Archive for the ‘World War 4’ Category

Iraq’s Sadr backs embattled Assad

Murdoc is shocked, SHOCKED, to see this:

Iraq’s radical anti-US Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has expressed support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad

Apparently the Mook is cool with what Assad’s up to in Syria these days because he continues to defy America and Israel. You’ve got to at least give him points for consistency.

Afghan National Army Special Forces candidates conduct a training exercise at the Commando School of Excellence, Kabul province, Afghanistan, Oct. 29, 2011. (DoD photo by Pfc. Matthew Minkema, U.S. Army/Released)

See also Afghan Commandos.

Brigade leaving Strykers behind

3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, is readying for a deployment to Afghanistan in December, and it will leave its fleet of roughly 300 eight-wheeled Strykers at home.

Instead, about 3,000 soldiers from the brigade will drive a mix of armored vehicles that are already in Afghanistan, such as the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) and its all-terrain variety, the M-ATV.

I didn’t realize they were not taking their Strykers. While some might wonder what the point of Stryker Brigade without Strykers is, it’s important to remember that the key force in a Stryker brigade are the soldiers. They Strykers are their transport and support vehicles.

And, given the issues that those vehicles (and the similar LAVs used by Canadian forces) have faced in Afghanistan, it’s probably not the end of the world. Depending on where they’re going to be operating and what they’re going to be doing, using MRAPs and M-ATVs could be much better anyway.

However,

They prepared for their deployment in August at California’s National Training Center, where they used Strykers.

This fall, drivers throughout the brigade are getting a condensed course on how to drive MRAPs and M-ATVs. Few of the vehicles are available for training because the Defense Department sent most of them directly to Iraq and Afghanistan.

This could be a bit worrisome if they aren’t completely up to speed on using the alternative vehicles and operating without the support of the Strykers.

Son of slain US-born al-Qaida cleric killed in airstrike, tribal elders say

Gotta say that don’t look all that impressive:

U.S. special operations forces (SOF) and Afghan National Army commandos conduct a patrol during a clearing operation in Chak district, Wardak province, Afghanistan, Oct. 9, 2011. SOF team members and Afghan commandos conducted the operation in order to disrupt insurgent activity in the area. (DoD photo by Staff Sgt. Kaily Brown, U.S. Army/Released)

The guy with the M240 looks pretty much gassed.

Murdoc’s got little to add to all that’s being said about the 10-year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

He will say that the homily in this weekend’s Mass, which focuses on the Christian duty to forgive, was a good one. Clearly, this topic on this weekend is one that could easily press a lot of my buttons, and the previous priest in our parish said some things on different occasions that pushed Murdoc into DEFCON 1 mode, but this message was probably about as close to on the money as you’re likely to get in church.

Our priest pointed out that to forgive someone did not necessarily mean to pardon them, and that it certainly did not mean to forget what it was that they had done to need forgiving for. He also pointed out that to act out of anger or to get revenge on an enemy is not what we’re taught, and Murdoc agrees.

We don’t make war upon those who war against us out of hatred or anger or a desire for vengeance. We make war upon those warring against us out of a desire and need to see justice done and a peace return. And if those who declare themselves our enemies refuse to co-exist in the modern civilized world and we believe it’s in our best interest and the interest of our allies and the other peaceable nations of the world to fight, so be it. America and her allies are not lashing out in rage and anger, blindly striking at anything that looks like a target, in an attempt to strike back after 9/11. Critics at home and abroad would have you believe that that is exactly what’s happening (or we’re trying to steal the oil…it’s always so difficult understanding exactly what most critics are saying) but anyone who’s paid much attention to what’s actually happening instead of listening to the blowhard pundits and entertainers knows that the critics are not telling the truth.

Several years ago I wrote a summary of the first chapter of the 9/11 Commission Report entitled Planes. As in plural. The title of that chapter is “We have some planes”, which is something transmitted by the hijacker pilot of American 11. It is believed that he meant to make the announcement on the internal PA system but accidentally keyed the transmit button and was overheard by Boston Air Route Traffic Control Center. The statement is chilling because it indicated that this was not an ordinary hijacking and it wasn’t carried out by a lone group of terrorists but it was, as we learned, part of a large horrific plot orchestrated by skilled enemies who were very serious about their business.

“We have some planes.”

The man who said that is no longer in this world, and Murdoc strongly suspects that he is disappointed about how things turned out for him in the next one. But if he were taking messages, Murdoc’s transmission would be this:

“You have some planes? I’ll admit that’s bad. Even a little scary. But I’ve got a message for you, too. You don’t have ENOUGH planes. Not nearly enough. In fact, I don’t think there are enough planes in the whole world. Not for you to win. So you do things your way and we’ll do things ours; my kids and grandkids will see who was right.”

Today we remember the fallen. We honor those who went into the fires or who fought back on this day ten years ago. We respect those who keep us safe. And we know who will prevail.

God Bless America.

The lead story on Yahoo is usually either stupid celebrity crap or stupid internet video that was funny three days ago crap, but this morning they got one right:

A family remembers: Hero of 9/11 gave life to save thousands

As tragic as the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, was, the sky-blue day still held unexpected miracles, and Richard “Rick” Rescorla was at the center of one of the greatest — the evacuation of financial-services behemoth Morgan Stanley.

Murdoc’s written a bit about Rick Rescorla’s actions that day before: He was a soldier once.

For those unfamiliar with the story, check out what was written at Mudville Gazette years before TV shows turned Rescorla into “the man who predicted 9/11.”

Also interesting to Murdoc, in my post from March, 2004, is the fact that I added a note about what I was referring to when I used the terms “9/11″ and “World Trade Center.” There was at least one guy who kept playing dumb about that, saying that lots of stuff had happened on September 11ths throughout history (he liked to talk about Chile, in particular) and how the World Trade Center had lots of buildings and he was wondering if I could clarify which ones I meant. And this was only two and a half years after the attacks.

Takes all kinds, I guess. Unfortunately.