Gaza II.

This is coolbert:

Conclusion.

That allegation, that child labor used in the construction of the Gaza tunnels, and also the deaths of many of the children during the digging process, confirmed?

"Hamas Used Child Labor To Build Terror Tunnels; Hundreds Killed"

"Hamas killed hundreds of children in the construction of its extensive tunnel network, built partly to carry out attacks on children across the Gaza border in Israel."

[. . . .]

Tunnels greatly a success, aiding and abetting significantly the cause of Hamas! But with a great cost in human resources! Child miners many fatalities: "there were a few drawbacks. One of these was a 'cavalier approach to child labor and tunnel fatalities,' . . . At least 160 children have been killed in the tunnels, according to Hamas officials"

My thought was that the digging of the tunnels probably was a venture as supervised by mining engineers and dug by professional miners, perhaps imported. THIS DOES NOT SEEM TO BE SO!

Child miners too probably not impressed or forced labor. Willing and able [?] to devote their bodies to the cause, heedless of danger.

coolbert.

Gaza I.

This is coolbert:

Tunnel warfare Gaza style.

More on the current fighting in Gaza and the phenomenon of tunnel warfare.

Images and YouTube like video available for one and all to see, an attack by Hamas fighters on an Israeli outpost, egress onto Israeli soil from a tunnel dug well in advance.

1. "This Video Shows Hamas Fighters Using Tunnels To Attack A Post Inside Israel"

"Hamas's tunnel network has emerged as a major focus of Israel's ground campaign in the Gaza Strip. The tunnels extend from under populated areas to the other side of Gaza's border with Israel, and were reportedly part of plans for a major attack Hamas was planning for the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah."

 

This image purportedly shows a tunnel dug under Gaza. Self-supporting ogive shape and reputedly a lot of concrete used in the construction. Appear to be high enough for a man to walk through in an almost erect posture. Also having electricity, lighting and who knows what else. Some suggest that these tunnels dug by child labor. My original thought that imported professional miners might have worked on the digging. 

2. "Gaza's Tunnel Phenomenon: The Unintended Dynamics of Israel's Siege"

"The ground that Israel leveled in 2004 to create a barren corridor separating Gaza from Egypt is today abuzz with activity on and under the surface."

It is important to understand within the context of Gaza and the tunnel complexes those underground structures part of A COMMERCIAL AND BUSINESS ENTERPRISE AS WELL AS A WAR FIGHTING MEASURE!!

Smuggling in contraband material NOT CONFINED TO MERE MILITARY MUNITIONS to evade the combined blockade of Egypt and Israel on the Gaza Strip.

There are TWO GAZA. One ABOVE GROUND and one BELOW GROUND.

coolbert.

Low-Intensity.

This is coolbert:

Here with additional incidents of the low-intensity conflict, Uighur separatists waging a terrorist campaign that is characterized by the use of edged weaponry: THESE OCCURRENCES THIS YEAR ALONE.

1. The Kunming railway station incident.

"The 2014 Kunming attack was a terrorist attack in the Chinese city of Kunming, Yunnan, on 1 March 2014. The incident, targeted against civilians, left 29 civilians and 4 perpetrators dead with more than 140 others injured. The attack has been called a 'massacre' by some news media."

"At around 9:20 pm local time, a group of eight knife-wielding men and women attacked passengers at the city's railway station. Both male and female attackers were seen to pull out long-bladed knives and proceed to stab and slash passengers. At the scene, police killed four assailant"
 
2. "Two Uighar Teens Shot Dead After Kashgar Knife Attack"

3. "6 Dead After Knife Attack in China"

"Reports suggesting a Uyghur was behind a knife attack in Changsha could lead to inflamed ethnic tensions in China."

This too until relatively recently the type of events the very mention of same would have been forbidden by the authoritarian Chinese government.

NOW, during that current age of the Internet too many sources and instantaneous electronic communications making a total news blackout impossible!!

TERRORISM IN THE SENSE ALSO THAT CIVILIANS ARE SINGLED OUT FOR ATTACK!

coolbert.

Kashi.

This is coolbert:

Insurgency Chinese style!

As has been reported most belatedly by the mainstream media, yet one more instance of insurgency in the western part of China.

Uighurs on the rampage, Muslims quite restive, stabbing and knifing Han Chinese in yet one more attack that is part of a definite pattern. A low-level insurgency the characteristic signature of which is the use of EDGED WEAPONRY!

"Terrorist attack leaves dozens dead and wounded in China"

"Dozens of people were killed or wounded in a terrorist attack in Kashgar [Kashi] prefecture in a new episode of violence in China's conflict-ridden northwestern Xinjiang region, the official Xinhua news agency reported Tuesday."

. . . .

"Security forces managed to kill a large number of the dozens of attackers, Xinhua said."

Police in China on patrol previously unarmed now equipped with 9 mm revolvers. In response to the recent spate of knife attacks. "Dozens of attackers" as described suggests a degree of conspiracy or a spontaneous rebellion in response to long-standing hatred!

coolbert.

Rafidi.

This is coolbert:

With an admonition more video of ISIL massacre and atrocity as perpetrated in Iraq.

Persons described as Rafidi the victims. That term Rafidi unknown to me.

"Unconfirmed Reports of Video of the Iraq Mass Executions by ISIS (WARNING: GRAPHIC) "

*GRAPHIC*

"According to the video description, the place of the incident was 'Tikrit' in Iraq, according to a video description, and describe themselves as Rafidis, which include Shiites, Iranians, Alawites ..... an imprecise term."

"According to a Twitter Video Description the largest massacre of Shiites in Tikrit."

"It is not known if it this video relates to the first massacre in Tikrit ago more than a month, or if they have committed more massacres."

Tikrit of course understand as the ancestral home of Saddam al-Tikriti. The man better known to the world as the late Saddam Hussein. Tikrit also the center and focus of Sunni Islam in Iraq.

Rafidi those persons identified more correctly as Shia adherents. ISIL Sunni and in great opposition to the Shia form of Islam.

"The purpose of terror is to terrorize!" - - V. I. Lenin. And such Internet social media as YouTube and Twitter greatly simplifies the task.

P.S.: This video by ISIL is INDEED very graphic. Is thirty-six minutes long and the last five minutes shows the mass executions and atrocity. The ISIL is VERY anti-Shia. LOTS of scenes showing Shia mosques, shrines, burial sites being blown to bits. Watch at your discretion and believe what you see, ISIL is for real, adherents have a maniacal fervor.

coolbert.

28 July 1914!!

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One hundred years ago it began. The Great War. The July crisis had ended, the formal declaration of war made 28 July 1914!!

From the WW1 Timeline 1914

* June 28,1914    Archduke Franz Ferdinand heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and his wife are assassinated in Sarajevo.

 * July 28    Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia.

Some miscellany regarding the assassination of Franz Ferdinand previously not known to me:

1. Two assassination attempts that day. The first [a bomb] failing, the second [shooting] succeeding.

2. Gavrilo the assassin ONLYpresented with a second opportunity [successful] to kill the Archduke in an accidental manner.

3. Sophie the wife of Franz Ferdinand with child, expecting!

4. That day 28 June of particular importance to the Serb. "June 28, 1914, which is also St. Vitus Day, commemorating the Battle of Kosovo in 1389."

