Battalion S2

THE OCEAN IS GETTING TOXIC

2006-02-21T07:29:00.000-06:00

THE OCEAN IS GETTING MORE DANGEROUS FOR THE FISH

“The Revolutionary is a fish, and the people are the ocean he swims in.” Mao Tse Tung
So sayeth the greatest “insurrectionist” of all time, and truer words were never spoken. The problem is, the “ocean” the Iraqi Insurrectionists swim in is becoming more and more toxic to their species. You may remember the story from last week how tips from Irai citizens have increase 240% ( http://battalions2.blogspot.com/2006/02/chrsitiane-amanpour-calls-this.html )

February 19, 2006
Release A060219c
Iraqi, U.S. Army Soldiers seize large weapons cache, detain terrorists
BAGHDAD , Iraq – Soldiers from 3rd Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division and 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, disrupted a terrorist staging area early morning Feb. 19 southwest of Baghdad .
The Soldiers, acting on intelligence, air assaulted into the village of Owesat under the cover of darkness and surprised the terrorists before they could escape.
More than 39 detainees were seized, to include five individuals considered high-value targets. They also found several caches in and around the village containing 200 155mm artillery rounds, one rocket-propelled grenade launcher, 23 RPG rounds, 17 hand grenades, 200 blasting caps, four rolls of detonation cord, one mortar, one heavy machinegun, explosive powder and several hundred rounds of machinegun rounds.
(Note: Now, it generally averages two to three of those 155 rounds to make and IED…so what happened here is that 100-200 IEDs will never make it to the side of an Iraqi road. Sarge)
“This was a well planned and executed mission,” said Col. Jeffrey Snow, 1st BCT, 10th Mtn. Div., and the air assault commander for the mission. “We believe, as a result (of the mission), we have thwarted a significant attack that the insurgents had been preparing for.”
The operation was based on intelligence that the insurgent cell had been stocking munitions and weapons to prepare for future attacks.
“This reinforces the importance of people coming forward and reporting insurgent activity,” said Snow.

2006-02-20T18:33:00.000-06:00

IT’S NOT ALL BOMBS AND BULLETS

http://www.mnf-iraq.com/feature/Feb/060218a.htm

This one requires no real comment from me…except to ask, why do you only hear about stuff like this on the blog of an old guy living in Rosenberg, TX? The Cable News Networks run 24/7 and should need all the news they can get just to take up that time. What do we get: an anal retentive examination of the whys and wherefores of a hunting accident.

Emphasis below is mine.

Reconstruction Blossoms In South Baghdad

By LT Brett Matzenbacher

BAGHDAD – Baghdad is the geographical, cultural, and economic heart of Iraq, and as such, many efforts have been centered on the capital. However, the focus is now shifting 30km south, to the smaller, yet equally critical city of Mahmoudiyah.

This city, with a population of maybe 76,000 people, and its surrounding area is the tip of the spear in the War on Terror. It is in this region that Anti Iraqi Forces have gathered their strength, whether they be foreign fighters or local insurgents, in order to stage their attacks on Baghdad and other nearby cities. Just a few short months ago these insurgent forces held a death grip over this region, virtually paralyzing local economies and essential services. Workers who did attempt to rebuild crumbling infrastructure facilities were murdered or kidnapped, leaving the local citizenry with a feeling of helplessness.

However, the outlook for this area has changed dramatically in the last 6 months. With the arrival of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team/101st Airborne Division in October, 2005, security has been vastly improved, opening the door for many, more far reaching initiatives to be implemented. For example, projects improving essential services and stimulating the local economy are now on par with traditional combat operations as the focus of the “Strike” Brigade. In just 4 months nearly 30 projects totaling almost $3 million have been completed in Mahmoudiyah and its environs, focusing on returning “basic services, such as potable water, school renovation, and electricity distribution, to the people of this region” says Maj Eric McFadden, Project Manager for 2nd BCT/101 ABN. As impressive as these accomplishments are, however, a much more significant event is occurring daily in the streets and outlying villages of this once desolate city.

The local citizens are taking their city back. Now that Coalition Forces, in conjunction with the Iraqi Army, have improved the local security situation, the Iraqis are taking it upon themselves to rebuild their city. Ministries that were incapable of performing their duties are now stepping forward to take the reins. For instance, trash build up had become a major issue, putting the citizens of Mahmoudiyah at considerable risk for serious health problems. Today, though short on assets like compaction trucks and operating on a restricted number of routes, the Ministry of Sanitation is providing daily service to nearly half the city.

Trash pick-up is just one example. Even more significant gains have been made in other essential services. Water has been a major focus for the City Council of Mahmoudiyah and Coalition Forces. With the Ministry of Water taking the lead, running, potable water has been returned to more than two-thirds of the city proper, and to many outlying villages. These efforts included the renovation of two water treatment plants and the replacement of a feeder line which was sabotaged by insurgent forces. “We are very happy about the progress that has been made” one man told Coalition Forces during a recent patrol through the city’s resurging market area. Several more projects are currently being managed by local Iraqi engineers to restore water to the remaining third of the city. “We are very pleased to see the local government stepping forward to work these issues” said Maj. Paul Schmidt, Civil Military Operations Officer for 2nd BCT/101st ABN. In the past, “we had to do identify and fix many of these problem areas”, but the “fact that the Ministries are now resolving some of these issues on their own is a definitely a big step” in the right direction. “Our ultimate goal in essential services parallels our military one” continued Maj. McFadden, “we want to completely turn over responsibilities to the local Ministries” and “assume more of an advisory role.” This may not be an immediate possibility, but progress has been made, and as the working relationship between Coalition Forces and local Ministries continues to grow, and these ministries gain experience and increase in capacity, “more and more of our current responsibilities will be turned over to them” concludes Maj. Schmidt.

Press Release

2006-02-19T11:37:00.000-06:00

Press Release
Yeah, that’s right, this was released to the “press.” So I have no idea why they reported this week’s news from Iraq the way they did.  OK, I DO know why, you know why, too…

MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE-IRAQ COMBINED PRESS INFORMATION CENTER BAGHDAD , Iraq
http://www.mnf-iraq.com
703.270.0320 / 0299
February 18, 2006
Release A060218d
IA, MND-B Soldiers destroy 19 roadside bombs, find 3 caches, detain 29 suspected terrorists
Yeah, they destroyed 19 IED’s before they went off…largely based on tips from the People, but all you heard about were the ones that went off…..
BAGHDAD , Iraq – Iraqi Army and Multi-National Division -- Baghdad Soldiers found and destroyed 11 roadside bombs and three weapons caches in the last 24 hours as well as conducted two major offensive operations resulting in the detention of 29 suspected terrorists.
Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 6th Iraqi Army Division and 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, worked together in order to disrupt anti-Iraqi force activity northwest of Baghdad in a combined cordon and search operation that began Feb. 15 at approximately 11:30 p.m. and ended Feb. 17.
Iraqi soldiers continue to show an increased presence in operations…you don’t hear that either….
The 6th IA and 2-22 Inf. Regt. cordon and search operation netted 11 suspected terrorists and three weapons caches.
The first cache consisted of 19 x RPGs, 18 x RPG 7M rounds, one Russian-made light anti-tank weapon, one 120 mm mortar tube, three 82 mm mortar tubes, two RPK light machine guns, one FNL assault rifle, one SA-7 surface-to-air missile (no launcher), 22 x 120mm, 25 x 129 mm, five 107 mm, two 125 mm artillery rounds and eight 82 mm, eight 57 mm, seven 80 mm, two 130 mm mortar rounds, 5,000 rounds of 7.62 mm, 1,500 rounds of 12.5 mm, powder charges and Motorola radios.
At the site of the cache, the Iraqi and MND-B Soldiers found a terrain model, two fighting positions, and two underground tunnels.
This is a pretty Big Deal, guys.  The 120mm Mortar is a big MoFO and the 82 MM is no slouch either.  Combine that with the amount of heavy artillery shells (which are usually the stuff used to build IEDs) the LMG’s, the radios and the terrain model, what that means is you’ve just busted an HQ.  As such, it will be a gold mine for intelligence and all that ammo is going to go up in a big cloud of smoke before it can do anybody any harm.
The second weapons cache consisted of one SKS carbine rifle, 400 armor piercing rounds, five RPG rounds, two 30 mm, one 60 mm, one 120 mm, and five 20 mm rounds, an explosive of unknown composition, and 17 155 mm fuses.

Not as big as the one above, but still a bomb factory.
The third cache consisted of two 130 mm mortars, six 60 mm mortars, two anti-aircraft guns, two .50 cal machineguns, 17 rockets, one 130 mm mortar round, 18 82 mm mortar rounds, 15 60 mm mortar rounds, six 30 mm rounds, four PG7 anti-tank rounds, 14 RPG rounds, 30 hand grenades, 87 heavy machinegun rounds, 106 anti-aircraft rounds, one crate of .50 cal ammunition, 12 RPG fuses, six RPG boosters, and one bag of gunpowder.
Put this stuff together with the first one and you can see the damage done.  All these MG’s and Mortars are Battalion level stuff, designed to give fire support to attacking infantry.  It looks like they snagged the mortars and MGs in one place, and their ammo in another.  Dispersal of this stuff is common insurgent Logistic activity.
“We have the enemy on the run,” said Lt. Col. Kevin Brown, commander, 2-22 Inf. Regt. “The success we had in the inner city areas of Abu Ghraib the first 6 months in country caused the enemy to find sanctuary out here in the less populated urban areas."
Having the enemy on the run, especially in Abu Grhaib should be big news.  Might also be why those old Abu Grhaib photos have shown up.
“Now, with the Muthana Brigade of the Iraqi Army keeping the pressure on (the terrorists) in Abu Ghraib, and the establishment of Firebase Courage, we've been able to stretch our operations further, and continue to reduce AIF sanctuary and freedom of movement. Combined with the success achieved by Iraqi Special Forces in locating associated targets either in concert with or as a result of our operations – it's a complete team effort. We are winning.”
Of course, Jack Murtha will tell you that Col Brown is just saying what the president wants him to say when he says “We are winning.”  But me, I’ll look at all that materiel being blown up instead of being used, and I think the good Col. Is making a good and decent “Boots on the Ground, Tip of the Spear” assessment of the situation.
Coalition Explosive Ordnance Disposal teams destroyed the four caches.
Additionally, Iraqi Special Troops Company and Macedonian Rangers executed Operation Level Sand this morning at 1 a.m. north of Baghdad in order to neutralize terrorist activity and destroy weapons caches in the area.
The operation netted 18 suspected terrorists and resulted in the confiscation of ten AK-47s and three pistols.

2006-02-14T12:48:00.000-06:00

THIS SHOULDN'T BE HAPPENING

In an Armed Forces that's broken, demoralized, and stretched too thin, as the Democrats would have you believe

:http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Feb2006/20060210_4177.html

Solid Momentum Continues in Military Recruiting,

RetentionBy Donna MilesAmerican Forces Press ServiceWASHINGTON, Feb. 10, 2006 – All the military services exceeded their recruiting goals for January - a trend that's continued for eight consecutive months, Defense Department officials announced today.

Yes, you read right, EIGHT SOLID MONTHS, during which time Jack Murtha, Nancy Pelosi and others have been telling you that things are soooooo bad that soliders are demoralized and should be brought home. Jackie Murtha wouldn't reenlist in this environment, but more people than the Army says it needs to are.

The January figures reflect continued recruiting successes since last June, Air Force Lt. Col. Ellen Krenke, a Pentagon spokesperson, told American Forces Press Service. "These successes are helping the services build the momentum they need as they approach the springtime months, which are traditionally slower times for recruiting," she said. Recruiting typically rebounds again during the summer months, following high school graduations, Krenke noted.

This means, we should expect things to get even better as the year progresses. AND, if you are a regular reader here, you've read the stories that tell you WHY.

During January, the Army recruited 8,337 new members, 103 percent of its goal; the Navy, 2,726, 101 percent; the Marine Corps, 3,234, 106 percent; and the Air Force, 2,915, 101 percent, Krenke said.In addition, three of the six reserve components met or exceeded their January goals. The Army National Guard reached 113 percent of its goal. Both the Marine Corps Reserve and Air Force Reserve met 100 percent of their goals.

The Army Reserve, Navy Reserve and Air National Guard fell slightly short of their January goals, achieving 96, 88 and 90 percent of their goals, respectively, Krenke said.

Krenke credited a variety of initiatives - from pumping up the recruiting force to providing more generous incentives and more creative programs - with helping the services maintain recruiting success.

