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Terrorists Cripple The CIA
April 24, 2009: Many American politicians in Washington are becoming nervous about how the new Democratic administration is planning to prosecute members of the previous Republican administration for supporting torture, and other policies developed during counter-terror operations. A growing number of politicians (from both parties) and government officials (both former, current and potential) see this as a move that could cripple government, now, and in the future.
It's one thing to go after politicians and officials for crimes like theft, lying and revealing classified information. But in this case, the investigations and prosecutions are over transgressions that are mainly a matter of faith, not fact. Take, for example, torture. During the last eight years, it became the conventional wisdom among Democrats that torture didn't work. This was absurd, as a cursory glance at the history of World War II, and every war before or since, would reveal. Pundits pointed out that tortured people will tell you anything. Again, this displayed an amazing ignorance of intelligence tradecraft. While some people will tell you anything when tortured, a lot of people will also provide useful information that can be double checked. It's not like the movies, where everything depends on the painful pronouncements of one tortured individual. The reality was that using "vigorous interrogation" brought forth much useful information, always has, and always will. Intelligence is all about putting together lots of small pieces. That's why U.S. operatives are taught how to resist torture. Yes, there are individuals who can outsmart, or outlast, torture. But they are always a minority. It's a war of numbers, and something that doesn't make for exciting soundbites.
What worries more thoughtful politicians is that, if you can be prosecuted for things that opposition politicians believed, mostly as a matter of faith, why get involved at all. This is all part of an ideological battle that has been going on over espionage and intelligence work since World War II. Lots of myths were turned into facts, and ideology became more important than the truth. For example, over the last three decades, the CIA has come under a lot of criticism for not being able to do their job. That has often been true, and the main reason is the climate of fear (of prosecution for something later declared politically incorrect). As a result, intelligence operatives and their bosses see survival as a matter of not taking chances.
The most spectacular recent example of this was the failure to spot the terrorist operation that led to the September 11, 2001 attacks. While much blame was justifiably heaped on the FBI, it was the CIA that had first detected the plotters, and was already under orders to stop al Qaeda attempts to make more attacks on the United States. All this began a decade earlier, when al Qaeda damaged New York City's World Trade Center in 1993 bombing. The 2001 attacks did not come out of nowhere. But the CIA had problems at the top (where decisions about what leads to pursue, how, and to what extent all this is shared with the FBI), and at the bottom (and the inability to infiltrate al Qaeda.)
At the same time, other intelligence agencies, like Britain's MI-6 and the Israeli Mossad are much better at gathering information at ground level. They, like most nations, recognize that intelligence operations can get dirty. It's all a matter of how important the intelligence is. The British attitude is that, if you need to do this, do it right, and don't dwell on it. So Britain does have agents with a "license to kill" and, more importantly, laws protecting these men and women from any later prosecution for dirty deeds they were asked to do for Queen and Country. But in the United States, the CIA was held to a different (often changing) standard, and was still expected to get the job done. This approach did not work.
Despite all the post-911 talk about "more aggressive intelligence operations" to prevent more attacks, the atmosphere inside the CIA discouraged any such thing. All this was largely the result of the CIA being put into a sort of semi-hibernation in the late 1970s. This was an aftereffect of the Church Committee, an investigative operation sponsored by Congress, that sought to reform the CIA. The reforms were mainly about eliminating CIA spying inside the United States, and doing stuff for the president that Congress did not approve of. There was also a desire to avoid any CIA connection with foreign unpleasantness (like using unsavory people as spies or informants). This led to a growing list of restrictions on what the CIA could do overseas, and at home.
Congress was out to make sure no future president (the CIA works for the president) could use the CIA as had been done during the Vietnam war, and before. The CIA interpreted this as "no more James Bond stuff," just use your spy satellites and write up your reports. The Church Committee insured that the CIA became a much less interesting place to work. A lot of the most capable people got out over the next two decades. Recruiting became difficult. Word got around that the daring need not apply.
But after September 11, 2001, the CIA was tossed a huge pile of money and told to staff up and get going. The Church Committee restrictions were largely, if not completely, discarded. Recruiting efforts were greatly expanded, and since September 11, 2001, several hundred thousand applications were received. The agency has had a hard time keeping up with that.
This created some interesting personnel problems, especially in the operations division (the people who go to foreign countries and, well, sometimes do James Bond stuff.) There were few people left in the agency that remembered how to do field ops the old school way. By late 2001, many recently retired field ops guys were being lured back to active duty. You now had a situation where the field ops population was like a cross between a college fraternity and retirement community. There are few people in the middle, age and experience wise. It's almost as bad in the analysis division (where the data is studied and reports prepared.)
The area of the CIA that has flourished in the last three decades has been the geek side of things. These folks were always flush, thanks to a Congress that felt safer with spy satellites, than with spies on the ground. But those days are over. Much of the new technology is going to the analysts (better computerized tools to dig quickly through information) and the field operatives (like Predator UAVs, at over five million bucks each.) A lot of money is going into training (learning Arabic, Pushto, Farsi and Dari are encouraged, and sometimes demanded) and the use of consultants (often former CIA operatives who would not come back full time.)
But after a few years, the Church Committee atmosphere began returning. The major issue was the use of torture to extract information from terrorist suspects. The new Church Committee-like restrictions outlawed things like the use of contractors for interrogations (even if there were no other source of manpower to do the job in time), the use of foreign nations to provide the "vigorous interrogation", the detention of foreigners without giving them access to the U.S. criminal justice system, and many more items that most CIA officials know, from their own experience, will only get Americans killed.
So how does the United States gather needed intelligence? It does it in secret (from many in Congress and, most of all, the media). The other intelligence agencies, like the DIA (Defense Intelligence Agency) are being allowed to run with these operations. Of course, everyone understands that they could still be hung out to dry down the road. But there are more bosses in the DIA (compared to the CIA) that are willing to back up their operatives (some of whom will get screwed down the road, which is accepted as a risk of the job). Another solution is to outsource many intel operations. The men and women who work for contractors are working without a net (of full U.S. government backing, both diplomatically and militarily). Not all these operatives are even American, but they will do it for a combination of money, adventure, personal beliefs and some assurances that America will provide some support if things get nasty (if only to retrieve the information the agents have obtained.)
