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This Week in the Blackwater Tactical Weekly…
Afghanistan–Pakistan Developments
Homeland Security–First Responder
From Our Friends at Total Intelligence Solutions If you are having trouble viewing this please Click Here |
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| QUOTE OF THE WEEK |
“A government which robs Peter to pay Paul, can always count on the support of Paul” –George Bernard Shaw |
| WEEKLY SECURITY DEVELOPMENTS |
Two Mexican Cartels Team up to Destroy Zeta’s Hit Men GangAssociated PressTwo Mexican drug cartels have joined forces to destroy a feared gang of hit men along the border with Texas, a shift in allegiances that is fueling drug-war violence, federal police said Monday. Intelligence reports indicate the Gulf and La Familia cartels — formerly bitter rivals — have formed an alliance to fight the Zetas gang in the Mexican border state of Tamaulipas, said Ramon Pequeno, the head of the anti-narcotics division of Mexico's federal police. |
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| U.S. DEFENSE NEWS |
First 100 Days of Deployment Critical to Soldier SurvivabilityNational Defense MagazineThere is a popular belief that soldiers have a significantly longer life expectancy in a combat zone after they have survived their first few firefights. But little research has been conducted to evaluate what soldiers learn early in their deployments that would make the difference between improved effectiveness and becoming a combat fatality. Can learned factors or perhaps inherent traits be replicated and conveyed in training so that a soldier’s chance of surviving initial firefights is similar to that of a seasoned combat veteran? Full StoryAs the Battlefield Changes, so is the Army’s Basic TrainingKansas City StarThink “Army Strong” and Jeremy Winn, 22, looks the part: 6 feet 2, roughly 200 pounds, a basketball stud back in high school. But there he was, teetering through stretching exercises, struggling to balance on one knee and one hand. Left leg raised and pointing west, right arm extending east, back straight, head up — the profile of a dog spotting quail. What happened to jumping jacks? On Day 5 of basic training, the Army lined up Winn and 120 other newbies before dawn to twist, reach and bend as if they were bracing for ballet. Full StoryUS Army Predicts Shift to Nearly all Unmanned Aircraft by 2035Flight GlobalUS Army aviation will shift over the next 25 years to operating mostly unmanned aircraft that will take on new missions, including cargo re-supply, and be equipped with new sensors and weapons, including small lasers. The army's dramatic shift to a nearly all-unmanned flight over the next three decades is encapsulated in the UAS Roadmap, which was unveiled by Gen Peter Chiarelli on 15 April at the Army Aviation Association of America's annual convention in Fort Worth, Texas. Full StoryUnited States Army Unveils UAV Road MapDefense NewsThe U.S. Army wants its existing helicopters to be able to fly without pilots - to be "optionally manned," in the parlance of the service's new road map for unmanned aircraft systems. Released April 15 at the Army Aviation Association of America conference here, the 140-page document is meant to help industry understand what the service wants, said Col. Christopher Carlile, who directs the Army's Unmanned Aircraft Systems Center of Excellence at Fort Rucker, Ala. Full StoryPentagon Buys MRAPs with Improved SuspensionDefense TalkThe Pentagon has ordered more than 1,300 new Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles, or MRAPs, with newly built independent suspension systems designed to improve the blast-protected vehicles' off-road performance in Afghanistan. The improved suspension is aimed at providing better off-road capability in the rough Afghan terrain. The reconfigured MRAPs are being sent based on feedback from theater commanders and results from ongoing testing, according to Barbara Hamby, MRAP Joint Program Office spokeswoman. Full StorySave Our Seals: Raising Funds for Charged Navy SEALsUS Navy SEALS BlogDespite having two of the charges dropped, the fight to have Navy SEALs Matthew McCabe, Julio Huertas and Jonathan Keefe exonerated is definitely far from over. In the meantime, the SEALs continue to need support – both moral and financial – as they go through this ordeal. Corey LeRoux is continuing to work towards raising money to help augment the expenses of the SEALs. He hails from Perrysburg, Ohio, the hometown of accused Navy SEAL Matthew McCabe. Full Story |