St. Vitus day and the Battle of Kosovo the defeat of the Serb forces under Lazar by the Ottoman. Beginning a many century of occupation and oppression of the Serb by the Islamic conquerors. A date and event in history that THE SERB HAS NOT FORGOTTEN TO THIS DAY.

Gavrilo and Lee Harvey Oswald are almost as if one and the same person? Individuals stumbling their way through life in an aimless fashion but when presented with their one opportunity to change all of history, surely did so??

coolbert.

MRL's.

This is coolbert:

Once more from that prior blog entry:

"Two [images] show what the US government alleges are Russian batteries on its own territory -- one group of multiple rocket launchers and another of self-propelled howitzers."

Multiple rocket launcher [MRL]! Rocket artillery.

The Russian having at their disposal a wide variety of MRL. To include:

1. BM-21 Grad. Hail".

"The BM-21 launch vehicle . . . (Grad) a Soviet truck-mounted 122 mm multiple rocket launcher . . . The complete system is more commonly known as a Grad multiple rocket launcher system. Barrels 40, Maximum firing range 20 km (new rockets 30–45 km)"

 

BM-21 Forty tubes of 122 mm rockets.

2. BM-27 Urugan. Hurricane.

"The BM-27 Uragan . . . is a self-propelled multiple rocket launcher system designed in the Soviet Union. It began its service with the Soviet Army in the late 1970s, as its first modern spin and fin stabilized heavy multiple rocket launcher. 220 mm (8.66 in) Barrels 16 Effective firing range 35 km (22 mi)"

 

BM-27. Sixteen tubes of 220 mm. Fewer tubes than the BM-21 but larger size rocket.

 

3. BM-30 Smerch. Tornado.

"The BM-30 Smerch (Tornado) or 9A52-2 Smerch-M is a Soviet heavy multiple rocket launcher. 300 mm (12 in), Barrels 12, Maximum firing range 90 km (56 mi)"

 

BM-30. Again, the fewer number of tubes but larger rockets with greater range.

4. BM-14. 140 mm TOWED rocket artillery antiquated but nonetheless deadly.

"The BM-14 . . . is a Soviet-made 140mm multiple rocket launcher, fielded by the Soviet Union . . . The rocket has a range of about 9.8 km and can carry a warhead of 8 kg weight. Launchers were built in 16 and 17-round variants. The weapon is not accurate as there is no guidance system, but it is extremely effective in saturation bombardment."

 Do not preclude the possibility of seeing rockets as fired by this towed unit. Crude but effective as they say. A whole bunch of firing units gathered en masse and discharging simultaneously on the same target can do a lot of damage and fast.

The very long and very visible trails of smoke as given off by the rockets while en route to target indicating the exact location of a firing unit a terrible drawback to multiple launch rocket artillery. Counter-fire a very distinct possibility.

 coolbert.

2S19.

This is coolbert:

From that prior blog entry:

"Two [images] show what the US government alleges are Russian batteries on its own territory -- one group of multiple rocket launchers and another of self-propelled howitzers."

Self-propelled artillery to include the 2S19?

"The 2S19 'Msta-S' . . . is a self-propelled 152 mm howitzer designed by Russia/Soviet Union,
Maximum firing range, Base bleed: 29km (18 mi), RAP: 36 km (22 mi). RAP = rocket assisted projectile.

 

A 2S19 on parade.

 

That barrel of the 2S19 is telescoping? Seems to be of great caliber well beyond norm. 2S19 has a capability to fire a very deadly round over long distance with great accuracy. And when a unit has fired a certain number of rounds, that self-propelled capability allows for rapid movement to another location, flummoxing counter-fire in the process.

The Ukraine has counter-battery/counter-mortar radar at their disposal? IF NOT, THEY NEED SOME SOON!

coolbert.

Artillery.

This is coolbert:

Artillery to include rockets and conventional tube artillery [self-propelled] firing from Russian territory into Ukraine now confirmed!

"US says photos show Russian artillery fired on Ukraine"

"The United States on Sunday released satellite images to bolster its claim that Russian artillery has fired across the border into Ukraine, targeting government forces in support of separatist rebels."
. . . .

"Two show what the US government alleges are Russian batteries on its own territory -- one group of multiple rocket launchers and another of self-propelled howitzers."

"Pictures also show impact craters near military positions on the Ukrainian side of the frontier."

This is an escalation of hostilities without question. Small arms not now merely sufficing but heavy weaponry entering the fray an bad indication!

coolbert.

Twilight.

This is coolbert:

Also from today and the Chicago Tribune editorial page a reprint of an article from 2 August 1914:

"THE TWILIGHT OF THE KINGS."

"Before establish hell on earth, the pietistic kings commend their to subject to God. Seek the Lord's sanction for the devil's work."

"'And now I command you to God,' said the Kaiser from his balcony to the people in the street ' Go to church and kneel before God and pray His help for our gallant army.'"

"Pray that a farmer dragged for a Saxon field shall be speedier with a bayonet thrust than a winemaker take from his vines in the Aube; that a Berlin lawyer shall be steadier with the rifle than a Moscow merchant; that a machine gun manned by Heidelberg students shall not jam and that one worked by Paris carpenters shall."

. . . .

"This is the twilight of the kings. Western Europe of the people may be caught in this debacle, but never again. Eastern Europe of the kings will be remade and the name of God shall not give grace to a hundred square miles of broken bodies."

. . . .

"It is the twilight of the kings. The republic marches east in Europe."

Those kings of course Wilhelm of Germany, Franz Joseph of Austria, Nicholas of Russia, and presently and in due course the ruler of the Ottoman Empire!

coolbert.

WW1 1914.

This is coolbert:

From the Chicago Tribune and the article by Ron Grossman as it was one hundred years ago, the Great War, the First World War, as reported by banner headlines:

"CHICAGO FLASHBACK"

"Watching war a world away"

"By 1914, neighborhoods across Chicago reflected Europe's rising tensions"

Among those banner headlines:

"AUSTRIA FORCES WAR; SERB ENVOY GOES; FIRING BEGINS"

"LAUNCHING OF WAR SETS ALL EUROPE TREMBLING"

"CZAR'S TROOPS MOVE; MUST STOP OR GERMANY WILL FIGHT"

"HOPE FOR PEACE GROWS STRONGER"

"26 KILLED IN FIRST AIRSHIP BATTLE; KAISER'S ARMIES IN FRANCE, RUSSIANS IN GERMANY"

"ENGLAND AT WAR
WITH GERMANY"

Furthermore from that Ron Grossman article:

" . . . yet in the summer of 1914, many thought that after a short war things would return to normal. Soldiers reassured loved ones they'd be home for Christmas. A few contemporaries already suspected history's verdict. World Wart I would take a toll, never full repaired, on a Europe idealized by cultivated Americans as a model of civility and glamour."

coolbert.

Retrograde.

This is coolbert:

Once more from the Internet web site www.isegoria.net we have extracts and commentary from "Panzer Battles" by von Mellenthin.