The January successes come at a time when retention remains high throughout the military, she noted.This reflects the commitment many servicemembers feel toward the military, Krenke said, as well as the professionalism of the force.

"Once people join the military, there's a strong tendency for them to want to stay," she said. "They recognize that military service is a total package - one that allows them to serve their country, be a part of a professional organization and enjoy a good quality of life, not only for them, but also for their families."To get the exact numbers from DoD go here:

http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2006/nr20060210-12475.html

And, to dispel the Liberal Myths about the Poor and Uneducated being the primary people who enlist, go here for an intersting, informative, and Mythbusting .pdf file:

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Dec2005/d20051213mythfact.pdf
....

2006-02-14T06:33:00.000-06:00

While the DLWM, CNN especially, will only ring you the BAD news from Iraq, here's the real stuff. You'll note that there is more killing and capturing going on..only most of it is happening to the terrorists. As repopreted in the post below, more and ore tips from the Iraqi people are leading to capturing terrorists while "in the act," and the locations of their caces of weapons and explosives are being revealed.
also note the increased activity by Iraqi forces, both police and military, in these operations.

Iraqi, U.S. Security Forces Capture, Kill Insurgents
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Feb. 13, 2006 – Iraqi and U.S. soldiers killed two terrorists and captured 16 in the Tikrit area, and Iraqi police and American troops captured eight suspected terrorists and destroyed two weapons caches in the Baghdad area, officials reported today.
Iraq's National Police working with Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers detained the suspects today and destroyed the caches.
Iraqi police from the 2nd Battalion, 4th Commandos, fired back at the terrorists, disabling their vehicle, after the insurgents conducted a drive-by shooting at the police Baghdad headquarters about 2 a.m.. One terrorist was wounded and detained as the others ran from their vehicle.
The terrorists' vehicle contained one rocket-propelled grenade launcher, four rock-propelled grenade rounds, three AK-47 rifles, seven AK-47 magazines, and one PKC machine gun with about 300 rounds of ammunition, four hand grenades and explosive materiel.
The commandos took the wounded terrorist to a local hospital.
In the same hour in Babil province, soldiers from 1st Battalion, 67th Armor, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, discovered a large weapons cache, officials said. The cache consisted of 502 82 mm mortar rounds, 92 120 mm mortar rounds, 26 cases of .50-caliber ammunition and two cases of 58 mm anti-aircraft rounds.
Earlier in the day, another patrol from the same battalion found two weapons caches in the same province. The two caches contained 15 155 mm artillery rounds, 15 60 mm mortar rounds, one 57 mm round, one 81 mm round and two seven-foot bombs of an unknown type.
Coalition force explosive ordnance disposal units destroyed the caches.
In the Baghdad area, U.S. troops caught two suspected terrorists hiding in a canal watching over a roadside bomb south of Baghdad during early yesterday. Both suspects were detained by soldiers from 1st Squadron, 75th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division.
A roadside bomb struck vehicles in which soldiers from 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, were riding as they patrolled south of Baghdad yesterday. Officials said there wasn't any damage to coalition forces equipment or personnel, and the soldiers caught and captured three suspected terrorists fleeing the scene.
In the Tikrit area, Iraqi soldiers, supported by Task Force Band of Brothers units, conducted multiple raids in the villages of Khalaniya and Hembis, near the city of Muqdadiyah in Diyala Province yesterday.
Two suspected terrorists were killed and one Iraqi soldier was injured during a brief firefight.
Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 5th Iraqi Army Division, searched the villages and detained 16 suspected terrorists. They also uncovered a cache of automatic weapons, IED-making materials, a rocket, and several mortar and artillery shells.
Units from 4th Infantry Division's 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team and the 101st Airborne Division's 101st Combat Aviation Brigade provided security outside of the villages.
(Compiled from Multinational Forces Iraq news releases.)

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Feb2006/20060213_4198.html

AND THIS IS JUST THE WATER PROJECTS

2006-02-12T18:23:00.000-06:00

Jackie Murtha and his allies in congress and the DLWM will tell you that our efforts in Iraq are failing because basic civil services aren’t in everybody’s homes yet. Here’s a story that will give you an idea WHY:

http://www.centcom.mil/sites/uscentcom1/FrontPage

Despite violence, south Baghdad residents get first tap water in eight years
By Norris JonesGulf Region Central DistrictU.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Baghdad, Iraq – Despite insurgent activity, Iraqi workers completed repairs to two water treatment plants in south Baghdad after nearly four months of work. Due to their skill and bravery, an estimated one million Baghdad residents will benefit from the renovations that continued regardless of insurgent attacks.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Gulf Region Central (GRC) provided oversight for the restoration project. Local workers cleaned the large, 34-meter sedimentation basins, repaired pumps and generators, and installed new chlorine pumps. Because of these combined efforts, each treatment plant now produces about 2,000 cubic meters of clean, potable water per hour.
“Mahmoudiya and Latifiya residents in south Baghdad this week had water flowing from their faucets for the first time in nearly eight years,” said Alfred Everett, GRC Resident Engineer supporting the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division. “That’s what people in those communities are telling us.”
A Baghdad firm was awarded the project to rehabilitate two water treatment plants servicing the areas northwest of Latifiya along the Euphrates River.“Despite setbacks and damage to the generators and other equipment in both facilities, the contractor successfully finished the job,” said Everett.
“There’s no question that Iraqis working on these projects demonstrated significant courage every day.”
Eight years is a long time for big infrastructure items to be off line, and it takes a while to get them back up to snuff…unless you want to build whole new ones. BTW, for the mathematically challenged, this thing went off line 5 years before we invaded Iraq, and 8 years after the First Gulf War. If we hadn’t toppled the evil, murdering dictator who had been in charge of these infrastructure plants, he’d still be spending the graft money he’d still be getting from the Oil For Food Program on new Mercedes of Uttbay Acefay or whatever his equally evil son’s name was……

And even more heinous crimes are being committed by the occupiers that Boob Kerry tells you is terrorizing Iraqi women and children on a nightly basis:

http://www.centcom.mil/sites/uscentcom1/News

(and I’ll just list the water projects being built in a desrt country to show how evil and worthless our presence there is, if you want t read about all the other stuff we are subjecting these people to, click the link above…and you should…we’re doing a lot og food stuff) The map above will give you an ide of where everything is taking place

1. Al Anbar Province
Construction started on a water project that will produce, treat and provide water to approximately 200,000 residents of Fallujah, Al Anbar Province. The statement of work for this project requires construction of a 9,600 m3/day water production and treatment plant, including intake cribs, generators, filtration and chlorination systems, pumps, piping, and perimeter security walls. A storage reservoir and approximately 6.2 km of transmission piping to the Askari sector of the city will also be installed. The $2M project is funded by the Commander’s Emergency Response Program, or CERP.
Construction begins on a Water Pump Station project in Fallujah, Al Anbar Province that will be completed mid-February and will pump storm water from the southern area of Fallujah—prone to flooding during the rainy season—to the Euphrates River. The $354K project is funded through the Commander’s Emergency Response Program—grass roots funds coordinated between community leaders and their maneuver unit commanders for more immediate relief of local community needs.
2. Baghdad Province
Rehabilitation is complete on a Water Compact Unit Project in Baghdad Province. The statement of work for the $26K Fanooz Aziz Water Compact Unit project required rehabilitation of two water compact units in Mada’in, that will produce potable water for approximately 3,500 Iraqi residents. At full capacity the two units will produce 720 m3 of potable water daily. Currently, 16 of 35 Water Treatment projects programmed for the Baghdad Province are complete—or 46 percent.
Construction is complete for two Water Compact Unit Refurbishment Projects in the Baghdad Province. The contracts required the refurbishment and rehabilitation of the Al Hilaway and Al Khanaasah WCUs to a level of maintenance that will bring them back to full operating condition. The projects cost $22k and $17k, respectively. Currently, 16 of 35 Water Treatment projects programmed for the Baghdad Province are complete—or 46 percent.
3. Basrah Province
Construction started on a Water Compact Unit project that will provide potable water to 20,000 residents of Abo Bosari in the Basrah Province. The $590K project is scheduled for completion mid-May, and the statement of work requires construction of a new 360 m3/day water treatment plant with reverse osmosis. In the Basrah Province, 19 Public Works & Water projects are programmed, with 11 ongoing and four completed.
Work is complete on a Water project that will supply water to approximately 10,000 Iraqi residents in the Abu Skheer area of Basrah Governorate. The $191K Abu Skheer Water Main project’s scope of work included installation of approximately 2,000 lm of water distribution main line and all associated accessories. In the Basrah Governorate, there are 17 Public Works & Water projects programmed, with one complete and 11 ongoing. Nationwide, there are 387 planned with 243 completed—or 63 percent.
4. Mosul Province
Construction is complete on a Water Pump Station project in Mosul that will benefit approximately 100,000 Iraqi residents in the western part of Mosul. The $192K project consisted of construction of a new pump station, a vital component of the water system to insure that homes and businesses have adequate water pressure and water flow. Currently, 18 of 19 Water Treatment Projects programmed in the Ninewa Governorate are complete—or 95 percent.

2006-02-11T10:37:00.000-06:00

CHRSITIANE AMANPOUR CALLS THIS A DISASTER
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Feb2006/20060209_4153.html
(Actually, in her snotty aristocratic European accent it’s “A Dizahzstuh,” but you get the point)

Iraqis Fighting Terrorists, Cooperating With Coalition

In January 2006, Iraqi civilians provided more than 1,300 tips to coalition and Iraqi security forces, Army Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch, Multinational Force Iraq spokesman said at a news briefing. That is a huge improvement from the 47 tips received in January 2005, Lynch said.

One way of illustrating this dramatic shift in attitude towards “insurgents” on the part of the Iraqi people (who are supposed to hate us) is that last January, Coalition Intelligence received 1.5 calls per day telling them what the bad guys were up to. Last month, they took 42 calls per day, or about 1.75 calls PER HOUR. This represents the most positive evidence we have that the “insurgency” is not being supported by the people…which any expert on insurgent warfare will tell you, spells death for the insurgency.

Even more telling:

Iraqis in certain areas of the country are taking their own action against insurgents, Lynch said. Many times these citizens are urged by their local tribal leaders to rid the area of the insurgent influence, he explained. In Fallujah and Ramadi, citizens have established checkpoints to keep insurgents out and six al Qaeda leaders have been killed in the area since September, he said.

Yes, boys and girls who have been paying attention for the past three years, in THAT Fallujah and THAT Ramadi…once the storied “hotbeds” of insurgent activity, the insurgents are being shot at by the population.

Two divisions, eight brigades and 37 battalions of the Iraqi army now control battlespace and lead operations, Lynch said. In January, Iraqi security forces planned and executed 27 percent of the total operations across Iraq, and more than 70 percent of operations involved Iraqis, he said. The Iraqi army recently planned and executed its first nighttime air-assault operation, resulting in the capture of 19 terrorists who were being trained to conduct attacks on pilgrims participating in the Shiite Muslim holiday of Ashura, he said. The Iraqi army is not at a point where most of their forces can operate completely independently, Lynch said, but they are gaining capabilities and taking the lead. The Iraqis still need logistical, artillery, close-air and airlift support from the coalition, but the important thing to note is how much of the land they are controlling, he said. "It's exciting to me that we've reached the point where that much of Iraq is controlled by the people of Iraq," he said.

This is further evidence that the plan for Post War Iraq devised by the Administration is working, and working the way it should:

1. Liberate the people and give them the opportunity to set up their own Democracy.
2. Teach them how to defend it.
3. Leave

Not too long ago, most of the Iraqi Army was in Basic Training. Think about that for a minute: a whole Army in Basic Training all at the same time. We had blown up damn near everything they had, and then took way what still worked. The we secured our own bases of operations and took over Civil control of the country. Then we began the process of turning things over to a government that was constituted as a Democracy and began training a military to be a servant of the civilian government rather than a toll for it’s control as it had been. Then we trained the trainers (Iraqi Officers and NCOs who would train more Iraqi soldiers), and now they are training more troops and more trainers. The speed of the process should increase exponentially from this point forward. It’s not going to be next Wednesday but it ain’t no “Dizahzstuh” either.

