[PJMedia] In 1974, President Richard Nixon gifted Egyptian President Anwar Sadat a Sikorsky VH-3A Sea King helicopter similar to Marine One. After chain-smoking first lady Pat Nixon asked Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai for a cigarette and commented on how cute the pandas were in his special pack, Zhou gifted them two giant pandas. The Nixons also received a set of crown jewels. Azerbaijan gifted Hillary and Bill Clinton ...former Democratic president of the U.S. Bill was the second U.S. president to be impeached, the first to deny that oral sex was sex, the first to have difficulty with the definition of the word is... a priceless handmade rug with their images on it. President Reagan received a white horse from Mexico. And on and on it goes.
Now, everyone is having a conniption fit over President Trump possibly receiving a 747 jetliner that Qatar ...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates. Home of nutbag holy manYusuf al-Qaradawi... currently uses as a charter jet.
Calm down, everyone.
Unless you're Crooked Hillary Clinton ...former first lady, former secretary of state, former presidential candidate, Conqueror of Benghazi, Heroine of Tuzla, formerly described by her supporters as the smartest woman in the world, usually described by the rest of us as The Thing That Wouldn't Go Away. Politix is not one of her talents, but it's something she keeps trying to do... and order staff to pack up all the good stuff out of the White House and send it to your new home, presidents can't keep gifts like that. In fact, they can't keep anything worth more than about $500. Even Hillary couldn't. She had to return $190,000 worth of furniture, dishes, rugs, TVs, and other items. They were given a chance to purchase other items and paid out $28,000 to keep them.
Aside from concerns I have about the Qatari plane being a security fiasco because Qatar is not our friend and hasn't met a jihadi they don't love and want to fund, all of those spendy gifts go to the woke National Archives or other government entity and are doled out for loaning to museums and presidential libraries after the administration has used them.
The two presidential Air Force One jets now in use have been flying since 1990 and have been used by every president since George H.W. Bush. The old ones were mothballed. This is the reason why former President Reagan was able to park one of those out-of-commission bad boys at the Reagan Library.
But the discussion about the Boeing jetliner being gifted to the Trump administration has lit a fire under Boeing's CEO to speed up the delivery of the Air Force Ones.
The Boeing jets have been on order since 2015, when Trump 45 complained that the time and materials contract was a disaster and demanded a renegotiation for an all-inclusive deal for one price and not a penny more in 2018. Trump saved the Air Force $1.4 billion over the previous deal.
Initially, Boeing said it would get them out the door in 2024, but Trump said he wanted the craft delivered by 2021. But Trump left office, and nobody seemed to ride herd on Boeing. Recently, delivery dates were pushed back to some time in 2029.
Trump 47 has been complaining about the slow production since his first days in office.
But labor problems at Boeing and the defense contracting giant's difficulty in finding parts and components, along with other supply chain issues, have made it difficult to finish the two jetliners.
Ortburg now says he hopes to have them done by 2027, before Trump leaves his second term of office.
Qatar made the offer of the plane in February, and President Trump toured the craft when it was parked in Palm Beach, Fla., near the Summer White House at Mar-a-Lago.
Let's recap: Boeing's late and probably over budget. Qatar offered a plane a couple of months ago. Trump toured said plane, noting that it will cost millions to retrofit it to minimum Air Force One standards. And Boeing is left sputtering about speeding up production.
The mediacrats are shilling the fake news that Trump only wants the Qatari 747 for himself because they can't expand their minds to consider that what Trump really wants is for Boeing to get off their backsides and get these done. That's applying pressure on Boeing.
Trump just did Boeing a solid in the recent deal with the UK.
The company is a defense and national security asset, and now the man in the Oval Office wants them to get their production lines moving.
Trump to Boeing: Help me help you, or I may buy a new plane and ask another company to kit it out. It's up to you, Boeing.
#2
Did somebody say "labor problems at Boeing"? Kinda like General Motors, huh? The unions are their own worst enemy. Or, should I say, the union bosses are the workers' worst enemy? Otherwise, we wouldn't be so dependent on China.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
05/14/2025 11:59 Comments ||
Top||
#3
People seems to forget that the plane in question is a used plane. It most likely already paid for itself for Qatar.
What iust the plane really worth in the used market?
According to a quick search, a used Boeing 747-8 range from $20 millions to $150 millions.
Since this is a custom plane, I imaged the plane would be closer toward the higher range of the used price, but nowhere near the 'brand new' $400 price tag.
the 777 and 787 are good models and, although not quite as wide, would seem easier to outfit than the older 747
Posted by: Lord Garth ||
05/14/2025 17:25 Comments ||
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#6
I don't see why not... well...
The 787 has well documented manufacturing issues so it might be a non-starter.
The 777 does seems like a better choice. But I think the limitation of both versions is that they are twin engines planes, thus there's no real redundancy in case of an 'engine out' scenario. It would be much cheaper to operate for sure!
The 747 with its quad engines can fly on two engines if needed.
Plus the 747 has room for electronics (upper deck) and room to haul around a bunch of officials, security and reporters. The president does not fly alone.
Note that there are two presidential 747, one to carry the prescient and assorted personals and the other to carry the security transports and additional ground prepare personals. (And be an emergency backup if needed.)
Its almost never just one plane
Still, Its an idea worth considering, especially if one can equip the twins with four engines, very much like on the B-52, but with better and more fuel efferent engines.
[YouTube - Hyperspeed] While most of the world goes about daily life unaware, the United States Navy is fighting a war no one talks about. Drug submarines packed with cocaine try to sneak past Navy ships and helicopters armed with machine guns. These missions rarely make headlines and receive little public attention, despite involving billions of dollars linked to drug cartels. Why is no one talking about this? And what happens when the cartels get cornered at sea?
#1
Thus proving they can defend our border if they want. They just didn't want.
Meanwhile, we spend billions of defending the borders of other countries.
Ukraine needs money? Right here!
Israel needs money? Right here!
Afghanistan needs money for a tranny play? Right here!
