crosspatch's blog
Posted at 2:07am on Jul. 28, 2006 Unconventional War: Asymmetry Vs. Absolutes
By crosspatch
I was watching a news report this evening about an Israeli bombing raid in Lebanon. The target of the raid had been a truck depot and Israel said they were targeting trucks that could be used to transport missiles. The TV reporter noted that the locals were complaining that the trucks had only been used for civilian purposes. It is my opinion that the reporter missed an excellent chance to inform the public on why this depot was bombed and to explain other such attacks.
Hezbollah is not a national army. While they do certainly have some dedicated logistics resources, in times like we find ourselves in now, they are also capable of pressing unconventional resources into service. While these trucks had not been used to transport missiles in the past, they certainly could, as Israel noted, be used for that purpose in the future and Israel is not in a position to wait until after they have been used for that purpose to take them out of the picture.
This brings up an important strategy in how to defeat or at least constrain an enemy using unconventional/asymmetrical techniques.
(more)
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Posted at 4:42pm on Jul. 10, 2006 Japan: UN Irrelevant
By crosspatch
I noted with keen interest today's news of Japan floating the notion of investigating the constitutionality of preemptively striking North Korea. Not because of what was said, but because of what wasn't said.
Japan has now become another country besides us to come to the conclusion that the UN is irrelevant in its primary reason for existance ... the security of its members and the prevention of multi-national conflict.
Japan has apparently come to realize that should push come to shove, they can not rely on the UN for anything more than tokens when faced with the very real threat of nuclear ballistic missiles from only a few hundred miles away.
What has happened today, quietly and almost without mention, is that another country learns that unilateralism, while not the ideal course, is often the only course left when a joint path is blocked by a United Nations that is incapable of action.
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Posted at 4:26pm on Jul. 5, 2006 Example of media distortion
By crosspatch
Reuters published an article today that presented what I believe is the perfect example of the ongoing psyops and propaganda campaign being waged on Western civilization by the major media outlets. Here is the lede:
Jul 5, 2006 -- BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Baghdad's central morgue received 1,595 bodies last month -- the highest number since the February bombing of a Shiite shrine sparked a wave of sectarian killings, a morgue official said on Wednesday.The figures show the level of violence in Iraq has increased even after the killing on June 7 of al Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in a U.S. air strike.
Now lets have a look at this, shall we? (more ...)
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Posted at 2:23am on Jun. 26, 2006 After Iraq
By crosspatch
Maybe it's the chess player in me but lately I have been pondering what things will be like once troop drawdowns are well underway in Iraq and that country's government begins to address other issues beyond the immediate security issue.
First there will be the obvious political fallout. The Democrats will attempt a barrage of "yeah, but" responses as it becomes clear that things are winding down. Their allies in the press have already begun to lay the groundwork for this. The Sunday New York Times in an article describing General Casey's plan for troop reductions attempted to apply a spin that the administration was ignoring Congressional Democrats and going foward with its "own private plan". I found this feeble attempt somewhat amusing since it is the responsibility of any administration to act as Commander-in-Chief of the military and the Department of Defense comes under the authority of the administration. So any plan would be an administration's own. The amount of privacy it has would be the topic for a different day.
Another issue that I believe is much larger and was actually the motivating factor in my tapping out this diary entry is what I think will be the cultural fallout. Success in Iraq is going to once and for all exorcise the evil spirit of Vietnam from the American soul.
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Posted at 9:32pm on Jun. 22, 2006 Democrats on Iraq: Overtaken by Events
By crosspatch
I was listening today to Hugh Hewitt today during my afternoon commute home when I heard him play several clips from Democrats made during Senate debate on the latest iteration of the "Cut and Run Act of 2006". I couldn't help but start laughing when I heard Hillary's comments. My reason for laughing was that I suddenly realized just how silly the demands were. Allow me to set the scene, and then I will hit you with the punchline.
More ...
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Posted at 12:01am on Jun. 19, 2006 Time to pull out of Thailand
By crosspatch
After 72 bombings in Southern Thailand over the last 48 hours, one can only come to the conclusion that our Thailand policy has been an utter failure. Our only hope, according to Congressional Democrats, is to send troops to the region in order to withdaw them as quickly as possible. "I was against going to Thailand before I was for it", said Senator John Kerry. "But we cannot stage an immediate withdrawal from a place where we have no troops", he added. In light of this, Democratic Party leaders will be voting on a resolution next week to send troops to Thailand so they may be immediately withdrawn as part of their Run From Terror strategy of the 21st Century.
more ....
