27 October 2019
The Raid on al-Baghdadi
(LZ410)-- In every story there is a plot, part of the plot is the climax. Leading up to that high point in the story are several complications that may or may not indicate where and when the ending will take place. Today marks the climax of one of the longest running stories in America's fight against terrorism, the ISIS terrorist leader al-Baghdadi has been liquidated.
Our story began several weeks ago when Turkey announced it would commence Operation Peace Spring into northern Syria with the intention of pushing back Kurdish forces from the border and thereby setting up a "Safe Zone." Little did anyone suspect this would be the first sequence that the ISIS leader would consider a safe haven for himself. Concurrent was the United States' announcement that all of its forces would withdraw from the war torn country. Al-Baghdadi by then was dancing in the tunnel;
"The Pentagon said Monday it does not endorse a Turkish operation in northern Syria, and that U.S. troops would not support or be involved in such an operation, reported by Shawn Snow in the Military Times on October 7;
The statement from the Pentagon follows Sunday’s White House announcement that U.S. troops would withdraw from northeastern Syria ahead of a potential Turkish military incursion to rout out Kurdish militants." (Military Times)
Little did anyone suspect. Following a blitzkrieg campaign across the border in which the YPG was sent packing out of two key strongholds, the operation was suddenly placed on hold, a "cease fire" was put into place with a deadline. Kathy Gilsinan reports for The Atlantic on October 23rd;
"That is, in the very narrow sense of stopping the worst of the Turkish onslaught against the Syrian Kurds for a time. Now there’s a different kind of order in place of the fighting: Syrian Kurdish forces have withdrawn from a chunk of territory near Syria’s border with Turkey; Russia has vowed to help Turkey push them from an area twice as large. The new status quo, as Trump’s Syria envoy testified, “has scrambled the entire northeast, undercut our efforts against [the Islamic State], and brought in the Russians and the Syrian-regime forces in a way that is really tragic for everybody involved.” (The Atlantic)
Was the ISIS leader taking the bait? With the Americans out of the picture and a cease-fire in place, al-Baghdadi could come out of his tunnel and dance in the streets of Idlib. Back in the USA, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) wasn't buying the troop pullout and was heated up about it, as noted by Cummings and Jackson in USA Today;
"WASHINGTON – Calling it a "stain on America's honor," Sen. Lindsey Graham on Monday denounced President Donald Trump's decision to pull U.S. troops out of northeastern Syria as Turkey prepares a military assault against Kurdish fighters who helped the U.S. battle the Islamic State." (Greenville News)
What happened next would make Senator McCain himself rise from the grave, Kenneth Walsh reports in US News;
"After talking with President Donald Trump last weekend, Graham said, "I am increasingly optimistic that we can have some historic solutions in Syria that have eluded us for years if we play our cards right." Graham's conversation with Trump provided considerable insight into the president's thinking. Trump apparently is ready to use U.S. air power to protect a demilitarized zone occupied by international forces." (US News)
The stage was set for one of the most masterful ruses devised since the great WMD scandal of the Gulf War. To make the plan even more effective, all of the players came onto the stage. The Russians met with the Turks in Sochi;
"3. In this framework, the established status quo in the current Operation Peace Spring area covering Tel Abyad and [Ras al-Ain] with a depth of 32km (20 miles) will be preserved.
4. Both sides reaffirm the importance of the Adana Agreement. The Russian Federation will facilitate the implementation of the Adana Agreement in the current circumstances." (Al Jazeera)
The special effects team added a great touch as the Americans pulled out of the safe zone and were pelted with potatoes;
"A video by the Kurdish news agency showed a convoy of armored vehicles driving through the northeastern city of Qamishli. People in the street hurled potatoes at the vehicles, shouting, “No America,” and “America liar,” in English. “Like rats, America is running away,” one man shouted in Arabic. Another shouted obscenities and talked of babies in Kurdish-held who have died in the Turkish offensive." (Time)
The coast was clear, the ISIS kingpin would beat a hasty path to his hideaway in which the news agencies reported he was there only a day before the Delta Force swooped down on him in its well-rehearsed role; Reuters reports that the leader had arrived at the ambush site two days before;
"ANKARA (Reuters) - Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi arrived at the location in Syria where he was reportedly killed early on Sunday in a U.S. raid some 48 hours before the operation, a senior Turkish official said. The Turkish army had advanced knowledge of the U.S. operation in Syria’s Idlib, the official said, adding that Turkey would continue to coordinate its actions on the ground with the “relevant parties”. (Reuters)
Although this aspect of the story has yet to be confirmed, it is safe to say that intel probably was tracking the target for quite some time as the pieces of the puzzle became more clear. To what degree the compound was under surveillance all along is yet to be made clear.
Already, the opposition in Congress is not congratulating the CINC for a well-executed operation, but in fact, caterwauling that they weren't notified beforehand;
"“I was told right before I came on,” Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., a member of the House Intelligence Committee, said during an appearance on “Fox News Sunday.” Swalwell added that nobody in the Democratic leadership, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, was informed of the raid, Andrew O'Reilly reports for Fox News;
"“I was told right before I came on,” Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., a member of the House Intelligence Committee, said during an appearance on “Fox News Sunday.” Swalwell added that nobody in the Democratic leadership, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, was informed of the raid." (Fox)
Everybody else knew about it. Russia, Iraq, Turkey, even the YPG rebels appear to have contributed in part to the success of the mission.
Does everybody get killed in the end? Negative, only the killer ISIS leader and some of his family. The Americans emerged without a scratch;
“They were greeted with a lot of fire power,” he said of Baghdadi’s entourage. “Many of his people were killed. We lost nobody. Think of that. It’s incredible.” (The Daily Beast)
Sources
Snow, https://www.militarytimes.com/flashpoints/2019/10/07/how-the-us-troop-withdrawal-from-northern-syria-could-create-an-isis-resurgence/
Gilsinan, https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2019/10/syria-turkey-us-russia-ceasefire-worked/600541/
Cummings & Jackson, https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/2019/10/07/lindsey-graham-angry-president-trumps-us-troop-pullout-syria-kurds/3897064002/
Walsh, https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2019-10-21/lindsey-graham-now-says-he-supports-trump-on-syria-pullout
Al Jazeera, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/10/full-text-turkey-russia-agreement-northeast-syria-191022180033274.html
Time, https://time.com/5705969/syria-withdrawl-potatoes/
Reuters, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-baghdadi-turkey-offici/is-leader-baghdadi-arrived-at-area-of-us-raid-48-hours-beforehand-turkish-official-idUSKBN1X60B2
O'Reilly, https://www.foxnews.com/politics/house-dems-angered-that-trump-told-russia-turkey-of-al-baghdadi-but-not-pelosi
Ackerman, Quinn, Nadeau, https://www.thedailybeast.com/isis-leader-abu-bakr-al-baghdadi-killed-in-us-syria-raid-trump
Chuck Norris in "Delta Force," (1988) https://bluray.highdefdigest.com/28648/deltaforce2.html
Lee Marvin in "Delta Force," (1988) https://www.scoopnest.com/user/Elreynetwork/996087753820528640-chuck-norris-a-the-delta-force-come-to-the-rescue-tonight-8p-et-on-chucknorris-deltaforce-le
Steve James, Lee Marvin and Chuck Norris in "Delta Force," (1988) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090927/mediaviewer/rm2818312704
Chuck Norris in "Delta Force," (1988) https://www.ign.com/articles/2016/04/26/igns-top-25-cheesy-action-movies
13 May 2019
#FUJAIRAH--Offshore Oil Tanker Attack–
(The Scullery)-- Scenarios, conspiracy theories and speculation continues to mount as to who is responsible for the damage to four oil tankers moored offshore from the new UAE hub in Fujairah. Everything from underwater subs with modified F-35 missiles to the Israelis out to stoke war fever are being offered across social media and mainstream news alike. However, there is at least one clue that has been offered in a Bloomberg article today titled "Don't Overthink..." by Julian Lee;
"Attacks on oil tankers in the region are rare, and when they do occur, they don’t necessarily disrupt activity. Ships continued to pass through the Strait of Hormuz during the so-called 'tanker war,' a phase of the 1981-’88 conflict between Iraq and Iran when both countries assaulted vessels in the Gulf." (1)
Since the degree of damage to the four tankers hasn't yet been officially documented, referring to the "tanker war" in Lee's article gives a historical perspective on the modus operandi of the saboteurs, as recollected in a May, 1988 US Naval Institute article by Ronald O'Rourke titled "The Tanker War,";
"... mining accounted for only a small fraction of all attacks in 1987. The significant attention paid to the mining threat in the middle months of the year by both on-scene naval forces and the Western press might thus be seen in part as a reflection of the psychological effect that mines can generate."
