StormWarning’s Counterterrorism

Somehow there remain doubts that Afghanistan is backsliding…NATO still claims that its all “hunky dorry” there.  Previous reports have shown that the Taliban has re(over)taken large swaths of geography…a new report now indicates that major infrastructure projects have been set back because of the Taliban resurgence.

The past year has been the deadliest for U.S. and NATO-led forces in Afghanistan since the Taliban regime fell in late 2001. But while the number of suicide bomb attacks and civilian deaths has risen, perhaps the most disconcerting development is that the violence has set back major reconstruction projects aimed at significantly improving the lives of millions of Afghans.

Of more than 14,000 reconstruction works under way, NATO officials have described the Kajaki hydroelectric dam in Helmand Province as the project with the most strategic and psychological significance. NATO announced in early 2007 that its key objective in the south was to secure the area around the Kajaki dam.

● In March, NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer even suggested that progress on security in Afghanistan in 2007 could be measured by NATO’s ability to keep Taliban fighters away from Kajak.

● despite NATO’s declarations of battlefield success, Taliban fighters have been able reinfiltrate the area — causing enough havoc to delay construction of the road meant to link Kajaki to the town of Gereshk. By late November, the road still was not complete. Without the road, workers have not been able to transport the power turbine to Kajaki — leaving British and U.S. forces unable to claim success on that key objective of 2007.

The White House recently acknowledged that strategic goals for 2007 would not be achieved…White House - “Limited Progress” in Deteriorating Afghan War (and perhaps read some of the rest of the posts linked to that one).

Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, Kajak, NATO Sphere: Related Content

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The question is whether it is better to strategically target a terrorist or national leader for assassination, rather than fight a lengthy war of armies.  Of course it is argued that Presidential directives prohibit such actions.  I counter by saying that this war against the jihad is different from all others, and that “Directives” (like Presidential Executive Order 12333) were for past wars.

As I am not directly involved in any form of counterterrorism employment, this is purely opinion and conjecture…some might consider it a flight of fantasy or ”out of the box”.  But still the question is if a targetted assassination…such as eliminating Ahmadinejad could change the course of history (as it unfolds)…So it once again occurred to me that perhaps it was time to resurrect the Phoenix Program from the Vietnam era (admitting that as Bill Colby said back then, “a lot of things were done that should not have been done.”).  This was actually suggested to me by a close friend who comes from that “background.”  Of course there are some people who consider even a discussion of these tactics to be off limits.  But this war is not a conventional war.  This War on Terrorism is an asymmetrical chess game.  As a result, in my opinion, strategies and tactics of 25 years ago should not be considered sacrosanct.

So why not (selective/targeted assassinations)?  How different would things be today if a bullet with Hussein’s name on it had been delivered by a special ops team?  I continue to ask why Osama bin Laden remains either at large or has not been found. Even ask the question of why certain bothersome individuals now populating the world stage remain on the stage (lets name names…Chavez and Ahmadinejad)…in the end, we had not hesitation in bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki to “save lives.”  Of course, I’m not an insider…so what do I know?  But, al-Sadr…he’s a pain in the butt.  Why is he still alive?  What will stop a jihadist from taking the shot at Karzai if the opportunity arises?

The following is a brief description of the Phoenix Program according to Wikipedia.

The Phoenix Program (Vietnamese: Kế Hoạch Phụng Hoàng, a word related to fenghuang, the Chinese phoenix) or Operation Phoenix was a covert intelligence operation and assassination program undertaken by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in close collaboration with South Vietnamese intelligence during the Vietnam War. The program was designed to identify and “neutralize”—capture; induce to surrender; kill; or otherwise disrupt—the noncombatant infrastructure of Viet Cong (VCI) cadres who were engaged both in recruiting and training insurgents within South Vietnamese villages, as well as providing support to the North Vietnamese war effort. The operation was directed by the CIA’s Evan J. Parker, then by Ted Shackley and his deputies, including Thomas Clines, Donald Gregg, and Richard Secord.While the Phoenix operations were originated by the CIA, they were eventually turned over to the US Army and Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) military, and later as part of the “Vietnamization” program they were transitioned to a Republic of Vietnam military program with just a handful of US military advisors assisting. The Phung Hoang operations were officially established by Republic of Vietnam Presidential decree on July 1, 1968, although the program existed unofficially prior to that date.Gary Leroy and Karl Sherrick were two of the most effective advisors having 23 kills in the month of March. President Thieu would later declassify the program, and announce its existence publicly on October 1, 1969, in order to gain wider acceptance and cooperation from South Vietnam citizens.

Here is an interesting article on the subject: CIA and Operation Phoenix in Vietnam

Just in case you’re interested in reading further, here is the link to a Google search on “CIA phoenix program vietnam.”