| INTERNATIONAL MILITARY NEWS |
Military-Style Guns for Police to Fight Terrorists on the StreetsTelegraph.co.ukAssistant Commissioner John Yates of the Metropolitan Police, said there could be “a lot of dead people” within the first hour of an attack if officers did not respond quickly enough. He said his colleagues at other forces saw any move to increase armed patrols and provide better weaponry as a “fundamental change in mission.” But he said it was necessary to cope with the threat from armed terrorists on the rampage of the kind seen in India in November 2008 who killed more than 200 people and wounded more than 700. Full StoryUS-Trained Philippine Army Elite Force Leading Charge vs. Abu Sayyaf in BasilanPhilippine Daily InquirerThe Armed Forces of the Philippines said on Wednesday it deployed a fresh batch of US-trained Army elite force to terror-stricken Basilan to pursue the Abu Sayyaf bandit group that set off bombs on the island on Tuesday, and secure vulnerable districts from further attacks. A team of Scout Rangers and a Light Reaction Company from Zamboanga City had "sealed off" downtown areas in Basilan as of Wednesday, while Navy vessels started patrolling the waters off the island to stop the bandit group from escaping to other provinces, the Navy spokesperson, Lt. Col. Edgard Arevalo, told reporters at Camp Aguinaldo. Iran’s Drones Can Gather Intelligence, Strike TargetsDefense TalkA top Iranian general said on Monday that the military's newly produced aerial drones, which have aroused US concern, are capable of gathering intelligence and striking at targets. "We have made good advances and production is going on at suitable rate," ground forces commander Brigadier General Ahmad Reza Pourdastan told reporters ahead of the annual Iran Army Day on April 18. "These planes would be used for operations as well as surveillance which means they can send us online footage from faraway distances and can also be armed for striking at targets," the ISNA news agency quoted the senior commander as saying. Watchkeeper UAV Makes First Flight in UKAres Defense BlogWatchkeeper, the newest unmanned aircraft to join the ranks of the British Army, performed its first flight in the U.K. on April 14, 2010, at Parc Aberporth in West Wales. Parc Aberporth facilities, managed by QinetiQ through- the West Wales Unmanned Air vehicle (UAV) Centre, are premier test facilities for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in the UK. IDF Launch an Upgrade for the Puma Assault Engineer VehicleAres Defense BlogThe IDF is planning to modernize the Assault Engineer Combat Vehicle (known in Hebrew as 'Puma') based on lessons learned during last year's operation in Gaza. A prototype upgraded vehicle is being constructed at the IDF armored vehicle refurbishment center. The IDF plans to complete the development this year. Iran Displays Military Strength on Army DayVoice of AmericaIranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said his country is so strong no one will even think about attacking it. The president spoke Sunday as Iran marked Army Day with a military parade of the country's advanced missiles and weaponry. Mr. Ahmadinejad watched as Ghadr, Sajjil and Shahab-3 missiles were brought out for display. The longest-ranged of the Iranian-built surface-to-surface missiles can reach Israel, which the president again denounced, and parts of southern Europe. Are Iran's New Anti-Helicopter Missiles A Real Threat to Apaches?Popular MechanicsCall it a case of defense-press diplomacy: An Iranian colonel this week spoke publicly about a "special weapon" that was tailor-made to destroy U.S. Apache attack helicopters. The government-run Iranian news agency also released images of the shoulder-fired surface-to-air missile. In the photo, the launcher is to the left, in green, and the grey missile is also to the left, with a white cap covering the guidance laser. The straight black piece sticking out is a simple aiming device, similar to those found on other shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles.r. |
| AFGHANISTAN–PAKISTAN DEVELOPMENTS |