The greater number of attacks, thus, were non-mine related;
"The category "missile/rocket/grenade" effectively blurs the distinction between Iraqi attacks, which almost always involve missiles, and Iranian attacks, which more often involve rockets and rocket-propelled grenades ." (2)
Following the USS Stark incident in May of 1987, it became more clear as to the operational difference between the Iraqi assaults on Persian Gulf shipping and that of the Iranians . (3)
O'Rouke continues to describe the Iranian modus as it evolved during the Iran-Iraq War;
"When one tactic proved ineffective or was successfully countered, Iran shifted to another. In addition to speedboats, Iran began to employ surreptitiously laid mines; Chinese-made, shore-based Silkworm anti-ship cruise missiles; and traditional naval gunfire, among other weapons. (4) (Photo: USS Stark)
Strauss Center reports that the Iranians have in their stockpile of waterborne destructive devices the Chinese EM-52 rocket propelled rising mine. (5) There are any number of accounts online of the deployment of this attribute but the damage to the four moored tankers does not appear to be the result of this particular weapon. If anything, since, except for a report or two of "significant" damage, it appears damage was light, the weapon(s) used may well have been hand-held or shoulder launched RPG type devices.
(6)
LATE UPDATE--
Lolita in the Boston Globe;
"WASHINGTON (AP) — An American military team’s initial assessment is that Iranian or Iranian-backed proxies used explosives Sunday to blow large holes in four ships anchored off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, a U.S. official said Monday.
The official said each ship has a 5- to 10-foot hole in it, near or just below the water line, and the team’s early belief is that the holes were caused by explosive charges. " (7)
1.) Tanker War, Lee, https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/don-apos-t-overthink-gulf-141613416.html
2.) Modus, O'Rourke, Naval Institute, https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/1988/may/tanker-war
3.) USS Stark, https://news.usni.org/2017/05/17/the-attack-uss-stark-at-30
4.) Evolved, https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/1988/may/tanker-war
5.) EM-52, https://www.strausscenter.org/hormuz/mines.html
6.) Co-ords, https://www.geoplaner.com/
7.) Late, Lolita, https://www.boston.com/news/politics/2019/05/13/official-initial-us-assessment-blames-iran-for-ship-attacks
21 April 2019
SRI LANKA MASSACRE-- British Foreign Service Response—
(The Scullery) --We have seen in the previous post how the US Secretary of State hides his shared guilt for responsibility in shallow condemnation by not insisting his foreign office in Colombo keep abreast of terror alerts that local authorities had access to, but now the Brits are just as guilty. The UK Foreign Office website has issued the same sort of statement by Jeremy Hunt;
" I’m deeply shocked and saddened by the horrifying attacks on churches and hotels in Sri Lanka today, and the tragic news of more than 200 people killed, including several British nationals." (1)
Nowhere in the Secretary's statement does he assume guilt for failure to follow up on intel alerts that the embassy may have had access to in Colombo. The pattern seems to be contagious from those entrusted with international consular affairs and the protection of citizens.
As for the station chief at the Colombo High Commission, James Dauris' profile indicates he was the ambassador to Peru from 2010-2014. (2) There seems to be another total disconnect between a chief of mission and a terror estranged environment, as in the case of Peru, reported in an NCBI abstract;
"Two major domestic terrorist groups have plagued Peru over the past 20 years, the Sendero Luminoso or "Shining Path" (SL) and the Revolutionary Movement Túpac Amaru (MRTA). On 28 August 2003, the Peruvian Truth and Reconciliation Commission reported that an estimated 69,280 persons were killed in the internal conflict in Peru from 1980 to 2000." (3)
We seem to be faced with ignorance, indifference and negligence on a grand scale when it comes to those who should be "in-the-know" about the dangers of terror organizations and a lack of diligence to maintain a strong intel network to ferret out credible threats. The price paid, as in the case of the United States victims, are British citizens' lives.
1.) Shocked, Jeremy Hunt, https://www.gov.uk/government/news/foreign-secretary-statement-on-sri-lankan-attacks
2.) Dauris, https://www.gov.uk/government/people/james-dauris
3.) Peru, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15074494
21 April 2019
SRI LANKA--Americans Killed in Terror Attack–
( The Scullery)--SecState didn't waste any time at all in condemnation of the Easter Sunday terror attacks across the island as reported in the Washington Times;
"'The U.S. embassy is working tirelessly to provide all possible assistance to the American citizens affected by the attacks and their families,' Pompeo said. 'These vile attacks are a stark reminder of why the United States remains resolved in our fight to defeat terrorism.' ” (1)
You wouldn't know it from a visit to the US Embassy site in Colombo, where there is little if no prior mention before-the-fact of any possible terror outbreak on the island for the holiday weekend. The Ambassador was more concerned with a ribbon cutting event three days prior to the attack than following up on some leads available to the police;
"Governor Hizbullah, Member of Parliament A.L.M. Nazeer, teachers, staff and students, good afternoon and as-salamu alaykum. I’m delighted to be here this morning to formally…" (2)
Curiously, the Ambassador as well as the Deputy Chief of Mission both served in Kabul and should have had radar out for a major terror strike for the weekend.
As for the prior intel, news is now coming after the fact that intel did in fact have advance warning as reported in News18;
"Acting on the information, Sri Lanka's police chief Pujuth Jayasundara had sounded a nationwide alert 10 days before the Sunday's attack. 'A foreign intelligence agency has reported that the NTJ (National Thowheeth Jama'ath) is planning to carry out suicide attacks targeting prominent churches as well as the Indian High Commission in Colombo,' said the alert." (3)
There doesn't seem to be any followup anywhere that the warning was passed on to the embassies in the capital.
It is one thing to condemn an attack just to get off the hook for ignorance or just plain negligence, as the Secretary of State has done today, but to not even acknowledge that experienced staff at the embassy failed to keep the markers out on the street to forewarn US citizens in-country of the possibility of imminent danger is inexcusable. Americans paid the price with their lives.
1.) Pompous, https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/pompeo-says-vile-attacks-in-sri-lanka-killed-several-american-citizens/ar-BBW9uoo?ocid=spartanntp
2.) Ribbons, https://lk.usembassy.gov/ambassador-teplitzs-remarks-at-kariapper-ribbon-cutting-ceremony/
3.) Warning, https://www.news18.com/news/india/despite-indias-warning-sri-lanka-failed-to-take-precautions-pm-ranil-wickremesinghe-admits-colombo-had-intel-on-blasts-2111317.html
20 April 2019
TRIPOLI DIME-- Close Reading of a Phone Call–
(Airport Road Checkpoint)--As support goes, and as it has been wavering back and forth from a variety of so-called allies and alliances, the shallowest came out of the Oval Office last week. The New York Times yesterday reported, in an article by David D, Kirkpatrick, the following White House press release;
"“The President recognized Field Marshal Hifter’s significant role in fighting terrorism and securing Libya’s oil resources, and the two discussed a shared vision for Libya’s transition to a stable, democratic political system.” (1)
A close reading of the statement shows an attempt to establish a link between terrorism and the nation's oil supply. But little else is offered to substantiate any kind of link between the two. The statement goes further to try to equate an invasion by an ex-Khadaffi military officer as a step toward democracy, in spite of whatever conditions may or may not exist to the contrary at present.
