cut&paste a website or link is a hell of alot better then a cut and
paste a 50 page book that can be essentially summed up in a page. Like
Shadoweagle does he prints the book

you want to know about myths and facts about Marijuana then check this
link out

www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/drugfact/marijuanainitiative/index.html

www.theantidrug.com/drug_info/drug_info_truth_mj.asp

ncadi.samhsa.gov/govpubs/phd641

www.fdle.state.fl.us/publications/mjlegalization/mj_summit98.asp

maybe this will help you to come up with the logically thought is
marijuana good or bad... For all those who don't know the facts check it
out.

The killing of four Palestinian militants in Gaza Strip on Saturday
endangered again the ceasefire between Palestinians and Israel days
after Palestinian factions have renewed their commitment to it.

Earlier on Saturday, Israeli army opened fire at four Palestinian
militants from the Islamic Hamas movement near the Gaza-Israel border
east of Gaza City, killing three at the scene and badly wounded the
fourth who were shifted to hospital later, according to medics at Shifa
Hospital in Gaza City.

Meanwhile, Palestinian security sources report that Israeli army shot
dead another Palestinian allegedly also from Hamas near the border
between southern Gaza Strip and Israel.

Shortly after the two incidents, Hamas' armed wing Izz el-Deen al-Qassam
Brigades claimed the four militants in a leaflet, saying they were shot
when they were on a mission near the border.

Abu Obaida, a spokesman for al-Qassam Brigades, said in a written
statement faxed to reporters that the three killed militants at border
east of Gaza City were members of his group, adding they were "on a
jihad mission when the army of occupation targeted them."

However, he did not explain what kind of mission the militants were
carrying out near the border with Israel in eastern Gaza.

Abu Obaida stressed that the "crime of killing the three fighters proves
that the occupation army was not interested in the state of calmness,"
despite its unspecified mission near the border with Israel.

However, an Israeli military spokeswoman said that Israeli army opened
fire at the Palestinians as they were trying to plant the explosive
device at the border fence between eastern Gaza and Israel.

But she denied the separate killing incident in southern Gaza border
area, where a fourth Palestinian man was allegedly killed by Israeli
army. "I was sure that Israeli army did not attack the Palestinian in
southern Gaza," the spokeswoman said.

Last week, Hamas said that the half-year-old ceasefire had expired,
owing to "the continuing Israeli crimes" in West Bank. But Egyptian
mediators announced later they have persuaded Israel and the militant
groups for self-restraint.

Hamas, which leads the current Palestinian unity government, has not
officially confirmed or denied the saying of the Egyptian security
delegation.

However, a spokesman for Hamas named Fawzi Barhoom called on Palestinian
militant groups to "study the mechanisms to respond to the Israeli army
crimes," vowing that his movement will not take negative stance before
the Israeli violations.

Nafez Azzam, a senior Islamic Jihad (Holy War) leader in Gaza, also told
reporters on Saturday that the killing of the four Palestinians "is an
indication that Israel doesn't understand the language of dialogue."

"I'm wondering how Arabs and Palestinians are eager to keep presenting
initiatives to Israel, while Israel is not paying attention to such
initiatives and keeps its aggression on the Palestinians," said Azzam.

U.S. troops arrested 72 suspected insurgents and seized nitric acid
along with other bomb-making materials in overnight raids on al-Qaida in
the north and west of Baghdad, the U.S. military said on Sunday.

The raids in Samarra, some 120 km north of Baghdad, led to capture of 36
insurgents allegedly with ties to al-Qaida network, the military said in
a statement.

Following intelligence reports, the U.S. troops also seized 20
five-gallon drums of nitric acid and other bomb-making materials near
Karma, a town close to restive city of Falluaja, some 50 km west of
Baghdad, the statement added.

For its part, the Iraqi Defense Ministry said the security forces
captured 17 insurgents and 121 suspects during the past 48 hours.

Following are the cities on the planned route of Olympic torch relay for
the 2008 Games in

Beijing:

March 25, Ancient Olympia, Greece

March 31, Beijing

April 1, Almaty, Kazakhstan

Istanbul, Turkey

St. Petersburg, Russia

London, Britain

Paris, France

San Francisco, United States

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Muscat, Oman

Islamabad, Pakistan

Mumbai, India

Bangkok, Thailand

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Jakarta, Indonesia

Canberra, Australia

Nagano, Japan

Seoul, South Korea

Pyongyang, DPR Korea

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Taipei

Hong Kong

Macao

Hainan Province (Sanya-Wuzhishan-Wanning-Haikou)

Guangdong Province (Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Huizhou-Shantou)