Text taken from the V Kontakte page of Great Patriotic War
[VK] ... In the summer of 1943, strange cases of aircraft destruction were noted in enemy aviation operating on the Eastern Front. In loss reports, the cause of the destruction of German aircraft and crews was often indicated by one short phrase "Explosion in der Luft" ("Explosion in the air"). However, it was unclear why the planes exploded. Most of these cases occurred with aircraft flying out on combat missions from the Seshchinsky airfield...
To find small Seshcha on the map, it is more convenient to first find the large city of Bryansk, estimate 90 kilometers northwest, and that's where Seshcha will be. Before the war, Seshcha was a small village with less than 500 residents. But there was a convenient airfield here, built in the late 20s, early 30s.
The airfield was quite large: it could simultaneously accommodate up to 70-80 aircraft. At least before the war, more than 60 high-speed SB-2 bombers of one of the Soviet Air Force regiments were based at this airfield. With the outbreak of the war, the airfield was actively used by Soviet aviation, but not for long: after a month and a half, the front approached Seshcha. Soon the last Soviet aircraft flew away from Seshcha, and the airfield became empty. Many residents of the village, having left their homes, also went east.
On August 9, 1941, the Germans entered Seshcha. Work began on restoring and expanding the airfield, preparing it for basing Luftwaffe air units. It is still difficult to say which of the German units was the first to be based at the Seshcha airfield. But it is known that already on August 23, Messerschmitt-110 fighter-attack aircraft of the SKG.210 headquarters, led by the squadron commander, Knight's Cross holder Major Walter Storp, flew here.
Then on August 26, the I./SKG.210 aircraft of Captain Karl-Heinz Stricker landed in Seshcha, and on September 4, II./SKG.210 arrived under the command of Captain Rolf Kaldrak. In addition to the "hundred-tenths", the airfield housed Henschel-126 reconnaissance aircraft from 5(H)/Aufkl.Gr.12 and other aircraft. Of course, the composition of the units was constantly changing, and many other Luftwaffe units and subdivisions were subsequently based at the Seshcha airfield. Even exotic allies of Germany visited Seshcha - the temperamental Spaniards from the fighter squadron 15.(Span.)/JG.51 and the handsome Croatians from the bomber squadron 15(Kroat.)/KG.53.
Of course, the basing of enemy aircraft at the Seshcha airfield did not go unnoticed by the Soviet command and soon Soviet air raids began on the airfield. Already on September 1, four Germans from the ground personnel of the fighter group II./JG.51 were killed during an air raid. Apparently, these were the first victims of the Nazi aviation in Seshcha. Not far from the airfield, a cemetery of the occupiers appeared, on which more and more new birch crosses appeared over time...
However, it must be admitted that, despite all the efforts of the Soviet aviation, it was not possible to inflict serious losses on the enemy for a long time. For its part, our aviation lost a considerable number of aircraft. Who knows how long the failures of the "Stalin's Falcons" in raids on the invulnerable airfield would have continued if partisans and underground fighters from Seshcha itself had not come to their aid in the late spring of 1942.
The leader of the Seshcha underground at that time was Anna Morozova. And before her, the commander of the underground group was first Konstantin Povarov, a 22-year-old lieutenant of the Red Army, left behind enemy lines for sabotage work. He himself was a local - from the village of Belskaya in the Dubrovsky district and knew all the surrounding areas well. On assignment from the NKVD, he went to serve the Germans and got a job as a policeman.
At the same time, Povarov began to create an underground group. Gradually, he found reliable assistants not only in Seshcha, but also in the villages of Belskaya, Radichi, and Yabloni. It was Povarov who attracted Anya Morozova to the underground work, and she, in turn, attracted other female acquaintances. It was Povarov who maintained contact with the partisans and passed on to them the information he had collected about the Seshcha airfield. But, unfortunately, on September 23, 1942, Konstantin Povarov died after stepping on a mine. After that, 21-year-old Komsomol member Anya Morozova had to lead the underground.
Before the war, she worked in Seshcha, in the accounting department of the Soviet 130th Bomber Aviation Regiment, which was then based at the airfield. As the Germans approached, Morozova first evacuated with the retreating units of the Red Army, but then returned and, on Povarov’s instructions, got a job as a laundress for the Germans. The underground group members Lida Korneva, Vera Molochnikova, Lyusya Senchilina and others also became laundresses and dishwashers. Of course, working for the occupiers was humiliating, but they had to live on something.
In addition, those who worked received passes to the German military town. There, for six months, the girls studied the situation and selected candidates for underground work. Finally, in April 1942, on the advice of Anya Morozova, the girls met young Poles Jan Mankowski, Jan Tyma, Vaclav "Wacek" Messiasz and Stefan Gorkiewicz - servicemen of the German military unit L50485A, which carried out military construction work at the airfield and in the area of the village. Over time, Morozova managed to establish contact with the Czech anti-fascist Wendelin Roblicka, who served as an accountant at the Seshchin airbase headquarters with the rank of corporal. Roblicka's friend, the German soldier Alfred Beisler, also provided the underground with some assistance. Thus, real opportunities for collecting secret information that interested the Soviet command were gradually created.
Thanks to the active work of Morozova and other members of the underground group, it was possible to collect valuable information about the locations of important objects at the airfield, and on the night of May 29-30, 1942, Soviet aviation, for the first time after a long break, carried out a raid on Seshcha. According to the underground fighters, about 80 aircraft and many German pilots were destroyed at the Seshcha airfield. However, this data is highly questionable, since at that time only one 4th reconnaissance squadron from Aufkl.Gr.11 (which did not suffer any losses!) and a couple of dozen courier, transport and other aircraft were based in Seshcha.
However, despite some discrepancies in the data of Soviet partisans and German documents, it must still be recognized that the results of the actions of our underground fighters were quite tangible. The members of the international underground drew up and passed on to the partisans plans of the airfield, constantly supplied them with valuable information about changes at the German air base, about the enemy's plans, about the movement of its equipment and manpower.
Using this data, the Soviet aviation periodically carried out bombing strikes on Seshcha throughout 1942. And in January - May 1943, only the long-range bomber aviation of the Soviet Air Force carried out ten powerful strikes on the Seshcha air base, in addition, Seshcha was often bombed and strafed by front-line aviation. More and more German aircraft were out of order...
In the meantime, special mines for sabotage purposes began to enter service with the Soviet partisans. What kind of mines these were and how they came into service with us - we will tell you, based on documentary data.