If the objective of the phone call to the renegade ex-Khadaffi general was to encourage a swift victory in the Libyan capital, then it is meaningless without US military intervention. If anything, challenging entrenched militias on their own turf is nothing short of suicidal.
The phone call has been read and misread in a variety of news sources, some as an endorsement, others as a swivel-headed response to the current status on the ground. The Times goes further to suggest it was a reaction to Haftar's stalled offensive,
"...Mr. Hifter’s forces also appear to be losing ground. His promises of a quick victory have proved false, and his forces appear outmaneuvered by those aligned against them." (1)
In fact, the GNA has recently pushed the invaders back, south toward the dilapidated Tripoli International Airport (TIP) in what Aljazeera characterizes as a 'new phase of attack;'
"Saturday's clashes were 'the fiercest fighting yet', said Al Jazeera's Mahmoud Abdelwahed, reporting from Tripoli. GNA-allied forces 'say they have gained more ground against Haftar's forces, and are determined to re-take control of Tripoli's unused international airport,' he said." (3)
The airport itself may be in a shambles but the Air Traffic Control tower would provide an ideal observation post to reconnoiter the immediate battlefield, as it stands over 200 feet high and has a clear view of the Tactical Area of Responsibility (4)
For better or worse, endorsement from any side in the conflict will be paid for in Libyan civilian casualties. Changing sides depending on the situation at the front can only lead to even greater involvement by foreign meddlers; whether in the form of direct military assistance, in violation of sanctions, or by confusing signals of endorsement. The demands for immediate cease fire is absurd, coming from armchair diplomats and leaders who have little to offer but a dime for a phone call.
1.) Close Read, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/19/world/middleeast/trump-libya-khalifa-hifter.html
2.) The Red Phone photo, https://steemit.com/tribute/@tralawar/tribute-62-years-to-be-heard-a-true-victim-of-corporatism-if-he-only-had-a-steemit
3.) New Phase, M. Abdelwahed, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/04/heavy-clashes-libya-tripoli-phase-attack-190420150424744.html
15 April 2019
ILHANOMAR--The Spotlight is on Death Threats--
(The Scullery) In the wake of some bad grammar by a Congressional rookie, there has been enormous outpouring of hateful rhetoric from all sides of national politics, including but not limited to, inflammatory videos and Twitterspeak. America needs to be reminded that this will lead to the inevitable end, as it has always done, violence and bloodshed; no matter who might think it will not. No one person, not even the President, can predict what will be the outcome of this hate campaign, especially if he is directly involved in it. Instead of setting the example for the citizens to follow, he is creating the environment that will lead to what we saw happen to other members of Congress in the past. Here is a brief reminder from NBC News' Benjy Sarlin on the Capitol police in relation to particular incidents;
"The shooting at a baseball practice of Republican Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) and others is the latest incident to put Congressional security in the spotlight...'He (Scalise) probably saved everybody else's life because if you don't have a leadership person there, there would have been no security there,' Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), who was at the baseball practice." (1)
Incidents of actual attacks, though isolated, may be just a result of law enforcement intercepting the assailants by vigilant social media and phone threat observations that are taken seriously;
"The FBI arrested a man in May for leaving threatening voicemail messages for Rep. Martha McSally (R-AZ). Individual lawmakers have also reported death threats to the Capitol Police, including Rep. Al Green (D-TX), who said he received violent racist messages after calling for President Trump’s impeachment."
Perhaps one of the most outrageous attacks was that on Gabby Giffords in 2011;
"The most serious incident attack against a member and staffers occurred In 2011, when then-Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-AZ) was shot at a constituent event in Arizona along with eighteen others, six fatally. Giffords, who survived, is now a prominent advocate for gun safety laws."
There is no excuse for inciting the people to take action against their representatives; those doing so need held accountable in the very same way that hate rhetoric was condemned on the floor of the House
1.) Capitol Police, Benjy Sarlin, https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/here-s-how-congress-protected-n772296
2.) Scalise Photo, https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2017/june/congressman-steve-scalise-others-shot-by-gunman-targeting-republicans
3.) Giffords Photo, James Palka, AP, https://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/09/us/politics/09giffords.html
07 April 2019
OBJECTIVE TRIPOLI--The LNA Advance into the City–
,,07 April 2019--Clearly, in the vague concept known as "the fog of war" it is vital to determine not just the enemy's intentions, but also his objectives. If they are obscured due to lack of tactical planning or just plain disruption in the lines of communication, then the best, at best, approach, would be to draw those lines and in fact, "guess" at the objectives. That is what this map attenmpts to do.
.. Initial examination of the various objectives in the categories of Tactical, GNA, Infrastructure and others, indicate that a few hundred Taliban Taxis driven by a loose coalition of coup-minded militias will have a great deal of difficulty securing a city the size of Tripoli. Given the number of roads, boulevards and thoroughfares, the GNA is well suited to place itself in the way of any advance by the LNA and utilize surface roads to either confront the push directly or outflank it.
Laying claim to the TIP international hardly puts the LNA in any kind of position to move forward. The other major airport in Mitiga is completely out of reach for the time being considering the rather ill-conceived approach from the south by the LNA. This puts into question also exactly how the army expects to resupply itself, the lines of communication. General Haftar might well find himself enjoying the same fate that Col Khadaffi discovered during the siege of Benghazi before his downfall. (1)
Note on the map the embassy of France is located next door to the Prime Minister's office.
:
1.) Benghazi, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/mar/19/gaddafi-forces-battle-for-benghazi
07 April 2019
LIBYA -- Airport Flights Diverted–
(Checkpoint Charlie)--From obscurity, out of what Col. Khadaffi would characterize as the "dustbin of history," rises Mohammed Gununu. official spokesman for the UN approved Tripoli government security forces. Commander Gununu has announced an operation titled the "Volcano of Rage," (1) the objective, to halt the "coup" attempt by "renegade" General Haftar.
The language of the anti-government operation has changed where the General is now attempting a coup and has been labelled a renegade, in due time possibly even a traitor.
Maps of ground operations are misleading, inaccurate and offer little or no evidence of the push on the fighting on either side. The so-called "no-fly" zone declared by the LNA certainly doesn't show up at all on Sky Vector, which probably doesn't report international activity anyway.
Perhaps at least one source attempts to carefully choreograph groundops as visualized in the image frame to the left. It is located at liveuamap.com. (2) Included at the site is a running update of incoming intel on the situation, unverified, of the Volcano of Rage. The column sources all appear to be from Twitter posts, various, from TV to locals. Actual front line photos limited to burning vehicles. It's anyone's guess just where the front line actually is and how successful the Volcano of Rage is.
At least one indicator of the flip-flop status of the international airport (TIP) can be found at Flight Aware where a number of flights, arrivals, are now being reported as diverted:
Whether this is merely an abundance of caution or some indicator of the degree of fighting on the ground cannot be determined. (3) In any case, without any corroborating evidence, it can be speculated that there may be some truth to the LNA claim of at least a no-fly zone in effect, if not partial control of the TIP facility.