Fujian Province (Fuzhou-Quanzhou-Xiamen-Longyan)

Jiangxi Province (Ruijin-Jinggangshan-Nanchang)

Zhejiang Province (Wenzhou-Ningbo-Hangzhou-Shaoxing-Jiaxing)

Shanghai

Jiangsu Province(Suzhou-Nantong-Taizhou-Yangzhou-Nanjing)

Anhui Province (Hefei-Huainan-Wuhu-Jixi-Huangshan)

Hubei Province (Wuhan-Yichang-Jingzhou)

Hunan Province (Yueyang-Changsha-Shaoshan)

Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (Guilin-Nanning-Bose)

Yunan Province (Kunming-Lijiang-Xamgyi'nyilla)

Guizhou Province (Guiyang-Kaili-Zunyi)

Chongqing

Sichuan Province

(Guang'an-Mianyang-Guanghan-Leshan-Zigong-Yibin-Chengdu)

Tibet Autonomous Region (Shannan-Lhasa)

Qinghai Province (Golmud-Qinghai Lake-Xining)

Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (Urumqi-Kashi-Shihezi-Changji)

Gansu Province (Dunhuang-Jiayuguan-Jiuquan-Tianshui-Lanzhou)

Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region (Zhongwei-Wuzhong-Yinchuan)

Shaanxi Province (Yan'an-Yangling-Xianyang-Xi' an)

Shanxi Province (Yuncheng-Pingyao-Taiyuan-Datong)

Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (Hohhot-Ordos-Baotou-Chifeng)

Heilongjiang Province (Qiqihar-Daqing-Harbin)

Jilin Province (Songyuan-Changchun-Jilin-Yanji)

Liaoning Province (Shenyang-Benxi-Liaoyang-Anshan-Dalian)

Shandong Province

(Yantai-Weihai-Qingdao-Rizhao-Linyi-Qufu-Tai'an-Jinan)

Henan Province (Shangqiu-Kaifeng-Zhengzhou-Luoyang-Anyang)

Hebei Province (Shijiazhuang-Qinhuangdao-Tangshan)

Tianjin

Beijing

The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and Afghan
troops launched a major offensive dubbed Operation Silicon against
Taliban militants in the southern Helmand province on Monday, an ISAF
spokeswoman Angela Billings told Xinhua.

The British-led operation, which is involving over 2,000 ISAF and Afghan
forces, focuses on fighting Taliban rebels in Sangin Valley in northern
Helmand, reports quoted military officers on the front line as saying.

The ISAF soldiers involved come from Britain, the United States, the
Netherlands, Denmark, Estonia and Canada, the reports said.

An ISAF spokesman in southern Afghanistan told Xinhua the offensive was
just part of the ongoing massive Operation Achilles.

Over 5,500 ISAF and Afghan soldiers have been carrying out Operation
Achilles in northern Helmand, a stronghold of Taliban rebels, since
early March.

About 37,000 ISAF soldiers are being deployed across Afghanistan to
fight militants and facilitate reconstruction.

A total of 136 Taliban militants were killed by Afghan and the U.S.-led
coalition forces in Herat province of western Afghanistan in two recent
clashes, a coalition statement said on Monday.

The forces killed 87 Taliban insurgents and destroyed seven enemy
positions in Zerkoh Valley in Shindand district on Sunday, the statement
said.

The forces killed another 49 militants in the same valley in a clash on
Friday, during which a coalition soldier was also killed, it added.

An Israeli court on Monday convicted nuclear whistleblower Mordechai
Vanunu of 14 violations of a court order, which prohibits him from
contacting foreign journalists and of attempting to leave Jerusalem
without permission.

According to Israel's local daily Jerusalem Post, the Jerusalem
Magistrate's Court wrote in his verdict that Vanunu was well aware of
the order but flagrantly violated it.

The court ruled that the military injunction on Vanunu was necessary
because the defendant "holds within his memory" secret information, the
publication of which could jeopardize Israel's security interests.

It appears that most of Vanunu's conversations with foreigners were
through phone, and that those he met with were all members of the media.

Vanunu said following his conviction that the verdict was " additional
proof that there is no democracy in Israel," adding that all he wanted
was to move freely and to leave Israel.

In 1986, Vanunu, a former technician at Israel's main nuclear reactor,
provided pictures and documents to the London-based Sunday Times.
Experts thus concluded that Israel had a sizable nuclear weapons
arsenal, ranking it sixth in the world. As a result, Vanunu served an
18-year prison term for his disclosures.

Following his release from prison, Vanunu was forbidden to contact
foreigners and was required to inform authorities each time he planned
to leave Jerusalem.