The CIA lost its soul, it's heart, and most of its guts, in the late 1970s. Lots of brains are left, with big budgets to buy all manner of neat technology. But the bosses live in fear of grandstanding politicians and headline hungry journalists. While the British, the Israelis, and most other nations, have managed to capture and retain the ability to do street level intelligence, the CIA has not. It now serves mainly to draw fire, while other organizations get the job done.
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htlead/articles/20090424.aspx
about time someone thinks outside the box. the tactics sound like a good idea, the first time its tried. i dont think anyone would fall for it more than once. but if our tech is better than theirs, the game is over anyhow.
they dont carry them legally
LOL!
how many do you know in chicago that carry legally? none! chicago cops are revenue generators. they do work in CROOK COUNTY ILLINOIS.
the first guy sounds like he has his head on straight, but the second is a damn idiot
WI and IL, the only 2 in the nation without any form of CCW
wow! what a complete jackass!
im sure they dont want to advertise. lol
Terrorists Terrified By Malware
April 23, 2009: Two years ago, it was revealed that the U.S. FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) was using a hacker tool to legally (with a court warrant) monitor what was happening on the target computer (of a suspect). This came as little surprise to criminals, and especially terrorists. It's long been known that law enforcement agencies have used computers to catch criminals and terrorists. This was largely thought to be done with taps into Internet traffic through various chokepoints (local, via ISPs, and nationally via major fiber optic cable systems). But it was also suspected that that the intelligence agencies and police were using hacker tools. Many terrorists have reported, on pro-terrorist message boards, finding secret hacker software planted on their computers. But no one had much definitive proof that it was from, say, the CIA, MI6, Mossad or the FBI. Most of it appeared to be the usual criminal stuff.
For nearly a decade, cyberwar and criminal hackers have planted programs ("malware") in computer networks belonging to corporations or government agencies. These programs, called "Trojan horses" or "zombies", are under the control of the people who plant them, and can later be used to steal, modify or destroy, data or shut down the computer systems the zombies are on. You get the zombies secretly placed using freshly discovered, and exploitable, defects in software that runs on the Internet. These flaws enable a hacker to get into other peoples networks. Called "Zero Day Exploits" (ZDEs), in the right hands, these flaws can enable criminals to pull off a large online heist, or simply maintain secret control over someone's computer.
Now, it's generally accepted by terrorists that the intel agencies are seeking to infect their PCs with zombie type software. Most terrorist computer users are low tech guys, and there are not enough tech gurus in the ranks to insure that everyone's PCs are kept "clean." While the more serious terrorists insist that everyone keep "business" off cell phones and computers, especially those hooked up to the Internet, not everyone is that dedicated. So the intelligence agencies still obtain lots of useful information via hacker attacks.
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htintel/articles/20090423.aspx
The Little Friend
April 23, 2009: The U.S. Department of Defense has upgraded its ALE-50 decoy system, to use an electronic frequency converter (EFC) that plugs into the aircrafts electronic warfare systems. The EFC enables the decoy to generate a wider array of deceptive signals. The ALE-50 entered service in the late 1990s, after a decade of development. The U.S. Navy and Air Force have been satisfied with the many realistic tests of the system, and the little combat experience it has had so far.
The system looks like a small bomb, and is attached to a hard point on a fighter or bomber. But the ALE-50 is a container that contains a small glider that is ejected out of the rear of the container, and remains connected via a thin cable. The pilot can control the ALE-50 aircraft, which trails behind the aircraft, looking , to approaching missiles, like it is the aircraft. The "little friend" (as pilots like to call the ALE-50), then attracts any missiles fired at the aircraft. Some 22,500 ALE-50s were initially ordered, at a cost of about $23,000 each, for use on F-16s, F-18s and B-1Bs.
The ALE-50 is stored in its sealed container, which has a ten year shelf life. The system uses an interface that can work with any of the three aircraft types it is designed to support. The latest orders have been more expensive (more like $50,000 each) because to get the most out of it, you need to install the EFC in each aircraft.
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htecm/articles/20090423.aspx
Croatia Gets Down To Basics
April 23, 2009: As one of the newest members of NATO, and a country that long held aspirations of joining the alliance, Croatia is eager to prove to its new allies that it is serious about defense modernization and reform. As far as equipment is concerned, they've done reasonably well over the last decade, clearing out significant portions of their Warsaw Pact-era weaponry in favor of newer, more sophisticated Western equipment. The Croats have done especially well in re-equipping their infantry with an almost entirely new stock of small arms and light weapons. This is unusual among nations trying to build up their defensive capabilities, particularly ones with a legacy of possessing aging equipment. Most countries, when they plan and implement equipment acquisitions, tend to concentrate on the heavier stuff like tanks, helicopters, and air defense systems.
Recognizing, however, the emerging threats are likely to be extremely infantry heavy, Croatia has gone against the grain to equip its ground forces with variety of new infantry weapons, including the Heckler & Koch and M4 assault rifles. The AK-47 rifles still predominate in the regular forces, with about 120,000 of them still in service and in inventory, but this is changing rapidly, particularly as manpower reductions reduce the number of personnel who need to carry them.
While the attention paid to the grunts on the ground and the new equipment being purchased to better outfit them for battle is a step in the right direction, other changes being implemented may not be so wise. Foremost among these are the drastic manpower reductions planned by the ground forces, part of a long-range series of defense reforms. The Croatian Army currently consists of only two brigades, both of which are mechanized, plus some small special forces units, and a training and doctrine command. All in all, about 12,000 troops to defend a nation of 4 million people in what has historically been one of the world's most volatile regions. This force also must be ready to provide troops for major military deployments with NATO allies.
The Croatians, having won their independence from Yugoslavia in the '90s, see little chance of a new conventional war breaking out, but then this is the Balkans and it's impossible to predict what kinds of scenarios could play out in the future. The country has also put end to compulsory military service, having voted on the measure in January of last year. They hope to obtain enough volunteer soldiers to adequately man its forces. Retention and recruiting shortages in volunteer armies are often problems even in wealthy nations that pay their troops well, like the US, so it is unlikely that many of Croatia's youth will be eager to sign up for a job that promises little pay and potentially dangerous deployments to places like Afghanistan. Despite this, Croatia has done much better than some countries, developing a competent ground force, providing more equipment to the traditionally neglected infantry, and showing its new allies it can get the job done.
