing would be held no later than three weeks hence to issue verdicts and render a sentences.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/16/2006 00:00 ||
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Ah, the circus will finally fold the tents. Good. Hang him and let them get on with the civil war.
#2
I think the whole 'delayed reaction', Western style of justice being administered in Iraq is fueling the so-called insurgency.
Crimes in which innocent civilians are targetted (not collateral) - bombings of mosques, markets, kidnappings, murders of barbers, doctors etc. - should be designated capital offenses. ANYONE involved who is captured should be quickly tried (days, not years), and if convicted, publicly hanged, again in days, not years. Justice delayed is justice denied. (Attacks against police, military, & even political figures - but not their families - might warrant lesser penalties, as quasi-legitimate acts of war.)
#5
Prediction: sentencing will be delayed for an undetermined time while 'new' evidence is considered. (Said evidence pushed by dimmis or other moonbats/Jesse/Cindy/losers).Hope I am wrong.
The head of the IDF intelligence research department, Brig.-Gen. Yossi Baidatz, said Sunday that Hamas was smuggling advanced anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles into the Gaza Strip. The development meant that the army had to prepare for a new reality in Gaza that would likely include stiffer resistance to IDF raids. The new weapons could also increase the danger for aircraft flying missions over Gaza, Baidatz said. Baidatz added that weapons smuggling from Syria to Lebanon was continuing, in contravention of the UN ceasefire resolution.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/16/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Intensive artillery counter-battery for a couple of square klicks around any anti-aircraft missile launch site. Make it extremely costly to launch a single one of them.
Raytheon - Vender of the TPQ36, TPQ37, and TPQ47 counter-battery systems, a.k.a. FireFinder, which have been selected for production and integration by US military.
Note: These counter-battery systems are usually designated "CM/CB" (counter-mortar/counter-battery) in US gov't docs.
Firefinder Programs Overview (PPT) - Note the AN-TPQ47, the latest generation and the one they appear to be working to deploy, program schedule is on the next to last slide. Only 7 systems are to be completed by end of 2005. Full production not to begin until 2006.
So, um, how many of these are there, today? Have they trained up crews and actually begun deploying them in numbers, yet? Where, exactly?
It's easy to call for this and call for that. It is another thing entirely to operate within reality, methinks.
#5
Raytheon is a really huge conglomerate, and I am not in that division (they're mostly in El Segundo and Taxachusetts). You want to talk missiles and strike weapons, I have a clue; for this kind of stuff, I don't.
Oh, and I think I am turning the corner. After a second operation to put in a shunt, the dizziness and fainting have stopped, at the expense of sore ribs and looking like I have mange. Still need to kill off the tumor itself. Radiation shrunk it, but I'm at the Rad limit and it's still there. Chemo starts next week.
Deputy Shin Bet Head Y. told the cabinet on Sunday that in the recent clashes between Fatah and Hamas, Hamas appeared to be winning. "In all the confrontations in Gaza, Hamas has had the upper hand," he said, adding that Hamas political chief Khaled Mashaal was working on increasing attacks.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/16/2006 00:00 ||
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IDF Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Dan Halutz was presented on Sunday with a preliminary report on the 91st Brigade and its subordinates' functioning. However, aside from a select number of officers, mostly low-ranked, who are expected to be the subject of further scrutiny, no further individuals are likely to be the subject of inquiries, since the findings show that a number of widespread deficiencies occurred under many commanders, and were not an aberration.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/16/2006 00:00 ||
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Posted by: ed ||
10/16/2006 14:35 ||
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#1
Interesting list. I would buy native / domestic expertise from some, others when pigs fly.
Actually, if Tsar Putty or Dr Hu (or the ISI) deems it useful to add a proxy, then any country could be the next nuke player.
Too bad we can't (read: won't) do much (read: anything) about it, either. Would it help to mention that both Patton and (maybe) Chiang Kia-shek were right?
This is another place where Fred's new-found pithy saying (xbalanke's "If this weren't so despicably evil it would be funny.") would fit so well.
The world will probably be awash in them in another 20-30 years. I won't be here.
#9
I still think the first nuclear exchange will be between middle eastern countries.
I agree, "Takfir" is a big thing with Jihadis. One thinks the other is more Islamic then the next. So they blow each other up to "pure" it out. Of it wasn't for the fallout, I would be all for it.
Around one in 10 Indonesian Muslims support jihad and justify bomb attacks on Indonesia's tourist island of Bali as defending the faith, a survey released today showed. The poll surveyed a random sample of 1092 Muslim men and women. These would be the SAME PEOPLE who asked the USA for help in combatting their forest fires yesterday.... and who the US helped after the Tsunami... and who Australia gave A$1 billion of taxpayer's money in charity after said Tsunami... The hands that bomb are the first to ask for handouts, after all.