April 26, 2007

Sudan has become diplomatic problem for Sudan. At the moment China
remains one of Sudan's most important allies, though it is increasingly
a tentative ally. No, China isn't an ally like Iran (which maintains
close ties with Sudan) China does buy approximately 60 to 65 percent of
Sudan's daily output of oil. China also sells Sudan weapons. China also
has soldiers serving with peacekeeping forces in south Sudan. Darfur,
however, is straining the economic relationship. China has never been a
favorite of Western human rights groups, but often gets something of a
pass from these organizations because it isn't the US. However, the
plight of refugees in Darfur has made China more of a target. China did
play a big role in getting the UN's "hybrid force" plan approved by
Sudan. Under pressure from fellow members of the Security Council, China
urged Sudan to accept a "phased in peacekeeping force" with UN
participation in Darfur. Interestingly enough, one of the big sticks
shaken by the human rights groups is a potential boycott of the 2008
Olympics in Beijing. China fought long and hard for the Olympics and
views the games as a global "coming out party" to show off economic
progress in China. The human rights groups are encouraging a boycott if
China does not fully support a UN peacekeeping force in Darfur. (Austin
Bay)


April 24, 2007: The central government and the new south Sudan regional
government are engaged in a legal dispute over oil drilling rights. Oil
played a major role in the long south Sudan civil war. In 2005 the south
Sudan government gave Ascom (a Moldovan company) a drilling concession.
The Sudan government says that Malaysia's Petronas has the drilling
rights. The Sudan government argues that Petronas' drilling agreement
predates the 2005 peace agreement. How this dispute is resolved will say
a lot about the strength of the political relationship between north
Sudan and south Sudan.



April 23, 2007: The US called for more UN peacekeepers in Darfur. The
new UN draft resolution calls on the force to protect "civilians under
threat of physical violence" in Darfur. The US is also reportedly
considering recommending an arms embargo on the entire country of Sudan.
This comes after the "leak" of UN evidence that Sudan is violating the
arms embargo in Darfur.



April 19, 2007: Sudan condemned the "leak" to the New York Times of a UN
study that reported the Sudanese government had illegally shipped arms
to Darfur. The report also included evidence that Sudan is camouflaging
transport aircraft by painting them to look like UN aircraft. The
Sudanese objection was typical. It called the revelations phony and said
the alleged sources were "enemies of peace and stability in Sudan." The
leak clearly dealt Sudan a heavy political blow

April 22, 2007:

The U.S. Army is still trying to figure out what to do with a lot of
new technologies developed for its Land Warrior program. That was an
effort to enhance infantry performance with a lot of technology that was
never ready for prime time (like wearable computers). Although the Land
Warrior program is dead, the general concept lives on with new stuff the
combat troops are using. The problem with Land Warrior was that is tried
to be revolutionary, while the troops really wanted evolutionary items.
Although the army has halted work on Land Warrior, it is sending some
of the equipment to Iraq, to see how well it performs in combat. The
current Land Warrior gear includes a wearable computer/GPS/radio
combination, plus improvements in body armor and uniform design. Troops
who tested Land Warrior in the U.S. found it too much hassle, and not
enough benefit.



The original, 1990s, Land Warrior concept was a lot more ambitious.
Revolutionary, so to speak. But that version had a science fiction air
about it, and was not expected to appear for two decades or more. The
brass eventually got more realistic, especially after September 11,
2001. That, plus the unexpectedly rapid appearance of new computer and
communications technologies, caused them to reduce the weight and
complexity of the original Land Warrior design. At the same time, this
made it possible for the first version of Land Warrior to undergo field
testing much sooner and, even though that resulted in the cancellation
of Land Warrior, many of the individual components will continue to be
developed. Eventually the troops will have wearable computers, wi-fi
capability, and all manner of neat stuff. Eventually.



Late last year a battalion of infantry tested the current Land Warrior
gear. Many of the troops involved were combat veterans, and their
opinions indicated that some of the stuff was worth carrying around the
battlefield, and some wasn't. Meanwhile, the army has been getting new
gear to Iraq and Afghanistan as quickly as it passed muster with the
troops, thereby building an alternative "Land Warrior ensemble" one
piece at a time. But two major Land Warrior items, the wearable
computer (with the eyepiece display) and GPS positioning, were not ready
for the combat zone. Too slow and too fragile. The 2006 tests also
discovered some communications problems. This was not unexpected, but
the Land Warrior system depends on continuous communications to provide
accurate position information for all the networked troops, and their
commanders.