"Problems of Withdrawal"

"Of all operations of war, von Mellenthin notes, a withdrawal under heavy enemy pressure is probably the most difficult and perilous"

"Indeed it is recorded of the great Moltke [Moltke the Elder], that when he was being praised for his generalship in the Franco-Prussian War, and was told by an admirer that his reputation would rank with such great captains as Napoleon, Frederick, or Turenne, he answered, 'No, for I have never conducted a retreat.'"

Retrograde operations, delaying, withdrawal, retirement. RETREAT to the common folks!

A movement to the rear. And HOW done most crucial. In an organized or disorganized manner. The former good, the latter bad!

That mark of a good general not how well he performs during a successful offensive but rather how well he performs during a defeat and retrograde?

And that retreat while under pressure requiring an amphibious evacuation even more difficult and tenuous at best.

In this regard Dynamo [English], Ariel [English] and Hungnam [American] those fighting withdrawals the reverse amphibious operation indicative of a high level of military proficiency and competence.

coolbert.

Ramadan!

This is coolbert:

Why didn't I think of this. That end of Ramadan 28 July will mean the ISIL offensive against Baghdad will commence in earnest. The Salafi ISIL in emulation of Mohammad will not begin combat operations until that time as mandated by Islamic teaching. The pause to further ISIL advance in Iraq not solely a consolidation as might have been thought to been the case.

The tip from Legal Insurrection and the "bulletin" from ISW as copied and posted in entirety:

"the Institute for the Study of War issued a terse bulletin this week warning of a looming battle to capture Baghdad by ISIS Islamist fighters."

"ISW has observed a step change in ISIS’s activity in Baghdad and its environs that represents an escalated threat. ISW remains vigilant in light of this change with the expectation that ISIS will attempt a main effort before the end of Ramadan on 28 July 2014. ISW is therefore issuing a warning intelligence update for Baghdad.
Given the increase in kinetic activity within Baghdad city, and specifically the renewal of VBIED [vehicle borne improvised explosive device] attacks, it is important to remain vigilant against the threat of an ISIS offensive in the capital, especially before the end of Ramadan on 28 July. ISIS may have positions inside Baghdad city, and ISIS likely retains extensive freedom of maneuver throughout the Baghdad Belts. The defense of Baghdad must take into consideration the possible operational targets of ISIS, as well as its ability to conduct a range of attacks that include mortars and complex attacks upon fixed sites. The military bases within and surrounding Baghdad must also remain prepared to withstand an attack. ISW assesses that BIAP [Baghdad International Airport] is particularly vulnerable at this time."

NOT necessarily capturing the airport but merely rendering ineffective, take-off and landing not possible. A major target neutralized, that situation for the central Iraqi government made even that much more dire.

coolbert.

Von Mellenthin.

This is coolbert:

From the excellent Internet web site www.isegoria.net some insight into the mentality of Adolph Hitler as extracted from "Panzer Battles" by von Mellenthin. Copied in entirety.

"Dazzled by Earlier Successes"

"To glorify Hitler as an infallible genius, whose gigantic designs were frustrated by treachery, or to condemn him as the greatest criminal of all time, would be equally irresponsible and superficial, von Mellenthin (Panzer Battles) says:

"It is an undeniable fact that Hitler was an incredibly clever man, with a memory far beyond the average. He had terrific will power and was utterly ruthless; he was an orator of outstanding quality, able to exercise an hypnotic influence on those in his immediate surroundings. In politics and diplomacy he had an extraordinary flair for sensing the weakness of his adversaries, and for exploiting their failings to the full. He used to be a healthy man, a vegetarian who neither smoked nor drank, but he undermined his constitution by taking sleeping powders and pep pills, chiefly during the later years of the war. Although his health deteriorated, his mind remained amazingly alert and active until the very end."

[all emphasis mine!]

Hitler does not drink. Hitler does not smoke. Hitler does not wench. What do you do Hitler?

Hitler not a man of high educational attainment. NOR seen as possessing an extraordinary intellect. A man who seemed to stumble his way through life without significant achievement even subsequent to the end of the First World War!

NOT also a man of extraordinary physical stature or being that photogenic personality as seen necessary to political success.

AND able to dominate personalities about him, those acolytes and cronies PERSONS THEMSELVES OF A STRONG WILL AND NATURE!

Drugged and sedated during that latter part of the Second World War as is seen in cinematic portrayals undeniably if this was the case contributing to poor decision making.

What to make of all this?

coolbert.

Kurds.

This is coolbert:

Can the center hold?

In this case, can the Kurds hold? The Kurds and their ways.

"Masror Barzani: ISIS preparing for a major confrontation with Peshmerga , We need America’s help"

"The National Security Council adviser in Kurdistan Region, Masror Barzani has warned from reports that the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria 'ISIS' is preparing for a major confrontation with Peshmerga forces, and called on the United States to provide direct military assistance to the region that is fighting the extremist threats alone."

Help for the Kurds if and when the climactic battle with ISIL forces begins. And no need for "boots on the ground either". More than anything else drones firing Hellfire missiles in abundance, ISIL subjected to a bombardment of epic proportions.

Peshmerga those combat units of the Kurd autonomous region, fierce fighters known for the ability in close quarters battle. It won't be so easy for ISIL with the peshmerga as it was with the Iraqi National Army.

coolbert.

Anti-tank.

This is coolbert:

Good fences make for good neighbors.

And for that matter, good anti-tank ditches make for good neighbors too.

"UKRAINE: Odessa region vidhorodytsya 450-kilometer 'Transnistrian ditch.'"

"Odessa region vidhorodytsya 450-kilometer 'Transnistrian ditch.'
To block the movement of heavy military equipment and moving contraband goods on the Transnistrian segment of the Ukrainian-Moldovan border began work on engineering enhancement - to 450-km boundary proryyut trench width 3.5 meters and a depth of 2-3 meters."

Under construction right now, hurriedly and in a rushed manner so it seems, a barrier of extraordinary proportions under construction. A trench, even a moat perhaps, many hundreds of  kilometers [miles] long on the border between Ukraine and Moldova, that Trans-Dneister region of critical concern to the central government in Kiev.

As too was the subject of a prior blog entry. That population along the Dneister river in Moldovan territory predominantly ethnic Russian. With all  that means within the current context of the Ukraine crisis.

coolbert.

Mamelukes!

This is coolbert:

Extracts and commentary from the outstanding Internet web site www.isegoria.net.

The Mamelukes!

"The Mameluke Empire"

"The empire of the Mamelukes of Egypt provides a case in point, Glubb argues, for it was one of the most exotic ever to be recorded in history"

Sir John Glubb, also better known as Glubb Pasha. British military commander in the aftermath of the Second World War famous for his leadership of the Arab Legion. Glubb an expert on all things Islamic and Arabic.

"The Mameluke government appears to us utterly illogical and fantastic. The ruling class was entirely recruited from young boys, born in what is now Southern Russia. Every one of them was enlisted as a private soldier. Even the sultans had begun life as private soldiers and had risen from the ranks. Yet this extraordinary political system resulted in an empire which passed through all the normal stages of conquest, commercialism, affluence and decline and which lasted approximately the usual period of time."

That usual period of time about two hundred and fifty years. Great nations going through the process of ascendancy, affluence, decline.