The fact is that with the beginning of the Second World War, in September 1939, the technical departments of the special services of the Ministry of Defense of England developed and launched into production a large number of sabotage mines of various types. Among them were, for example, explosive devices hidden in a piece of coal, a stuffed rat, magnetic mines, mine-lighters, etc.
In accordance with the secret agreement between England and Russia of September 30, 1941, for the development of partisan warfare, it was envisaged to supply the USSR with English magnetic mines and mine-lighters. According to English historians, mainly magnetic sabotage mines CLAM Mk 2 were supplied to Russia.
The name of the mine "CLAM" is translated as "mollusk", apparently because it, like a sea mollusk, easily and firmly sticks to any metal surface. This mine is a timer type and is designed to destroy or disable stationary or moving objects that have fairly large parts made of ferrous metals on their surface, i.e. metals with magnetic properties. Such objects can be aircraft, tracked or wheeled combat and transport vehicles, fuel tanks or metal seals for weapons and ammunition, rolling stock, rails, power transmission and communication line supports, pipelines, etc.
The mine's charge is very small - only 227 grams of tetrytol 45/55 (a mixture of tetryl and TNT), however, it is enough to break a railway rail, pierce fuel tanks with a wall thickness of up to 5-6 mm. The mine's effect can be enhanced by placing two or more mines together.
Mines were successfully used by commando units of the British Army, as well as combat units of the Resistance forces in the occupied countries of Europe. A certain number of these mines were supplied to the USSR under Lend-Lease and our partisans actively used them, especially against railway facilities.
A considerable number of aircraft were also destroyed by the "mollusks" and, apparently, the underground fighters of Anna Morozova's group were the first to use them against aircraft. And the underground fighters received mines from the 1st Kletnyanskaya Partisan Brigade, commanded by 29-year-old Fyodor Danchenkov. In total, Danchenkov's brigade received exactly 312 British special magnetic mines from the Central Headquarters of the Partisan Movement. Of course, most of them were used to mine railway rolling stock and, according to some sources, the brigade's partisans crashed more than thirty German trains using magnetic mines.
By that time, the Seshchinsky international underground movement numbered several dozen people. In addition to those mentioned above, active underground members included Matryona Erokhina, Varvara Kirshina, Praskovya Bakutina and others. A very difficult and dangerous task was to deliver magnetic mines to the underground members in Seshcha from the partisans located deep in the Bryansk forests.
Usually, they were carried by Zinaida Antipenkova, Alexandra Garbuzova, Maria Korosteleva, Tatyana Vasenkova and other brave girls, placing them on the bottom of a bag filled with berries, fruits, vegetables and other products. Already in Seshcha, the underground members handed the mines to 17-year-old Vanya Aldyukhov, and he carried the mines to the airfield in a barrel of water on a harnessed cart.
It is difficult to say now when exactly the Seshcha underground fighters began to place magnetic mines on aircraft, but, apparently, it happened just before the start or already during the German offensive operation "Citadel". At least, in the combat log of the 1st Kletnyansk partisan brigade on July 7, 1943, it was noted that the underground fighters mined and destroyed two Heinkel-111 and two Focke-Wulf-190.
A few days later, on July 12, at the Seshcha airfield, according to the partisans, one Junkers-88 was blown up.
And as recorded in the documents of the German 121st long-range reconnaissance group, one Junkers-88 from the 4th squadron was lost on July 15 as a result of an act of sabotage, that is, it was destroyed by a mine explosion. Lieutenant Herbert Meiss, Sergeant Adolf Reinecke, Unteroffizier Wilhelm Küppers and Sergeant Johannes Trukk went missing in the Seshcha area.
It is safe to say that the mine was planted on this plane by the "water carrier" Ivan Aldyukhov, since there is an entry in the combat log of the 1st Kletnyansky Brigade that hints at this: "July 15-21, 1943, Seshcha airfield. With the help of three mines, the following were destroyed: a Heinkel-3 aircraft (the aircraft type was indicated incorrectly) right at the airfield, a locomotive on a narrow-gauge railway and a refuelling vehicle. Carried out by BS-33." And it was Ivan Aldyukhov who was listed under the pseudonym BS-33 in the detachment's intelligence reports.
Part 2:
According to partisan reports, on July 19, a Junkers-52 was destroyed by a mine. Actually, the Junkers-52 is a transport aircraft, but no information has been found about the losses of aircraft of this type. It is quite possible that one of the underground fighters again incorrectly indicated the type of aircraft on which the magnetic mine was installed. Apparently, it was not a transport aircraft, but a bomber.
Indeed, there is information that one Heinkel-111 from II./KG.4 "General Wever" took off from the Seshcha airfield late in the evening of July 19 to bomb one of the targets in the rear of the Soviet troops, but did not return. Later, the wreckage of the aircraft was found in territory captured by the Germans, that is, the aircraft did not reach the front line. For unknown reasons, it crashed and burned 13 kilometers northwest of Zhizdra. The entire crew, consisting of Lieutenant Hermann Hüsemann, Unteroffizier Reinhold Metzger, Ober-Provich Rudolf Schmidt, Unteroffizier Egon Lenz and Ober-Provich Walter Volkhardt, perished. There is every reason to believe that this crew fell victim to the Seshcha underground fighters.
According to the partisans, July 21 was a particularly successful day for the Seshcha underground fighters: they reported the destruction of three Heinkels-111 and one Messerschmitt-109.
The next day, July 22, a Junkers-88 was blown up by a mine in the sky above the airfield, and, as the underground fighters reported, the entire crew was killed. Indeed, on this day, the 5th Squadron of II./KG.51 "Edelweiss" lost one Junkers-88. However, this did not happen over Seshchinsky airfield, but somewhere in the Arkhangelskoye area, east of Orel, where the aircraft had flown on a combat mission. The crew, consisting of Oberfeldwebel Gerhard Schubert, NCOs Friedrich Kovollik, Herbert Langwasser and Helmut Schreiber, was listed as missing in action in this area.
The reason for their disappearance is unknown, since the radio operator of the crew did not have time to send a distress signal. It is quite possible that the crew died as a result of a sudden explosion of a mine planted at Seshchinsky airfield.