What the field tests tried to prove was whether the usual imperfect
communications, which have long been common in combat, before and after
radio was introduced, render Land Warrior not-worth-the-effort. This is
where using combat veterans was so important. Troops who have not been
in combat have to guess if certain test conditions would result in a
battlefield disaster, or just an annoyance, especially in light of the
potential advantages from using Land Warrior. While some of the gear was
useful, the overall ensemble was not, which is what killed Land Warrior.



While Land Warrior is dead, it's cousin, Mounted Warrior, is not. The
Stryker vehicles are using a partial set of the Mounted Warrior
ensemble, a version of Land Warrior for the crews of armored vehicles.
The troops liked all these new electronic gadgets a lot. just as
commanders took to Blue Force Tracker in 2003. In effect, the first beta
of Mounted Warrior was installed in the Stryker vehicles headed for Iraq
in 2005. That gear worked well, and the troops were enthusiastic about
using a vehicle that was booted, rather than simply started. The main
idea with this new gear was to provide the troops with superior
"situational awareness." That's a fancy term for having a good sense of
where you are. The Stryker troops always knew where they were, by
looking at a computer screen. There, a GPS placed the vehicle on a
detailed map of the area.



Over half a century of studies has resulted in knowledge of what an
infantryman needs to be more effective. They need to know where they
are, quickly. Having a poor idea of where you are proved to be one of
the main shortcomings of armored vehicles. While infantrymen can just
look around, armored crews tend to be cut off from this while inside
their vehicle. The crews are even more easily disoriented. When the
shooting starts, even the commander, instead of standing up with his
head outside the turret, ducks back inside to stay alive. Infantry
aren't much better off. Although they can see their surroundings, they
are often crouching behind something. When getting shot at, standing up
to look around is not much of an option.



But the infantry are often not much in need of a computer to tell them
where they are. In Iraq, much of the infantry are doing SWAT type
operations. These are run fast, with most of the troops in close
proximity to each other. The wearable computer and its GPS driven map
proved useless, mainly because it took the system over a minute to
update the map. Even the personal radio is counterproductive for most
troops. On patrols the GPS and radios can come in handy. But there are
already personal radios, and various models of GPS, available for that.
Land Warrior tried to make the technology do what it was not yet capable
of, to perform a function the troops didn't particularly need.



Meanwhile in Iraq, infantry officers and NCOs, equipped with PDAs, have
found the map/GPS combo a tremendous aid to getting around, and getting
the job done. The troops also buy commercial gear, a piece at a time, to
take care of their Land Warrior type needs. Thus "son of Land Warrior"
is already showing up in combat, piece by piece. And this is changing
the way troops fight. Everyone is now able to move around more quickly,
confidently and effectively. This model has already been demonstrated
with the Stryker units. Captured enemy gunmen often complained of how
the Strykers came out of nowhere, and skillfully maneuvered to surround
and destroy them. "It wasn't fair," some of the enemy complained. This
was often done at night, with no lights (using night vision gear.) When
you have infantry using Land Warrior gear to do the same thing on foot,
you demoralize the enemy. Hostile Iraqis already attribute all manner of
science fiction type capabilities to American troops. But with Son of
Land Warrior, the bar will have to be raised on what's science fiction,
and what is just regular issue gear. This is typical of what happens in
wartime, where the demand for better weapons and equipment, and a
realistic place to test it, greatly accelerates the development and
deployment of the new stuff.



What the army R&D brass have a hard time accepting is the fact that the
troops know what they need. As you read this, thousands of American
infantrymen are "evolving" new equipment in combat. It's usually
something they hacked together from commercial gadgets. But the army
still prefers to have people in a lab, or at least outside of a combat
zone, come up with revolutionary new equipment, which the troops will
somehow embrace. The lab rats never seem to notice that their
revolutions all seem to encounter a lot of resistance from the troops,
because the ideas were not well enough tested by the troops. You can't
ignore reality, especially in wartime.

April 23, 2007:
Combat aircraft are getting more expensive, mainly because of all the
new technology you can install. Thus the upgraded UH-60 Blackhawk costs
$19.3 million each. This is more than the AH-64D Apache gunship ($14.1
million). Transport aircraft, in general, are getting a lot more
expensive. The C-17 now costs $329 million each, and the latest version
of the C-130 (C-130J) costs $98.5 million each. The new V-22 tilt-rotor
transports cost $119.3 million each. A latest naval version of the
Blackhawk, the MH-60R, costs $46.1 million each.


But combat aircraft are still the most expensive. The F-22 costs $355
million each. The low budget F-18E cots $94 million each, while the
electronic warfare version (the F-18G) goes for $105 million. The F-35
costs $122 million. Even unmanned aircraft are pricy, with the Global
Hawk costing $182 million each. Older fighters, like the F-16, cost $60
million, and an F-15E goes for about $100 million.



