Paramilitary.

This is coolbert:

Go here and visit a CIA web site.

Take the CIA personality quiz.

I took the test and did well. I am described as an "Impressive Mastermind".

Well, OF COURSE!! Could it be other than that?? NO WAY!! Right on the money. These CIA psychologist people are just so right. NOW, get the real dope on the weapons of mass destruction for the next war.

[is this stuff for real or not? For some reason, I don't think so!!]

Try it yourself. I am interested to see who comes up with what!!

[well, do it, just for fun!!]

And, if you are ex-military or maybe active military, maybe you will find yourself in the Clandestine Services or maybe the para-military organization.

"Minimum requirements for Paramilitary Operations Officers include a bachelor's degree and military special operations or combat arms experience (ground, air, or maritime). Previous foreign travel, combat service, and foreign language proficiency is highly valued. For Specialized Skills Officers, minimum requirements also include a bachelor's degree. A background in aviation, maritime experience, military psychological operations, information operations, communications, business, and counterintelligence are preferred. The 35-year maximum age requirement could be waived on a case-by-case basis."

See some real smoke if that is to your liking!!

coolbert.

Cousens & Toguri.

This is coolbert:

In response to the comment of "Sherman made Georgia howl".

Let me answer in reverse order:

"Don't just say she got off easy. Put yourself in her shoes. What would you do?"

To this I have no answer. I would not be presumptuous to say one way or the other. Everyone likes to THINK they know how they would respond. But until you are exactly in the position of having to decide, "do I live or do I die??", you honestly cannot say with even a slight degree of certainty what you would do!!

Of course!!

"All she had in an appalling situation was Major Cousens' guidance"

This Major Cousens was unfamiliar to me. See this link for the full rap on the Major.




The above photo is of Charles Cousens in a post-war broadcasting role. Never could get away from the media, could he??

"the United States and Australian militaries are still unsettled on the question of the degree of physical and mental endurance that may be expected from allied soldiers made prisoners of war."

Soldiers are generally expected to be able to endure, if necessary, as part of their normal duties, extremes of cold, heat, thirst, hunger, fear. As a prisoner of war, obviously the situation has changed. Especially if you have fallen into the hands of a brutal, cruel, even sadistic enemy. YOU ARE NOT expected to have to endure severe punishment or torture, such as the rack, the red-hot-iron, thumbscrews, etc.

"It is unfair to lump Iva Toguri with deck as Joyce, Amery & Gillars."

I would not necessarily lump Iva in with the others.

I was making a point that her punishment was less than for that of Gillars. And surely much less than that for Joyce and Amery. And Ezra Pound for that matter too. It seems a fever pitch attitude toward Iva was generated by Walter Winchell.

All of the four [Joyce, Amery, Gillars, Pound] were clearly fascist collaborators and did their broadcasts without any hint of coercion. In the case of Pound, the man was rendered a babbling idiot by the ill treatment he received after capture by his fellow countrymen. And Joyce and Amery were X-ECUTED. Hung! Again, surely that is way much more of a punishment than Toguri got!!

[the trial for Amery lasted a whole seven minutes!! A month later he was swinging from a rope!! Swift and sure British justice!!]

coolbert.

Adam.

This is coolbert:

Adam Gadahn. A/k/a Azzam al Amriki [Azzam the American].

A terribly troubled and disaffected young American man who has followed, unfortunately, in the footsteps of Iva Toguri, Mildred Gillars, William Joyce, and John Amery.

A person who has cast his lot with the worst of the worst. The terrorists of Al Qaeda. A convert to Islam who has totally and apparently without reservations become a confidant and "translator" for Osama bin Laden.

A young man who makes propaganda videos that are broadcast the whole world over.

A disaffected young man who has committed treasonous acts and continues to do so.

As a propagandist, Adam/Azzam does a poor job. Those videos of his are poorly done. Adam/Azzam is not a good speaker and presents himself poorly. His efforts are more or less for naught. He must think he is doing "good" for his cause. But he is only hurting himself and getting in deeper and deeper. He cannot go much deeper at any rate, he is so far down to begin with.

Reading of the Adam/Azzam's upbringing, he appears to be from a family that is devolving. Grandfather was a surgeon, father was more or less a hippie, and Adam/Azzam is well on the road to oblivion.

"Gadahn was born Adam Gadahn, the son of musician Phil Pearlman. Pearlman changed his surname before Adam's birth. Gadahn's family raised and butchered goats in accordance with halal food requirements for sale to Muslim groceries on a farm in Riverside County, California. Gadahn's Jewish grandfather, Carl Pearlman, was a prominent surgeon and on the Board of Directors of the Anti-Defamation League."

My intuition tells me that Adam/Azzam is just plain ordinary troubled. Was looking for "something" and found that "thing" in Islam. Superficially a Muslim, but inside, not really sure of ANYTHING.

Likes the exoticness of his new "culture" and religion. Wears the turban or dress of the Taureg for these videos, so as to appear mysterious and alien. Thinks he is impressing everyone, when he is not.




Only ends up looking like a fool that he is. Headed for a bad end. Maybe on the eventual receiving end of a Hellfire missile.

He will not be missed!!

Adam, if you read this by any chance, please turn yourself in and cooperate before it is too late.

coolbert.

Tokyo Rose.

This is coolbert:

Iva Toguri d'Aquino has passed away.

Better known to the world as "Tokyo Rose". Made propaganda broadcasts for the Japanese during world War Two [WW2]. Was tried in the aftermath of the war, found guilty, and spent six years in prison.

Her passing was carried as front page news in today's Chicago Tribune. The title of the article calls her the alleged "Tokyo Rose".

Alleged?

NO!! She WAS "Tokyo Rose". NOT just alleged. DID make the broadcasts. She openly admitted as much, was photographed doing so, and had recordings made of her transmissions. Once such recording was played on the radio this morning.

[some have suggested that there WAS NO TOKYO ROSE!! This is not so. There was a group of English speaking Japanese women that made propaganda broadcasts during WW2. Iva was one of them. Iva did call herself "Orphan Annie or Annie" during her broadcasts. But to say that THERE WAS NO TOKYO ROSE IS JUST MISTAKEN!!]

THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO DOUBT THAT SHE DID MAKE THE PROPAGANDA BROADCASTS. Alleged is the incorrect word to use. What at doubt is whether she made these transmissions under duress or not. That is the question.

She later received a pardon from President Ford. Led a long, prosperous, and relatively uneventful but full life. Ran a Japanese import gift shop, and sponsored for years a Chicago FM radio station "ethnic" program, called the "The Sakura Hour".

[interestingly enough, "sakura" means cherry blossoms. The name given to the kamikaze of WW2. Persons dying at the height of their youth and beauty. Falling from the sky as does a cherry blossom.]

Contrast the sentence given Iva with that of William Joyce ["Lord Haw Haw"] and John Amery. Two Englishmen convicted of also making propaganda broadcasts during WW2. Did so for the Germans. The fate of those two men was much more harsh. Both sentenced to death AND EXECUTED!!

Also contrast the sentence given to Iva with that given to Mildred Gillars. Known to the world as "Axis Sally". Also made transmissions for Hitler. Did so willingly. Did so at the behest of her husband, who was director of Radio Berlin. "Sally" [Mildred] spent thirteen years in prison.




There was no mercy for her either.

Iva got off easy.

Visit here a web site that has the various recordings of Iva, Mildred, and others. Actual transmissions preserved for posterity.

coolbert.

Lawn Darts.

This is coolbert:

It has been reported that in the southern part of Lebanon, upwards of 200,000 persons will be delayed in returning to their homes. For as long as two years!!

This of course in the aftermath of the recent war between Israel and Hezbollah.

There is so much unexploded Israeli munitions laying around. Unexploded munitions mostly in the form of bomblets from cluster weapons. About 1 millions "lawn dart" bomblets it is estimated.

Those cluster weaponry I have blogged about recently.

As much as 40 % of Israeli cluster munitions did not detonate. This is a very high and unexpected percentage to fail. The area of southern Lebanon appears to be strewn with the "lawn dart" bomblets from dropped bombs.

This poses a severe problem to say the least. Getting rid of all that "stuff" is not so easy. You just cannot walk around and pick the "stuff" up. All those bomblets must be categorized as "armed" and ready to detonate. The slightest nudge or jostling can set the "thing" off. With disaster being the consequence. Anyone within a radius of 200 meters is at risk. Extreme care will have to take in removing this ordnance.

Normally, the procedure to destroy the "lawn darts" would be to place a small piece of plastic explosive NEXT TO the bomblet and detonate the plastique'. The bomblet is blown up in the process. This is the safest and most sure method. Hard to do if the bomblets are strewn over a populated, built-up area.

