Tuesday, November 11, 2014

The seeds of nuclear warfare in the Middle East are being planted...

The Truman National Security Project, a nonprofit think tank with ties to the administration, is assembling a “crack team of writers” to flood national and local media outlets with articles supporting the White House’s efforts before the details of a final nuclear deal have even emerged, according to internal emails sent by the organization to its listserv.
“Our community absolutely must step up and not cede the public narrative to neocon hawks that would send our country to war just to screw the president,” Graham F. West, Truman’s writing and communications associate, wrote in a recent email to the organization’s listserv.
The statement comes from an organization that has long billed itself as an independent voice for “strong, smart, and principled solutions to the global challenges Americans now face,” according to Truman’s mission statement.
“Once again, Truman is gearing up for an all-hands-on-deck effort to support the administration’s goal of securing a nuclear deal between Iran and the P5+1,” West wrote in the email. “The core message is the same: a deal is the only way to prevent an Iranian bomb and keep the U.S. out of another war.”
Then this from the Truman Think Tank...
As the November 24th deadline for a nuclear agreement between Iran and the P5+1 world powers gets closer to Crunch time, its seems that some folks are telling Mounds of Whoppers about the idea of chasing a bad deal. As the Marathonnegotiations have been held across the globe (in locations as diverse as Vienna and New YorkCity), the fact remains that the Smarties we have working the negotiation table are fighting to keep the United States—and the world—safe from an Iranian Atomic Fireball.Many commentators slipped into a Sour Patch when the interim deal was extended in July. However, the potential to allow for a little more time for discussion was always part of the plan; these negotiations are tougher than a Gobstopper, and we didn’t expect Iran to just Rolover to every demand. While everyone came to the table expecting some Swedish Fishy behavior from the other side, Iran has negotiated in Mr Goodbar faith—freezing and rolling back critical parts of their nuclear program.Many AirHeads opposed to the deal were worried that Iran would be Snickersing all the way to a PayDay as we loosened sanctions on them during the talks. But, like a modern day version of the 3Musketeers, the P5+1 has been able to hold the international sanctions regime intact. And U-No that the relief that Iran has received thus far has been a far cry from a Life Savers; we haven’t exactly been a Sugar Daddy.One of the major keys to accomplishing all of this progress so far has been the presence of international inspectors on the ground.  These are some of the smartest nuclear Nerds in the Milky Way, and their ability to move beTwixt the Iranian scientists and keep a close eye on their activity is essential to global security. Without their presence on the ground, the Iranians could start working on a Warheads at any point and we would be none the wiser.Ultimately, there are Good & Plenty reasons to be optimistic about a potential Iran deal. Don’t listen to the Goobers3_5ozBox who insist that diplomacy won’t work before the talks are even concluded, or the politicians who would let a deal slip through their butterfinger s just to score a few cheap points against the President. Instead, connect the Dots between continued negotiations, a nuclear weapons-free Iran, and a safe and secure United States Now & Later.  Don’t be a Dum Dum: support our diplomats as they keep working to Skor a deal with Iran!
I haven't been keeping up with the negotiations between the Administration and Iran but this is rather ominous.

If its a good deal then there is no need for a "full court press".  If it gives away the farm then the gearing up to defend it is should be considered treason.

Time to go to school on those negotiations.  If the President is wrong then we could see the seeds of nuclear warfare being planted.

Sidenote:  I haven't seen something this silly being put out by a Think Tank...ever.  

Ferguson. A near future, two way firing range...

via StLouisCBS.local.
Ferguson is “getting prepared for war” if a grand jury doesn’t indict Officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown.
Missouri State Highway Patrol Capt. Ron Johnson toldCBS News he has been meeting with students, gang members and ministers about what might happen following the grand jury decision that is expected to come down this month.
“There’s a lot of fear. A lot of people are afraid of what could happen,” Johnson explained. “In the end, this is gonna be the community we have to live in.”
Ronardo Ward, 33, is one of those hoping to maintain peace in Ferguson if Wilson isn’t indicted.
“We are getting prepared for war,” Ward told CBS News. “And that’s just crazy.”
Michael Johnson, 42, believes many young people will rail against the “system.”
“There’s gonna be a lot of angry young people that’s pretty much not gonna listen to the system anymore,” Michael Johnson said. “Why should they?”
Protests have been going on for months following Brown’s death in August.
No matter where you stand on this issue, I want you to consider this.