Here is a compilation of articles on the subject of the Phoenix Program. The Memory Hole Documents from the Phoenix Program (from this site):

The Phoenix Project and Its Creator, Nelson Brickham
by Douglas Valentine

Nelson Brickham joined the CIA in 1949, serving first in the sedate Directorate of Intelligence, then transferring in 1955 to the Operations Division, where he served in the high-profile Soviet-Russia Division. Brickham gained a wide range of experience, from running black propaganda and false-flag recruitments, to gathering information on Soviet missile silos. Over the years he developed his own “systems approach” to spookery that he later employed when developing the Phoenix Program…

Upon assuming the job as Chief of Field operations, Brickham inherited and sharpened three existing programs:

1) The Hamlet Informant Program (HIP), in which principal agents working for the CIA and Special Branch recruited informants in the hamlets. This was dangerous work, because no one likes a snitch, and because the snitches often lied and set-up innocent people. Informants know they are unliked, and they need to be motivated. Some of them were blackmailed into becoming informants; others did it for revenge. Money was the most common motivating factor used in recruiting people for the HIP Program. (The eerie resemblance to Ashcroft’s short-lived TIPS program need not be emphasized.)

2) The Province Interrogation (PIC) Program. The CIA began building a secret torture chamber in each of South Vietnam’s 44 provinces in 1964. Try to file an FOIA for information on them and see what happens. The CIA hired Pacific Architects and Engineers to build these facilities. Information from defectors and captured documents was put into the PIC Program reporting system, to which the CIA had total access.

3) Penetrations into the Viet Cong Infrastructure (usually by blackmailing or terrorizing a member of a targetted individual’s family) were the most sought-after means of gathering information. Brickham conducted penetrations unilaterally and in liaison with the Special Branch. CIA province officers trained their counterpart Special Branch officers on how to mount penetrations, how to interrogate suspects, and how to recruit informants…[more]

I never did get to read this book.

Outrageous thinking? Maybe. Uninformed thinking? Maybe. I’d love to hear an unclassified explanation of why such operations aren’t now feasible and why they wouldn’t shorten the path to peace from jihadist terrorism.  If it hasn’t already risen, perhaps the Phoenix should rise again?  Besides, unlike the Vietnam era, these strategic kills might not even require a “human hand” rather than a Predator strike.  Whose rules are we fighting this war by anyway?  There are alot of bad actors on the World stage today…why waste time, money and lives?

By the way, this is a replay of a post from last year around this time, The Return of the Phoenix - Taking the Offensive on Counterterrorism.

Project Phoenix, targetted assassinations, Vietnam Sphere: Related Content

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The battles in the GWOT being fought in Iraq and Afghanistan and soon, probably elsewhere, are unlike any in our history.  Modern medical science allows these warriors to survive catastrophic injuries that would have killed them just a few years ago.  A recent report, United States Military Casualty Statistics: Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom makes the point clear:

Amputation and TBI statistics are provided to CRS by the Army Office of theSurgeon General. These injuries may overlap, that is, a single soldier may experience both a TBI and an amputation.

As of June 30, 2007, DOD reported 1,005 individuals who are amputees, of whom 708 suffered major limb amputations. Of the 1,005 total amputees, 488 (48.6%) were wounded by improvised explosive devices. 871 (87%) of the 1,005 amputees were wounded in OIF, 48 (5%) were wounded in OEF, and 86 (or 9%), were wounded in an unaffiliated conflict in the Global War on Terrorism or in training.

Battle injuries were the most common cause of amputations: 78% of amputees sustained their injuries in battle, another 16% sustained on-battle injuries, and 2% sustained injuries dueto disease. The cause of injury is unknown for 4% of amputees.

As of June 30, 2007, DOD reported a total of 3,294 soldiers suffering from traumatic brain injuries, or TBIs. Of those, 3,094 (or 94%) sustained their injury in OIF, while 200(6%) sustained their injury in OEF. Of the total injuries in OIF and OEF, 195 (6%) were counted as “severe,” and an additional 180 (5%) were counted as “penetrating.” Blasts caused 2,279 (69%) of the TBI cases; other causes include a fall (294 cases) and vehicular causes (284 cases).

Scientists and researchers at our universities are doing their part to serve the Nation and help our wounded soldiers to return to a “normal” life.  Two recent articles posted here illustrate this point:

Sensory Capable Prosthetics and Stopping Battlefield Bleeding.

amputations, catastrophic injuries Sphere: Related Content

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The clamor of “support the troops”! and “support the war” continue loudly as daily, men and women fighting in Iraq and elsewhere survive catastrophic injuries from which those in previous wars simply died.  What are you (the armchair warrior) doing to truly support these soldiers…to help them recover from these devastating wounds.  Researchers at Northwestern Univ. have developed a new technique that promises to enable prosthetics to literally feel.

Enormous strides have been in fabricating replacement limbs for wounded soldiers, and yet despite all advances, these devices have lacked the sense of feel.  The Northwestern researchers

…have shown that transplanting the nerves from an amputated hand to the chest allows patients to feel hand sensation there. The findings are the first step toward prosthetic arms with sensors on the fingers–now under development–that will transfer tactile information from the device to the chest, making the wearer feel as though he or she has a real hand…

Obviously, currently prosthetics “feel” by vision…when a person sees the prosthetic hand “touch” a coffee cup, the patient knows it. But the lack of sensory information is a critical piece in the recovery and assumption of a “normal” life by battlefield amputees.