War is hell, especially once you get the bill.

April 25, 2007

Sniper detectors are still a work in progress. The acoustic detectors
have had the most success, and over 500 of them have been shipped to
Iraq and Afghanistan. Sniper detection systems provide directional
information about where the snipers are. Several generations of these
systems have showed up over the last three years. The usefulness of
these anti-sniper systems has increased as the manufacturers have
decreased the number of false alarms, and improved the user interface.
There other reasons for all this progress, including major advances in
computing power, sensor quality and software development. The latest
improvement is providing nearly instant, and easy to comprehend,
location info on the sniper.


Not all the manufacturers are American. The French firm Metravib, has
been turning out several generations of their Pilar system, since the
1990s. This is a high end system, costing about $70,000. That gets you
the acoustic array, a laptop size device containing the signal processor
(specialized computer) and a laptop that displays the results, and
controls the system. Pilar has recently received a companion system,
Pivot, which will automatically point a camera at the source of the
fire, and display the video wherever it is needed. Pivot costs $200,000,
and could substitute a machine-gun for the camera. But no one wants to
go there just yet.



The U.S. firm, iRobot, which makes the most widely used combat robot,
the PackBot, has developed a similar system. Called REDOWL (for Robot
Enhanced Detection Outpost with Lasers), it mounts a 5.5 pound device on
a PackBot that contains an infrared (heat sensing) video camera, laser
rangefinder and acoustic gunfire detector. When the device is turned on,
the camera and laser will point to any gunshot in the area. This makes
it a lot easier for nearby troops to take out the sniper. REDOWL can
also be mounted on vehicles, or anywhere, for that matter. In tests,
REDOWL has been right 94 percent of the time. Some developers suggested
equipping REDOWL with a machine-gun in place of the laser. But the U.S.
Army isn't ready for an armed robot that will identify and fire on
targets all by itself. Pilar has one edge over REDOWL, longer range.
Pilar can find snipers who are as far as a thousand meters out, about
twice the range of the iRobot system.



Israel has produced a similar system, SADS (Small Arms Detection
System), that also has a thousand meter range. On the low end of the
cost scale, there is the U.S. Boomerang system. This one has been around
for several years, costs about $5,000 each, and has been effective
enough to get new orders and lots of work from troops that are used to
it.



For decades, sniper detectors were theoretical darlings of military R&D
geeks. But now, with lots of need, better technology and money to buy
several generations of a system, the devices are actually making
themselves useful. Not all units have officers or troops who can make
the most of sniper detection systems. But those that do, are hell on the
local sniper population.

Horny Troops Succumb to Chinese Vamps
April 26, 2007: Japan has discovered a widespread Chinese effort to use
sex to steal military technology. Attractive Chinese female intelligence
agents are marrying members of the Japanese armed forces, and then using
that access to obtain military secrets. The situation has been
complicated by the military attempts to keep these "embarrassing
incidents" secret. The government was particularly anxious to keep the
Americans in the dark about all this, since the Chinese apparently got
their hands on Aegis anti-aircraft system technology via their lady
spies.


Actually, most of the Chinese agents don't have to marry Japanese
troops. Just putting out usually does the trick. In Japan, the military
doesn't get much respect, and many of the bases are in backwaters. So
the troops are pretty lonely. It's not unusual for Chinese women to be
in the country, as many come, legally or illegally, looking for jobs.
The set-up is perfect for using the old "honey pot" (sexual entrapment)
routine to extract military secrets.



The military geeks are the most sought after by the Chinese spies, as
these guys have access to the most valuable military secrets. Geeks tend
to be least experienced with women, and most vulnerable to a clever, and
shapely, Chinese spy. Military commanders are not sure if they have got
the problem under control, but now that the situation is out in the
open, there will be more efforts to tighten up security. As the Japanese
expected, the Americans were not amused. And the Chinese honey pot
scandal was apparently one reason for refusing to sell F-22s to Japan.
To make matters worse, part of the Japanese cover-up involved
prosecuting the Chinese spies on immigration, not espionage, charges.

April 29, 2007

The recent disbarment of Lynne Stewart is one of the latest examples of
what is wrong with using the law-enforcement approach to dealing with
terrorism. Not only is there the fact that all too often, treating
terrorism as a criminal matter to be dealt with by law enforcement
agencies, leads to terrorists going back onto the street, but there are
problems with the lawyers.


