Archive for the ‘International’ Category

This story has been in the news lately: US Troops Outnumber Taliban 12-1

First of all, US troops don’t outnumber the Taliban 12-1, it’s all NATO and Afghan forces combined that, according to this report, outnumber the Taliban fighters 12-1.

Secondly, as far as I can tell it’s just counting active Taliban militants, not any of the support network. So if they want to provide a meaningful number, it would be better to only count NATO and Afghan combatants.

Third, as the story does point out, two-thirds of the NATO/Afghan number are Afghan military and police, many of which are woefully under-trained and ill-equipped.

Finally, they’re probably not interested in a meaningful number, anyway. They’re probably looking to spread the idea that there are already so many troops in Afghanistan that it’s pointless to send more just because the military wants them.

For all the talk about “the Surge” in Iraq, it was the shift of tactics and the increasing capabilities and use of the Iraqi forces that made the largest difference.

As long as the Taliban types can keep running into Pakistan to rest and re-arm, things are going to be really tough no matter what the ratio is.

Not at all what happened
USS Ramage (DDG 61) firing a 5-inch gun in 2008.

Destroyer accidentally fires on Polish port

Three 7.62 rounds from an M240 machine gun equals “fired on Polish port.”

The crew of the destroyer Ramage was doing “routine maintenance” to the ship in the port of Gdynia when a sailor inadvertently fired the burst from one of the warship’s M240 machine guns, the official said.

Thankfully, no one was hurt.

But if you think this headline is bad, check out this Russian headline:

US destroyer shells Polish shore

Rooskie journalism hasn’t lost a step.

5.56 NATO Dimensions

Steve at The Firearm Blog notes British soldiers also complaining about 5.56mm NATO

In the Telegraph:

A survey of more than 50 servicemen who have fought in Iraq and Afghanistan concluded that the 5.56mm calibre rounds used by British soldiers ‘tailed off’ after 300 metres yet half of all Helmand firefights are fought between 300 and 900 metres.

This seems to make sense and be perfectly reasonable. After all, our Special Forces found out pretty much the same thing in 2001. A lot of them switched to the heavier Mk 262 from the M855 green tip.

But then there’s:

Taliban marksmen use powerful 7.62mm ammo for their AK47 machine guns, according to a report of the study in The Sun.

If they’re trying to argue that AKs firing 7.62 Russian are outshooting guys with 5.56mm SA80 rifles, they’re going to have to do a lot of convincing. Since they use the term “machine gun”, maybe they mean the 7.62×54mm used in the PK-series. But then they’re arguing apples and oranges.

Yes, the 5.56 leaves some things to be desired. Particularly out of shorter barrels.

Yes, a heavier intermediate round such as the 6.8 SPC or the 6.5 Grendel would probably do better in a wider range of circumstances, particularly at longer ranges.

Yes, full size rounds like the 7.62×51 fired from a full-length rifle pack quite a wallop.

But let’s not whine about 5.56 at medium to long range and then extol the 7.62 Russian or medium machine gun rounds in the media.

Royal Navy could be forced to build aircraft carrier which doesn’t carry planes

Prince of Wales may go from carrier to commando ship if budget cuts cancel F-35 buys.

It is too late for the Navy to cancel the contract, but the carrier may have to be downgraded to a commando ship, with only helicopters on board to carry troops.

The move would save about £8.2billion from the defence budget.

They’re thinking that when the only fixed-wing capable carrier is in for refit that they’ll borrow a carrier from France.

This seems crazy.

UPDATE: A British official has called this report “complete rubbish.”

Another former Gitmo detainee killed in a shootout

On Oct. 13, a former Guantanamo detainee named Yousef Mohammed al Shihri was killed in a shootout at a checkpoint along the Saudi-Yemeni border. Al Shihri and his accomplices were stopped by Saudi security forces after their suspicious behavior drew attention.

Two of the travelers, including al Shihri, were reportedly dressed as women. Saudi security personnel decided to search the al Qaeda car and its passengers, but al Shihri and the others opened fire. Al Shihri and one other al Qaeda member were killed in the shootout, while a third was arrested. One Saudi security officer was also killed. [emphasis Murdoc's]

What a coward.

He was repatriated to Saudi Arabia in November 2007. It’s not clear to Murdoc exactly why, but fortunately things worked out in the end.

Via Powerline, which writes:

Instead of investigating those who extracted information from captured terrorists who had been unwilling to provide any, perhaps the Obama administration should investigate those who caused terrorists like al Shihri to be released so they resume their jihad.

Seems the Saudis, who lost a man in this shootout, would also want to know.

Not-So-Secure Border Initiative

The $3.7 billion spent so far has bought a patchwork of sub-par technology that often can’t tell a terrorist from a tumbleweed.

Cameras and radars mounted on tall poles can be so shaken by the wind and blinded by the rain that they don’t see clearly. The radars report intruders where there are none. The cameras have trouble seeing and then transmitting images back to human monitors.

