Chin Peng.

This is coolbert:

Before there was Joseph there was Chin!

Joseph Kony and Chin Peng. Insurrectionist/insurgent/forest guerrilla/terrorist.

Neither during their lifetimes ever brought to justice. When thinking of Joseph also think of Chin?

"Chin Peng . . . was a long-time leader of the Malayan Communist Party (MCP). A determined anti-colonialist, he led the party's guerrilla insurgency in the Malayan Emergency, fighting against British and Commonwealth forces in an attempt to establish an independent communist state. After the MCP's defeat and subsequent Malayan independence, Chin waged a second campaign against Malaya and, after 1963, the new state of Malaysia in an attempt to replace its government with a communist one from exile, until signing a peace accord with the Malaysian government in 1989"

"Chin Peng died at the age of 88, in Bangkok, Thailand. Prior to his death, he was living in exile in Thailand and had not been permitted to return to Malaysia"

As regards the Malayan Emergency and insurrection.

"The Malayan Emergency . . . was a guerrilla war fought in pre- and post-independence Federation of Malaya, from 1948 until 1960. The main antagonists were the Commonwealth armed forces, and the Malayan National Liberation Army (MNLA), the military arm of the Malayan Communist Party"

. . . .

"Despite the communists' surrender in 1960, communist leader Chin Peng renewed the insurgency against the Malaysian government in 1967; this second phase of the insurgency lasted until 1989. He fled to exile in Thailand, where he lived until his death on 16 September 2013."

The CT's [Communist Terrorists] of the Malayan Emergency never 100 % fully defeated. Waging guerrilla war more or less continuously for a period of at least forty years, a negotiated settlement only bringing a cessation to hostilities.

As it was with Chin Peng and the CT's so will it be with Joseph Kony and the Lord's Resistance Army? Small groups of insurrectionists MORE A NUISANCE than a threat. But never totally again 100 % run-to-ground and defeated, obliterated with finality!

coolbert.

Underground ISIL.

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Raqqa and Mosul if and when liberated by the allied coalition will not mean the end of the Islamic State? Underground ISIL as in both literally and figuratively so!

1. "Fall of Raqqa and Mosul Will Not Spell the End for Isis"

From the article by Patrick Cockburn as seen in the Ron Unz Internet web site review.

. . . .

"The capture of Mosul in Iraq and Raqqa in Syria is often presented as the death knell for Isis, but its demise is by no means so certain. The loss of the two cities means that the self-declared Caliphate will be shrunken and lose much of its population. But prior to its explosive advances in 2014, when it captured much of western Iraq and eastern Syria, it was a skilled and experienced guerrilla movement. Unable to stand against the firepower of an enemy in total control of the air, there are signs that it is moving many of its fighters and officials out of Mosul and Raqqa to rural areas where they can hide more easily."

As is speculated in the Cockburn article already is the case!!

2. "Thousands of IS fighters have retreated to desert of Anbar, where they are launching deadly attacks against vulnerable non-combat troops"

"Having secured the towns and villages of Anbar province, and with commanders focused on the battle for the city of Mosul, Iraqi forces are now having to contend with a new Islamic State (IS) group tactic – desert ambushes."

"Military sources say that beneath the sand, thousands of IS militants are hiding in underground tunnels and bunkers, from which they are launching a campaign to unnerve and disorientate the Iraqi army, already weary after years of fighting."

ROVING BANDS OF ISIL COMBATANTS IN CAPTURED HUMVEE AS IN THE MANNER OF THE VENERABLE DESERT BEDOUIN WARRIOR AND STAY-BEHIND UNITS AS TO BE FOUND IN AREAS AS LIBERATED FROM THE ISLAMIC STATE? NOT SO MUCH THE FUTURE BUT IS NOW!

See previous blog entries most germane:

http://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2016/01/humvee-isil.html

http://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2015/12/pirates-bedu.html

http://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2017/02/gladio-isil.html

coolbert.

Marines Syria.

This is coolbert:

Indeed, this is very bad. 

