Blockade Raqqa.

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Beginning here a series of blog entries, extracts from the latest edition of the DEBKAfile newsletter, events in Syria having reached a most critical stage. NOW HOWEVER WE HAVE RUSSIAN MEDDLING?

"Russian siege on Raqqa, distant from US troops"

27 May.

"Russian President Vladimir Putin acted to strengthen the military alliance he had set up with Iran and Turkey for working together in Syria - as a counterweight to President Donald Trump's spectacular success in forging a Sunni Arab bloc during his four days in the Middle East."

. . . .

"Putin has ordered the Russian commanders in Syria to impose an aerial and special forces ground siege on the northern town of Raqqa, the Islamic State's de facto Syrian capital."

"Why Raqqa? Firstly, it is in the north, far from the American positions. Second, Russian intelligence had apparently discovered a deal between the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces - SDF - and ISIS which allowed the jihadists safe passage out of their stronghold towards the south."

THIS REPRESENTS DELIBERATE AND MALICIOUS INTERFERENCE WITH THE FORTHCOMING RAQQA OPERATION? ALL IN THE NAME OF GEO-POLITICAL STRATEGIC MACHINATIONS VERY UNSEEMLY!

Annihilation of the ISIL combatants the stated goal of the allied American and SDF forces not guaranteed now. Jihadists being allowed an avenue of retreat?

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Raqqa Syria.

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Everyone has made ready. The game is afoot. ONLY a matter of days now.

From Freeper:

"Operation to liberate Raqqa city will start in few days: Kurdish official"

"The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) prepare to launch a major operation aimed at liberating Raqqa city from ISIS militants. The key operation will start in a few days, the official spokesman of the Kurdish Peope’s Protection Units (YPG) said on Saturday. The YPG is a leading force within the US-backed SDF. ...After the fall of Raqqa, Deir ez-Zor province in eastern Syria will be ISIS’s last major foothold in Syria and Iraq."

Whoa boy! All this has to be qualified. Things are not exactly as they appear?

More to follow.

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Eric Brown.

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Eric "Winkle" Brown.

From that era primarily of the Second World War [WW2] and beyond that the record of this man superlative, without peer.

Eric Brown (pilot).

"Captain Eric Melrose "Winkle" Brown . . . was a British Royal Navy officer and test pilot who flew 487 different types of aircraft, more than anyone else in history. He was also the most-decorated pilot in the history of the Royal Navy."

"Brown holds the world record for the most aircraft carrier deck take-offs and landings performed (2,407 and 2,271 respectively) and achieved several "firsts" in naval aviation, including the first landings on an aircraft carrier of a twin-engine aircraft, an aircraft with a tricycle undercarriage, a jet propelled aircraft, and rotary-wing aircraft."

"He also flew almost every category of Royal Navy and RAF aircraft: glider, fighter, bomber, airliner, amphibian, flying boat and helicopter. During World War II, he also flew many types of captured German aircraft, including new jets and rocket planes. He was a pioneer of jet technology into the post-war era."

See the BBC documentary, Eric Brown and his career the subject. I recommend highly without qualification or reservation.

Comments:

* Brown having flown and describing the German Me-262 as the most formidable combat warplane of WW2!

* Brown having flown and describing the German Me-163 as the only plane that flew him and not the other way around!

* Brown I am reasonably able [??] to infer worked for the British Secret Intelligence Service [SIS] in Germany prior to the start of WW2

* Brown as a fluent speaker of German personally interrogating Hermann Goering, Kramer and Irma Grese in the aftermath of the war. That latter two active participants in war crimes and atrocity as perpetrated at the Buchenwald concentration camp.

It doesn't get much heavier than Eric Brown. Indeed, if ever for anyone!

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Bill & Joe.

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Once more and again quite regrettably so we are on the subject of the military veteran, the hero wannabee all the while performing honorable military service of which they could and should be proud but then making outrageous claims of heroism, awards and decoration, duty as described unfounded.

Historians both men quite eminent who should have studied history better!

THEIR OWN HISTORY!

1. "Special Report: Stolen Valor: The Fake History From a Real Historian That Fooled Presidents and Publishers"

That article as seen in the Spectator by DANIEL J. FLYNN, R. EMMETT TYRRELL, JR. thanks to the tip from Nick.

"The reputation of the famed writer and Marine William Manchester takes a sad hit this Memorial Day [2017]."

As claimed [William]:

"[he was] valedictorian at the University of Massachusetts. He received the Navy Cross, the Silver Star, and two Purple Hearts for his time as a marine.”

The truth being:

"He did not serve as valedictorian at the University of Massachusetts. He did not win the Navy Cross. He did not rate a Silver Star. He did not receive two Purple Hearts."

Did not, did not, did not!!

Undeniably William a combat veteran and having seen honorable service under arduous and dangerous circumstances. Awards and decorations however not as claimed.

2. Joseph John Ellis.

"Joseph John Ellis . . . is an American historian and professor whose work focuses on the lives and times of the founders of the United States of America."

As found at the wiki entry: "False claims of combat service and anti-war leadership".