Indonesia is the world's fourth most populous country, where's the one-child policy when you need it?
with 220 million people, 85 percent of whom follow Islam, giving the Asian archipelago the largest Muslim population of any nation in the world.
"Jihad that has been understood partially and practised with violence is justified by around one in 10 Indonesian Muslims," the Indonesian Survey Institute said in a statement. Ahhh the religion of peace. And just a short boatride away from Darwin, Australia. Can we have a big US base, please?
"They approved the bombings conducted ... in Bali with the excuse of defending Islam," it added, saying the percentage of such support "is very significant". Why did we give them $1 billion after the tsunami? Why? Why wasn't I asked? I pay taxes. I want my billion back.
While the vast majority of Indonesia's Muslims are relatively moderate, oh obviously, you don't need to prove that or anything...
there has been an increasingly vocal militant minority and political pressure for more laws that are in line with hardline Muslim teachings. Bombings in Bali in October 2002 blamed on the militant Southeast Asian Jemaah Islamiah network killed 202 people, mostly foreign tourists. Suicide blasts in Bali a year ago killed 20. Also it might be added, the Javanese muslims are the worst offenders. The Balinese are Hindus and thus immoral kaffir targets. I feel very sorry for the Balinese Hindus living under the thumb of the Javanese Muslims.
The survey found one in five Indonesian Muslims more generally supported the aims of Jemaah Islamiah an armed movement backing the creation of an Islamic superstate It's the CALIPHATE here comes the caliphate's Southeast Asian leg
linking Muslim Indonesia and Malaysia, where ex-prime minister Dr Mahatir openly blames 9/11 on the evil Joos and Americans and says the towers were blown up by tnt
and Muslim areas in the Philippines and Thailand. In the past, it has co-operated closely with al Qaeda's global anti-Western campaign no, that should read Islamist campaign. Nothing Western about Somalia ... they've taken over Somallia. Nothing Western about Russia or Thailand... they're active there too... ,
but in recent years many in Jemaah Islamiah have focused more on the regional struggle. Indonesia has had a major attack against high profile Western-linked targets each year from 2002 through 2005. Authorities tied all the attacks to elements of Jemaah Islamiah. Indonesia... aggressive, intolerant and spreading the wonderful words of Allah to a beach near you
#3
FWIW, what I think is significant is that the figure is only about 10%, whereas about 12% of Indonesians are Textual Muslimin -- associated with a textual, or literal, Islam and the "values" of Arabia. It would appear that at least some Textual Muslimin are rejecting "jihad."
The United States used new UN sanctions against North Korea to warn Iran, another country with nuclear ambitions.
John Bolton, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said Iran should pay attention to Saturday's UN resolution against North Korea for its claimed nuclear test last week.
"I hope the lesson they learn is that if they continue to pursue nuclear weapons, they will face the same kind of isolation and restrictions that we have just imposed on the North Koreans," Bolton told CNN's "Late Edition" on Sunday.
Repeated attempts by the UN Security Council's five permanent members and Germany to entice Iran into negotiations on its nuclear program foundered earlier this month over Tehran's refusal to give up uranium enrichment, which can be used to develop nuclear weapons.
The six powers have agreed to start working on UN sanctions against Iran next week, officials have said, but they still have to bridge differences on how harsh the penalties should be.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Sunday that, just as with North Korea, efforts against Iran are "a multilateral effort, not just a U.S. effort, and that is extremely important because the United States doesn't need to do this alone and can't do it alone."
Rice told "Fox News Sunday" that "the United States is much better off working with its allies than trying to do this bilaterally and being isolated itself."
Bolton said the Iranians "could enjoy a completely different relationship with the United States if they would suspend their uranium enrichment activities."
Iran, he said, "seemed to be obsessed with the idea of getting nuclear weapons. And as long as they pursue that course, we will have to respond accordingly."
Saturday's UN resolution against North Korea demands that Pyongyang abandon its nuclear weapons program and orders all countries to prevent the reclusive nation from importing or exporting any material for weapons of mass destruction or ballistic missiles.
Iran on Saturday called threats of sanctions "psychological warfare" and said it would not be intimidated.
Iran contends its nuclear program is for generating electricity; the U.S. and some of its allies allege Tehran is trying to develop atomic weapons.
In Jerusalem, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told Israeli cabinet ministers Sunday that Iran remained the greatest threat to Israel and he was concerned about the precedent set by the nuclear test conducted last week by North Korea.