2006-02-10T21:08:00.000-06:00

Reporting on the Radio yesterday from Edd Hendee and Laura Ingram in Iraq tells us that tips by Iraqi citizens providing information designed to thwart the efforts of the "insurgents" have increased exponentially. I'm tying to get that information, and will post it here as soon as I do. When the population turns against and "insurgency," it dies. Here are more fruits of these tips. We've now reached the point where more of these are being discoverd and destroyed before they can do harm than those that do. U.S., Iraqi Soldiers Find Roadside Bombs, Weapons CachesAmerican Forces Press ServiceWASHINGTON, Feb. 9, 2006 – American and Iraqi soldiers found multiple roadside bombs and weapons caches during anti-terrorist operations in Iraq over the past several days.In fact, Iraqi army and coalition soldiers discovered three separate roadside bombs without incident over the past 24 hours.Iraqi soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 8th Army Division, along with U.S. soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, found the first roadside bomb near Iskandariyah. The bomb consisted of four 82 mm rounds, one 155 mm round and three rockets.A second roadside bomb was discovered near the same area and consisted of four 82 mm rounds, one 155 mm round, three rockets and 17 75 mm rounds.An Iraqi explosive ordnance disposal team dismantled both roadside bombs and transported the materials to a local Iraqi police station for detonation.And U.S. soldiers from 1st Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, 2nd BCT, along with Iraqi soldiers from 1st Battalion, 4th Brigade, 8th Iraqi Army Division, discovered a third roadside bomb in Jurf-El Saker. That bomb was made up of two 155 mm rounds, two fuel cans, one 100 mm round, one 120 mm round, one 130 mm round, one nine-volt battery and blasting caps. An American EOD team blew up the contraband ordnance at the discovery site.Yesterday, Iraqi soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Army Division, found another roadside bomb near Jamissa, Iraq, and reported it to authorities. That bomb consisted of a 155 mm South African-manufactured artillery round with a radio attached as a detonation device. The bomb was safely removed to be destroyed at another site. No injuries or damages were reported.Also yesterday, Iraqi military members with the 5th Strategic Infrastructure Battalion found and seized a weapons cache northwest of Kirkuk. The cache consisted of 13 122 mm mortar rounds, three 40 mm anti-personnel rounds, four 155 mm artillery rounds and an assortment of fuses. The munitions were removed for disposal.And elements of the 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, found a weapons cache during a patrol west of Baghdad on Feb. 7. The cache was located in a field near a house. It consisted of one anti-tank mine, an unknown quantity of homemade explosives, one 55-gallon plastic drum containing small bean bags filled with BB-sized crystals, six grenades, one dismantled RPK, one 60 mm mortar tube, two 60 mm mortar systems and two rocket-propelled grenade rounds.An explosive ordnance disposal team was dispatched and cleared the unknown crystals. The incident is under investigation.(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq news releases.)http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Feb2006/20060209_4162.html

2006-02-07T07:47:00.000-06:00

Iraqi Forces Find Roadside Bomb; Bridge Bomber Nabbed
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Feb. 5, 2006 – Iraqi forces discovered a roadside bomb and caught the would-be bomber of a bridge in two separate incidents in Tikrit, Iraq, yesterday, Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq officials said.
Iraqi police officers reported an improvised explosive device discovered along a Tikrit business route to coalition personnel. Bomb disposal personnel cleared the two surface=laid artillery shells, which had been concealed with a timing device in a plastic bag.
The same day, Iraqi soldiers identified and detained a would-be bomber and defused an explosive device after some quick coordination with coalition personnel.
Iraqi troops became suspicious of a man with a cell phone near a bridge on the east side of town. The soldiers also suspected a bomb was emplaced and contacted coalition troops with the information.
An Iraqi army quick-reaction force was dispatched, and the suspect was arrested. The bomb was discovered on the side of the bridge and disarmed. The detainee and roadside bomb were turned over to authorities for further disposition.
(Compiled from Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq news releases.)
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Feb2006/20060205_4115.html

2006-02-07T07:45:00.000-06:00

Detainees Released; Iraqi, U.S. Troops Help Flood Victims
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Feb. 5, 2006 – About 50 male detainees were released today from the Theater Internment Facilities in Iraq, and Iraqi and U.S. forces helped flood victims yesterday in northern Iraq, Multinational Force Iraq officials reported.
Officials said the Combined Review and Release Board reviewed the detainees' cases and recommended release. The Iraqi-led CRRB, established in August 2004, consists of members from the ministries of Human Rights, Justice and Interior, as well as officers from the multinational forces.
To date, the board has reviewed the cases of more than 27,200 detainees, recommending more than 14,300 individuals for release, officials said.
Iraqi and U.S. soldiers rescued dozens of people southeast of Mosul after powerful storms swept through northern Iraq, causing flooding along a Tigris River tributary.
Soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 2nd Iraqi Army Division, used small boats and braved strong currents to rescue nearly 100 people stranded on small islands in the rain-swollen Great Zab River.
Two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters from the 542nd Medical Company (Air Ambulance) responded to the Ninevah governor's request for assistance and transported two men stranded on an island that the boats couldn't reach because of the current. The medical evacuation crews also dropped off food and drinking water.
Two OH-58 Kiowa helicopters searched the river's course for additional victims, but none were found, officials said.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq news releases.)
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Feb2006/20060205_4114.html

2006-02-07T07:43:00.000-06:00

Four Insurgents Killed, Three Detained; Troops Seize Weapons
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Feb. 4, 2006 – A combined U.S. and Iraqi patrol killed four insurgents yesterday, and in separate incidents Feb. 2, a U.S. team seized a weapons cache west of Fallujah and Multinational Division Baghdad forces detained three suspected terrorists, Multinational Force Iraq officials reported today.
The insurgents were killed after they opened fire on U.S. Marines and Iraqi soldiers patrolling along the Euphrates River south of Hit. The combined patrol was conducting a cache sweep when the insurgents attacked with small-arms fire, officials said. U.S. and Iraq troops returned fire, killing four insurgents and detaining three others for questioning. One of the insurgents killed was wearing a suicide vest.
The patrol was part of Operation Smokewagon, which began Feb. 2. It's a 2nd Brigade, 7th Iraqi Army Division and 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) operation.
During a Feb. 2 combat patrol west of Fallujah, soldiers with the Illinois National Guard and Marines from 2nd Marine Logistics Group (Forward) secured a weapons cache. The cache included mortar systems, rounds and fuses, rockets, explosives, hand grenades, land mines, artillery primers, illumination rounds, rocket-propelled-grenade rounds, anti-aircraft rounds, and machine guns. This cache was the eleventh these servicemembers, who make up Task Force Blackhawk, have discovered in a 13-day period, officials said.
That same day, Multinational Division Baghdad's 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, detained a suspected terrorist south of Baghdad. Acting on a tip from a local citizen, a patrol searched the suspect's house and found a mortar sight and possible bomb-making materials.
In a separate incident, 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Soldiers detained two suspects in connection with the detonation of two roadside bombs southeast of Baghdad. The suspects had spotting scopes and bomb-initiating timers in their possession.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Division Baghdad news releases.)
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Feb2006/20060204_4112.html

2006-02-01T18:06:00.000-06:00

MORE NEWS FROM IRAQ

In this Houston Chronicle story

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/world/3626714.html
Jan. 31, 2006, 8:14PMOn a 'great day,' U.S. hands over part of Iraq's Green Zone
Shiite protests about a Sunni commander had delayed transfer by a month.

This is some pretty big news when you get right down to it. The Green Zone is the fortified center of the city. It’s where all the high paid reporters sit rather than go out into the country to get their stories. For some reason, the best news is saved for the Last paragraph:

The dispute about Taha, now nearly resolved, came as ever greater swaths of the country are being handed over to the Iraqi government by a U.S. military still intent on retaining influence of strategically vital regions, even as it prepares to draw down forces.
More than half of Baghdad is now under the control of Iraqi troops, said Col. Michael Beech, commander of the 4th Infantry Division's Baghdad-based 4th Brigade Combat Team.

More territory is handed over elsewhere as well. See the map to get an idea where it is. A few months ago, the Mosul was a “hotbed” of insurgent activity.

Iraqis Take Control South of Mosul; Operations Net Weapons, SuspectsAmerican Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Jan. 31, 2006 – An Iraqi unit has taken control of an operational area, and Iraqi and coalition forces have seized more weapons and detained terrorism suspects, military officials in Baghdad reported.
The 1st Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Iraqi Army Division, took control of its own battle space south of Mosul in a Jan. 28 ceremony. The unit's commander, Iraqi Brig. Gen. Ali Mullah, accepted responsibility from a unit from the U.S. 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team.
The unit's area, about 150 square kilometers, is west of the Tigris River east of the Mosul-Baghdad highway and between the villages of Aitha in the south and Munirah in the north. The battalion grew out of an Iraqi Civil Defense Corps company and now has more than 800 trained and ready soldiers.
"The terrorists are taking their last breaths and the end is near. ... There is no place for them (to hide)," Ali said. "My soldiers and I will ensure that security and stability are maintained."
The unit was certified ready to assume the frontline in the counter-insurgency fight after conducting more than two dozen major, battalion-level missions. Thirteen of the unit's soldiers have been killed in action.
In other news:
Iraqi soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, 1st Brigade, 7th Iraqi Army Division and Coalition forces discovered three weapons caches near Ramadi yesterday. The caches included high-explosive and white phosphorous rounds, mortar tubes and rounds, a rocket, sticks of explosive, a radio base station with batteries, a timed fuse and a detonation cord.
Iraqi police and coalition troops found a cache of mortar rounds with fuses, wires, timers and radios southeast of Baqubah yesterday.
Iraqi soldiers, joined by members of the U.S. Army's 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, planned and conducted several raids yesterday to capture terrorists behind mortar and rocket attacks on coalition bases. Three targeted terrorists and 15 other suspected enemy fighters were detained. The units also seized a weapon, several hundred rounds of ammunition, and a roadside bomb triggering device.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq news releases.) http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Jan2006/20060131_4057.html

TIP OF THE SPEAR

2006-02-01T08:32:00.000-06:00

FROM THE TIP OF THE SPEAR

http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Rep.+Jeb+Bradley%3a+Despite+difficulties%2c+we+are+making+steady+progress+in+Iraq&articleId=a8cb2dcd-b1cc-45fc-a3a3-472b3f2f020d

Jackie Murtha has made much of low troop morale, the hardships made by troops, the Army is broken, yadda, yadda, yadda.  Here’s a report from one of his compatriots in Congress, Rep. Jeb Bradley from NH.

Rep. Jeb Bradley: Despite difficulties, we are making steady progress in Iraq
By REP. JEB BRADLEYAnother View Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2006
RECENTLY I HAD the opportunity to visit Iraq with five other members of Congress. The focus of this trip was to gauge the performance of the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF), assess the morale of American troops, observe the measures designed to protect our soldiers and develop a better understanding of the conditions necessary for our troops to begin returning home.
Helping the Iraqi Army and police to stand on their own has been a top priority. By mid-July, many regional Iraqi battalions will operate independently of American forces. The Iraqi police are also finding the public much more cooperative, as demonstrated by the increasing amount of credible intelligence they are receiving from Iraqi citizens about the identities and activities of terrorists. This intelligence is essential in the effort to thwart improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and suicide bomber attacks.
Now, the Leftos who want to cut and run and Democrats who want to take over in Congress won’t mention the increasing number of “tips”, and read here “intelligence about the bad guys”, we’re getting over there.  We’ve already seen reports that Iraqis who had been with the insurgency were joining in with the democratic government and shooting at Al Queda in the process.  I post these reports every time I get them.  Hopefully you’re getting the point, and that point is that the population on which an insurgency depends for its very survival is turning against the insurgents.

On each of my trips to Iraq, I have been impressed with the morale of the troops I have met. Better than anyone, they recognize there is still a long way to go, but they know we are making steady progress despite the difficulty and sacrifice involved. Capt. John Curry of Concord, embedded with an Iraqi police unit, described to me how he was able to watch the joy on Iraqis' faces as they proudly held up their purple fingers after voting.

We should not underestimate the challenges facing Iraq. The formation of a post-election government that can reduce sectarian divisions and diminish sympathy for the terrorist insurgency is crucial. High unemployment and infrastructure problems still plague the country. But on each of my three trips, I have met Iraqis who are confident about their country's future, and that same sentiment is echoed by the troops I have spoken with who interact with Iraqis on a daily basis.

Aw, Jeb…..they must be telling you just what the President wants them to…go ask Jackie Murtha, that’s his excuse for reports like this.

The change from a brutal dictatorship to a nation based on the rule of law and the will of the people is difficult, requires sacrifice and needs patience. As Capt. Curry reminded me, his job is to help establish conditions where Iraqi forces can take over from Americans and begin to provide security for their own country. We are making steady progress doing just that.