What they need in southern Lebanon is that contingent of fifteen hundred South African contract workers [mercenaries] just recently returned from Iraq. Are expert at clearing minefields and guarding pipelines. Performed these tasks in Iraq with distinction. Apparently performed their tasks in an admirable fashion, save but for several the entire contingent returning home unscathed.

[some dispute the contention that these folks are involved in land mine clearing operations. I cannot say for sure.]

If anyone can approach the cluster munitions problem and know how to handle, it is these guys.

More work, and no rest for the weary!!

coolbert.

Convictions V. [Conclusion]

This is coolbert:

"Where is the front? The front is where ever there is one White Guard counter-revolutionary, where ever there is one foreign interventionist, where ever there is one sentimental bourgeois poet!! That is where the front is!!" - - The Red Bolshevik commissar Barsky from the movie - - "Dr. Zhivago."

"When one has to pick between a strong horse and a weak horse, one will naturally pick the strong horse." - - Osama bin Laden.

"If someone says they mean to kill you, BELIEVE THEM!!" - - Holocaust survivor.

"What counts is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight - it's the size of the fight in the dog." - - Eisenhower.

It is generally recognized that the first step in solving any problem is to recognize that the problem exists in the first place.

Secondly it is also recognized that the effort to try to "understand" a problem seems to suggest a willingness to SOLVE the problem, what ever the nature of the problem may be. This is as true with regard to the problem of the jihadi enemy as it would be for any other run-of-the-mill problem.

A problem [jihadi violence] that most folks in the "western world" have yet to properly comprehend. At least in my own estimation. My own perception of the jihadi threat is that the "west" faces an enemy much more potent than we realize. Has a potential capacity for placing our society and entire civilization in real mortal danger.

Those in the "west" must NOT perceive this current war against Al Qaeda as being a "war" that will be fought and won in the sense that say the two World Wars were fought and won. There WILL NOT BE a period of hostilities, followed by a defeat of a prostrate enemy, with the "west" dictating terms to the vanquished, followed by a long and protracted period of "peace". This will not be and should not be expected.

Expect rather a level of hostilities to last for decades, perhaps for the remainder of the century!!! A generations long war!! NOT something persons in the "west" are accustomed to!!

In this type of Fourth Generational Warfare [4GW], it is not so much physical strength that counts as does mental wherewithal.

The jihadi knows they will never have at their disposal long-range jet bombers, missiles, aircraft carriers, battalions of heavy armor and artillery, etc.

[don't however, preclude the use of weapons of mass destruction [WMD] at some time in the future by jihadists of some stripe.]

Rather, the jihadi will have to resort to and rely upon methods of warfare that maximize their strength. Strengths that the jihadis will allow them to win in the LONG-RUN.

Methods that are multi-faceted and indicative of the 4GW warriors and their fighting groups. And, if not Al Qaeda, some other group will take up where the former leaves off. Multi-faceted methods to include but not limited to:

* Terrorism in all it's manifestations, across all boundaries of the nation-state system. Including the use of WMD or the threat thereof.

* Illegal and legal mass immigration with an intention to change the character of a target society.

* Smuggling of illegal drugs and other contraband. Saps the will and strength of a target society while funding jihadi warfare all at the same time.

* Psychological warfare with the intention of intimidating the target society to the point where resistance is deemed futile.

A type of warfare, 4GW, where the "front" is present in many places, in many forms, and all at once!

Especially important to the jihadi in this struggle against the "west" is their perception that most of all this 4GW represents more than anything else a battle of "strength of wills". It is here that the jihadi believes they possess an overwhelming advantage.

Which brings us back to the incident involving the two journalists.

In the eyes of the Islamic ummah [nation], the "west" breeds weak horses, while the ummah breeds strong horses. NOT necessarily strength in the physical sense, but strength in the moral and mental sense. The jihadi is confident of his beliefs and dedicated to his religion and it's precepts. Has mental certitude while at the same time he PERCEIVES those in the "west" as lacking in this regard.

"Until we non-Muslims are willing to refuse to be cowed by these Muslim terrorists......until we are willing to give our lives (as they are) for what we believe in (our faith)...we will lose this 'war on terror'!"

"While the concept of forced conversion might seem to many an artifact of another millennia it should instead serve as a warning to those who seek to minimize the danger represented by militant Islam and the fanatical nature of those who seek to advance this theology of totalitarian hate by force of terror."

"They [the jihadis] didn't make it [a video of the forced conversions] for face value. They made it to show the whole Muslim world, via satellite television, what wimps these Westerners are. That they'll do anything at all to save their lives, that they don't think twice about it. That is the substance of most Islamo-fascist propaganda: that the West consists of straw men, of men without chests, of men easily pushed over."

And with the case of the two journalists, lacking in a shameful and to the jihadi, a disgraceful manner. The "west" is chaff, without backbone, and will be an easy mark in the long run, for the resourceful, flexible, resilient and persistent jihadi movement. Time is ON THEIR SIDE, SAYS THE JIHADI [time here measured in generations and many decades!!]

The front? Where is the front?? Where ever there are two journalists willing to convert! That is where the front is!!

coolbert.

Convictions IV.

This is coolbert:

It has NOT always been the case that persons, when faced with the choice of either death or converting to another religion, chose "conversion". When faced with coercion, death to these persons was preferable over accepting another God.

The Jewish people in particular have been victims of such intolerant behavior for milleniums!!

From the "Jewish War" by Josephus, we read how Jews, captured by the Romans, were put to hideouos torture and eventual death by burning ALIVE!! Even children. The object was to get the captives to convert and recognize Caesar as a god.

To the amazement and probably grudging respect of the Romans, NOT A SINGLE JEW WOULD RECOGNIZE CAESAR AS GOD!! NO MATTER WHAT WAS DONE TO THEM. EVEN SMALL CHILDREN RESISTED UNTO DEATH!! A CRUEL AND HORRIBLE DEATH!!

"VICTORY WILL BE THEIRS!!

Here from CHAPTER 10. of the "Jewish War" by Josephus.

"it came to pass that many Jews were slain at
Alexandria in Egypt; for as many of the Sicarii
[Zealots] as were able to fly thither . . . and to look
upon God as their only Lord and Master . . .
and ran with great violence upon the Sicarii,
and seized upon them; and indeed six hundred of them
were caught immediately . . . whose courage,or whether
we ought to call it madness, or hardiness in their opinions,
every body was amazed at. For when all sorts of torments
and vexations of their bodies that could be
devised were made use of to them, they could not get
any one of them to comply so far
as to confess, or seem to confess, that Caesar was their lord;
but they preserved their own opinion, in spite of all
the distress they were brought to, as if they received
these torments and the fire itself with bodies insensible
of pain, and with a soul that in a manner rejoiced under
them. But what was most of all astonishing to the beholders
was the courage of the children;
for not one of these children was so
far overcome by these torments,as to name Caesar for
their lord. So far does the strength of the courage
[of the soul] prevail over the weakness of the body."

["torments and vexations=torture of the most horrible kind!!"]

["they could not get any one of them . . . to confess"]

["that Caesar was their lord"]

["the fire itself=burned alive"]

["most of all astonishing was the courage of the children"]

["not one of these children was so far overcome by these torments"]

["as to name Caesar for their lord"]

Let us get this straight now. After the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem by the Romans, some of the Zealots fled to Alexandria in Egypt. The local Jews apprehended them and turned them over to the Romans. These Zealots were slowly tortured to death while the Romans attempted them to deny their Jewish GOD and accept Caesar as God. EVEN CHILDREN WERE SUBJECTED TO TORTURE AND DEATH BY BURNING. NOT A ONE WOULD DENY THEIR FAITH. DEATH ITSELF WAS PREFERABLE!!!

And do not think that this is just an ancient thing.

In his book, "Passage to Ararat", Michael Arlen speaks of a massacre perpetrated by Turkish Muslims on the Armenian population of Istanbul in the late 1800's. Thousands of Armenian men, Christians, were clubbed to death by Islamic mobs. Mobs that first offered these unfortunates the option of converting to Islam. To accept Islam would mean you would live. To not accept would mean death by clubbing. NOT ONE ARMENIAN COVERTED TO SAVE THEIR LIFE!! THEY ALL DIED TO A MAN RATHER THAN ACCEPT CONVERSION.

What are moderns in the "western world" to make of this? Who of us has our convictions to behave as the ancient Jews did or the even the not so ancient Armenians??

I cannot say.

coolbert.

Convictions III.

This is coolbert:

[for those of you that are interested, the photo accompanying this blog entry is of the flag of Saudi Arabia. "green, a traditional color in Islamic flags, with the Shahada or Muslim creed in large white Arabic script (translated as "There is no god but God; Muhammad is the Messenger of God") above a white horizontal saber"]

Here are extracts from a very recent article that seems to suggest that FORCED CONVERSION is not exactly against the teachings of Islam.