"Whoever takes the Korean matter lightly will soon find a nuclear weapon in Iran and ultimately a nuclear weapon in al-Qaida," he said, according to an official who attended the meeting and spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to discuss the matter on the record.
#3
John Bolton, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said Iran should pay attention to Saturday's UN resolution against North Korea for its claimed nuclear test last week.
What I have noticed is that UN resolutions didn't do fig to deter Kimmey and will probably have the same effect on the Mullahs. Both are regimes that, in turn, don't give a fig about the consequences to the people they rule over. The elites always protect themselves, their interests, and their power, but always in the name of the 'people' no matter the cost to those same 'people'.
From the Who Cares? Dept we have:
Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said he rejects UN Security Council sanctions against North Korea for conducting a nuclear weapons test, and he accused the United States of using the council as a "weapon to impose its hegemony."
Ahmadinejad also defiantly rejected as "illegal" a Security Council demand that Tehran suspend its own uranium enrichment activities and said Tehran will continue its nuclear activities without any fear.
"Some Western countries have turned the UN Security Council into a weapon to impose their hegemony and issue resolutions against countries that oppose them," Ahmadinejad was quoted by the state-run television as saying Monday.
The president did not mention North Korea by name, but he was referring to a council resolution, which imposes sanctions on North Korea and calls Pyongyang's claimed nuclear test "a clear threat to international peace and security." I'm sure somebody, somwhere, cares that Iran rejects yadda³, but...
Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Moratinos said Sunday that Syria wanted to renew contacts with Israel. Following meetings over the weekend with Syria's president, Bashar Assad, and its foreign minister, Walid Moallem, Moratinos said he was impressed by Syria's attitude on Lebanon, which he called "very positive." Damascus supports the UN's ceasefire resolution, Moratinos said, and is interested in helping to implement it. Moratinos added that peace could not be achieved in the Middle East without the participation of Syria. Moratinos faced harsh criticism from the US over his meetings with the Syrian leadership.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/16/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Heh, I think Mr Moratinos is rather easily impressed. I hope he's on the US No-Visa / No-Fly list, now.
"No, they can't have the Golan back. Nice gazpacho. Thanks for dropping by."
#2
Moratinos is Zapatero's foreign minister, the main proponent of the "Civilizations alliance" (1) (2) and a ta least as mentally deranged as Zapatero (who looks demented in most of his phtos).
.com While are at it Moratinos is probably not in the NOFLY list but he is in the NOT TO BE RECEIVED by any US govern emnt official and NOT STRETCH hands with (US embassador in Spain has a derogation provided he wash hands before returning to embassy.
(1) First civilizations cannpot ally because they are not juridical entities and second it means finding acceptable things such as burkas and genital mutiliation.
(2) There is one civilization Zapatero and Moratinos will never ally or more excatly two America's and Isreal's. BTW a couple years ago Zapatero lmade a point in not raising in front of America's flag. I doubt he would do the same thing for say, genocidical's Soudan's flag.
#3
I'm sure you're right, JFM. Persona non-grata probably defines his status rather well. As for Zappy, I'm interested in seeing if his "government" can hold power in the next election. If so, then Spain can fend for itself - fuck 'em. If they regain their spirit, perhaps with the class to return Aznar to the PM post, then I'll be impressed. :-)
#4
He probably will despite the fact that epople are unhandling about how he is undoing Spain to the nazionalists, about the massive regularaization of illegals (who has had the effect of bringing more of them) and about growing suspicions about the "luck" the police had who allowed it to make its first arrests about the Madrid bombings just in time to influence the elections (BTW the wholme investigation has been a farce with many crucial clues not investigated by the jusge or hidden to him by the police).
Zapatero will eb reelected simply because Aznar designated as his successor a guy who has been unable to oppose the socialists so people don't see him as an alternative. Even about the bombings he has been unable to explit, in fact even attempt to exploit the many shadowy aspects of the official version. End result is that people don't see his party as an alternative: after a summer marred by a number of scandals, a slowing econnomy, the immigrant problem, irritation about Zapatero's backward bendings to the nazionalists and with nearly than 75% people convinced the governamnt is lying about the Madrid bombings, after all that the Socialist lead over the right wing opposition has increased
Add the complete domination of the MSM by the socialists (muuuuch more than what you have in teh states) with the exception of "El Mundo" newspaper and a radio network owned by the Church.