Mamelukes military slaves, that concept perhaps unique and only found in the Islamic world, the Mameluke ruler Baybars famous for his conquests and audacity.

coolbert.

Tunnels Afghan.

This is coolbert:

That tunnel warfare problem as encountered by the Soviet during the invasion and occupation of Afghanistan and the methods and solutions as developed to counter same more applicable to the situation as currently faced by the Israeli in Gaza.

Steps and measures as was used by the American military in Vietnam to counter the tunnel warfare of the NVA/VC probably not effective within the context of Gaza.

The Soviet having extensive experience with tunnel warfare was surprising to me.

Here with extracts and commentary from "an article by Mr. Lester W. Grau, "Underground Combat: Stereophonic Blasting, Tunnel Rats and the Soviet-Afghan War"

Vertical shafts and extensive horizontal tunnels primarily used by the Afghan for irrigation purposes [karez] but also useful during a time of war as sanctuary being subjected to a combat protocol as devised by the Soviet that seems to have been quite effective.

The karez [as called in Pashtun] structures found in a geographic continuum  from Morocco to China:

"A qanat [karez in Pashtun] is one of a series of well-like vertical shafts, connected by gently sloping tunnels. Qanats create a reliable supply of water for human settlements and irrigation in hot, arid, and semi-arid climates."

This image not doing full justice to the scale and size of the karez. Those vertical shafts often many tens of meters [yards] deep. Horizontal tunnels connecting the vertical shafts even longer. The entire apparatus having been dug and maintained often by entire generations of families, perhaps even since the time of Genghis Khan!!

And again, A SANCTUARY DURING A TIME OF WAR FOR COMBATANT AND NON-COMBATANT BOTH!

Weaponry as used by the Soviet during counter-tunnel operations to include:

1. Concussion grenades.
2. Expedient demolitions.
3. Smoke pots.
4. Roman candle signal mines.
5. Flame, Fuel-Air Explosives and Fuel.
6. Small-arms.

Steps and measures, that methodology during counter-tunnel operations to include and following a definite protocol.

1. Appeal to surrender.
2. Concussion grenades.
3. Again appeal to surrender.
4. Blasting.
5. After blasting a smoke pot.
6. Entry by search team.

Troops apparently from the Afghan National Army during the Soviet occupation at the entrance to a karez. That vertical shaft a long way down to the bottom, often many tens of meters [yards]. Be careful, if you fall in you will die!

This is what the Soviet called stereophonics. Two field expedient demolition charges dropped down into the vertical shaft. That lower charge detonating slightly subsequent to the upper, the blast directed sideways and not vertically!

This the Soviets called quadraphonics. Two sets of expedient demolitions detonated simultaneously. That multiple number of blasts even more destructive, entire portions of a karez devastated.

With regard to those Soviet search teams:

"Search teams consisted of three or four men. Two of these would search to the front while the remainder would guard their backs from a sneak attack from the rear. The lead man had a line tied to his leg. In case the lead man found enemy material, he would tie the line to it and come back so they could all drag it out. In case the lead man was killed or wounded, his team members could drag him back by this line."

"The search group was armed with knives, entrenching tools, hand grenades, pistols, and assault rifles. A flashlight was taped to the forestock of the automatic rifles. The magazines of the assault rifles were loaded with tracer ammunition."

The Israeli is aware of all this and have taken same to heart, incorporating such methods, means, procedures and protocols into their own counter-tunnel operations?

coolbert.

Lower.

This is coolbert:

The tunnels of Gaza:

"Hamas' Massive Network Of Underground Tunnels Is A Military Game-Changer"

"July 25, 2014 - - A network of tunnels Palestinian militants have dug from Gaza to Israel — dubbed 'lower Gaza' by the Israeli military — is taking center stage in the latest war between Hamas and Israel."

"Gaza's Hamas rulers view them as a military game changer in its conflict with Israel. The Israeli military says the tunnels pose a serious threat and that destroying the sophisticated underground network is a key objective of its invasion of Gaza."

"Israel has known about the tunnels for several years, but has been hard-pressed to find an effective way to block them. Now it is counting on its ground war to at least reduce the threat."

Those tunnels are force multiplier for the asymmetric fighter. You make the enemy fight on your terms and not the other way around. Tunnels allowing for sanctuary and also as fighting positions from which offensive action can be initiated.

coolbert.

Astrology!

This is coolbert:

"YEP, it all works out!"

Place this blog entry in the strange but true or the paranormal category?

From an unexpected source:

"According to the London Sunday Times October 31 [2010] edition:  'Burma's military dictators have turned to soothsayers, astrologers and numerologists to help secure victory in national elections next Sunday [i.e. November 7]. Citizens were bewildered when a new national flag was hoisted on Oct. 21 at 3 p.m. — a highly auspicious moment as the digits of the day, the time and the year all add up to three, and together equal the lucky number nine.'"

"Digits of the day (2+1 = 3), the time (3 = 3), and the year (2+0+1+0 = 3) … yep, it all works out."

YES indeed, it does all work out. Of course it does, what else did you expect?

Those rulers of Burma, the military junta greatly superstitious and dependent on the "soothsayers, astrologers and numerologists", geomancers and such, decisions of a grave nature decided upon only after consulting and paying heed to the pronouncements of the ADEPTS!

That Burmese junta:

* Moving the capital city up the Irrawaddy river from Rangoon. That junta greatly fearing an armed invasion of American marines invading in the manner of Dracula from the Second World War.

* Eschewing all humanitarian aid as was the offer from international sources during that last cyclonic disaster from several years ago. That was Nargis. American military vessels standing by and waiting for the go-ahead to assist in relief efforts denied!

Within this context astrology and numerology works ONLY if the junta is using the western calendar. Astrology as practiced in Burma presumably having an Indian source, time-keeping as understood in that cultural domain far different from the "western" model.

coolbert.

Fatwa.

This is coolbert:

As was noted in the previous blog entry:

"NOT merely a military force but possessing an contiguous territory over which dominion is exercised."

Dominion as expressed by a rule of law as understood in the Salafi manner of Islam. One example just promulgated to include:

"ISIS 'orders female genital mutilation' for women in Mosul"

"The UN says militant Islamist group Isis has ordered all women and girls in Mosul, northern Iraq, to undergo female genital mutilation (FGM)."

"UN official Jacqueline Badcock said the fatwa, or religious edict, applied to females between the ages of 11 and 46."

Without excessive gory detail, this surgical procedure often described as female circumcision.

Portions of the female private parts removed, women for the remainder of life never able to experience sexual gratification.

coolbert.

An Army!

This is coolbert:

The deduction of a genius.

"ISIS now ‘full-blown army,’ officials warn"

"Top U.S. officials warned Wednesday that a Sunni extremist group controlling parts of Syria and Iraq had grown into a threat that is 'worse than al Qaeda'."

NOT merely a military force but possessing an contiguous territory over which dominion is exercised.

An army and an army ON THE MOVE!

All this occurring in several months and much to the astonishment of everyone. Within the world of international jihad all eyes now look toward ISIL for inspiration and guidance.

coolbert.

Deutsch!

This is coolbert:

Thanks to the book review by Professor Al Nofi of Strategy Page we have yet one more instance of the "Forty-Eighter" of some prominence during that era of the American Civil War.