[thanks here to the JihadWatch web site for the tip!!]

"there shall be no compulsion in religion" - - Muhammad.

Is this so? Islam does not tolerate compulsion regarding their religion. Forcible conversions are invalid?

"It is self-evident that some Koranic verses encourage violence."

"On the other hand, it is equally clear that there are peaceful verses as well, including the famous "no compulsion in religion" (2:256)."

"Resolving apparently contradictory messages presents one of the central interpretative challenges of the Koran."

"Nevertheless, a consensus developed very early in the history of Islam about this problem. This method relies on a theory of stages in the development of Mohammed's prophetic career. It also appeals to a doctrine known as abrogation, which states that verses revealed later can cancel out or qualify verses revealed earlier."

"So at first 'the fighting' was forbidden, then it was permitted and after that it was made obligatory"

"At the beginning, in Mohammed's Meccan period, when he was weaker and his followers few, passages of the Koran encouraged peaceful relations and avoidance of conflict"

"Later, after persecution and emigration to Medina in the first year of the Islamic calendar, authority was given to engage in warfare for defensive purposes only"

"further revelations expanded the licence for waging war, until in Sura 9, regarded as one of the last chapters to be revealed, it is concluded that war against non-Muslims could be waged more or less at any time and in any place to extend the dominance of Islam."

Muhammad made his pronouncement of "no compulsion" in the early stage of his career. Later Koranic pronouncements seem to contradict the original and early statements of Muhammad. Abrogation becomes critical here. Later statements invalidate the earlier ones!!??

So!!?? Is the use of forced conversions legal under Islamic law. As what happened to the two journalists??

"There is no consensus that the earlier, more peaceful verses of the Koran take priority over the later, more violent ones."

Like I said, the jury is still out.

But, in the minds of some, the verdict has already been reached, of this I am sure. If I was one of those two journalists, I would be watching my backs, changing my name, keeping low profile.

coolbert.

Convictions II.

This is coolbert:

[originally I wanted this to one blog entry. But it grew and grew, and other topics were found to be germane. So "Convictions" comes in parts.]

You the reader decide.

"There shall be no compulsion in religion" - - Muhammad.

"If one must pick between a weak horse and a strong horse, one will naturally choose the strong horse" - - Osama bin Laden.

"It isn't so much the reality that counts, it is the perception of reality that counts" - - Jesse Jackson.

"Kill me O' brother, kill me" - - unarmed Iranian "students" as they advanced on armed U.S. Marines guarding the U.S. embassy in Tehran, 1979.

Most folks by now have heard about or seen the video of the forced "conversion" of the two "western" journalists.

Journalists kidnapped by Hamas or Hamas wannabees in the Gaza Strip. Were forced to "convert" to Islam at gunpoint.

Went through the ritual, videotaped, of the wearing of an Islamic robe, reading portions of the Koran, index finger of right hand pointing upward as they recited the Islamic testament of faith, the shahada.

Subsequent to the "conversion", these two men were released and returned to a much more peaceful world. Interviewed and related how they were "forced" to convert. Had a real fear of being executed if they did not.

Said that what they HAD NOT really converted. "Conversion" was only done to appease and placate the kidnappers. Journalists doing what they did to survive. They affirmed that THEY HAD NOT ACTUALLY CONVERTED TO ISLAM!!

Seeing the video, I had some doubts about this whole thing. These two men said they were forced, and that the "conversion" was invalid. And Muhammad himself seems to say that this IS SO. "no compulsion in religion".

Of this, I am not sure! There are four Islamic schools of jurisprudence. Each has their own take on Islamic law. I was wondering if under one of the four schools, this WAS A VALID CONVERSION. VALID TO A MUSLIM! TO THE JOURNALISTS, NOT REAL!! BUT PERHAPS, TO SOME MUSLIMS, REAL!!

Of this I am not sure. If valid in any degree, these two men could be in big trouble. Will have to watch their backs for the rest of their lives. Apostates from Islam are subject to death!! To say, "I converted, but it was not real", could be considered to be apostasy!! Punishable by death.

By accepting conversion, even if false, and then renouncing the "conversion" these two men may have become apostate in the eyes of Muslims and thusly signed their own death warrants!! Jumping from the frying pan to the fire, so to speak!!

The jury is still out on this one.

The cynic will respond, "well, what did you expect them to do? They wanted to live! When in the hands of murderous men, with guns pointed to your head, you would do the same!! These guys wanted to survive, and would do whatever was necessary to do so! You would do the same!!"

I had thought that the whole mess would disappear a few days after the video was aired. I was wrong. This has become a contentious issue in the minds of other folks. But not an issue in the same sense as I saw it.

Other commentators are citing the performance of the two journalists as an indication of the weak mental state of persons living in the west as compared to those persons living in the ummah [Islamic nation]. Keep in mind that Islam is both religion and culture at the same time, forming what is ordinarily called a nation!!

A commentator on the Bruce Du Mont TV show, "Beyond the Beltway" says that this video will be shown over and over on al-Jazeera, Arabic TV. Only will solidify in the minds of Muslim viewers the belief that "westerners" are weak people with malleable minds and totally devoid of resolve. Don't have the strength of their convictions, if THEY EVEN HAVE ANY CONVICTIONS IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!

This commentator further goes on to say that he cannot even begin to imagine that all those suspected Islamic terrorists imprisoned at Gitmo for even a moment would ever consider accepting conversion to Christianity, IF EVEN AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO DO SO, EVEN IF FORCE WAS APPLIED!! With this I would whole heartedly agree.

[on this particular "Beyond the Beltway" program, there were three commentators, one of which was from all outward appearances a "westernized" Muslim woman. She said that forced conversions would not be accepted in the Islamic world as Muhammad himself spoke that "there shall be no compulsion in religion". She did downplay the whole video and the "conversions"!!]

Other folks see the "performance" of the journalists as being pathetic:

http://www.suntimes.com/output/steyn/cst-edt-steyn03.html

"what's the big deal? Wear robes, change your name to Khaled, go on camera and drop Allah's name hither and yon: If that's your ticket out, seize it. Everyone'll know it's just a sham."

"But that's not how the al-Jazeera audience sees it. If you're a Muslim, the video is anything but meaningless. Not even the dumbest jihadist believes these infidels are suddenly true believers. Rather, it confirms the central truth Osama and the mullahs have been peddling -- that the West is weak, that there's nothing -- no core, no bedrock -- nothing it's not willing to trade."

" . . . In the Muslim world, they watch the Centanni/Wiig video and see men so in love with the present, the now, that they will do or say anything to live in the moment. And they draw their own conclusions . . . It doesn't matter how 'understandable' Centanni and Wiig's actions are to us, what the target audience understands is quite different: that there is nothing we're willing to die for. And, to the Islamist mind, a society with nothing to die for is already dead."

My impression is that devout members of the Islam nation [ummah] world wide would never convert, even with a gun placed to their head. THEY HAVE RESOLVE AND THE STRENGTH OF THEIR CONVICTIONS, AND WE DO NOT!!

[maybe that is not true, BUT THAT IS WHAT I PERCEIVE!!]

As simple as that.

This does not bode well for the future. We in the "west" face an implacable enemy who is strong and resolute in their beliefs. THEY REALLY DO BELIEVE THEIR BELIEFS. They also see the "west" as weak, lacking in will power, character, and again, devoid of convictions.

WHETHER THE WEST IS AS WEAK AS THE JIHADI BELIEVES IS NOT IMPORTANT. WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS THE JIHADIS PERCEPTION OF WEAKNESS. THE "CONVERSION" OF THE JOURNALISTS ONLY CONFIRMS WHAT THE JIHADI PERCEIVES TO BE TRUE!!

The jihadi ALSO DOES believe that time and their strength of will and character and convictions will overcome in the end the military and technological edge the west has over the ummah.

coolbert.

Convictions I.

This is coolbert:

Read this entire article by the English Professor ["Don"] David Selbourne.

"Can the West defeat the Islamist threat? Here are ten reasons why not."

Here are the ten reasons:

1) The first is the extent of political division in the non-Muslim world about what is afoot.

2) The second reason why, as things stand, Islam will not be defeated is that the strengths of the world community of Muslims are being underestimated, and the nature of Islam misunderstood.

3) Indeed, the third reason why Islam will not be defeated, as things stand, is the low level of Western leadership, in particular in the United States.

4) Next is the contribution to the disarray of Western policy-making being made by the egotistical competitiveness, and in some cases hysterics, of “experts” and commentators on Islam.

5) The fifth disablement is to be found in the confusion of “progressives” about the Islamic advance.

6) The sixth reason for Islam’s growing strength is the vicarious satisfaction felt by many non-Muslims at America’s reverses.

7) The seventh reason lies in the moral poverty of the West’s, and especially America’s, own value system.

