Argghhh! The Home Of Two Of Jonah's Military Guys..: July 31, 2005

August 5, 2005

General(Ret) McCaffrey's report on Iraq to the Senate Foreign Relations Comittee

From email. I think it's a pretty good bit of clear-eyed analysis, and offers a road ahead - and a sense that it's a road that, while it will have to be built while we travel it, and there will be washouts and potholes, reaches a destination we'd like to get to.

So, whatcha think?

Update: I made it into a pdf file for those who'd like a copy.

Gen McCaffrey's Report (UNCLASSIFIED)
Take the time to read this slowly. It makes a lot of sense and if we stay the course Iraq should emerge a nation with laws and freedoms that have never been seen in the Middle East before.

Classification: UNCLASSIFIED

Caveats: None

MEMORANDUM FOR: SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE

Subject: Trip Report - Kuwait and Iraq - Saturday, 4 June through Saturday, 11 June 2005

1. PURPOSE: This memo provides feedback reference visit 4-11 June 2005 by General Barry R. McCaffrey, USA (Ret.) to Kuwait and Iraq.

2. SOURCES:

1.. General George Casey, Commander, MNF-I - one-on-one discussions and Staff Briefings.

2.. LTG JR Vines, Commander MNC-I - one-on-one discussions and Staff Briefings.

3.. LTG Dave Petreaus, Commander, Multinational Security Transition Command - one-on-one discussions/briefings.

4.. LTG Robin Brims, (UK Army), Deputy Commanding General of MNF-I - one-on-one discussions.

5.. Charge d'Affairs James Jeffrey - office call one-on-one with U.S. Embassy Iraq.

6.. MG Tim Donovan (USMC), Chief of Staff, MNF-I - one-on-one discussions.

7.. MG Steve Johnson (USMC), Acting Commanding General, II MEF - one-on-one discussion and staff briefing.

8.. BG Peter Palmer and BG John Defreitas - MNF-I Operations and Intel Briefings.

9.. MG Rusty Findley (USAF) and Colonel Bill Hix - MNF-I Campaign Action Plan Brief.

10.. BG Tom Bostick - Army Corps Engineers. Gulf Region Division Brief.

11.. MG William Webster, Commanding General, Multi-National Division Baghdad - General Officer Briefing and 3rd ID Battle Staff briefing.

12.. 2nd Brigade 3rd ID Commander and Staff Briefing. Baghdad security operations.

13.. Ambassador Ahraf Oazi and UN Iraq Delegation - Lunch Meeting with Special Representative to the Secretary General of the UN in Iraq.

14.. MG Robert Heine, Acting Director IRMO (US Embassy Reconstruction Program officer) - one-on-one discussion/briefings.

15.. MG Hank Stratman - Political-Military-Economic Brief, US Embassy.

16.. MG Eldon Bargewell, Joint Contracting - one-on-one discussions.

17.. Field Visit. US Marine Infantry Battalion. Fallujah.

18.. Field Visit. US Army Mechanized Infantry Battalion. Vicinity Tikrit.

19.. Briefing Iraqi Army Brigade Commander. Fallujah.

20.. Briefing by U.S. Army Embedded Training Team. Fallujah ISF Army brigade.

21.. Briefing USMC Embedded Trainer. Fallujah Police.

22.. Briefing U.S. Army Captain. Embedded Training Team. ISF Army Infantry Battalion-Vicinity Tikrit.

23.. Briefing Iraqi Army Colonel. ISF Training Center. Vicinity Tikrit.

24.. Lunch discussions. Iraqi Army Battalion XO, S3, SGM. Vicinity Tikrit.

25.. Live Fire Demo/Briefing. Iraqi Army Commando Battalion.

26.. Demo/Briefing Iraqi Police ERU (Emergency Response Unit). Baghdad.

27.. Field Sensing Session. US Army combat division. Fifteen U.S.Army Company Grade Officers.

28.. Field Sensing Session. US Army combat Battalion. Junior Enlisted Soldiers.

29.. Field Sensing Sessions. U.S. Army/Navy/Air Force/Marine Senior NCO's.

30.. Discussion Sessions. Two U.S. Contractor Teams (Logistics and Security) -- Senior Leadership

3. THE BOTTOM LINE---Observations from Operation Iraqi Freedom: June 2005:

1st - US Military Forces in Iraq are superb. Our Army-Marine ground combat units with supporting Air and Naval Power are characterized by quality military leadership, solid discipline, high morale, and enormous individual and unit courage. Unit effectiveness is as good as we can get. This is the most competent and battle wise force in our nation's history. They are also beautifully cared for by the chain-of-command -- and they know it. (Food, A/C sleeping areas, medical care, mental health care, home leave, phone/e-mail contact with families, personal equipment, individual and unit training, targeted economic incentives in the battle area, visibility of tactical leadership, home station care for their families, access to news information, etc).

2nd - The point of the US war effort is to create legitimate and competent Iraqi national, provincial, and municipal governance. We are at a turning point in the coming six months. The momentum is now clearly with the Iraqi Government and the Coalition Security Forces. The Sunnis are coming into the political process. They will vote in December. Unlike the Balkans-the Iraqis want this to succeed. Foreign fighters are an enormously lethal threat to the Iraqi civilian population, the ISF, and Coalition Forces in that order. However, they will be an increasing political disaster for the insurgency. Over time they are actually adding to the credibility of the emerging Iraqi government. We should expect to see a dwindling number of competent, suicide capable Jihadist. Those who come to Iraq--will be rapidly killed in Iraq. The picture by next summer will be unfavorable to recruiting foreigners to die in Iraq while attacking fellow Arabs.

The initial US/UK OIF intervention took down a criminal regime and left a nation without an operational State.

The transitional Bremer-appointed Iraqi government created a weak state of warring factions.

The January 2005 Iraqi elections created the beginnings of legitimacy and have fostered a supportive political base to create the new Iraqi Security Forces.

The August Iraqi Constitutional Referendum and the December-January election and formation of a new government will build the prototype for the evolution of an effective, law-based Iraqi State with a reliable Security Force.

January thru September 2006 will be the peak period of the insurgency-- and the bottom rung of the new Iraq. The positive trend lines following the January 2006 elections (if they continue) will likely permit the withdrawal of substantial US combat forces by late summer of 2006. With 250,000 Iraqi Security Forces successfully operating in support of a government which includes substantial Sunni participation--the energy will start rapidly draining out of the insurgency.

3rd - The Iraqi Security Forces are now a real and hugely significant factor. LTG Dave Petreaus has done a brilliant job with his supporting trainers.

169,000 Army and Police exist in various stages of readiness. They have uniforms, automatic weapons, body armor, some radios, some armor, light trucks, and battalion-level organization. At least 60,000 are courageous Patriots who are actively fighting. By next summer--250,000 Iraqi troops and 10 division HQS will be the dominant security factor in Iraq.

However, much remains to be done. There is no maintenance or logistics system. There is no national command and control. Corruption is a threat factor of greater long-range danger than the armed insurgency.

The Insurgents have widely infiltrated the ISF. The ISF desperately needs more effective, long-term NCO and Officer training.

Finally, the ISF absolutely must have enough helicopter air mobility (120+ Black Hawk UH 60's) --and a substantial number of armored vehicles to lower casualties and give them a competitive edge over the insurgents they will fight. (2000 up-armor Humvee's, 500 ASV's, and 2000 M113A3's with add-on armor package)

4. Top CENTCOM Vulnerabilities:

1st - Premature drawdown of U.S. ground forces driven by dwindling U.S. domestic political support and the progressive deterioration of Army and Marine manpower. (In particular, the expected melt-down of the Army National Guard and Army Reserve in the coming 36 months)

2nd - Alienation of the U.S. Congress or the American people caused by Iraqi public ingratitude and corruption.

3rd - Political ineptitude of Shia civil leadership that freezes out the Sunnis and creates a civil war during our drawdown.

4th - "The other shoe" - a war with North Korea, Venezuela, Syria, Iran, or Cuba that draws away U.S. military forces and political energy.