Aw, Jeb….you must not be talking to Chrstiane Ammanpour.  Her opinion formed from a hotel room inside the Green Zone in Bahgdad, is that this thing is a disaster.  But then, maybe if she and Jackie Murtha got out among the troops, you know “the Tip of the Spear” like you did, they may have to change their minds.

THE LEFTOS DONT WANT

2006-01-31T07:31:00.000-06:00

THE LEFTOS DON’T WANT YOU TO SEE THIS

That’s why it’s here, and why this stuff will keep being put here.

Blast Kills 10 Civilians; Troops Nab Suspects, Find Weapons
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Jan. 30, 2006 – A bombing near a candy store in Iraq and the capture of suspected terrorists and weapons top news reported today by military officials in Baghdad.
A bomb exploded yesterday near a candy story in Iskandariyah, 30 miles south of Baghdad, rocking several businesses and killing 10 Iraqi civilians and wounding three .American military units from the 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division's quick response force were dispatched to the blast to investigate. The incident is under investigation by Iraqi authorities.
In southern Baghdad, soldiers on patrol with the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division nabbed two suspected terrorists and discovered a weapons cache Jan. 28, officials noted. The cache consisted of five AK-47 assault rifles with magazines, two 9 mm pistols, a rocket-propelled grenade, a bayonet, an Iraqi army protective vest, two U.S. military maps of Baghdad and a DVD with anti-coalition propaganda.
The two suspected terrorists were detained for questioning.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq news releases.)
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Jan2006/20060130_4047.html

2006-01-30T21:46:00.000-06:00

ADMIN NOTE

I've changed posting requirments here to streamline things. There's been some delay between your comments and my posting them because this is a one man operation and sometimes I like to sleep. To prevent SPAM there will be a "word verification" that you'll have to do. Some of you may be familiar with this from YAHOO groups. You'll also have to Register with e blogger if you haven't already. I hope this speeds thing up a bit. Let me know if you have any problems.

That Is All

WILLIE PETE

2006-01-30T20:30:00.000-06:00

WILLIE PETE

The masthead above says that this blog exists as a means of spreading Intelligence. Intelligence can be defined three ways:

New information about specific and timely events

The operation of gathering information about an enemy

The ability to comprehend, to understand and profit from experience.

We’re only concerned with definition #1.  I’ll let you decide who your enemies are and how to get info on them, and recent events have shown me that, with some people, there’s not a damn thing you can do about #3.

Case in point:  A few weeks ago some Leftos tried to demonize the war effort in Iraq by claiming that the United States was using Chemical Weapons in Iraq.  Now, they were referring to  something called White Phosphorous , which is affectionately know to those whose lives it has saved as Willie Pete.  Now, it IS technically a Chemical Weapon.  So is gun powder, TNT, tracer, and just about anything that goes boom, bang, or burn.  Mix the right chemicals; apply pressure or heat, and PRESTO! you get all the sights and sounds of the modern day battlefield.

Willie Pete is a chemical that burns on exposure to oxygen.  Its principal use is in smoke grenades, or in shells to generate smoke screens.  It was developed during WW1 and has been legal for use in War since that time.  During Viet Nam, it was replaced by AN/HC, but that has since been put back on the shelf because the Environmentalists didn’t like what it left behind (can’t pollute the battlefield, you know), so to generate smoke, we have gone back to using 100 year old technology.

Anything that makes smoke makes fire to do it, and such is the case with Willie Pete.  Weapons that use fire as its principal means of causing casualties are not illegal in any treaty to which the United States is a signatory.  According to Global Security:

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/incendiary-legal.htm

Legal Status of Incendiary Weapons
The use of flame weapons, such as Fougasse, the M202A1 Flash, white phosphorous, thermobaric, and other incendiary agents, against military targets is not a violation of current international law. They should not, however, be employed to just cause unnecessary suffering to individuals.
Snip
1.  The principle of military necessity justifies those measures not forbidden by international law, and which are indispensable for securing the complete submission of the enemy as soon as possible.
2.  The principle of unnecessary suffering forbids the employment of arms, projectiles, or material calculated to cause unnecessary suffering. This concept also extends to unnecessary destruction of property.
3.  The principle of proportionality requires that the anticipated loss of life and damage to property incidental to attacks must not be excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage expected to be gained.
4.  The principle of discrimination requires that combatants be distinguished from non-combatants, and that military objectives be distinguished from protected property or protected places. Parties to a conflict must direct their operations only against combatants and military objectives.
Furthermore, the Army Manual that the Army Lawyers use to determine if American soldiers break International Law in their War Fighting methods, FM-27-10 THE CONDUCT OF WAR, states this about weapons which employ fire:
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/policy/army/fm/27-10/Ch2.htm#s3
Section III. FORBIDDEN MEANS OF WAGING WARFARE
36. Weapons Employing Fire
The use of weapons which employ fire, such as tracer ammunition, flamethrowers, napalm and other incendiary agents, against targets requiring their use is not violative of international law. They should not, however, be employed in such a way as to cause unnecessary suffering to individuals.
What does all this mean?  It means that Willie Pet is perfectly alright to use against an enemy, especially of it’s necessary to do in order to fulfill a legitimate military objective.  It’s not OK to toss it into a school or a hospital if you think there may be children or patients inside, but it’s perfectly OK to chuck some in a spider hole in order to make someone inside cease their hostile intent.
So if some anti-war Lefto comes to you telling you that evil American Soldiers used chemical weapons against those poor terrorists over in Iraq you now know how to answer them because you have gained some Intelligence about this specific and timely event at Battalion S2, and because you have the ability to comprehend, understand, and profit from the experience.

2006-01-30T07:23:00.000-06:00

Like I said in that last post, I love the home town newspaper. And this will give you an idea of John Kerry and Ted Kennedy's chances for reelection if they lived anywhere else but Taxachusetts:

http://gamma.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Damning+Sam%3a+Dems+step+further+away+from+USA&articleId=1400bb0f-baf1-4662-8818-2633d6a90b14

Damning Sam: Dems step further away from USA
8 hours, 20 minutes ago

THE DISTANCE between the ideals of the Democratic Party's best-known elected officials and those of mainstream America was well illustrated by the distance John Kerry was from Washington on Thursday, when he phoned fellow senators and urged them to filibuster the nomination of Judge Samuel Alito. Kerry was in Switzerland.
Kerry viewed Thursday's debate on Alito as so unimportant he needn't attend it. Yet there he was, phoning from the Alps, pressing his colleagues not only to reject, but also to prevent a vote on Bush's nominee, whom Americans widely support, according to numerous polls.
The other leader of the Democrats' filibuster effort is Kerry's Bay State buddy Ted Kennedy. While Kennedy was falsely painting Alito as sexist and racist because he once associated himself with a group that opposed affirmative action admissions to his alma mater, Princeton University (though the group accepted minority members), Kennedy himself was a member of a men-only club at his own alma mater, Harvard.
Today the Senate votes on whether to end debate on Alito's nomination. Kerry, Kennedy, Joe Biden and others calling for a filibuster are so out of touch with America that they cannot persuade even a majority of their own Democratic colleagues in the Senate to join them in filibustering Alito.
Even so, too many Democrats will vote against Alito's nomination when it comes to a vote tomorrow. They will do this to placate the radical left wing, which is the engine that drives today's Democratic Party. And when they do, they will take the party another step toward the fringe — just when the Republicans are imploding and making themselves vulnerable to smart attacks from a centrist opposition party, which doesn't exist.

GOOGLE ME THIS

2006-01-29T10:24:00.000-06:00

GOOGLE ME THIS

OK…it’s not military info…it just, in the words of MSG Thomas Jefferson Jackson:  “It gives me a case of the Red Ass.”

Those of you who have been over at LST know three things about me:  I’ve been in the military, I’m from New Hampshire, and I’m a Conservative.  I don’t miss many things about New Hampshire.  Txas felt like home as soon as I got here, and it’s stayed that way for the last 34 years ( I lived in NH for 18 years, so I’ve lived here nearly twice as long as I lived there).  One thing I do miss is the Hometown newspaper, the Manchester Union Leader.  Their editorials are typically Northern Yankee in their prose, short and to the point and doles out words like they were hundred dollar bills.

This morning the commented on something that’s had me seething for the last couple of days. It’s not anything that surprises me given the Hypocrisy of the Left.  And yes, yes, yes, I know that Leftos will constantly point out the idiotic ramblings of some church leader or some married Republican diddling the married wife of somebody else and call that Conservative Hypocrisy, but that kind of thing pales in comparison to this:

http://gamma.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Google%27s+censorship%3a+Complies+with+Red+China+but+not+U.S.&articleId=3b779807-908a-4faf-8689-f5c6cd4607dd

Google's censorship: Complies with Red China but not U.S.
LET'S SEE. Google fights U.S. government attempts to search its files for evidence of child pornography. But Google meekly complies with Communist China's government demands that it censor materials about democracy and human rights.

"Don't be evil" and "the need for information crosses all borders" are two of Google's basic 10 mission points. They have apparently been replaced by "show me the money.

If you want to learn more about this, especially if you want to see how a couple billion Chinese get information using your favorite search words or phrases, go here:

http://lonestartimes.com/2006/01/27/dont-be-evil-my-ass/#comments

UNREST IN IRAN

2006-01-28T18:43:00.000-06:00

UNREST IN IRAN

Many of those who protest the Liberation of Iraq from an Evil Dictator say that we are squandering resources that could otherwise be used in the Global War on Terror. Many say that we wasted time, treasure, and lives in Operation Iraqi Freedom. They rightly point to Iran as the principal “bad actor” in the region as the fund Terrorist Organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah and have been implicated in the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 in Lockerbie, Scotland (http://www.wsws.org/articles/2000/jun2000/lock-j15.shtml ). Doomsayers have even opined that Tehran is infiltrating agents into Shiite Iraq in order to engineer a take over once the United Sates is gone.

But both the doomsayers and protesters ignore the fact that the Iranian borders with Iraq and Afghanistan work in two directions and having Special Operations troops and clandestine operatives from two nations, the US and Britain, puts Iran on the front line of the Global War on Terror. Having an US ally on it’s northern border, Turkey, helps a bit too.

Let’s examine some possibilities. One of the primary missions of US Army special Forces is to identify, train, and support indigenous forces in a combat zone to gather intelligence and foment rebellion. Since the end of the First gulf War, the United States has had both a significant Special Operations presence, and a good ally in Iraqi Kurdistan. Kurdistan, like most of the Arab ethnic groups, were fractured when France and Great Britain partitioned the Middle East after WW1. They have long sought to reunite their homeland. The US has been successful thus far in keeping Iraqi Kurds from joining with those in Turkey in order to preserve the alliance we have with them. We have no such qualms, however about alienating Iran by encouraging Kurdish Nationalism in Iran.

Similarly, much has been made of that fact that south eastern Iraq and Iran are both Shiite populations, but few who point this out mention that there is an ethnic barrier to unification. Iraqi Shiites are Arabic, and Iranian Sunnis are Persian. If we’ve learned anything about the Middle East, it’s that ethic AND religious differences are more than enough of a reason to start tossing high velocity metal towards one another.

So, while the MSM focuses on bad news coming from Iraq and Iran, and forecasts doom for our endeavors, much of the real situation gets unreported. For instance:

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=7&section=0&article=76956&d=28&m=1&y=2006

Iran: Threat of Ethnic DissentAmir Taheri
Anxious to cultivate his populist image, Iran’s new President Ahmadinejad has promised to hold the monthly sessions of his Cabinet in provincial capitals rather than Tehran. Now, however, it seems as if, for reasons of security, he may not be able to take his road show to all of Iran’s 30 provinces. A session scheduled to take place in the province of Kurdistan last month had to be rescheduled at the last minute, supposedly because the relevant documents were not ready in time. And last week the president was forced to cancel another session, due to take place in Ahvaz, capital of the Khuzistan province, ostensibly for bad weather.

In both cases, however, factors other than bureaucratic delay and bad weather may have been at work.

The article goes on to outline that there has been violence in Kurdistan since June, 2005 and in Iran's Khuzestan Province, mainly in the city of Ahfaz since April. To amplify:

http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2005/04/ca90306f-22a2-4db7-947d-464ed56495c0.html

Washington, 18 April 2005 (RFE/RL) -- Rioting ethnic Arabs in the city of Ahvaz in southwestern Iran's Khuzestan Province clashed with security forces on 15 April.

