Abu Jihaad!

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Abu-Jihaad gets his comeuppance?

"come·up·pance - - n. "A punishment or retribution that one deserves; one's just deserts:"

"Ex-sailor sentenced to 10 years in terror case"

"NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) — A former Navy sailor convicted of leaking details about ship movements and the best ways to attack them was sentenced Friday to the maximum 10 years in prison."

"Abu-Jihaad, 33, was convicted last year of disclosing classified national defense information. Prosecutors labeled him a traitor who was trying to help foreign terrorists replicate the bombing of the USS Cole, which killed 17 American sailors."

"Abu-Jihaad, an American who is formerly known as Paul Hall and whose chosen Muslim name means "father of jihad," was a signalman aboard the USS Benfold who was honorably discharged from the Navy in 2002."

TEN YEARS!!

It used to be, that during a time of war, a spy was sentenced to death and executed.

Well, EVEN IF WE ARE IN A STATE OF WAR, WAR HAS NOT BEEN FORMALLY BEEN DECLARED!! That I understand.

Normally, A SPY CAN BE CONVICTED AND EXECUTED, EVEN IF HE HAS NOT PASSED ON EVEN ONE TIDBIT OF INFORMATION TO HIS MASTERS. Those German Nazi saboteurs from the World War Two era, when caught, tried, found guilty, and executed, HAD NOT PRIOR TO THEIR ARREST DONE ONE THING WRONG [entering the U.S. illegally was a crime at the time??]!!

Something else is NOT mentioned here too. Abu was at one time the roommate of Derek Shareef. The Rockford, Illinois, USA wannabee terrorist bomber. Derek desired to set off hand-grenades at a Rockford shopping mall, but was tripped up by an informant.

Derek and Abu are two peas from the same pod?!

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Q-ship II. [Conclusion]

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The U.S. Navy during World War Two employed one Q-ship in the Pacific theatre.

This was the USS Anacapa.

"She [Anacapa] was acquired by the Navy and converted for naval service as a Q-ship and placed in commission as Anacapa (AG-49) on 31 August 1942, Lt. Comdr. A.M. Wright in command. Anacapa was converted as project 'Love William' under which she would appear to be a merchant vessel while actually carrying concealed weapons to attack enemy submarines ."

"The ship was manned by Navy personnel, but all members of the crew carried merchant marine papers and wore clothing typical of merchant seamen. Anacapa cruised off the west coast of the US acting as a decoy to attract enemy submarine attack"

[dress shockingly irregular? Well, it was supposed to be!!]

The USS Anacapa and crew performed their mission in a dutiful manner, but NEVER DID ENGAGE ANY JAPANESE SUBMARINES.

Did engage two American submarines in error, American subs operating in an area where they were not supposed to be. THOSE SUBS, AMERICAN, FORTUNATELY, WERE NOT SUNK!!

[what does that say about the combat effectiveness of a Q-ship??]

Something else too. Those American sailors, dressed as they were, manning a Q-ship that operated under the guise of a merchant vessel, weaponry concealed, not "carried" in an open manner, if captured by the enemy, were liable to be shot, executed, for operating in a false manner, in violation of the rules of war.

This did not occur, but the potentiality was there.

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Q-ship I.

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The U.S. Navy, during the Second World War [WW2], as an expedient to combat the German U-boat menace, deployed without any measurable success, Q-ships.

"Q-ships, also known as Q-boats, Decoy Vessels, Special Service Ships or Mystery Ships, were heavily armed merchant ships with concealed weaponry, designed to lure submarines into making surface attacks. This gave Q-ships the chance to open fire and sink them. The basic ethos of every Q-ship was to be a wolf in sheep's clothing."

A response by the U.S. Navy to the German U-boat offensive occurring on the east coast of the U.S. A threat, called in German: Paukenschlag (literally, "a roll on the kettledrum" and sometimes referred to in English as "Operation Drumbeat").

A threat that caught the U.S. Navy "napping", more or less totally unprepared. Expedient means were authorized and implemented. Means that proved to be more or less without merit?

Q-ships! Lures, decoys, naval guerrillas fighting an unconventional war at sea! An apparent merchant vessel, defenseless, in the sights [periscope] of a German submarine, easy pickings! The idea was to lure an unsuspecting German U-boat to the surface, the Q-ship engaging with hidden and unseen naval gunfire.