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htworld/articles/20090423.aspx
More Scary Monsters
April 23, 2009: A recent news story, claiming that unknown hackers had breached Department of Defense Internet security, and stolen terabytes (millions of megabytes) of classified data on the new F-35 fighter-bomber, caused considerable alarm. The Department of Defense and the manufacturer (Lockheed Martin) denied that this penetration and theft took place.
The U.S. Department of Defense is the largest user of computers, and networks, in the world. This includes 11 million Internet users, over six million PCs and over 10,000 networks. This has always attracted a lot of hacker attention. For over a decade, all the services have been scrambling to get their Cyber War defenses strengthened. But so many networks and PCs make an attractive target, and provide many potential weak areas that can be penetrated. The Department of Defense systems suffer thousands of serious attacks a day. But getting to terabytes of F-35 design data, and transferring it, would have been difficult, especially in light of what the Department of Defense had been dealing with on the Cyber War front.
Many people are trying to get into Department of Defense networks, and the practitioners are doing it covertly, to avoid the victims realizing the danger and increasing their defenses. The key here is hiding your tracks. The earliest signs of major foreign attacks was the highly damaging Code Red virus of 2001, which apparently came from China. It was discovered, picked apart and the origin of the virus was traced. China denied any responsibility and believed they had got away with it.
This penetration was on the same scale as several others in the last three years. There have been at least ten major attacks, hitting targets like the State Department, the National Defense University, the Naval War College and Fort Hood. Each of these cost $20-30 million to clean up after. Nothing was said about how defenses were adjusted as a result of these attacks. But that's normal, as hacking is all about keeping your own secrets, and finding out what everyone else's are.
China, unlike other nations hostile to America (North Korea, Cuba, Iran), has a large and growing Internet presence. China has thousands of skilled Internet programmers, and has admitted it is putting together military units for developing and using cyberweapons. These undeclared, and unofficial, Cyber War operations, mainly espionage, have been going on for over a decade now. And the tools available to the attackers are becoming more powerful. Helping out the government hackers are several dozen gangs that undertake large scale criminal operations on the Internet. Most people see the results in the form of spam email (over 90 percent of all email is spam) and operations that secretly take over personal and business PCs, so these computers can secretly transmit spam, or huge quantities of bogus messages that shut down targeted web sites (DDOS, or distributed denial or service attacks). The gangs also specialize on finding all manner of secret, or sensitive, information, and selling it. Intelligence agencies are often eager buyers.
It appears that China and Russia, or at least their security services, have made deals with some of the gangs. It works like this. If the secret police want some Internet based spying done, or a DDOS attack unleashed on someone, the gangs will do it, or help government Cyber War organizations do so. In return, the gangs have a safe haven. The gangs have to refrain from major operations against the country they are in, but most of the targets are in the West (that's where most of the money is). Of course, no one will admit to this sort of thing. But criminal gangs working for the secret police is an ancient practice in these two countries, something that goes back centuries.
The U.S. is the main target for the Internet based espionage, and has not yet come up with a way to get the foreign hackers to stop. American officials don't want details of this war reported in the media either, because the losses are embarrassing, as is the lack of an effective plan to halt the plundering. Occasionally, some details leak out, like the military asking Congress for permission to use more aggressive methods in going after the cyber spies. This quiet war could have enormous implications for any future conventional conflict. The Chinese are going after military technology, and it's not always obvious what they've got, and what they haven't. This increases the probability of some nasty, and painful, surprises when the shooting starts.
Little information on American defensive efforts becomes public, for the obvious reason that this would help the people trying to hack their way in. But there is a lot of activity in the Internet defense area. It will be years, if not decades, before the full story of who got what from whom, and how. Just like any past situation involving espionage and technology.
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htiw/articles/20090423.aspx
in milw. even that kids are carrying them, its gotten pretty bad there in the last few years.
the problems we have in the state have more to do with the politicians than the cops, but there are a lot of crooked ones here. just as there are some really good cops.
the milw. police chief is fairly new to the area, i think he came from out east. i think has done a good job trying to clean milw up, this kind of surprises me that he would say this.
as far as CCW, we dont have it in any form. we keep trying to get it passed only to get it shot down by the governor. who should be the one being arrested, he is a damn crook
i cant believe they pulled up and had to run him again. they must have an agenda, because everyone in that town knows who that guy is after his first arrest.
the guy is looked up to in this state by many because he hasnt backed down from the libs over his rights. i have heard him on many of the conservative radio shows in the area.
its great that the news caught it on tape, making themselves look like jackasses
Giving up on NGB for a Nuke Free World
old-b-52.jpg
Another interesting thing Elder mentioned at yesterday's breakfast was the potential reasoning behind the delay of the so-called Next Generation Bomber (the one tabbed for fielding in 2018).
Elder wasn't sure if this was the reason but thought it might have played a large role in the decision, but he said President Obama's desire to reengage in strategic arms talks with Russia might have impacted the decision to punt the NGB. Reason is, if you go ahead with NGB you're making it a part of the negotiation process, and Elder saw no need -- based on arcane counting rules for warheads per bomber -- to include the putative NGB in the negotiations.
I suspect that one of the things that could be in play here, I don't know this for a fact, it makes sense to me, is that you don't want to lock yourself in on an airplane until you know what the counting rules are going to be. Why would I want a program this year that puts me in a bad position in terms of how I'm negotiating what the START negotiations are going to look like. ... I would not want to tie my hands in the negotiations.
If this is true, it would be a shame that the Obama administration would undercut our long-range strike capability for a more favorable negotiating position on some pie in the sky resurrection of antiquated nuclear arms reduction talks. What, am I watching "War Games" or "Failsafe" here? Are we getting back into Game Theory? I thought 1989 was 20 years ago...The Russians must be laughing all the way to the arms control bank on this one. Now their 100 year-old bombers are going to be matched up against our 100 year-old bombers -- in that equation, the Russkies win.
Since they're looking at doing these negotiations this year, and I don't know this for a fact that the secretary brought this up, normally I would say strategy should drive your force structure. ... The counting rules in START for bombers are pretty onerous. ... The way a B-52 is counted, it's counted as carrying more weapons than you would want to carry operationally. ... It's a matter of let's not lock ourselves in and save some money.