When it was begun in 2006, the Secure Border Initiative – called SBInet – was supposed to be completed early this year. But by the time that due date rolled around, the estimated date of completion had slid out to 2016.

This whole issue has always been a joke. I’ve certainly never been convinced than anyone calling the shots is at all serious about actually securing the border.

The new Block 1 SBInet needs a 70% identification rate to be deemed acceptable. That means that three in ten illegal crossers can get through unseen and it’s good enough.

That’s not the definition of “good enough” that I’m familiar with.

It’s clear that no one currently in power is going to do anything meaningful about this. That means different people need to be in power.

Here are a couple of additional items on the ongoing soap opera surrounding Turkey:

Israel-Turkey Rift Derails Defense Trade

The growing Israel-Turkey rift that culminated in Ankara canceling Israeli participation in a multinational exercise threatens to derail already declining defense cooperation between the two countries, said officials from both countries.

Israel plans to withhold export licenses for the sale of defense articles and services to Turkey, and demote the country’s standing from preferred to one that carries a presumption of denial, Ministry of Defense sources said.

On the flip side:

For Turkey and Israel, Common Interests Trump Tensions

The improbable relationship between Turkey and Israel has long stood as a unique model of pragmatic, strategic thinking in a region rife with instability, tension, and identity-based alliances. In recent months, however, growing strains between the Jewish state and its Muslim neighbor have come to light, leading some to believe their decades-old ties could reach the breaking point. And yet, if one looks more closely at the relationship, it is hard to avoid the conclusion that a break between the two countries is highly unlikely.

I hope so.

(Via Instapundit) Over at Real Clear World, Caroline Glick writes about How Turkey Was Lost to the West:

Once the apotheosis of a pro-Western, dependable Muslim democracy, this week Turkey officially left the Western alliance and became a full member of the Iranian axis…

On Monday, 11 Turkish government ministers descended on Syria to sign a pile of cooperation agreements with Iran’s Arab lackey. The Foreign Ministry didn’t even have a chance to write apologetic talking points explaining that brazen move before Syria announced it was entering a military alliance with Turkey and would be holding a joint military exercise with the Turkish military. Speechless in the wake of Turkey’s move to hold military maneuvers with its enemy just two days after it canceled joint training with Israel, Jerusalem could think of no mitigating explanation for the move.

Like many, I’ve long wondered just what, exactly, is really going on in Turkey and what things are going to look like down the road. It appears that we’re finding out that the shining example of “how things could be” is more than a little tarnished. And here’s a bit about something I think has been overlooked in the discussion about the hows and whys of the invasion and post-invasion phase of Iraq:

Until this week, both Israel and the US were quick to make excuses for Ankara. When in 2003 the AKP-dominated Turkish parliament prohibited US forces from invading Iraq through Kurdistan, the US blamed itself. Rather than get angry at Turkey, the Bush administration argued that its senior officials had played the diplomatic game poorly.

The 4th Infantry Division was supposed to enter from the north via Turkey, but the equipment stayed aboard ships in the Med and the troops stayed home until well after the invasion was on. They eventually entered from Kuwait after needing to shift to the Persian Gulf.

I wrote in March 2003, when the military aspect of the campaign was still fuzzy:

Neither do we know exactlty why the negotiations with Turkey failed to get us the access we wanted to pass the 4th Infantry Division through into northern Iraq. If the [military] plan is indeed seriously flawed, my opinion is that the largest error was not getting that access. If we weren’t going to get it, we should have shifted the 4th ID to Kuwait immediately.

Now, as it turned out, quick military victory was achieved without the invasion from Turkey. But I’ve wondered how things would have looked if it would have gone off as originally planned or, alternatively, if we had shifted the 4th ID immediately to Kuwait and had them available earlier in the campaign.

Is Turkey really “lost” to the West? Tough to say for sure, but it doesn’t look good.

One of these guys appears to stand out in, well, in just about every way:

n a true show of partnership, a U.S. Paratrooper along with Egyptian and Pakistani soldiers prepare to enter a room during Military Operations in Urban Terrain training at the Mubarak Military City, Egypt, during Operation Bright Star 2009/10. The training was part of the overall exercise designed to build partnerships and military cooperation between the 11 countries involved in the exercise. Photo by Sgt. Ty Stafford

Story: 82nd Airborne Division Helps Train Troops Coalition Forces in Egypt

Also see:
Bright Star Abrams
Bright Star Ospreys

Coalition forces conduct amphibious operations to move U.S. Marines from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit on the USS Bataan, sailing in the Mediterranean Sea, to a staging area on Mubarak Military City near Alexandria, Egypt. Operation Bright Star 2009 is a multinational exercise is designed to improve readiness, interoperability, and strengthen military and professional relationships among U.S., Egyptian and several other participating forces. Photo by Spc. Lindsey Frazier

More info and photos at: Bright Star 2009 Participants Conduct Amphibious Operations Exercise

More Bright Star earlier today.