UPDATED: (04/07/19/1143PDT) KAYAK shows a completely different picture of the TIP airport activity as flights appear to be departing and reaching their destinations on schedule: (4)
1.) Gununu, Libyan Express, 07 April 2019.
2.) Map, https://libya.liveuamap.com/en/2019/7-april-libya--un-appeal-for-truce-to-evacuate-wounded-asking
3.) Diverted, https://www.flightradar24.com/data/airports/tip
4.) KAYAK, https://www.kayak.com/tracker/LN-192/2019-04-07
22 March 2019
17 February 2019
02 December 2018
FRANCE -THE 2015 STATE OF EMERGENCY
SUJ: AS President Macron considers the extreme:
(El Barretal)-- Various restrictions on the citizens as reported in newspapers in 2015:
The following was reported in the Victoria (TX) Advocate--
...the French Senate approved a measure extending France's state of emergency for three months. ..The move allows the authorities to conduct a stop and search, and to ban large public gatherings. Other steps include passport checks and crackdowns on weapons trafficking.(1)
According to the Los Angeles Times on December 30, conditions included:
1.) Extraordinary procedures at airport passport checks
2.) Warrantless searches
3.) Preemptive house arrests
3.) Authority to shut down websites
5.) Stripping French citizens with dual citizenships.
The Times goes further to report in order to make the restrictions permanent, it would only require a three-fifths majority of the Parliament. (1)
Supporting Documents:
1.) Nations Agree to Tighter European Border Controls, by Kim Hjelmgaard & Katherine Lacjey for USA Today, The Victoria (TX) Advocate, 21 Nov 2015, Page 2B
2.) So Much for Liberté, Los Angeles Times, 30 Dec 2015, Page 10.
02 December 2018
#GILETSJAUNES--On the Barricades @ Champs-Élysées----LUDOSKY, DROUET, NICOLLE, BLAVIER, HERBERT, MIRALLES, LABADIE, TERRIER
LGJ---REGARDING THE "REPRESENTATIVES" OF THE STREET--
(El Barretal)---Following the initial protests spokespersons who ultimately refused to meet with French officials as there would be no media present, now reported to be a dissolved coalition. However, the list does serve a purpose to get a bit of a feeling for the cross-section of those average French women and men who have taken to the barricades.
Priscillia Ludosky, manager of an online cosmetics shop
This manager of an online cosmetics shop, aged 32, from Savigny-le-Temple (Seine-et-Marne) has launched a petition on Change.org, signed by nearly a million people,
Eric Drouet, truck driver
This driver in Melun (Seine-et-Marne), 33 years old, is the creator of the Facebook page which called for the national blocking of 17 November to protest against the rise in fuels
(Photo Ludosky & Drouet from: https://actu.fr/ile-de-france/melun_77288/seine-marne-gilets-jaunes-eric-drouet-priscillia-ludosky-ministere-transition-ecologique_19797133.html)
Maxime Nicolle, Acting (gauche in photo)
This inhabitant of Côtes-d'Armor is the administrator of the Facebook page "Fly Rider infos Bloc", a "support and information group on the national blocking without duration starting November 17", which has 49,000 subscribers. He made himself known locally for having called to protest despite the prohibition of the mobilization of 17 November in Dinan,
(Photo from: https://www.ouest-france.fr/bretagne/saint-brieuc-22000/gilets-jaunes-un-costarmoricain-designe-porte-parole-6092347)
Mathieu Blavier, farmer
Mathieu Blavier, 22, is a law student at the faculty of Aix-en-Provence, according to his Linkedin profile. Based in Miramas (Bouches-du-Rhône), he first obtained a degree in Aeronautics and then worked as a maintenance technician at VSM and at Airbus.
(Photo from: https://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/provence-alpes-cote-d-azur/bouches-du-rhone/marseille/gilets-jaunes-qui-est-mathieu-blavier-porte-parole-bouches-du-rhone-1582015.html)
Jason Herbert, labor councilor and former journalist
This communication officer in a library of Angouleme (Charente), aged 26, worked as a journalist at La Charente Libre between 2012 and 2014, according to his profile Viadeo, before being fired. He continues his employer to the labor court for "dismissal without cause real and serious" and joined the CFDT-Journalists in 2016, before joining the national council, reports the union. Last January, he also became a labor councilor.
(Photo from: https://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/nouvelle-aquitaine/charente/angouleme/jason-herbert-nomme-delegue-communication-gilets-jaunes-charente-1582693.html)
Thomas Miralles, company manager and former candidate "Bleu Marine"
At the age of 25, Thomas Miralles is the founder and director of a brokerage firm in real estate loans in Perpignan (Pyrénées-Orientales), according to his LinkedIn profile. This business school graduate has twice been a candidate in the municipal elections in Canet-en-Roussillon (Pyrénées-Orientales) learned franceinfo, confirming the information of L'Indépendant. First in 2010, on a list Republican Union, supported by the Socialist Party. Then in 2014 under the banner "Canet Bleu Marine", supporting Marine Le Pen.
(Photo from: https://madeinperpignan.com/il-est-le-gilet-jaune-catalan-de-la-delegation-des-huit-entretien-avec-thomas-miralles/#jp-carousel-1265372)
Marine Charrette-Labadie, waitress
Since she declared the demonstration of November 17 Brive (Corrèze) in prefecture, this waitress of 22 years organized several actions in the region of Brive, reports the Opinion. A first for the young woman, who tells Marianne to be "rather left" but refuse the political recovery of the movement.
(Photo from: https://www.bfmtv.com/mediaplayer/video/nous-sommes-des-benevoles-qui-essaient-de-donner-la-parole-aux-francais-explique-cette-representante-des-gilets-jaunes-1120454.html)
Julien Terrier, auto-entrepreneur in Grenoble
"A native of Annecy (Haute-Savoie), this former member of the Air Force worked in several sectors, from building to trade, before creating his own renovation and repair company," reports Le Figaro. But the company of this spokesman for "yellow vests" in Grenoble, launched at the beginning of the year, idling since it multiplies the meetings to structure the action of the movement locally, ensures the Agence France Presse .
(Photo from: https://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/auvergne-rhone-alpes/gilets-jaunes-boycotte-ministre-grenoblois-julien-terrier-denonce-mascarade-politique-1582627.html)
Profile translations from:
https://www.francetvinfo.fr/economie/transports/gilets-jaunes/chauffeur-routier-ancien-journaliste-serveuse-qui-sont-les-huit-porte-parole-des-gilets-jaunes_3053593.html
19 August 2018
SOUTH AMERICAN DOMINO THEORY
(The Barn)-- Definitive is the word but it appears to be something that is currently lacking as to exact figures on what media apologetically refers to as a "crisis." With the local currency now in the inflation bracket of astronomical and families crossing into neighboring regions by red and blue waves, with and without documentation, the nation of Venezuela is beyond crisis, in its death throes and probably will not be alive much longer. Looming large is where can it go from here, further down? In the meantime, there is at least some information that can be of value to observe its collapse and determine if it will take the entire southern hemisphere with it.
Currently, refugees have been flowing out of the country at rates that even shock the alarmists into areas where they are met with hostility and indifference, not to mention an incredible burden on the economies and security of Colombia, Ecuador and Brazil. Paula Ramon reports for AFP yesterday,
Agence France Presse (19 Aug 2018)
Sao Paulo (AFP) - Brazil's President Michel Temer called an emergency meeting of key ministers Sunday after ordering troops to the border with Venezuela as regional tensions build over the exodus from its crisis-hit neighbor.
The move comes after residents in the border town of Pacaraima clashed violently with Venezuelan migrants, driving them out of makeshift camps in the town.
