Considering.

This is coolbert:

Gonna go over like the lead balloon I am afraid.

Peacekeeping mission Gaza. Grand strategy considerations Gaza. But CONDITIONAL!

Lead balloon idiom:  "The “lead balloon” idiom is a common English expression that means something fails or is extremely badly received. It is often used to describe a situation where an idea, proposal, or attempt is met with strong disapproval or rejection"

"US wants Arab states to join peacekeeping force in Gaza"

"US Pres. Biden won't send American troops into Gaza - but wants Arab states to do so for him, Financial Times report says. Arab states condition agreement on US recognition of 'Palestine.'"

From https://www.israelnationalnews.com  | Miriam Alster/Flash90 | May 15, 2024.

"The Biden administration is urging Arab states to join a 'peacekeeping' force which would control Gaza once the war ends, the Financial Times reported."

"The initiative aims to fill the vacuum which would be created in Gaza once Hamas is toppled and until a 'credible Palestinian security apparatus' could be established."

"Among the countries the US has been discussing its plans with are Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Morocco, all of which are 'considering' the initiative. The US has also spoken to Saudi Arabia about the plan, but the Saudis are unwilling to deploy their own forces to the area, for fear of being seen as Israel's allies, or drawn into an insurgency in Gaza."

Saudi too occupied with their own troubles in Yemen. The Hootie-Tootie a stone in the shoe.

Consider this another pie-in-the-sky proposal that sounds good on paper but nothing more than that.

"pie in the sky: noun - A fanciful notion; ludicrous concept; the illusory promise of a desired outcome that is unlikely to happen."

With regard to Grand Strategy considerations, the American senior military man General Marshall had three full years to prepare for the aftermath of the WW2 prior to final German surrender May 1945.

See also from this prior blog entry the Israeli Grand Strategy plan Gaza:

coolbert.

Range 68.

This is coolbert:

“'For the last two decades, what we see is that this tactic has indeed become more popular with non-state actors,' . . . 'It is spreading as a global security threat, from theater to theater'.” - Richemond-Barak.

"The Army has stepped up its training for tunnel warfare, a dangerous — and growing — form of combat"

WUNC | By Jay Price | May 14, 2024. 

"After seven months of war in Gaza, Israel has still probed little of what's believed to be hundreds of miles of tunnels — an underground network that Hamas uses for refuge, to hide hostages, to move around undetected — and to pop out unexpectedly and fight."

"Tunnel warfare is becoming a common tactic on modern battlefields, and it's one of most dangerous forms of combat, especially for the attackers."

"That is why groups like Hamas, ISIS, Hezbollah, and al-Qaeda have built underground facilities, seeking to blunt the advantages of the militaries hunting them"

"Geopolitical foes of the United States, such as China, North Korea, Iran and Russia, also are pushing more of their military and nuclear facilities underground, prompting the U.S. to increase its focus on tunnel warfare."

Fort Liberty [Bragg] Range 68 the tunnel constructed to train American troops for future military operations against a determined enemy occupying the "low-ground". No claustrophobic persons apply.

See merely with regard to the Gazan War previous blog entries the tunnels of Gaza: 

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2023/12/seawater_20.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2023/12/seawater.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2023/11/sponge.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2023/11/underground.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2023/11/labyrinth.html

coolbert.

Trolls.

This is coolbert:

American army the NATO far north. Trolls beware!

 "The exercise was the first time in decades that a major Army maneuver unit had traveled so far in Europe."

"10th Mountain Division rolls more than 500 miles across Finland, Sweden and Norway"

"The exercise was the first convoy operation in the heart of the newest NATO members, Sweden and Finland."

From https://taskandpurpose.com | BY PATTY NIEBERG | MAY 13, 2024.

"Soldiers with the 10th Mountain Division recently completed an unprecedented 550-mile [nearly 900 kilometers] road trip across Norway, Sweden and Finland in which troops dealt with long-distance logistics, local laws and infrastructure regulations. It also meant keeping a sharp eye out for local wildlife."

[. . . .]

"Over the course of five days in late April, the Army’s 10th Mountain Division moved a convoy of 400 soldiers, 165 vehicles, and thousands of tons of equipment through small Scandinavian towns, around fjords, and across three different countries on a 550-mile[nearly 900 kilometers] road march."

See From Independent Barents Observer an article presumably as applicable to the road march. Vehicles and supplies being pre-positioned the far Arctic north to be used by the American 10th Mountain Division in case of war between Russia and NATO. Gear as delivered by RoRo vessels.

coolbert.

Purging.

This is coolbert:

Like in the old Soviet Union but on a much lesser scale. Persons out-of-favor by the big boss previously on top now at the bottom.

Kuznetsov off to the off to the Gulag or the modern day equivalent.

1. "Head of Main Personnel Directorate of Russia’s Defense Ministry Yuri Kuznetsov detained"

"A search was conducted at both Kuznetsov's job and his home, other specifics about the criminal case have not been revealed, law enforcement agencies told TASS"

From https://tass.com | © Sergei Bobylev/TASS.

"MOSCOW, May 14. /TASS/. Head of the Main Personnel Directorate of the Russian Ministry of Defense, Lieutenant General Yuri Kuznetsov, was detained, law enforcement agencies told TASS."

"Lieutenant General General Kuznetsov was detained as a suspect in a criminal offense."

2. "Russian general Yuri Kuznetsov dragged out bed at 5am by cops as three more defense chiefs resign after Shoigu sacked"

"Lt-Gen Yuri Kuznetsov was arrested  'on suspicion of criminal activity' just after Putin dismissed his Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu"

From https://www.thesun.co.uk | Aliki KraterouWill Stewart | 14 May 2024.

"A RUSSIAN general was dragged out of his bed at 5am to be taken into detention facing 'criminal charges over state secrets' in Vladimir Putin's latest purge."

"Lt-Gen Yuri Kuznetsov, 55, was arrested by heavily armed cops in balaclavas who smashed their way into his home using crowbars."

Yuri I strongly suspect whisked off for rigorous interrogation regarding his activities during the Ukraine Conflict. Vlad wanting to make examples of a few [maybe more than a few] high ranking personalities, military and civilian.

Sign the statement now! It will be for your own good.

coolbert.

Belousov.

This is coolbert:

"'The key task, of course, remains achieving victory. Ensuring the achievement of the military-political goals of the special military operation, set by the president. At the same time - I want to specifically emphasize this - with minimal human losses'" 

The new man speaks. The first utterances of Belousov as Russian Minister of Defense.

