Miscellany!

This is coolbert:

"And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars." (Matt 24:6-7)

A sampling of articles from the Chicago Tribune today that have a military dimension to them:

Chicago Tribune:

March 6, 2008.

"Elsewhere."

“Warships Patrol"

The U.S. Navy switched out warships patrolling in the Mediterranean, maintaining a show of strength during a period of tensions with Syria and political uncertainty in Lebanon. Official said it was a routine, planned deployment, but the deployment last week caused a political stir in Lebanon.”

“Uzbekistan allows U.S. back on base"

"Moscow - - A NATO official said Wednesday that Uzbekistan has allowed some members of the alliance, including the United States, into use an air base on its territory in a signal of thawing relations with the west."

"Uzbekistan evicted U.S. troops from an air base in the Karshi-Khanabad region, 90 miles from the Afghan border, in 2005, after the U.S. criticized a crackdown on unarmed demonstrators in the eastern city of Andijan in May that year.”

"President Islam Karimov said in December that he favored good relations with the United States and Europe. Since then, a base in the country has been used as a transit point for troops and equipment headed to Afghanistan. NATO’s Central Asia envoy, Robert Simmons, told reporters in Moscow.”

“German troops bulking up around the middle, study finds"

"Berlin - - The German military has been traveling too much on its stomach."

"A parliamentary report sent to the Defense Ministry says the nation’s soldiers are more overweight than civilians, a spokesman said."

“'Soldiers are too fat, don’t do enough sports, and don’t pay attention to what they eat,' wrote Reinhold Robbe, the parliamentary commissioner for the military."

“His report, issued Tuesday, drew on a study conducted by sports physicians at the University of Cologne that showed 40 percent of all soldiers between the ages of 19 and 29 are overweight.”

This is obviously NOT the German Army of the two World Wars as fought in the previous century!!

Across the Nation:

“New fare helps Army to travel on its stomach”

“Washington - - The Army on Wednesday rolled out the latest in combat cuisine - - special packets of easy-to-eat, high nutrition, high-calorie foods designed for mobile forces.”

“The chow, mostly bagged finger-type foods that soldiers can just tear open and eat on the move, will be available in the field next month.”

“What’s on the Menu?"

"New packaged items include blackened catfish, teriyaki chicken, little French toast squares and pumpkin cake.”

“Also Wednesday, spread out on tables along the Pentagon’s third floor at lunch time, containers of garlic mashed potatoes, barbecue port, beef and black beans, and Mediterranean chicken simmered as soldiers lined up for a taste.”

“Those new offerings will be available to troops in MREs (meals ready to eat) over the next three years.”

"The southwest beef and black beans got the nod from Army Secretary Pete Geren, who sampled some of the fare."

Elsewhere:

“War Crimes Alleged”

“The Defense Department said Wednesday it has finalized war crimes charges against Ibrahim Ahmed Mahmoud al Qosi, a Sudanese citizen accused of working for Osama bin Laden, paving the way for a war crimes trial at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Al Qosi, who allegedly serve as an armed guard and driver for bin Laden between 1996 and 2001, will be arraigned on charges of conspiracy and supporting terrorism, the Pentagon said.”

I will take the opportunity to remind everyone that the German Nazi saboteurs captured in the U.S. during World War Two were executed within two weeks of apprehension, and HAD NOT EVEN DONE ANYTHING WRONG!! Merely being a bodyguard and driver hardly mitigates the charges. Just being a member of a terrorist organization is a very serious crime in itself!!

"Sailor Convicted"

“Hassan Abu-Jihaad, 32, a former Navy sailor, was convicted Wednesday in Connecticut of leaking details about ship movements to suspected terrorism supporters. The American-born Muslim convert faces up to 25 years in federal prison when he is sentenced in May.”

This man adopted the name of Abu-Jihaad when he converted!! You would have thought that alarm bells would have been going off all over the place!! Abu Jihaad was at one time WAS THE ROOMMATE OF THE WANNABEE JIHADI DERRICK SHAREEF [the Rockford, Illinois hand grenade bomber]!! Man was passing the movements of naval vessels ACTUALLY INVOLVED IN ANTI-TERRORIST OPERATIONS to persons described as "suspected" terrorist supporters. That should warrant the DEATH PENALTY!!?? I would think so!

coolbert.