A headcount is given in various sources (see supporting documents):
PERU-- 20,000 refugees last week (400,000 last year)
COLOMBIA--temporary residency to 800,000 refugees (Cucuta)
BRAZIL--500 border crossings daily. (Pacaraima)
ECUADOR-- 4000 daily at the border (Ipiales-Rumichachi)
The bordering nations are officially responding with closing the borders, Ecuador will be requiring passports instead of just ID cards, and soldiers are being sent to secure the more porous areas. Unofficially, the locals are resorting to burning out the migrant camps in reaction to petty crimes and theft attributed to the refugees, without making an effort to see who is responsible, in effect, vigilante justice. The US government has sent millions in cash already in an effort to turn the tide of the refugee problem and its food and medical counterparts but it has met with little success. Another proposal from the DoD chief is sending in hospital ships but to where and when is all still in the cigar smoke back rooms of the Pentagon. There is no indication if that is official policy or just empty promises as DoD chief toured the region recently. There is a far greater problem.
Nicaragua is also going through the same last gasp as a failed communist nation and creating similar strains on its neighbors. No one wants undocumented transients on their turf, likening what is fast becoming reaction to as just "similar incidents." They are not similar and they are not incidents, they are the indications of a regional disintegration of law and order, economic downturn due to lack of jobs and political turmoil as the dominos begin to fall.
17 August 2018
YEMEN --The MK-82 Paveway Bomb–
(LZ 410 Danang)-- Since it's become open season on your neighbors kids by attacking them with laser guided weapons of mass destruction from far away, a closer look at the one that hit the Yemeni school bus on August 09, the "legitimate military target," is necessary.
CNN's article today clearly indicates that the Obama administration outlawed export of the MK-82 to Saudi Arabia after similar attacks on civilians, such as at a funeral, last year. Targeting funerals and school busses, it might be noted, are tactics learned from murderers like Iraq invaders ISIS, Afghanistan's Taliban and Russian proxy war ally Hafez Assad in Syria. The Saudis have learned their lessons well.
CNN:
"In the aftermath of the funeral hall attack, former US President Barack Obama banned the sale of precision-guided military technology to Saudi Arabia over "human rights concerns."
The ban was overturned by the Trump administration's then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in March 2017."
https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/17/middleeast/us-saudi-yemen-bus-strike-intl/index.html
The report goes further to note the WMD used in the killing of the kids was reauthorized for sale in the same overturned agreement. When CNN asked for accountability, the Saudi stooge replied that the Iranians now run the government in Yemen, leaving it up to the reader to trace how the bomb made it from the Lockheed Martin plant to its target at the market place.
In fact, Lockheed Martin doesn't just build these WMDs and hope someone will buy them, they need funding. According to aviationanalysis.net, the contract for the guidance system on the bomb, at least in 2012, came from the US Air Force,
AVIATION ANALYSIS:
"Oct. 17, 2012 – Lockheed Martin received a $34.1 million contract from the U.S. Air Force for follow-on production of paveway II Plus Laser Guided Bomb (LGB) GBU-10, GBU-12 and GBU-16 guidance kits.
With this contract, Lockheed Martin received the majority share of a $56 million paveway II Plus LGB procurement. Production is expected to begin in early 2014. The contract is part of an overall $475 million five-year, firm-fixed-price, multiple-award contract announced by the U.S. Air Force in August 2011. Lockheed Martin was qualified as paveway supplier in 2001."
http://www.aviationanalysis.net/2012/10/lockheed-martin-receives-34-million.html
There is no clear method to discover if the WMDs manufactured by Lockheed in 2012 sat on a shelf for a few years before the Saudis bought them, or if, in fact, the one used on the school bus was a leftover from a previous arms deal before the Obama ban. One thing is clear from A-Analysis, it was the US Air Force that fronted the money to build the laser guidance system.
Carefully avoiding any negative publicity as to who is accountable for the mass murder of the school children returning from a "picnic," that the Saudis characterize as a Houthi child-recruitment or human shield operation, official reports try to hang the price tag on the weapons manufacturer, when in fact it is DoD funding that generates these killer laser bombs. It's useless also to blame sheik stooges who are too rich and stupid to understand accountability for war crimes, the blame has to start at the top, that being the US government and its lifting of the ban to provide these bombs to trigger happy arabs. The blame also has to go to the US Department of Defense for funding the manufacture. If we can't find someone to drop them on ourselves, then we do not have a license to distribute them to those with zero scruples when it comes to humanity in warfare. If General Mattis, the current Secretary of Defense, believes that war is a nasty business, as he states to CNN, then we need to be careful about making it nastier.
15 August 2018
YEMEN--The School Bus Crime--SENATOR WARREN & OBSOLETE WAR POWERS ACT
(LZ 410 Danang)-- Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) has come out of the bunker and demanded to get to the bottom of the air raid on the school bus August 9 in Saada province along the Saudi border. News reports indicate the bomb was General Dynamics or Raytheon manufacture, MK-82 500 pounds, possibly guided, maybe just dropped. Unit cost in 2001 was around $2000. The casualty count was just over 50 killed including numerous kids, so each victim's life was worth about $40. Compare that to the sheiks whose lives are worth billions and that will tell you all you need to know about what the war is all about. Oppression, suppression, call it by any name you like and it still adds up to legal murder.
Progress into any investigation as to what happened will lead you down a variety of paths; from the one that says intelligence failure to the other that says we don't have the need to know what happened. The Saudi excuse is that the enemy keeps lobbing rockets over the border at their bases. The Saudis retaliate by dropping 500 pound bombs indiscriminately on kids singing and riding home from a picnic in a school bus. The Saudis say they're being used as human shields, partially true, but being used by the Saudis as an excuse to drop more bombs on the population.
We have to get to the bottom of this, but not from the angle of "let's have an investigation." They never amount to anything and the culprits walk. The problem isn't the Saudis, all they do is pull the trigger, because they can, because we supply them with the weapons and jet fuel and intelligence. Because there are no limits as to what we can and can't do to stop them. The problem is people like Senator Warren, who consider an investigation the solution; she's not part of the solution, she's part of the problem and the problem is antiquated rules of engagement like the War Powers Act. It has no clauses stipulating the use of American weapons by wealthy foreign powers in their border wars against peasants and farmers. The War Powers Act is not only obsolete but dangerous. Dangerous because it allows the United States to arm others to do its dirty work for whatever purpose the particular so-called "ally" has in mind.
Certainly the Commander-in-Chief has to justify to Congress why he topples Libya but only after the fact and only after a few months have gone by. But he does not have to explain why we allow Raytheon and General Dynamics the green light to sell munitions that will be used to mangle and maim kids. Congress, on the other hand, doesn't have to do anything but abide by the rules of such antique and treacherous war powers restrictions that do everything but restrict the Saudis from carrying out a campaign of extermination through the use of advanced weaponry. They'll of course insist the Iranians are to blame as they have covertly infiltrated Yemen. But none of that matters at all, it's their problem, not ours. America's problem is to prevent investigators on the ground from finding blown apart casings with MK-82, Raytheon Corporation stamped on them lying next to some bleeding 10 year old kid.
That's where Senator Warren comes in. Passing the buck off to some UN team looking for answers isn't good enough. She has to initiate legislation in Congress that will rewrite the War Powers Act, better yet, toss it into the trash can. The Senator has to come up with new legislation agreed upon that will guarantee any non-combatant casualties in a proxy war such as The Kingdom vs Yemen be given a day in a court of law against those who manufactured and sold the weapons to those who used them. Recently, new legislation has held Saudi Arabia accountable for 9/11 and there is no reason to have them, and their weapons suppliers be held accountable for whatever else, and whomever else, they wish to engage.