Northwestern researchers, Todd Kuiken and his colleagues at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, showed that a similar nerve-transplant approach could be used to intuitively control movement of a prosthetic arm. (See “A Prosthetic Arm That Acts Like a Real One.”) Motor nerves, which relay motor signals from the brain to the muscles, were transplanted from the stump of the lost arm to the chest. When the patient thought about moving his hand, his chest muscle twitched. Those muscle contractions were used to control movement of a motorized elbow, wrist, and hand.

The results of this and subsequent work were published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.  The human body is an amazing and adaptive organism.  The results…patients could tell the difference between different grades of sandpaper rubbed against their skin…each patients’ senses were different.

“It will take time to figure out the mechanisms that guide reinnervation, as well as if we can direct it to get more-refined results for patients,” says Kuiken. “The brain may reorganize itself to take advantage of the information given to it.”

With all of the rhetoric that flies, it is important…it is very important…to recognize that many “geeks” and technologists in pursuit of scientific advances, are helping our soldiers each and every day in ways that the “boisterous many” probably never see or appreciate.  Unlike myself who actually supports the Global War on Terrorism, many of these scientists and researchers, even those working at “liberal” universities like Northwestern, serve our country well and ably.  Its just that they do it without waving the flag, and maybe even without supporting the war.   Personally, I resist the label of “geek” and yet I am a technologist…and I serve my country through the work that I and my associates in my company are doing.

I could list articles on battlefiled amputees and walking wounded (who would have died on the battlefield even 10 or 12 years ago), but its not the point of this entry.  But I leave you for now with this from a recent CRS report, United States Military Casualty Statistics: Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom:

Amputation and TBI statistics are provided to CRS by the Army Office of theSurgeon General. These injuries may overlap, that is, a single soldier may experience both a TBI and an amputation. As of June 30, 2007, DOD reported 1,005 individuals who are amputees, of whom 708 suffered major limb amputations. Of the 1,005 total amputees, 488 (48.6%) were wounded by improvised explosive devices. 871 (87%) of the 1,005 amputees were wounded in OIF, 48 (5%) were wounded in OEF, and 86 (or 9%), were wounded in an unaffiliated conflict in the Global War on Terrorism or in training. Battle injuries were the most common cause of amputations: 78% of amputees sustained their injuries in battle, another 16% sustainedn on-battle injuries, and 2% sustained injuries dueto disease. The cause of injury is unknown for 4% of amputees. As of June 30, 2007, DOD reported a total of 3,294 soldiers suffering from traumatic brain injuries, or TBIs. Of those, 3,094 (or 94%) sustained their injury in OIF, while 200(6%) sustained their injury in OEF. Of the total injuries in OIF and OEF, 195 (6%) were counted as “severe,” and an additional 180 (5%) were counted as “penetrating.” Blasts caused 2,279 (69%) of the TBI cases; other causes include a fall (294 cases) and vehicular causes (284 cases).

Like it or not, the “geeks” and scientists and researchers of our Nation’s university, often labeled as bastions of liberalism because of open-minded education (read that as you will), are serving this country and our soldiers in ways that the loud and boisterous “patriots” fail to understand when they toss their epithets.  Writing loud and angry posts on an Internet blog doesn’t make you a patriot or a fighter in the War on Terrorism.  This post relates directly to “Stopping Battlefield Bleeding,” another entry praising our Nation’s scientists and technologists as they do their share to support the Nation and our troops in battle in the War on Terrorism.

I’ve been called a “moonbat” (whatever the “fuk” that is) and I’ve been called a “liberal” (mostly because I refuse to toe the neo-freak line), and I’ve been told that I am “intellectually dishonest” (well, yeah!  That came as a result of parsing words with someone who  is “illinguistic” and came to an unfortunate conclusion).  But unless you actually know what I am doing to serve this country through technological innovation…stick it!

Other related articles:

A Prosthetic Arm That Acts Like a Real One (02/02/2007) and

A Brain Chip to Control Paralyzed Limbs (11/30/2006)

A Brain Chip to Control Paralyzed Limbs

amputees, artificial prosthetics, battlefield injuries, Northwestern University, reinnervation Sphere: Related Content

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A truth about this war (in Iraq) is that medical science has advanced to where soldiers who would have died of their wounds in Vietnam and Persian Gulf I, now recover and live with their debilitating injuries.  A new technique now shows promise of stopping catastrophic bleeding on the battlefield.  There are many ways to serve our Nation.  Some do it through innovation.

Developed by Aurora Flight Sciences have a polymer-filled pouch that expands when exposed to blood and can quickly halt bleeding.  This pouch, called a “swelling hemostat” that looks like a beanbag can be put inside a large, open wound to halt life-threatening bleeding within minutes.  A picture:  Credit: Aurora Flight Sciences 

The pouch would be most useful for treating wounds in areas of the body where a tourniquet could not be applied and for wounds too large and severe for haemostatic bandages. One of the main causes of soldier death in Iraq and Afghanistan is bleeding, and there are many instances on the battlefield in which this device would prove lifesaving, says Javier de Luis, chief scientist at Aurora and the principal investigator for the swelling hemostat. Furthermore, it can be worn for long periods of time without any side effects, and it can be easily removed.