During the era of WW2, more likely than not, submarines tended to use their deck gun to attack and sink undefended merchantman. Saving torpedoes for more worthy, vital, and crucial targets.

To lure a German submarine to the surface, thinking that an "easy kill" could be had, the Q-ship employed a variety of ruses. To include:

* NOT flying a naval ensign, perhaps even flying a FALSE FLAG!!

* Crew members would mill about on the deck, visible to all, AND DRESSED IN CIVILIAN CLOTHING, NOT NAVAL GARB!

* Sailing in an erratic manner, not adopting evasive measure, giving off a lot of black smoke, making itself [Q-ship] conspicuous.

Further, during an attack:

* "Controlled fires" would be set on deck, simulating damage that did not exist.

* "Panic parties" of sailors would leave the ship in lifeboats, creating a sense of urgency and distress.

* Q-ships tended to be loaded with wood products, empty but sealed drums, etc. All making the ship, if holed below the water-line, much less susceptible to rapid sinking.

The original three Q-ships as sent to sea by the U.S. Navy were: [Called "Queen" ships.]

* MS Wave [became] USS Eagle (AM-132) later: [became] USS Captor (PYC-40)

* SS Evelyn [became] USS Asterion (AK-100).

* Carolyn [became] USS Atik (AK-101).

Three other Q-ships were commissioned for duty on the east coast, one however not even seeing any sea duty. These three Q-ships included:

* Alice. A two-masted schooner that was de-commissioned when it was discovered the German had gotten wind of the Q-ship [Alice] before it even sailed!

* SS Gulf Dawn [an oil tanker] [became] USS Big Horn.

* Irene Myrtle [became] USS Irene Forsyte (IX-93).

"The careers of all five ships were almost entirely unsuccessful and very short, with USS Atik sunk on its first patrol; all Q-ships patrols ended in 1943."

Here is where things get murky? Atik was sunk on its first patrol. That is agreed. The Irene Forsyte [Forsythe] was actually christened by the navy as the USS Aeolis. This from Harry - - of KTB !

According to KTB "Sharkhunters" http://www.sharkhunters.com

The Aeolis met a grim fate. First damaged, then sunk by naval gunfire from the deck gun of a German U-boat.

"The boat sailed into a hurricane off Bermuda and was so badly damaged she could only limp into Hamilton sound for repairs. No further US records remain concerning this vessel but a wartime rumor reported that she was sunk by U-Boat gunfire."

"The rumor was true. On 3 June, 1942 . . . [the U-Boat U-432 commenced an attack] . . . At 2130 hours . . . Aeolis slipped beneath the waves"

Q-ships - - an expedient - - hardly even effective. ASDIC, sonar, huff-duff, hedgehogs, Ultra intelligence - - much to be preferred!!

coolbert.

Regeneration!

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Thanks to the tip here today from the CBS Evening News.

Amazing and hitherto unexpected benefits from atomic bomb above ground testing?

"Nuclear Fallout Solves Heart Mystery"

"Can the atomic bomb tests of the Cold War lead to better treatments for heart attacks? Well, it's a bit of a stretch, but the answer may be yes."

"a team of scientists in Sweden has shown that heart muscles cells do regenerate — just very, very slowly. And the researchers used fallout from the Cold War atomic bomb tests to prove it."

This is very surprising stuff. And if you were born before 1963, you too may able to contribute to research in this area.

It has now been demonstrated, thanks to all the above ground nuclear atomic bomb tests conducted prior to 1963, that the muscles of the heart can regenerate, albeit very slowly.

This was once not considered to be possible. Heart muscles were thought to either NOT regenerate at all or if so, did at a very slow rate.

Nuclear radioactive carbon 14 particles as found in the heart muscles [DNA] of cadavers, persons born before 1963, seem to indicate that the muscles of the heart do indeed regenerate.

This indicates that it IS POSSIBLE TO CONSIDER POSSIBLE TREATMENTS FOR HEART DISEASE THAT WERE ONCE THOUGHT TO BE IMPOSSIBLE TO HIGHLY UNLIKELY.

A "silver lining", never anticipated from the days of the Cold War, when above ground nuclear tests released dangerous particles into the atmosphere? Seems so.