We are living with a system for the definition of the rules of war that date back to the end of the Viet Nam conflict in the last century. Social media clamors and goes viral every time someone says the wrong thing or touches someone where they don't want to be touched, it's the wave of the future in the 21st century. Our congressional leaders are either too blind, too apathetic or just too lazy to do anything about redefining our role in international wars and until that changes, every kid in every school bus in every country in the Middle East is a target.
12 August 2018
OMAROSA UNHINGED -- "The Bitch Switch" (2008)
(LZ 410 Danang)-- New information has surfaced concerning the author of the controversial expose on the inner workings of the executive branch--
DAILY BEAST--Elaina Plott story-- Nov 13, 2017
At age 23, before she became a reality TV star, the Howard University grad worked under Vice President Al Gore with the title of “special assistant of logistics.” Then she bounced around a bit, working for President Bill Clinton in the personnel office, and finally at the Commerce Department. Writing in her 2008 book, The Bitch Switch—her “step-by-step guide for locating your inner BITCH, personalizing your switch, and knowing when to turn it on and when to turn it off”
https://www.thedailybeast.com/no-one-knows-what-omarosa-is-doing-in-the-white-houseeven-omarosa
Nonfiction Book Review--Reviewed on: 09/29/2008 Release date: 10/01/2008
https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-59777-595-3
The Bitch Switch: Knowing How to Turn It on and Off
Omarosa, Author Phoenix Books $19.95 (189p) ISBN 978-1-59777-595-3
Omarosa's overbearing self-involvement, in this book, becomes a studied strategy in avoiding exploitation. Lots of Omarosa's advice is old and faithful-the importance of self-esteem, the negligibility of what others think of you-
ANALYSIS: Again, we need to examine the plight of the African-American female in her effort to rise to the top in the white boy American literature mainstream, as being credible. "Unhinged" is her second book, not her first, and that bodes well in her attempt to achieve that goal.
(Hill 55 COC)-- Professor "M" Judd's English 102 class for Spring 2018 semester at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) had a handful of students, one of which dropped out following the first meeting. The class was early in the morning which probably accounted for such a low turnout, but it was fortunate for those who did attend that "M" could focus on the individuals. On a campus where many of the classes such as Anthropology and Core Humanities have large lecture halls full of students along with discussion periods that only last an hour, having a class with hardly any students at all offers a great opportunity to look smart, or look the opposite.
Prof Judd placed great emphasis throughout on the struggle of the African-American, or black, feminine or feminist, writer with examples of Juanita Comfort and Jackie Kay as guides throughout the semester. I wasn't convinced that her arguments had bearing, at least until long after the class ended and summer passed. This week, a former White House confidante published an expose due to be released next week strongly criticizing the president's credibility, with the title of "Unhinged." According to what's out thus far, the sneak peeks, the author accuses her former boss on a TV show as well as at the executive branch, of racially charged statements, among other things. It's immediately dismissed as the product of a "low life."
Of course, the president's blind followers haven't even been "Unhinged" yet, and accept the review as that of a "low life." It's a true misfortune that the book wasn't released so that M Judd's class had a chance to read it, in context with the struggle of black female authors' efforts to be accepted by mainstream literature. But the reaction to it is predictable.
When a patrol gets cut to ribbons in an ambush, the reaction is indeed ignorance. The after action report will show the mistakes made by ignorant commanders; stupidly assuming the enemy is weak, assuming the enemy doesn't have the will to fight, will cut and run. The more effective the ambush, the greater the KIA and WIA, the more casualties inflicted, the greater the ignorant response.
The president was missing in action for Professor M Judd's class. He was caught out in the open, by sheer ignorance, in the Omarosa ambush. The handful of students who were all present and accounted for survived with a new insight into who will eventually replace the Ken Keseys and the Tom Wolfes in contemporary literature, and they won't be white guys either. We can add Omarosa to the list of Comfort and Kay.
20 July 2017
JOHN MCCAIN--Interview With French Reporter-- FOOD AT HANOI HILTON
(LZ410DANANG)-- Lt Cmdr John S. McCain (USN) interview with French reporter in November, 1967--
Delaware County Daily Times--Feb 14, 1968
Captured Airman Says 'I Love You' to Wife
By FRANK GALEY Dally Times Staff Writer A former Lansdowne woman saw her husband for the first time in months Tuesday night — by television from a hospital bed in North Vietnam. "I love her, and I'm going to see her soon," Lt. Cmdr. John S. McCain 3rd said in a recorded Interview broadcast nationally over CBS-TV. McCain, son of the U.S. Navy's commander in chief in Europe and grandson of a famous Navy World War Ii carrier commander, was shot down Oct. 25 while flying a bombing mission over Hanoi. His wife, Carol, is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph A. Shepp, 158 Midway Ave., Lansdowne. McCain has visited here several times. The Interview — apparently recorded last November — was
broadcast on the CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite. McCain was in a hospital bed recovering from fractured arms and a fractured leg he suffered when he was shot down. At the end, McCain wept. Mrs. Shoop said the family had not heard from him before Tuesday night, but that the government had kept them posted on his condition. She said her daughter — who lived in Lansdowne most of her life — "has been ve-y, very upset." Mrs. McCain now lives in Florida, she said. Asked her reaction to the interview, Mrs. Shepp said: "It was the normal reaction of anyone who is in this position. Very sad." She said she doesn't expect to see her son-in-lath again "until the war's over." Mrs. Shepp said she received a telephone call Tuesday from
a government official who told her the interview would be televised. CBS said the North Vietnam government permitted French television producer Francois Chalais to talk with McCain in a Hanoi hospital after he was treated for his injuries. Here is the complete text of the interview:
Chalais: "What is your name?"
McCain: "Lt. Cmdr. John McCain."
Chalais: "That's a famous name."
McCain: "Yes."
Chalais: "May I know who is your father? Could you name him and tell me who he is?"
McCain: "Yes, he's known as Adm. John McCain. He lives in London, England, now."
Chalais: "Doing what?"
McCain: "He's commander in
chief of the U.S. Naval forces in Europe."
Chalais: "Have you children?"
McCain: "Three."
Chalets: "Three boys? Girls?"
McCain: "Two boys. one girl."
Chalais:"What age?" •
McCain: "A boy of seven. a boy five and a girl of two."
Chalais: "Could you name them?"
McCain: "Douglas, Andrew and Sidney."
Chalais: ":„ which unit of the U.S. forces were you serving?"
McCain: "I was serving in the Attack Squadron 163 of the USS Oriskany."
Chalais: "How long till now?"
McCain: "About three weeks before I was shot down."
Chalais: "Are you a profes-sional soldier, or what is your job?"
McCain: "Yes."
Chalais: "You're a
professional soldier. How many raids have you done until the last one?"
McCain: "Twenty-three."
Chalais: "In which cir-cumstances have you been shot down?"
McCain: "I was on a flight over the city of Hanoi, and I was bombing and was hit by either missile or antiaircraft fire . . . I'm not su 2 which. And the plane continued straight clown, and I ejected, and broke my leg, both arms, and went into a lake, parachuted into a lake. "And I was picked up by sonic North Vietnamese and taken to the hospital where I almost died. And I am going to receive an operation on my leg. and another cast on my arm, in December."
Chalais: "Which day was It?"
McCain: "Twenty-five October."
(*halals: "Then you are here for a few days. Let me know how you are treated here."
McCain: "I ant treated well here, I am treated well by the doctors and the people here."
Chalais: "How's your food?"
McCain: "It's not like Paris. but I eat it."