8) The next indication that Islam’s advance will continue lies in the skilful use being made of the media and of the world wide web in the service both of the “electronic jihad” and the bamboozling of Western opinion by Muslim spokesmen.

9) The ninth factor guaranteeing Islam’s onward march is the West’s dependency on the material resources of Arab and Muslim countries.

10) Finally, the West is convinced that its notions of technology-driven modernity and market-driven prog- ress are innately superior to the ideals of “backward” Islam.

More on all this later.

coolbert.

Bizarro.

This is coolbert:

Here is the DefenseTech.org web site.

Really strange stuff categorized under the heading of "Bizarro" catches my attention right away. This is the sort of material I enjoy. I have an inkling that others feel the same way. Odd stuff that maybe will transform some aspect of the military in a big way.

But only maybe.

These particular items caught my attention:

[my comments in BOLD!!]

1. "Now You See Me...

It sounds like something out of a comic book, or Lord of the Rings, I know. But there's a chance that invisibility "real-life, honest-to-God invisibility" may actually be possible, some day."

Stealth technology analogous to what was seen in the "Predator" movies.

"By utilizing metamaterials, it should be possible, in theory, to create what Pendry calls an invisibility cloak."

[ARE WE APPROACHING THE TIME WHEN SCI-FI BECOMES FACT??!!]




2. "Robotic Frisbees of Death

It ain't easy, picking out evil-doers in the urban canyons of the Middle East; there are so many places to hide. Taking 'em out can be even harder, what with all those noncombatants hanging nearby. But the Air Force thinks it might have an answer to this most vexing problem in counter-insurgency: frisbees.

Not just any frisbees, mind you. Robotic frisbees. Heavily armed robotic frisbees."

Someone during the Vietnam War suggested in a jocular manner that what the U.S. Air Force needed to do was to simultaneously drop millions of super-balls all over North Vietnam. Super-balls made of a special rubber compound that would bounce, and bounce, and bounce, and bounce, and . . . Well, you get it!! Make life unbearable for the inhabitants.

3. "Clowns Sabotage Nuke Missile

On Tuesday morning, a retired Catholic priest and two veterans put on clown suits, busted into a nuclear missile launch facility, and began beating the silo cover with hammers, in an attempt to take the Minuteman III missile off-line. Seriously."

OH, this is just so funny. You will all notice how hard I am laughing. Clowns. Well, that is what they are, aren't they? There was a group that actually did disable a Minuteman site some years ago. All it required for them to do so was a commercially available rail bender jack. Damaged the "110-ton hardened silo cover" to the point where it could not be removed if a launch was imminent!!



4. "Moscow's Remote-Controlled Heart Attacks

The American military may want to attack the nervous system, with pain rays and laser plasma pulses. But they're not the only ones. The Russians have long studied such systems, too -- including one weapon that could, in theory, remotely trigger heart attacks."

This is not so far fetched. A weapon that would give enemy troops heart attacks. Well, the poison gas family known as BLOOD AGENTS already does that. Such as hydrogen cyanide [HCN]. Constricts your blood vessels from inhaling to the point where blood will not flow any more. You die as if you were having a heart attack.

Back in the 1970's, work was supposedly being done with micro-waves to attack the heart. A frog would be strapped down, with a micro-wave generator beaming synchronized micro-wave energy at the frog's heart. When the two beats [frog's heart and the micro-wave generator] had been synchronized for a proper amount of time, the generator would turn off, and so would the HEART OF THE FROG!!

It is also reputed that the Finns have the highest incidence of heart attacks and heart disease of any people on the planet. The inhabitants of one Finnish town in particular had a rate of heart disease and heart attacks that was just way off the scale. Just across the border in what used to be the Soviet Union was a giant radar complex with an intense radar beam aimed at the Minuteman missile silos of Minot SD. An intense radar beam tangential to the earth's surface. Those Finns were subjected to what possibly might have been over-whelming doses of micro-wave radiation from the radar site!!

5. "Insurgents Using Chem Weapons - On Themselves?

This has to be the most bizarre twist in the WMD saga yet. Insurgents in Iraq could very well have chemical weapons. And they may be using them - on themselves."

"a Marine blogger in Iraq. On June 2nd 2004 "The Green Side" - . . . - describes suicidal attacks by insurgents in Fallujah: "We could not understand why they kept coming but they did." The reason, it turned out, was drugs: "these 'holy warrior's are taking drugs to get high before attacks."

Agent BZ in this case. Called "Agent Buzz". Opiates too. Alcohol is not consistent with the mores of Islamic societies. But opiates are. NOT allowed officially, but it IS part of the culture. There was the case a few years ago of two bank robbers in Los Angeles that took sedatives prior to the bank robbery. Allowed them to remain calm when they engaged in a running gun battle with the LA cops. Remember too, the jihadi WANTS TO DIE!! AND BELIEVES WHEN HE DIES, WELL, HE ACTUALLY IS NOT DYING. HIS CORPOREAL BODY IS WHISKED TO HEAVEN BY AN ANGEL AND TAKEN TO HEAVEN AT THE LAST EXACT MOMENT OF LIFE. AN IMAGE THAT IS NOT REAL IS LEFT BEHIND FOR THE AMRIKI SOLDIERS TO BEHOLD!!

6. "Army Wants Synthetic Gills

The Army recently handed Case Western Reserve University and Waltham, MA. Infoscitex Corp. a joint contract to start investigating a "Microfabricated Biomimetic Artificial Gill System"… based on the subdividing regions of clef, filament, and lamellae found in natural fish gills. In the first phase of the program, 'gas exchange units will be designed and demonstrated for rapid, efficient extract of oxygen from surrounding water.'"



I remember years ago now someone had devised a membrane that was able to do this. Allowed gases to pass through while stopping the flow of water. An apparatus made of this membrane was submerged under water with a mouse inside. The mouse got along just swimmingly, without any problem, able to breath normally. Like as if the mouse was on the surface. Humans have vestigial muscles in our neck and on the top of our head that would work gills if we had them. It has been observed that people dying from MS, at the last moment of life when their lungs fail, will have these particular muscles convulse. Those muscles are trying to work the gills to get oxygen for the dying person. Gills we no longer have. Spooky, eh!!!

7. "Hurricane, Halt!

Note to self: Next time a super-storm wipes out a major American city, do not wait two weeks to mention Ross Hoffman's research into controlling hurricanes."

You may not to control hurricanes. They serve a useful purpose. Prevent a world-wide overheating of the atmosphere by absorbing unneeded and dangerous heat energy. Also, the center of the Gulf of Mexico becomes, naturally, a dead zone hostile to all life. Hurricanes are the ONLY phenomenon that can stir up the water of this dead zone and restore it back to life by mixing cold and hot waters. ONLY A HURRICANE CAN DO THIS. PART OF THE NATURAL CYCLE OF LIFE AND DEATH!!

8. "Stress-Free Soldiers

* Stressed out. DARPA's Defense Sciences Office has been trying for years, now, to figure out how GIs can fight on little or no sleep. Now, DSO officials are looking for ideas on how soldiers can wage war, just about stress-free. The scientists are seeking ways to completely eliminate post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as techniques to map and identify the neural transmitters that cause the brain to feel stress."

Drugs. Medics in the field will carry a kit bag as does the Zulu "witch-doctor". A kit bag with pharmaceuticals that will reduce stress.

ONE PILL MAKES YOU HAPPY. ONE PILL MAKES YOU TALL. AND THIS ONE, WELL, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IT DOES AT ALL!!

9. "Brain Caps

Brain Caps. Navy Cmdr. Dylan Schmorrow wants to put "brain caps" on soldiers to improve their ability to take in new information under stress. Schmorrow, a Darpa program manager in the Information Processing Technology Office, is a naval aerospace experimental psychologist. The concept is based on the fact that humans can only handle so much information at any given time."

In the mid-1970's, someone did a study that said that an Army intelligence analyst supporting in the field ongoing combat operations, would have a new piece of information given to him once every five seconds. All this to digest, analyze, spit out as intelligence, and all this in ADDITION to perhaps functioning as a COMBAT SOLDIER if necessary. Seems to be just information overload that would cause brain shutdown. MORE DRUGS ARE THE ANSWER??!!

10. "Israel's floating fence

Israel is building an underwater barrier extending out to sea from its border with Gaza to deter Palestinian infiltrators as part of a planned withdrawal from the coastal strip, a newspaper said on June 17."

Only today, it was announced that Boeing has gotten the contract to develop watch towers to be erected along the border with Mexico. And who is a participant with Boeing in the design process. The Israeli firm that has worked on the fence between Israel and the Palestinians.