Stewart was convicted for providing material support to terrorists while
she was representing Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman during his terrorism
trial. One of the things she did was pass messages to Rahman's
supporters – including exhortations to kill those who opposed his brand
of Islamic fundamentalism. Also, during Rahman's trial, evidence was
turned over to his attorneys. At least one of the documents handed over
in accordance with rules of discovery ultimately found its way to al
Qaeda headquarters in the Sudan. That document contained a list of
people who were on the government's radar screen – and thus alerted
al-Qaeda to the possibility of surveillance. This was an intelligence
disaster.



Once a person, group, or country find out that they are of interest to
an intelligence agency, two things happen. First, they tend to become
very careful with regards to communications – they take steps to throw
off surveillance efforts, and they will even shift to means that cannot
be intercepted (like couriers or flying for face-to-face meetings).
Second, they begin to wonder how the information is acquired – and try
to cut off the flow. If they find out enough of what an intelligence
agency knows, they will have an idea of who might be a source. The
suspected source's ending will not be a happy one. This not only
deprives intelligence agencies of a source, but also makes recruiting
future sources more difficult.



The risks of compromised intelligence are serious, and should be
obvious. They primarily include the loss of sources of information (due
to death or non-cooperation) and decreased efficiency from methods that
have been compromised due to adaptations by terrorists (for instance, if
they know cell phones are being intercepted, they will shift to
messengers). These could potentially lead to successful attacks in the
future.



This is why the Department of Defense is trying to clamp down on the
number of meetings lawyers have with detainees. In at least one case,
lawyers gave the detainees information about Amnesty International
conferences and terrorist attacks that boosted their morale, increased
resistance to interrogation and which encouraged attacks on guards. Over
600 attacks have occurred, many involving bodily fluids. This is not a
small concern. If terrorist morale is low, there is a better chance of
getting them to give up information that may help prevent future
attacks.



The Guantanamo Bay setup is not the best situation, but other
alternatives do not seem any better. Terrorists need to be kept out of
circulation, and methods of gathering intelligence and sources of
information need to be protected. A number of human rights groups are
complaining about these clampdowns, claiming that the Administration is
turning Guantanamo Bay into a legal black hole. Since real black holes
are not presently accessible, dumping terrorists into a legal black hole
will have to do.

Doc have you heard about this yet... Communication received this news
about a week ago. Everyone was on a no=talk about this until now..

MiG-31M
April 27, 2007
Russia has completed testing of the latest version of its MiG-31
interceptor. The MiG-31 is itself an upgrade of the MiG-25, which was
developed to deal with the American B-70 bomber. When the United States
cancelled the B-70 in 1967 (too expensive, and a decision to go with
bombers that come in low and fast), the Russians kept going with the
MiG-25, and switched its role to reconnaissance. The MiG-25 turned out
to be an excellent recon aircraft, able to fly higher and faster than
other fighters used for this job, although not as high as the American
U-2 or SR-71. But the United States did not sell those aircraft to
anyone, while Russia made a lot of money selling MiG-25s to anyone with
enough cash. Russia also made a lot of money training the two man crew
required for each aircraft.


The MiG-31 fixed a long list of MiG-25 problems, and is a very
impressive interceptor. The 46 ton aircraft has passive sensors, with a
range of 200 kilometers, and radar guided R33 missiles, with a range of
150 kilometers. Other missiles are carried, as well as smart bombs. The
MiG-31 is not very maneuverable, but it is fast (able to sprint at up to
3,200 kilometers an hour). Like the original MiG-25, it does not have
much range (720 kilometers combat radius). The latest version, the
MiG-31M, is actually an accumulation of upgrades. This works has been
under way since the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. But since then,
about 200 of the remaining 350 MiG-31s have been upgraded, or are in
line for the work. Originally, 500 MiG-31s were built in the 1980s. In
the last few years, the MiG-31 fleet has gotten a lot more money, and
readiness (for combat) has gone from under 25 percent, to over 75
percent.



The MiG-31 is the mainstay of Russian air defenses, at least as far as
interceptors go. But the MiG-31 fleet is spread thin across Russias vast
borders, and squadrons tend to be concentrated in areas where they might
encounter high performance intruders (China and Europe). Russia is
hoping that there's an export market for the MiG-31M, although it's
unlikely that they will resume production. There are a hundred MiG-31s
in storage, which can be refurbished and upgraded to MiG-31M standards.

April 25, 2007

While most Russians appreciate the decline in crime and corruption over
the past few years, older people are noting that the methods used are
similar to those employed during the Soviet period. For example,
political demonstrations, both indoors and out, are strictly regulated.
In effect, they are discouraged. The government now controls most of the
radio and television stations, and has issued restrictive rules on what
can be reported, and how. Many younger Russians believe this is the way
things operate in the West, or at least in Western Europe. That's a bit
cynical, but not far off the mark for many countries. What does bring
the youngsters up short are the government attempts to regulate what is
said on the Internet. That does hit a little close to home for the kids.