Friedrich Franz Karl Hecker.

NOT however a professional military man trained in the European style commanding German speakers composing distinct units of the Union Army.

From that book review of Al Nofi:

"Yankee Dutchmen Under Fire: Civil War Letters from the 82nd Illinois Infantry", by Joseph R. Reinhart.

"The Civil War in the Words of the Men of the 82nd Illinois."

Dutch no so but referred to by English speakers! Deutsch as in German more appropriate!

"In their letters the troops tell the personal side of soldiering . . . the letters also reveal that they were somewhat older than their 'native born' comrades, more politically aware, and rather liberal."

Rather liberal in the sense of being primarily persons defined as Forty-Eighters. Those European nationals having emigrated to the United States in the aftermath of those failed 1848 revolutions.

Soldiers those Forty-Eighters their politics best described as socialist and many adherents to the teachings of Karl Marx!!

That 82n Illinois a diverse unit predominantly native German speakers and as commanded by a native German speaker.

"the 82nd Illinois Infantry Regiment. Approximately two-thirds of its members were German immigrants and most of the other third was composed of immigrants from various countries. Company C was entirely made up of European Jews, and Company I was all Scandinavians."

Hecker himself a "politician and revolutionary" AND an agitator. A fomenter for a cause he thought to be righteous.

"Friedrich Franz Karl Hecker . . . was a German lawyer, politician and revolutionary. He was one of the most popular speakers and agitators of the 1848 Revolution. After moving to the United States, he served as a brigade commander in the Union Army during the American Civil War."

"like most Forty-Eighters, his [Hecker] attention became increasingly focused on domestic political issues in the United States, and in particular the issue of abolishing slavery. When the Illinois Republican Party was organized at a convention in 1856, German-American Forty-Eighters were everywhere conspicuous in the proceedings . . . The Republicans attracted a wide array of political perspectives, with often strongly divergent views except for their opposition to slavery"

Again, as has been noted before, these "German" units serving in the Union Army their performance neither better or worse than the average Federal unit. Their motivation and sincerity of effort for their adopted country hardly however can be denied.

coolbert.

Missiles!

This is coolbert:

The missiles of July!

More airplanes shot down in the airspace over Ukraine! Frogfoot Su-25 of the Ukraine air force downed, surface-to-air-missile [SAM] as fired apparently from territory of the Russian Federation to blame!

1. "Ukraine Says Su-25s Were Shot Down From Russian Territory"

"two Ukrainian Air Force Su-25s shot down today were hit by missiles fired from Russian territory."

Those Frogfoot evidently not possessing the necessary early warning receivers [EW] and electronic counter measure [ECM] devices to thwart Russian SAM attack?

2. "Exclusive: Ukraine Asked U.S. for Tech to Counter Russia's Jet-Killers"

""Last month, Ukraine quietly asked the United States and NATO for sensitive equipment to jam the radars that Russian anti-aircraft systems use to lock their missiles on planes. As the United States and NATO last month began to publicly acknowledge the sophisticated Russian anti-aircraft systems moving into rebel held areas of eastern Ukraine, the government in Kiev asked for gear that might be used to counter those weapons."

coolbert.

Water!

This is coolbert:

Water as intuitively understood by all as essential to life itself, in that area of Mesopotamia even more essential. ISIL high command using the indirect form of attack rather than foolish frontal assault.

"ISIS CUTTING OFF WATER SUPPLY TO CHRISTIANS, KURDS IN REGIONS THEY DO NOT CONTROL"

"The Islamic State-- formerly Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS)-- has previously used water as a destructive tool to destroy crops and dams in Shi'ite territory. Now, ISIS is attempting to deprive major Christian strongholds of water through their control of pipe systems."

Water no where and nary a drop to drink. And where and when available only so by the sufferance of the Caliph and his minions.

coolbert.

Brooks & SOFA.

This is coolbert:

As was noticed by the New York Times writer and pundit David Brooks:

"Before (Iraq) was close to ready, the Obama administration took off the training wheels by not seriously negotiating the NATO status of forces agreement that would have maintained some smaller American presence."

"The Obama administration didn't begin negotiations on the treaty until a few months before American troops would have to start their withdrawal. 'The administration  increased the demands.' 'the negotiations between Obama and Maliki fell apart, in no small measure because of lack of engagement by the White House.'" - - David Brooks, The New York Times.

General Amos, take note.

We are speaking of course about SOFA. Status of Forces Agreement.

"A status of forces agreement (SOFA) is an agreement between a host country and a foreign nation stationing military forces in that country. SOFAs are often included, along with other types of military agreements, as part of a comprehensive security arrangement. A SOFA does not constitute a security arrangement; it establishes the rights and privileges of foreign personnel present in a host country in support of the larger security arrangement. Under international law a status of forces agreement differs from military occupation."

In a nutshell, SOFA defines whether American military service personnel committing a crime OFF BASE are to be tried under American military law or under the law of the host nation.

Shariah law or a legal system based on shariah law not thought to be providing legal safeguards as  American military personnel accustomed to!

coolbert.

Camp Speicher.

This is coolbert:

Good news at last! The Iraqi has regained his senses and demonstrating that ISIL is not omnipotent. Let us hope this is true!

"Iraqi forces retake Tikrit base"

"IRAQI special forces secured full control of a crucial former US military base on the outskirts of Tikrit, officials said yesterday."

"Camp Speicher, the headquarters for US forces in northern Iraq during the 2003 invasion and subsequent war, has become a focal point in the fight between Iraqi forces and Islamist militants."

Be clear this is not Tikrit itself but a nearby military base now in the hands of the friendlies. NO MORE than that at this point.

coolbert.

Agit-Prop.

This is coolbert:

Activity of this sort was very popular [false flag charges] during that period of the Cold War. And has been absent for several decades but now we have the resurrection!

"Russian Media on Downed Airliner: The CIA Did It"

"Just one day after the horrific tragedy that left 298 people dead, Russia's Channel One ran a package telling its audience that the entire incident was orchestrated by the United States, specifically by the CIA. A document was broadcast purportedly showing that the U.S. was planning to do the same thing during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis."

"Viewers learned that the 'U.S. orchestrated this because Ukrainian government is not sophisticated enough to orchestrate this,' according to the broadcast, which was translated from the original Russian by CNBC."

Agit-prop [agitation and propaganda] of this sort does no one any good.

coolbert.

Fuel.

This is coolbert:

From a comment to a recent blog entry:

"Anonymous" said...

I was even off by a bit":

"'Approximately 60% of the fuel is burned to provide climate control for Marines and equipment deployed at some 300 sites across Afghanistan.'"

"'It’s even funnier knowing that for this fuel to arrive, millions and millions are paid to local warlords as “road protection money' in a mafia-style protection racket."

"found/via this isegoria.net entry"

"FUBAR indeed..."

And this historically not a unique situation.

Consider that during the Normandy Campaign [1944] and the Battle of France [1944] that allied fuel & supply situation acute and absurd even noted so at the time, efforts to remedy same counter-productive. Consider that:

* "the number of divisions required to capture the number of ports to required to maintain those divisions is always greater than the number of divisions those ports can maintain."