5th - The loss or constraint of our logistics support bases in Kuwait. Clearly we need constant diplomatic attention and care to this vital Ally. If Kuwait became unstable or severely alienated to US Military objectives in the region-then our posture in Iraq would be placed in immediate fatal peril.

6th - Open intervention by Iranian intelligence or military forces to support rogue Shia Iraqi insurgency. (Assassination of Sustani-armed rebellion by Sadr)

7th - Continued under-manning and too rapid turnover in State Department inter-agency representation in Iraq.

8th - Lack of continuity in CENTCOM strategic and operational senior leadership. The CENTCOM military leadership we now have is a collective national treasure. General Abizaid's value to the War effort based on his credibility to US Military Forces --and ability to communicate and relate to the Iraqi emergent leadership-- cannot be overstated. The combination of a three-star tactical Headquarters (LTG John Vines is the most experienced and effective operational battle leader we have produced in a generation) - and an in-country four-star strategic commander (Gen George Casey) has improved the situation from the overwhelmed, under-resourced Bremer-Sanchez ad hoc arrangement. LTG Dave Petreaus has done a superb job building the ISF. Relationships are everything in this campaign. We need to lock in our senior team for the coming 24 months. Suggest that the three key US/Coalition military HQS of Casey-Petreaus-Vines need to stop unit rotation and go to individual replacement rotation. The very senior U.S. military leadership needs their families based in a Kuwait compound with periodic visits authorized. (We did this with General Abrams and his senior leaders during the final phase of Vietnam.)

5. The Enemy Threat:

1st - The Iraqi Insurgency threat is enormously more complex than Vietnam.

There we faced a single opposing ideology; known enemy leaders; a template enemy organizational structure; an external sanctuary which was vital to the insurgency to bring in fighters, ammunition, resources; and relative security in urban areas under Allied/Vietnamese Government control. Iraq is much tougher. The enemy forces in this struggle are principally Sunni irredentists-- but there is also a substantial criminal class determined to murder, rob, kidnap and create chaos. We also face a small but violent foreign Jihadist terrorist element. These terrorists do not depend on foreign sanctuary. They can arm themselves with the incredible mass of munitions and weapons scattered from one end of Iraq to the other. Finally, Iraq is encircled by six bordering nations -- all of whom harbor ill-will for the struggling democratic Iraqi state.

2nd - On the positive side of the ledger:

High Sunni voting turnout and political participation in December will likely set the conditions for the down hill slide of the insurgency.

The insurgency can no longer mass against Coalition forces with units greater than squad level -- they all get killed in short order by very aggressive US/UK combat Forces. The insurgents have been forced to principally target the weak links-- the Iraqi Police and innocent civilians. This will be a counter-productive strategy in the mid-term. It has been forced on them by the effective counter-insurgency operations and information operations of Coalition forces. Insurgents now have a reduced capability to attack Coalition forces by direct fire: 80% (+) of the attacks are carried out with standoff weapons or suicide bombings (mortars, rockets, IEDs). Suicide IED attack is enormously effective. However, it will soon likely become a fragile tool. The Jihadists will begin to run short of human bombs. Most are killed or die while carrying out missions which are marginally effective. This must be a prime enemy vulnerability for Coalition information warfare operations. We must continue to level with the American people. We still have a five-year fight facing us in Iraq.

3rd - The Fallujah Situation:

The city has huge symbolic importance throughout Mideast. Unrealistic expectations were raised on how rapidly the Coalition could rebuild. The City appears to be an angry disaster. Money doesn't rebuild infrastructure - bulldozers and workers and cement do. The Coalition needs an Iraqi/Coalition effort principally executed by military engineers --and thousands of Iraqi workers--to re-build the City. We need a "Pierre L'Enfant" of Fallujah. Police stations are planned but barely started. The train station is mined and the trains do not function. Roads must be paved. We need to eliminate major signs of US caused war damage, etc.

6. Coalition Public Diplomacy Policy is a disaster:

1st - The US media is putting the second team in Iraq with some exceptions. Unfortunately, the situation is extremely dangerous for journalists. The working conditions for a reporter are terrible. They cannot travel independently of US military forces without risking abduction or death. In some cases, the press has degraded to reporting based on secondary sources, press briefings which they do not believe, and alarmist video of the aftermath of suicide bombings obtained from Iraqi employees of unknown reliability.

2nd - Our unbelievably competent, articulate, objective, and courageous Battalion, Brigade, and Division Commanders are not on TV. These commanders represent an Army-Marine Corps which is rated as the most trusted institution in America by every poll.

3rd - We are not aggressively providing support (transportation, security, food, return of film to an upload site, etc) to reporters to allow them to follow the course of the war.

4th - Military leaders on the ground are talking to people they trust instead of talking to all reporters who command the attention of the American people. (We need to educate and support AP, Reuters, Gannet, Hearst, the Washington Post, the New York Times, etc.)

7. SUMMARY:

a.. This is the darkness before dawn in the efforts to construct a viable Iraqi state. The enterprise was badly launched --but we are now well organized and beginning to develop successful momentum. The future outcomes are largely a function of the degree to which Iraqi men and women will overcome fear and step forward to seize the leadership opportunity to create a new future.

b.. We face some very difficult days in the coming 2-5 years. In my judgment, if we retain the support of the American people --we can achieve our objectives of creating a law-based Iraqi state which will be an influencing example on the entire region.

c.. A successful outcome would potentially usher in a very dramatically changed environment throughout the Middle East and signal in this region the end of an era of incompetent and corrupt government which fosters frustration and violence on the part of much of the population.

d.. It was an honor and a very encouraging experience to visit CENTCOM Forces in Iraq and Kuwait and see the progress achieved by the bravery and dedication of our military forces.

Classification: UNCLASSIFIED

Caveats: None

Reporting As Ordered, Sir! �

Simply beuatiful

Thanks for posting this John

posted by BloodSpite on August 5, 2005 3:04 PM

This clearly explains how important the civilian support is, and will continue to be, for the military to be successful in the mission. Fantastic piece!

posted by Barb on August 5, 2005 3:48 PM

Hi there,

I don't know if I agree with this report. It makes everything sound pretty rosy and upbeat but I think the situation is far more grave than Mccaffrey makes it sound. I think Iraq is a shit situation and I think it's deteriorating, and the rate of deterioration is increasing.

You may be interested in an article on my blog about the evolving IED battlefield.

organicwarfare.blogspot.com

There's also a link on John Robb's site globalguerrillas.com to a very interesting paper on the manufacture and distribution process for IEDs. The insurgents are getting more sophisticated by leaps and bounds, their resolve is increasing, and the methods they are using are increasing in lethality and delivery efficiency.

posted by Jeremiah on August 5, 2005 4:01 PM

Well, you could kill all the current insurgents, and eliminate the IED's completely, all in a day, and you would just have more tomorrow, or next week, if we don't address the issues that McCaffrey raises.

The Insurgents are learning and adapting to exploit our weaknesses, to hit us without presenting a target for returning fire.

We need to adapt too. Ruin the battlefield they are able to move upon freely. Many of the things that McCaffrey talks about will help turn the general population against the insurgents, and make it impossible for them to gather materials, or plant bombs under the cover of darkness.

You can only tighten your grip so much. We need the citizens (and many already are but we need MORE) willing to.. if not take up arms against the insurgents, at least tell us (X) persons are actually insurgents, (Y) person is stealing explosives from (Z) locations, last night I saw (Y) person planing an explosive at (Z) location. Etc.

We've done a lot of this already, we are building schools, we are fighting to maintain power and clean water. More of that can only help us WIN this thing.

More patrols, more nightly raids, more neglect of infrastructure will only put more and more disaffected people into the ranks of the insurgents.

posted by MCart on August 5, 2005 4:26 PM

Jeremiah - I think McCaffrey anticipates your view - with his "Darkness Before the Light" comment.

I've also noted that September to May, 1944-45 was a great time for the Allies, if you strip out the last two weeks of December and first week of January... the point being that where you are when you look, and what perspective you bring to it are important.

But if you check on Allied attitudes on 17 December 1944, things were looking pretty bleak.