Two more Junkers-88s were destroyed, according to partisans, on July 23.
And in German documents there is information about one Junkers-88 from the 7th squadron of III/KG.1 "Hindenburg", which exploded in the air on July 24 in the Orel area. The crew of the plane, consisting of non-commissioned officers Friedrich Hoffman, Willy Eickhoff, Gunther Kenzl and Feldwebel Karl-Friedrich Konyevsky, is also considered missing. It can be assumed that the plane was mined by underground fighters, since it took off on a mission from Seshchinsky airfield.
On July 28 - again according to German documents - the crew of Oberfeldwebel Helmut Goetzel from the 4th squadron of II./KG.51 "Edelweiss" was killed in an explosion in the air northeast of Karachev. Along with Getzel, non-commissioned officers Groff and Handvarsh, as well as sergeant major Kleinschmidt, were killed. And here, most likely, the plane was also mined by underground fighters, since it took off on a mission from the ill-fated Seshcha.
Of course, operating in incredibly dangerous conditions, the underground fighters did not always manage to plant mines on airplanes. Apparently, that is why they had to plant mines on other objects of military significance. Thus, Ivan Aldyukhov and his 13-year-old younger brother Sasha blew up one carriage with aircraft engines, one steam locomotive on a narrow-gauge railway, two gas trucks, one snow-clearing tractor and other equipment with mines...
In early August 1943, clouds gathered over the underground organization in Seshcha. An alarming radiogram was received by the Western headquarters of the partisan movement from the commander of the 1st Kletnyanskaya partisan brigade, F. S. Danchenkov:
“August 2, 1943. To Comrade Popov.
The Germans have begun to guess why the explosions are happening. They have arrested a lot of the Russian population. The entrances and exits in Seshcha are controlled, but I have Poles and Czechs working for me. They have remained in place for now. They are valuable people.”
In confirmation of these words, on the same day, during a combat sortie in the area southeast of Orel, another Junkers-88 from II./KG. 51 "Edelweiss" exploded. The entire crew of non-commissioned officer Josef Frommhertz perished: "the Poles and Czechs" continued to "work" successfully...
Perhaps the pilots of the Edelweiss squadron suffered more than others from the actions of Russian saboteurs: again, one Junkers-88 from the 9th squadron of III./KG.51 exploded in the air on August 8. The crew of Lieutenant Robert Ilg also perished.
The next day, August 9, another Junkers-88 from the 5th squadron of II./KG.51 "Edelweiss" was lost, presumably from a mine explosion. The plane took off from Seshcha to Poltava, but went missing en route. Where and how it perished is unknown. The pilots - Lieutenant Heinrich Gerke, Corporal Otto Theiss, NCOs Fritz Bachmann and Gerhard Hörtner - are still listed as missing.
Around mid-August (unfortunately, it is not known exactly when), three planes on which Jan Tim had planted mines exploded over the Seshchin airfield. They were supposed to explode an hour after takeoff, but the takeoff was delayed and they exploded in front of everyone, barely having time to take off...
A wave of arrests swept through Seshcha. The Polish brigade was also arrested. In order to remove suspicion from the Poles, the command ordered Ivan Aldyukhov to plant mines on the planes and equipment himself. Despite the obvious reason for the plane explosions and the total surveillance throughout the airfield, carrying out this task was tantamount to calling for fire on himself. We must give credit to this incredibly brave young man: constantly risking his life, he continued to plant mines on German planes. Here, for example, is another entry from the combat log of the 1st Kletnyanskaya Brigade: "August 13-15. Seshchinsky airfield. Two planes were blown up by placing magnetic mines. Performed by BS-33."
These were probably Aldyukhov's last successful acts of sabotage: soon after, on the denunciation of a traitor, Ivan was arrested while attempting to plant a mine on an airplane. Unbroken by the torture and abuse of the Gestapo, and not having betrayed the remaining members of the underground, he was shot by the Germans in Smolensk prison.
Around the same time, the Germans also arrested the underground fighter Matryona Erokhina, who was delivering mines to the airfield. Unfortunately, almost nothing is known about Erokhina herself and her arrest. However, in the book by the famous German military historian Wolfgang Dierich about the history of the KG.51 "Edelweiss" bomber squadron, there are lines that are certainly related to Erokhina's arrest. Here is how Dierich writes about those dramatic events: "Here in Seshcha, the squadron lost many crews due to the actions of the partisans.
At night, partisans, posing as support personnel, would install barometric explosive devices on the 900-liter fuel tanks of Junkers-88s that were fully filled with gasoline and loaded with bombs. When the altitude suddenly changed, for example during a dive attack, the explosive devices would detonate and tear the vehicles to pieces. At first, these explosions were a mystery to everyone, until one day, during a thorough search, explosive magnetic devices were found in a basket of eggs belonging to a seemingly harmless and innocent Russian peasant woman. Apparently, the "harmless and innocent Russian peasant woman" was Motya Erokhina. Just like Vanya Aldyukhov, the brave girl was tortured, but did not give anyone away and was tortured to death by the fascists.
Unfortunately, Polish comrades also suffered a loss: Jan Mankovsky was inadvertently arrested for possession of weapons. Without betraying any of his friends, he also died in a Gestapo dungeon shortly before the liberation of Seshcha on September 18, 1943...
After these dramatic events, as the former commander of the 7th squadron of III/KG.1 "Hindenburg" retired Colonel Gerhard Becker recalls, the planes began to be heavily guarded day and night, and carefully checked before each flight. Further mining of German planes became impossible.
Nevertheless, the stay of German planes at the Seshcha airfield was coming to an end: Soviet troops were advancing unstoppably, and on September 20, 1943, Seshcha was liberated from the Nazi invaders...
How many enemy planes did Anya Morozova's underground group manage to destroy? According to some sources, during the Battle of Kursk alone, the underground fighters blew up sixteen planes. And according to other sources, they destroyed twenty planes in total. But the most likely figure is 22 aircraft: this is exactly how many were indicated in the report on the results of the combat operations of the 1st Kletnyansk Partisan Brigade (which included Morozova’s underground group), presented by F. S. Danchenkov on March 26, 1944 to the Smolensk headquarters of the partisan movement.