* Aircraft transporting fuel to those units closest to the combat using "one and one-half gallons of 100-octane [AVGAS] gasoline to deliver one gallon of 80-octane motor fuel to the forward depots."

coolbert.

Asymmetric III.

This is coolbert:

Conclusion!

Here with a give and take conversation with a combat arms veteran, that amount of gear and equipment as needed by the tunnel rat. Those Israeli troops at this very instant penetrating those Hamas tunnels with the objective of denial!

American tunnel rats from that Vietnam era quite often operating on an ad hoc basis, sans gear for the most part and sans gear specifically designed and intended for counter-tunnel warfare.

What gear do you need to do the job right? A discussion.

1. Uniform to include:

* Goggles.

* A coverall type battledress without any web gear or straps to get caught on obstructions but having lots of big, capacious, bellowing and voluminous pockets.

* Gas mask.

* Knee pads and gloves the palm of which is reinforced.

2. Weapons to include:

* Sidearm with reduced report, recoil and muzzle flash and firing a flechette round. Maybe the .45 Long Colt revolver that fires the .410 shotgun round.

* Trench knife.

* Grenades, lots of them, to include concussion, flash-bang, fragmentation, tear gas.

3. Lighting/illumination/visibility to include:

* White light source. A flashlight or flare. Flashlight possessing a dazzle capability if possible.

* Infra red passive and active.

* Low light level "Starlight device" with chemical light glow stick illuminator if needed.

* A miners type helmet with attached propane light.

4. A cave explorer [spelunker] type of device that determines your course, distance, level of inclination, etc. A device that can be used to MAP the inside of a tunnel complex.

5. Explosives too? C4 plastic, detonating cord, blasting caps and fuse.

In response from the combat arms veteran. Believe me, this is a man that knows his stuff.

* "Too much gear if you are thinking of Vietnam tunnel rats, where the connecting tunnels were tiny--had to crawl through.  They wore shorts, carried a flashlight and .45 or .38, sometimes a knife.  Not much else--grenades cost them their eardrums, as did bigger weapons. They liked to leave tear gas (powder) grenades behind.  That would make the tunnel unusable for months." 

* "In the Hamas tunnels? Different story--bigger, lots more gear to carry.  Then you could consider most or all of what you said, including night vision devices, infra-red light source, etc. Cut the power off (if it had any in the tunnel) and use the night devices to gain a great advantage"

* "Might leave the gas mask--our military has never found use for them since WWI, and they've always added useless weight and volume to an already overloaded soldier's gear . . . Only if it turns out the other side is using some kind of gas (lethal or incapacitating) should you waste space/weight with that device."

* "Instead of revolvers with their limited six round capacity and reloading issues, use the US .45 with silencer.  Lots of rounds, fast reload, hard hitting with a subsonic round "

* "Not too sure about the grenades! Weight again, limited to areas where you can hide behind something--can't throw them as far in a tunnel because of the ceiling, so you have to have cover when it goes off.  Except for the not-noisy 'dazzle things to blind the opponent." [a flash grenade without the bang]

* "The newer flashlights have a dazzle and extreme bright feature, so that might do"

* "I'd like the passive light devices, but remember that in a cave, there are no passive light sources (stars or moon or reflected, residual light), so they don't work so well, hence the need for infra red devices, or other thermal vision devices." [that is where you use a chemical glow stick]

* "I like the mapping device idea, but wonder what there is that doesn't link to a satellite GPS--which wouldn't work in a cave/tunnel."

* "Explosives--yes, if there are several of you in the group exploring the tunnel."

* "Water, if it's going to be a long tunnel as in Gaza." 

* "Medical kit if more than two of you going into the tunnel." 

* "Flex-cuffs if you expect to find someone and not kill them."

Grenades as suggested by myself are a bad idea! That blast underground will destroy the eardrums of the tunnel rat possibly incapacitating the troop. Should have been obvious.

Devoted readers to the blog have further recommendations? Let me hear from you.

coolbert.

Asymmetric II.

This is coolbert:

Thanks to Colonel Craig USMC for the tip!

"Every Man Has A Breaking Point" By Quintus Curtius

"Pressure reveals the man.  Take a man, any man, and subject him to extreme stress.  Subject him to sleep deprivation or fear, exhaustion, and the uncertainties of climate and personal safety, and you will see the soul of the man.  This is what I always liked about extreme stress.  It reveals the true essence.  A young military trainee thrown into an extreme environment or hostile fire zone, or a young lawyer taking on his first big high-stakes jury trial, will both reveal their inner natures by their performance and responses to pressure."

 

An American soldier from the Vietnam War just prior to entry into a NVA/VC tunnel complex. The stripped soldier in reality, carrying only a flashlight and .45 caliber ACP pistol. Nothing more. What awaits that man is the unknown and great danger. Additional equipment an impediment?

OR a man entering into the underground tunnel complexes of Hamas in Gaza.

AND before the Israeli the American "tunnel rat" of the Vietnam War.

Read that account of an American soldier and his experience, into a tunnel in pursuit of an enemy, the uncertainty factor and operating alone most acute.

coolbert.

Asymmetric I.

This is coolbert:

As we speak, at this very moment, the primary mission and objective of the Israeli those Hamas tunnel complexes providing sanctuary for Hamas personnel and rocket artillery!

Tunnel warfare, brutal, harsh, unremitting, asymmetric!

1. "IDF in Gaza uncovers eight smuggling tunnels and cache of weapons stored in them"

“Paratroopers uncover 8 smuggling tunnels in Gaza,” 

By Yoav Zitun| Ynet News | July 18. 2014.

2. "US: Restrict Gaza operation to precise action against tunnels"

“US: Restrict Gaza operation to precise action against tunnels,” by Rebecca Shimoni Stoil, Times of Israel, July 18, 2014"

And as has been noted by an Israeli authority:

"a very limited set of 'conventional' tools to neutralize it."

Artillery and aerial bombardment having a very limited capability to destroy those tunnels. It appears those Hamas tunnels are perhaps even designed by mining engineers and dug by professional miners. Strong and robust facilities and fighting positions dug with the intent of defeating overwhelming Israeli firepower.

NOT HOWEVER IMPERVIOUS TO THE EFFORTS OF THE "TUNNEL RAT"! That soldier trained and equipped to enter the enemy underground abode, meet the foe and destroy at close quarters.

That term "tunnel rat" a legacy of the Vietnam era, a sobriquet applied to those very brave and determined American troops entering the tunnel complexes of the NVA/VC adversary. Seek out the foe and destroy in his own lair.

coolbert.

Meaconing?

This is coolbert:

My instantaneous reaction on reading this item was MEACONING! False navigational signals intentionally transmitted to lure the target off course.

Is this so and by whom?

That also being my original thought [meaconing] when hearing of the recent [from several years ago now] Polish airliner crash near Smolensk. Killing all the dignitaries on board to include the Polish President and half the Polish military general staff!!

"Crashed MH17 flight 'was 300 miles off typical course'"

 

This image purportedly shows all the commercial air traffic in the skies over Europe at the time of the MH17 incident. Judge things for yourself.

 

"MH17 flight feared to have been shot down over Ukraine was taking a significantly different route to the usual course for flights from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, according to aviation expert."