"Belousov says Russia must win in Ukraine while minimizing casualties"

From https://www.reuters.com | By Guy Faulconbridge and Mark Trevelyan | May 14, 2024.

* "Putin nominee stresses need to minimize human losses"

* "Belousov says military sector needs innovation, efficiency"

* "He takes over a ministry embroiled in corruption scandal"

"MOSCOW, May 14 (Reuters) - Russia's main task is to achieve victory on the battlefield in Ukraine with the minimal loss of troops, incoming defense minister Andrei Belousov said on Tuesday."

"Belousov, an economist whom President Vladimir Putin unexpectedly nominated on Sunday to replace Sergei Shoigu, said the military sector needed more efficiency and innovation in order to achieve its goals."

For some strange reason this Andrei reminds me greatly of the American Robert S. McNamara from the era of the Cold/Vietnam War era.

The genius [both were economists] experts at metrics, efficiency, goals. Neither having experience as a professional military man [McNamara did see uniformed service during the Second World as an operational research analyst] but chosen as perceived accomplished individuals of gravitas that can  "shake things up".

Andrei in particular with his background more able to organize and mobilize the entire Russian society in a more efficient and needed approach for the Ukraine Conflict. A practitioner of Grand Strategy. All being done in a more HUMANE style and method. If you assume war can be waged in a HUMANE manner.

coolbert.

Harba Darbu.

This is coolbert:

From a source that will go unnamed for all eternity.

Israeli rap song # 1 on the charts. Musical response to the Gazan War. If you are so bold to refer to rap as music.

“'Harbu Darbu' is a rap song in Hebrew written in the wake of October 7th that reached No. 1 on the Israeli charts. A rough translation of the opening:

"A bunch of fucker rats getting out of the tunnel

Acting like thugs you idiots I swear there will be no forgiveness

Who do you think you’re coming here to yell 'Palestine for free' at?!

Ptui, you sons of Amalek!

Hop, Bomb Squad!

Left right left, how the whole country is in uniform from the Galilee to Eilat

Fighters, Duvdevan and Magav, Qaraqal, Bardelas

We’ve brought the whole army and I swear there will be no forgiveness

(Mekha)bella Hadid, Dua Lipa, Mia Khalifa

Every dog gets what he deserves in the end

All IDF units are coming to do Harbu Darbu on their head"

Need I make comments or further elucidation? I think not.

coolbert.

AFTER.

 

This is coolbert

The day AFTER in wartime usually referring to plans formulated and to be implemented with a cessation of hostilities. Grand strategy as normally understood.

Combat action Gaza once again hot-and-heavy. Area of the northern part of the Gaza Strip as previously declared "secure" by the Israel army seemingly not so!

"As defense chiefs confront Netanyahu over Gaza's 'day after,' three IDF divisions back in Gaza"

"The IDF said it had attacked over 150 targets on Saturday-Sunday, including using a wide range of air and artillery power, a heavy increase in the use of more destructive Israeli war machines."

From https://www.jpost.com | By YONAH JEREMY BOB, JERUSALEM POST STAFF | MAY 12, 2024.

[. . . . ]

"While the high point of the invasion in October-November had five divisions in Gaza, there was only one division, the 162nd, still there by April 7, and even that division was no longer at full strength."

"Total strength at this exact juncture three DIVISIONAL sized elements FULL strength."

"This means that the IDF is about halfway back to its full strength point in Gaza earlier in the war and signals the failure to prevent Hamas from quickly returning to power after seven months of war"

ETERNAL insurgency! The insurgent wins by outlasting the opponent. I imagine those Hamas personnel surviving deep underground in the tunnels and hardened bunkers waiting for that moment to emerge and create a lot of aggravation of the IDF. And ARE doing so.

From a comment to the article:

xx9100

"I don't understand this war. Israel takes land, clear it out and leaves. Hamas moves back in. Israel returns and clears again. Rinse and repeat. 

Normally when the army takes land they stay there until the war is completely over. What game is at play"

From my perspective that as experience of the American army during the Second Indo-China War.

coolbert.

Sergei.

This is coolbert:

The new man the Ukraine Conflict. Russian. How many times has this occurred? 

Russian Defense Minister replaced but not banished!

"The man leading Russia's war in Ukraine is out in a surprise shake-up hinting at Putin’s true focus"

"Coming in to replace Shoigu is a figure established in Kremlin circles but largely unfamiliar to wider audiences, especially in the West."

https://www.nbcnews.com | By Yuliya Talmazan, Keir Simmons and Natasha Lebedeva | May 13, 2024.

"Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed removing Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu from his post. Putin nominated First Deputy Prime Minister Andrey Belousov for the role."

"The man [Shoigu] leading Vladimir Putin‘s war in Ukraine was looking relaxed just last week as he appeared in uniform at the Russian leader’s fifth inauguration ceremony and then at Moscow’s annual Victory Day parade."

"But on Sunday he was removed as defense minister, the post he had held on to for more than a decade despite a rebel mutiny, a corruption scandal and a calamitous start to the full-scale invasion of Russia’s neighbor."

Consider this to be a significant development? Sergei a long-time friend and personal confidant of President Vlad Putin. That Sergei was replaced [again not banished or exiled] says something of importance and consequence.

Much [?] has been made that Sergei was a man WITHOUT real military experience. The NEW man likewise.

Vlad at this point in most concerned not so much with strategy/operations/tactics but grand strategy? Harness the economic structure of Russia totally to the Conflict and perhaps even things to follow?

coolbert.

Lingerie.

This is coolbert:

“'These pictures enter a different realm,' . . . 'where one’s most intimate relations and private thoughts, feelings, and desires have been penetrated, looted, picked apart, and turned into jokes.'” - Nina Berman.

"‘The most moral army in the world’ is posing with Palestinian women’s underwear in Gaza"

"How should we understand a proliferation of photos of IDF soldiers mocking Palestinian women’s lingerie?"

From https://forward.com |  Nora Berman | March 29, 2024.

Here with an opinion by photo journalist Berman as seen at the Forward.

"There are many parallel battles being fought simultaneously in the Israel-Hamas war: a war of narratives, a war of regional actors and a war of history."

"Perhaps the most insidious and disturbing area of conflict, however, is the war of sex."

"Both Palestinians and Israelis have made allegations of sexual violence against the other during the course of war: Israelis on Oct. 7 and as hostages in captivity, and Palestinians during the Israeli invasion of Gaza." 

Sexual violence in the literal term as perpetrated on Israeli women by Hamas personnel. Figurative sexual violence as perpetrated by Israeli troops on female refugees of Gaza.