Comments:

* More nuclear debris was released into the atmosphere by the Chernobyl disaster alone than in all the above ground nuclear tests combined. [about 2,000 above ground nuclear tests of atomic weapons were conducted prior to 1963.]

* It is only recently that the devices and instruments have become available to measure the amount of radioactive carbon 14 found in the DNA of heart muscles.

* That one thing humans seems to fear so much, nuclear radioactivity, is the only reason that life on this planet, much less intelligent human life exists. Without naturally occurring background radiation, our planet Earth would be a big chunk of frozen ice and rock.

* Can anyone tell if that bomb in the picture accompanying this blog entry is detonating in Siberia or over the horizon in the U.S.?

coolbert.

Doenitz II. [Conclusion]

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Thanks here to Harry and KTB http://www.sharkhunters.com

In the aftermath of World War Two, almost all German flag officers, those of general and admiral rank, were arrested by the victorious allied powers.

Held in prison while investigation was carried out. Investigation to determine if "war crimes" had been committed by the various incarcerated individuals.

Among those various flag officers, of course, was Doenitz. In those last days of the Third Reich, after the suicide of Hitler, the hand-picked successor to Adolph, designated as the "President", the man ordering the final surrender of ALL German forces.

With regard to war-time atrocities perpetrated by German forces - - from KTB:

"I [Topp] met with his aide-de-camp [Hessler?] and read the Hessler [read to Hessler the] papers about the massive executions behind the front lines . . . hundreds of Jews, Poles, and Slavs shot down. Hessler showed these papers to Doenitz and asked if the Admiral would comment. Doenitz put the paper in his pocket. Then several days later, Hessler asked again":

"'Admiral, would you comment on the papers.'"

"Doenitz was a bit upset, and said."

"'I do not know what orders Goering is giving to his air forces, or what instructions the Army Headquarters are giving to its personnel, or what the NSP (National Socialist Party) are saying because they are outside of my responsibility.'"

Topp of course is Erich Topp, the third most successful German U-boat captain of the Second World War.

Doenitz was convicted of war crimes, sentenced to twenty years, serving ten years and twenty days of incarceration before his release.

"I hear nothing, I see nothing, I know nothing!" - - Sergeant Schultz - - Hogan's Heroes.

Am I being too harsh here?

coolbert.

Doenitz I.

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"I have a reactionary army, a National Socialist air force, and a Christian navy." - - A. Hitler.

Bleibt hart. Denkt daran, daß der Gegner bei seinen Bombenangriffen auf deutsche Städte keine Rücksicht auf Frauen und Kinder nimmt! - - Karl Doenitz.

See # 4 below.

Here more on the Laconia Order. The instructions, issued by Admiral Doenitz in the aftermath of the "incident". An outraged and defiant Doenitz orders his sub skippers not to be "Mr. Nice Guy" any more. Be tough, be hard!

The German Navy, during the early part of the war, surface raiders and U-boat alike, comported themselves in an admirable fashion, as best they could? Special mention with regard here to Captain Rogge of the surface raider Atlantis. Post-Laconia, the war at sea became no-holds-barred!!

The Laconia Order as issued:

1. All efforts to save survivors of sunken ships, such as the fishing out of swimming men and putting them on board lifeboats, the righting of overturned lifeboats, or the handing over of food and water, must stop. Rescue contradicts the most basic demands of the war: the destruction of hostile ships and their crews.

2. The orders concerning the bringing-in of skippers and chief engineers stay in effect.

3. Survivors are to be saved only if their statements are important for the boat.

4. Stay hard. Remember that the enemy has no regard for woman and children when bombing German cities.

In part, as a result of issuing the Laconia Order and another set of instructions to his submariners at the start of the war, among other things, Doenitz was tried for war crimes and found guilty. Served ten years in prison.

"This order [Laconia], along with War Order No. 154 of 1939, were introduced by the prosecution at the post-war Nuremberg Trial of Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz. In the judgement, it was found that by issuing these two orders, Dönitz caused Nazi Germany to be in breach of the Second London Naval Treaty of 1936."

Read the proceedings of the trial of Doenitz on the web courtesy of the Avalon Project, Yale Law School.

coolbert.