11. "GITMO GOES GREEN

Happy belated Earth Day, enemy combatants! You may be staying here at Guantanamo Bay indefinitely . . . But at least we won't be burning up a whole lot of oil to keep the lights on when we force you to stay awake! Nope, now we've got four brand-spanking-new, 275-foot tall wind turbines supplying the power around here, Defense Industry Daily says."

Guantanamo Bay now has wind turbines to provide power. I hope something has been taken into consideration with these turbines. They interfere with doppler radars. Military radars that are used on aircraft and by ground surveillance units may have problems from these radars?? I hope not. That is not the sort of thing you want to have happen at Gitmo.

12. "'EX' STRESS RELIEF FOR G.I'S

First we found out that the Army was planning to ply G.I.s with the raver favorite Ketamine, or "Special K," as a morphine substitute. Now comes word that "American soldiers traumatized by fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan are to be offered the drug ecstasy to help free them of flashbacks and recurring nightmares," the Guardian reports."

Put this one again in the "one pill makes you happy, one pill makes you small" category. The military DOES really seem to be interested in drugs that will enhance the capability of the soldier. I had heard of amphetamines being issued to Special Forces troops, but this goes way beyond that. Of course, the Zulu "witch doctors" had all this stuff figured out centuries ago!!

Enough already!! That site is a good site. Well, with regard to "Bizzaro" stuff, you just can't know until you try it??!! Yes??!!

coolbert.

Coffeehouse.

This is coolbert:

"Lets have another cup of coffee!!" - - Lyrics from a 1950's song.

The Coffeehouse Movement. A Vietnam era antiwar movement that merited a special mention in the book by Colonel Harry Summers. A book that critiqued the involvement of the U.S. military in Vietnam.

A movement that was NOT held in esteem by the Colonel. A movement that the Colonel probably rightly believed contributed to a climate of insubordination and disrespect for command authority that was prevalent among the enlisted ranks during that era [especially among those that had been drafted.]

In the minds of the anti-war "activists" of the time, the Coffeehouse Movement was a great success. Markedly so!!

"One of the greatest achievements of the Vietnam antiwar movement was its creation of a GI coffeehouse and counseling network."

"The first coffehouse was opened outside Ft. Jackson, S.C. in late 1967, two and a half years after America troops invaded Vietnam. Within weeks, hundreds of GIs had visited during their off duty hours. Over the next year, similar projects sprang up outside twenty other major U.S. bases."

"The GI antiwar movement became more organized. Near Fort Jackson, South Carolina, the first "GI coffeehouse" was set up, a place where soldiers could get coffee and doughnuts, find antiwar literature, and talk freely with others. It was called the UFO, and lasted for several years before it was declared a "public nuisance" and closed by court action."

The purported intention of these coffeehouses was:

"setting political goals, providing counseling and putting out the anti war newspaper that was a staple of every coffeehouse project."

NOW, let us clarify. What is meant here?

"setting political goals" - - GET U.S. TROOPS OUT OF VIETNAM NOW!!

"providing counseling" - - ENCOURAGE GI'S TO DESERT, APPLY FOR DISCHARGES, BE INSUBORDINATE TO MILITARY AUTHORITY, ETC.

[indeed, a coffeehouse as a phenomenon AT THE TIME was ONLY associated with say the New York Greenwich Village or San Francisco North Beach scene. Bohemians wearing berets [called beatniks during that era], listening to jazz or poetry readings. A milieu normally also associated with HOMOSEXUALS!!].

It is true that a number of soldiers, rather significant, seem to have been attracted to the coffeehouses and frequented these establishments on a regular basis. The message they did receive must have had gotten through to some degree. Colonel Summers would not have mentioned this "movement" if it did not.

The one-time proprietors and activists of the coffeehouse movement toot their own horn and attribute this success to a variety of factors.

Factors to include:

"coffee and doughnuts, find antiwar literature, and talk freely with others"

* coffee and doughnuts.

* antiwar literature.

* talk freely with others.

This must have been why the coffeehouses were a success??

NO!!

"The 'counter cultural' spirit of the times. Sex, psychedelic drugs and rock and roll coexisted with a strong anti-war message."

* Strong anti-war message.

* Psychedelic drugs and rock and roll.

This must have been why the coffeehouses were a success??

NO!!

"setting political goals, providing counseling and putting out the anti war newspaper"

* Setting political goals.

* counseling.

* Anti war newspaper.

This must have been why the coffeehouses were a success??

NO!!

"an off duty refuge from the tedium of the 'green machine' and its grinding routines."

* Off duty refuge from . . . grinding routines.

This must have been why the coffeehouses were a success??

NO!!

"One of the main attractions of the Vietnam era coffeehouse was that GIs identified them with the "counter cultural" changes that were sweeping America at the time."

* Counter cultural changes.

This must have been why the coffeehouses were a success??

NO!!

"Psychedelic paraphenalia and drugs fanned the latent anti authoritarianism of soldiers."

* Psychedelic paraphenalia and drugs.

This must have been why the coffeehouses were a success??

NO!!

"Explicit anti war organizing, while important, was only one item on the projects' agendas."

* Anti war organizing.

This must have been why the coffeehouses were a success??

NO!!

NOT ANY OF THOSE REASONS ARE THE REAL REASON WHY THE COFFEEHOUSES WERE PATRONIZED BY NUMBERS OF GI'S!!

What then is the REAL REASON WHY the GI visited the coffeehouses as they did??

THESE COFFEEHOUSES HAD A CLIENTELE AND STAFF THAT PRIMARILY CONSISTED OF YOUNG, SINGLE, ATTRACTIVE, COLLEGE-EDUCATED WOMEN!!

Young, single, attractive, college-educated women of approximately the same age as your average GI. Young, single, attractive, college-educated women who were more than happy to sit at the same table as the GI, engage in small talk with the GI, and again, happy and more than willing to express an interest in the GI and his predicament. Sympathetic to the GI in a manner that was unexpected.

YOUNG, SINGLE, ATTRACTIVE, COLLEGE-EDUCATED WOMEN WHO BEGAN TO TREAT THAT GI AS IF HE WAS THE LAST MAN ON EARTH!!

THIS IS THE REAL REASON WHY SO MANY GI'S OF THE ERA FELT DRAWN TO THE COFFEEHOUSES!!

Young, single, attractive, college-educated women who slowly and steadily developed a rapport with the GI. With the intention, often quite successfully so, of influencing the GI in a manner that the anti-war activists approved of.

An influence that would hopefully lead [in the mind of the anti-war activist] to that GI becoming insubordinate and undisciplined. A GI that would apply for discharge, or even desert and flee to Canada.

With regard to a MODERN [anti-Iraq War] coffeehouse anti-war movement, "activists" have speculated that the coffeehouse movement can be revived and with a little tweaking, again can subvert the U.S. military as it did during the Vietnam era.

"Organizers concluded that a coffeehouse/counseling project could succeed in attracting significant numbers of soldiers assuming that it provided internet access, good latte, and plenty of free parking."

"A coffehouse which combines an alternative bookstore with a lively mix of free musical performances, stand up comedy and poetry (with some political speechifying thrown in) could become highly popular with a significant minority of GIs."

"Many young soldiers today quest for intellectual, cultural and political fulfillment today, as they always have."

What reasons are again suggested as being necessary for a successful return of the coffeehouse movement?

* Internet access.

* Good latte.

* Plenty of free parking.

* Intellectual, cultural and political fulfillment.

* An alternative bookstore.

* Free musical performances.

* Stand up comedy and poetry.

NO!! These anti-war activists need to learn the lessons of the past. Staff the coffeehouse with young, single, attractive, college-educated women. There is the key to your success!

Need I say more??!!

coolbert.

Thailand.

This is coolbert:

This could be big. The military in Thailand has seized control of the government in a coup.

"Army chief General Sonthi Boonyaratglin has appeared on Thailand TV to explain the military coup which has ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his government."

"Sonthi is a Muslim in this Buddhist-dominated nation, AP reported."

http://http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/09/19/thailand.coup.rumor/index.html

Thailand has been a nation where the coup has been a staple of governmental change for some time.

But not for the last fifteen years. Recently, Thailand has had a booming economy and has been a popular spot for tourism. Especially those interested in the international sex trade.

What is most surprising is that the Army Chief General is a Muslim.

This in what is called a "predominantly" Buddhist nation.

"Population:

64,631,595

Religions:

Buddhist 94.6%, Muslim 4.6%, Christian 0.7%, other 0.1% (2000 census)"

Buddhists face a special dilemma with regard to Muslims. Buddhists are not considered "protected people" under Islam. Islam considers the Buddhists to be polytheists and are regarded as lacking protection of any kind. A Buddhist is offered only the route of death or conversion from Muslim conquerors.