More of Pentagon's Secret Hunt Units Sent to AfghanistanLos Angeles TimesThe Pentagon has increased its use of the military's most elite special operations teams in Afghanistan, more than doubling the number of the highly trained teams assigned to hunt down Taliban leaders, according to senior officials. The secretive buildup reflects the view of the Obama administration and senior military leaders that the U.S. has only a limited amount of time to degrade the capabilities of the Taliban. U.S. forces are in the midst of an overall increase that will add 30,000 troops this year and plan to begin reducing the force in mid-2011. Afghan Taliban Increase Attacks on ContractorsStars & StripesThe Taliban has begun regularly targeting U.S. government contractors in southern Afghanistan, stepping up use of a tactic that is rattling participating firms and could undermine development projects intended to stem the insurgency, according to U.S. officials. Within the past month, there have been at least five attacks in Helmand and Kandahar provinces against employees of U.S. Agency for International Development contract companies who run agricultural projects, build roads, maintain power plants and work with local officials. Why Private Guards are Crucial to the Afghanistan MissionTimes OnlineWestern contractors, whose numbers have proliferated in Afghanistan in recent years, are as much in the front line as the military because of the constant threat of suicide bombers. The most vulnerable among them are security guards, working for private companies such as the British ArmorGroup International. They can be seen standing sentry outside every base, every embassy, and protecting diplomats, aid officials and visiting VIPs. The operations in Iraq and Afghanistan have provided tens of thousands of jobs for former Special Forces soldiers and other military and law enforcement personnel. Full StoryService Members Teach Afghans the Ways of Small-Town GovernmentStars & StripesBefore deploying with his battalion to Afghanistan, Lt. Col. David Fivecoat did something unusual to prepare his men. He took his company commanders to a city council meeting in Clarksville, Tenn., across the border from their base at Fort Campbell, Ky., to “see the workings of small-town government.” It might seem an odd way to ready men for war. But in a counterinsurgency that is increasingly about governance and development rather than beating combatants on the battlefield, Fivecoat, the battalion commander in western Paktika province, believes the lesson served them well. Full StoryIED Training Class in Afghanistan as Real as it GetsNational PostA new Canadian Forces program to teach Afghan soldiers how to counter the pervasive and deadly threat of improvised explosive devices kicked off this week here on the front lines with the Taliban. But the first class was cancelled one day and delayed the next by a bomb find and a near-miss explosion. On Monday, Afghan soldiers couldn't take the course because they were out cordoning off the area around an improvised explosive device (IED) spotted in a road to the east of the Canadian base at Sperwan Ghar. Full Story |
| HOMELAND SECURITY–FIRST RESPONDER |
Al Qaeda Planned Rush-Hour Attack on Grand Central, Times Square Subway StationsDaily NewsChilling new details about the foiled Al Qaeda plot to blow up the city's busiest subways have emerged as a fourth suspect was quietly arrested in Pakistan, the Daily News has learned. The unidentified man, who helped plan the plot, is expected to be extradited to the U.S. to betried in Brooklyn Federal Court with Adis Medunjanin and Zarein Ahmedzay of Flushing, Queens, sources said. Full StoryHow The FBI Got Inside The Hutaree MilitiaNPRThe two trailers where David Stone Sr. and his wife, Tina, lived in southeast Michigan look frozen in midcollapse. They sit on a patch of land on the border of two sleepy southeastern Michigan towns: Adrian and Clayton, about an hour southwest of Detroit. The trailers sit side by side, as if they are leaning on each other for support. The sides of the structures are pockmarked. That's because they are riddled with bullet holes — not going from the outside in, but from the inside out — the result of accidental discharges from the cache of weapons the Stone family allegedly kept inside. Survey: More Willing to Sacrifice Privacy for SecurityFederal News RadioWhen you think of security -- do you think of locking your car? Setting an alarm system on your home? Going through scanners at the airport? Unisys conducts a survey every six months, providing a snapshot into what you are thinking of when you think of 'security'. The latest Unisys Corporation Security Index has just been released, and shows that more people are willing to sacrifice privacy rights in exchange for more