Alternatives do exist (beyond the “simple” tourniquet: “Recently, the U.S. Army developed an ultrasonic tourniquet to stem the flow of blood using focused beams of ultrasound.  (See “An Ultrasonic Tourniquet to Stop Battlefield Bleeding.”) But this method, along with others, has thermal side effects that cause damage to the surrounding tissue.”

George Velmos, professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School and chief of the division of trauma, emergency surgery, and surgical critical care at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) says:

“We need smart devices and smart materials that can stop bleeding without cutting circulation off, and without the need of a paramedic or another body being physically present. To that extent, the swelling hemostat is very useful.”

The superabsorbent polymers are mixed with polypropylene fibers to keep the polymers from clumping (technical word - no, really, it is!) to enable the polymers to keep on absorbing; th epuch is covered in spandex material that expands as more blood is absorbed, and the expansion then places pressure on the wound.

I really like this innovation. According to Aurora:

the swelling hemostat can be developed for less than $10 per pouch, and it could be on the battlefield within a year. “These kinds of things are very useful not just for the battlefield, but for biomedical treatment anywhere,” says Khademhosseini. “They use standard polymers that are cheap and commercially available.”

Other related articles: 

Nanosolution Halts Bleeding 10/10/2006

TR10: Nanohealing 03/12/2007

An Ultrasonic Tourniquet to Stop Battlefield Bleeding 07/27/2006

Makes me wish I was an inventor.  Oh shit!  I am!  But not of this great innovation for our soldiers (yeah, you can “look it up” at the USPTO website under Stormwarning).   Serving through innovation

Serving through innovation

Aurora Flight Sciences, battlefield bleeding, dual use technology, swelling hemostat

Sphere: Related Content

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With all of the upset and violence in the world today, with all of the politics and conflict…its time for someone to finally offer sage advice.  “Be a man and face the facts!”

Recently a prospective groom was counselled as follows: “No matter what happened, you did it.  Don’t deny it, own up to it and be a man!  Even if you weren’t in the room, it doesn’t matter, you did it… admit it, own up to it, and be a man!”  And if you had any doubts about it, watch this video.

Now, don’t you feel better?

Man Movie, Milt Show Sphere: Related Content

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This post was originally posted the morning of November 28th but has been moved down off the front page.

You may choose to ignore this “rant.”  However, I would appreciate it if you would spend a few moments browsing the more reasoned content below.  Thank you very much for your time and attention.  StormWarning 

This may sound trivial to many people, especially if you don’t cross post anything to Real Clear Politics.  There are many ways to generate traffic and readship.  Its not really an ego thing, but is mostly one of wanting to have what you write read by more than 10 or 20 people.   Some people belong to “clubs” of posting “rings” and others, without those avenues, simple cross post to Real Clear Politics.  Its sort of a complier of recent entries by people from a range of different points of view.  Recently RCP changed its posting policy and made it more difficult to reach the standard of appearing on it “front page” by increasing the number of “votes” required from 5 to 10 votes.  Not surprisingly, people found a way.

Barack Obama: One of Three Rookies
A Link to an Iranian Dissident Website

“It takes a village” or at least a “posse” to garner the 10 votes within less than 30 minutes (this post written at 6:40am Central).  All the “usual suspects” do it…some are just more subtle than others.  These were more blatant than most.

Here is the newest example.  Its now 7:38am on November 30, 2007:

UN Money Game Includes Global Warming The United Nations is borrowing a page from the uber liberal playbook. Do your best to stir guilt within the richest in the industrial nations so they may follow by preaching to ordinary citizens to justify spending public funds for private agendas.
Submitted By MoreWhatCom - Nov 30, 7:31 am	10 votes | VOTE

The example is amazing! 

So in six whole minutes, this posts got the reuired 10 votes to get to the front page of Real Clear Politics. 

Fascinating, ain’t it?  Observe and watch the “usual suspects.”  Why bother offering up stuff for other people to read?  The “little guys” without the “posses” don’t matter…work the system!

BTW, apparently, this blog has some level of following since even this rant reached the plateau.  It is pretty interesting to see what other people consider worth reading.  I am opinionated.  My views are those of someone who has some insights into issues beyond what you can read eleswhere.  Take it for what’s its worth.  I appreciate the time people spend seeking our this blog, and then actually reading the entries.  Thanks!

No Tags Sphere: Related Content

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A realistic view of what is happening in Afghanistan tells you that there is a danger of the country rolling backwards downhill.  Its called “devolution.”  If it goes the wrong way, it is likely to be attributable to an inability of American and British leaders to share the vision of the “future” of Afghanistan following the 2001 invasion.  This is discussed in Doug Farah’s article, Afghanistan and the Disturbing Lack of Stategic Thinking, with further analysis in Claudio Franco’s paper, A Taliban Resurgence: The Destabilization of Kabul?

The date October 7, 2007 marked the sixth anniversary of the US-led invasion of Afghanistan. Within only days of that invasion, the Islamic Emirate began to crumble and eventually dissolved. The Taliban were routed from much of the country, while most of the surviving Mullahs took refuge outside the country, primarily in neighboring Pakistan. The time spent in exile across the border served to prune the movement’s ranks and select a hard core of loyal mujahideen who were ready to fight on and repel the infidels. 