Ali el Amin , the Shiite Mufti of Tyre and surrounding area accused Hezbollah of using the government of national unity issue to divert the attention of the Lebanese with regards to the destruction that resulted from the war with Israel. In an interview with Voice of free Lebanon he also said that General Michel Aoun, who is aligned with Hezbollah is also very interested in changing the government.
He asked what is the purpose of the government of national unity ? Are they telling us that the government of prime minister Fouad Siniora is not a government of national unity ? If not then why did Hezbollah join the government then and if it was a government of national unity then why it is not so now ?
In response to a question about the influence of the those opposed to Hezbollah and Amal , he said that he cannot speak for them , but he is one of them and he is doing his part as a religious leader in creating awareness and educating people. He said look what happened to us in the south ! The area is back to what it was like prior to 1982 . We are trying to raise awareness so that the same mistakes are not repeated.
He also said that there are many people in the Shiite community who are opposed to what happened in the south ( the war) . These people want the government to take control over the whole south . Many of these people are telling him that they cannot express freely their opinion because of the presence of Hezbollah in the south . He added many of these people were even in the victory rally of Hezbollah.
He revealed that Hezbollah does not represent the majority in the Shiite community . They (Hezbollah and Amal ) are 2 political organizations that have their own view point , but that does not mean they represent the whole Shiite community . He said My criticism of Hezbollah stems from the fact that they were not prepared for such a war and should never have started it . Our homes were destroyed, our infrastructure was destroyed and our people are homeless what good it is to have a rocket that reaches 100 kilometers inside Israel when Israel can reach every meter of our country ?
Posted by: Fred ||
10/16/2006 00:00 ||
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BEIRUT - The Italian navy Sunday handed over to German command the UN naval force tasked with patrolling Lebanons coastline to prevent arms smuggling following Israels war with Shiite movement Hezbollah. Italys Admiral Giuseppe De Giorgi passed command of the beefed-up force to Germanys Admiral Andreas Krause during a ceremony aboard Italys flagship Garibaldi aircraft carrier in Beirut harbour.
The ceremony was also attended by United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) commander Major General Alain Pellegrini who hailed the Italians mission which helped end a crippling Israeli blockade of Lebanon as a real success.
Germany has agreed to send up to 2,400 military personnel to Lebanon in the countrys first mission in the Middle East since World War II. Although Germany has sent a maritime fleet to Lebanon, having UN troops on the ground is a more sensitive issue because of the potential of conflict with Israeli troops.
Posted by: Steve White ||
10/16/2006 00:00 ||
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(KUNA) -- Lebanese Tourism Minister, Joseph Sarkis, said Monday the incidents of violence are being perpetuated by people trying to destroy Lebanon's reputation abroad. Sarkis, speaking at a press conference, condemned the attack on the Al-Osaili building central Beirut early this morning. He added, this attack was a clear message from the perpetrators that they are able to reach any place in Lebanon. This attack is an attempt to destroy Lebanon's security and its reputation as a tourist-friendly country, he added.
The minister said, such attacks will have great implications on the Lebanese economy as it comes right before the Eid al-Fitr festivities which are expected to attract tourist wishing to celebrate in Lebanon. The government will not allow such actions to affect Lebanon, he added. Sarkis said he will demand that the government take measures to curb such destruction during the cabinet meeting on Monday. In the third incident of its kind this week, militants fired three mortars at a building injuring five Lebanese civilians this morning. The three-storey building in central Beirut houses offices and night recreation centers.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/16/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Lol. No, indeed, he is correct. Germans and Italians will flock there - in hopes of being kidnapped by some faction.
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LONDON - British defence chiefs warned the government to pull up to half of the countrys troops out of Iraq to help boost its campaign in Afghanistan against a resurgent Taleban, a newspaper reported on Sunday.
France plans to withdraw around 200 special forces from southern Afghanistan at the start of next year following a recent surge in violence, reported the French newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche on Sunday. The French Defence Ministry was not immediately available for comment. The French military is participating in various missions in Afghanistan, and the small special forces team has been under US control since 2003 as part of operation Enduring Freedom. Nine French troops have died fighting in Afghanistan, and Le Journal du Dimanche said the relatively high death toll had played a part in the decision to withdraw the forces. 
MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) - A former detainee in the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay returned home Sunday to Bahrain after being held for five years, officials said. 
Hotspots of Islamic extremism will be identified in schools, colleges and universities under government plans to be announced today.
MURDERED Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya had obtained video evidence that purported to link Ramzan Kadyrov, the 30-year-old Prime Minister of Chechnya, to the kidnapping of two civilians. The grainy footage, shot on a mobile phone, shows a man resembling Mr Kadyrov - President Vladimir Putin's strongman in the bombed-out republic - looking on as a group of people in camouflage jackets bundle the civilians into the boot of a car. 
