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Kat’s been having too much fun being first.
Not a link, but a book recommendation. David Drake’s Redliners. Want to understand without a moment’s doubt the difference between Normal and Military? Read that book. Sure it’s only fiction, but it’s fiction like Uris’ Battlecry is.
Yeah, I sympathize with ‘God’ in this book. A lot.
Also may speak to the affair le Arkin.
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Why is a ‘Bush is the Debil’ site the first place I’ve seen to run the ppt brief on Iranian involvement? Are we lagging or are security clearances a problem?
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This is why I believe that while diplomacy needs to be in the toolkit it shouldn’t be thought of as the only useful tool. EU internal doc says Iran nuc program cannot be stopped.
There comes a time when talking has no more value. I hope Barnett is right, that we can treat the Iranians like bigboys and move them away from being a real problem with economic ties (please, God let Barnett be right, please, please, please.). But if this EU report is right then we may have talked ourselves passed the window to do anything else about it since raiding isn’t going to stop the program indefinitely. Not when there’s money to be made off of selling Iran the components to build reactors it won’t.
h/t OPFOR
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Has anyone actually seen the numbers on this yet? Are they playing the trim in increase is a cut game or are there real cuts in the budget for VA?
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Was Japan hit by heretical Islamic terrorists? ()
Don’t mess with the Japanese. We just got them to stop being a militaristic society. You don’t want them to get angry and go a-conquering. Ask the Chinese and the Koreans about the last time they did that. Really, they’re crazier than the Canadians---and you don’t want them mad at you either. Better yet, just realize you don't want any of us mad at you and call it a life.
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JRobb may have a lead on what type of MANPAD are showing up in Iraq and threatening helicopters.
ry
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Since David Perlmutter is the source of my invitation to the "Blog to the Chief" event at the Dole Institute tonight, it seems only polite to invite you to David's blog, Policy By Blog. Some lefty student groups are expressing an intent to show up at the event tonight, with the purpose of shouting down the right-wingers on the panel. We'll see. Be fun, regardless. -the Armorer
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Looks like the Iranian Police have a security problem. They're losing their expensive Austrian sniper rifles. No worries. US troops are finding and securing them for the Iranian cops. Finding and securing them in... Iraq. H/t, Master Jules, who has found the wabbit. -the Armorer
Update (13 June 07) It would appear the story is *wrong* - at least based on evidence (or, rather, the lack of evidence of the rifles). See Bob Owens at Confederate Yankee for the details. That's the nice thing about a blog - I can go back and update the old post, which will hopefully help Googlers out. -the Armorer
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Someone you should know: Mary Irvin Roun. Soldier's Angel now with the Angels. ...now is the time at Castle Argghhh! when we dance: In Memoriam. -the Armorer
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A little love note from Republican Conference:
Best One Minute of the DAYCongressman Patrick McHenry (North Carolina 10)
Please click here to see the actual floor speech
Mr. McHenry: "After months of campaigning against stay the course, the democrats are proposing just that. A stay the course resolution here on the house floor. Their Iraq resolution does not have the force of law and in fact this nonbinding resolution is simply a mealy-mouthed attempt to appease their democrat leftist base. Democrats have held 52 hearings on Iraq since taking control of congress. Let me get this right. The democrats have held 52 hearings so they can show one resolution on the house floor that has no bearing on the president's policy, does not have the force of law, does not advocate the withdrawal of troops, and does nothing except have a tantrum here on the house floor. So please explain this new direction, madam speaker. This is not a new direction. It's political posturing of the worst kind. Madam speaker, where's your plan? Where's your plan for victory in Iraq? Where's your plan for success and national security? I yield back."
Indeed, what *is* the plan? I understand "withdraw" - but they won't come out and demand it in an accountable fashion. Just sayin'. -the Armorer
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They have a plan, but they aren't committed to it right now because there is no dialogue with Iran so they cannot be sure if it is completely feasible or what the Iranian expectations are. They are also hedging their bets for the 2008 election. Some Republicans have been doing the same. Points 5 and 6 I stated on January 24, 2007:
5) If the negotiations at behest of Shia do not work, the Shia dominate the country, the politics, the police and military, thus they may mobilize and brutally put down the Sunni insurgents/Al Qaeda terrorists/Ba'athists (all hopes of the US efforts) in such a way that only Iraqis can do to Iraqis as it is "internal". Hopefully, this does not start until we completely withdraw from the country in order to avoid being tainted. 6) Whether through negotiation or brutal war, Sunni support for Al Qaeda type terrorists and ability to hide/protect camps, travelers, planners, etc would be greatly reduced because the Shia will control Iraq.
Here's a video of "Over the horizon" - Murtha who basically outlines the Democrat position: when we leave, the Shia will sweep Al Qaeda from Iraq. I noted that in the "coming Sunni/shia war" how many of our "Sunni" allies are making noises because they just won't sit down for an Iranian dominated region or OPEC.
It basically puts the tension between the Sunni and Shia, hopefully forcing the "conservative" Sunni factions in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, etc that normally fund these "charities"/ "missionaries"/ "terrorist funding and recruiting" organizations to turn and face the closer enemy. It's way Cold War.
Problem though assumes that the Iranians, who have been helping both AQ and the Shia, will not only turn off arms, but turn on the AQ and not use them to continue to attack our allies in SA, Jordan and Egypt in order to consolidate their power and force additional concessions from them.
Second problem, as I see it, is that the Shia will force AQ from Iraq after a very bloody battle, but AQ and their now extended following of Takfiri Islamists will have to go somewhere and that somewhere will be back into Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Egypt to name a few places. They will do that along with the hundreds of thousands of additional refugees that will go into these countries. For Jordan, unless we have a giant aid package ready to go, that could mean utter collapse of one of our best allies.
The amount of terrorist spawning radicalism that would ensue boggles my mind and makes me extremely leery of this Democrat plan. Largely because, again, it presupposes that all the actors involved, states or non-state terrorists, would react predictably and rationally.
For this possibility, they are willing to let hundreds of thousands of Iraqis die in the ensuing bloodbath, give Iran the Nuke and leave our allies dangling in the wind like so much red meat at the butcher shop.
What does this administration do? At most they present information that shows Iran is supplying both sides of the war effort and killing our men and women while the President tells Iran that we won't attack them. Ever. All this because the Republican fall back plan is the Democrat plan. The only difference is the Republicans are hedging their bets that they can bring Iraq under control before having to go to "plan b" (or "c" or "d" depending on your take).
[I suppose I should have posted this at my own place as an actual post, but I felt the need to answer - essay - on the matter right below your question -kat]
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UPDATE: Soldiers' Angels Snake Saturday/Armory Nights has been rescheduled due to inclement weather. Please check KC Soldiers' Angels blog for updates. Current plan is next Tuesday, February 20th, same place and time. -Kat
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Good stuff, Kat. So, lessee, if I were to condense the plan to a television soundbite it would be... Vietnamese re-education camps, Pol-Pot, and the Pathet Lao redux. So, I guess this *is* Vietnam. Heh. -the Armorer
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