The police have felt "under the gun" for years.  The community has been too, but have complied because they felt that criminals were the target of heavy handed police tactics.

Now?

The community feels like the community.  Now the community is feeling like they're being targeted and killed by police.  Would you submit to arrest if you felt that you were going to be summarily executed by police?  Sounds outrageous?  Take a deep dive into the internet and read what is being said.

Yep.  No matter where you stand, rest assured that Ferguson is about to be a two way firing range.

Sidenote:  The only thing that Holder and the Justice Dept had to do to prevent this from turning into the clusterfuck to be is to step in and do an investigation.  If the Justice Dept came back with a no-bill on Wilson then we would not be facing a weekend or more of watching a US city burn.

Sidenote 1:  The same applies to the Democrat Governor of that state.

Sidenote 2:  I would appreciate a vigorous debate but will not tolerate race baiters etc...There are sites that would more than welcome your participation but not here.

Veteran's Day.


Happy Veteran's Day.

Remember the fallen, the Gold Star Mothers and other family members that don't have their Service Member with them today.


Monday, November 10, 2014

15 seconds of awesomeness...




Ferguson is turning into a meeting engagement...

I still believe that the authorities have acted badly in how they dealt with the protests in Ferguson.  The DA has basically given a green light to police misconduct, the Governor punted when he could have appointed an independent investigation, the FBI and Justice Dept pussied out when they could have intervened and so on.  So what do we have now?  Basically a meeting engagement in a city inside the US of A.  Check this out.

via MintPressNews.
In breaking news, newly-leaked information has come to us concerning the protests that are being planned following the verdict of Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri.
The verdict reading is secretly scheduled for the weekend of the 14th-16th, more than likely on the 14th around 6pm after all the schools are cleared. This comes in part at the request of the schools.
Our sources tell us that the verdict is 100% that they will not indict the Officer Darren Wilson. So there is no need to wait and find out what they say before making your travel plans if you are interested in protesting the verdict.
The State has rolled in 9 heavy armored vehicles and which are currently being parked at Scott Air Force Base with 3 near the airport (the base is by the airport). Mconnel Air Force Base in Kansas is where the armored vehicles came from which is why one of our sources spotted the convoy of them near Salina, Kansas.
Our sources also tell us that the National Guard is 100% ready and preparing for the weekend and is currently stationed at Scott Air Force Base. The military base named Fort Riley in Kansas is where National Guard along with other agencies have been training and going over actions designed for mass civil unrest in Ferguson and have actively training in two-week programs for the last month and a half. After completion of training they were sent to wait in Fort Leanordwood, Missouri, and now the Air Force base as well.
We are also being told that plans for downtown St. Louis are underway as well. The police are fearing mass civil unrest to spread in to downtown and other cities. A Black Hawk helicopter is parked at Lambert Airport in St. Louis as well, which gives us some idea about how heavy-handed of a police and military response the State is planning.
Our sources also tell us the following:
Global Hawk will have all coms jammed in ferguson
300 Department of Homeland Security SUVs parked in a 3 story underground garage in STL
Police are upset and speaking frequently about releasing names of family members
Conversation taking place online about Ferguson are being monitored by a Fusion Center which is currently acting as a Early Warning Station for “Terrorism” pertaining to Ferguson
There are 24 agencies in total, local police getting orders from federal agencies
There has been 23k has been spent on non lethal weaponry 17k of that from a federal grant
On top of all of this, it should be noted that Darren Wilson is in Atlanta, not in Ferguson or surrounding areas.

As well, residents and travelers should be advised to expect multiple strategic police lines, and street closures in and around Ferguson with no travel allowed in.
Now here’s where it gets really interesting… Northrup Gruman has been hired as the IT contractor for Scott Air Force Base. Contacts on the inside are telling us that Alert status has been in affect this week for Ferguson as they are finishing their training in Kansas.
What do I find alarming?