Unfortunately, the feat of Morozova's underground group, which for the first time in the practice of Soviet partisans used massive mining of enemy aircraft right at the airfield, was not noted in time. And only twenty years after the Victory, after the first Soviet multi-part television film "We Call Fire on Ourselves", dedicated to Morozova and her group, was shown on television with great success in February 1965, on May 8 of the same year Anna Afanasyevna Morozova was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union. Posthumously, - since Morozova died on December 31, 1944, while carrying out a combat mission in Poland.
Also posthumously, on May 10, 1965, Konstantin Yakovlevich Povarov and Ivan Filippovich Aldyukhov were awarded the Order of the Patriotic War of the 1st degree, and Polish citizen Jan Mankovsky was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War of the 2nd degree...
P.S.
On December 31, 1944, Hero of the Soviet Union (posthumously) Anna Afanasyevna Morozova / "Swan", "Reseda" /, the second radio operator of the legendary sabotage and reconnaissance group "JACK", accepted her last battle with the "jagdkommando" of the SS and the Vlasovites.
Wounded in the arm by an explosive bullet during a raid, she was hidden until dark in a dugout in a swamp, but the raid was with German shepherds... Before that moment, as part of the legendary reconnaissance group "Jack", she worked for six months in the rear of the East Prussian group of Germans, going through dozens of raids and transmitting almost 60 information radiograms.
[Daily Caller] Hoover Institution Senior Fellow Victor Davis Hanson said Tuesday on his show that President Donald Trump’s negotiations with China and other policies could bring a "real economic boom" to the U.S.
The Trump administration began its first negotiations with China on Saturday, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announcing Sunday that "substantial progress" had been made since the tariff war broke out in April. While discussing the issue on "The Victor Davis Hanson Show," Hanson questioned the "outrage" from outlets like the Wall Street Journal and said Trump is trying to save American jobs through his tariff negotiations.
"What Donald Trump is trying to do is to lower the amount of foreign capital and exchange they have at their disposal and save American jobs," Hanson said. "So if he gets this $1.2 dollar surplus down to $500 hundred million — that sounds to me like he might be able to do that. Cut it in half without destroying them. Then wean us off slowly of Chinese dependence. It’s a fantastic boom."
"What’s so weird about it is that every economist that I know of has been warning us ... that it was not sustainable to be running these huge trade deficits," Hanson added. "No other president has really addressed it. No other president has talked about the trade deficit. Nobody’s talked about the budget deficit, not since Bill Clinton and Newt Gingrich balanced the budget deficit. Nobody’s talking about the national debt. I never heard Biden — did you ever hear him say one word that we’re paying $3 billion dollars a day in interest? I didn’t."
After Trump announced tariffs against a handful of countries, China responded with retaliatory measures. While the president later placed a 90-day pause on tariffs for all nations except China, the country was hit with a 145% tariff from the U.S.
[HALTURNERRADIOSHOW] As this story is published, troops, tanks, artillery, armored personnel carriers of the Hungarian Army are mobilizing toward the Hungary Border with Ukraine.
Intel Analysts suspect that Hungary is about to make a military move to re-acquire "Transcarpathia" (highlighted in Red on the map above) which was formerly the country of Hungary, but was given over to Ukraine during the time of the Soviet Union.
Despite it being technically "Ukraine" since Soviet times, the people there mostly speak Hungarian!
Tanks Have been taken off their Transportation units & Driving through several towns on UKRAINE border on main road routes! Video below, taken TODAY, shows vast military mobilization:
Is ORBAN preparing to take over the Hungarian Region inside UKRAINE when peace talks fail & Russia goes full BAGRATION to KIEV ?
Hungarian towns located on or near main roads leading to the Ukraine border, where Hungarian ARMOUR has been seen massing:
1. **Záhony** - Situated on the M3 motorway and near the Chop-Záhony border crossing, a major entry point for both road and rail traffic into Ukraine.
2. **Beregsurány** - Located near the Luzhanka-Beregsurány border crossing, accessible via Route 41 and connected to the M3 motorway. This crossing is open 24/7 and handles cars, buses, and trucks.
3. **Tiszabecs** - Close to the Vylok-Tiszabecs border crossing, reachable via Route 49.
4. **Barabás** - Near the Kosyno-Barabás border crossing, accessible via local roads connecting to Route 41.
5. **Nagyhódos** - Located at the Velyka Palad-Nagyhódos border crossing, a newer checkpoint opened in 2025 for passenger vehicles up to 3.5 tons.
These towns are strategically positioned along key routes, including Hungary’s Main Road 4 (connected to Ukraine’s M06) and Route 491 (connected to Ukraine’s M26), part of the international E-road network (E573 and E58).
HAL TURNER ANALYSIS
If this is what Hungary is actually doing, re-taking Transcarpathia, the European Union will likely go berserk. They are already fed-up with Hungary voting to deny additional aid to Ukraine. A vote coming later this week, is specifically being designed to neutralize Hungary's ability to bloc further EU aid to Ukraine; they will adopt legislation in a manner that prevents a single nation from blocking more aid.
Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who leads Hungary, has already seen the writing on the wall of Europe when, last month, discussions took place to strip Hungary of EU voting rights.
Apparently, in the European Union, you can only vote when you agree with the EU. A totally fraudulent "Democracy."
No time line is known as to when (or if) Hungary will actually proceed into Ukraine to take back Transcarpathia, but very clearly, something gigantic is about to take place. It will likely tear Europe apart.
#2
Ukrainians thought Crimea was theirs just because that's how Khrushchev drew the map back in 1954 when it didn't matter because Moscow controlled it all anyway. Some of these borders might need adjustment now that the USSR is kaput.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
05/14/2025 13:00 Comments ||
Top||
#3
The majority of the White Papers I've read - post UKR war is craved up and left as a rump state. Hungary get's their land back, Poland get's their land back. They seem to mostly agree with this.
Points of disagreement: some maps show Kiev reunited with Russia. Other maps show Odessa. Other maps both. Other white papers neither, just the current status quo.
No one ever shows UKR regaining any lost territory.