"The crashed MH17 flight took a route 300 miles to the north of its usual path, an aviation expert has said."

"most Malaysia Airlines flights from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur normally travelled along a route significantly further south than the plane which crashed."

This shoot down of MH17 was deliberate? OR merely a mistake in a war zone? Call me paranoid but I fear the worst!

coolbert.

Goodwood!!

This is coolbert:

From seventy years ago the headlines of the New York Times.

This was Goodwood. British offensive an attempt at breakthrough.

Massed British armor units moving forward from the Normandy beach head only to be thwarted by the 88 mm guns of the Waffen SS!!

"Operation Goodwood was a Second World War British offensive that took place between 18 and 20 July 1944. British VIII Corps, with three armoured divisions, launched the attack aiming to seize the German-held Bourguébus Ridge . . . while also destroying as many German tanks as possible , , , When Operation Goodwood ended on 20 July, the armoured divisions had broken through the initial German defences and had advanced seven miles before coming to a halt in front of the Bourguébus Ridge"

Generally speaking Goodwood hardly as successful as had been anticipated, rather the losses in tanks horrific. Four hundred British and Canadian tanks destroyed in a mere several days of combat!!

Allied planners and senior commanders hardly deterred however, many of those tanks "back in action" within several days, repairs done expeditiously, that achievement remarkable!

 From the very well done Martin Gibson web site "War and Security" these extracts tell the story:

"Normandy 44: The Battle Beyond D-Day" 

"400 British tanks  were knocked out in Goodwood, but 300 of them were repaired and back in action in days."

Tank losses either replaced or damaged units repaired and returned to action the allies very good at this:

"Allied units [during the Normandy Campaign], unlike German ones, could be resupplied and kept up to strength. The Sherwood Rangers were part of a brigade of three regiments each with 50 tanks. It received 1,073 new tanks during the campaign in order to keep 150 in the field."

coolbert.

Nasara!

This is coolbert:

With regard to the demand of ISIL that all Christians pay the obligatory jizya tax, this bodes not well:

"Islamic State marks Christian homes in Mosul"

"They are marking the Christians’ homes with ن, a nūn, for Nasara, which is the Qur’an’s word for Christians: Nazarenes [JESUS of Nazareth]. Probably they are doing this so that they can know from which houses to demand the jizya, the tax that the Qur’an demands that the subjugated People of the Book pay in the Islamic state?"

 

That mark signifies a Christian lives within!

There hasn't been anything like this at least since the time when the Taliban took over Afghan?

Requiring all Hindu to wear a saffron thread around their necks at all time as a form of identification as might be seen from a distance..

"Protected persons" under the Pact of Omar, Christians and Jews needing to pay the jizya to remain in good standing with the Islamic rulers in whose realm they may reside.

coolbert.

AC.

This is coolbert:

From a comment to a previous blog entry:

 "Anonymous said..."

"Fun fact, half the fuel there is used to power air conditioning!
So events like that will literally make the troops sweat!"

Here from "Embedded" by the U.S. Marine Corps officer Wesley Gray on his introduction to Iraq:

"Camp Victory is the U.S. Army's crowning achievement in base construction. The base exemplifies the Army's ability to fortify an enormous piece of earth and at the same time, convince the Iraqi people beyond any doubt that we are here for  to stay for a long time. One step into the camp and it was hard for me to imagine we would be leaving Iraq any time in the next century let alone the next few years. Not only was it huge, but it was surprisingly posh. Even the tents in the transient field quarters had out-standing amenities, air-conditioning, a floor-cleaning service, and wireless Internet. In addition to the stellar amenities in the tents, there were KBR [Kellogg, Brown and Root]chow halls with delicious food and enormous exercise facilities everywhere. I did not feel as thought I was in Iraq. In truth I felt as if the C-130 had taken a wrong turn and landed at a Club Med in the middle of the desert somewhere. Things were looking up."

NO kitchen police [KP] detail.

NO barracks detail.

NOT even like being in the army or even the military perhaps. All personnel enjoying the "amenities" and not merely the officers.

But in the process creating a sissified and weak troop? That performance of the American military in Iraq and Afghan says that is not the case?

coolbert.

Tunnels

This is coolbert:

Thanks to the Internet newspaper of Sheldon Adelson and the article by Haim Yalin we have a perspective on the current Israeli ground military operation in Gaza, a primary target and objective of which is the tunnel complexes of Hamas

"'Tough to defeat the terror tunnels from above'"

FROM ABOVE MEANING PRECISION BOMBING BY THE ISRAELI AIR FORCE!

"Don't stop until the tunnel threat is neutralized"

"Cast Lead, Pillar of Defense and now Protective Edge, these operations remind us every couple of years that the government has been unable to find a solution to the threats from Gaza Strip. They also stress the need to address the Gaza problem as a strategic one and just a tactical one."

[. . . .]

"The tunnel threat has only grown over the past years; it is a problem that as of now only has a partial solution, and a very limited set of 'conventional' tools to neutralize it. Therefore it is no surprise that one of the main objectives of the operation is silencing this threat, which continues to constitute a danger to residents and Israeli soldiers in the area."

Those tunnels providing sanctuary to the Hamas fighters for which the CONVENTIONAL effort will not suffice.

coolbert.

Spectacle!!

This is coolbert:

Ghoulish spectacle!!

From that previous blog entry here is exactly what I am speaking about. Thanks to the British Daily Mail:

"Graveyard of desecration: Grave robbers. Ghoulish tourists taking pictures on their mobiles...."

"Several human victims were still stuck in their seats. Others were mangled, mashed and hideously manipulated. I saw a leg, a battered trunk, a twisted hand reaching out from the grass and things more gruesome than I ever want to recall."

"In a burned patch of grass littered with charred debris lay five crumpled corpses in a heap.
Nearby were boarding passes, a smashed computer, a school book, piles of clothes, a box of chocolates – although bizarrely, two bottles of duty-free whisky had survived."

. . . .

"There are many circles of obscenity around this mass murder, almost certainly caused by a missile fired by crowing pro-Russian rebels armed, funded and trained by Moscow. But perhaps the ultimate insult is that even in death these poor people were denied dignity."

"So their devastated and dishevelled bodies were left in the baking summer heat, exposed to the elements for three days while uniformed goons with guns stole from their suitcases and then stopped international observers trying to solve the mystery of their deaths."

NEED I SAY ANYMORE!! THOSE INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS TOO NOT EVEN CRASH SITE INVESTIGATORS!

coolbert.




http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3182527/posts

Access

This is coolbert:

Thanks to Jungle Trader and the AP we have this story. Severe and inexcusable behavior regarding the inquiry into the disaster of MH17.

"Pro-Russia Rebels Hamper Access to Plane Crash Site in Ukraine"

By international treaty governing airline travel and disaster associated with same access to the scene of a crash and recovery of the "black box" recorder must not be hindered.

This reminds me of from over thirty years ago and the shoot down of KAL007.

Efforts to recover the black box and bodies of the deceased hindered and obstructed in a deliberate manner by the Soviet Union.

That black box reputedly recovered by the forces of the break away Donetsk Republic and send to Moscow? Tampering will be the order of the day or absolute denial perhaps?

This bodes not good at all!!