Israeli looting of homes Gaza also occurring on a rather widespread basis? Homes as abandoned by Gazan refugees systematically [?] searched for valuables.

Again all this an instance of Israeli triumphalism! We shit on you but you cannot shit on us. We [Israeli]are the master and you the Palestinian are the dog!

See previous blog entries viral video of Israeli troops behaving badly 
Gaza:

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2024/02/viral.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2024/01/levi-i.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2024/01/levi-ii.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2024/02/triumphalism_19.html

coolbert.

Mulberry II.

This is coolbert:

The JLOTS Gaza now ready to begin operation?

JLOT = Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore (JLOTS).

"US Prepares to Move Aid Over The Shore Into Gaza | Soldiers, Sailors, Mariners & Ships Offshore"

See the You Tube video an expert analysis of the JLOT:

Keypoints and takeaway:

* Inefficient way of delivering food aid in a famine crisis.

* Danger of the JLOTS being subjected to storm damage.

* Capacity of the entire delivering mechanism food aid to Gaza at the most able to provide one meal per day per person Gaza. Inadequate!

Think in context the Mulberry Harbors, the Normandy invasion, D-Day, WW2.

"Mulberry harbors were two temporary portable harbors developed by the British Admiralty and War Office during the Second World War to facilitate the rapid offloading of cargo onto beaches during the Allied invasion of Normandy in June 1944"

Mulberry always seen as an expedient means of delivering men and material to the invasion force subsequent to 6 June 1944. The seizure of the French port facility Cherbourg with all due speed a must requirement.

The Mulberry apparatus only in service for less than two full weeks before severe storm damage rendered the Normandy temporary port facility inoperable.

See all previous blog entries JLOTS:

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2024/03/jlots.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2024/04/jlots-ii.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2024/05/jlots-iii.html

coolbert.

Humble.

This is coolbert:

"This is a pretty humiliating way. You need to contact those to whom you sold this, offer money that can be more than the same parties paid Russia, and promise some other things. All in order to urgently get what is needed. All this, to put it mildly, testifies to the problems of " 

The normally proud Russian humbled with loss-of-face?

"In two years of the war, the manufacturer [Irkut] Su-30 returned military equipment from abroad to almost $ USD 500 million"

From https://www.moscowtimes.ru | 05/07/2024.

All this began before the SMO of 2022. Russians surely aware something drastic was going to occur.

"Aircraft manufacturer « Irkut » in 2022 – 2023 acquired from their foreign partners previously delivered military equipment for almost half a billion dollars, found out The Moscow Times, analyzing the data of Russian customs statistics. Similar transactions began back in 2021, and over the past three years their total amount has exceeded $ 900 million."

"Irkut, which was renamed Yakovlev last summer, is part of the United Aircraft Corporation Rosteha  and produces multi-purpose fighters Su-30 and Yak-130 combat training aircraft, as well as civilian liners SSJ-100, MS-21, Tu-214, Il-96, Il-114."

We have to be 100 % clear of what is occurring here. The manufacture of new Su-30 war planes  [Flanker-C/G/H)] apparently impeded by a lack of parts. The Russian [again the normally proud Russian] having to buy aviation parts [either aircraft in whole or sub-assemblies thereof as needed] from foreign militaries to alleviate shortages for which there appears to be no reasonable remedy.

Off-hand I think of one instance where the USA had to do something similar. M-14 rifles as had been sold to the armies of foreign nations. The M-14 back into the USA inventory to be converted as an expedient squad-level DMR [Dedicated Marksmanship Rifle]. 

coolbert.

Released.

This is coolbert:

The Russians do it. The Ukrainian does it too?

Convicts as soldiers? Convicts?

 "Ukraine Raids Prisons for Recruits to Keep Army Numbers Up, But Bans Mass Murderers From Service"

The image courtesy Getty.

From https://www.breitbart.com | OLIVER JJ LANE10 May 2024.

"Ukraine is legislating to join Russia in sending recruiters into the nation’s prisons to bolster its military, as Moscow’s invasion grinds on and the casualty list grows ever longer."

"Ukraine’s Parliament has passed a draft law allowing certain classes of convicts to get out of jail early in return for military service. As noted, Ukraine’s ability to field enough soldiers to sustain the war against Russia is one of the nation’s greatest longer-term challenges of the war, its population considerably smaller than Russia’s and already disturbed and scattered by the conflict."

No mass murderers allowed! OH I am glad no mass murderers allowed!

Very bad idea to recruit criminal elements for soldiering period. Person undisciplined having poor character not making for good basic material. Convicts often see their conditional release from confinement as an opportunity to take advantage of a situation and do a lot of aggravation.

See a number of prior blog entries the recruiting of convicts for the Ukraine Conflict:

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2024/04/rabble.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2024/02/inmates.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2022/12/recruitment-i.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2022/10/marker.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2022/07/bitches.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2022/04/convicts-ukr.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2016/09/convicts.html

coolbert.

Sardinia.

This is coolbert:

Sardinia the Crimean War? Sardinia? Never heard of such a thing.

Thanks to the Internet web site VT and their article "The 'New' Crimean War"

From https://www.vtforeignpolicy.com | By Claudio Resta | March 29, 2024.

"Crimean War was a conflict fought between 1853 and 1856, which pitted Russia against a coalition of states formed by Great Britain, France, the Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom of Sardinia; The trigger for the war was control of the Balkan peninsula, the eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea."

Strangely enough Sardinia indeed part and parcel of the Crimean War. See from the wiki entry what is deemed "Piedmontese involvement" in the conflict:

"Camillo di Cavour, under orders of Victor Emmanuel II of Piedmont-Sardinia, sent an expeditionary corps of 15,000 soldiers, commanded by General Alfonso La Marmora, to side with French and British forces during the war. This was an attempt at gaining the favor of the French, especially when the issue of uniting Italy would become an important matter. The deployment of Italian troops to Crimea, and the gallantry shown by them in the Battle of the Chernaya (16 August 1855) and in the Siege of Sevastopol, allowed the Kingdom of Sardinia to be among the participants at the peace conference at the end of the war, where it could address the issue of the Risorgimento to other European powers."

Those Sardinian units of Bersaglieri [sharpshooters] comporting themselves with honor during the conflict. The Italian Military Enigma as generally understood surely did not apply to the Sardinian troops during the Crimean War 

coolbert.

Bodies.

This is coolbert:

29,000 Lithuanians against Rome?

No! My first reading of this headline wrong!