Of course - we're living it, not reading about it, which makes it much harder to deal with.

posted by John of Argghhh! on August 5, 2005 4:55 PM

I agree with John, basically. I mean, seriously, we cannot lose. I mean that we cannot risk losing and that really, we are the superior force and the group with superior capabilities in all aspects from civilian to military. It is a matter of using them correctly as it always has been. We lose if we stop trying. That's it.

posted by kat-missouri on August 5, 2005 6:13 PM

A few short comments on a powerful analysis by an American hero.

1. While the situation may be complex, the fact that the enemy cannot mass drives them to complexity. All the problems of complexity are twice as hard for the insurgents.

2. IEDs, Suicide Bombers and Mortar attacks are dangerous and require responses, but cannot win a battle or change the military situation on the ground. These are attacks to keep the cost of the operation high and hope against all hope that we tire and go away.

3. Every foreign jihadi that goes to Iraq will be killed eventually--either by Coalition forces or Iraqis. Each one is thus not in London, Madrid or New York.

4. I am surprised honestly that there was no assessment of the status of women or economic activity including the oil economy as part of the assessment, implying that neither are important to the establishment of the rule of law in the new Iraq. Given that we hear much about these topics elsewhere something is missing from the picture both he and others are painting. I don't know what it is, but it is important. Perhaps it is important to Americans rather than to the operations in Iraq, but if continued support is the key to success then we need to figure it out.

5. Hooah and Semper Fi!

posted by rammer on August 5, 2005 11:22 PM

And the Good News is that there are new toys being tested -- in-theater -- which should provide "actionable" intel to the ground commander in one hour, rather than the current two days.

In the meantime, train an Iraqi Sniper Brigade and release the graduates to overwatch the roads...

posted by cw4(ret)billt on August 5, 2005 11:23 PM

This comment raised a red flag for me. In Item 4 - Top CENTCOM Vulnerabilities, Item 8th, General McCaffrey's report mentions, "Suggest that the three key US/Coalition military HQS of Casey-Petreaus-Vines need to stop unit rotation and go to individual replacement rotation." If this refers to key individuals in the headquarters, I'm not too concerned. But if it refers to a return to the Army-wide individual replacement system, this will be a step sixty years into the past. This lead to us being in Vietnam for a year, 'ten years in a row', and to a bloated personnel establishment that treated units as merely the sum of their parts, rather than the multiplication of the powers of their members that they are now. As both a former personnel assignment specialist and staff officer in a unit deployed as a unit, I would hate to see this policy adopted on a wholesale level.

posted by Martin Morehouse on August 8, 2005 3:39 PM

John,

I support this war and what we're doing for Iraq. But this report by McCaffery is a total cock toss. McCaffery is the go-to guy when a politician needs a cheerleader -- remember that Clinton put him in charge of the drug war and, well, you know how swimmingly that has turned out.

I'd be more interested in seeing what Gary Luck has to say.

posted by Fred Schoeneman on August 9, 2005 1:15 AM

� Dismissed, Soldier!

by John on Aug 05, 2005 | Global War on Terror (GWOT)
� Blog o'RAM links with: Fighting in Iraq
� Searchlight Crusade links with: Links and Minifeatures 2005 08 07 (Sunday)
� Searchlight Crusade links with: Links and Minifeatures 2005 08 07 (Sunday)
� fredschoeneman.com links with: Barry McCaffrey
� fredschoeneman.com links with: Barry McCaffrey

War is hell.

It hurts, too. And it's destructive.

As these pictures show. (via email out of the Multi-National Corps Headquarters)

But this is all part of the duty.

But there are worse things than war. And once you start one, you are riding a tiger.

And nothing is simple. Nor is it easy. And it's never as clean during execution as the historian makes it in retrospect.

Semper Fi, Devil Dogs.

ADDENDUM

Some, if not most, of the troops left families. While the various Service Branches are fond of repeating that they "take care of their own," Those Who Know realize the caregivers are stretched woefully thin. And some of Those Who Know have created organizations such as the Marine Corps - Law Enforcement Foundation to take up the slack, providing scholarships for the children who will now be seeing their fathers--or mothers--only through the gauzy film of memory.

They're Good Folks, the MC-LEF are. Drop in and visit...

Thanks, guys. Bill

BTW, Fundraisers--don't bother e-m'ing me. My network is strictly off-line.

Reporting As Ordered, Sir! �

John:

I agree that war is hell. So why not make it so for our enemies?

Effective immediately should be this ultimatum:

To the Sunni religious and political leadership: Either you participate in the Constitution-making process, the upcoming elections, and become part of a healthy, decent, lawful representative Iraqi Republic, or face utter annihilation.

Fallujah (sort-of wrecked anyway), Samara, Qaim, Ubaydi (it was during Operation Matador that another MARINE AAV was blown to bits by an IED back in May), Ramadi, Haditha, Tikrit, and other Sunni-populated shit-holes will be reduced to smoldering ruins and their populations will be driven into the desert without food or water within the next 72 hours if you do not accept the ultimatum. Every town, city, and indeed hovel in the Sunni Triangle will be razed and your fields will be salted. Sunni Triangle Delenda Est!
If we do not go Roman on the insurgent-sympathizing and-supporting Sunni population, then we will lose Iraq. Notice that I did not write �we will lose in Iraq.� Our men and women have performed magnificently and courageously. Our political leadership, in the hands of Republicans who control the House, Senate, White House and all of the Executive Offices except Transportation (Clinton-appointed Norman Linetta) are behaving like Carter-Kennedy Democrats. That is a recipe for political defeat.

posted by Michael Lopez-Calderon on August 5, 2005 8:41 AM

Cato the Elder would be pleased with that approach.

In the world we live in, it might even work, locally, but it's an awfully brutal approach for the opinion-makers of the 21st Century.

While I appreciate the thrust behind your idea - I don't endorse it.

Let's see what others have to say...

posted by John of Argghhh! on August 5, 2005 8:46 AM

Five of these guys were from Cincinnati. ALL of them are friends of a fellow blogbud, who is an IRR Marine. He's itching to get back there and take these insurgents out. He's not alone....

posted by AFSister on August 5, 2005 9:07 AM

John of Arrrghh!

Therein lies our dilemma: We are constrained by the MSM, the opinionated blowhards of the EU and UN, our own leftist-dominated chattering classes and professoriate, and the socialist-leaning left-wing of the Democratic Party (probably a majority by now).

If wars are to become merely police actions with all kinds of "rules of engagement" that endanger our Marines, soldiers, airmen, and sailors, we may as well forget about future "police actions" and build a Fortress America." I am no longer willing to commit our sons and daughters into harm's way if they are to be constrained by all of the above mentioned factors.

posted by Michael Lopez-Calderon on August 5, 2005 9:30 AM

You're right, Michael L-C! Scorched Earth is the policy to follow in Iraq- kill 'em all, and let Allah sort 'em out.
And there's plenty of precedents for that policy; Nanking and Lidice come to mind...

posted by Neffi on August 5, 2005 4:42 PM

It worked for me! Massive retaliation against civilians... gotta love it.
And it's about time you weak and decadent Americans learned how to annihilate and eliminate the masses! Take a lesson from ML-C, he's certainly a thinking man with a deep background in socio-political problem solving... and just maybe a military genius, too.
OOPS- gotta go- break's over, back on my head again...

posted by Pol Pot on August 5, 2005 5:04 PM

Da, so true- but you just amateur, Pol... feh.
I 'gree wit ML-C, gotta be like me to make difference. One death tragedy, million just a statistic, eh?! Kill all, gonna get the guilty ones dat way!
Dat's we both so admired and revered dese days, Pol ol' pal...

posted by Vladimir Illyanovich on August 5, 2005 6:53 PM

Out come the wiseguys!

Note the qualifiers in the ultimatum to the insurgent-sympathizing, supporting Sunni Triangle:

1) participate in the Constitution-making process;

2) " " in the upcoming elections,

3) and become part of a healthy, decent, lawful representative Iraqi Republic.