HOWEVER, Debs was in a Federal Penitentiary serving a 10-year sentence for violating the US Espionage Act of 1917 and not due to be released until 1926.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Kirill Semenov
[REGNUM] The escalation of the Indian-Pakistani standoff, caused by a series of border clashes, was temporarily halted by a ceasefire agreement on May 10. This provides an opportunity to sum up the preliminary results of the standoff.
Despite mutual accusations of violations, the parties have refrained from previous large-scale actions, which allows us to talk about the preservation of a truce, albeit fragile for now.
REASONS FOR ESCALATION
The standoff between India and Pakistan, which began after the partition of British India in 1947, has resulted in four major wars (1947–48, 1965, 1971, 1999) and hundreds of border incidents.
Kashmir remains the main bone of contention: both countries control parts of the region, considering it their own. According to various sources, since 1989 alone, the low-intensity conflict has claimed between 47,000 and 70,000 lives.
The latest wave of tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad began after an April 22 attack on the mountain resort of Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir. The attack, for which a previously unknown group called the Kashmir Resistance Front claimed responsibility, killed 26 people, mostly Hindu pilgrims.
Survivors reported that the attackers deliberately questioned the victims about their religious affiliation before the shooting, which, although it points to an obvious “jihadist” trace, does not rule out a deliberate provocation. However, India, without waiting for the investigation to be completed, accused Pakistan of supporting the militants, which Islamabad categorically denied.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has escalated tensions with Pakistan to shore up his domestic political position, which was undermined by the 2024 elections, when his Hindu nationalist party posted its worst result since 2009.
New Delhi launched Operation Sindoor, a series of strikes on targets in Pakistani territory that it described as “terrorist infrastructure.” Islamabad responded with its own Operation Buniyas al-Marsoos, which hit a number of Indian military bases.
More than 60 people, including civilians, have been killed on both sides in five days of clashes, marking the worst flare-up since 2019, when India's abrogation of Kashmir's special status nearly led to a full-scale war.
Experts say that the current escalation is characterized by the unprecedentedly large-scale use of artillery and drones, as well as the largest air battles since 1971, which increased the risk of mistakes and further escalation of the crisis, including an exchange of nuclear strikes.
But the parties had enough willpower not to slide into the funnel of uncontrolled escalation and stopped at the red line.
REASONS FOR PAKISTAN'S SUCCESS
However, it is Pakistan that has emerged from the current stage of the conflict with a number of tactical and strategic advantages.
Did Pakistan really? What say you, dear Reader?
Successful military operations, a skillful information campaign and diplomatic flexibility allowed Islamabad not only to give an effective military response to India’s steps, but also to strengthen its image on the world stage.
New Delhi's military actions, launched without any evidence of Islamabad's involvement in the terrorist attack, were perceived by Pakistanis as an act of blatant aggression and caused a wave of patriotism.
At the same time, India, having a multiple military advantage, was unable to use it within the framework of limited tactical operations, while Islamabad was prepared for a balanced and effective response.
Balanced enough not to lead to a full-scale war, but effective enough to force New Delhi to recognize the futility of continuing actions that only bring reputational losses, demonstrating the tactical weakness and vulnerability of the Indian armed forces.
Clearly, Pakistan was able to learn from past mistakes, while India was confident of its advantage, which New Delhi was unable to exploit in a limited conflict.
And the Indian leadership considered the transition to a full-scale war too risky due to the threat of the confrontation escalating into a nuclear one.
PAKISTAN'S PRE-EMPTIVE STRIKE DOCTRINE
At the same time, India understood that Pakistan would not hesitate to use nuclear weapons. It could even be preventive, since Islamabad is ready to use them first, considering tactical nuclear weapons, among other things, as a key tool for disrupting a potential Indian invasion.
And especially as a response to the “cold start” doctrine, in which a rapid offensive is carried out before the enemy is mobilized.
Pakistan's short-range nuclear-tipped Nasr missiles, with a range of 60km, are designed to destroy armoured convoys in border areas to prevent a breakthrough.
The strategy, Islamabad says, is aimed at “escalation to de-escalate” – stopping aggression with a local strike to avoid a full-scale war.
There are several other scenarios that would activate the “inevitable nuclear retaliation” algorithm from Islamabad.
For example, nuclear weapons could be used to prevent the Indian Armed Forces from invading vital areas of the country, which would threaten the very existence of Pakistan. Such areas include, for example, the Indus Valley.
Nuclear weapons could be used to destroy a significant part of Pakistan's military potential, such as the Air Force, and even in the event of a naval and economic blockade that threatens to leave the Pakistani army without fuel.
It is clear that such a blurring of the “nuclear threshold” and the placement of tactical charges close to the front line increases the risk of accidental escalation due to errors in threat assessment or loss of control over the arsenal.
That is why such close attention is focused on any Indo-Pakistani escalation, which could quickly escalate into a nuclear conflict at any moment.
WORLD PREMIERE OF CHINESE WEAPONS
At the same time, it is now also obvious that another deterrent factor, in addition to nuclear weapons, for New Delhi has become Islamabad’s skillful use of modern Chinese conventional weapons.
It had finally made its presence felt on the battlefield, and it promised the Indian army serious losses if the conflict continued. And even if it ended with a hypothetical overall success, India would be too vulnerable to China after the confrontation, given the losses it had suffered.
Pakistan, traditionally the main operator of Chinese military equipment in the world, has demonstrated that even in conditions of intense combat, equipment from China is not inferior, and in some respects superior to systems developed in the United States and Europe.
It should be noted that the key advantage of Chinese weapons remains their availability. For example, the JF-17 Thunder multirole fighters, jointly developed by China and Pakistan, are several times cheaper than the American F-16. At the same time, they demonstrate comparable characteristics in maneuverability, radar equipment and weapons.
In addition to the JF-17, the Pakistani Air Force also used the heavier Chinese J-10C fighters, using them successfully in combat for the first time. Developed by the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group, these aircraft are equipped with an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar and are capable of carrying PL-15 missiles with a range of up to 200-300 km.
During a major air battle on May 7 involving up to 125 fighters from both sides, the J-10Cs demonstrated superiority over India's French-made Rafale jets armed with Meteor missiles.
The J-10C's key advantage is its combination of maneuverability, electronics, and weapons. Experts compare it to later F-16 variants, noting that the Chinese fighter is capable of operating effectively in close combat as well as at long ranges thanks to its PL-15 missiles.