Ukrainian nationals seeking sanctuary from the Ukraine Conflict their bodies needed at home. Now!

"Lithuanian leaders back sending 29,000 military-age men back to Ukraine"

"President Volodomyr Zelinskiy has pushed through parliament an amendment to the mobilization law that lowers the age of conscription to 25 and increased penalties for military service evaders."

From https://www.intellinews.com | By `Linas Jegelevicius | April 30, 2024.

"Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda and Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte believe that Lithuania should help Ukraine get back its military-age men living abroad, LRT.lt, the website of Lithuania’s national broadcaster LRT, reported on April 30."

"According to the Migration Department, a little over 29,000 military-age Ukrainian men currently have residence permits in Lithuania."

"The Ukrainian parliament has recently amended the mobilization law, lowering the age of conscription to 25 and increasing penalties for military service evaders."

"Ukraine has also decided to stop issuing new passports to conscription-age men living abroad and to suspend consular services for men aged 18–60."

My original thought seeing this headline was that the 29,000 were LITHUANIANS that had seen previous combat the Ukraine Conflict. Back into the fray so to speak the Ukrainian short of trained and combat experienced personnel. 

But no, these are Ukrainian nationals residing in Lithuania seeking refuge and sanctuary from conscription.

Shelter no longer tolerated. The Ukrainian must return.

coolbert.

Deepest.

This is coolbert:

“The deep-sea unit of which we today lay the keel will be unique in its class - only units of this class are capable of diving to significant depths for studies, development and execution of specific operations in the marine environment of the World Ocean,” - Vladimir Grishechkin.

Primary mission of this deep-diving mini-sub the probably destruction of undersea fiber-optic Internet cables.

"Russia’s Defense Ministry says its new mini-sub will be able to dive to 11,000 meters depth"

That depth of 11,000 meters about 36,000 feet almost all the way to the depth of the Challenger Deep deepest point in the ocean.

 "It will be operated by GUGI, the notorious deep sea espionage and sabotage unit of the Russian military."

From Independent Barents Observer | ByAtle Staalesen | April 19, 2024.

A group of dignitaries from the Russian Defence Ministry and shipbuilding industry on 27th of March assembled at the Admiralty Yard in St.Petersburg to lay the keel of a new special-purpose submarine.

"The vessel will be only few meters long and have a hull of titanium . . . will, according to sources associated with the Russian Defense Ministry, be able to dive to 11,000 meter depths."

Apparently NOT a totally 100 % ROV for underwater exploration. ROV= remotely operated vehicle. 

Can be manned on a task basis?

coolbert.

Electrons.

This is coolbert:

SR-71 stealth. To war with charged particles!

"Two giant electron guns were to be mounted on either side of the aircraft"

As seen at https://www.isegoria.net | May 7th, 2024.

"Area 51 by Annie Jacobsen The phenomenally low radar cross section on the Oxcart (proto-SR-71), Annie Jacobsen explains (in Area 51), had to be lowered even further"

Radar cross signature of the SR-71 indeed lowered:

"'Two giant electron guns were to be mounted on either side of the aircraft,' . . . the purpose of the guns would be 'to shoot out a twenty-five-foot-wide ion cloud of highly charged particles in front of the plane as it flew over denied territory.' That gaseous cloud . . . would further absorb radar waves coming up from radar tracking stations on the ground."

But according to Quora the idea had an overwhelming flaw:

"Testing on scale models of the Oxcart aircraft showed the theory would work. Testing the electron beam guns on the full scale Oxcart aircraft, the researchers soon discovered the radiation given off by the guns would kill the pilot. So more engineers worked on developing an x-ray shield the pilots could wear to protect them from the radiation. But the first test pilot to wear the shield said it was too cumbersome to allow the pilots to fly the aircraft. Project Kemper-Lacroix was abandoned."

At least to my knowledge the SR-71 reconnaissance warplane relied MORE on SPEED and flying at a HIGH-ALTITUDE for survival more than anything else.

SR-71 too as originally envisioned as a manned bomber aircraft. A role that never materialized.

coolbert.

Refusal.

This is coolbert:

Hot off the presses. Rafah here we come. Ready or not. The Israeli moves south.

Apparently negotiations for a cease fire the Gazan War have failed. No trading prisoners for hostages and no cessation to mortal combat.

"Hamas' hostage deal refusal paves way for Rafah offensive"

"Opinion: Breakdown of negotiations in Cairo, coupled with deadly rocket attacks that claimed IDF soldiers' lives, points unmistakably to a single course of action: the IDF must act swiftly in Rafah; The objective is clear – neutralize the terror forces stationed there to ensure the safety of the Negev's residents and secure release of the hostages"

https://www.ynetnews.com | Ron Ben-Yishai |

"The negotiations in Cairo concerning the hostages concluded without Hamas accepting the Israeli-American outline for a deal, and Sunday's rocket and mortar fire from Rafah into Israeli territory  killed three IDF soldiers.  This can lead to only one decision: The IDF should begin an operation in Rafah immediately."

I guess you can reasonably suggest was any of this negotiation done seriously and in good faith? Seriously I have my doubts.

coolbert.

Tradition.

This is coolbert:

"Nine times out of ten a unit that looks good is good." - Slim of the Arakan.

The last refuge of the traditional Englishman? The Indian army?

Within context of this previous blog entry, see the Hell March of various Indian Army units. Impressive style that cannot be denied, the old Raj and all that. Magnificent spectacle of which the English could be duly proud.

The British indeed masters in training the sepoy and British Indian Army troops drill & ceremonies, pageantry, etc. The current British military need to now learn from the new masters that were once students. A proud tradition among the jawan continues.

coolbert.

Hellish.

This is coolbert:

"My daughter has experienced anxiety attacks until now because of everything she went through and how they were pressured to enlist for duty. All these practices were actually torture just to break them to serve in the position. They were told at night that they should sleep under a light and in a noisy place, thus preventing them from continuous sleep. They were also put outside in the sun for hours without even being allowed to scratch their faces. Some fainted there."

"'Mom, I can no longer be in the army': Female IDF soldiers reveal hellish recruitment process"

"Harsh treatment of female soldiers: abused, humiliated, and pressured to enlist as observers following October 7 events, leading to anxiety, trauma, and severe consequences."

By EREZ HAREL | MAY 2, 2024.

See an entire blog entry devoted to the role of "observer" in the Israeli military. Young women doing remote sentry duty merely "observing" and watching a monitor with feed from a border camera. 

"Screaming, humiliation, sleep deprivation, and punishment to the point of fainting - this is how, according to the parents of female recruits, the IDF treats those who refuse to enlist in the female observation unit, due to fear of serving in the army after the events of October 7."