According to Joseph Campbell: [referring here to the Islamic conquest of India]

"The holy Hindu city of Benares fell in 1194 and the entire Buddhist province of Bihar in 1199, where the university of Nalanda was utterly destroyed, its population of some 6000 monks summarily put to the sword"

"Put to the sword". Meaning the head was cut off by swords of Damascus steel. Of course this was in the year 1199. Surely by now the Muslim has given up such practices? Surely?

The number of Muslims in Thailand must be small. But still a significant number of troublemakers exist.

In the area of the Isthmus of Kra. That narrow strip of land that connects Malaysia to the Asian mainland. Here are found a lot of Muslims. And are causing for some time now, a lot of trouble. A minor, at this point, insurrection has been on-going for some time. Persons purportedly to have ties to Al Qaeda and trained in the myriad number of training camps found throughout SE Asia.

http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/012945.php

http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/012490.php

http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/012174.php

[this represents a sampling of similar posts from the Jihad Watch web site].

How will having a Muslim in charge of the Army make a difference in this case? Can't say yet. Time will only tell.

coolbert.

Newspapers.

This is coolbert:

"Good news is NO news" - - Walter Cronkite.

During the Vietnam War, I think it is safe to say the the press, for reasons known only to themselves, were either ambivalent or even hostile to the American effort.

Took a malicious, even perverse and delighted pleasure in reporting failures of U.S. and South Vietnamese forces.

A hostile press was cited by General Westmoreland as being one of many reasons that accounted for American failure in Vietnam.

Such a situation did not exist in World War Two [WW2]. General Eisenhower seems to have been accomplished at cultivating journalists, who were given officer rank, uniforms, and accorded the privileges of a staff officer.

Ike also had censorship on his side, rigorously applied. Presumably this gave him a big advantage over Westmoreland.

One can only imagine the effect that journalists reporting from the Normandy beaches, 6 June 1944, would have had on the American and British public if they had embedded reporters, satellite communications, "unfettered access" and NO censorship.

Those reporters at Normandy would have had a LOT of bad news to report.

Such as:

* The parachute troops, three divisions of them, ALL, WITHOUT EXCEPTION, missed their drop zones.

* The first wave of troops ashore from the U.S. Fourth Infantry Division ALL LANDED AT THE WRONG BEACHES. Every one of them. This even after the most intensive preparation and training and gathering of intelligence.

* An entire battalion of Sherman tanks, made amphibious [a DD tank] by specially designed flotation collars, sank. Twenty seven tanks went to the bottom [no word is given of what happened to the presumed remaining five??]. NOT ONE MADE IT ASHORE. [these tanks were supposed to given the first wave of troops at Omaha beach a big advantage of the German defenders. It all came to NAUGHT!!

* The U.S. Rangers, scaling the cliffs of Pointe du Hoc, and assaulting what was believed to be the gun positions of German artillery, found only empty emplacements!! NOT ONE GUN WAS PRESENT. The Rangers suffered 50 % casualties to attack an enemy position that they need not have!! [in the movie "The Longest Day", Sal Mineo, playing the role of an Army Ranger says, "you mean, we came all this way, for nothing??!!]

* The massed Allied bomber force, thousands of them, dropping many more thousands of bombs, TOTALLY MISSED THEIR TARGETS. The American and British bombers DID NOT HIT ONE THING OTHER THAN EMPTY FARM FIELDS. [the day was cloudy, and the bombers tried to time their bomb drop, without success.]

And this was only the first day of the allied invasion!!

In the days and weeks following the landings on the Sixth of June, things did not go smoothingly well either. Reporters "telling things like they were", would have certainly have been able to portray Eisenhower, Bradley, Montgomery as being just a bunch of incompetents.

* The capture of Cherbourg, a vital objective, was delayed. American forces did not press the attack as they should have. When the port city was captured, it was found that the harbor had been rendered unusable . The German defenders had been given time to scuttle a number of ships, making the harbor useless. It took a month just to clear the harbor to allow for further ship traffic.

"the Cherbourg commander, Lieutenant General von Schlieben, capitulated on June 26 after destroying most of the facilities, making the harbor inoperable until the middle of August."

* The British suffered catastrophic losses during "Operation Goodwood". British and Canadian tanks advanced straight into the massed 88 mm anti-tanks guns of the Waffen SS. Result - - over 400 Sherman tanks destroyed in the space of several days!!

"After four days of intense combat, with the loss of more than 400 tanks, all that had been achieved was an advance of roughly eight miles"

Results like this, reported to the American and British public by a press without censorship, "unfettered", would have been a bombshell to morale and the over-all war effort. Folks on the home front would have really begun to wonder what was going on and if this was all worth it!!

This did not happen. Allied forces were successful in liberating France from German control by the end of September 1944. Ike, Bradley, and Montgomery were resolute men and were not deterred by initial bad results as occurred in the Normandy campaign.

They did not also have to face a HOSTILE press!!

coolbert.

Green Munitions.

This is coolbert:

Here is the type of thing that General Sherman or Admiral Jackie Fisher would have laughed at.

"War is cruelty, and you cannot refine it" - - W.T. Sherman.

"Moderation in war is imbecility" - - Admiral Sir John "Jackie" Fisher.

Green munitions. Stuff that kills you, but is environmentally safe and sound.

This is in all likelihood a reaction in part to the many stories that have been floating around concerning the use of DEPLETED URANIUM used in certain munitions.

Has created controversy. NOT probably a worthwhile controversy. Is the type of thing that gadflies [unwanted persons] like to make an issue of. NOT really having substance?

The uranium is DEPLETED!!

Pollution from "war stuff" is probably a SMALL polluter of the environment as compared to other "stuff" man has put into the environment over the centuries. Should NOT be made an issue or a big concern.

Like with the full-metal-jacketed [copper clad lead rounds] to be fired into Lake Michigan by the U.S. CoastGuard. Small degree of pollution [as compared to what is already there!!]. Very small indeed.

"Green munitions"!? Absurd!?

coolbert.

Mr. Robot.

This is coolbert:

Here is more on how DARPA [Defense Advanced Research Projects Administration]is funding projects for the development of robotics using Artificial Intelligence [AI] for military purposes. NOT in the fruition stage. But steadily heading toward it. The stuff of the "Terminator" movies is becoming fact.

"Self-learning and adaptability will be the key to success"

NOT just robots as we understand a robot. Thinking robots for military purposes. "Self-learning and adaptable"

"Perhaps the most impressive -- and spookiest -- aspect of the project is the swarming behavior of the robots. In computer simulations, they acted together to tackle obstacles and grouped together into defensive formations where needed, Thaler said. They also worked out how to deal with defenders, and spontaneously devised the most efficient strategy for mapping their environment, he added."

Robots that have learned to fight as SOLDIERS. Act and fight as a team to overcome obstacles and achieve the objective. And evidently come to this conclusion on their own. By the innate AI they are programmed with. This DOES sound like "Terminator" stuff!!

Damn!! Skynet is closer than we thought. Ready people!

coolbert.

Borderline.

This is coolbert: From the comments of JS Bolton:

[this is in response to my blog about the proposed fence to be built along the U.S. border with Mexico.]

"I would like to see landmines in a broad belt behind another fence."

"With landmines there is no human discretionary factor to blame, the policy stands in its ideal abstractness"

Well, landmines, or even the use of a dog run or persistent but non-lethal chemical agent might well constitute the use of LETHAL FORCE. Even an illegal alien crossing the border AT THE PRESENT TIME is protected under legal restrictions regarding the use of lethal force by governmental authorities.

Under the present laws of the land, lethal force can ONLY be used when a person is in imminent danger of grave bodily harm or death. It could easily be reasoned that even an illegal alien, even WHEN CROSSING THE BORDER is NOT posing an imminent threat to anyone. To use land mines, a dog run, or persistent chemical agent would NOT be allowed UNDER PRESENT LAW!!

[an attack dog within a dog run could easily kill even a grown adult. Persistent chemical agent could also kill an infant, an old or sick person, or someone with asthma.]

Right now, even in the most egregious of instances, when illegal aliens cross the border in a manner to cause a max of mayhem, governmental authorities are very hesitant to use lethal force.

I am specifically thinking here of the incident some years ago now where a truck load full of illegal aliens [twenty of them] crashed through a border check point. A pursuit ensued on an interstate highway. Looked like something out of Road Warrior. A chase began that lasted for several hours. Ended with the truck being forced off the road and only a few of the illegals being apprehended. During this chase, the truck driver was reported to have rammed other vehicles in an attempt to cause a crash, while the other illegals flung debris into the path of the police pursuers!! This of itself constituted wanton and reckless conduct on the part of the truck driver and other illegals. Could have caused someone's death even hours later [a car with a load of occupants hits debris thrown onto the road, crashes, and someone is killed!!].