At that exact moment when the final assault and presumably knock-out blow to the Islamic State is being prepared, obstacles arise divisive and troubling, totally unnecessary and very unwanted.

From that latest edition of the DEBKAfile newsletter:

"US Marines in Syria to defend Kurds against Turkey"

30 April

"By sending more marines to Syria, President Trump chose to keep the Kurdish militia assigned to fight ISIS safe after Turkish air strikes killed 20 members of the US-backed Kurdish YPG (People's Protection Units) militia, injured 18 and destroyed the local Kurdish command headquarters. The marines will act as a buffer between them after clashes erupted between Turkish and Kurdish forces . . . Turkey which also struck Kurdish PKK positions in Iraq made it clear that its national security interests in crushing the Kurds in Syria and Iraq takes precedence over the US and Russian drives against ISIS."

And with even more.

"Despite US Marines in Syria, Erdogan will continue striking Kurds"

1 May.

"Shortly after the arrival in Syria of an additional group of US marines to shore up the defense of the Kurdish YPG militia, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan declared: 'We may come to strike the YPG overnight, all of a sudden without warning.' . . .  Erdogan also said he would put this complaint before President Donald Trump when they meet in Washington on May 16."

YPG the Syrian Kurdish militia and enjoying success in combat with forces of the Islamic State. YPG absolutely essential to American strategy, without YPG not assault on the Islamic State capital of Raqqa possible!

Turkey is a partner in the war against ISIL, isn't it? And Turkey also is a NATO ally of the United States, isn't it? Concerted and concentrated action against the common foe is necessary for victory, isn't it?

coolbert.

Savoia.

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Yet one more instance of Italian heroics during the Second World War [WW2].

Thanks to the tip from a You Tube video:

"Charge of the Savoia Cavalleria at Izbushensky"

"The charge of the Savoia Cavalleria at Izbushensky was a clash between the Italian cavalry regiment Savoia Cavalleria and the Soviet 812th Siberian Infantry Regiment, part of the Soviet 304th Infantry Division, that took place on August 24, 1942,"

Victory for the Italian, defeat for the Russian. 

"Though a minor skirmish in the theater of operation of the Eastern Front, the Izbushensky charge had a great propaganda resonance in Italy and it is still remembered as one of the last cavalry charges in history."

UNDERSTAND FULL WELL NOT THE LAST USE OF CAVALRY IN WARTIME BUT A CAVALRY CHARGE PERHAPS THE LAST SUCCESSFUL MASSED CAVALRY CHARGE IN HISTORY!!

From the wiki: Aftermath.

"32 cavalrymen had died, including the commanders of the 3rd and 4th squadrons, 52 were wounded. Well over 100 horses were also lost. The enemy had left behind 150 dead, 300 wounded, 600 prisoners . . . 4 cannons, 10 mortars and 50 machine guns."

See my entire index of blog entries regarding Italian superior performance, bravery and courage as was the case during WW2. Under the correct circumstances the Italian contrary to popular opinion could and did fight well.

coolbert.

Marines China.

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Yet one more indication of Chinese geo-political manifestation on the world state. Sea power as in this instance a combination of naval and naval infantry [marines].

CHINESE MILITARY UNITS TO BE STATIONED ABROAD, FAR FROM HOME.

"China Is Building a 100,000 Strong Marine Corps"

"The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is set to increase the size of its Marine Corps from about 20,000 to 100,000, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported on March 13. According to unnamed PLA insiders and experts interviewed by SCMP, elements of the expanded Marine Corps would be stationed abroad, including Djibouti in the Horn of Africa and Gwadar in southwest Pakistan."

NOTHING LIKE THIS HAS OCCURRED IN ALMOST SIX-HUNDRED YEARS! NOT SINCE THE DAYS OF THE CHINESE ADMIRAL ZHENG HE!!

Such a decision to station Chinese troops well beyond the conventional boundaries of China proper yet one more manifestation of the String of Pearls doctrine.

Djibouti also now and has been for some time a staging area and base for French Foreign Legion [FFL] units and also American Marines.