Elder said the 2018 timeline for the NGB was tied to the retirement of the Air Launched Cruise missile which gives B-52s enough standoff range to be a viable strategic deterrent. But with the NGB falling by the wayside, then the B-52 will have to last until 2040. Yikes!
But, hey, maybe Obama and his negotiators with the Russians (and the Paks and Indians and Chinese and French and Israelis, etc.) can make good on his commitment to a nuclear free world before we even have to worry about centigenarian strategic bombers making up the bulk of our inventory? But I'm not holding my breath.
-- Christian
http://www.defensetech.org/archives/004811.html
Frankenfighter Menaces USN Aircraft
April 22, 2009: The U.S. Navy has solved an aircraft trainer shortage, by constructing "new" aircraft from the parts of older ones. Needing two-seat F-5F fighters to train pilots, and the current ones too old to fly anymore, navy mechanics found that by taking second hand, single seat, F-5Es they could merge enough parts from both to produce a new "Frankenfighter" that had two seats and were safe to fly for another thousand hours or so. The navy now has three of these two seat Frankenfighters. There are used to train pilots for the 40 single seat F-5Ns (refurbished F-5Es that represent the bad guys) used for fighter training.
The U.S. F-5 fighter was designed (in the late 1950s) and built (until 1972) largely to compete with the Russian MiG-21, and sold to many U.S. allies as a low cost alternative to the more expensive fighters used by the Americans. The only F-5s used by the United States were for training. F-5s had many of the same flight characteristics of Russian and Chinese aircraft. While over 2,200 were built, most have now been scrapped. Spare parts are often obtained by buying F-5s from someone who is replacing them with more modern aircraft.
The U.S. is not the only one to go Frankenfighter on the F-5. Three years ago, Iran showed off a modified American F-5 fighter and proclaimed this new "Saegheh" as similar to the American F-18 jet fighter. This is not the first time Iran has run a stunt like this. But even with a redesigned tail and better electronics, the 1960s era F-5 is still a low cost, and low performance, aircraft. The F-5E, which the Iranians had when the Islamic revolution took over in 1979, is an 11 ton aircraft, with a max speed of 1,700 kilometers an hour, and a range of some 1,400 kilometers. It was armed with two 20mm cannon, and could carry about three tons of missiles and bombs. The Iranians have taken the basic F-5 frame and rebuilt it to hold two Russian engines. The Chinese did the same thing, and produced the J-8 (a twin engine MiG-21) that turned out to be not worth the effort.
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htairfo/articles/20090422.aspx
MV-22s Go To Sea
April 22, 2009: The U.S. Marine Corps are basing an MV-22 squadron on an amphibious ship for the first time. VMM-263 is shipping out, with ten MV-22s, on the 41,000 ton LHD USS Bataan. The marines began using the MV-22 in Iraq in late 2007, and have been satisfied with the results. The only major problems were engine durability. That's a common problem in the "sand box." Every other vehicle that uses a gas turbine engine in Iraq (from M-1 tanks to C-17 jet transports) have reported increased wear on their engines because of the copious and continuous dust and sand in Iraq.
For the V-22, another problem is that even frequent inspections won't always catch an engine that's about to die from too much dust and sand. Several MV-22s in western Iraq (Anbar province, where marine MV-22s were operating) have experienced engine failures. There have been no crashes, but there have been emergency landings (followed by quick engine changes so the $70 million, 20 ton aircraft could get home under its own power). The Rolls Royce T-406 engines weigh about a ton each, and put out 6,000 horsepower. Marine maintenance crews are trained to put a spare engine inside a V-22, along with needed tools, fly out to where another V-22 has made an emergency landing, do the engine change quickly, and get back to base in one piece.
The MV-22s sent to Iraq moved their by ship. They could have flown themselves, but that would have meant organizing aerial tankers, and dealing with possible icing problems over the North Atlantic. Plus it would have put more wear and tear on the aircraft. Shipping out with the USS Wasp will expose the aircraft to more saltwater exposure (which, so far, has not been a problem), and ample opportunity to operate over water. The Wasp also has CH-53E, AH-1Z and UH-1N helicopters on board, plus some AV-8B jets.
The MV-22s used by the marines can carry 24 troops 700 kilometers (vertical take-off on a ship, level flight, landing, and return) at 390 kilometers an hour. The V-22 is replacing the CH-46E helicopter, which can carry 12 troops 350 kilometers at a speed of 135 kilometers an hour. The V-22 can carry a 10,000-pound external sling load 135 kilometers, while the CH-46E can carry 3,000 pounds only 90 kilometers.
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htairmo/articles/20090422.aspx
Busted Budget Causes Chaos
April 22, 2009: The U.S. Navy has been busy this year, too busy. Anti-piracy patrols, Iraq, Afghanistan and counter-terror operations have all demanded more from the navy than was anticipated. The navy has over a hundred ships at sea, and they are burning more fuel and using up more supplies, parts and services than planned for. So in order to get to the end of fiscal year (September 30), without running out of cash, cuts will have to be made.
So aircraft and ships that are not overseas, are now cutting back on everything, especially fuel consumption. Pilots will use simulators more, to maintain their skills. Short training cruises will be shorter, and more training will be conducted while the ship is tied up in port. There, ships can run simulation software to help sailors train realistically. Some sailors scheduled for transfer to another base, will wait until October (the next fiscal year) to make the move. Maintenance and repairs are being deferred, although this work will eventually have to be done, and some ships may become unfit for sea in the meantime. Meanwhile, the admirals will go to Congress, seeking some extra cash. Given the current economic climate, the admirals are not too optimistic. So plans for belt tightening are going forward.