"In June 2001 the Boston Globe revealed that Ellis had lied to his students in lectures and to the media about his role in American culture and the Vietnam War years. He claimed to have been a combat platoon leader in Vietnam, to have been active in civil rights campaigns in the south, and to have been an anti-war leader at Yale. His actual military record consisted of obtaining a graduate student deferral of service until 1969 and then teaching history at West Point until 1972."

Did not, did not, did not!!

Bill and Joe both their military service honorable. Neither man had to embellish or fabricate nonsense. But they did and much to their discredit. The penalty to reputation severe.

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Darryl Lee.

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For shame sir! For shame! 

Once more regrettably so to the topic of the fake war hero, the fraud/wannabee/prevaricator. I would use the word imposter but that word as normally and ordinarily understood not quite applicable in this instance.

Darryl Lee Wright now off to prison. Thanks to the tip from Al.

"Snoqualmie wounded warrior really 'a liar, a bully,' a fraud"

"Guardsman who lied about Iraq service faces prison for fraud that nearly cost investigator her job"

 "Darryl Lee Wright managed to steal $250,000 in government benefits during the past 10 years. ..."

LET US ALSO BE 100 % CORRECT IN OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THIS CASE. DARRYL LEE DID PERFORM HIS MILITARY SERVICE AND DID SEE DUTY IN IRAQ. BUT NOT WOUNDED AND INCAPACITATED AS CLAIMED.

Read the index regarding the infamous behavior of Darryl Lee.

Again, for shame sir! For shame!

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SOC USA II.

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Within context of the previous blog entry here with some American special operations successes and failures of the Second Indo-China War.

Hardly a complete listing but nonetheless indicative of what occurs in these type of special operations, risky and dangerous at best!

But then, what military mission was ever NOT fraught with danger?

1. Leaping Lena.

South Vietnamese personnel as trained by American Special Forces ["Green Berets"] to conduct strategic reconnaissance missions, cross-border type operations of the most dangerous type. Results 100 % unsuccessful, treachery to blame.

"operational and strategic reconnaissance into long-held Viet Cong areas and direct air strikes on them, they were also to conduct bomb damage assessment, conduct small scale reconnaissance and hunter-killer operations, capture and interrogate VC / NVA, tap communications, bug compounds and offices, rescue downed aircrew and prisoners of war, emplace point minefields and other booby traps, conduct psychological operations, and perform counter intelligence operations. They were to focus on base areas and infiltration routes in the border areas."

To the extent these South Vietnamese were trained by American special operations troops this is a U.S. failure.

2. Bright Light.

Special operations missions the objective to rescue/repatriate American prisoner-of-war [POW]. NOT ONE instance of an American POW being rescued, released from captivity. Many hundreds of allied South Vietnamese troops being held prisoner however rescued.

3. Son Tay.

"The objective was the recovery of 61 American prisoners of war thought to be held at the camp, but the mission failed when it was found during the raid that the camp contained no prisoners. They had previously been moved to another camp."

The Son Tay Raid. Also referred to as Operation Ivory Coast. American raiders in North Vietnam again their mission to rescue/repatriate American POW. Mission also 100 % unsuccessful to the extent NO POW rescued.

Devoted readers to the blog finding this topic interesting please refer to the article: "The Group: Successes and Failures of the United States’ Special Operations".

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SOC USA I.

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SOC = Special Operations Command.

"The Worst U.S. Special Operations Disasters"

"Excessive optimism doomed these five missions"

"The Worst U.S. Special Operations Disasters"

This article originally appeared at The National Interest: "Oppose Any Foe" by Mark Moyar.

1. "The Makin Atoll Raid".

Marine Raiders under the command of Evans Carlson during the Second World War.

2. "Hill 205".

U.S. Army Rangers during the Korean War having to fight as conventional infantry.

3. "Operation Eagle Claw".

Abortive Delta Force mission to rescue American diplomats held hostage in Iran.

4. "Grenada".

Bring order to an unstable island-nation and rescue American students.

5. "Mogadishu".

American Rangers versus Somali warlords.

This article however missing one "special operations disaster" as might be correctly judged as far worse than any other. The obliteration of Darby's Rangers during the Second World War .

This was the Battle of Cisterna, Italy.

"The Battle of Cisterna took place during World War II, on 30 January–2 February 1944, near Cisterna, Italy, as part of the Battle of Anzio, part of the Italian Campaign."

Army Rangers used as conventional infantry en masse. Hand-picked combat troops of the highest quality and trained to the highest level of proficiency their effort valiant but futile in the extreme. A terrible and glaringly awful waste of the best manpower!!

TWO BATTALIONS HAVING WALKED INTO A PREPARED GERMAN AMBUSH AND ANNIHILATED ALMOST TO THE LAST MAN.

"The two battalions—totaling 767 men and supported by a platoon of 43 men of the 3rd Reconnaissance Troop"

"After the approximately seven-hour battle, only six of the 767 Rangers and one member of the 3rd Recon troop returned to Allied lines, resulting in an overall loss of 803 men."

COMPARED TO CISTERNA ALL OTHER AMERICAN SPECIAL OPERATIONS FAILURES TRIVIAL BY COMPARISON??

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