My comments were prefaced on a wholesale Sunni rejection of the above. August 15, 2005 is the make-it-or-break it date in Iraq. How so? It is the date when the final provisions of the Constitution are set to go forward to eventual voter ratification. If the Sunni leadership participates, great! No need for the Cato approach. On the other hand, if they reject the process, then they will have clearly sided with various portions of the insugency. The Sunnis will have cast their fate with the "resistance" probably in the hope that they'll eventually wear down the current government and US public opinion. Neither of those are farfetched.

No where did I write comments that one can find throughout the right blogosphere, stuff like this:

"Let's nuke 'em, man!"

"Kick their ass and take their gas!"

"Flatten the entire area!"

******

But what do we get in an elevated series of replies that so typify the Internet where most posters lack the courage of their convictions to go in with their actual names, i.e., Vladimir Illyanovich "Lenin", Pol Pot, etc.? Personal attacks like the ones posted above, example:

"...he's certainly a thinking man with a deep background in socio-political problem solving... and just maybe a military genius, too."

Did I say that? In what is often a format for venitng, by the way, a very human thing to do, especially after events like this past week, we pop off with pithy remarks. So what? Is that an indication of lack of intelligence?

I won't write about my degrees or years teaching or multiple family members that served in WW II and some in "Le Company" or those currently serving in DHS or even in Iraq. Those things matter not. What matters here are ideas and yes, sometimes gut reactions.

And what about the host of this site:

Wahhabism Delenda Est? That's a motto posted here. Have Pol Pot and Lenin thought through the implications of that statement? It means reducing much of Saudi Arabia to a smoldering ruin, unless we can successfully pry away the more progressive and liberal Hijazi, Asiri, and Alireza merchants and tribes found mostly in western Saudi Arabia. They too desire to be freed from the Al-Sudiary Saud clan and the Wahhabis.

So rather than taking cheap shots, why don't you put forth some recommendations for victory in Iraq, or are you so comfortable with the current SNAFU situation?

posted by Michael Lopez-Calderon on August 6, 2005 12:53 PM

Neither "Pol Pot" nor "Vladimir Illyanovich" email addresses are legitimate. In other words, a couple of jokers.

posted by Michael Lopez-Calderon on August 6, 2005 1:09 PM

Michael, I know who Pol Pot and Lenin are. It's the same person, who posts here often, and under his real, reachable handle, as well. He did what he did to make a point (granted you don't like how he chose to do it) - and the email addresses are part of the satire.

He may choose to respond to you, I don't know. You may not like the snarks, but there is a message contained therein.

If he wants to weigh in and make the point, perhaps he will.

posted by John of Argghhh! on August 6, 2005 2:45 PM

...has been done...

posted by Neffi on August 6, 2005 6:35 PM

Okay! Michael, Neffi, Pol, Vlad, let's all join hands, look inward at the fire, and sing with me..

"Kum by yah, My Lord, Kum by Yah..."

8^D

posted by John of Argghhh! on August 6, 2005 6:58 PM

[brandishes Krinkov] Hoh- while you singink for unity, is please to be handink over wallets and watches, plizz...
... such is da world, ya knowink? 'click-clunk'

posted by Andre the Pole on August 6, 2005 9:01 PM

*Flips open belt-buckle pistol, fatally shoots Andre's Krinkov*

Good. Now that it's a deact, I can add it to the collection.

Now, go away, or we'll give you a bath!

posted by John of Argghhh! on August 6, 2005 9:21 PM

Hah- you jokink, right?? Pleeze- had bath before, um... when wuz dis... OK! Seoul Olympics! So don't need nuther one yet, sheesh
You owe me for Krinkov; I don't take zlotys, neither...

posted by Andre the Pole on August 6, 2005 9:39 PM

*Heave - Ho!* *Splash* Go for 'im, gnomes!

And Andre, when you pay your debts, then perhaps, just perhaps, people will acknowledge debts to you.

I'm not one of 'em, however.

Enjoy your bath *pushes Andre's head underwater, then lets him back up, spluttering*

That nasty greasy hair, too, dude.

posted by John of Argghhh! on August 6, 2005 9:43 PM

� Dismissed, Soldier!

by John on Aug 05, 2005 | Observations on things Military

August 4, 2005

Heh. Just heh.

From an email.

Hosting provided by FotoTime

FM Radio This unusual weapon is a functional FM radio with earphones that is worn on a belt but also conceals a gun. Law enforcement officers should be aware of the possible threat of this object.

H/t, Dave M.

Reporting As Ordered, Sir! �

Ooooooh...where can I get me one?

posted by vilmar on August 4, 2005 3:11 PM

*turns to server logs to see how soon ATFE starts tracking Vilmar's IP...*

posted by John of Argghhh! on August 4, 2005 3:20 PM

Huh - Vilmar stole my thought ;-)

posted by Barb on August 4, 2005 3:23 PM

Sweeeeet.
Is that a Beretta in there?

posted by jimmyb on August 4, 2005 3:32 PM

I haven't taken the time to check yet!

Bueller? Bueller? Anyone?

posted by John of Argghhh! on August 4, 2005 3:38 PM

Beat me to it, Jimmy. I was about to write, "Is that one of those little cute-but-mostly-useless little tip-barrel Berettae?" Had a bad experience with one of those, once. Went to visit the sister of a friend's wife, one time. Sis was not home, F's W and I approached house with key. The door fell open as soon as I touched it. Uh oh! F's W runs to truck, grabs Beretta, presses it into my hand. I nervously attempted to chamber a round. Now I'm not very big and strong, but managed to jerk the slide off the piece, exposing those silly wire hairpin recoil springs. Turned out there were no burglars or nuthin, just a forgetting to lock the door. It took a while with a screwdriver to get that thing apart enough to put it back together. Nah, for emergencies I want a revolver, or at least a stouter autoloader.

posted by Justthisguy on August 4, 2005 3:42 PM

Betcha $5 it's a Beretta very like the one I mentioned above, JoA. Note the distinctive decoration on the grip scales and the cut-away forward portion of the slide, and the sexy curves at the hind end. Of course I don't see a hammer, so it ain't exactly the same, but the *gestalt* yells Beretta into my little mind.

Wait! It does have a hammer! Hard to see, the way it's lit, but, yup, it's one a' them little .22/.25 pieces. I think it's the one that came in either .22 Short or .25 Auto, not the one in .22LR.

posted by Justthisguy on August 4, 2005 4:05 PM

How quuute that diddle Beretta .32 Auto Tomcat!!! 100% manufactured right in this here County that I reside. Pitty though, that the socialist running this workers paradise - aka Suburban Maryland, are running this industry out of the state.

posted by Boquisucio on August 4, 2005 4:11 PM

Oh, BTW 'ere's the link, JTG.

posted by Boquisucio on August 4, 2005 4:15 PM

Serves 'em right for putting the factory in a town with such a silly name. When you say Accokeek, I say "Gesundheit!" Oh, and how do you know it's the .32, and not the smaller caliber. The Armorer and I did not shake hands on that bet, but I'll pay up if wrong. It does seem "very like" the Bearcat .25 or whatever Beretta calls the cute little pretentious thing.

posted by Justthisguy on August 4, 2005 4:20 PM

Boqui, yer last post appeared while I was answering the one before. Yup, appears to be the .32, which is very like the .25. I'll let JoA be sole judge as to whether or not I owe him on this one.

posted by Justthisguy on August 4, 2005 4:26 PM

BATFE won't care about it. Well, depending on where you are and whether you have a CPL. I could carry that legally here in the slightly-less-communist-than-California state of Washington..

Not confidently, but legally.

Even a .380 would leave me uneasy about it's effectiveness, should I need it. If it fails to penetrate someone's rib buckle, or skull, my time would be better spent looking for a stout candlestick to defend myself with.