April 23, 2007: The U.S. offered to cooperate with Russia on ballistic
missile defense, in order to overcome Russian objections to American
missile defenses being built in eastern Europe (to defend against
Iranian and North Korean missiles.) Russia refused, but the U.S. is
coming back with more goodies (technology, shared communications and
data). Russia is uptight about the East European efforts because many
Russians still resent losing the Cold War, and no longer being
considered a superpower. That's a wound that is difficult to heal.



April 21, 2007: After reaching $6.5 billion last year, Russian arms
exports look like they will be up fifteen percent, to $7.5 billion for
this year. Russia is becoming the arms seller of choice for those
looking for the best price, or a source that is not bothered by bad
press.



April 19, 2007: Russia and Georgia are still at odds over Russian
support for Georgian separatists. Georgia believes Russia is doing this
to maintain some control over the Georgian government. Most Russians, at
least unofficially, are inclined to agree. Russia is using this approach
with many of its neighbors, in a continuation of practices that are
centuries old.



April 12, 2007: Police in Azerbaijan arrested eleven men suspected of
being Islamic terrorists. The men had ties to Islamic terrorists in
Chechnya. The eleven men were followers of the extremist Wahhabi sect of
Islam. Wahhabis are showing up all over the region, thanks to decades of
missionary efforts paid for by Saudi Arabia (where Wahhabism originated
in the 18th century.)April 10, 2007: The government controls who gets
appointed to be the paid imam (prayer leader and administrator) of
mosques throughout the country. Taking these jobs is becoming dangerous,
for there are a growing number of more radical Moslems, who resent
moderates running all the mosques.

April 26, 2007

The U.S. Army has begun issuing the M110 SASS (Semi-Automatic Sniper
System) to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. This weapon is a based on the
AR-10 rifle. The U.S. Navy has been buying a similar weapon, the SR25.
This is also known as the Mk11 Sniper Rifle System (SRS). These new
semi-automatic sniper rifles are 7.62mm weapons based on the designs of
M-16 creator, retired USAF Colonel Gene Stoner. The basis for the M-16
was the AR-15, and a 7.62mm version of that weapon was called the AR-10.
About half the parts in the SR25 are interchangeable with those in the
M-16.


The Stoner sniper rifles achieved its high accuracy partly by using a 20
inch heavy floating barrel. The "floating" means that the barrel is
attached only to the main body of the rifle to reduce resonance (which
throws off accuracy.)



The M110 weighs 17.3 pounds in combat, and about 70 pounds with all
components of the system. The M110 can use a ten or twenty round
magazine. The 40.5 inch long rifle can have a six inch tube attached to
the barrel, which reduces the noise and flash made when the rifle fires,
and largely eliminates nearby dust rising into the air, which often
gives away the snipers position.



Previously, many snipers have had success using tuned up M-14s (from the
1960s) as sniper rifles. While semi-automatic and rugged, the M14 wasn't
designed to be a sniper rifle. The AR-10 was a better model for a
semi-automatic sniper rifle, since it is inherently more reliable and
accurate. As far back as World War II, it was known that there were many
situations where a semi-automatic sniper rifle would come in handy. But
it's taken over half a century to solve the reliability and accuracy
problems.



The M110 will gradually replace the bolt-action M24 over the next few
years.

This world aint's Perfect Shadow and yes, the death of Tillman is a
tragedy especially since he was killed in Friendly-Fire. This, is
absolutely normal as much as i wish things wouldn't it does. You got to
understand from a military strategic view point. The state of a nations
and our fellow officers and troops don't need our morale being disrupted
right now. I rather the truth have come out after the war.

Since Lynch came out and before the Tribunal and stated that the
Military government lied about her being a heroe and tillman died in a
fierce battle is a lie. Now you start to put wrong and conflicting
thought within the hearts of a nation and within our own troops.

Thanks to Her i really wonder if we will be able to function as a team
as a Unit.

Thanks to you Shadow you posting these forums you too are putting the
morale and trust of our great nation and military leadership into Hell.

Being a Soldier i am Ashame to Think another Soldier would disgrace his
people , His Family. Regardless of you being Active or not. Once you
been in the Military you are in it for life. You are a disgrace to our
family, Our Team and our Unit.

Regardless, of what is right or what is wrong We are Soldiers and we are
the Defenders of this Great and Honorable Nation of Ours.