Devoted readers go and see from the You Tube video the topic of which is FFL desert training program, Djibouti. CECAP [Centre d'entrainement commando et d'aguerrissement à Djibouti]. It doesn't get more difficult than that.

An additional You Tube video shows the water qualification course [La piste nautique du 2 REP au CECAP] as held at Djibouti. Nothing easy about that either. Team work for success a necessity.

coolbert.

Sundries & Such.

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Herewith a number of miscellaneous items from a variety of sources each with a military dimension

First and thanks to the tip from Al:

1. Tungsten 1914. The Great War. WW1.

"It was the belief of some Allied military experts that in six months Germany would be exhausted of ammunition. The Allies soon discovered that Germany was increasing her manufacture of munitions and for a time had exceeded the output of the Allies."

"The change was in part due to her use of tungsten high-speed steel and tungsten cutting tools. To the bitter amazement of the British, the tungsten so used, it was later discovered, came largely from their Cornish Mines in Cornwall."

Tungsten a by-product of the mining and smelting of tin! Those tin mines of Cornwall ancient and historically vital to weapons and munitions manufacture even from the time of the Bronze Age!!

Now as extracted from the excellent Internet web site The Mad Monarchist:

2. War of 1812.

"It is worth remembering that one of the reasons for the War of 1812, cited by the United States, was the conscription of U.S. citizens into the Royal Navy. In fact, most of these were men who had been British sailors who had 'jumped ship' for the peace and better wages of the American merchant marine and who had then taken U.S. citizenship. However, in those days, the British government did not recognize the right of any British subject to renounce their nationality. You were British by virtue of the blood in your veins and some piece of paper from the American republic could not change that or absolve you of your allegiance to your lawful king"

Aspects of this I was not aware of. American citizens forcibly impressed into military service by the Royal Navy a casus belli. American citizens however by choice and not necessarily birth, still by the British considered to be subjects of the Crown!!

Additionally and finally as extracted from an article as seen at the Internet web site isegoria.net:

3. Sanctions Hermit Kingdom.

"Remember that economic sanctions are not measures short of war but, as Herbert Hoover and others reminded us, measures of total war. Sanctions foster government control and rationing, do not injure the military, and victimize merchants and intellectuals. Avoid the creation of 'hermit kingdoms'"

KOREA! Long referred to as the "Hermit Kingdom" and a reputation for isolation that was well deserved.

Sanctions not necessarily an act of war in all instances and not always a measure of war as I understand it. Close but not totally so in all circumstances.

coolbert.

Igloo Syria.

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 "It is possible to fight terrorism and its financing by destroying the terrorist infrastructure, including energy, on the ground. Since the beginning of the operation in Syria, the Russian Aerospace Forces have destroyed more than 3,000 gasoline tank trucks and over 200 plants for processing and pumping oil products," - -  Dmitry Feoktistov.

From the Russian Sputnik Internet web site we have this article of which I am skeptical.  

"Russian Combat Jets Destroy Over 3,000 Tank Trucks of Terrorists in Syria"

"Russian combat jets have destroyed more than 3,000 gasoline tank trucks of terrorists and over 200 plants processing and pumping oil products"

"ROME (Sputnik) — Since the start of the operation in Syria, Russian combat jets have destroyed more than 3,000 gasoline tank trucks of terrorists and over 200 plants processing and pumping oil products"

 My skepticism based on statistics as from the Vietnam War. The American Igloo White project and Commando Hunt [aerial bombardment and interdiction] of the Ho Chi Minh Trail resulting in statistics being bandied about that in retrospect probably are wildly exaggerated!

From the wiki::

PAVN = North Vietnamese Army.

"During Commando Hunt for example, the Air Force claimed that 46,000 PAVN trucks had been destroyed or damaged by air strikes in Laos. These figures were hard to reconcile with the 6,000 trucks imported annually into North Vietnam between 1965 and 1970 – for all of its operations. American claims that 80 percent of the materiel that started down the trail was destroyed while en route to the southern battlefields had to be altered in the face of loss claims of only 15 percent by the Vietnamese."

Devoted readers to the blog take it from there.

coolbert.