Unlike the Rafale, which was positioned as a multi-role fighter with unique Meteor missiles (range up to 200 km), the J-10C was able to implement the “first strike” tactic, remaining outside the enemy’s engagement zone.
India, which had relied on French fighters, ran into unexpected problems. According to Pakistani sources, three of them were shot down during the battle. US intelligence indirectly confirmed these losses, which was the first documented case of a Rafale being destroyed in high-intensity combat. Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said the Rafale was “overrated” and the Indian Air Force demonstrated “incompetence.” This dealt a blow to the image of not only France but also other Western manufacturers.
A similar situation is observed in the UAV sphere: Chinese Wing Loong II drones, actively used by Pakistan for reconnaissance and precision strikes, are close in efficiency to the American MQ-9 Reaper, but their cost is 30–40% lower.
The conflict also saw the use of Chinese HQ-9 anti-aircraft missile systems, which successfully intercepted modern aircraft.
China's electronic warfare and cyber defense systems have been effective in suppressing enemy attempts to destabilize communications, according to analysts, putting them on par with developments by companies like Raytheon or Lockheed Martin.
Thus, the Indo-Pakistani standoff has become further evidence that the Chinese military-industrial complex has not only caught up with the West in key areas, but has also created a new reality where price is no longer synonymous with quality.
This opens the door for Beijing to leadership in the 21st century, forcing even traditional US allies to reconsider their approaches to security. The success of Chinese technology has already been reflected in financial markets: shares of Chengdu Aircraft Company rose by 30% after the fighting.
AMERICA TAKES THE LAURELS
The conflict between Pakistan and India has clearly not gone according to the scenario expected by the forces interested in a moderate escalation.
This is especially true for the Donald Trump administration, which probably saw it as an opportunity to inflict a reputational defeat on Beijing through the political “humiliation” of its main ally, Islamabad. In this context, it can be said that Washington was interested in New Delhi’s military success. However, it later became clear that it would not be possible to give Beijing a pat on the back, and Washington abandoned non-intervention.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that the United States, along with other countries, had begun pressuring New Delhi and Islamabad, and that talks involving Vice President J.D. Vance had reportedly led to an agreement on an immediate ceasefire.
However, many experts familiar with the situation believe that the role of American diplomacy in resolving the current escalation is greatly exaggerated.
Washington has decided to take credit for the peacekeeping role, while the contribution of the UAE and Saudi Arabia, which are strategic partners for both Pakistan and India, has been much greater.
But China and Russia also had a major impact on the dynamics of the conflict, speeding its resolution. Beijing, an ally of Islamabad, not only called for restraint but also put pressure on both sides, as did Russia, which offered to act as a neutral mediator.
RUSSIA BETWEEN INDIA AND PAKISTAN
It is significant that Moscow, once a consistent partner of New Delhi, is now pursuing a multi-vector policy in the region and hedging risks.
The United States and India, together with Australia and Japan, conduct annual Malabar naval exercises and form the QUAD coalition with a clearly anti-Chinese focus, while also developing other areas of military-political and military-technical cooperation.
Against this backdrop, Russia is strengthening its ties with Pakistan. In 2020 and 2021, Moscow and Islamabad held joint anti-terrorism exercises called “Friendship.” In 2021, the first-ever Russian-Pakistani naval exercises, “Maritime Interaction,” took place in the Arabian Sea. And last March, the navies of the two countries organized the PASSEX maneuvers, which included practicing anti-submarine operations.
An important area remains cooperation within the SCO: in 2023, joint exercises “Peace Mission” in Kazakhstan brought together the military of Russia, Pakistan and China.
At the same time, Russia continues to develop a strategic partnership with India.
Trade turnover with Delhi reached $70 billion in 2024, while with Pakistan it was only $1 billion. India also remains the largest importer of Russian weapons: recently, it received batches of Su-30MKI fighters, S-300/400 anti-aircraft systems and T-90 tanks.
Therefore, it is probably most important for the Russian Federation to achieve long-term peace between New Delhi and Islamabad.
Since their contradictions, superimposed on the conflicts of interests of India and China, are also an obstacle to the formation of closer interaction in the Russia-India-China triangle and the alliances based on these countries: BRICS and the SCO.
CONSEQUENCES AND PROSPECTS
While the current ceasefire has reduced the immediate threat of war, fundamental differences remain unresolved.
A peaceful settlement requires not only international mediation, but also the willingness of the parties to compromise, which seems unlikely in the current political realities.
In particular, the policy of the Indian authorities, who advocate Hindu religious nationalism, does not contribute to de-escalation.
This has led to constant pressure on India's 200 million-strong Muslim minority, which has increasingly been subjected to discriminatory measures and practices, including mass Muslim pogroms, such as in Delhi in 2020, when dozens of Muslims were killed.
This provokes the growth of radicalism and the acceleration of the formation of a resistance movement in the Indian Islamic environment. But the Indian authorities are inclined to see in all manifestations of radicalism not their own mistakes, but the hand of Pakistan.
On the other hand, Islamabad indeed often turns a blind eye to the presence on its territory of bases of various rebel factions, including jihadist ones, acting under the banner of the struggle for the liberation of Kashmir or, in general, Indian Muslims from Indian rule.
It is obvious that maintaining tension in the Indian part of Kashmir is in the interests of Pakistani special services. In case of conflict, this will allow them to ignite a mass uprising in the rear of Indian troops. Therefore, New Delhi's claims cannot be called unfounded.
The key to a long-term settlement probably lies in re-establishing channels of communication between India and Pakistan. But it is precisely terrorist attacks that rupture such channels, as was the case after the Mumbai attack in 2008 or the Puluam attack in 2019.
Overall, the tangle of Indo-Pakistani contradictions seems insoluble in the foreseeable future and will constantly make itself felt. And peace initiatives, such as the 1999 Delhi-Lahore Declaration, regularly fail due to lack of trust.
However, the current pause offers a chance to tone down the rhetoric and begin targeted humanitarian exchanges. This may be the only way to avoid a new war in the Himalayan valleys.