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htmurph/articles/20090422.aspx
thanks for your service! sounds like you had a satisfying job. lol
the ignorant think we are protected by the police. they are only there to clean up the crime scene. there are never enough police to protect us, hence the saying "to serve and protect". if they were here to only protect, we wouldnt have the Bill of Rights, because you cant protect everyone without having a police state, shich in and of itself is full of corruption.
people need to decide what kind of country in which they want to live. you cant have both full govt protection and freedom. me, i enjoy my freedom and the right to protect myself.
and if a few badguys are get dead in the process, that means less of my taxes are paid to keep them in prison.
thanks for your service!
check out this link
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/board.aspx?board_id=8764
"shall not be infringed"
BO has no legal standing to follow through on this, at least according to our Constitution. and besides the point, we arent allowed to buy machine guns and rpgs. so most of those weapons are coming from other countries or from illegal sources. which means any laws put into effect here only put legal citizens in jeopardy.
as the Boss, ONEBGG has said, the current laws are useless. increase the penalties for those committing gun crimes, and allow the law abiding citizens to protect themselves. that in itself would cut down on gun crimes.
current gun laws are useless, as proven by the current level of gun crimes.
The Mountains Of Fear
April 21, 2009: Uncertainty is a powerful weapon. In the Pakistani tribal territories, near the Afghan border, Taliban and al Qaeda leaders continue a seemingly futile hunt for the spies who are telling the Americans where the big shots are. In less than a year, over 40 Hellfire missiles, launched from Predator and Reaper UAVs, have wiped out a large (about a third) chunk of the terrorist leadership. In the trade, this is known as a "decapitation" (just kill the leadership) strategy.
In response, the Taliban (whose leaders are now being targeted at well) and al Qaeda have seized and executed over a hundred local men (and a few women), for being American spies. Most of these victims were innocent. They were just in the wrong place, at the wrong time, and looked suspicious to the wrong people. Some of those killed may have been spies, but most likely for other tribes, or Pakistani or Afghan intelligence services. Lots of people hire informants in the tribal regions. Some locals are working for the Americans, but it appears that the UAV targeting information comes from a variety of sources. Some of them are electronic, some are the video from the UAVs overhead, and some from the Afghan, Pakistani and tribal spies. The U.S. has arrangements with all three sources to obtain needed data. Rewards, gifts or "bonuses" are provided as needed. The tribal informants will rat out an al Qaeda leader if the guy has committed some harm to the informants tribe. Al Qaeda has a long history of such bad behavior, and the tribesmen never forget. When the Americans come by, offering cash for the opportunity to settle some tribal grudge with an al Qaeda big shot, who can pass up such a deal? Same drill with Taliban leaders, who also tend to be tribal leaders, and all tribes have feuds with other tribes.
One of the more powerful intelligence tools are databases and data mining software. The U.S. has been collecting information on the tribes (in general, as well as individuals) for decades, and has acquired and developed software that can sort out who is who, and who is out to get to who, in the tribal territories. The U.S. Army Special Forces has lots of operators (more than the CIA or State Department) who speak the local languages and can organize and run the informant networks to find the targets. This is usually done with confirmation coming from a variety of sources. You have to be careful that some guy, who just wants to get a Hellfire to take out a personal enemy, doesn't con you. This rarely happens, mainly because there are usually multiple intel "indicators" putting the cross hairs on the terrorist leader you really want. The Special Forces guys not only speak the language, but understand the culture. The data mining software is also culturally aware, with special filters for different tribes and cultures (the Arab tribes of Anbar don't play by the same rules as the Pushtun tribes of Waziristan).
So, in the end, the al Qaeda and Taliban efforts to find the people who are spying on them is futile. It's not individual people you can put a bullet into, but a collection of live, and machine, operatives. Going after it with guns is like trying to kill a blizzard with an AK-47. You will kill snowflakes, but it won't do you any good.
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htintel/articles/20090421.aspx
Jet Powered Predator C Revealed
April 21, 2009: The new, jet powered "Predator C" took its first flight recently. Not to be confused with the MQ-1C Sky Warrior, the Predator C "Avenger" is a project that was started before Sky Warrior, and has taken much longer to get off the ground. The first flight was supposed to have been two years ago, but there were technical problems that kept coming up.
Shortly after the first flight was announced, the first picture was released. The Predator C is 41 feet long, and was apparently built to be stealthy. The next one built is expected to be 43 feet long. The V shaped tail and smooth lines of the swept wing aircraft will make it difficult to detect by radar. There is a humpbacked structure on top of the aircraft, for the engine air intake. There is apparently an internal bomb bay to hold about a ton of weapons, or additional fuel to provide another two hours of flying time, in addition to the standard 20 hours endurance. The 4,800 pound thrust engine appears to be built to minimize the heat signature sensors can pick up. The manufacturer, General Atomics, has a division devoted to building stealth features into aircraft. This includes the world's largest indoor radar cross section testing facility. Despite the bomb bay, the Predator C is expected to be used primarily to carry a ground surveillance radar, which could be mounted on the bottom of the aircraft in an aerodynamically smooth enclosure.
The U.S. Navy has been interested in Predator C since the beginning of development. Thus the Predator C wings can be built to fold, for use on carriers, and has a tail hook, used primarily for carrier landings. The Predator C, unlike the larger Global Hawk, could operate from carriers. The Predator C used landing gear from the F-5, an aircraft of the same weight class.
Predator C appears to be a larger, jet powered version of the five ton Predator B It was supposed to start flight tests by the end of 2006, but that was pushed into 2007, and then 2008. The Predator B costs about seven million dollars each, and the Predator C is expected to weigh twice as much, and cost three times as much. But that will still be about half the cost of a 13 ton Global Hawk.
The Predator C is expected to deliver about 85 percent of the performance of the Global Hawk, at about half the price. To compete with this, there is a "Global Hawk Lite" in development. The Predator C is designed to fly high (up to 60,000 feet) and cross oceans. Until recently, the Predator C didn't, officially, exist, and was a "black" (secret) program. No longer.
Most of the cost of these "strategic UAVs" is in the space satellite grade sensors. The MQ-4 Global Hawk, with minimal electronics, costs about $40 million. But you can easily add over $60 million worth of satellite grade gear to either a $20 million Predator C, or a $40 million Global Hawk. Thus Global Atomics is trying to come up with a lot of improved features (more reliable, easier to maintain, cheaper to run) for their Global Hawk competitor.
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htairfo/articles/20090421.aspx
Immortal Skyhawks
April 21, 2009: Instead of buying new aircraft. Brazil is refurbishing and upgrading the twelve A-4 light bombers they operate off their carrier Sao Paulo. Eleven years ago, Brazil bought 23 A-4 Skyhawk light bombers from Kuwait for $70 million.