North Korea has expressed interest in reviving stalled six-nation talks on its nuclear programme, Russia's envoy to the forum said on Sunday, but his South Korean counterpart played down hopes of any early meeting. Russian deputy foreign minister Alexander Alexeyev, Moscow's top nuclear negotiator, held talks in Pyongyang last week with his North Korean counterpart Kim Kye-Kwan. "We both agreed (in Pyongyang) that we should continue to work for a diplomatic solution and that the six-party process should be revived," Alexeyev told reporters. 
THE Chinese are openly debating "regime change" in Pyongyang after last week's nuclear test by their confrontational neighbour. Diplomats in Beijing said at the weekend that China and all the major US allies believed North Korea's claim that it had detonated a nuclear device. US director of national intelligence John Negroponte circulated a report that radiation had been detected at a site not far from the Chinese border. 
THE UN Security Council has shocked North Korea with a series of harsh economic and arms sanctions that punish the Stalinist dictatorship for its provocative nuclear test last week. The council's historic Resolution 1718 will deprive North Korea of military hardware such as tanks, missiles, artillery systems, combat aircraft, attack helicopters and warships; freeze the financial assets of entities and individuals involved in weapons programs; impose travel and financial bans on key figures in the Pyongyang regime; and ban all trade in luxury goods, including the lobster and fine French wine cherished by supreme leader Kim Jong-il. 
TOKYO: Japan's foreign minister Sunday hailed UN sanctions on North Korea and said the country should provide support for the US military in inspecting Pyongyang's ships, a major step for the pacifist country. Hours after the UN Security Council's unanimous resolution in response to North Korea's declared nuclear test, Aso said it was "only natural" for Japan to help prevent military shipments. "The resolution calls on countries to carry them out," Taro Aso said of inspections. "It is only natural to offer our cooperation."
Opposition Leader Kim Beazley has unsuccessfully attempted to censure Prime Minister John Howard over the war on Iraq. Mr Beazley's move comes after Britain's army chief said British troops should pull out of Iraq because their presence there was exacerbating security problems.
PESHAWAR: Nationalist leader and Awami National Party (ANP) President Asfandyar Wali Khan said on Sunday that religious parties were responsible for the deaths of 2.3 million Pakhtuns in the name of Islam in Afghanistan and Waziristan. People like Sirajul Haq (NWFP senior minister) should stop criticising nationalist parties, or they will be held answerable for the blunders of Maulana Abu Ali Maudoodi and Mian Tufail, Asfandyar told reporters at an iftar dinner hosted in his honour by ANP leader Azam Khan Hoti.
A verdict against Saddam Hussein and seven co-defendants charged with crimes against humanity in connection with an anti-Shi'ite crackdown in the 1980s will be issued by early next month, with sentences handed out the same day for those found guilty, the chief prosecutor in their trial said Sunday. Jaafar al-Moussawi said a court hearing would be held no later than three weeks hence to issue verdicts and render a sentences.
IDF Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Dan Halutz was presented on Sunday with a preliminary report on the 91st Brigade and its subordinates' functioning. However, aside from a select number of officers, mostly low-ranked, who are expected to be the subject of further scrutiny, no further individuals are likely to be the subject of inquiries, since the findings show that a number of widespread deficiencies occurred under many commanders, and were not an aberration.
Around one in 10 Indonesian Muslims support jihad and justify bomb attacks on Indonesia's tourist island of Bali as defending the faith, a survey released today showed. The poll surveyed a random sample of 1092 Muslim men and women.
The United States used new UN sanctions against North Korea to warn Iran, another country with nuclear ambitions. 
BEIRUT - The Italian navy Sunday handed over to German command the UN naval force tasked with patrolling Lebanons coastline to prevent arms smuggling following Israels war with Shiite movement Hezbollah. Italys Admiral Giuseppe De Giorgi passed command of the beefed-up force to Germanys Admiral Andreas Krause during a ceremony aboard Italys flagship Garibaldi aircraft carrier in Beirut harbour.
(KUNA) -- Lebanese Tourism Minister, Joseph Sarkis, said Monday the incidents of violence are being perpetuated by people trying to destroy Lebanon's reputation abroad. Sarkis, speaking at a press conference, condemned the attack on the Al-Osaili building central Beirut early this morning. He added, this attack was a clear message from the perpetrators that they are able to reach any place in Lebanon. This attack is an attempt to destroy Lebanon's security and its reputation as a tourist-friendly country, he added.