security. Incidents Caught on Camera Increase Police Department ScrutinyPolice OneMinutes after a suburban Chicago police officer was charged with striking a motorist with his baton, prosecutors handed out copies of a video showing the beating - taken by a dashboard camera on the officer's own squad car. In California, after a transit cop and an unruly train passenger slammed against a wall during a struggle and shattered a station window last fall, video from a bystander's cell phone was all over the Internet before the window was fixed. The same cell phones, surveillance cameras and other video equipment often used to assist police are also catching officers on tape, changing the nature of police work - for better and worse. |
| FROM OUR FRIENDS AT TOTAL INTELLIGENCE SOLUTIONS |
Sinaloa Cartel: Group Takes Ciudad Juarez, Forms Rare AllianceHighlights
On April 9, 2010 mainstream media sources reported that Mexico's most powerful kingpin - Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, head of the Sinaloa cartel – won control of trafficking routes around Ciudad Juarez, taking over for the Vicente Carrillo Fuentes led Juarez Cartel. The report was allegedly based on information from confidential informants with direct ties to Mexican drug gangs. A number of officials have corroborated the claim, as a majority of drug lords arriving from Juarez now belong to Guzman. Ciudad Juarez, bordering El Paso, Texas, is a principal smuggling corridor into the United States (US), as is much of Chihuahua. However, despite a recent takeover, we expect that violence will persist in Juarez for the near to medium term, as local gangs and remnants of the Carrillo Fuentes family vie to restore primacy in the city. We anticipate that the Sinaloa Cartel will now focus its efforts towards defeating the growing threat from smaller groups, such as Los Zetas, and using its new border territories to combat the Mexican military. Full ReportThe preceding article is part of subscription service created byTotal Intelligence Solutions (TIS). For additional information, please contact Brad Slade at bslade@totalintel.com. Follow Total Intelligence Solutions on Facebook and Twitter (search TIS Online) |
| BUMPER STICKER |
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| FRANKS REVIEW |
Tactical Equipment EvaluationExtreme Beam TAC24It scares me to think that nearly a decade ago I took my first low-light operations course. That was when I got my basic education about the power of light and how to best use it in high risk or unknown risk situations. Above and beyond all concerns I learned one thing: cheap flashlights should not be trusted with your life. So, when I get lights to test, one of the things I do is abuse them pretty well. The latest victim of my abuse is the TAC24 from Extreme Beam. Let me tell you how well it survived. The rest of the review http://www.newamericantruth.com/reviews/lights/exbeamtac24.htmRecreational Equipment ReviewUS Palm AK30 MagazinePolymer parts and pieces have grown in popularity across the past couple of decades. When I first went in the Army every rifle and pistol magazine I had been exposed to was made of metal. Plastic was used to make toys – or parts of them. In recent years though, polymer frames, grips, etc including magazines have been a growing trend to the extent of now being common in the industry. After SHOT Show I received a sample AK-47 polymer 30-round magazine made by US PALM for T&E. The short and simple of it is that I probably need to add an AK to my arsenal. For more info than that, read on. The rest of the review: http://www.newamericantruth.com/reviews/other/uspalmak30mag.htm |
| CHAPLAINS CORNER |
OUR SOURCES"Where do we get such men?" There is a long list of places where this question was posed including the ending of BRIDGES AT TOKO-RI, a movie about the Korean war U.S. Navy flyers who flew from carriers to targets in North Korea. |
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The Blackwater Tactical Weekly is a free weekly e–publication. The Mission of the Blackwater Tactical Weekly is to provide readers with valuable information from diverse sources regarding tactical, strategic, and geo–political security issues. Editor–in–Chief - N Conley (btw@ustraining.com) Questions regarding US Training (252) 435–2035 To subscribe to the Blackwater Tactical Weekly, Click Here To view an archived edition of the Blackwater Tactical Weekly, Click Here |
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