"After many female soldiers refused to serve as observers on the day of their recruitment a few weeks ago, their parents said that their daughters received harsh treatment, including being yelled at for many hours and deprived of continuous sleep, with the intention of 'breaking' them. They were yelled at, humiliated, threatened, and cursed at. They were put under real psychological stress that broke them down and caused them to experience anxiety attacks."

These young women already enlisted in the Israeli Defense Forces being coerced into duty they find to be unpalatable! Especially in the aftermath of 7 October.

coolbert.

Fifteen-hundred.

This is coolbert:

Fifteen-hundred Frenchmen against Russia? Not necessarily Frenchmen however!

As Macron has promised the French are now officially active the Ukraine Conflict?

French Foreign Legion [FFL] on the way with combat contingents.

"France sends combat troops to Ukraine battlefront"

"Will the deployment of a Foreign Legion unit commanded by French officers trigger a wider European war?"

From https://asiatimes.com | By STEPHEN BRYEN | MAY 4, 2024.

"France has sent its first troops officially to Ukraine. They have been deployed in support of the Ukrainian 54th Independent Mechanized Brigade in Slavyansk. The French soldiers are drawn from France’s 3rd Infantry Regiment, which is one of the main elements of France’s Foreign Legion"

[. . . .]

"The initial group of French troops numbers around 100. This is just the first tranche of around 1,500 French Foreign Legion soldiers scheduled to arrive in Ukraine."

"tranche: noun - A portion of a total"

"These troops are being posted directly in a hot combat area and are intended to help the Ukrainians resist Russian advances in Donbas. The first 100 are artillery and surveillance specialists"

See a very recent blog entry the topic French combat entry the Ukraine Conflict! I cannot help to think this will not go well! Legio Patria Nostra!

coolbert.

Rabbi.

This is coolbert:

“We do not redeem captives for more than their value, for the betterment of the world” (Gittin 45a).

"If the families of the captives and their supporters had refrained from demonstrations and kept away from the media, the IDF would have already been more successful in breaking the enemy’s spirit."

Rabbi Eliezer Melamed | May 4, 2024.

Comments of Rabbi Melamed regarding the swapping of Hamas prisoners for Israeli hostages.

The experience of the Hebrew sages all relevant here. AND in context of the Gazan War as relevant as in the past. 

"Paying an exorbitant price for prisoners can endanger the entire public and this is what happened to us following the reckless deal for Gilad Shalit. Despite great sensitivity towards the families of the captives, during war, we must gird ourselves with courage, until victory"

Negotiations for the release of prisoners in exchange for hostages remains a very controversial topic in Israel and even more so in the aftermath of events of 7 October.

"How right our Sages were in prohibiting the redemption of captives for more than their value, even though redeeming captives is a great mitzvah that takes precedence over other forms of charity because the captive suffers from hunger, thirst and lack of clothing, and in addition, his life is in danger . . .  However, when paying an exorbitant price for them, it endangers the entire public, as stated in the Mishnah"

"For once the kidnappers see that we are willing to pay almost any price for them, they will strive harder to capture more of our captives . . . . And if this applies to ordinary kidnappers, how much more so when dealing with a bitter enemy, waging a war of destruction against Israel"

Exchange prisoners for captives yes. But not unconditionally so!

coolbert.

DEFEAT.

This is coolbert:

Hot off the presses. If this be true consider it a SEVERE defeat for the Israeli.

Cease fire, prisoner and hostage swap, and end to hostilities. To the DISADVANTAGE of the Israeli.

"Hamas agreed to Egyptian ceasefire proposal"

"Report: Hamas agreed to Egyptian ceasefire proposal"

From https://www.israelnationalnews.com | Dalit Halevi | May 4, 2024.

"Asharq Al-Awsat [an Arabic international newspaper headquartered in London] claims Israel removed opposition to releasing certain terrorists, US guaranteed full withdrawal from Gaza and an end to the war."

"Al Jazeera has reported that a Qatari delegation left for Cairo to participate in indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas, following reports of progress in the talks for a ceasefire-prisoner swap deal."

"According to Asharq Al-Awsat, Hamas agreed to the deal after Israel removed its opposition to releasing a number of senior terrorists from prison, and following a commitment from the US that it would ensure Israel's full withdrawal from Gaza at the end of the second and last stage of the agreement, as well as the full cessation of the war."

The IRREVOCABLE and COMPLETE obliteration of Hamas, a stated aim of Prime Minister Netanyahu will not be achieved. Hamas will live to fight another day.

Prisoners of the Israeli to include Hamas top leadership and operatives many of whom can be reasonably inferred to have participated in atrocity of 7 October to be released.

From the Israeli perspective NONE of this sounds any good!

coolbert.

Debris.

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Zone Rouge France 1918. Zone Rouge Gaza 2024?

See previous blog entry the Red Zone France.

Forbidden zone for human habitation or entry? 

Hold on Bibi! Your plan for the rejuvenation and restoration of Gaza going to take some doing beyond what your grand scheme contemplates.

Fourteen years to remove the debris from the ruins of Gaza. In particular Gaza City greater than 50 % of the buildings to include human habitation damaged or destroyed.

No rebuilding of Gaza until debris as a result of aerial bombardment/artillery fire removed!

Indeed, those various video showing high-rise building collapsing and creating an enormous plum of smoke and dust reminiscent of the collapse of the two World Trade Center structure, NYC, 9/11. Albeit the clouds Gaza from much smaller buildings than WTC 9/11 but nonetheless contaminating a pretty widespread area. 

"The dust from the September 11 attacks, also known as World Trade Center (WTC) Dust, was a toxic cloud of debris that fell as a thick layer of ash and hung in the air for more than three months. This dust was formed on the morning of 9/11/2001, when the Twin Towers collapsed, releasing a massive amount of dust and debris into the air."

That "massive amount" containing many carcinogen agents [cancer causing]!

Disease and illness as a result of responders breathing in dust from the WTC buildings quite severe:

"The dust contained a variety of toxic contaminants, including asbestos, lead, and other hazardous materials. Responders, local workers, residents, students, and others had potential exposure to these contaminants in the early days and continuing exposure from residual materials - indoors and outside - as well as exposure to toxic gases, smoke, vapors, and combustion by-products from continuing fires."