The 11 ton A-4 can carry about four tons of bombs, along with two 20mm autocannon. The U.S. built A-4 entered service 53 years ago and nearly 3,000 were built until production stopped in 1979. The United States continued using them until six years ago (as "aggressor" aircraft representing hostile enemy aircraft in training exercises.) The ones Brazil bought were sold, new, to Kuwait in the 1970s, and saw heavy combat (1,361 sorties) during the 1990-1 war with Iraq. The Brazil refurb will fix some age problems, while also installing new electronics, radar and other equipment.
Nine years ago Brazil bought the 32,000 ton French aircraft carrier Foch (which was still in service) for $12 million. The A-4s (which the Brazilians call AF-1s) have mainly operated from the carrier. The A-4 was always popular with pilots and ground crew. It is a rugged aircraft that is easy to fly. Ten foreign nations bought A-4s, and the aircraft saw combat flying for four nations.
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htproc/articles/20090421.aspx
i find it kind of amusing that brazil has an 'aircraft carrier' and china doesnt.
its either that or the govt is letting them think they are hacking our networks. its hard for me to believe the govt is letting these guys hack our systems without their knowledge. the movie war games was made in 1983? and it was about hacking. i cant believe they put that little stock in the talent of hackers out there.
P-3Cs Flock To Somalia
April 21, 2009: Japan is sending two P-3C maritime reconnaissance aircraft to Djibouti where they will patrol the waters off the coast of Somalia. Last year, Spain sent a P-3, to search for the pirates that have become an increasing problem there.
The site of most attacks has been the Gulf of Aden, which is one the busiest shipping lanes in the world (with nearly ten percent of all traffic). Each month, 1500-1600 ships pass the northern coast of Somalia. Last year about one ship out of every 400-500 was captured by pirates. With the pirates getting more and more ransom money for each ship, the number of pirate groups operating in the Gulf of Aden is growing. An increasing number of mother ships, usually captured fishing trawlers (able to stay out for weeks at a time, and carry speed boats for attacks) are traveling farther from the coast in the search of victims. The P-3s can search large areas of the high seas in search of these mother ships, which warships are now hunting down.
Most merchant ships are wary of pirate operations, and put on extra lookouts, and often transit the 1,500 kilometer long Gulf of Aden at high speed (even though this costs them thousands of dollars in additional fuel). The pirates seek the slower moving, apparently unwary, ships, and go after them before they can speed up enough to get away. For the pirates, business is booming, and ransoms are going up. Pirates are now demanding $2-3 million per ship, and are liable to get it for the much larger tankers and bulk carriers they are now seizing. The P-3s seek out the mother ships, and alert warships to the location where the pirates are operating.
But there are some problems. The American built P-3C maritime reconnaissance aircraft is getting old. The average age of the U.S. P-3Cs is 28 years. The P-3 entered service in 1962. The current version has a cruise speed of 610 kilometers per hour, endurance of up to 13 hours and a crew of eleven. The 116 foot long, propeller driven aircraft has a wingspan of nearly 100 feet. The P-3C can carry about ten tons of weapons (torpedoes, mines, or missiles like Harpoon and Maverick).
The 63 ton P-3 is based on the 1950s era Lockheed Electra airliner. The last P-3 was built in 1990. A more likely replacement for these elderly search planes, are UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles), like Global Hawk or smaller aircraft like Predator. These UAVs typically stay in the air for 24 hours, or more, at a time. What maritime reconnaissance aircraft need, more than anything else, is endurance or, as the professionals like to put it, "persistence."
Spain sent 90 personnel (air and ground crew) to Djibouti, while the Japanese are sending 150. There is already a French ATL2 maritime patrol aircraft stationed there. This is a twin engine, 46 ton aircraft that entered service in 1989. It can carry nine tons of weapons, a crew of eight and has a maximum endurance of 18 hours.
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htnavai/articles/20090421.aspx
thats a serious black mark on the govt if those intrusions are real instead of misinformation. i find it despicable that the govt can invent the internet and not understand the vulnerabilities inherent in it. hackers have been around for years and now the govt is realizing they are vulnerable? WTF!
i think they will bomb them without BO's approval.
the next question is, what does BO do as they traverse iraq? i dont think jordan would impede them at all.
and after the attack BO will end diplomatic relations with isreal and lose a lot of support back here because of it
the isrealis are admitting they dont trust BO, and are preparing for it
first off, LMAO!!!
"shall not be infringed"
means they are taxed just like everything else, no more no less. and no one has a right to say what guns are sold. according the consitution, that includes all arms. now i wont argue that there should be regulation on machine guns and such, but the laws on the books now are ridiculously stringent.
russia may not have been the first, but they probably will be the biggest test. and O will respond with crumpets, lol.
he isnt based in the reality of the world, thugs only understand strength, and he will candyass his way with words. Georgia needs NATO's help in their defense or they will just be crushed by russia
Black Beret Blues
April 20, 2009: U.S. Army troops are becoming more energetic and vocal in efforts to get rid of the black beret they have been forced to wear for the past eight years. Back in 2000, the U.S. Army commander (Chief Of Staff) general Eric Shinseki ordered that the black beret replace the traditional billed cap (which had been used for nearly a century). Shinseki believed the black beret would be a symbol of excellence, reflecting the overall professionalism of the entire Army. He believed the black beret would repair the (largely nonexistent) divisions created by the use of different color berets in some units (red for airborne, green for special forces, black for rangers). Shinseki also believed that, because black berets are (everywhere but in the United States ) worn by armor troops, and in the U.S. by Rangers, the new headgear would reflect a merger of both light and heavy forces. This was a non-issue to most troops. Shinseki also insisted that selecting the color black was not intended as an insult to the Rangers (who were, and still believe that this was exactly what was intended) but was simply the best color to match the battle dress uniform (BDU). This, despite the fact that there is no longer any black in the BDU. Shinseki also wanted to create a "world class uniform" that would be respected by foreigners who came into contact with US troops. But American troops associate the beret with armies that tend to lose (especially the French) and consider it no great honor.