At the time, nobody would have bet on the resurgence of the Taliban movement—but five years later, the Talibs are back, more determined than ever to resuscitate the Islamic Emirate, and considerably deadlier after Iraqi-style tactics were successfully grafted onto the Taliban rootstock. Afghanistan has witnessed 100 suicide bombings since January 1st this year, up from a total of zero in 2002. More than 5,200 people have died in 2007, by far the deadliest year since 2001:194 were victims of suicide operations in the first six months of the year.

● since early 2005, the Afghan insurgency has rapidly evolved, relying increasingly on Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and “martyrdom” operations and car-bomb attacks…

● Satellite imagery and air-power are powerless against an enemy that avoids traditional battlefield conflict and mounts a continuously asymmetric and opportunistic war

● NATO and U.S. strategists greatly underestimated the de-stabilizing potential of a Taliban insurgency simmering in the heart of Pashtunistan, a de facto autonomous territory spanning both sides of the Pak-Afghan frontier.

● time is without a doubt on the Taliban’s side. Patience is probably the Taliban’s most effective weapon against Karzai and his Western allies.

● The ability to evolve and adapt to a 21st century conflict has probably been the Taliban’s crucial most significant weapon since 2001

● the Taliban are no longer a homogenous group of theology students trained in Pakistan, but a complex “ensemble” of fundamentalist zealots, foreign fighters, unemployed youths indoctrinated by Deobandi (or Salafi) militant clergy, and militiamen funded by drug barons and incorporated within the movement to fight against the common enemy.

● European intelligence source has recently confirmed that young European-born recruits are now opting to fight in Afghanistan instead of Iraq

The paper also posits that the warlords are now preparing for another series of battles and that Karzai faces a problem of balancing the Pashtun powerbase with the powerful Tajik, warlords (Northern Alliance).

It may be hard to accept (for some), but consistently, I’ve been posting about the instability of Afghanistan and Pakistan, two “nations” joined at the hip along the Durand line.  Afghanistan is far from a “done deal.”

Also, please check out previous/recent posts: Afghanistan - Premature Declarations, White House - “Limited Progress” in Deteriorating Afghan War, Losing Afghanistan - Redux and:

Oct 5 2007: Looking at Six Years in Afghanistan

Jan 27, 2007: Facing Reality in Afghanistan

Dec 15, 2006: Afghanistan & the Taliban: The “Rule Book” (Layeha)

Dec 4, 2006: Afghanistan - Counterpoints 

Nov 29, 2006: Losing Afghanistan - The Taliban’s Re-Emergence 

Mar 3, 2006: Afghanistan - Unraveling? 

In direct counterpoint to the point of view expressed in this post, as well as in  and in my other posts linked above, you might wish to read Amy Proctor’s post, The Misreported War in Afghanistan.  For another opposite point of view, please also check out Spree’s Good News from Afghanistan.

Pashtun, Tajik, Taliban Sphere: Related Content

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Premature declarations of victory are everywhere.  Delusionally, people see tactical wins as strategic victories.  You read can read about it in Iraq, and certainly, you read it about in Afghanistan.  But, you are what you read…Doug Farah offers insight in his post, Afghanistan and the Disturbing Lack of Stategic Thinking in which he comments on a Washington Post article (the same article to which I referred in my post, White House - “Limited Progress” in Deteriorating Afghan War.”

The Washington Post on Sunday carried a disturbing piece on Afghanistan, where the problems cited are part of a broader pattern of the same mistakes across the spectrum in the war with radical Islamists.

After summing up the litany of problems, from a weak and failing government to the fact that the jihadists seem to be able to easily replace the large number of combatants being killed, Karen DeYoung writes that:

But others said the problem is not Pakistan or a lack of military or financial resources in Afghanistan. It is the absence, they say, of a strategic plan that melds the U.S. military effort with a comprehensive blueprint for development and governance throughout the country.

“There are plenty of dollars and a hell of a lot more troops there, by a factor of two, from when I was there,” the former commander said. The question, he said, is “who owns the overarching campaign for Afghanistan, and what is it?”

I’ve already been called an American defeatist and a moonbat for taking these positions, and for making observations that somehow disagree with the sensitivities of a crowd of neo-Patriots…people who take this “with us, or gainst us” stuff too literally.

Snatching defeat from the hands of victory, indeed.

Doug Farah, Karen DeYoung, Washington Post Sphere: Related Content

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It gives me no great joy to add my comments about a recent post on RCP that to the apparent delight of some neo-conservative moonbat freaks who seem to delight in dragging people through the mud.  This one, started by the ever reliable Matt Drudge.  I can see where this election is going to be the dirtiest and slimiest of all.  And bloggers are going to be responsible.

Is Senator Clinton a lesbian?  I don’t know, I don’t care, and I don’t care to know!  If she is, and it doesn’t impact her performance, then so be it!  If she molests little girls or boys, or if she taps her foot in the ladies room like Senator Craig did in the Minneapolis mens’ room, then it matters.  Until then, this bullshit of dragging people’s lives through the mud has got to stop!  Some of the best potential candidates for both parties aren’t running, mostly because of this!  Their lives with their families and significant others are no longer private.