Smallest I carry is 9mm, but only in +P+. Even my wife carries a .45.

posted by MCart on August 4, 2005 6:37 PM

hmmm the slide on a Beretta .32 shouldn't come off unless the barrel has been released and then tipped forward past it's stop... mebbe F's W's H had played around with the mechs of the piece? It's amazing, the number of 'Bubba'ed' pistols there are floating around out there.
Nothing wrong with the Tomcat- even in .32. BECUZZZZ... - that was all that was available at the time! Or you could just wish you had the .45 you left at home... I'm not talking about you, McCart if you carry regular.
But I do get the occasional chuckle when listening to the 'big-and-slow' crowd talk about how good they are with a .45 and how they wouldn't never ever carry no dang puny mouse-gun to a gunfight- and then I whip out the Sig and ask them where their .45s are! "Uhhh... in the truck/house/shop" is the usual reply... heh
I practice regularly and my standard is 'draw fron concealed carry, double-tap center-of-mass' in less than 2 seconds- twenty feet to the target. I use a five-inch circle as the aiming point, no 10X rings for me. This is purely defensive shooting, and yes- if I knew I was gonna be in a fire-fight I would carry a shorty 12 guage; but that's illegal and hard to conceal.
My light and handy Sig stoked with eight rounds of 90-grain .380 Federal HydraShocks does me just fine...
Your mileage may vary. ;)

posted by Neffi on August 4, 2005 7:59 PM

ps- I like that bumper sticker:
ATFE SHOULD BE A CONVENIENCE STORE, NOT A GOVERNMENT AGENCY
heh- all my favorite stuff under one roof- a guy can dream...

posted by Neffi on August 4, 2005 8:04 PM

Neffi - I like your choice. After all - two rounds of .380 on target are better than 10 rounds of .45 that miss the target, and MUCH better than nothing when you need it.

posted by Barb on August 4, 2005 8:23 PM

Carry a .25 ACP if it makes you feel good, but do not ever load it. If you load it you may shoot it. If you shoot it you may hit somebody, and if you hit somebody -- and he finds out about it -- he may be very angry with you.

posted by Craig on August 4, 2005 8:28 PM

Hear - Hear Neff. Accuracy and Power, are better than Accuracy and Pokey. However, Accuracy and Pokey beats Inaccuracy and Power any time.

As the sage curator of cutlery stated:

If I knew I was gonna be in a fire-fight I would carry a shorty 12 gauge

Accuracy and Power.

However there is much disrespect for the smaller calibers. Poor .32's Poor .25's and Poor .22's, Brawny men of Inflated Egoes and Small Brains deem you worthy of girly-girls, and of plinkin' cans.

Does anyone remember that kook from Boston, about ten years ago, who went on his personal Abortion Clinic Closing Crusade? If memory serves me right, his rampage from Massachusetts through Virginia, took the lives of eight fellow humans with the use of a simple and "winnie" .22LR.

As diddle pup, the first thing I learnt, before I was allowed even to touch a firearm was to respect its lethality no matter its caliber.

posted by Boquisucio on August 4, 2005 8:49 PM

All too true, Boq- and I'll bet that .22s, .25s, and .32s have filled more mortuary slabs than the bigger calibres combined. But they ain't manly, you know.
When I held an FFL I had a customer who insisted he needed a S&W .44 Magnum, stainless steel with six-inch barrel. For self-defense... I tried to talk him into something more sensible like a .357 mag or 9mm, or even a .44 Special. But he was dead set on the M29 in .44 Mag- "cuz Harry Callahan carried one"... his words. I got one for him; he seemed pretty awed at the size and weight of the thing, he'd never seen one before [in the flesh, as it were]. Some weeks later I bought it back from him after he'd fired a couple of rounds- at a good profit for me- and then passed it on to a S&W collector, for another profit.
Fast shots on target count; big-gun machismo falls to the ground wondering why the sky is going dark..

posted by Neffi on August 4, 2005 9:19 PM

The slide did not come *all the way* off, that was the problem. As I wrote above, I had to figure out how to take the thing the rest of the way apart, before I could put it back together again. Had to get a file and work on a screwdriver with it to get something that would fit some of those screws. Argghhh!!! (Please, Sir, may I have 100 more !s?)

posted by Justthisguy on August 4, 2005 9:22 PM

...but JTG, we know how ya like to take tools to the goodies [JoA whimpers in the background]
heh

posted by Neffi on August 4, 2005 10:05 PM

The legality of the radio gun holder depends on whether or not you have to remove the gun from the radio in order to fire it. If you do, than it's legally considered a holster. If you can fire the gun while it's still in the radio, than the gun and radio together constitute an Class III AOW (Any Other Weapon). This would still be legal to posesses, provided you go through the proper procedure for registering as such.

posted by Stormy Dragon on August 4, 2005 11:02 PM

Fair points on whether you carry it or not. A .380 in your jacket is more effective than the .45 you left at home, certainly.

But.

The only time I personally leave a gun at home, is when I'm going someplace guns are not allowed, such as work.

My 9mm is a full sized autoloader, but I have no trouble concealing it, or with the weight of the polymer frame. It's the Springfield import of the CZ-2000, slightly retooled as an XD. Ranges don't generally approve of quick draw practice with a loaded weapon, so I do really need to work on my draw. Depending on whether my vest is closed or not, my draw-to-hit is closer to 3 seconds. Not great, but I'm pretty good at shooting on the move, so I can work in some improvement to my odds, even with the slower draw.

posted by MCart on August 4, 2005 11:45 PM

And the wife's .45... Well, lets just say the Taurus Millennium is just the cutest little thing that ever fired a freight train down it's bore. Its really not much bigger than that Beretta, but packs a MUCH bigger punch, without the danger of over-penetration that my 9mm +P+ have. She has no trouble with the recoil, so I don't think it'll be a problem.

posted by MCart on August 4, 2005 11:48 PM

(Bear with, your comment thing is rejecting something here, so i'm breaking my post up into pieces... Divide and Conquer)

Best of all, I carry 15+1, she has 10+1, so our reloads are staggered, allowing better suppressing fire. :)

posted by MCart on August 4, 2005 11:50 PM

Personally, i'm not a big fan of large wheel guns. A Colt or any of the other REALLY big frame guns (Dirty Harry style) are not practical for much of anything, IMHO. If I need something that big, i'm grabbing the FAL out of it's tennis racket bag.

posted by MCart on August 4, 2005 11:50 PM

(AH-HA! Your site has some kind of problem with the word 'pyth0n')

But getting back to pistols, I forgot another caliber who's size and kick pretty much make the .380 and .32 pointless. The venerable .38 Special. A well made .38, even out of stainless, is not very heavy at all. It's barely bigger than the .32, and delivers much more energy than the .32. That's actually the smallest gun I've ever bought. Smallest I would ever recommend, even to a 'little person'. :) I have a couple .22 pistols, but they are absolutely not small at all (one's a 9 shot Sentinel) so they are useless for CCP's.

Humans are pretty tough, and pretty quick, as far as animals go. Takes some doing to wreck one. A .22 LR can do it, properly placed, but I wouldn't want to depend on it. It's better for offing someone that doesn't expect it, and lets you get close, than to try and fend off an attacker.

posted by Mcart on August 4, 2005 11:52 PM

python

posted by John of Argghhh! on August 5, 2005 5:57 AM

heh. It isn't *this morning*, go figure.

Whatever the problem is, you worked around it.

Kansas doesn't allow concealed carry, so I don't. And, to be truthful, I don't feel the need, anyway. I've got a 12 gauge Winchester 97 Trench Gun for Defense of the Castle.

If I chose to start carrying, I would probably examine high quality 9mm/45 autoloaders and revolvers. Looking for the best combination of ease of carry and access, point-to-target handiness that matches my hand, style, and eye, and reliability.

In other words, something that doesn't get in the way, that I can get to quickly, fits my shooting style, and won't want to spring off-target every time I pull the trigger.

But for now, I'll just continue to maintain my situational awareness, and not go to places where I feel I probably *should* carry (which, at this point, would currently constitute one heckuva lot of downtown KC at night - but as Kat has noted, right now, there isn't a heckuva lot to *do* in downtown KC at night) and trust in the law of big numbers.

Which doesn't mean I won't continue to ping state government on the carry issue - and if we were to make it legal in Kansas I'd get a permit... but I really don't think I would carry much. I've got local friends who don't share my "head in the sand" attitude, I assure you.

I would just point out getting busted for a firearms violation would cost me my job, my clearance, my pension (while in jail anyway) and disability payment, and while SWWBO would probably be able to keep the house, the significant investment that is the Arsenal would go bye-bye, uncompensated, too.