EXCAVATION THE REMOVAL OF BATTLEFIELD DEBRIS GAZA ONLY CONTINGENT ON THE DEFUZING AND REMOVAL OF UNEXPLODED ORDNANCE. IT BEING ESTIMATED THAT ABOUT 10 % OF BOMBS DROPPED OR ARTILLERY ROUNDS FIRED HAVING NOT EXPLODED.

Hey, did anyone ever say any of this was going to be easy?

coolbert.

Visionary.

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Grand Strategy the Gazan War? Planning for the future Gaza after an end to hostilities!

The master Israeli plan!

"From crisis to prosperity: Netanyahu's vision for Gaza 2035 revealed online"

"The plan lays out a three-step program for returning Gaza to self-governance and eventually reintegrating Gaza into the regional economy."

From https://www.jpost.com | By YUVAL BARNEA | MAY 3, 2024.

"There has been much debate about exactly what Israel's plans for a post-war Gaza would look like. Documents from the Prime Minister's Office were published online on Friday, showing Israel's plan to revitalize the Gazan economy."

"The documents published online showed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's attempt to bring about a lasting peace and reintegrate Gaza into the regional economy through large infrastructure and economic investment."

FIRST Hamas gone, no longer a factor in the Gaza Strip. Opportunities as posed by "massive investment in the Strip and huge employment opportunities" it almost sounds like a done-deal and too good to pass up. Re-building of Gaza can be done to the highest of standards and in the most innovative manner.

Devoted readers to the blog need to read the entire article. Planning on paper the chances of any of this coming to fruition slim to none?

coolbert.

Unsafe.

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One bridge too far? Or is it the bridge to nowhere?

The floating pier Gaza not everything going according to plan. The contrary!

"US temporarily suspends assembly of floating dock off Gaza and hands control to Israel"

"The pier's construction will be finished before being placed on the Gaza shoreline where aid can be directly delivered to the population.

From https://www.jpost.com | By JERUSALEM POST STAFF | MAY 3, 2024.

"US CENTCOM announced on Friday that it had suspended the construction of the floating pier off of Gaza and had handed over control to Israel."

"The pier has been partially built and is being moved to the Port of Ashdod [Israel] due to unsafe weather conditions."

And how well will this pier hold up during "unsafe weather" when completed?

"The pier's construction will be finished before being placed on the Gaza shoreline where aid can be directly delivered to the population."

Pier when complete and up-and-running with an ability to accommodate the delivery of one meal per person per day Gaza! Am I supposed to be be impressed?

From the start it seems to me the pier was nothing other than a cosmetic gesture by the Biden administration to assuage both the American and international public that SOMETHING is being done to alleviate the suffering of the Gazan population. Gesture almost as a pantomime real substance lacking!

coolbert.

X-62A.

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“The potential for autonomous air-to-air combat has been imaginable for decades, but the reality has remained a distant dream up until now. In 2023, the X-62A broke one of the most significant barriers in combat aviation. This is a transformational moment, all made possible by breakthrough accomplishments of the ACE team,” - Kendall.

As was promised has now been done. 

"AF [Air Force] Secretary Kendall Flies In AI-Controlled X-62 VISTA at Edwards AFB"

Bully for this Kendall. Bully for him!

Bully: "worthy, jolly, admirable" [in the archaic sense of the word]

From Aviationist | May 3, 2024 DAVID CENCIOTTI.

"Secretary of the Air Force flew aboard the X-62A VISTA to gain a firsthand experience of this unique aircraft. The X-62A VISTA integrates machine learning and specialized software to explore autonomous flight capabilities and other advanced technologies."

"On May 2, 2024, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall flew in the front seat of the X-62A VISTA. The purpose of the flight was 'to experience firsthand the unique aircraft, which incorporates machine learning and highly specialized software to test autonomous flying and other cutting-edge capabilities.'”

I am first glad the test with Kendall onboard went so well. Secondly I would strongly recommend and suggest that all parties BEWARE the SKYNET! This X-62 is not just a drone but a thinking thing with a mind of it's own, even at a relatively primitive stage perhaps to the human intellect!

See the previous blog entry the test of the X-62 as anticipated:

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2024/04/testing-1-2-3.html

coolbert.

Doggie.

This is coolbert:

 More the Gazan War, the animal dimension.

1. "This is how the Gaza war has damaged nature in Israel"

"War has presented a myriad of complex environmental and ethical challenges, ranging from the destruction and alteration of natural habitats to the threat of wildfires and the presence of stray dogs from Gaza"

From Ynetnews| 04.25.24 | 

"The war in Israel's south and north pose significant challenges to nature in Israel and those who safeguard it. The intense fighting, which has included rocket fire from terrorist organizations and ground operations by the IDF, has impacted open areas and natural areas."

Stray dogs [feral] in particular sloppy eaters and having eaten human remains present a threat of spreading disease from their droppings. Nor should it be forgotten that in Islamic culture the dog is seen as an unclean animal, to a large extent [?] a pet or animal companion to be avoided.

2. "These are the war-themed names Israelis are giving their dogs"

"Agriculture Ministry data reveals that the most popular name is Nova, associated with the Nova Music Festival massacre on October 7; IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi also receives special place among Israeli dogs - 'It's a big name for a small dog,' says Hila, who named her dog Herzi"

From https://www.ynetnews.com | Ilana Curiel | 04.28.24 | 

"Many pets are named after war-themed events during a war or military operation. The Agriculture Ministry surveyed the names Israelis gave to pets born in the last half-year and, according to the data, the most common name, associated with the war, is Nova, following the massacre at the music festival on October 7." 

I am sure General Halevi greatly pleased to be so honored!

See previous applicable blog entry:

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2023/12/f-f.html

coolbert.

Airbase 201.

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"The move by Russia's military, which Reuters was the first to report, puts U.S. and Russian troops in close proximity at a time when the nations' military and diplomatic rivalry is increasingly acrimonious over the conflict in Ukraine."

It is not so much the American leaving but the Russian arriving! More American military and geo-political humiliation! 

"Russian troops enter base housing US military in Niger, US official says"

From https://www.reuters.com  | By Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali | May 3, 2024.

"WASHINGTON, May 2 (Reuters) - Russian military personnel have entered an air base in Niger that is hosting U.S. troops, a senior U.S. defense official told Reuters, a move that follows a decision by Niger's junta to expel U.S. forces."

"The military officers ruling the West African nation have told the U.S. to withdraw its nearly 1,000 military personnel from the country, which until a coup last year had been a key partner for Washington's fight against insurgents who have killed thousands of people and displaced millions more."

An insurgency of off-shoots and affiliates of the Al Qaeda and the Islamic State persuasion!