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Posted at 1:51am on Jun. 14, 2006 Baghdad Security Watch
By crosspatch
Since this seems like it is going to be a core issue over the next several days, I will be updating this entry with news from time to time. As I write this, it is 9:54 AM in Baghdad and in a quick check of news, it appears that all is quiet. Some are reporting little obvious changes in the new security plan. Some additional checkpoints but little else noticed. This might be due to the journalists already being in a pretty secure section of town and not venturing out of it.
We will see how things go.
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Posted at 2:43pm on Jun. 13, 2006 David Warren Gets It
By crosspatch
David Warren writing in the Ottawa Citizen understands what our media would hide. In his article appearing at Real Clear Politics, he writes:
Like Osama bin Laden, and other Islamist leaders, Zarqawi cultivated the mystique of a djinn, with superhuman abilities to avoid capture. As Osama, his secret was to take many precautions and few risks. Others were sent to die, while Zarqawi hid out. That was his limitation as a military leader: he was seldom in a position to communicate prompt orders. But it was his strength as a propaganda leader, commanding forces dependent on momentum and morale.
Read more ...
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Posted at 5:28pm on Jun. 10, 2006 Devotion
By crosspatch
There has been much published over the past several days concerning irregularities in some of the information from Haditha that propmted an investigation of actions of US troops there.
I have seen bloggers spending hours of their own time digging, fact checking, comparing, and publishing their findings for peer review and discussion. These are people that have jobs and other things in their lives that place demands on their time and energy but have answered what is apparently to them the call of an important mission, a call of duty.
More ...
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Posted at 2:05pm on Jun. 9, 2006 Our Terrorist Media
By crosspatch
Much has been written concerning the apparent alliance between our media and various islamist terrorist organizations. Outlets such as NewsBusters run evidence of this daily. It has gone beyond anti-administration domestic political agitation to active assistance of terrorist organiztions. They provide direct psychological support to the terrorists while working to erode our will to fight them.
Zarqawi is portrayed as a "victim" of an American airstrike. Ellen Knickmeyer of the Washington Post would convince us that killing Zarqawi was a boost for al Qaeda in Iraq. A senior editor at CNN thinks Zarqawi's death will be of little consequence. more ....
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Posted at 3:14am on Jun. 6, 2006 Math Crisis in Canada!
By crosspatch
According to the Toronto Star: In investigators' offices, an intricate graph plotting the links between the 17 men and teens charged with being members of a homegrown terrorist cell covers at least one wall. And still, says a source, it is difficult to find a common denominator.
During a press conference today, a CBC journalist held up cards with the numbers 4, 8, and 16 and asked RCMP Assistant Commissioner Mike McDonell if he could determine any common denominator to which he replied: "They represent the broad strata of our number system."
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Posted at 12:15pm on Jun. 5, 2006 al Qaida in Iraq's Last Gasp?
By crosspatch
Is al Qaida in Iraq making its final attempt to create havoc in that country? After failing in confrontations with coalition forces, after failing in confrontations with Iraqi forces, after failing to bomb the country into chaos, they appear to be resorting to the most cowardly tactic yet; the rounding up of unarmed civilians including women and children.
With police looking the other way and apparently doing nothing to interfere with these outrages, gangs are pulling civilian commuters out of buses and shooting them on the spot. In many cases the gangs themselves are wearing police uniforms. All the while, the al-Maliki government continues in its quest to find a candidate sufficiently ineffective as to pose no threat to anyone to fill the position of interior minister to lead the police forces.
Unless there is a sudden showing of backbone in the Iraqi civilian leadership, I fear the situation is becoming ripe for a coup and institution of martial law to restore order. In Iraq today we hear reports of a bus station being raided and up to 50 people being rounded up by people wearing police uniforms. The eyes of Iraqis and the world are on the Iraqi government. When will it act to get a firm grip on the situation? Is this the last gasp of a sinking al Qaida or the last gasp of a government unable to take a stand?
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Posted at 6:16pm on Jun. 4, 2006 al-Maliki Must Act
By crosspatch
Another week passes in Iraq with three key cabinet posts vacant in the new Iraqi government. The posts of defense, interior and national security remain unfilled and so the security apparatus in Iraq remains in limbo. This week has seen both the arrest of several terrorists, and the killings of citizens dragged out of buses and shot in the street. Some four dozen Iraqis were killed yesterday in just two events. These aren't atrocities on civilians by coalition forces, these are atrocities by Iraqis on Iraqis.