Chalais: "The last minute we have now, I should like to give it to you and your family. If you have anything to say to the people you love and the people who love please tell it now, this time Ls yours." McCain: "I would just like to tell . my wife . . I'm gonna get well . . . I love her and just hope to see her soon. I'd appreciate it it you'd tell her that. That's all. I'm sure that I will get well. That's all I have to say."
Chalais: "Thank you, officer."
McCain: "Thank you."
30 June 2017
USS FITZGERALD--Heavy Lift Stateside--3D SIMULATED IMAGES, DEFENSE NEWS REPORT
FOR IMMEDIATE REVIEW--USN BD INQUIRY
((Danang A GoGo)--Following simulation of heavy lift ship transporting the crippled vessel to dry dock, San Diego--
DEFENSE NEWS HIGHLIGHTS--
The most likely scenario for the repair is that the Navy will have to send Fitz home on a heavy-lift vessel, said Bryan Clark, a retired submariner and analyst with the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments.
"There is no way they can get it repaired overseas,” Clark said. “What they are doing now is trying to determine whether it can be repaired enough to make it home on its own power or if they should put it on a heavy-lift ship. From there it’s going to go into a long repair period at one of the private yards.”
Clark said General Dynamics NASSCO in San Diego would be a logical place to do the repair.
The Cole was taken to Ingalls shipyard in Pascagoula, Mississippi, where she was built, on board the Heavy Lift Ship Blue Marlin.
For Cole, Ingalls cut out the damaged section of the ship, refabricated the new section and welded it back into the ship. In all the repair replaced 550 tons of steel and both main engines, per a 2002 press release.
USS FITZGERALD--Collision Location Correction--BELOW OSHIMA ISLAND, NOT ABOVE-- NY TIMES
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE--REVISED DATA FOLLOWING NEW INFORMATION
(LZ 410 Danang)-- New data and followup upon viewing the NY Times story today
Collision First Reported by Reconpresseusa--(06/17/17)--
USS FITZGERALD ACX CRYSTAL--Cargo Ship, Lost, Course Error/Correction--OUT OF THE SHIPPING LANE
http://reconpresseusa.blogspot.com/2017/06/uss-fitzgerald-acx-crystal-cargo-ship_24.html
Today, the New York Time, with more data, has located the collision below the island, not above it--
at the so-called "correction" on the original map
The Path of the Container Ship That Struck a U.S. Navy Destroyer
Records show the ship turned sharply to the right around that time. The route of the destroyer is not shown on these maps because commercial tracking data doesn't include military ships, but damage to its starboard side indicates that it would have been bearing south at the time of the collision.
The Times has the same tracking path in its article initially reported 2 days prior by this blog--
Recon Presse USA was the first to report the collision location utilizing tracking information from a maritime tracking website..
FWD PVT "JC" SPUD DETAIL, USS MINNOW--ATTN, URGENT--
USS FITZGERALD--Now We Know Why--DESTROYERS ARE CALLED "TIN CANS"
IMMEDIATE RELEASE--SCUTTLEBUTT FROM STARBOARD-- UNCLASSIFIED--
Port of Danang)-- Following data now received over the TT--
The Courier-Journal (Louisville, Kentucky)-- Sept 03,1942
tin can
noun phrase
A depth charge (WWII Navy)
A naval warship, esp a destroyer (1937+ Navy)
A car, esp a Model T Ford (1923+)
http://navyformoms.ning.com/group/navyhistory/forum/topics/tin-can-sailors
Tincan – Also seen as "Tin Can," a common nickname for a destroyer. The nickname arose because in World Wars One and Two, the hull plating of this ship type was so thin the sailors claimed they were made from tin cans. In fact, a .45 pistol bullet would penetrate it. Modern destroyers have much thicker hull plating, but the nickname persists. This nickname is sometimes abbreviated as "Can", although to a radioman a ‘can’ is a set of headphones.
ARLEIGH-BURKE CLASS HULL--
http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=95398&page=1
The massive but speedy $1 billion USS Cole, powered by four jet engines similar to those used in airliners, is one of the Navy’s most advanced warships, built around the high-tech Aegis combat system, which employs the latest anti-aircraft and anti-submarine technology.
It carries batteries of anti-aircraft and anti-ship missiles, a cannon that can launch five-inch shells more than 10 miles and two Gatling guns that each can fire 50 bullets a second.
Adm. Vernon Clark, chief of naval operations, said the ship’s hull varies in thickness but is covered with half-inch steel at the waterline that is capable of withstanding 51,000 pounds per square inch where the powerful explosion ripped it open.
NOTE:
The USS Cole bombing was a terrorist attack against the United States Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Cole on 12 October 2000, while it was being refueled in Yemen's Aden harbor.
17 JUne 2017
USS FITZGERALD ACX CRYSTAL--Oshima Island--HOME OF THE "SUICIDE CRATER"--
IMMEDIATE RELEASE-- FIRE GOD OF MOUNT MIHARA
(LZ410 Danang)-- Bizarre twist to the already perplexing mystery as to why two ships that should have passed in the night, instead collided, is the following story in the St Louis Star & Times from 1937-- The ship collision occurred just off the northern shore of the island.
The text of the article has been decoded and converted by Optical Character Recognition (OCR)--
Suicide Crater. While nearly every large metrop-olis has its famous "Lover's Leap," the greatest monument to self-de-struction stands today as Mount Mihara, a volcano on Oshima Island, near Tokyo. Japan. In the past six years more than 2,000 Japanese have joined their an-cestors by hurling themselves into the hot lava from the crater's lip. In 1936 alone, 619 persons were offi-cially known to have sacrificed their lives to the Fire God of Mount Mihara for 619 unfathomable rea-sons.
Alarmed at the high suicide rate of Oshima Island, the small inter-island steamship company that runs boats from Tokyo to Oshima de-cided to stop selling one-way tickets in an effort to discourage would-be suicides. And, strange as it seems, the alarming suicide rate has actually increased the population of Oshima Island rather than decreased it! The sulphurous pit of Mihara proved to be such a morbid lure to tourists that the steamship company had
added new ships and doubled up its sailing schedule.
The number of inns at the Oshima port has trebled in tour years. Other famed meccas of suicides are the 202-foot monument to Sir Christopher Wren in London; the Sydney Harbor Bridge at Sydney, Australia, where 43 suicides were recorded in the first two years after its construction in 1932; the Wash-ington Monument, where it was found necessary to bar the win-dows; and Pasadena. Cal.'s 1504-foot high Colorado street span, where nearly 100 persons leaped to violent deaths before steps were taken to safeguard it.
St Louis Star & Times Nov 12, 1937
USS FITZGERALD ACX CRYSTAL--Cargo Ship, Lost, Course Error/Correction--OUT OF THE SHIPPING LANE
IMMEDIATE RELEASE--USN BD/R
(LZ 410 Danang)--Clearly, the cargo ship missed its navigational (way)point below Oshima Island and made its course correction as indicated by the plot history. Instead of making the course adjustment that would have placed the ship back on track, it reversed course momentarily below Oshima Island and attempted to correct.
Instead, the decision was made on the bridge to return to the course that would take it below Oshima and pick up the lane on the way into Tokyo. Result, it collided with the destroyer.
Another aspect for speculation is that the abrupt change of course alerted the maritime authorities and the destroyer was dispatched to hail the bridge of the Crystal and get it intentions.
USS FITZGERALD ACX CRYSTAL--Cargo Ship Course, Speed--POINT OF IMPACT
IMMEDIATE RELEASE--ATTN USN BD/R
(LZ Danang)-- Review of speed, course at My Ship Tracking indicates the cargo ship was enroute approx. 7-8 KN at impact, roughly 10 MPH.