Operation Freedom of Iraq Maj.Utsnokokoro

WTC 93 happened with Clintom 38 days in office. I find it hard to blame
that on him. The others were mistakes; Clinton was far from perfect, but
he didn't put us into a dire circumstance. Also Clinton was very serious
about terrorism.

The following are a list of his attempts to thwart terrorism.

CLINTON developed the nation's first anti-terrorism policy,
and appointed first national coordinator of anti-terrorist efforts.
· Bill Clinton stopped cold the Al Qaeda millennium hijacking and
bombing plots.
· Bill Clinton stopped cold a planned attack to kill the Pope.
· Bill Clinton stopped cold a planned attack to blow up 12 U.S.
jetliners simultaneously.
· Bill Clinton stopped cold a planned attack to blow up UN Headquarters.
· Bill Clinton stopped cold a planned attack to blow up FBI
Headquarters.


· Bill Clinton stopped cold a planned attack to blow up the Israeli
Embassy in Washington.
· Bill Clinton stopped cold a planned attack to blow up Boston airport.
· Bill Clinton stopped cold a planned attack to blow up Lincoln and
Holland Tunnels in NY.
· Bill Clinton stopped cold a planned attack to blow up the George
Washington Bridge.
· Bill Clinton stopped cold a planned attack to blow up the US Embassy
in Albania.
· Bill Clinton tried to kill Osama bin Laden and disrupt Al Qaeda
through
preemptive strikes (efforts denounced by the G.O.P.).
· Bill Clinton brought perpetrators of first World Trade Center bombing
and CIA killings to justice.

I also really doubt that if he (or Gore) had been handed a briefing a
month before stating that terrorists would try to fly planes into
buildings he would have ignored it!



But, in the end Clinton screwed up too

Colombia's fight against the FARC and ELN terrorists has become harder,
due to the fact that $55 million in military aid has been frozen by a
U.S. Senate subcommittee led by Senator Patrick Leahy. This freeze holds
the potential to greatly aid FARC and ELN, simply by preventing Colombia
from keeping up the pressure, and shows how the change in control of
Congress affects the global war on terror. How?



The answer lies in the fact that the new congressional majority is led
by people who tend to view FARC and ELN in a more sympathetic light. The
U.S. and Colombian government consider FARC and ELN to be terrorist
organizations. Senator Leahy is a long-time outspoken critic of aid to
the Colombian government that went for both counter-insurgency and
counter-narcotics efforts as well.



Leahy, though, needed an excuse, and the recent scandal involving
alleged connections to right-wing paramilitaries like the AUC provided
just that. This came about through a leaked CIA report, among other
things, that claimed one senior military leader had connections with the
paramilitaries, a charge that has been leveled against many, including
Colombian president Uribe. Much of the connections were due to officers
in the field taking the view that the enemy of their enemy was their
friend.



As a result, there was significant pressure from groups like Amnesty
International and Human Rights Watch. Both groups have been major
players in the lawfare surrounding Guantanamo Bay, and Amnesty
International sued the CIA in 2001 to force the release of information
on activities of the group Los Pepes, during the hunt for drug cartel
leader Pablo Escobar. The freeze in aid, sought by those groups, could
not have come at a worse time. Why?



The answer is that Colombia's efforts, backed by U.S. aid, not only have
managed to get the AUC to disarm, but they also have put FARC and ELN on
the ropes. FARC has, in recent months, fled across the
Colombian-Ecuadorian border, seeking a safe haven. While a number of
left-leaning parties and officials in Europe have abandoned FARC and
ELN, recognizing their status as terrorists, they still draw a lot of
sympathy, particularly among the American left. In the 1980s, that
sympathy manifested itself in two forms: One was the Boland Amendment
and other restrictions. The other was a series of leaks that were
intended to undermine the Reagan Administration's policy in Latin
America.



That residual sympathy, combined with reflexive opposition to Bush
Administration policies, means that FARC now has a chance to recover.
How bad has FARC had it? In recent moths, they had to shift to bombing
attacks due to the need to conserve their trained gunmen. With the
reduction in military aid to Colombia by sympathetic Congressmen, they
now have the chance to replenish their forces. The success the Colombian
government has had in pushing back FARC has also resulted in an economic
recovery.



The human rights groups and those in Congress who support their agenda
have once again shown that they have more concern about terrorists and
their support networks than they do about the people that FARC and ELN
kill, kidnap, or maim. This is despite the fact that for years, the
State Department has considered FARC and ELN terrorist groups. This
means the war in Colombia will go on longer, with more casualties. –
Harold C. Hutchison (haroldc.hutchison@gmail.com)