"A senior U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Russian forces were not mingling with U.S. troops but were using a separate hangar at Airbase 101, which is next to Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey, Niger's capital."

See previous blog entries as germane:

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2023/08/nigerien-1.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2023/08/nigerien-2.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2023/08/nigerian-3.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2024/03/linking.html

coolbert.

Undersea.

This is coolbert:

Who needs battleships and aircraft carriers when all you need to totally disrupt the ENTIRE world is a trawler that can pull up an undersea cable?

See the article: "THE CLOUD UNDER THE SEA" 

From https://www.theverge.com | By Josh Dzieza | April 16 2024.

“When communications networks go down, the financial services sector does not grind to a halt. It snaps to a halt.”

"The world’s emails, TikToks, classified memos, bank transfers, satellite surveillance, and FaceTime calls travel on cables that are about as thin as a garden hose. There are about 800,000 miles of these skinny tubes crisscrossing the Earth’s oceans, representing nearly 600 different systems, according to the industry tracking organization TeleGeography. The cables are buried near shore, but for the vast majority of their length, they just sit amid the gray ooze and alien creatures of the ocean floor, the hair-thin strands of glass at their center glowing with lasers encoding the world’s data."

 

See this You Tube Short courtesy Palki Sharma the Internet undersea cable danger, world civilization highly if not totally at the mercy of a working and effective fiber-optic undersea cable system.

"If, hypothetically, all these cables were to simultaneously break, modern civilization would cease to function. The financial system would immediately freeze. Currency trading would stop; stock exchanges would close. Banks and governments would be unable to move funds between countries because the Swift and US interbank systems both rely on submarine cables to settle over $10 trillion in transactions each day. In large swaths of the world, people would discover their credit cards no longer worked and ATMs would dispense no cash."

Indeed, the Swedish government issuing instructions to citizen to keep a sum of CASH on hand at all times. If push comes to shove and WW3 occurs, those ATM no longer able to disburse money.

An entire fleet of almost two dozen repair vessels on constant standby the mission cable repair. Disaster just one cable going kaput? I like to think not.

coolbert.

JLOTS III.

This is coolbert:

From the very start, did anyone ever think anything less??

U.S. military the pier in Gaza a point of contention. American military may face hostile action and armed combat!

"Austin [SECDEF] Says It’s ‘Possible’ That US Troops on Gaza Pier End Up in a Shooting War"

"US officials say the pier will be operational next week"

From https://news.antiwar.com | by Dave DeCamp | April 30, 2024.

"Secretary of Defense [SECDEF] Lloyd Austin acknowledged on Tuesday that it was a possibility that the 1,000 US troops deployed off the coast of Gaza as part of a project to build a pier could come under fire and said they would be able to shoot back."

"Austin made the comments in an exchange with Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) at a House Armed Services Committee hearing. 'They have the right to return fire to protect themselves,' Austin said."

"When asked if it was likely that US troops would come under attack from someone in Gaza, Austin said, 'That’s possible, yes.'”

"The staging area for the pier has already come under mortar attack. Nobody was hurt in the incident, and only minor damage was reported, but it highlights the risk to the US troops just off the coast of Gaza."

ONLY minor damage. OH, I am glad it is ONLY minor damage!

See the Rep. Matt Gaetz question and answer session with SECDEF Austin!

See previous blog entries as relevant the JLOTS pier Gaza:

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2024/04/pflp-gaza.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2024/04/jlots-ii.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2024/03/jlots.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2024/03/bridge.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2024/04/third-party.html

coolbert.

Undetectable!

This is coolbert:

Look-down shoot-down. The Ukraine Conflict.

AWACS for the Ukrainian? What next? AWACS = airborne early warning and control (AEW&C)

 Ukrainian ability to intercept and shoot-down low-flying stealth Russian cruise missiles very scant to non-existent. Now a dire necessity.

Thanks here to an extract from the first paragraph of a Strategy Page article.

"ARTILLERY: Russian Kh-69 For Never Cruise Missile"

Russian Kh-69 stealth cruise missiles used the Ukraine Conflict the Ukrainian having no counter.

"April 28, 2024: Russia is trying to perfect its Kh-69 stealthy cruise missile, which is an upgrade of the older Kh-59. Kh-69 was still in development throughout 2023, then in April 2024 six of these missiles, launched from a Russian fighter-bomber, were used to destroy a Ukrainian power plant. Ukrainian air defense systems did not detect the incoming Kh-69s because they were launched from Russian aircraft that were on the Russian side of the Ukrainian border and, when the missiles entered Ukraine, they were low to the ground and virtually undetectable by Ukrainian ground radar. It would take an aircraft based ground surveillance radar, like the one carried by the Americans AWACS aircraft, to spot incoming Kh-69s. Ukraine doesn’t have any AWACS but NATO has fourteen of them and the United States has 31. There are dozens of smaller AWACS-type aircraft produced by other countries, such as Sweden, based on twin-engine business jets. NATO or the United States could provide Ukraine with some AWACS but Ukraine would have to supply jet fighters to protect the AWACS against potentially aggressive and possibly effective efforts to shoot them down."

Comments:

* First obtain three or four of whatever type AWACS already up and flying and operational. Source not so relevant.

* Train the ground crews and those manning the electronic radar and associated apparatus.

* Train the flight crews. Those that actually fly the warplane.

* Provide protection from Russian air-launched air to air missile of the R-37 variety.

* A minimum of about $1 billion USD to get the entire paraphernalia/impedimenta up and going with success. Sustain also.

Needed now but only an item[s] that can be accomplished in the far-off future and not the near future I fear.

Foreign interventionism I might not think desirable. Crossing a red line and all that.

coolbert.

PFLP -Gaza.

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"Our people will not forget the major crime committed by Britain against the Palestinian people, with its major contribution to the establishment of the Zionist entity, after issuing the ill-fated Balfour Declaration, and its continuation to this day in supporting the occupation and its crimes," 

A decree of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. British you are not welcome.

"PFLP says it will target British forces if they are deployed in Gaza"

"Marxist-Leninist group warns that UK and other foreign troops will be treated as 'occupation forces' if they enter Palestinian territory"

From https://www.middleeasteye.net | By MEE staff | 28 April 2024. 

"The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) has warned Britain and other countries against deploying forces on the land or coast of the Gaza Strip."

"The BBC reported on Saturday that UK troops could be deployed in Gaza to assist with aid deliveries via a temporary pier in the enclave being built by the United States."

"The Marxist-Leninist group said in a statement on Telegram that British troops would be 'treated as occupation forces and will be legitimate targets for the resistance'."