The great delight that some people take in calling people names, repeating inuendo and otherwise writing things that hopefully they would never say in public or at a friend’s home is detestable.  Anonymous emails indeed!  People who have nothing constructive to say, or who have no opinion other than one based on someone else’s opinion…people who, because they cannot “think” of the “right” word, make one up…people whose level of intelligence hovers around that of a slug…that is what this next election will become…opinions based on those of a slug (”wolfhowling” indeed!).

  = 

The anonymous e-mails and letters began dropping into inboxes and through front doors this summer.

One claimed that Hillary Clinton was having a lesbian affair with Huma Abedin, her beautiful aide. Another online mass-mailing cautioned of the “dark secrets” of Mitt Romney’s Mormonism. A blogger claiming to support John McCain said that Rudy Giuliani’s wife supported the killing of “innocent puppies”. Flyers appeared on cars accusing Barack Obama of being a Muslim extremist. An anonymous website said that Fred Thompson was a corrupt playboy.

Disclaimer: At this moment, I am not planning to vote in the Presidential election.  but it is clear that people who repeat dirt for the senationalism and “votes” that they garner is beyond reprehensible behavior.   Its called pandering (to the lowest common denominator).

Read my real posts dammit and ignore this one!  With the recent change in RCP policy, it seems that the usual suspects have mobilized their posses…funny.

Drudge slug, lesbian Sphere: Related Content

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Addressing the upcoming Annapolis meetings, al Qaeda, speaking through its Al-Fajr Media Center calls the conference a media circus, ridicules the Sept. 11th conspiracy theorists.  Then, calling the World Trade Center the “Metropolis,” warns that they hope that they will learn a lesson before Dubai’s ‘Burj al-Arab’ becomes the next World Trade Center.” 

The statement condemned the upcoming Israeli-Palestinian peace talks in Annapolis, Maryland, as a bid to “declare war against the Muslims and to cleanse the desire for jihad from each and every believer.” It further boasted of Al-Qaida’s role in “the collapse of Manhattan’s metropolis.

From the Nine-Eleven Finding Answers (NEFA Foundation) site, Al-Fajr Media Center: “We’ll Do It Again: Annapolis Shall Not Rescue Their Metropolis.“:

“The infidels are in denial about the well-known fate of the World Trade Center…We thank Allah for enabling Muslims to destroy it.  Humanity will set itself free from slavery and oppressive regimes only through fighting in jihad.  The Annapolis Conference will not save the Metropolis because jihad will forever be instilled in our hearts.”

Note the important inclusion of Dubai as an extension of the United States, its inclusion with the infidels, and the pretty real, but thinly “veiled threat to the Arabian Gulf emirate of Dubai, labeling it “merely another state in the United States, a base for information and intelligence-gathering, a technological and media center, and a center of corruption. The Jews can be found there in the same way they can be found in Tel-Aviv… We hope they will learn a lesson and change before ‘Burj al-Arab’ becomes [the next World Trade Center].” 

There are those who take tactical victories as signs of ultimate victory.  Sadly. these sabre-rattling, Internet patriots refuse to see the resolve of the enemy, of al Qaeda, and contrary to their beliefs, actually increase the danger and make our country more vulnerable.

Thanks for stopping in to read this entry.  If you’d like, please take a moment to click on this post over at Real Clear Politics, but even if you don’t, please read my recent, previous entries:

White House - “Limited Progress” in Deteriorating Afghan War

al Qaeda Rolodex Reveals…

Lebanon Plunges into Uncertainty

Losing Afghanistan - Redux

The truth is out there…sometimes you just have to wade through misconceptions to find it.  Thank you for spending sometime here.

Al Fajr Media Center, Burj al Arab, Dubai, Metropolis Sphere: Related Content

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Noting that despite some successes vs the Taliban, many goals for 2007 have not been met, the White House now concludes that the situation in Afganistan is deteriorating.  This bleak assessment from the National Security Council underscores a deep disagreement between U.S. military and intelligence officials.

Intelligence analysts acknowledge the battlefield victories, but they highlight the Taliban’s unchallenged expansion into new territory, an increase in opium poppy cultivation and the weakness of the government of President Hamid Karzai as signs that the war effort is deteriorating.

Storm comment: Admittedly, the time projection was wrong, but many of this writer’s posts about the situation in Afghanistan, including what appears to have been a little read entry, Losing Afghanistan - Redux (this post includes links to a number of articles on Afghanistan), have argued that Afghanistan was an unfinished war, and that leaving the “clean-up” to NATO troops was a faulty decision.  NATO lacked the resolve to complete the job.  Now, with poppy cultivation nearing all-time highs, and with the Taliban resurgent, if not in control of large swaths of the country, one could conclude that little has been accomplished in that region in six years.  Also, it is clear that Musharraf’s concessions to the Taliban on his side of the Durand Line have contributed to the lingering instability in Afghanistan.  Like it or not, the two “stans” are linked at the hip.  Anyway…

It looks like the NSC report is another example of leaked information…and the NSC report itself conflicts with other, more rosy pictures.  Some key points:

● while individual military battles against the Taliban have been successful, other areas remain wanting, report said.

● “One can point to a lot of indicators that are positive,” one senior intel official not authorized to speak about the Afghani situation

● “We go out there and achieve our objectives and kill bad guys.”