At least there are positive examples: the ceasefire agreement concluded in 2003 lasted almost five years. Therefore, the main task now is to make the pauses between escalations as long as possible, and the escalations themselves quickly relieved.
#2
Here's part 2 of Tom Cooper's analysis (part 1 is easy to find if interested). In a nutshell - Paki sponsored terrorists struck - India waited 2 weeks to respond - Pakistan used that time to prepare - after the Indian attack they flailed one more time - everyone went to time out. Key takeaway - India does NOT have a quick response and it's "easy" to get inside their OODA loop. The Chinese equipment seemed to outperform the European equipment due to the Indian military's upgrade philosophy.
#3
I read similar stuff. Read India was frustrated - some sources say that they striked a Pakistani Nuclear facility; other source refute the claim. But some speculate that's why the West deescalated. Fog of war.
Piercing insights, none of which occurred to me, though I’d posted some of the pieces. See also here.
[HotAir] In December, as weepy Winken Antony Blinken was busy sucking up to the newest, cleanest Jihadi in a suit to roll into a Middle Eastern Third World s**thole, I was asking if the Biden administration had bothered to 'meet the new boss' in light of their effusive greetings to Abu Mohamed al-Jolani and his victorious, Turkish-backed Islamic marauders.
Naturally averse to believing any smooth-talking, gussied-up fanatic with an army of like-minded savages and a track record of unsocial behavior behind him, I wasn't ready to jump on the 'Oh, this guy is really different' bandwagon simply because Jolani knew where Saville Row was and could mouth, 'diversity is our strength' (Yes, he really said that.)
By the beginning of March, it was pretty clear a jihadi leader now using his given name - Ahmed Al Sharaa - in a $4000 suit was still a jihadi at heart. Al-Sharaa's boys were having themselves the rampaging adventures of a lifetime, systematically exterminating Druze and Alawite communities all over northern Syria with impunity. Oh - and trying to find the five or six Jews left in the country.
We haven't heard much out of the area since, except for reports that detail American and Israeli strikes on targets in the area. Most associated with the ongoing cat and mouse game the Houthis had been playing and the assorted Iranian militias supporting them, who operate freely all through the southern portion of Iraq, Yemen, and Syria, as President Trump noted during his speech in Saudi Arabia today.
. @POTUS "Since January 20th, the U.S. Military has terminated 83 terrorist leaders operating across Iraq, Syria, and Somalia" pic.twitter.com/Ntq0Z3uKrT
Perhaps these few months have given Al-Sharaa some food for thought about which side of the bread he wanted buttered and by whom.
Obviously, Syria was a hole, and watching hell rain out of the skies from a newly reinvigorated American defense department posture had to have them recalculating what their odds were should they join the opposition.
Al-Sharaa's bunch has been technically neutral so far.
So Trump was rambling along in his speech - I heard some of it in the car, talking about the transformation of the Saudi capital in just eight years - when he dropped a bombshell no one saw coming.
He was lifting all - ALL - of the sanctions on Syria that had been in place for so many years.
The Assads are gone, and Trump wants the Syrians, as he said, to have their 'chance for greatness.'
The crowd went wild.
The Syrians...
Celebrations across #Syria tonight, after @realDonaldTrump’s announcement that he intends to end #Syria sanctions.
There’s no understating what this means to ~25 million Syrians — 90% of whom live under the poverty line after 50+yrs of #Assad rule & 14yrs of war. pic.twitter.com/SLOG77RllK
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is going to meet with the Syrian Foreign Minister on Thursday in Turkey.
President Trump will greet Ahmed Al-Sharaa in Riyadh tomorrow.
From the Guardian:
But this makes it no less significant. Per Politico:
It’s nonetheless a striking encounter with a man who’s still on the US terrorist list — and the first meeting between US and Syrian leaders since 2000. The US sanctions have weighed heavily on the Syrian economy, threatening al-Sharaa’s ability to rebuild the country since the rebel leader ousted the Assad regime five months ago.
Trump said during his speech at the US-Saudi investment forum that he had decided to lift sanctions on Syria following conversations with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as well as with Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman. “Oh, what I do for the crown prince,” Trump said in reference to MBS before making the announcement.
The “brutal and crippling” sanctions had served their purpose at the time but were no longer needed, said Trump, adding:
Now it is their time to shine. We are taking them all off. Good luck Syria. Show us something very special.
This is a gobsmacking move.
An 'Only Trump could do this' move.
As always, ever so interesting how it all came together, with Al-Sharaa seeking out the US, not vice versa. And the Syrian representative spun a dream of a Trump Tower in Damascus one day.
...Speaking at an investment forum on Tuesday, Trump said that he planned to lift sanctions on Syria after holding talks with Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed bin Salman and Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdoğan “to give them a chance at greatness”.
...Sharaa, who is keen to normalise relations with the US, has reportedly offered Trump a number of sweeteners including the Trump tower in Damascus, a demilitarised zone by the Golan Heights that would strengthen Israel’s claim to the territory it has occupied since 1967, diplomatic recognition of Israel, and a profit-sharing deal on resources similar to the Ukraine minerals deal.
The idea to offer Trump a piece of real estate with his name on it in the heart of Damascus was thought up by a US Republican senator, who passed on the idea to Sharaa’s team.
Trump will talk to anyone who sincerely wants to talk to him. It's like his magic power.
If it works - and it's all on the Syrians - it's going to plug several gaping holes using available assets.
I’m no Jolani fan, but I can see the 4d chess
-Syria has been an Iranian/Russian proxy for decades; this reverses that -Cuts off resupply for Hezbollah -I’m guessing Syria and KSA join Abraham Accords
This also helps keep Turkey on the spot because, should Al-Sharaa start to see the fruits of cooperation with the US pay off and Syria begins to rise from the dead, he becomes a hero, and there's nothing more these egotists love than being loved. He won't let Erdogan interfere with that, whatever he owes him.
The other is the pressure from Saudi Arabia on Syria now. They facilitated this come to Trump moment. The crown prince would take it ill if the jihadi reappeared after making a public spectacle of the Saudis' belief that he was worth cultivating and his country worth saving.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
...former first lady, former secretary of state, former presidential candidate, Conqueror of Benghazi, Heroine of Tuzla, formerly described by her supporters as 