Then there are practical issues. The beret is made of wool, and requires more care to keep it presentable. Even at that, no one can agree on exactly how one should wear it. The damn thing is made of wool, and is uncomfortable in warm weather. Since it has no bill, it provides no shade for the eyes when troops have to stand in formation. It also costs twice as much as the patrol cap (the baseball cap live headgear, that is the same pattern as the BDU and is soft and light). But for many formations and occasions, the troops must wear the beret, instead of the patrol cap. Most troops would prefer to use the patrol cap, in camo or monotone versions, instead of the beret.
From the beginning, the black beret was very unpopular. Surveys quickly revealed that the majority of the troops were hostile to the head gear change. But Shinsheki went forward anyway. Current and former rangers, and many members of Congress, appealed to president Bush to reverse the policy back then. But September 11, 2001 came along before Bush could do anything, and the beret issue has been pushed into the background ever since.
But now the troops feel they have won one war, and are on their way to winning another, and would like to get some relief from those damn, stupid berets.
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htmoral/articles/20090420.aspx
A Tale Of Two Turkeys
April 20, 2009: Pakistan is forming its first JF-17 fighter squadron, and will station it at their airbase outside Peshawar (the largest city in the tribal territories near the Afghan border.) The squadron, with at least twelve aircraft and twenty pilots, will be fully operational by the end of the year. Pakistan already has eight JF-17 fighters, which it has received over the last two years. Last month, it signed a deal to buy the next 42, of 300, of these jets from China. These 42 will cost $14.3 million per aircraft. The final 250 will cost $12 million each. The aircraft is assembled in both Pakistan and China, with the engines coming from Russia, and most of the other components from China (which calls the aircraft the FC-1). Azerbaijan, Sudan and Zimbabwe have ordered the aircraft, or are negotiating to. Pakistan will replace its MiG-21s and Mirage IIIs with the low cost JF-17s.
When the first JF-17 fighter arrived in Pakistan two years ago, it ended over twenty years of development for what was first called the Super 7 fighter. The JF-17 was developed by China in cooperation with Pakistan, which originally only wanted to buy 150 of them. All this came about because Pakistan could not get modern fighters from anyone else, and turned to China. At the time, China had nothing comparable to the early model F-16s Pakistan already had.
The 13 ton JF-17 is meant to be a low cost alternative to the American F-16. The JF-17 is considered the equal to earlier versions of the F-16, but only 80 percent as effective as more recent F16 models. The JF-17 uses the same Russian engine, the RD-93, that is used in the MiG-29. The JF-17 design is based on a cancelled Russian project, the MiG-33. Most of the JF-17 electronics are Western, with Italian firms being major suppliers. At one time, there was a serious a snag because the Russians did not want to allow the JF-17s to go to Pakistan with Russian engines. Negotiations resolved this problem, aided by the current peace talks between India (a long time Russian customer) and Pakistan.
The JF-17 can carry 3.6 tons of weapons and use radar guided and heat seeking missiles. It has max speed of nearly 2,000 kilometers an hour, an operating range of 1,300 kilometers and a max altitude of 55,000 feet. China has not yet decided on whether it will use the FC-1/JF-17 itself. This is apparently because China believes its own J-10 (another local design) and J-11 (a license built Russian Su-27) are adequate for their needs. The J-10, like the JF-17, did not work out as well as was hoped. China is still relatively new to aircraft design and development. To further complicate things, China is trying to keep up with aircraft technology that continues to advance, year by year. Thus both the J-10 and JF-17s are difficult and expensive to maintain, and do not function as effectively as the designers hoped. But both aircraft work, and can probably be more useful for ground support, than air superiority. Pakistan hopes to make the JF-17 more lethal by using more experienced pilots. That often works.
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htairfo/articles/20090420.aspx
i had the designation wrong
far left propaganda, they just dont realize how many people they are pissing off. not to mention they are offending the whole military
China planning huge navy upgrade: commander
by Staff Writers
Beijing (AFP) April 16, 2009
China's navy will develop a new generation of warships and aircraft to give it much longer-range capabilities, its commander-in-chief said in comments published Thursday.
Admiral Wu Shengli told the state-run China Daily newspaper the Chinese navy wanted to develop hardware such as large combat warships, stealth submarines with abilities to travel further and supersonic cruise aircraft.
More accurate long-range missiles, deep-sea torpedoes and a general upgrade of information technology were also in the pipeline, according to Wu.
"The navy will establish a maritime defence system that corresponds with the need to protect China's maritime security and economic development," Wu said.
The English-language China Daily, which the government uses to deliver messages to a foreign audience, printed his comments on its front page and said it had obtained a rare interview with such a high-ranking military figure.
It quoted other Chinese military figures as saying that Wu's reference to building large warships referred to highly-publicised plans to build an aircraft carrier, but also other unspecified vessels.
Chinese Defence Minister Liang Guanglie was quoted in state media last month saying China no longer wanted to be the only major global power without an aircraft carrier.
Wu's comments also further indicate the Chinese leadership does not intend to back down amid complaints from the US and its allies about China's dramatic military build-up in recent years.
The Pentagon said in a report last month that the Chinese military's pursuit of sophisticated weaponry was altering Asia's military balance and could be used to enforce Beijing's claims over disputed territories.
China has kept up major investment in its armed forces and made advances in high-tech weaponry that outpace other countries in the region, the report said.
It also repeated US accusations that China is not being transparent about its military build-up and is underestimating its defence budget, claims Beijing denies.
China announced in March that its defence budget would rise 15.3 percent this year to 472.9 billion yuan (69 billion dollars).