● extremists have little trouble finding replacements…While many foreigners, mostly Pakistani, join the Taliban, several officials said the main source of new recruits remain unhappy Afghans

● “There doesn’t seem to be a lot of progress being made … I would think that from (the Taliban) standpoint, things are looking decent” (according to another anonymous intelligence official)

Senior White House officials privately express pessimism about Afghanistan. There is anxiety over the current upheaval in neighboring Pakistan, where both the Taliban and al-Qaeda maintain headquarters, logistical support and training camps along the Afghan border. But “in all honesty, I think it is too early to tell right now” whether political turmoil will undermine what U.S. officials already consider lackluster counterinsurgency efforts by Pakistani forces, the senior administration official said.

U.S. troops currently represent 25,000 of the 41,000 NATO force. While individual battles against the Taliban result in noted body counts of dead Taliban fighters and captured leaders, a former (unnamed) senior U.S. commander in Afganistan makes the key point…these are tactical wins in a strategic war. I suspect that many who might stumble upon this post will point to the tactical wins over the Taliban, and much like “Losing Afghanistan - Redux” will reject this article on its face.  Sadly, a large segment of the “viewing” public only sees the tactical.  A pair of these, simply don’t cut it! Please note that this brillliant photograph is “borrowed” with attribution from here.

Rose-colored glasses in Morningside Park

Another Storm comment: Long ago, I wrote a piece that was much maligned at that time, in which I reported and commented on a report written by Dr. Jeffrey Record, a visiting professor at the Army War College in Carlisle Pa. (on loan from the Air Force’s Air War College in Montgomery, Ala.). At the time (December 2003), Record examined three features of the war on terrorism as then defined and conducted: (1) the administration’s postulation of the terrorist threat, (2) the scope and feasibility of U.S. war aims, and (3) the war’s political, fiscal, and military sustainability. He believes that the war on terrorism–as opposed to the campaign against al-Qaeda–lacks strategic clarity, embraces unrealistic objectives, and may not be sustainable over the long haul. He calls for downsizing the scope of the war on terrorism to reflect concrete U.S. security interests and the limits of American military power.

Unlike many who reacted to the Record premises, I was interested in the strategic component of his report, since I believe that all military and diplomatic actions should be analyzed in terms of strategy, tactics and outcomes (I’m a really “fun guy” but that’s what comes from idolizing brilliant thinkers like the recently deceased Peter Drucker).

Dr. Record’s report can be found here: http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pdffiles/PUB207.pdf

With the primary focus of the NATO effort being on holding the major cities, the rural areas have fallen back to the Taliban after troops have redeployed.

President Bush seldom mentions Afghanistan. In White House remarks last month asking Congress for an additional $200 billion for both wars, he noted that “our troops, NATO allies and Afghan forces are making gains against the Taliban,” then offered an extensive recounting of progress in Iraq.

To the extent that the administration has publicly described problems in Afghanistan, it has focused on the reluctance of NATO members to send more troops and the restrictions placed by some on the missions they can undertake. “In Afghanistan, a handful of allies are paying the price and bearing the burdens” for the rest of the 26-nation group, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said at a NATO meeting last month. “The failure to meet commitments puts the Afghan mission — and with it, the credibility of NATO — at real risk.”

At the same time, our British counterparts are facing conserable consternation over the situation in Afghanistan.

British troops are facing “operational failure” in Afghanistan due to years of chronic Government under-funding, according to former heads of the armed forces.

Generals enter military covenant debate

Key issues facing Britain’s Armed Forces

Frontline: Our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan

The lives of hundreds of soldiers could be lost unless the Government starts to fund the military properly, they argue. 

General Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank, who served as the Chief of the Defence Staff in 2001, said: “Operational and tactical failure in Afghanistan is now not impossible to believe.”

The easiest thing in the World is to only see what you want to see. If that’s the choice, then the question must always be whether you see reality or a mirage. I hope that those who find their way to this article maintain an open mind and find this selection worth their time.

Please see Real Clear Politics (vote)

Jeffrey Record, Kandahar, Karen DeYoung, Karzai, National Security Council, Taliban resurgence, U.S. Notes Limited Progress in Afghan War, unfinished war, Washington Post Sphere: Related Content

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In what is not a real revelation, al Qaeda’s rolodex of foreign fighters in Iraq was discovered in a September raid near the Syrian border, showing that as many as 60 percent of the foreign fighters who entered Iraq in the past year have come from Saudi Arabia and Libya. [When you're finished reading this short post, please hang around a few more minutes and read some of the other material offered.  I hope that you'll come back - Thank you.]

The documents confiscated in that raid listed the identities of more than 700 foreign fighters in Iraq, whom the United States believes entered that country since August 2006. The official describes the documents as “an al Qaeda rolodex.”

…The United States believes 305 foreign fighters came from Saudi Arabia, and 137 came from Libya.

“Among the Saudi fighters described in the materials, 45 had come from Riyadh, 38 from Mecca, 20 from Buraidah and the surrounding area, 15 from Jawf and Sakakah, 13 from Jidda, and 12 from Medina.”