I know, "better judged by 12 than carried by 6," etc, but the truth is, given where and how I live, my risk assessment says I'm far far far more likely to get in trouble for carrying than I am to end up facing "Oh shite, I wish I had a gun on me right now" situation.

posted by John of Argghhh! on August 5, 2005 6:14 AM

And that's the best self-defence weapon anyone can pack- situational awareness. I don't go heeled at all times; I have a piece in a hidden compartment in the Jeep thats always available, but I carry on my person less frequently... it's just not necessary in Longmont. But I'm 6'2" and 190# and move confidently- I don't project 'possible victim' like some do.
And it doesn't hurt that prospective muggers take one look at my clothing and figger I prolly don't have a dollar my name... heh

posted by Neffi on August 5, 2005 9:26 AM

Colt Python

posted by MCart on August 5, 2005 11:32 AM

OH SURE! WORKS FINE NOW!!!

Dunno what it's deal was, but untill I stripped that word from my posts last night, it just wasn't going to let me post it. Wierd.

posted by MCart on August 5, 2005 11:33 AM

� Dismissed, Soldier!

by John on Aug 04, 2005 | Pistols
� Righty in a Lefty State links with: Most Americans

Smokey Smith, VC, RIP.

Canada's Last Surviving Holder of the Victoria Cross no longer survives, having packed his kit and hit the road to Fiddler's Green.

I mentioned Private Smith in this post on the PIAT, the weapon he used during the fight that resulted in his Victoria Cross.

Under heavy fire from the approaching enemy tanks, Private Smith, showing great initiative and inspiring leadership, led his P.I.A.T.(1) Group of two men across an open field to a position from which the P.I.A.T. could best be employed. Leaving one man on the weapon, Private Smith crossed the road with a companion and obtained another P.I.A.T. Almost immediately an enemy tank came down the road firing its machine-guns along the line of the ditches. Private Smith's comrade was wounded. At a range of thirty feet and having to expose himself to the full view of the enemy, Private Smith fired the P.I.A.T. and hit the tank, putting it out of action. Ten German infantry immediately jumped off the back of the tank and charged him with Schmeissers and grenades. Without hesitation Private Smith moved out on the road and with his Tommy gun at point-blank range, killed four Germans and drove the remainder back. Almost immediately another tank opened fire and more enemy infantry closed in on Smith's position. Obtaining some abandoned Tommy gun magazines from a ditch, he steadfastly held his position, protecting his comrade and fighting the enemy with his Tommy gun until they finally gave up and withdrew in disorder.

The Canadians Militant of the blogs Brigaded under the Red Ensign are noting PIAT Gunner Smith's passing.

Damian at Babbling Brooks.
Andrew, at Bound By Gravity.
Sue, at Turning 30-and-a-Half.
Nicholas at Quotulatiousness.

Of course, Matt at Blackfive is on it.

Now is the time at Castle Argghhh! when we dance: In Memoriam.

H/t to Damian. *Someone* is falling down on their job around here!

Reporting As Ordered, Sir! �

Don't be too hard on CAPT H, John. He's probably still trying to shake off the 'scotch, stogies, and skirts' hangover from his one-night tribute to the irrepressible Sgt Smith.

Cuidich'n Righ!

posted by Damian on August 4, 2005 12:12 PM

I was going to send you the link at Mudville last night, but I was certain Barb would have info'd you as well.

Cheers

posted by J.M. Heinrichs on August 4, 2005 1:39 PM

Let us hope that somebody at Fiddler's will pour him an extra-strong one to ease the pain he's prolly still feeling, though dead, from just cocking that thing. (Or so Gunner Hogg says, and I believe him.)

Be still, my inelastic old intervertebral discs!

posted by Justthisguy on August 4, 2005 5:10 PM

Which reminds, me, JoA, have you ever done the experiment? Is your PIAT intact enough to perform the cocking operation? Is its spring still up to scratch? What *is* the rate of its spring in pounds/inch?

Just curious.

posted by Justthisguy on August 4, 2005 5:15 PM

Yes, if you look at the pics in the post I linked, you'll see the spring is in *fine* shape, still retains it's tempering coloration.

220lbs. It's a *bitch* to cock manually. Standing up. Weighing more than the springs tension.

And it's a bigger bitch to do laying down, so you don't get your head shot off.

I can't imagine doing it as your average Brit troop of WWII.

posted by John of Argghhh! on August 4, 2005 5:50 PM

Hey, don't you remember what we were like at that age? Not only were we physically stronger, but we had not yet worn out our adrenal glands by dealing with our annoying fellow humans for years and years.

M'self, I've just had these two burnt smoking cinders sitting on top of my kidneys for a long time, now...

posted by Justthisguy on August 4, 2005 6:36 PM

Having read the piece at Blackfive's, maybe I should just shuddup and watch more sunrises. Hope it's not too late for me. Dang! There went a man.

posted by Justthisguy on August 4, 2005 10:00 PM

� Dismissed, Soldier!

by John on Aug 04, 2005 | Something for the Soul

August 3, 2005

Paper targets fear them...

...and I have no doubt live ones would, too.

Castle Adjutant Barb and the Snarkatron Bad Cat Robot, Denizennes both, did a little shooting yesterday.

BCR has her target posted.

We are, *ahem* waiting on the Adjutant's target pics...

BCR needs to pull back the trigger finger a bit, and not pull so hard - an easy touch will do, and drag that center of mass right where it oughta be.

Not that where it *is* isn't going to be hard on a live target.

Lest anyone snark, the Armorer has posted his sadly deteriorating skillz before, too.

Hosting provided by FotoTime

Here are some more Armorer targets.

Update: Okay, so Barb did post one some time in the past... Last night! Last Night! Last Night! The Peasants with Pitchforks are roaring!

Reporting As Ordered, Sir! �

by John on Aug 03, 2005 | Gun Pics | Gun Rights
� Don Surber links with: Git Er Done, East Virginia

Stephen Vincent, RIP.

Castle Philosophotrix Kat is all over the murder of journalist Stephen Vincent in Basra. Wonder if the Religion of Peace, "all cultures are equal" crowd in the MSM will examine the down side of this... of course they will. It's Bush's fault, right? Kat is far more informed on all this than I am. I'll leave the rest in her capable hands.

If you never read his blog, In the Red Zone, you should have because he had the low down about the Shia Islamists having taken over the city. He interviewed them. He drank tea with them. But he always wrote the truth about it. The good and the bad.
And it was bad. The reports about prostitutes and other "undesirables" being murdered came from him. But he also took time to meet with some of the interesting people, such as the woman who proclaimed there would be women's rights, but insisted that it came from Islam while she wore a full abaya when she met him, only her eyes showing.

He brought a part of Iraq to the outside world that the rest of the media ignored.

Go, read about it here.

Reporting As Ordered, Sir! �

by John on Aug 03, 2005 | Global War on Terror (GWOT)

August 2, 2005

Whoa! Busy day in history today...

Hosting provided by FotoTime

216 -BC- Hannibal crushes a Roman Army at Cannae. Which, in the end, might as well be considered a Pearl Harbor... an event which led Admiral Yamamoto (the planner of the raid) to observe, ""I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve. ..." It moved the Romans to fully explore and execute Marcus Cato's dicta "Carthago Delenda Est" (Carthage must be destroyed). Anyone know any Carthaginians? Visited Carthage lately? Heh. And it echoes here in the Castle... Wahabism Delenda Est! Or, for the purists... Wahabismus Delenda Est!
[Erm, I've been reminded that it was really Hamilcar Barca, Hannibal's father, who roused the beast in the Punic Wars... still, a lesson in perseverance for us now...] [Another update: this time for the Googlebot: Yamamoto quote debunked - see comments to this post]

1776 Formal signing of Declaration of Independence. Royal Navy lands 32,000 British & Hessians on Staten Island, off New York. Hmm, that whole Declaration thing musta set 'em off...

1867 Wagon Box Fight: c. 30 army woodcutters defeat c. 1000 Sioux. And unknowingly provide the inspiration for decades of early Western movies, and for this cultural referent...

1887 Rowell Hodge receives a patent for barbed wire. The culture clash along the Chisum Trail and other locations intensifies.