Correct! More than anyone else the Arabic speaking population of the British Mandate for Palestine blame the English for the debacle and dispossession they refer to as the Nakba.

British stay away! We have not forgotten. And you have been warned!

coolbert.

Nukhba.

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Elite Hamas head-knocker cut-throat ranger/commando special operations unit, spearhead of the attack of 7 October.

"The Nazis had the SS, Hamas has the Nukhba: Sinwar's diabolical unit"

From https://www.ynetnews.com | Dr. Michael Milstein.

"Analysis: On October 7, the Nukhba unit, Sinwar's elite, had 5,000 skilled zealots and about 1,500 of them were killed since; Just like the Nazi SS, the young members are carefully chosen based on their loyalty to the leader and ideological commitment"

And probably subjected to endless mind-numbing political indoctrination. Why we fight and must continue to fight sort of stuff.

"The Nukhba members are equipped with high-quality weapons, undergo rigorous training, including prolonged stays in tunnels without food and water, and receive unique training such as paragliding courses (in Malaysia) or sabotage and intelligence (in Iran). Nukhba members are meticulously selected and receive higher pay than other members of Hamas' military personnel ($400-500 per month)." 

From an article at https://www.jewishpress.com Nukhba described as:

"The Nukhba Force or Al-Nukhba are naval commandos and a special forces unit of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades of Hamas."

Naval commando unit analogous to American SEAL contingents.

coolbert.

CHAMP.

This is coolbert:

Deployed but not used?

"Report: US deployed microwave missiles that can disable Iran's nuclear facilities"

"Mary Lou Robinson, former chief of the Air Force's High Power Microwave Division, confirmed to DailyMail.com that the missiles are 'ready to take out any military target, including nuclear facilities.'"

From https://www.israelhayom.com | By  ILH Staff | 04-20-2024.

"According to an exclusive report from DailyMail.com, the US Air Force has quietly deployed a new type of missile that can destroy the electronics of Iran's nuclear facilities using high-power microwaves, without causing any fatalities."

Kind of sounds like the neutron bomb!

"The missiles, known as the Counter-Electronics High Power Microwave Advanced Missile Project (CHAMP), were developed by Boeing's Phantom Works for the US Air Force Research Laboratory. After successful testing in 2012, around 20 of these microwave missiles became operational and were deployed to various locations around the globe in 2019."

"As DailyMail.com reports, the CHAMP missiles are air-launched cruise missiles fitted with an electromagnetic pulse cannon that generates a concentrated beam of high-power microwave energy. This energy can fry the computer chips and electronic systems of targeted facilities, rendering them inoperable."

Carried in the bomb bay of a F-35 Lightning presumably! Emits an electro-magnetic pulse that devastates all solid-state electronic components.

coolbert.

Third-party.

This is coolbert:

Will go over with the British public like the proverbial lead balloon I can surmise.

"Lead balloon: The 'lead balloon' idiom is a common English expression that means something has failed or been met with strong disapproval or rejection. It is often used to describe a situation where an idea, proposal, or plan has been met with widespread criticism or disdain."

UK military Gaza during a time of heated conflict?

"UK forces may be deployed on the ground in Gaza to help deliver aid"

From BBC News ^ | April 27, 2024 | James Landale | the tip from Freeper.

"British troops could be deployed on the ground in Gaza to help deliver aid via a new sea route, the BBC has learned. The US has said no American forces would go ashore and an unnamed 'third party' would drive trucks along a floating causeway onto the beach. The UK is understood to be considering tasking British troops with this when the aid corridor opens next month"

NO USA boots on the ground but ENGLISH boots OK?

Again, I don't this idea going to be acceptable to the English public. Rather to the contrary!

coolbert.

MODEP.

This is coolbert:

MODEP = Mobile Defense/Depot Platform.

AD = Air Defense.

To war with artificial island!

"US to convert oil rigs into floating missile defense sites"

"MODEP concept aims to fill missile defense gaps vis-a-vis China but it’s not clear makeshift scheme makes military or economic sense"

"makeshift: noun - That with which one makes shift; an expedient adopted to serve a present need or turn; a temporary substitute. Of the nature of a temporary expedient."

From https://asiatimes.com | By GABRIEL HONRADA | APRIL 16, 2024.

"The US Navy has unveiled plans to convert surplus oil rigs into mobile missile defense and resupply facilities, a seemingly risky and costly scheme to address rising US vulnerability to rival missile threats in the Pacific."

[. . . .]

"MODEP is configured as a large floating island base to be deployed at an ideal distance from shore and operate independently for over 12 months."

Provide mobile air defense for the U.S. Navy in a time of war China. Can move to be beyond [?] range of Chinese ballistic missiles. I might think too will have an offensive capability or at least an option for same.

I notice as touted can also function as a "resupply" facility. Current American missile firing warships MUST return to home port for reload. MODEP offers a quick-and-dirty solution to this problem?

coolbert.

Chibok III.

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"Ms. Dauda kept track of the friends from Chibok who died. Sixteen in air raids and bomb attacks. Two in childbirth. One as a suicide bomber, coerced by Boko Haram. One of sickness, and one of snakebite. She noticed that it was mostly women and children dying in the air raids and wondered when it would be her turn"

Once more, as I thought was going to eventually occur has now has come to pass! Ten years later!

"She Was Kidnapped a Decade Ago With 275 Girls. Finally, She Escaped.{Christian Nigerian Chibok girl captured by jihadis, converted to Islam}"

From New York Times ^ | April 14th, 2024 | By Ismail Alfa and Ruth Maclean | the tip from Freeper.

"Saratu Dauda had been kidnapped. It was 2014"

"Kidnapped from their dormitory exactly 10 years ago, the 276 captives known as the Chibok Girls were catapulted to fame by Michelle Obama, by churches that took up the mostly Christian students’ cause and by campaigners using the slogan 'Bring Back Our Girls.'”

"Their lives have taken wildly different turns since the abduction. Some escaped almost immediately; 103 were released a few years later after negotiations. A dozen or so now live abroad, including in the United States. As many as 82 are still missing.."

[. . . .]

"Before she was abducted, she was a happy teenager in a large, close-knit Christian family.....they were given a choice: Get married or become a slave who could be summoned for housework or sex."

"Ms. Dauda chose marriage, converted to Islam and changed her first name to Aisha. She was presented with a man in his late 20s. Hours after they met, they were married."

See previous blog entries the Chibok kidnappings:

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2016/09/chibok-i.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2016/09/chibok-ii.html

coolbert.