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/China_planning_huge_navy_upgrade_commander_999.html
Analysis: Ending Iranian nuclear conflict
Toronto man charged in Iran nuclear technology case
Ottawa (AFP) April 17 - A Toronto man has been arrested for allegedly procuring and trying to clandestinely export a device used to enrich uranium to Iran, federal police said Friday. Mahmoud Yadegari was detained after an "extensive" eight-week probe by Canada's federal police and foreign service, Canadian and US border officials, and the US Department of Homeland Security, police said in statement. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police allege Yadegari "attempted to procure and export items known as 'pressure transducers.'" The devices are used in the production of enriched uranium, for military applications or commercial use. Initially, police said the suspect was attempting to send them to Dubai, but at a press conference RCMP Inspector Greg Johnson told reporters they were ultimately destined for Iran. "The declared point of destination was Dubai, United Arab Emirates, however we have evidence to support the fact its ultimate destination was Iran," Johnson said. Charges were laid under Canada's nuclear non-proliferation policy and international treaties prohibiting exports of "strategic technologies" for illicit purposes, as well as a United Nations act regulating sanctions against Iran. Iran is under intense international pressure to curb its nuclear ambitions, but has resisted, saying its program is for civilian energy use, not military. The police investigation showed steps were taken to conceal the identification specifications of the transducers in order to export the items without the required export permits, said the RCMP. Two transducers were seized as they were being shipped. Others were discovered during a search of a Toronto home, said Johnson. The components, originally obtained from a company near Boston, are critical as part of a larger device to enrich uranium to weapons grade. Yadegari faces up to 10 years in prison and a one-million dollar fine, if convicted.
by Stefan Nicola
Berlin, April 17, 2009
Kazakhstan, a former Soviet republic that has stormed to riches thanks to its abundant natural resources, may now become instrumental in solving the West's nuclear conflict with Iran.
U.S. President Barack Obama is "seriously considering" an offer from Kazakhstan to host an international nuclear fuel bank, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Such a bank would provide states with fuel for nuclear power plants in a bid to eliminate the need for domestic enrichment capacities that could also be abused to build nuclear weapons.
Obama has long touted the idea of such an institution as a way out of the impasse with Iran, which the West fears is abusing a civil nuclear program to secretly acquire an atomic bomb.
At first glance, Kazakhstan seems an unlikely candidate to host such a fuel bank. But that's largely due to the fact that it's still a blank spot on the map for many in the West.
Once populated by nomadic tribes, Kazakhstan, a landlocked country larger than Western Europe, has evolved into the best economic performer in Central Asia. Thanks to its large oil, gas and mineral reserves and a speedy free market reform, the Kazakh economy has over the past few years averaged double-digit yearly growth.
It has moreover engaged in slick diplomacy to balance cooperation with its powerful neighbors, including China and Russia, and with the West. Kazakhstan, for example, is one of the main suppliers of a key pipeline to Europe bypassing Russia, the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, but it nevertheless managed to keep relations with Moscow strong. It has been courted many times by the West and the East but has always resisted swinging one way or the other.
"Kazakhstan is neither dependent on Russia, nor on China nor on the United States. That's a significant diplomatic accomplishment," Gernot Erler, Germany's deputy foreign minister, said earlier this week in Berlin.
Recently, however, Kazakhstan has been looking westward. The country's authoritarian leader, President Nursultan Nazarbayev, has launched a new strategy called "The Way to Europe," which aims to intensify the country's relations with the European Union.
Next year, Kazakhstan will chair the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, moving the country to the forefront of the Western strategies in this region connecting Europe and Asia.
All this makes Kazakhstan an interesting partner for the West, but what qualifies the country to host a nuclear fuel bank is its spotless proliferation record.
The Soviet Union for decades tested its nuclear weapons in Kazakhstan, staging some 500 explosions in the steppe. After the end of the Cold War, Kazakhstan was left with a significant nuclear arsenal -- but instead of becoming a nuclear power, it decided to destroy the weapons. Because Kazakhstan also sits atop the world's second-largest uranium reserves, it is a candidate to consider.
Obama has already hinted that he may soon visit the country, which would be the first trip there of a U.S. president. Iran's notorious President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad already did so earlier this month, and at a joint news conference with Nazarbayev, he lauded his idea to host a nuclear fuel bank as "a very good proposal."
That Iran trusts Kazakhstan is a major plus for the country -- but not so much for its democratic record.
Nazarbayev enjoys dictator-style powers; he has been in charge of the country since 1989, and some of his opponents have ended up jailed or dead. The Kazakh press isn't free, and its elections, although improved, do not yet meet international standards.
In Europe, diplomats including Erler, the German deputy foreign minister, hope that the OSCE leadership will speed up democratic reforms in Kazakhstan.
Already, Nazarbayev has handed some of his powers over to Parliament, with bills in the making that will hopefully improve the electoral system and boost civil rights.
"President Nazarbayev has chosen Â… democracy," Nurlan Onzhanov, Kazakhstan's ambassador to Germany, said earlier this week in Berlin.
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Analysis_Ending_Iranian_nuclear_conflict_999.html
Rafale Humiliated
April 19, 2009: France's Rafale fighter was dropped from a sales competition, by India, for being too expensive and failing to meet technical requirements. India is looking to spend $12 billion on 126 high performance jet fighters. Five other aircraft were competing (U.S. F-16 and F-18, European Eurofighter, Russian MiG-29 and Swedish Gripen). The F-16 and F-18 are considered frontrunners, partly because both aircraft have extensive combat records and a large number of satisfied foreign customers.
Meanwhile, France has had nothing but hard times trying to find export customers for its Rafale. Recently, the production rate the Rafale was reduced from 14 a year to 11 a year. This will slow down the delivery of Rafales, mainly because the Defense Ministry has decided that other things are more important. The new emphasis (and spending) is on peacekeeping and anti-missile defenses. Another reason for slowing down Rafale production is the lack of export orders.
Late last year, France ordered another 60 Rafale jet fighters, and these will be delivered over the next six years. Officially, France plans to buy 294, and 60 have been delivered so far. Three years ago, the French Air Force activated its first squadron of Rafale fighters. The navy had received ten navalized Rafales three years before that, for service on the nuclear aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle. The first prototype of Rafale was shown in 1986, and the aircraft should have entered service in the late 1990s.
While one of the more modern combat aircraft in the world, development of the Rafale was delayed by technical problems, and shortages of money. Entering development just as the Cold War ended meant that there was little enthusiasm to spend billions on an aircraft that would face no real opposition. But, facing the need to eventually replace all those Mirage fighters, development did get restarted, creating an aircraft superior to the American F-15s and F-16s, very similar to the F-18F, but inferior to the F-22 and F-35.
The Eurofighter, and several other very competitive aircraft have made export sales scarce. By 2006, the French armed forces had only ordered 120 Rafales (82 for the air force, 38 for the navy). The 28 ton aircraft sell for about $100 million each, and so far, there have been no export orders.
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htproc/articles/20090419.aspx