1914 German troops invade Luxembourg. Russian troops invade Eastern Prussia. The Guns of August open up and the curtain goes up on the Final Act of the Napoleonic Wars. Have to draw a line somwhere... but it was the whole 'Balance of Power" idea established by the Brits to contain Napoleon that led to the interwoven treaties whose clauses cascaded to start the bloodbath. In truth, you can make the argument to lay even our current troubles at the feet of Napoleon.

1934 German Armed Forces swear a "Holy Oath" to the unholy Adolf Hitler. Thus setting the stage for the Angst of the German Officer Corps in their dealings with Hitler. Happy to embrace him in the beginning, starting to regret the deal in 1943, paralyzed to deal with it even as the Armies of the West and East were grinding german bones to dust.

1939 Einstein writes FDR about the atomic bomb. The seed that would become the Manhattan Project is planted.

1964 Gulf of Tonkin: North Vietnamese PT boats attack USS Maddox, resulting in HJ Resolution 1145. And we still haven't settled out the whole War Powers thing.

1990 Iraq invades & occupies Kuwait - onset of Destert Shield/Desert Storm. Hopefully all y'all are *up* on that...

In other news... mebbe I should put up a tip jar... H/t, multiple people seeking to help me expand the motor pool!

Let's close with this. I've not covered Jane Fonda's return to her roots, preferring to let others deal with it - and I don't have anything useful to add.

These troops do, however. They're holding her seat for her.

Hosting provided by FotoTime

H/t, multiple sources!

Reporting As Ordered, Sir! �

Think we can get Ms. Fonda to sit on the receiving end of that weapon this time?

posted by AFSister on August 2, 2005 8:52 AM

Well, I do understand that Zawahiri complained about Napolean invading Egypt and inviting a Jews to come and settle there to create a "buffer" between French Egypt and the terrorists..er...Mohammedin forces. then there was that whole thing where the British took it back and the ottomen finally took it again.

I blame it all on Nappy. He was short and had bad hair anyway.

posted by kat-missouri on August 2, 2005 9:16 AM

Someone needs to adjust that picture w/regards to hanoi jane properly...have two masked 'insurgents' next to an IED with that sign.

posted by Mythilt on August 2, 2005 9:48 AM

Didn't Fabius Cunctator and Joe Johnston both get fired before they could succeed? (Yeah I know, half-Hood-half-Johnston woulda worked better)

On Mr. Buonaparte: The nice old Imperialist Anglo-Irish lady who used to live around the corner discussed that with me, over her excellent whisky. We were talking about "just what happened to (formerly) Great Britain, anyway?" and decided that saving Western Civilization pretty much all by yerselves, three times in a row, can kinda tire out yer country and culture. I believe that the UK Treasury was still paying on bonds issued to defeat Nappy, as late as the 1950s!

Her family paid heavily, too. She had a Grandfather at Balaklava (in the *Heavy Brigade* (Blues), thank you) who was never the same afterwards. Also an uncle blown to tiny Irish elementary particles (smithereens) at the Retreat From Mons.

posted by Justthisguy on August 2, 2005 10:30 AM

Gentlemen-just found your site thanks to Michelle Malkin, and I salute you! Jane Fonda is the epitome of the "Celebrity" needing to be heard,needing to think she makes a difference by riding around in a vegetable oil propelled vehicle. This is so self mocking that she does all the work for us. I think she's just gotten so old that she no longer cares what people say against her, so it's not worth much of my time to insult her, but I will say that I didn't mind the years of her obscurity at all, and when she passes on, she will be quickly forgotten except for the evil that she did in Vietnam, and the attempted evil now-she should be dismissed and ignored.

posted by fine dry wit on August 2, 2005 11:09 AM

Good luck with your site! But let me point out one small item. The Adm Yamamoto quote about "waking a sleeping giant" is often used, but the man never said that. That "quote" was a total fabrication created as a suitable ending for the movie Tora, Tora, Tora. A documentary on TV a while back had the movie people admitting they thought that line up as a means of making the ending less depressing for American audiences.
They defended their fabrication on the basis of saying "Well, Yamamoto should have said that." What Yammomoto actually said was that he would "run wild" in the Pacific for 18 months but that if the war persisted longer than that he doubted Japan's ability to prevail. He was right strategically but was off by a couple months in terms of his personal future; 16 months after the attack on Pearl Harbor he was shot down and killed by the USAAF.
By the way, a friend of mine, a WWII and Vietnam vet, has a bumper sticker on his car that says it all: "I'll forgive Jane Fonda when the Jews forgive Hitler."

posted by Wayne on August 2, 2005 12:46 PM

Argghhh! I *hate it* when that happens! Not that I get caught, the I get it wrong!

Well, mebbe a *little* bit about getting caught, too.

More here.

posted by John of Argghhh! on August 2, 2005 12:50 PM

During a trip to Italy, I actually visited the ruins of Cannae. At the time, they were working on building a museum there and excavating the ruins. But basically, it was a free-for-all walking around the site. There were pottery shards and random sculptures everywhere. Basically, had we wanted to, we could have walked off with some ancient Roman artifacts, and no one would have been the wiser. The only people out there were some day laborers building stair ways and such through the ruins--they didn't give us a second look, and were clearly more interested in loafing than preventing theft.

From the high points, you can see the whole sweeping valley, and easily imagine how the battle shaped up. It was a really cool experience, especially since, unlike Pompeii, it's not overflowing with tourists, or rigidly structured as to where you can go and what you can see.

posted by Beck on August 2, 2005 7:04 PM

Note the ummm--assiduous--placement of the *sharp* metallic object on the gunner's seat of the ZPU...

posted by cw4(ret)billt on August 2, 2005 7:39 PM

I'm stealing that last photo.

You guys make me proud every day.

posted by Toby Petzold on August 2, 2005 7:44 PM

Toby - Check your mailbox. Hi-res compliments of the house for your impeccable taste in artwork...

posted by cw4billt on August 2, 2005 8:39 PM

BTW, that's a 42dID patch on each left shoulder. National Guard humor in the "One Weekend a Month My Ass" vein...

posted by cw4billt on August 2, 2005 8:44 PM

Hey, I was about to send you that Fonda-related news! Well, just shows we are thinking of the Castle north of the border.

posted by Flea on August 2, 2005 10:55 PM

Great minds etcetera etcetera...

posted by cw4(ret)billt on August 3, 2005 1:56 AM

John, I read your post of a year ago, and I have a Biblical precedent to cite: God ordered that Canaan be purged, even to the animals.

Israel did not obey. They had to get people like Samson and even he didn't obey. The Almighty warned Israel that by not purging Canaan that Israel would become corrupt, which certainly did happen and the Kingdom of Israel passed into history.

They make no distinctions with us. We are the demon seed to them and to show mercy in their minds is to show weakness. With the Germans it was different because before Hitler, they were a Christian nation. They didn't have generations steeped in hate and lies and false teachings.

It is in their DNA.

posted by Cricket on August 3, 2005 11:01 AM

� Dismissed, Soldier!

by John on Aug 02, 2005 | Historical Stuff
� Peenie Wallie links with: Jihad Jane - The Age of Treason
� Michelle Malkin links with: RESERVED FOR JANE FONDA
� Michelle Malkin links with: RESERVED FOR JANE FONDA
� bennellibrothers.com links with: Do Desert BDUs come in a size 5?
� Say Anything links with: Jane’s Regular Seat
� Dangerous Logic links with: Because "Take Cover In The Temporary Stock Pen" Didn't Have The Same Ring To It
� Scotts Conservative News & Commentary links with: Soldier's Keep Reservation For Hanoi/Jihad Jane
� morningsun.blog-city.com links with: See Jane Run
� Flopping Aces links with: Reserved For The Traitor
� CDR Salamander links with: Linked with no further comment from Argghhh!!!

August 1, 2005

Monday, Monday...

King Fahd of Saudi Arabia is dead. Aside from Franco-style Saturday Night Live jokes, I wonder if that means anything in the fight? Like, will the jihadis come forth in Saudi Arabia and make themselves available for lead poisoning? Whuff. Of course, if they come out into the open and *win*... we may find out, over time, what *is* on the target lists.