This is a full court press.  These type of assets (if this is true), could not be assembled without the assistance/agreement of federal authorities.

So once again, no matter where you come down on the issue, we're about to see citizen protests being put down in the same way that the Nazi's, the Soviet Union, or even modern day China would.

Jack booted thugs in police uniforms are about to put on a show of force.

Awesome (sarcasm spiking).

Happy Birthday Marines!!!




Sunday, November 09, 2014

Uralvagonzavod Corporation Armor Wallpaper...

Note:  Headed to the Uralvagonzavod website to check on the progress of the Atom family of armored vehicles and saw this.








The Merkava IV Tank in the 7th Armored Brigade

The Merkava IV Tank in the 7th Armored Brigade
The Merkava IV tank makes its introduction to the 7th Armored Brigade.





Chinese IFVs & Mobile Guns...

Note:  All pics via Airpower Australia.  Follow the links for detailed descriptions on each vehicle.  This site has the best information on Chinese armor that I've found.  Dig deep and enjoy.

Note 1:  I'm not sure that Chinese armor could stand up in a head on fight against US, Japanese, Australian or S. Korean armor.  But its not designed for that.  I'm seeing a turn toward regional expeditionary operations.  Strategic mobility and numbers will carry the day instead of relying on heavy armor.

ZBD-04/08



ZBD-05



Type 89 Command Vehicle



ZBD09



PTL02 100 mm Assault Gun




ZDB03 Airborne Combat Vehicle



MilSpecMusing's take on Putin's plan.



"Russians don't take a dump without a plan"
MilSpecMusing has a take on the "Russian Plan" over at his house.  Good reading on this Sunday before we get locked in on football...

SPMAGTF-CR about to get killed in the crib?


via Information Dissemination.
“And the important goal that we're trying to wrestle with right now under intense budget pressure is to get the proper mix between the forces that are forward presence forces and those based in the United States and our U.S. territories, which are our surge forces. That's what we're trying to do…

…So simply put, something has to give. Maintaining our military at such high tempo in this resource-constrained environment is simply no longer sustainable. Period. End of story. It prevents us from properly preparing for future contingencies across the full spectrum of conflict. Now, that is what wakes me up at night, because ultimately preparing the joint force to win wars is what the department does. It is what we are charged to do.
Read the entire article here.

Everyone knows my take on SPMAGTF-CR's.  They're simply an attempt to highlight the MV-22, push the idea of more command slots for the aviation side of the house AND an attempt at legacy building by Amos.

Let's be clear.  When first formed, the idea of Company Landing Teams at the end of a 1000 mile supply chain, relying on V-22's for supplies, MAYBE Marine Corps Harriers, USAF F-16's/A-10's/F-15's, hopefully Navy aviation for close air support and being stuck in bad guy land for 3 days or longer was a recipe designed to have Marines arrive back home in body bags.

But to hear Deputy Sec of Defense Bob Work...a former Marine...start talking about forward deployed forces...and my take on his speech is that he's insisting that we be smart about it....just makes me wonder.

Are we about to see SPMAGTF-CR's killed in the crib?  God!  I hope so!

F-35 News. China is re-shaping its clone. What does that tell us?

Photo via Chinese Military Review blog.


Above you see a photo that the Chinese Military Review blog calls a refined model of the J-31 developed by AVIC.

What does this tell us?

Just spitballing here but the Chinese have full access (whether we like it or not) to the F-35's specs.  They probably were able to steal the results of its testing and know its true capabilities.

Does this indicate that the F-35 isn't as stealthy as is being claimed?  Does it mean that they desire a higher level of stealth than is available in its current form?  Are they having trouble with the stealth coating and are trying to refine the shape to get it up to standard?

I have no idea.

I'll let you aviation guys fight this out, but I find it interesting.  Could we finally see the Chinese move...even if its just a little (and I understand that some will say that this is just an attempt to make the J-31 look more like the F-22)...from stealing to innovating?

Time will tell.

Which is better...Discipline or Motivation?