While this “rolodex” gives more verification of country of origin of the foreign fighters, it is still a question of how many foreign fighters are really in Iraq.  Back in September 2005, a study published by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) stated that foreign fighters represent 4-10% of the “insurgents”/”militants”/terrorists in Iraq which is estimated to be around 30,000. The study concludes “There are strong indications that the largest component of the insurgency is composed of Iraqis.” However, Cordesman and Obaid stated that “…no one knows the number of active and part time insurgents, paid agents, and sympathizer.”

As for the question of the composition and the size of the foreign volunteers in the Iraqi insurgency, the study estimates that there are 3,000 fighters. Those fighters come from all around the Arab and Islamic worlds. The largest component of these fighters come from Algeria (600 or 20%), followed by Syria (550 or 18%), Yemen (500 or 17%), Sudan (450 or 15%), Saudi Arabia (350 or 12%), Egypt (400 or 5%), and other countries (150 or 5%).  Also, a bit more than a year ago I wrote a post, Global Terrorism - A Pandemic.  One of the continuing issues raised here is the impact that battle tested and trained foreign fighters will have on their countries of origin (also see The Threat of the Return of Euro-Jihadists).

The subject is covered in greater detail by Evan Kohlmann in his Counterterrorism Blog post, Surprise, Surprise: Yet More Evidence that the Majority of Foreign Fighters in Iraq Come from Saudi Arabia.  As Kohlmann writes, this finally proves what many have maintained that foreign fighters have played a significant role in the insurgent violence in Iraq.

Almost since the beginning of the Sunni insurgency in Iraq in late 2003, there has been an ongoing public debate about the significance and origins of foreign-born jihadists who have traveled to Iraq intent upon joining Al-Qaida and killing Americans and Muslim “apostates”. Despite a veritable avalanche of evidence suggesting that these foreign fighters have had a disproportionate role in destabilizing Iraq and that a large cross-section (if not outright majority) of these fighters are coming from Saudi Arabia, a host of journalists and experts have wasted no effort in downplaying their impact. Regular readers of the Counterterrorism Blog will recall Jonathan Finer’s article in the Washington Post, similar pieces published in the Christian Science Monitor, and a litany of commentary from Tony Cordesman (based almost entirely upon facts spoon-fed to him by Saudi intelligence and paid Saudi lobbyists).

Yet, now, it seems that the evidence of the involvement of Saudi Al-Qaida recruits in the Iraqi insurgency has become so plainly obvious that even the New York Times has taken note.

From the referenced New York Times article, Foreign Fighters in Iraq Are Tied to Allies of U.S.:

Where the Fighters Are Coming From

The data come largely from a trove of documents and computers discovered in September, when American forces raided a tent camp in the desert near Sinjar, close to the Syrian border. The raid’s target was an insurgent cell believed to be responsible for smuggling the vast majority of foreign fighters into Iraq.

The most significant discovery was a collection of biographical sketches that listed hometowns and other details for more than 700 fighters brought into Iraq since August 2006.

The records also underscore how the insurgency in Iraq remains both overwhelmingly Iraqi and Sunni…

Other posts to read:

Fighting the Many Enemies in Iraq
Terrorist Cross-Training

See Real Clear Politics (vote) Well, you still can…but I’d rather you stayed around and read a few more of the entries here.  Hopefully, you’ll agree this site offers a “different” perspective, fact based, and mostly devoid of childish made up name calling.

al Qaeda, Foreign fighters, Iraq, rolodex, Saudi Arabia and Libya Sphere: Related Content

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In what can only be seen as a step toward instability, Syrian backed Lebanese president Emile Lahoud, whose term ended at midnight, passed control of the security services over to the army, declaring a state of emergency.

The US-backed government of Fouad Siniora rejected the declaration. “It is as if the statement was never issued,” said Siniora. The constitution says a president cannot call a state of emergency without government approval, but Lahoud and the Hizbullah-led opposition view the cabinet as unconstitutional following the walk out of its Shia ministers last year.

So, the military is dispersed around the country, there is no political leadership, and the new election has been postponed until at least next Friday.  While this move appears to not surprise a number of Lebanese, it is unclear as to what the army’s role will be…it could move toward greater control in managing the affairs of state or things could remain status quo.  As the outgoing President, Lahoud’s authority in declaring this state of emergency has also been questioned.

State department spokesman Sean McCormack said: “This is the procedure stipulated by the Lebanese constitution and will ensure that the government is able to continue conducting its business without interruption.

“The US government commends Lebanon’s armed forces and security services for their stated commitment to ensuring law and order during this interim period, and we urge all Lebanese political groups to do their part to maintain calm and promote security for Lebanon’s citizens.”

However, the legality of such a declaration of a state of emergency is not legal or constitutional…Lebanon slides into constituional crisis as president ends term without successor.

This situation bears watching, and likely updates throughout the weekend.  See Real Clear Politics (vote)  Well, you can if you wish, but certainly you should read Laer’s post at Cheat Seeking Missiles, Lebanon’s Dreams Slipping Away on the same topic.  As he points out, neither Siniora nor Lahoud have much legitimacy.

Lahoud, Lebanon, Prime Minister Fouad Siniora Sphere: Related Content

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