Finally. *Someone* is fighting the war on new fronts.

Some of you have been interested in anti-sniper tech - Strategy Page has an update on the Canadian-built (and used) Ferret system.

Some interesting footnotes in history today...

Here is one for the Castle's loyal Swiss reader, Origen: 1291 Everlasting League formed, basis of the Swiss Confederation. Yet *another* example of why the people should be disarmed, so as not to disturb the powerful in their sleep. William Tell.

1619 First black slaves landed at Jamestown, Virginia. Damned Dutch and Spanish, anyway.

1794 Whiskey Rebellion begins. Several Castle Readers and Blog Buds could probably empathize... at least for using Whiskey as an excuse to rebel...

1834 Slavery abolished in the British Empire. In cosmic terms, it really didn't take us much longer... but it sure was a lot harder.

1914 German Emperor Wilhelm II declares war on his nephew Tsar Nicholas II. The really unrecoverable die is cast. Soon, the Guns of August will be roaring.

1936 Adolph Hitler opens the 11th Olympic Games in Berlin. Go Jesse!

1940 Soviets occupy Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. The Iron Curtain falls across the Baltic Republics (the brief interlude of German occupation isn't really a bright spot...)

1943 Blackett Str: "Tokyo Express" to Kolombangara tangles with 15 PT-boats. JFK's PT-109 rammed & sunk by HIJMS Amagiri. Can you imagine, in today's political climate, what the political fringes would do with the PT109 story?

1944 LTG George S. Patton's Third Army begins 281 days of operations.

Before we move on from WWII - let's let Don Surber give us a little peek at some WWII revisionist history... This will just tear at your heart, I'm sure.

'After he was arrested, I never saw him again' "

Who's speaking there? Someone with relatives who ended up in Auschwitz? Nope. A Nanking Chinese? Nope. Tojo's grand-daughter. Yep.

1958 USS Nautilus attains "90 North". That would be the North Pole for anyone confused by that.

1966 Britain disbands the Colonial Office - the Empire is over. Well, until it reforms again in the prequel, Attack of the Clones... oh, wait - sorry - clash of culutural referents! The Colonial Office didn't last all that long, in terms of British History... but I *do* like this characterization of the founding:

The position was first created in 1768 to deal with the increasingly troublesome North American colonies.

That's us!

1966 UT Austin Massacre: Charles Whitman kills 13 people, wounds 31. Okay, the clock is ticking for the associated cultural referent. Who will be the first...

And here in Kansas City, a$$holes do vex us.

Reporting As Ordered, Sir! �

Good line up of links. I'm curious to see how the Saudi King's death plays out on the world scene and this war.

posted by Jay on August 1, 2005 8:08 AM

Thanks for the round-up. I visited Groton several years ago, and walked through the Nautilus. A kewl piece of history.

posted by Barb on August 1, 2005 8:17 AM

Will be intresting to see if Saudi's foreign policy changes any. I realise Aziz has been the de facto ruler for a while, but de facto and actual can be a bit different with no one watching over your shoulder

posted by BloodSpite on August 1, 2005 8:31 AM

Thanks for the link!

posted by don surber on August 1, 2005 8:42 AM

That would have to be Lee Ermy in Full Metal Jacket.
"what a motivated Marine and his rifle can do" (approx).

posted by RICK on August 1, 2005 9:38 AM

Speaking of Patton and strategy page, check this out.

[right-click here, open as a new window]
I was literally laughing out loud!

posted by eddie g on August 1, 2005 10:07 AM

Rick - it wasn't Ermey I was looking for, in that I was looking for the aspect of the Marines using Whitman and Oswald as examples of Marine marksmanship training... but while you didn't get there from the path I was looking for - you got there!

posted by John of Argghhh! on August 1, 2005 10:16 AM

It may just be me, but isn't that Lt Kerry sitting just to Jack's right in the PT 109 picture.

Nah. Must be somebody else.

posted by The Thomas on August 1, 2005 11:19 AM

Heh. Eddie and Thomas - you are baaad men! Wargamers should click on Eddie's link!

posted by John of Argghhh! on August 1, 2005 11:22 AM

This probably ISN'T the referent you were thinking of, but I was just reminded of The Ballad of Charles Whitman, by Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys, who were possibly the strangest country-rock band to ever come out of Austin, Texas.

I mean, how can you go wrong with lyrics like:

"There was rumor, of a tumor,
hidden at the bottom of his brain."

posted by Blake Kirk on August 1, 2005 12:35 PM

You're right, Blake. That sure wasn't. A whole little bit of Americana that had slipped under the Argghhh! radar...

posted by John of Argghhh! on August 1, 2005 12:43 PM

Well...we do seem to have a lot of a$$holes around here lately. I mean, that 34 year old guy and his 24 year old "step son" that beat up some 12 year old over alleged stolen handle bars on a bicycle and then drives buy unloading 150 shots from a semi auto rifle on the family home with children around?

John...I am thinking that we need some "community policing" around here big time.

Everyday is reporting another gang/drug related shooting including executions and drive bys. You know, we've always had some, but this year is looking to be the worst yet and moving quickly to the "worst ever" category.

And we're talking about building an arena downtown, not improving the police departments which have always been under paid and under supported here.

oopppsss! I feel a rant for the blog coming on.

posted by kat-missouri on August 1, 2005 2:13 PM

On the New Front on the GWOT, it's funny to see that the ex-terrorist site http://www.mojihedun.com/, now sports THIS Video Clip.

Great piece of Psy-ops work.

posted by Boquisucio on August 1, 2005 5:34 PM

Being of Swiss descent and living in West Virginia, I notice that William Tell and teh Whiskey Rebellion share a lot in common: City folk trying to tell us mountainfolk what to do

posted by don surber on August 1, 2005 5:59 PM

Liked the links. You think Osama might try to come back to Saudi Arabia now that there is a new king?

About Tojo: am I supposed to feel pity for his family?

Defensive position? We imposed sanctions on the Japanese to deny them the raw materials for their war in China. And we are the bad guy? What on earth does China have that Japan doesn't? Land? Yep.

Does Al Jazeera accuse US of empire building, when Japan was guilty of the same thing way back in the 30s?

The mind boggles. But like they say, politics makes strange bedfellows.

posted by Cricket on August 1, 2005 10:25 PM

Charles Whitman murders? Are we comparing the shootings at Columbine? The ignorance of the family and parents as to what their kids were doing or what drove them to do it?

Or did I miss the mark?

posted by Cricket on August 1, 2005 10:39 PM

U.S. General reports on Fallujah: "The Name of the Game was Whoop-Ass!"

posted by Solomon2 on August 2, 2005 11:52 AM

Oh, yeah, Whitman. There was a movie, "The Deadly Tower", made about that, with a rather annoying anti-gun bias. Kinda innocent they were in those days, though. No SWAT teams, no armed helicopters, just armed citizens keeping his head down and distracted while a citizen volunteer and an Austin cop went up and took care of business. When I was in Austin back in '92 I took the tour of the campus. The gel who guided us couldn't answer my questions about just what weapons Whitman used. You'd think that would be a good tour-guide talking point.

posted by Justthisguy on August 3, 2005 9:40 PM

� Dismissed, Soldier!

by John on Aug 01, 2005 | Historical Stuff
� Don Surber links with: Al-Jazeera's New Hero: Tojo
� MatthewMaynard.net links with: Ferrets & Snipers

July 31, 2005

Ever wonder...

...how an aircraft manufacturer like Sukhoi manages to keep cranking out fighters despite shakeups in the Russian economy?

The secret's out...

Reporting As Ordered, Sir! �

by CW4BillT on Jul 31, 2005 | Plane Pr0n

Wahabism Delenda Est!

If cease fires in the name of peace actually produced peace the Middle East would be the most peaceful place on earth by now.
.
Mebbe it's just Clobbering Time.
.
Just sayin'
.
"The Iraqis don't want Saddam back - they want the stability. But they want the stability without being fed into industrial chippers."
. -The Armorer, on Hugh Hewitt, 27 December 2006.

Life Member