Use link below, enter "ACX Crystal", dialogue box will show tracking path with speeds, course, dates, etc.
http://www.myshiptracking.com/
Time probably UTC, unverified--
USS FITZGERALD ACX CRYSTAL--Cargo Ship Itinerary--PORT OF ORIGIN, JAPAN TO TOKYO
IMMEDIATE RELEASE--ATTN USN BD REVIEW--
(LZ 410 Danang)-- Following details of the cargo ship that collided with the US destroyer on the high seas SW Japan--
MY SHIP TRACKING-- Enter "ACX Crystal), it will indicate ship moored, Tokyo.
Dialog box prompt for 3-day track which will bring up the port of origin--
http://www.myshiptracking.com/
Note prior to collision, below Oshima Island where the ship reverses course before continuing to sail northeast, where the collision occurred above the island.
PORT OF ORIGIN--STILL FRAME, GOOGLE EARTH--
Track indicates transponder operating efficiently on the cargo vessel and it appears to be in designated shipping lane..
USS FITZGERALD ACX CRYSTAL--Cargo Ship Itinerary-- 3 DAY PLOT FROM CHINA TO TOKYO, VIA COLLISION
IMMEDIATE RELEASE--ATTN USN BD REVIEW--
(LZ 410 Danang)-- Following details of the cargo ship that collided with the US destroyer on the high seas SW Japan--
MY SHIP TRACKING-- Enter "ACX Crystal), it will indicate ship moored, Tokyo.
Dialog box prompt for 3-day track which will bring up the port of origin--
http://www.myshiptracking.com/
Note prior to collision, below Oshima Island where the ship reverses course before continuing to sail northeast, where the collision occurred above the island.
PORT OF ORIGIN--STILL FRAME, GOOGLE EARTH--
Track indicates transponder operating efficiently on the cargo vessel and it appears to be in designated shipping lane..
USS FITZGERALD -- ACX CRYSTAL-- High Seas Collision..!!--3D Simulated Imagery--ATTN USN BOARD OF REVIEW
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE--
(LX410 Danang)-- Following latest imagery of the high seas collision off SW coast Japan involving a US Navy destroyer and a Philippine flagged container ship--
CARGO SHIP COURSE PLOT FOLLOWING COLLISION--
https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/home/centerx:139.4/centery:35.2/zoom:9
HYPOTHESIS 001)--Indications from angle of collision are that Navy vessel attempted to cut across the path of the cargo ship as damage to the destroyer is midship, broadside, starboard.
The container vessel damage is on the port bow. It also appears that, from early data gathered from Marine Traffic, which monitors the locations and courses of commercial vessels, the ACX Crystal was in a designated shipping lane.
The injured Captain of the destroyer was immediately airlifted from the crippled vessel and sequestered away, probably for debriefing and preventing the long arm of the media to interfere or draw speculation as to what happened....
HYPOTHESIS 002)-- The cargo ship deliberately rammed the destroyer.
USS FITZGERALD-ACX CRYSTAL COLLISION--Cargo Ship Current Position, Moored--MARITIME VESSEL TRACKING, GOOGLE MAP
IMMEDIATE RELEASE-- MARINE TRAFFIC
(LZ410 Danang)--Following updated data on the Philippine cargo ship involved in the high seas incident--
Position Received: 5 minutes ago (2017-06-17 14:22 (UTC))
Vessel's Local Time: 2017-06-17 23:22 (UTC +9)
Area: JAPAN - Japan Coast
Latitude / Longitude: 35.60032° / 139.77°
Status: Moored
Speed/Course: 0.0kn / -
AIS Source: 2793 R I
GOOGLE MAP OF previous course from location of collision to moored status--
USS FITZGERALD--ACX CRYSTAL COLLISION--Cargo Ship Current Position, Course--MARINE TRAFFIC PLOT ON GOOGLE MAP
IMMEDIATE RELEASE--
(LZ410 Danang)-- Following data plotted from the Marine Traffic page indicates the current position and course of the cargo ship involved in the collision--
Vessel's Local Time: 2017-06-17 10:31 (UTC +9)
Latitude / Longitude: 34.85966°n / 139.4781°e
Vessel's Local Time: 2017-06-17 11:10 (UTC +9)
Latitude / Longitude: 34.86026° n/ 139.4816°e
GOOGLE MAP PLOT--
.. CARRY ON WITH PLOTTING COURSE–
USS FITZGERALD COLLISION--Cargo Ship Current Position--MARINE TRAFFIC TRANSPONDER SIGNAL
IMMEDIATE RELEASE--
(Hadong Bridge detail)-- following reported by the marinetraffic.com page of 2nd vessel in collision--Latest Position
In Range
Position Received: 2 minutes ago (2017-06-17 01:31 (UTC))
Vessel's Local Time: 2017-06-17 10:31 (UTC +9)
Area: JAPAN - Japan Coast
Latitude / Longitude: 34.85966° / 139.4781°
Status: Not Under Command
Speed/Course: 0.1kn / -
AIS Source: 3742 Gekko4th
LOCATION ON GOOGLE MAP--
21 March 2017
NOWRUZ--Live From Karbala, Iraq--ALTAF AHMAD, POINT JOURNALIST, PRESS TV
TO HAYES
FROM SOLDIER
SUBJ ALTAF'S LATEST STORY--
(MOSUL U)-- Here she is again, covering Persian New Year in the war zone--
STORY WITH VIDEO--
http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2017/03/21/515128/Iran-Karbala-celebrate-Nowruz
06 March 2017
The Revisenik
Tuesday, March 6, 2017
#YEMENRAID--Actionable Intel--A Revision
TO REYNALDO, CC COL RODRIGUEZ
FROM HECTOR
SUBJ THE ODD MAN OUT--
(CANTINA ONE)-- Based on what the objectives were for the mission January 29 on the Yaklaa village, commanders admit no actionable intel was gathered from the operation. But that depends on the perspective. Consider what has been learned when placing the actionable intel into context with all of the intel surrounding the raid.
The US administration was a relative newbie and in the tight circle of advisers, all were eager, perhaps too eager, to agree to the plan, which hadn't been thoroughly vetted. There was possibly no dissent, no Devil's Advocate, the so-called "Tenth Man", or as found in the IDF, The "Ipcha Mistabra".
What hadn't been taken into account was the following, that now proves to be very significant intelligence:
1.) The enemy is keenly aware of the Modus Operandi of the field units involved in the raids, from prior experience since the plan was all too similar to previous raids that did not accomplish objectives.
2.) The moonless night requirement is an all too obvious giveaway to the enemy and they are well prepared to post whatever additional security forces are necessary during the dark of the moon. This is the first obvious piece of in-context intel gathered.
3.) Willingness of locals to defend their village, in spite of who it might harbor, against interlopers and intruders, for whatever reason they might drop in. Completely overlooked and ignored by mission planners, the reaction by the average villager.
4.) Although collateral damage may be a consideration for friendly forces, it appears it means nothing to the enemy, willing to engage in close quarter firefights and ambushes with the intruders in the presence of civilians, in particular women and children.
5.) The willingness of the enemy to recruit female combatants to engage the invading force, and keep it pinned down in heavy crossfire in order to maximize casualties.
6.) The over dependence on military hardware during an emergency exfiltration, where casualties become a burden to the invading force, requiring mission objective components to be scrapped in order to commence rescue operations.
7.) The bottom line is the overall awareness of the execution of the plan, the knowledge of the tactical blueprint by the enemy; making it apparent to him just exactly how to disperse forces, engage, ambush, contain and reject the attack wholesale. The plan is flawed by the fact that it is far too similar to previous missions, in terms of deployment and hardware.
In the end, nobody objected to a few basic oversights (an unintentional failure to notice or do something.) by at least one person in the planning department, there was no Israeli Ipcha Mistabra, or Tenth Man.
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