There are conflicting reports on the number of casualties and the reason for the clashes. Regardless of the specifics in this case, all the country's minorities -- Arabs, Azeris, Baluchis, Kurds, or Turkmen -- have grievances that relate to the regime's policies. If allowed to fester, ethnic problems could have serious repercussions for the regime.

And cryptically notes:

The unrest apparently was caused by outside agitators. On 15 April, Al-Jazeera quoted the irredentist Democratic Popular Movement for the Arab People of Ahvaz (al-Harakah al-Dimuqratiyah al-Sha'biyah li al-Sha'b al-Arabi al-Ahwazi), which demanded an end to what it called the Iranian "occupation" of Khuzestan. The movement accused the Iranian government of wanting to forcibly relocate the province's Arabs to other parts of the country.

(snip)

The Democratic Popular Movement for the Arab People of Ahvaz, which allegedly contributed to the 15 April unrest, is not the only Arab irredentist organization. The Ahwaz Arab Renaissance Party issued a notice on the AlBasrah.net website (http://www.albasrah.net) in early April that it blew up an oil pipeline from Ahvaz to Tehran. It claimed that this is part of its strategy to stop the Iranian government's oppression of Ahvaz's residents. Another irredentist group is the Ahwaz-Arabistan Online Network (http://www.al-ahwaz.com).

All of these groups are the kind with which Special Operations and Clandestine operatives of both the US and Britain would organize and support in an effort to destabilize a government which funds terrorists and is seeking a nuclear weapon. Such an effort, if successful, would cost a good deal lees in American blood and treasure. If more offensive military action is required, an indigenous paramilitary force and combat intelligence net work would already exist in the border regions between Iraq and iran. Having troops in Iraq is looking to be a better idea for winning the Global War on Terror, unless of course, you don’t believe the Iranians are bad guys…which means you don’t read the news.

In fact, the violence in Ahafaz last April was so bad and scared the Iranian regime so much, they even went so far as to suspend operations of AL JEZEERA!

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/04/18/world/main688992.shtml

Al Jazeera, which is popular among Iran's Arab-speaking minority, is believed to have been the first news outlet to broadcast news of the unrest. The station's commentators discussed the clashes on talk shows as well. Tehran on Monday ordered the station to cease operations until the network explains the motives behind its coverage, which Tehran believes inflamed the violence.

If rioting and blowing up oil pipelines is not bad enough news fro the Iranians (and it must be bad news, because when it happens to us in Iraq, it supposedly spells dooooooom) this most recent violence is what kept the Iranian President from going to Ahfaz:

http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20060125/int/int5.html

IRAN: PRESIDENT AHMADINEJAD CANCELS VISIT TO AHVAZ - Six killed in bombings published: Wednesday January 25, 2006
TEHRAN, Iran (AP):
TWO BOMBS killed six people and wounded 46 others yesterday in Ahvaz, a city in south-western Iran with a history of violence involving members of Iran's Arab minority, Iran's official news agency reported.
The bombs exploded inside a bank and outside a state environmental agency building in Ahvaz, the capital of oil-rich Khuzestan province which borders Iraq, the official Islamic Republic News Agency said.
Interior Minister Mostafa Pourmohammadi said the attacks were related to last year's bombings in the city and were foreign inspired.
Ahvaz suffered bomb attacks in June and October that killed eight and six people respectively. The Government blamed the blasts on Iranian Arab extremists, alleging they were trained abroad with foreign support.

Things have not been rosy among Iran’s Shiite Arab minority, could it be that rather than Iran using Iraq’s Shiites to take over in Iraq, the US and Britain are using Iran’s ARABS to destabilize Iran? The Iranians think so:

http://www.forbes.com/work/feeds/ap/2006/01/28/ap2484012.html

Associated Press Iran Claims U.S., Britain Fomenting Unrest By ALI AKBAR DAREINI , 01.28.2006, 06:08 AM

A top Iranian commander accused U.S. and British intelligence agents of fomenting unrest in southwestern Iran and threatened to respond with missiles if attacked. Iran's improved version of the Shahab-3 missile can strike more than 1,300 miles from their launch site, putting Israel and U.S. forces in the Middle East in easy range. Gen. Yahya Rahim Safavi, the chief of the Revolutionary Guards, said the United States and Britain were behind bombings Jan 21 that killed at least nine people in the southwestern city of Ahvaz, near the southern border with Iraq where 8,500 British soldiers are based. "Foreign forces based in Iraq, especially southern Iraq, direct Iranian agents and give them bomb materials," he said in remarks carried by state-run television

The missiles mentioned are, of course, a concern, but troops in Iraq today have much improved version of the Patriot antimissile system that was used in the First Gulf War, and the Iranians should also be aware of the military repercussions of firing them at us. Amy capacity they have to defend against a full on US onslaught from the air and on the ground from Afghanistan, Southern Iraq, and Kurdistan.

And of course, the Anti-War people will tell you we’re ding a terrible thing:

http://www.antiwar.com/lobe/?articleid=5907

May 11, 2005

Neocons Exploiting Domestic Unrest in Iran?
by Jim Lobe
As recently noted by Richard Perle, an influential neoconservative hawk close to Vice President Dick Cheney and Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld, military strikes would be a high-risk option that could prove counterproductive both by bolstering support for the Islamic regime and further isolating the U.S. from its allies.
Thus, the preferred option at this point, even if it is not officially endorsed, is regime change.
Under one plan released last year by the mainly neoconservative Committee on the Present Danger (CPD), Washington hopes to help mobilize a pro-democracy movement similar to Solidarity in Poland and to last year's Orange Revolution in Ukraine that would challenge the government in the streets. Congress has already cleared several million dollars for this purpose and last week the State Department, or U.S. foreign ministry, began soliciting bids from eligible groups.
A second option, backed by harder-line forces, calls for covert action designed to bring down the regime – through more active backing for the MEK and/or fomenting unrest, especially among minority groups such as the Khuzestan Arabs that together make up about half of Iran's 70 million people.
These include Turkmen in the northeast, Tajiks along the border with Afghanistan, Balochis near Pakistan, Azeris and Kurds in the northwest, and Awazi Arabs, who altogether number about two million, or roughly three percent of Iran's population. Disturbances have been reported in both Iranian Kurdistan and Balochistan, as well as in Khuzestan, in recent months.
"It's certainly the case that there are long-standing ethnic and regional disputes in Iran that come about in part because the Iranian plateau, whose inhabitants are Persian-speaking and Shi'ite, is surrounded by a periphery that is either not Persian or not Shi'ite," said Juan Cole, a regional specialist at the University of Michigan.
"The most recent incidents in Khuzestan certainly fit into a general pattern of uneasy relations between the center and periphery," Cole told IPS. "The question on everyone's mind is whether it is connected in any way to the situation in Iraq or U.S. policy, and about that, we can only speculate."

And what of Kurdistan, anyway? Things are just as bad there as well, maybe a bit worse:

http://www.pdk-iran.org/english/articles/Armed

Armed Kurds fomenting unrest in Iran pose security threat to Tehran
By Najmeh Bozorgmehr in Tehran Published: August 29 2005 03:00 Last updated: August 29 2005 03:00

The Iranian government is facing a new security challenge from a small, armed Iranian Kurdish group emboldened by the political gains of Kurds in neighbouring Iraq.

Pejak, the Party for a Free Life in Iranian Kurdistan, has emerged as behind recent unrest in the predominantly Kurdish north-west of the country, renewing a separatist armed struggle that halted a decade ago.

The doomsayers claim that it is naïve to think that toppling an Evil dictator and building a Democracy in Iran will have the effect of encouraging other s in the region to do the same. I think perhaps it is not so naïve after all. Things have been going from bad to worse up there since summer, 2005, too:

http://www.macleans.ca/topstories/world/article.jsp?content=20050829_111245_111245

Media blackout
Are Kurdish lives somehow less valuable than Palestinian and Iraqi ones?
MICHAEL PETROU
Here's a story about an uprising in the Middle East you probably haven't heard of. For more than a month, riots and violent protests have swept through the Kurdish areas of northern Iran, resulting in a government crackdown that has killed up to 20 people and injured hundreds more. The unrest began on July 9, when Kurdish activist Shwane Ghaderi was killed by Iranian security forces in Mahabad. He was allegedly shot, dragged through the streets and tortured to death. Demonstrations against Iran's theocratic dictatorship erupted immediately and spread across the region.
Mr. Petrou hits the nail on the head here:
The bigger problem is an uglier one. Some causes, and some people, are fashionable to Western journalists and to the public at large, and some are not. Imagine for a moment that 20 unarmed Palestinians had been killed by Israeli soldiers in the last month, with hundreds more injured and scores arrested. Is it even conceivable that this would not be front-page news? Already, photographers working in the Middle East have to work hard to avoid getting other photographers in their photos of stone-throwing Palestinian children. The only photos of the unrest in Iran come from local residents.
And what of the so-called "peace" protesters? Unarmed civilians are being shot down by government troops in helicopters. Where are Bianca Jagger and the rest of the celebrity activists? Where are the marching throngs with their "Free Iran!" and "Free Kurdistan!" banners? Are Kurdish lives somehow less valuable than Palestinian and Iraqi ones? Almost all Kurds are also Muslims. Where is the outrage? Or are the deaths of innocent Muslims only enraging when they are killed by Americans or Israelis?
Recently, an Iranian friend in London emailed me. "If only this Kurdish intifada had half the media coverage as the Palestinian one," he wrote. He's right. What's happening in Iranian Kurdistan is important. Iran's religious dictatorship is resented by many, perhaps most, Iranians. But it is particularly abhorrent to the country's Kurds.
So what’s been happening lately in Kurdistan?
http://www.adnki.com/index_2Level.php?cat=Politics&loid=8.0.237471682&par=0
http://www.adnki.com/index_2Level.php?cat=Politics&loid=8.0.244799172&par=0

But Tehran has even more to worry about than violent unrest in it’s border provinces. They may be able to convince the world that it’s the US and Britain interference (and they may be right, and I hope they are)
But one thing you should contemplate: as democracy takes hol in Iraq, as the Iraqis start turning in bad actors and shooting at al Queda, is it just a coincidence that violence is INCREASING in Iran?

http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/iran/2005/iran-050612-rferl02.htm

One Reported Killed In Tehran Bomb Blast
Prague, 12 June 2005 (RFE/RL) -- Iranian officials say a bomb exploded in a busy square in the east of Tehran today, killing one person and injuring at least three others.
Maybe the Islamo-Fascists in charge in Iran, who have been financing and instigating terror for nearly 30 years are finally going to get a taste of their own medicine, now that there are two “haven states,” one on it’s east, and one on it’s west, that can provide financing, weapons, volunteers, and sanctuary to those fighting them.

It’s about time, doncha think?

2006-01-28T11:44:00.000-06:00

Suspected Terrorists Detained; Tips Lead to Weapons Caches
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 27, 2006 – Coalition and Iraqi forces captured several weapons caches and suspected terrorists in operations throughout Iraq over the past few days, officials reported.

Members of the 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, and an explosive ordnance disposal unit found and performed a controlled detonation of a roadside bomb south of Baghdad Jan. 25, officials said. The bomb consisted of three "daisy-chained" - set up to explode one after the other -- charges in oil barrels with 30 to 40 pounds of homemade explosives in each barrel.
Soldiers from Multinational Division Baghdad's 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, discovered a weapons cache consisting of 56 sticks of TNT, one box of .50-caliber rounds, one block of C4 explosive, four 60 mm rounds, three individual fuses, and one box of fuses late Jan. 25.

Soldiers from MNDB's 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, conducted a cordon-and-search operation based on a tip from an Iraqi citizen Jan. 25 and detained two suspected terrorists for questioning. The two men's names and descriptions matched those in the tip. The patrol also found a pistol and a diagrammed location of a planned ambush on coalition forces.
Near Najaf, about 100 miles south of Baghdad, Iraqi soldiers and coalition forces nabbed 22 suspected terrorists Jan. 25. Troops from the 2nd Battalion, 1st Brigade, 8th Iraqi Army Division, and 3rd Battalion, 16th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, spearheaded the joint mission.

Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, discovered two improvised explosive devices in Haswah, 25 miles south of Baghdad. The first IED consisted of two 130 mm pressure plates and one 125 mm round. The second included one 125 mm round. Explosive ordnance disposal teams removed both IEDs without incident.

An explosive ordnance disposal detachment from the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, responded to 25 calls and eliminated more than 15 IEDs over the past week in central Baghdad. Headed by Navy Lt. Sam Brasfield, the three-team detachment also found and destroyed about 300 pounds of unexploded ordnance in a continuing effort to rid the streets of the deadly threats, officials said.