[one of the women in the truck, when captured, was ordered to lie down, and did not do so as she could not understand English. A cop then grabbed her long hair and flung her to the ground. This was caught on camera. Some persons made an issue of this. NOT that this woman was part and parcel of a group that just behaved in the most reprehensible manner. That was NOT a concern. That she was grabbed by the hair by an enraged cop was the issue!!]

EVEN IN SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES, THE POLICE DID NOT FIRE ON THE TRUCK. THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN TOTALLY WITHIN LEGAL BOUNDS TO HAVE DONE SO!! BUT DID NOT. POLICY AND REGULATIONS PREVENTED THEM FROM DOING SO!!

At least at this point, forget land mines, dog run, persistent chemical agent. The will and the legality is lacking.

coolbert.

CH-47.

This is coolbert:

Here is an amazing photo. Shows a CH-47 "Chinook" taking wounded off the battlefield in Afghanistan.


The caption under the photo reads:

"This photo was taken by a soldier in Afghanistan of a helo rescue mission. The pilot is a PA Guard guy who flies EMS choppers in civilian life. Now how many people on the planet you reckon could set the end of a chopper down on the roof top of a shack on a steep mountain cliff and hold it there while soldiers load wounded men in the rear??? If this does not impress you ... nothing ever will. Gives me the chills and a serious case of the vertigo ... I can't even imagine having the nerve ... much less the talent and ability ... God Bless our military!!!!!"

Absolutely!!

That pilot is balancing the rear of the aircraft on the top of the building, while still maintaining position with the front of the helicopter.

Extremely dangerous flying.

[the CH-47 was first used in the VIETNAM WAR OVER FORTY YEARS AGO NOW!! Another example of how the American aircraft industry just HAS TO BE THE BEST IN THE WORLD!! Many mods have been made that make the "Chinook" even more formidable than it was from the time when it was first designed!! Impressive!!]

I bet this stuff goes on all the time, we are just are not aware of it. Even in non-combat situations, being in the military can be dangerous to your health.

Recall too that a helicopter is the most demanding of all aircraft to pilot. Helicopters have been demonstrably been shown to be inherently unstable. Helicopters are difficult to fly because they ARE DIFFICULT TO FLY!!

Flying in the typical mountainous terrain of Afghan is not easy to begin with. Mountainous terrain creates micro-conditions that making piloting treacherous. Wind shear, downdrafts, etc.

It would also appear that the top of that building is the typical multi-story dwelling found in that part of the world. NO ROOM to spread out. The only recourse is to build up!

Wanna' take a ride!!??

coolbert.

Names!

This is coolbert:

Here is a interesting article from the web site of Dr. David Yeagley.

"Back in the 1930s, the warrior spirit was still strong in Indians and white men alike. At that time, the Oceti Sakowin Hunkpapa Sioux elders of Standing Rock honored the University of North Dakota by giving them permission to use the name 'Fighting Sioux' for their sports teams."

"Today, the leftists tell us that the 'Fighting Sioux' name is an insult to Indians, and we must demand that the university change it. I guess that goes for the Apache and Comanche helicopters too [see below]."

"Have you ever noticed how cowboy-and-Indian movies always focus on the same tribes? It’s either the Sioux, the Apaches or the Comanches. White people remember those tribes, because they fought hard and were the last to surrender."

"Why does the U.S. military [Army] have helicopters named "Apache" and "Comanche" – but none that are named "Arikara" or "Ojibwa?" They name their weapons systems after the fiercest tribes, because they want some of that fierceness to rub off."

"They name their weapons systems after the fiercest tribes, because they want some of that fierceness to rub off."

NOT ONLY the American military does this sort of thing.

The British had an entire class of warships called the "Tribal Class".

A class of ships that was named for tribes from the world-over.

Named after such tribes as:

Afridi - - Had never heard of these folks before. A tough and martial Pathan tribe from what is now Pakistan. Live on the border between Pak and Afghan. American troops are encountering them now? The British respected the Pathan warrior for their courage and fighting ability.

Ashanti - - Lord Woolsley became a Field Marshal by his command of British troops during the Ashanti War. A tough fight with African warriors.

Bedouin - - Arabic tribesmen of the desert. Men and women both are taught fighting skills and weapons. Esteemed by the British [Lawrence of Arabia for one].

Cossack - - A tribe that has totally adopted and incorporated the warrior ethic into their culture. Continues to do so even to the present day.

Eskimo - - I do not think the Eskimo have a warrior tradition. The opposite I think?

Gurkha - - Need anything be said here??!!

Maori - - The warrior people of New Zealand. Fierce fighters who do an intimidating dance prior to battle.

Mashona - - This might be the Shona nation of what is now called Zimbabwe. NOT sure of their warrior tradition.

Matabele - - An offshoot of the Zulu nation. Bravely resisted the advance of the Pioneer column into what became Rhodesia.

Mohawk - - A part of the Iroquois nation. The Iroquois were fierce warriors that put up tremendous resistance to the first American "white" settlers.

Nubian - - Black Africans from the south of the Sudan. NOT sure about these folks.

Punjabi - - A tribal group from which a diverse population has sprung. Including the Sikhs. Lots of martial tradition here. Modern too. The Pakistani military is heavily Punjabi.

Sikh - - A society that like the Cossacks has totally embraced the warrior ethic as part of their culture.

Somali - - From the land of "Black Hawk Down". Also the place where Richard Francis Burton got either a sword or spear thrust through the cheek.

Tartar - - Descendants of the Golden Horde. From the land of the Mongols. Honored for their bravery and ruthlessness.

Zulu - - The world famous Zulu. The British have not forgotten Isandhlwana and their defeat at the hands of the Zulu. A gallant warrior enemy [Zulu] is recognized and honored.

This is so much like my previous blog entry [5/21/2006] from some ago now.

You want to operate a tank called the "Lee", "Grant", Sherman", "Stuart" "Patton". NOT a "Mathilda" [British].

You want to fly a fighter aircraft called a "Spitfire", "Mustang", "Thunderbolt", "Hurricane", "Typhoon". NOT a "Firefly" [British again].

[the Firefly was made by a company called Fairey.]

With the Tribal class, the British seem to have caught on big time with regard to naming weapons systems!!

coolbert.

Ethnicity.

This is coolbert:

More Russian ethnic violence.

This is the kinda stuff that must have driven the communists to wonder what they have done. Trying to bring the "nationalities" together under the rubric of international solidarity with the "masses", or some such stuff.

Rather than "bringing people together", mixing the groups in the Red Army seems to have only created a worse situation. Folks that ordinarily would not have had contact with one another were forced to. With bad consequences.

Was always under the carpet while the communists were in power. Manifested itself most virulently in the Red Army.

Is ongoing and maybe now even more pervasive.

Russians have a big mess on their hands.

coolbert.

Synthetic.

This is coolbert:

American B-52 bombers are currently flying using a synthetic fuel.

A synthetic fuel derived from coal.

Synthetic fuel can be and is derived from coal as part of the Fischer-Tropsch process.

This IS something the U.S. military is very interested in. Making sure that all the armed services will have an abundance of fuel for future operations. Even in the most dire of circumstances.

"the original effort to look at fuel produced by the Fischer-Tropsch process started in 1999 and has been a joint program with the Army, Navy, Air Force and Department of Energy."

The Fischer-Tropsch [FT] process. First developed in Germany prior to World War Two [WW2]. A process used widely by the Germans in the final years of the war. Albert Speer in his memoirs mentions that the systematic allied bombardment of German synthetic fuel plants cripped the German war effort in a mighty way. NO FUEL, NO WAY THE MILITARY CAN OPERATE. SIMPLE AS THAT!!

[so vital is oil for the modern nation at war that during WW2, The British activated a very tiny producing oil field in the famous Sherwood Forest. Sherwood Forest from Robin Hood fame. A tiny field that prior to the war was not economically feasible to operate. Activated in the case that all British oil imports might be cut-off by U-boat attack. This info thanks to Al Nofi of StrategyPage CIC!!]

"The process was invented in petroleum-poor but coal-rich Germany in the 1920s, to produce liquid fuels. It was used by Germany and Japan during World War II to produce alternative fuels. Germany's annual synthetic fuel production reached more than 124,000 barrels per day from 25 plants ~ 6.5 million tons in 1944.

After the war, captured German scientists recruited in Operation Paperclip continued to work on synthetic fuels in the United States in a United States Bureau of Mines program initiated by the Synthetic Liquid Fuels Act."

[I recall that in the aftermath of the first oil embargo of 1973, Texas A & M suggested that the U.S. began rapid work on the FT process as a way of making sure the U.S. always has an independent source of oil. Was not then economically feasible in 1973. But IS FEASIBLE NOW!!]

[I have mentioned Paperclip in another blog entry. This was an aspect of Paperclip I was not aware of.]