Laconia

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"If any ship will assist the shipwrecked Laconia crew I will not attack her, providing I am not attacked by ship or air force. I picked up 193 men. 4 degrees -52' south. 11 degrees - 26' west." German Submarine. - - Hartenstein

Here is an example of an allied “atrocity” from World War Two [WW2]?

The Laconia Affair.

An incident, in the aftermath of causing the German Admiral Doenitz to issue the infamous “no rescue - - no assistance order”!

The circumstances are pretty clear regarding this purported “atrocity”.

1. British civilian steamship SS Laconia is cruising off the west coast of Africa.

2. Aboard the Laconia are a large number of British and assorted foreign nationals, eighteen hundred [1,800] Italian prisoners-of-war [POW], and about one hundred Polish troops, guarding the Italians.

"There were about 2,700 people on board, including 1,800 Italian POWs, 268 British military personnel, 103 Free Poles who were guarding the Italians, and about 80 women and children."

3. The Laconia is torpedoed and sunk by a German U-boat. Passengers, including the Italian POW’s successfully taking to lifeboats.

4. The U-boat surfaces, discovers that among the survivors of the sinking are the contingent of Italian POW’s. Allies of the German during this point in the war.

5. The German U-boat commander [Hartenstein] announces to the world, en clair' [via international radio distress frequencies] that a rescue mission is at hand, persons, primarily those Italian POW's being "fished" out of the water.

6. The German U-boat commander marks his surfaced vessel with a Red Cross banner and commences to tow those lifeboats chock full of Italian POW to safety in Vichy held African territory. [the Vichy French also being favorably disposed toward the German.]

AT THIS POINT, A REPATRIATION MISSION HAS BEGUN!!

7. An American B-24 Liberator Very-Long-Range-Aircraft [VLRA], on an anti-submarine mission, arrives on the scene of the rescue/repatriation mission, spots the Red Cross banner, and departs.

8. Orders are issued for that very same VLRA Liberator to RETURN AND SINK THE GERMAN SUBMARINE!! A GERMAN U-BOAT CLEARLY MARKED WITH RED CROSS BANNER - - AND INVOLVED IN A RESCUE MISSION!!

What then transpires is debatable?

"The senior officer [American] on duty that day, Captain Robert C. Richardson III, replied with the order 'Sink sub.'"

"Harden [the pilot of the B-24] flew back to the scene of the rescue effort and at 12:32pm attacked with bombs and depth charges . . . The submarines dived and escaped."

This action on the part of the Liberator, however, CANNOT BE CLASSIFIED AS A VIOLATION OF THE RULES OF WAR OR AS AN ATROCITY!!??

The moment the German U-boat commander made the decision to repatriate those Italian POW’s to “friendly” territory [Vichy Africa], both the U-boat and the Italian SOLDIERS BECAME LEGITIMATE TARGETS OF WAR!!?? [emphasis here on the word SOLDIERS!!]

The Italian SOLDIERS, being freed from captivity and with the possibility of repatriation, COULD HAVE REJOINED THE WAR EFFORT. In this instance, became no different than a soldier fleeing on the battlefield, A LEGITIMATE TARGET!!?? And that submarine, facilitating the “escape” as it did, also became a LEGITIMATE TARGET, Red Cross banner notwithstanding!!

[a soldier on the battlefield that has laid down his arms, put his hands up, and is not fleeing, cannot be shot. In contrast, a soldier, having thrown down his weapon, BUT ATTEMPTING TO FLEE, CAN BE SHOT!! The reasoning is quite clear! Fleeing soldiers, not surrendering, can later be reconstituted into a military unit!!]

State of mind of the participants is most important here? This “affair” is very similar to that of the Wahoo “incident” in the Pacific theater? The American submarine commander “Mush” Morton giving the order to shoot Japanese SOLDIERS in the water after the sinking of their transport ship!

That American commander issuing the order to the B-24 Liberator - - “return and sink the sub”, was taking into account all the finer points of the rules of warfare and such when he made his decision? Or was he merely following orders to attack and sink as many German submarines as possible, whenever the opportunity presented itself, heedless of the situation or consequences?

[the German submarine, coming under attack as it did, abandoned the rescue mission and departed the area. Lives were undoubtedly lost in the aftermath of the attack on the U-boat, a fair number of persons later being "fished" out of the water, surviving the "affair"!]

"In all, some 1500 passengers survived"

You the reader decide!

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