In central Baghdad, Iraqi army soldiers manning a checkpoint came under attack Jan. 23 by terrorists who fled the scene in a vehicle. Three suspected terrorists were later detained by an Iraqi army patrol based on a tip received a tip from a local national who pointed to the vehicle's location. The patrol also confiscated 9mm rounds and 9,206 Iraqi dinar.

(More and more tips like this are leading to arrests and detentions. Sarge)

Also on Jan. 23, Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers found six weapons caches southwest of Baghdad. The caches consisted of improvised explosive device-making material, batteries, wire, blasting caps, five 50-gallon drums, two fuel cans, one propane tank, communications equipment, six AK-47s, an RPK2 rifle, a Dishka heavy machine gun, and ammunition.
Responding to a tip, a patrol from Troop A, 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, found a large weapons cache north of Baghdad Jan. 22. The cache consisted of a complete 120 mm mortar system, 14 57 mm rockets, 11 152 mm artillery rounds, 10 130 mm artillery rounds, 19 B-5 rocket fuses, 50 hand grenades, and a wide assortment of other ammunition. "It was a great find," said Army Maj. David Olson, the brigade spokesman. "It is great to see people standing up and doing their civic responsibility to help maintain a safe and secure environment for their fellow citizens by providing tips such as this one."
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq news releases.)
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Jan2006/20060127_4026.html

2006-01-28T11:39:00.000-06:00

MORE NEWS YOU DON’T GET FROM THE MSM

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2006/01/mil-060127-voa04.htm

US Commander: Insurgents Driven from Tal Afar in Northern Iraq
By Meredith Buel Washington27 January 2006

A senior U.S. military commander in Iraq says coalition and Iraqi forces have driven insurgents from the northern Iraqi city of Tal Afar, and that reconstruction of the area is well under way. Army Colonel H.R. McMaster made the remarks during a teleconference from Iraq.

Colonel McMaster says when his forces first arrived in northern Iraq last May, insurgents, including foreign fighters and Saddam loyalists, had choked the life out of the region by conducting systematic attacks throughout the area.

McMaster says many of the insurgents infiltrated the city of Tal Afar, which lies about 60 kilometers from porous Syrian border.

"What the enemy really needed to do is intimidate the population in the area, to give them safe-haven so people would be afraid to cooperate with our forces or Iraqi security forces trying to bring security to the area," he said. "They also hoped to incite sectarian violence, which they did by collapsing the police force, turning the police force, in effect, into a sectarian militia that further fed the cycle of sectarian violence."

A turning point came last September when, for the first time, U.S.-trained Iraqi security forces took the lead in a major military operation against insurgents in Tal Afar.

Colonel McMaster says the Iraqi army and police forces backed by U.S. troops successfully drove most of the foreign fighters out of the area.

"As a result of our combined efforts with Iraqi security forces, some brave Iraqi leaders, soldiers and police I am happy to report to you that the situation in Tal Afar, and in western Niniweh, has fundamentally changed," he added. "What we have been able to achieve there together alongside our Iraqi brothers is to bring life back to this area, to rekindle hope."

Colonel McMaster says the success at Tal Afar means that a major staging area has now been taken from those dedicated to the defeat of coalition forces and the new Iraqi government.

"This was an important physical defeat for the enemy because they lost this safe haven and support base in an area they hoped to use to destabilize the northern region of Iraq," he explained. "It was also a very important psychological defeat to the enemy, because people now understand that these anti-Iraqi forces want Iraq to fail."

Colonel McMaster says basic services, such as water and electricity, have now been restored in Tal Afar, and people in the city feel safe to move around the region.

He says in the recent Iraqi elections some 90 percent of eligible voters went to the polls.

Emphasis is mine.
To learn more:
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2006/01/mil-060127-dod01.htm

This one's for Headshaker

2006-01-27T22:29:00.000-06:00

I’m writing this one for my buddy Headshaker who comments on Lone Star times. He asked an important question the other day which I tried to answer, but one of the reasons I started this blog was to give myself the ability to amplify on comments I make over there without giving the appearance of taking it over, or boring the hell out of other folks who might not be interested in the discussion.

Shakey asked if I thought we needed a draft, given some reports by some military experts that the Army is “wearing thin,” “wearing out”, or is just plain “broken.” I answered that question as best I could, and I believe he did walk away with a better understanding, at leas of my opinion. But what I want to address here now is “Why is this question being asked?” and for that I’m going to have to give a bit of a history lesson. It’s going to be oversimplified in some areas, and probably will be a bit long, but here goes.

The Army is an institution that is resistant to change. The older an adage is, the truer it is, and one of the oldest adages about the Army is that “It’s always prepared to fight the last war it fought.”

During the 18th and most of the 19th Centuries, the smallest “maneuver unit” in the Army unit was the “Company,” between 60 and 120 men depending on unit type and period in history you’re talking about. Battles were fought by soldiers lining up side by side a couple ranks deep and they fired in unison (volleys) at a given command. In essence, the Company was used as one weapon, with the Company Commander being the person who aimed and fired. Units smaller than a company were, therefore, not required. Marksmanship by the individual soldier was not prized, and was rarely taught as it was only necessary for him to point his weapon in the same direction as the man on his left and right and then fire when told.

Several Companies would be grouped together to form Battalions, several Battalions would be grouped together to form Regiments, several Regiments would form a Brigade, Several Brigades a Division, several Divisions a Corps, and several Corps would form an Army. During peacetime, Divisions, Corps and Armies would exist only on paper. Except for the Civil War, units rarely grouped together in units larger than a Battalion, and it was rare to see an entire Regiment all together in one place at one time. We had folks scattered all over this continent fighting Indians and Bandits rather than wars in Europe, and it was more effective to have lightly armed, highly mobile forces in order to fight that kind of enemy.

Repeating weapons and smokeless powder changed all of that. Basically, this new technology enabled smaller groups of men to control larger pieces of real estate. One man could take advantage of aimed fire with the assurance that his position would not be revealed by a huge plume of smoke when he fired. The volume of fire a man could put out became more important than his being able to fire at the same time as his compatriots, and marksmanship enhanced this ability so the Army began to teach it and award marksmen for their skill. In order to make the most advantage of this new technology, a new Army structure evolved, centered on a 12 man squad under the command of a Sergeant. These Squads became the building blocks of what became know as “The Square Division.”

In the Square Division, four squads would make up a Platoon, four platoons a Company, four companies a Battalion, Four Battalions a Regiment, four Regiments a Brigade (where we get the term Brigadier General), and four Regiments a Division. The Division replaced the Regiment as the largest unit during peacetime, but it was still normal to have its component units spread over several garrisons, mainly on the Southern Border of the United States. When the Army expanded to meet the needs of fighting overseas in WW1, we added Corps and Armies to the mix as the Army expanded. It was also in WW1 that the next technological advance influenced the structure of the Army: the Browning Automatic Rifle.

Combat in WW1 demonstrated once again that it was volume of fire was what won battles. The more pieces of high velocity metal you send in the general direction of the enemy, the better. Machine guns were the principal tool in the process when units were on the defensive. They had been around for a long time, but it was not until open combat in a Total War situation that their effectiveness became so starkly evident. But they were heavy and clumsy to maneuver when on the attack, and soldiers assaulting a dug in enemy defending with machine guns needed a highly mobile fully automatic weapon of their own that could engage the enemy machine guns so that the Infantrymen could out maneuver it or get close enough to neutralize it. The American answer to the problem was the Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR), and while this served as the technological answer, the structural problem of how to control its use on the battlefield remained.

The Army’s first answer to this problem in WW1 was to replace one of the Infantry Squads in the company with an “Automatic Rifle Squad” which would be composed of six BAR gunners and six Assistant Gunners. Machine guns and mortars were not assigned to the Company; they were grouped in one Battalion in the Regiment. The Battalion Commander would decide how and when to use his machine guns, and the company commander would decide how to use the Automatic Rifles. Practice became for the Company Commander to break up his three remain platoons into six “half platoons” each armed with one BAR, a soldier armed with a rifle equipped to fire grenades, and several men detailed to carry sacks full of grenades to act as grenadiers. This solved some of the problem, but not all of it. The grenadiers were there because the “half platoon” needed explosive firepower along with rifle and automatic weapons, and in order to get more firepower in any given situation, the company commander had to contact the Battalion commander to get it, and this took time.

After WW1, the Army restructured again. This time, for the first time in its history, the Infantry was structured around one single piece of equipment: the BAR. We went from the “Square Division” to the “Triangular Division.” Where the Square division was built in multiples of four, the Triangular division was done in multiples of 3. Each 12 man squad included a BAR team, therefore the decision on how and where to deploy the central piece of equipment in the Army was given to Sergeants. There where now three Infantry Platoons in each Infantry Company, plus a Weapons Platoon, another new wrinkle. The Weapons platoon was included 3 machine guns and three light mortars. Now the company commander could make the decision on where and how to employ these weapons.

But while the individual units of maneuver got smaller during this restructuring, Divisions got bigger as a result of the other important technological advancement from WW1: Heavy Artillery. Before WW1 the largest piece of artillery considered for use on the battlefield as about 75mm, but now pieces in the range of 155mm were being added to the Division’s mix of Artillery assets. The use of airplanes as attack weapons necessit6ated adding anti-aircraft units, and the advent of the tank required adding anti-tank aretillery. Mechanization also added the requirements for trucks, personnel to drive them, motor pools to maintain them, and administrative and mess personnel to feed all of these new troop requirements. Military Posts across the country became homes to one Division each, with only those posts on the border being staffed as sub-posts of bigger bases like Fort Sam Houston and Fort Bliss.

By the time we became involved in WW2, technological advancement in weapons technology for the individual soldier remained essentially the same as it was before the war, a new semi-automatic rifle being the only real change. This was not enough to affect maneuver unit structure so the Squad/Platoon/Company concept remained. The next change came as a result of advancements in communications and transportation technologies. Radios and reliable field telephones made it possible for forward units to report to higher headquarters with greater speed and reliability. Fast moving scout tanks and armored cars equipped with radios made it possible to scout further and more effectively. Light observation aircraft gave the Division Commander command of aviation assets his own, giving him the ability to scout even further afield and make his artillery more effective. The problem now was getting the great ponderous beast that the Army Division had become to get moving to take advantage of this new technology.

To answer this was the Regimental Combat Team. Bits and pieces of artillery and armored units were married to infantry units, sometimes on an ad hoc basis forming units of roughly Regimental size that could take advantage of quickly developing situations…and we rolled across Europe in 7 months using them.

But after WW2, Army management viewed the Regimental combat team as only an expedient measure that could be used as an option by Division and Corps Commanders, and the Division remained the principal means of directing the movements of assets. Atomic warfare and Air Power contributed as well. And so the Army has remained, right up until today.

The important thing to understand here is that it took nearly 20 years after the advent of repeating firearms and smokeless powder and the restructuring to the Square Division and the Triangular Division did not come into existence until 15 years after the end of WW1. The problem with Army management has always been that new weapons and new concepts have to be implemented by Generals who are unfamiliar with an d distrustful of them. They become hidebound and used to the way it was when they were younger and instituted their “new concepts.” Essentially, Lieutenants and Captains on the ground come up with new ideas, but never get the chance to implement them until THEY become Generals. Many people may know about General Billy Mitchell and his fight with Army Brass to make aircraft the powerful tool that it became, and this was after their effectiveness was demonstrated in WW1. It still took another World War to convince the War Department that air warfare needed to be under the command of a separate branch of the service and in 1947 the Air Force was finally created. Less know are the struggles men like Eisenhower and Patton had to convince their superiors of the effectiveness of Armored Warfare. Each of these “new” ideas met with resistance from Army management until new civilian leadership took over in the War Department (now the Department of Defense) who would listen to the brash young men fresh from the battlefield instead of the old gray heads writing their memoirs of the last war.