"The United States Bureau of Mines employed seven German synthetic fuel scientists in a Fischer-Tropsch chemical plant in Louisiana, Missouri in 1946."

Germany during WW2 was totally reliant on oil from foreign nations. Did not have it's own reserves of oil. Was supplied from foreign sources such as the oil fields of Balaton [Hungary], Ploesti [Romania], and further east [Caucusus]. Capturing the Soviet oil fields of the Caucusus and the Caspian Sea was of primary importance to the German war effort on the Eastern Front during WW2. At the time of the debacle at Stalingrad, another German army was 400 miles TO THE EAST of Stalingrad, the objective of this army being the capture of Soviet oil fields.

The American military sees a possibility in the future where the importation of foreign oil to the U.S. will be jeopardized. At this point in time, about 70 % of America's oil needs have to be imported. Importation from parts of the world that are either unfriendly to the U.S. or are politically unstable. If some disaster was to occur, such as Saudi Arabia being taken over by jihadis, or Nigeria going down the drain in chaos, American oil imports would be in peril. Perhaps catastrophically so!!

A cut-off of imported oil would be a highly dangerous situation for our nation. The military in particular has a big demand for fuel. NO FUEL, AND AS WITH GERMANY, YOUR MILITARY CANNOT FUNCTION!!

An alternative source would have to be found. An alternative source such as synthetic fuel derived from coal. An alternative source most attractive to the military. Develop the means now so that the system is already in place if needed.

Montana and the governor of that state is particularly keen on developing this resource. Montana just by itself could be one of the world's largest producers of coal, so vast are the deposits of this mineral in that state alone [the U.S. has about 25 % of the total coal deposits world-wide].

"Montana owns 600 million tons of coal, co-located with 600 million tons owned by Great Northern Properties and 1.2 billion tons owned by the Northern Cheyenne Tribe, he said."

"The coal-conversion process produces no air pollution, uses no water and creates electricity as a byproduct. The petroleum fuels produced could be shipped out of state by pipeline."

[I would assume there would be environmental degredation from the strip mining process used to extract the coal!!]

"'It sounds too good to be true, doesn't it?' Schweitzer said in an interview Friday. 'This is a physicist at the Department of Defense saying we're getting serious about this, and we'll buy all you produce."

[it does sound too good to be true!!]

"'What you do first is the coal gasification process,' Schweitzer said. 'You crush the coal up, heat it and get your gas. From there, it's a chemical reaction. You have a big tank and use either cobalt or iron as the catalyst. What you get out of that is the building blocks to make fuel. You get carbon monoxide and you get hydrogen. With those two, you can make any fuel you would like to make - diesel, gasoline, heating fuel, plastics, fertilizer or pure hydrogen.'"

"So why hasn't anyone been using Fischer-Tropsch technology in the United States?"

"It's kind of been left on the shelf because this process costs more than oil's been worth," the governor said.

"The . . . break-even point with Fischer-Tropsch technology is when oil is $35 a barrel. When oil costs more than $35 a barrel, it's cheaper to make these fuels from coal through this technology."

"The processing steps are several, and potential environmental burdens real, yet, according to a recent Reuters story, the Governor of Montana 'wants to solve America's rising energy costs using a technology discovered in Germany 80 years ago that converts coal into gasoline, diesel and aviation fuel. The Fischer-Tropsch technology . . . was not economical as long as oil cost less than $30 a barrel...But with U.S. crude oil now hitting more than double that price, Gov. Brian Schweitzer's plan is getting more attention across the country and some analysts are taking him very seriously'. Apparently Governer Schweitzer feels that 'Montana could supply the entire United States with its aviation, gas and diesel fuel for 40 years without creating environmental damage'."

"Coal is unique as a source of energy in the United States, however, because none of the 2118 billion pounds used in 1990 was imported. Furthermore, the proven reserves are so large we can continue using coal at this level of consumption for at least 2000 years."

Pilot plants and pilot projects are being build and producing at this very moment, as we speak. Much more will have to be done for this valuable resource to be developed to it's full potential.

Again, the U.S. military is at the forefront of technology and spearheading development in this area.

What are we waiting for? A little foresight in this area could go a long way!

coolbert.

Seagull.

This is coolbert:

Here is the ethnic type of hatred  I have just blogged about. Simmering dispute and animosity between Russian "Christians" and "Muslim" outsiders erupts into violence.

The type of thing that was while perhaps not common in the Red Army prior to the breakup of the Soviet Union, was not that rare either.

Animosity and discord under the surface, waiting to explode at the slightest "incident".

This one outside a bar [the Seagull], that resulted in two Russians dead. At the hands of Chechens.

Then the Russians retaliate in a big way.

Hate between the Russian and Chechen is very extreme.

MUCH worse than say hate between the black and white in America.

[the MIG pilot Victor Balenko devoted an entire chapter of his book "MIG Pilot" to his experiences in Grozny, and the hate that existed even way back when between the Russian and Chechen!!]

Called incorrectly "racism". More CORRECTLY called ethnic hate.

coolbert.

Racial IV. [Conclusion]

This is coolbert:

"The party ordered me to enlist . . . on my best days I was able to take an entire battalion out of the line" - - Yevgraf Zhivago - - Bolshevik "Red" agitator, "Dr. Zhivago".

[Yevgraf of course was the brother of the famous Dr. Yuri Zhivago in the book by Boris Pasternak.]

I would even go so far to suggest that those "disturbances" at the LBJ stockade in Vietnam and the "disturbances" aboard the Kitty Hawk and Constellation were the result of "sent" communist agitators.

I have NOT SEEN ANY evidence that suggests that this is so. This is merely intuition on my part.

If anyone knows the truth about this, they are surely not saying.

But is NOT a farfetched idea. The sending of folks [professional, trained agitators and fomentors] to agitate and cause mutiny, desertion, disaffection, riotous behavior.

The communists WERE skilled at this sort of thing.

Infiltrated the Czarist army during World War One [WW1] [Yevgraf] and were successful in fomenting rebellion, mutiny, desertion.

The communist Chinese were also adept at this sort of thing during the Korean War.

Very adept. Adept in a manner that is totally inconceivable to Americans.

Would send "Red" agitators south TO BE CAPTURED BY AMERICAN FORCES. DELIBERATELY INTENDED TO BE CAPTURED. TO BE INCARCERATED IN A POW CAMP OF OTHER CHINESE PRISONERS. TO ORGANIZE THE PRISONERS FOR FURTHER RESISTANCE!!

SUCCESSFUL RESISTANCE TOO!!

SUCCESSFUL TO THE POINT OF TAKING OVER A PRISONER OF WAR CAMP, CAPTURING AN AMERICAN GENERAL AND NEGOTIATING SUCCESSFULLY DEMANDS AND CONCESSIONS!!

My suspicion would be that communist "Red" agitators enlisted in the Navy and purposefully requested duty aboard the Kitty Hawk and other aircraft carriers. To stir up trouble and cause mutiny.

It is no accident that the Forrestal and Ranger, the two ships that were supposed to replace the Kitty Hawk on Yankee Station had been sabotaged just prior to the Kitty Hawk "incident". Expertly sabotaged by someone having access, know-how, and means. The Kitty Hawk, after completing a tour on Yankee Station, instead of returning to home port, had to rearm, refuel, and head back out to the Gulf of Tonkin!! A set-up.

There is also something about the series of events aboard the Kitty Hawk that troubles me.

Events transpired in a manner eerily similar to scenes from the movie, "Battleship Potemkin". Too eerily so for my liking!

"Battleship Potemkin". The movie by Eisenstein. One of the all time greats. Students of cinema history rate this movie with "Birth of a Nation" as one of the all-time classics from the silent era.

[If you have not seen "Potemkin", rent it and see the movie. Worth doing so!]

[During the Russo-Japanese War of 1905, a mutiny DID occur on the Russian battleship Potemkin.]

The sequence of events leading to the mutiny in both cases is:

* Trouble first manifests itself regarding FOOD! Maggoty food aboard the Potemkin, poor galley service [purportedly] aboard the Kitty Hawk.

* Disgruntled agitated, mutinous sailors gather at the bow of the ship.

* Are confronted by officers backed up by Marines.

* A melee' ensues. Sailors rampage through the ship, being chased by officers.

Life imitating art?

Is that a coincidence or what? Maybe a mutiny aboard ship can occur in only a few certain ways?

I would also suggest that the mutiny at the LBJ stockade may have also been the result of "sent" agitators. Persons who enlisted or were drafted, sent to Vietnam, and committed a crime with the intention of being incarcerated. Incarceration that would allow for "agitation" of the "Red" sort.

Are the "incidents" at the LBJ stockade and aboard the Kitty Hawk the result of "Red" agitation?

Is it possible? I say yes!! Even many years later, for something like this to be made public would be dynamite and potentially very damaging.

coolbert.