The only conclusion I can reach is that there is no political will among the various Iraqi parties to stop the violence. Apparently the concern for the political fortunes of their various parties and the blocs to which they align themselves is greater than the concern for their own country.
The time has passed for us to provide them with security, they must now act to provide their own and I am seeing a lack of desire to do so. At some point this must be seen for what it is, selfish positioning for political power and a disregard for the lives of their countrymen beyond the members of their own political factions.
President al-Maliki must ACT. He must fill these vacant positions and get on with what must be done. This attempt to have total agreement must stop and the realization that total agreement will probably never happen must sink in. One must accept that in naming the best people to the position, some will disagree. They are free to disagree if they wish. Allow them to leave the government if that is what they want. Do not allow the entire population of a country to be held hostage by some two-bit political hacks jockying for position.
All positions in the cabinet have been filled except the three that represent the real problem in the country. They have elected a government and that government is still unwilling to tackle the main issue that faces it. They do nothing. They spin in place. Another week goes by and there is still no agreement in police, defense, and national security. But they have apparently agreed to talk about it some more. I have no doubt that they will talk, and talk, and talk. All the while dozens more will die. Not at the hands of foreign troops, but at the hands of their own citizens.
Maybe it is time al-Maliki brought charges of murder against those who obstruct the process of moving forward. I doubt he would do so because apparently the main criteria of head of state in Iraq is being passive to the other political players. This should be a time of rousing speeches and rallying of the people to action. Instead we have squabbles about who to appoint as interior minister.
Now is the time to act, Mr. al-Maliki.
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Posted at 11:25pm on Jun. 2, 2006 Nuclear Plants Vulnerable to Meteors
By crosspatch
The US Court of Appeals for the 19-2/3rd Circuit today held that opponents of a nuclear plant could tie it up in court by arguing that the NRC was reqiured, under the National Environmental Policy Act, to evaluate the threat posed to the environment by a potential meteor hits on the plant.
In a suit brought by Mothers Against Meteoric Mayhem And Really Inconvenient Extraterrestrial Stuff (MAMMARIES), the 19-2/3 Circuit found that:
We find it difficult to reconcile the Commission's conclusion that, as a matter of law, the possibility of a meteor strike on a nuclear facility is "remote and speculative," with its stated efforts to undertake a "top to bottom" security review against this same threat. Under the NRC's own formulation of the rule of reasonableness, it is required to make determinations that are consistent with its policy statements and procedures. Here, it appears as though the NRC is attempting, as a matter of policy, to insist on its preparedness and the seriousness with which it is responding to the post Chicxulub meteor threat, while concluding, as a matter of law, that all meteor threats are "remote and highly speculative" for NEPA purposes.
Spokesperson for MAMMARIES, Moonglow Smith-Goldberg, stated after the ruling, "This is just ,like, so totally awesome. Without this ruling, if like this big rock came, like, all from outer space and stuff, and like, slammed into the power plant, it could, like, kill all the dinosaurs again PLUS they would be all, you know, like, radioactive and stuff. Dead is like so terrible but dead AND radioactive? How gross is THAT?".
PG&E had not responded with comment by press time.
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Posted at 5:08pm on Jun. 2, 2006 Guard/Reserve activation rates declining
By crosspatch
Unreported by our news media is the fact that the number of Guard and Reserve forces mobilized has quietly slipped under the 100,000 mark and contines to decline. While this number varies, the trend is obvious.
01/2005 - 188,439
02/2005 - 181,933
03/2005 - 183,366
04/2005 - 180,776
05/2005 - 175,348
06/2005 - 168,425
07/2005 - 138,457
08/2005 - 139,218
09/2005 - 144,472
10/2005 - 142,614
11/2005 - 146,129
12/2005 - 144,688
01/2006 - 136,006
02/2006 - 127,819
03/2006 - 120,125
04/2006 - 110,595
05/03/2006 - 102,245
05/10/2006 - 100,344
05/17/2006 - 99,487
05/24/2006 - 99,529
05/31/2006 - 98,974
You can follow this yourself at defenselink.mil as these numbers are released every Wednesday. The numbers above are from the first Wednesday of each month and each Wednesday in May.
The next time you hear a professional hand-wringer whine about how thinly our Reserve forces are being spread, call them on it. The fact is we have about half the troops on active duty now that we had in January of last year and the number continues to decline.
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