During the waning years of the Clinton Administration, a new concept for Army structure came about, a variation on the Regimental Combat Team of WW2, the Brigade Combat Team, a unit somewhere between a heavy unit with the support of heavy tanks and artillery and light infantry.

http://www.angelfire.com/art/enchanter/bct.html )

Our Army was built, equipped and managed to fight a war in Europe characterized by massed Soviet Tank formations pouring through the Fulda Gap and into Germany. The fatal mistake that Saddam Hussein made was in not invading Saudi Arabia before we got there, or even after the first light Infantry units we sent. Had he attacked before the big tanks and the big guns got there, our guys would have been no more than a speed bump to the Soviet tanks he was using. Young middle managers had seen the type of war that the future would bring in relatively small operations such as Grenada, Desert 1, Beirut, and Special Operations in Latin American and the Middle East. In their opinion, the experience gained from Operation Desert Storm exposed one weakness in Army structure and weapons as well: we were simply TOO STRONG.

http://www.angelfire.com/art/enchanter/bct.html

but the resulting vehicle, the Stryker, became controversial:

http://www.globalsecurity.org/org/news/2003/030906-stryker01.htm

“"The Stryker is ... uniquely controversial it's such a different idea," said Patrick Garrett, an analyst at Virginia-based GlobalSecurity.org. "You've got people jumping up and down and screaming bloody murder over this, and you have people who are willing to let the Army try it and see what happens. And everyone will be watching to see how effective they are in Iraq."

Army philosophy became split, between those who favored large formations with heavy tank and artillery support, and highly mobile lighter forces that could be transported easily. When George Bush began his run for the Presidency, some of these men appealed to him:

http://www.newamericancentury.org/def_natl_sec_019.htm

“The Army's turmoil, however, may be a template for the rest of the military. Defense experts have increasingly been pressuring the Pentagon to shed Cold War-era weapons in favor of new high-tech sensors to find and track enemy forces, long-range "smart" munitions to kill them from afar, and even space weapons. Bush has added to the debate, saying he would "skip a generation of technology" in reshaping the military for the future. Gore, according to advisers, agrees that the military needs to accelerate innovation but feels that axing current weapons would be too rash.
Many defense experts agree with Bush. They advocate replacing manned fighter jets with unmanned ones, for instance, and building small, stealthy missile ships instead of huge aircraft carriers. "If you think the Army is having a hard time getting away from tanks," says Tom Donnelly of the Project for the New American Century, a conservative think tank, "just think of the Air Force giving up manned combat jets."

The Army chief of Staff at the time, Eric Shinseki fell on the side of those who disagreed with the new thinking. He preferred an approach that favored the big formations designed to fight a European War, but like his predecessors before him, allowed development on a limited basis. He did favor the Stryker, mainly because he thought it better suited to peacekeeping missions that the M1 Abrams and Bradely fighting Vehicles in the Heavy Infantry units. But his thinking and that of other Generals appointed during the Clinton Administrator leaned more towards projects like the Crusader Artillery system, something more useful in a European war than in a fight against a second tier Middle Eastern rogue state, and when Donald Rumsfeld, who along with George Bush had been listening to the young Turks advocating a leaner and meaner Army took over as Secretary of Defense, they immediately came into conflict.
http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/comment-babbin030603.asp

“Since Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld took office, the Army has been his most visible opponent. When Rumsfeld first tried to kill the Army's new Crusader artillery system, Army Secretary Thomas White and Chief of Staff Eric Shinseki end-ran Rumsfeld and forced an unusual open battle on Capitol Hill. Crusader — at 90 tons — was too heavy to be deployed in less time than it takes to build a pyramid. It was typical Army old-think. Our Army may be the best the world has seen, but many of its leaders have yet to grasp that an Army that can't get to today's battlefields faster than the enemy can get away isn't going to be much use as a tool of national policy. Rumsfeld won the Crusader battle, but left White and Shinseki there, effectively rewarding their political chicanery. White and Shinseki have been at odds with so much that the administration is trying to do, it's hard to understand why they still have their jobs.”

Shinseki is also a rising star in the Democrat party, which further complicated things, and he used his political influence with his Senate Patron, Daniel Inyoue whenever possible.

“Shinseki is protected by a Democratic senator who may be grooming him to take over his own seat in the Senate in the next few years. (snip)During World War II, Shinseki's uncles joined the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, which was comprised of Japanese Americans, many of whom enlisted out of the internment camps in which their parents were confined. Shinseki's relatives fought beside young Daniel Inouye, now Hawaii's senior senator. Senator Inouye, as ranking Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, has real power over what the Defense Department and the Army do.
Shinseki, with Inouye's active support, was appointed Army chief of staff in 1999. A West Pointer, Shinseki was wounded in Vietnam. But his only real combat command experience was in Clinton-era "peacekeeping" missions, which have accordingly formed his view of how the Army should work. People who have worked with him describe Shinseki as seeing only two legitimate uses for the Army: in high-profile peacekeeping missions and in all-out wars like World War II, where massed armies square off for battle. “

When Shinseki reached the end of his four year term as Army chief of Staff (he was not fired as the Left would have you believe), Rumsfeld took a step as daring as that taken by Teddy Roosevelt when he promoted Blackjack Pershing from Captain to Brigadier General, bypassing 862 officers in the process (http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/PP/fpe80.html) , he appointed a retired General to the position, and one who had made his career in Special Operations, a branch of the Army Regular Officers (even Norman Schwartzkoff) did not consider as a career path to the Joint chiefs.

http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/1004/102904nj1.htm

The phone call reached him while he was driving his pickup truck on state Route 6 near Waco, Texas, and at first, retired Gen. Peter Schoomaker thought it was a joke. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's office was calling. By the time Schoomaker realized it was no joke, he was already embarked on one of the stranger journeys a four-star service chief had ever taken. Pulled out of a comfortable retirement, Schoomaker, who had grown up as an officer in the Army's relatively small Special Forces community, was asked to become the Army chief of staff and to take the helm of a service that had become subject to new and severe demands.
Schoomaker's predecessor, Gen. Eric Shinseki, had been at loggerheads with Rumsfeld and senior Pentagon civilians. Indeed, Rumsfeld bypassed all active-duty Army generals in choosing Schoomaker. The service was under intense pressure from the Office of the Secretary of Defense to transform itself into a more expeditionary force. The Army was also straining under the unexpected burden of counterinsurgency warfare and security operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Given the circumstances, many experts wondered why anyone would want to take the Army's top job, and it was reportedly offered to several generals who turned it down. National Journal Staff Correspondent James Kitfield discussed all of those issues in a recent interview with Schoomaker in his Pentagon office. The following are edited excerpts.

So what we have now is an Army at a crossroads. We’ve reached another one of those “Billy Mitchell” moments where the old warhorses see their glory days behind them and the Army changing to adapt to new circumstances and new missions, and they either don’t like it, are too hidebound to see it, or legitimately disagree. Some, like Shinseki, are leaning on old political ties or serving old political masters, and the retired ones who write the reports farmed out by the Pentagon are those who were appointed during the 8 years of the Clinton Administration.

But there’s nothing new under the sun, really. We are changing from an Army designed primarily to fight in Europe back into one whose mission requires it to fight the new Indians and Bandits of the world, and we need a force that can be quickly deployed in a minimum time so that we can get there before the enemy runs away.

2006-01-26T12:57:00.000-06:00

I recently received two posts which will not be published. Some ground rules are in order:

1. Please do not copy long articles and then try to post them. Be polite enough to include a link to a web based article that the reaser can go to and make his mind up for himself based on context and source.

2. Any posts that mention bizarre Conspiracy Theories involving the Rothschilds and "the people who really control the money" are going to be dumped in the trash can where they belong.

My blog, my rules, deal with or leave.

WHAT IRAN FEARS

2006-01-25T07:26:00.000-06:00

WHAT IRAN IS REALLY AFRAID OF

This story reveals the action that Iran really fears, and it’s not a military strike:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060125/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iran_nuclear

The telling passage is here:

“Larijani said Iran would welcome talks with European countries, though an Iranian proposal to return to talks with the EU was recently rejected.
But he warned that any attempt to refer Iran to the Security Council would lead it to move forward with a full-scale uranium enrichment program.”
Believe it or not, UN Sanctions Economic sanctions, particularly an embargo on IRANIAN SALES OF OIL, is are the one thing the Iranians don’t want.  This may actually be the first time in history that the threat of UN sanctions may bear fruit.  Exposure of corruption in the “Oil For Food”  program with the appointment of John Bolton as a UN Ambassador who can be counted on to insure another such program will not be used to put in a new pool for Kofi Annan’s relatives probably has gone a long way towards this new found fear of effectiveness.

Put bluntly, the Strait of Hormuz works both ways.  Iranians in the past have used the threat of closure of the Strait, thus denying both Iranian and Iraqi oil to the West.  But recently Iran, in an effort to punish the West and to develop good relations with nations that can provide them with military hardware to gain have begun selling most of it’s oil to China.

From the article above:(image placeholder)(image placeholder)(image placeholder)(image placeholder)
“In China on Wednesday, Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick said he warned Chinese leaders that allowing Iran to develop nuclear weapons could threaten Beijing's crucial supplies of Middle Eastern oil.
China has refrained from supporting a referral to the Security Council, prompting suggestions that Beijing wants to avoid angering Iran, a major oil source for its energy-hungry economy. “
Closure of the Strait of Hormuz by the US acting alone would be very easy to do, and closing it harms the Chinese nearly as much as it would the Iranians.  Shoot, closing the Straits would be easy for the Philippinos to do.  Iran’s biggest mistake, therefore, has been selling it’s oil to only one customer, as we can now use that relationship against it.  Iran thought that denying oil to the West by selling to mainly to China and North Korea would punish the West by having the effect of making oil more expensive in Western nations, and they were right, but it left them more vulnerable to a boycott on their sales of oil.  Right now, the only people who care that Iran’s oil gets shut off is the Chinese and the North Koreans.
Iran needs more conventional weapons if it is going to become the center of the New Caliphate.  They may be crazy enough to believe that they can recreate the Persian Empire from the rubble of a small nuclear exchange with Israel, or by using nuclear blackmail against the West, but when the source of your money, and a good deal of you military hardware is just a couple of customers, it’s easy to show you the error of your ways.
The next piece will be on the real danger that Iran poses to the Middle East and World Peace.  Nuclear weapons figure largely in this, but they are only a means to and end.

2006-01-24T12:14:00.000-06:00

US MILITARY OPTIONS IN IRAN

Should the US decide that a military option is the only remaining course, we have many more options open to us and can be assured of a greater deal of success than the Israelis. IN this Global Security article:

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/iran-strikes.htm

“American air strikes on Iran would vastly exceed the scope of the 1981 Israeli attack on the Osiraq nuclear center in Iraq, and would more resemble the opening days of the 2003 air campaign against Iraq. Using the full force of operational B-2 stealth bombers, staging from Diego Garcia or flying direct from the United States, possibly supplemented by F-117 stealth fighters staging from al Udeid in Qatar or some other location in theater, the two-dozen suspect nuclear sites would be targeted.
Military planners could tailor their target list to reflect the preferences of the Administration by having limited air strikes that would target only the most crucial facilities in an effort to delay or obstruct the Iranian program or the United States could opt for a far more comprehensive set of strikes against a comprehensive range of WMD related targets, as well as conventional and unconventional forces that might be used to counterattack against US forces in Iraq. “

Below we see a recent aerial photograph of the site most likely to house the most important segment of Iran’s nuclear weapons development program: Natanz. In this article:

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/iran-strikes-doubt.htm

Global Security explains:

“Iran appears to have a complete copy of Pakistan's fissile material production complex -- uranium conversion, uranium enrichment, heavy water production, and a heavy water plutonium production reactor. Elements of these facilities have been hardened against attack, notably the uranium enrichment facility at Natanz, which has been buried under a thick layer of earth. All of these facilities are heavily defended by anti-aircraft missiles and guns.”

From the Global Security article on Israeli options http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/israel/iran.htm

The facility is further described

“Even though the uranium facility at Natanz has been buried underground, it remains vulnerable. As Lieutenant Colonel Eric M. Sepp noted, "The "cut-and-cover" facilities are constructed by digging a hole, inserting a facility, and then covering it up with dirt and rocks. These cut-and-cover facilities can be just below the surface of the ground or may reach a depth of perhaps 100 feet, and represent the vast majority of underground facilities today. In the case of contemporary cut-and-cover facilities, there is no question that conventional munitions can defeat them."

The underground facilities at Natanz are built to house the centrifuges that convert yellow cake to fissile materials used in Uranium bombs.

During the First Gulf War, the US developed the capability to destroy the underground complexes built by Saddam Hussein to protect his command and Control structure using a munition, the GBU28, that basically makes a bomb out of artillery tubes: http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/gbu-28.htm

“The first two units were delivered to the USAF on 16 and 17 February, and the first flight to test the guidance software and fin configuration was conducted on 20 February. These tests were successful and the program proceeded, with a contract let on 22 February. A sled test on 26 February proved that the bomb could penetrate over 20 feet of concrete, while an earlier flight test had demonstrated the bomb's ability to penetrate more than 100 feet of earth.”