I have seen PICTURES OF THE DECEASED STILL STRAPPED TO THEIR SEATS AND JUST LAYING IN THE OPEN TWO DAYS AFTER THE SHOOT DOWN! Callous and unconscionable conduct dreadful!

coolbert.

Al-Raya.

This is coolbert:

Those ISIL fighters prominently flying the black flag beloved of the Salafi.

Muslims emulating to the greatest degree possible Mohammad.

It is reputed that Mohammad flew a black flag into battle, inscribed with the Islamic testament of faith: "There is no God but Allah and Mohammad is his Prophet".

"The Black Banner or Black Standard also known as rayat al-`uqab "banner of the eagle" or simply as  al-raya "the banner") is one of the flags flown by the prophet Muhammad in Islamic religion, an eschatological symbol in Shi'a Islam (heralding the advent of the Mahdi), and a symbol used in Islamism and Jihadism"

 

ISIL fighter waving the black flag.

 

"A black flag with the shahada inscribed in white was spotted on Jihadist websites from at least 2001. Even though the historical black banner did not have any inscription, this variant is commonly known as al-raya "the banner" or rayat al-`uqab "banner of the eagle" after the hadith tradition, and has been dubbed the black flag of jihad by western observers. Islamic extremist organizations that used such a black flag include al-Qaeda, al-Shabaab, the Islamic Courts Union, the ISIS and Hizbul Islam (2009). Some variant designs depict the second phrase of the shahada in the form of the historical seal of Muhammad."

 

Banner of the Somali Al Shaabab! Seems to be the same as that flag borne high by the ISIL fighter!

 

"Eschatological symbol in Shi'a Islam" referring to END TIMES! ISIL of course Sunni and opposed to Shia but you get the picture, don't you!

 coolbert.

Jizya.

This is coolbert:

ISIL demanding under duress that the Christians residing within the realm of the Caliph now pay the jizya. That tax "protected people" living under Islamic rule are required to pay.

Thanks to Jungle Trader and the BBC:

"Iraq"

"Iraqi Christians are fleeing Mosul after Islamist militants threatened to kill them unless they converted to Islam or paid a 'protection tax.'"

"A statement issued by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) was read out at the city's mosques."

"It called on Christians to comply by midday on Saturday or face death if they did not leave the northern city."

coolbert.

MH17 & Buk.

This is coolbert:

Some comments regarding the shoot down of the MH17.

* That this missile was fired by the Russians or forces allied with the Russians is not questioned?

* The missile was fired from Ukrainian territory or from the Russian side of the border is debatable?

* That crew manning the missile firing unit and associated equipment were active duty Russian military personnel or Ukrainian separatists is not clear.

* And who gave the order to engage in an area where high flying commercial aircraft were known to fly is also unclear.

* Insurgents deploying and using HEAVY WEAPONRY is certainly an escalation of matters.

coolbert.

Grizzly.

This is coolbert:

That missile, a SAM [surface-air-missile] having shot down the MH17 identified tentatively as a SA-17 Grizzly. Called "Buk" by the Russian.

Originally was the SA-11 Gadfly.

Improved version the SA-17 so as to prevent confusion. But in all cases deadly.

"Malaysia plane downed by top Russian export"

"Russian-made SAM has long held the respect of the world’s militaries"

"WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — The downing of a Malaysian Boeing 777 over Ukraine by suspected separatists using a Russian-made “Buk” surface-to-air missile, or SAM, is a grim reminder of a Cold War truism."

"Russian SAMs are some of the deadliest in the business."

With regard to deadly, this being so at the tactical and strategic level both. A whole panoply of such weapon systems existing, very sophisticated and deadly hardware. SAM and AAA [anti-aircraft-artillery] BOTH!

coolbert.

Resign.

This is coolbert:

Even those associated with the Russians fed up with the shoot down of the MH17.

"Russia Today reporter resigns in protest at MH17 coverage"

"A London-based correspondent of Kremlin-funded news channel Russia Today has resigned in protest at its coverage of the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17."
. . . .

"Russia Today, which has been criticized as a propaganda mouthpiece for the Russian government, suggested Ukraine was to blame for the crash, while most media organizations have said it was shot down by a suspected Russian-made missile."

Those of you that watch RT will understand almost instantly and without reservation that RT is a "propaganda mouthpiece" for the Russian Federation. Indeed!

coolbert.

Heavy.

This is coolbert:

ISIL now on the move in Syria and significantly so. And USING THAT CAPTURED ARMOR, HEAVY WEAPONRY AND PUTTING IN ALL TO GOOD USE.

Thanks to the tip from Steve and the article by Patrick Cockburn:

"Syria Crisis: Isis Marches Further Into Syria Tipping the Balance of Power in the Civil War"

"While international attention has been focused on the situation in Gaza, the self-styled caliphate has been spreading deeper into the country armed with tanks and artillery seized in Iraq"

"Isis fighters have captured much of eastern Syria in the past few days while international attention has been focused on the Israeli bombardment of Gaza. Using tanks and artillery seized in Iraq, it has taken almost all of oil-rich Deir Ezzor province and is battling to crush the resistance of the Syrian Kurds."
. . . .

"Isis is seeking to capture the Syrian Kurdish enclave at Kobani, or Ayn al-Arab, where some 500,000 Kurds are concentrated, many of them refugees from other parts of northern Syria. 'Isis have about 5,000 fighters which have been attacking us for the past 13 days using tanks and rockets and American Humvees captured in Iraq,' Idris Naasan, a political activist in Kobani, told The Independent by telephone. 'The fighting is very heavy and we have lost three villages we are trying to regain.'”

M1 Abrams tanks, 155 mm howitzer, and Humvee with .50 caliber machine gun and grenade launcher mounted. The insurgent switching to HEAVY WEAPONRY A VERY SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT.

Bad does go to worse! AT THIS VERY MOMENT IT SEEMS ISIL IS WALKING ON WATER.

coolbert.

Libya.

This is coolbert:

From DEBKAfile that turmoil in Libya now also out of hand, the last airport for international air travel now shut down, the nation isolated and under attack by "militants.

"Libya seeks international aid after losing last air link to world"

"A new rocket attack on Tripoli airport Monday killed one person and damaged 12 planes. The country's second-largest airport in Benghazi has been closed for two months. Misrata airport, the only remaining airport with regular international flights, was also closed on Monday."

The beat goes on and don't expect it to stop now or anytime soon.

coolbert.

Conquer & Rule.

This is coolbert:

First conquest, then rule. ISIL rather adept and quick to adapt to dynamic change. THEY HAVE A PLAN AND A WILL AND WAY!

"In Iraq, Syria, militants try to govern as a state"

"BEIRUT (AP) — Across the broad swath of territory it controls bridging Syria and Iraq, extremist militants from the group known as the Islamic State have proven to be highly organized administrators. Flush with cash, they fix roads, police traffic, administer courts, and have even set up an export system of smuggled crude from oil fields they control."

"But the extremists — a mix of Iraqis and Syrians but also foreign fighters from Arab countries and non-Arab regions like the Caucasus — run the risk of provoking a backlash from the people they have come to rule."

Governance as harsh as it may seem but regrettably perhaps even more fair and honest than what preceded.

coolbert.