Testing and development of the munition has continued since that time, therefore wither this muniton, or an improved version of it will be employed. It is a good deal more effective than the “bunker Busters” the Israelis have.

“The Hard and Deeply Buried Target Defeat System (HDBTDS) program is an effort designed to hold at risk those highest priority assets essential to the enemy's war fighting ability, which are heavily defended and protectively hardened. Hardening techniques include construction of facilities, many of which are deep underground with multiple layers of reinforced concrete, rock rubble, and/or earth overburden. Other hardened targets include operations within caves, tunnels, and mountains built using rapidly improving construction equipment exported by allies and adversaries on a large scale. (Examples include enemy command and control facilities, air defense facilities, facilities for the production, storage, and deployment of weapons including weapons of mass destruction, surface to surface missile launch sites, aircraft storage sites, artillery sites.) Potential solutions include (but are not limited to) Special Forces, conventional short or long range ballistic missiles (land or sea launched), cruise missiles, direct attack munitions, and standoff weapons.”

Now, all of this shows that we CAN do it with a high degree of confidence of success, much more so than the Israelis con expect. The question is, should we do it and how effective would it be?

2006-01-23T14:55:00.000-06:00

News you don't get from the MSM:

Soldiers Detain Terrorists, Find Bombs, Weapons
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Jan. 22, 2006 – U.S. soldiers detained five suspected terrorists and found several weapons caches and improvised explosive devices throughout Iraq this week, U.S. military officials reported.
Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers detained three suspected terrorists and discovered a weapons cache south of Baghdad today.
The soldiers from 1st Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, found the three suspects after an IED they were building accidentally detonated, injuring all three men.
Soldiers also discovered other bomb-making materials, including 125 mm rounds, rockets, 82 mm mortar rounds, a 155 mm round, blasting caps, a pressure plate and a box of fuses, officials reported.
Soldiers from the same battalion also discovered an IED south of Baghdad in a separate incident yesterday. An explosive ordinance disposal team responded to their call following the first discovery and disabled the roadside bomb, which consisted of two 155 mm rounds.
Minutes later, soldiers with 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, located another roadside bomb. An explosives ordnance disposal team disposed of the IED, which consisted of two 120 mm rounds.
Task Force Band of Brothers soldiers from the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, captured two terrorists as they attempted to hide a cache of weapons near Balad Jan. 18, officials reported.
When an observation team spotted the men digging a hole in a suspicious location, the troops followed the men to a nearby house. After questioning, one of the suspects led the soldiers to the dig site.
The soldiers found several weapons at the site, including a mortar tube, mortar rounds of different sizes, a rocket-propelled grenade launcher and several fuses. An explosive ordnance disposal team safely destroyed the cache.

2006-01-23T11:40:00.000-06:00

SARGE’S GUIDE TO LIBERAL DEBATE TACTICS

There is an old joke about prisoners in a penitentiary who have heard each other’s jokes so many times, they assigned numbers to them and shout those out, rather than retelling the joke. This Guide is intended for Battalion S2 Commenters to use in the same manner. This post will be available in the “Links” section on the right hand side of the home page.
Eventually, Bn S2 will have enough Liberal and Conservative Commenters to have a lively debate, and to save time and bandwidth, you can refer to these Liberal Debate Tactics by number when they occur.

They are not presented in any particular order.

1. SHOW UP WITH YOUR TALKING POINTS. Make sure you have something that you feel will show your opponents in a negative light, and make that the subject of the discussion.

2. DEMONIZE YOU OPPONENT. Attempt to cover them with shame, the same way you would a 4 year old that touches his pee-pee.

3. IF YOU SEE SOMEONE DOING #2 ABOVE, SUPPORT HIM IMMEDIATELY.

4. ACCUSE YOU OPPONENT OF SAYING SOMETHING HE DIDN’T. Attempt to define his statements in a negative light. Interpret them this way and state it as fact that he did actually say it. NEVER ask him…always TELL him what his meaning was.

5. CLAIM THAT IT IS “OLD NEWS” AND NOT WORTHY OF DISCUSSION. This applies especially when the discussion turns to the misdeeds of Democrat Party Leadership.

6. QUOTE AN UNSOURCED NEW ARTICLE. Always quote the article selectively, or describe it in a general manner.

7. IF ASKED DIRECT QUESTIONS ABOUT THE NEWS YOU HAVE PROVIDED, RESPOND INDIRECTLY. Never actually answer the specific of the question.

8. IF ASKED TO SOURCE YOU NEWS ARTICLE, IGNORE THE QUESTION.

9. ACCUSE YOUR OPPONENT OF A MENTAL DEFECT OR LACK OF INTELLIGNCE. Personal attacks of this sort are especially useful as the target will almost always try to defend himself, thus changing the subject.

10. IF THE PARTY LEADERSHIP IS ATTACKED, ATTEMPT TO TURN THE TABLES BY INFERRING THAT SOMEONE IN YOUR OPPONENTS PARTY IS JUST AS BAD.

11. ACCUSE YOUR OPPONENT OF NOT ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS. Try to do this before he has an opportunity to. Try to infer that it you have given him multiple opportunities to do so. Do it even if the question has been answered. If he misses the question and asks you to repeat it DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES REPEAT THE QUESTION FOR HIS BENEFIT).

12. RESORT TO INSULTS. Try to question you opponent’s masculinity, his resolve, ANYTHING, but try to diminish and demean him. (This is know as the “LBJ Rule” codified by him thus: “Accuse your opponent of being a pig fornicator, then make him deny it.) REMEMBER, IF YOU HAVE TO RESORT TO THIS TACTIC, IT MEANS YOUR OPPONENT IS WINNING!

13. ACCUSE YOUR OPPONENT OF BEING UNINFORMED. This works especially well when you are asked to provide your sources. It is especially effective if you work in a reference to someone you have already demonized. Rush Limbaugh is currently the Demon of Choice.

14. SPEAK CRYPTICALLY. Try to make it difficult for people to divine your meaning

15. CHANGE THE SUBJECT. Try to get it back to your original talking points (see #1 above)

16. APPEAR TO AGREE. You will need to do this in order to achieve #15.

17. CLAIM YOUR OPPONENT IS BEING UNREASONABLE OR WON’T LISTEN TO REASON, AND LEAVE IN A HUFF.

18. BAIT YOUR OPPONENT. Needle him, tease him, call him names until he makes an inappropriate post, then scream bloody murder to the Moderator.

19. DENY THE EVIDENCE EXISTS. Ask for evidence of wrongdoing by those you support. When that evidence is presented, continue denying that it exists.

Possible Israeli attack on Iran's Nuclear Facilites

2006-01-22T11:27:00.000-06:00

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20060122/D8F9EEN00.html

It is more likely that that ay near term military strike against Iran will come from the Israelis. They have the most to lose in this game. It just plain wouldn’t take many nukes at all to depopulate the entire country. In addition to all of the other geo-political and moral justifications an enemy might have to go through to come to the decision to employ nukes against Israel would be that such an attack would also deny the Palestinians a homeland as well.

Putting all that aside, let’s examine how successful such a strike might be, and its possible ramifications for the United States.

According to this article on Global Security:

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/israel/iran.htm

“In October 2004 Ephraim Kam, the deputy head of the Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies said that "It would be a complicated operation. In order to undermine or disrupt the Iranian nuclear program, you would have to strike at least three or four sites ... Otherwise the damage would be too limited, and it would not postpone the program by more than a year or two, and this could in the end be worse than doing nothing." Shai Feldman, also at the Jaffee Center, said "There is a logic to operating against Iran even if the location of every facility is not known, because just taking out the facilities that are known, especially if they include the enrichment and heavy water plants, would in itself create a serious degradation of the Iranian potential."

Another article on global Security, which discusses US Air Strike options:

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/iran-strikes.htm

further explains the overall situation:

“In all, there are perhaps two dozen suspected nuclear facilities in Iran. The 1000-megawatt nuclear plant Bushehr would likely be the target of such strikes. According to the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center, the spent fuel from this facility would be capable of producing 50 to 75 bombs. Also, the suspected nuclear facilities at Natanz and Arak will likely be targets of an air attack.”

Israel possesses two aircraft types with the operational radius to perform the mission: F15’s and some recently delivered F16s that have been modified to extend its range. However, most of the probable targets are at the limit of even modified aircraft. Israel may have some options of landing aircraft in other nations, much in the same way that the United States sent bombers across Germany to land in the USSR in WW2 rather than attempt a return trip, but both options bring the possibility of loss of aircraft. The recent upgrade of Iranians AAA capability through weapons purchases from Russian and China further increase the danger.

Much has been made of recent construction at the Iranian nuclear sites, placing important facilites underground. The article above reveals:

“On 21 September 2004 Israel acknowledged that it was buying 500 BLU-109 bunker-buster bombs, which could be used to destroy Iran's nuclear facilities. The bombs, which can penetrate more than 7 feet of reinforced concrete, are part of a $319 million package of air-launched bombs being sold to Israel under America's military aid program. “

and the reported method of construction of most of these “bunkers” is within the capabilities of this type of munition, but at it's upper limit. Even so, aircraft and pilots operating at the limit of their capabilities increases the probability of inaccuracy and some of the “bunkers” may require heavier munitions.

At best, therefore, any attack Israel may make on Iranian nuclear facilities would delay production of nuclear weapons rather than end it.

However, Israel may not decide that “partial success” is reason for not launching such strikes, especially given the stakes. In the article mentioned above, it is noted:

“It would be difficult for Israel to strike at Iran without American knowledge, since the mission would have to be flown through American [formerly Iraqi] air space. Even if the United States did not actively participate with operations inside Iranian air space, the US would be a passive participant by virtue of allowing Israeli aircraft unhindered passage. In the eyes of the world, it would generally appear to be a joint US-Israeli enterprise, any denials notwithstanding. Indeed, it is quite probable that Iran would not be able to readily determine the ultimate origins of the strike, given Iran's relatively modest air defense capabilities. Thus, even if the strike were entirely of American origin, Israel would be implicated. When asked in August 2004 about Israeli threats to attack Iran, Bush's national security adviser Condoleezza Rice, declined to say whether the United States would support such action by Israel.”

It is therefore possible that Israel may launch strikes against Iran’s nuclear capability in order to instigate action by the US, in order to finish the job they started. It is probable, IMHO, that Iran would interpret an Israeli attack as being one and the same with one for the US, and may launch an ill advised attack on US troops and facilities in theater. I have no doubt that US response to such an action would be an immediate, and much more effective, attack on what remained of Iran’s nuclear capability , at the very least.

US capabilities against Iran’s possible nuclear and existing conventional forces are much greater (the next post will explore this aspect) and would probably lead to regime change in Iran, which should be our goal at any rate. Iran can be counted on to proclaim that the United States was complicit in the attack at the very least (even if the US merely decides not to shoot down the aircraft of an ally in the region over flying controlled airspace). And while the most direct route to Iranian targets does cross Iraq, it is also possible for the attack route to go over the wastelands of the Saudi peninsula and then across a relatively short stretch of populated and defended territory, perhaps Yemen, in a semi-suicide attack.

There are those who would decry such an attack, but my opinion is that, given history and recent pronouncements by the Iranians that are incredibly hostile to Israel, they would only be making a pre-emptive attack for self defense (actually, self preservation), and if the result is that the US is forced into a greater role in the conflict, the Israelis will have achieved something that is politically impossible for the US to do today: address the problem with the most effective means at hand, Military Action designed to promote Regime Change in a hostile nation.

We have seen four separate actions recently that lead me to this conclusion. First is the Iranians removal of IAEA seals on their enrichment facilities, second is its cementing of relations with Syria, third is Osama Bin Laden’s recent promise of that preparation for attacks in the US are nearing completion. And last is the recent announcement by France that terrorist acts against that country would be met with a nuclear attack against any nation which sponsored it. It is possible that in the past year, OBL has been negotiating with both Iran and Syria for mutual cooperation or the execution of a terrorist act that pales in comparison to any yet achieved. This possibility alone is enough for me to support any action by Israel against Iran, even though it may have the consequence of brining the US into the conflict between the two nations.

2006-01-22T11:09:00.000-06:00

My Apologies to those who have commented on the posts made this weekend. In preparing the next article, I found out a couple things:

1. E-blogger's add on to MS Word does not support text blocks as a means of highlighting quotes. I wanted to delete that article and republish with the quotes intact. (We are fising to see if they support colored text)

2. It's easy to delete the wrong post to your blog.