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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 |
“It's a recession when your neighbor loses his job; it's a depression when you lose your own.” ” –Harry S. Truman |
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| WEEKLY SECURITY DEVELOPMENTS |
Times Square Car Bomber: Police Release Video of Possible SuspectABC NewsPolice are now engaged in an urgent manhunt for a man caught on tape near where an SUV full loaded with propane, fireworks, fertilizer and timing devices was left on a Times Square street. Though a Taliban leader thought killed in a U.S. drone strike has now resurfaced in a video threatening attacks on U.S. cities, and the Taliban has claimed credit for the failed New York attack, U.S. authorities are skeptical. According to police, surveillance shots from a half block away from the site of the Saturday incident may give clues to the person responsible. |
Erik Prince Slams Big Government in Michigan SpeechAssociated PressBlackwater Worldwide founder Erik Prince said Wednesday his values of hard work and personal responsibility "have gotten me a few detractors along the way, and I'm OK with that." Prince returned to his hometown of Holland to give a speech criticizing government spending and regulation that drew a standing ovation from more than 700 people. The event, part of the town's annual Tulip Time Festival, had to be moved to Hope College's basketball arena because of the high demand for tickets. |
Pakistan Taliban Leader Threatens United States in New VideoNational PostPakistani Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud has appeared in a new video issued months after his reported death, vowing revenge attacks on the United States, US monitoring groups said Monday. Mehsud threatened to retaliate against the United States within a month for the killing of Islamist militant leaders, according to a transcript of the video allegedly made on April 4, after his supposed death in January. |
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| U.S. DEFENSE NEWS |
Stripes Reporter Tries Out Army's New Weapons – M240L Machine GunStars & StripesWith my hard hat on backward and my finger on the trigger of a machine gun, I looked like one of the Village People, only angrier. After firing 20 rounds, I realized I had aimed at the wrong target, underscoring my belief that if the day ever comes when reporters have to defend this country, we are all going to die. The Army invited reporters here this week to fire various weapons, to give us a sense of what soldiers use. The difference is we didn’t have to clean the weapons, or pick up the spent shell casings afterward. Full StoryDiscuss: Does the Army Need a Better Battle Rifle?Wired Danger RoomFor soldiers, small arms are an understandably emotional subject: On embeds, I’ve heard plenty of griping about the military’s standard-issue 9mm M9 pistol. The Army’s M4 carbine has come in for plenty of criticism as well. And back in 2006, the Center for Naval Analyses conducted an important survey of soldiers who had fired their weapons in combat, and found that the M9 and the M249 light machine gun got the lowest marks from troops. Full StoryGallery: Firing the Army’s Biggest, Baddest GunsWired Danger RoomReporters had the chance to test out a range of weapons, from the M4 Carbine to the M107 sniper rifle. It was also an opportunity for the Army to show off the XM25 airburst weapon. The XM25 is an advanced grenade launcher that fires a smart 25mm round automatically programmed to go off just above or behind its target: The idea is to create a devastating, pinpoint-accurate infantry weapon that can hit targets that are “in defilade” (behind a wall, or dug into the ground). Full StoryUS Army, Marine Corps Get Joint Light Tactical VehiclesBrahmandThe US Army and Marine Corps have received seven Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTVs) from BAE Systems. The prototype vehicles, designed by BAE in partnership with Navistar Defense and ArvinMeritor, were handed over to the US Army and Marine Corps last week. The mix of vehicles includes two JLTV Category A General Purpose vehicles, four JLTV Category B Infantry Carriers and one Category C Utility Carrier, BAE said. Full StoryUnited States Naval Power Threatened by New WeaponsAgence-France PresseDefense Secretary Robert Gates said new weapons threatened US dominance of the high seas and questioned the US Navy's reliance on costly aircraft carriers and submarines. Anti-ship missiles and stealthy submarines could undermine the US military's global reach, putting carriers and American subs at risk, Gates said in a speech to retired members of the US Navy. Full Story |
| INTERNATIONAL MILITARY NEWS |
A Game-Changing WeaponFront PageThe Russian company Concern Morinformsystem-Agat is marketing a deadly new weapon, one that can allow a rogue state to overcome the technological superiority of Western militaries. The system can even be used to carry out devastating attacks on the U.S. homeland with little means of defense. The system, as seen in its promotional video, allows a weak nation to strike the land and sea targets of a superior force by placing cruise missiles into any type of 40 foot container. The video uses a ship, truck and train as examples of potential launching platforms. This means that once this weapon is sold, any of these transportation vehicles have to be seen as missile pads. Full StoryRussian Special Forces Storm Hijacked Oil Tanker, 1 Pirate KilledAssociated PressA Russian warship hunted down an oil tanker hijacked by Somali pirates and Special Forces rappelled on board Thursday, surprising the outlaws, who surrendered after a 22-minute gun battle. Twenty-three Russian sailors were freed. The dramatic Indian Ocean rescue came a day after pirates seized the tanker, which was heading toward China carrying $50 million worth of crude. One pirate was killed and 10 others were arrested, officials said. Report: China, Iran, North Korea Have Formed Strategic AllianceWorld TribuneChina, Iran and North Korea have established a strategic alliance that focuses on missile and nuclear development, according to a new report. The report said that Beijing, Pyongyang and Teheran were helping each other in missile and nuclear programs. The report, titled "China, Iran and North Korea: A Triangular Strategic Alliance," by Israel's GLORIA Center said China and North Korea were the key suppliers of Scud-based ballistic missiles to Iran's military, the target of Western sanctions. Iranian Coastal ArtilleryStrategy PageIran insists that it can withstand any attack, and will have no trouble blocking the export of oil via the Straits of Hormuz in retaliation. Hormuz is where ships exit the Persian Gulf and enter the Indian Ocean. Some 40 percent of the world's oil shipments pass through these straits, which comes to about 15-20 tankers a day (plus a dozen or more non-tankers). The Persian Gulf, in general, is a busy waterway. It is 989 kilometers long, and the average depth is 50 meters (maximum depth is 90 meters). Iran now openly boasts of its ability to use land based anti-ship missiles as "coastal artillery" to halt traffic in the straits. Given past performance by the Iranians, that is unlikely. Surprising Guests in a Russian Parade: American TroopsNew York TimesThere is a lot about Red Square these days that would make Khrushchev squirm. Three-hundred-dollar Italian negligees pool in the windows of the State Department Store, that showcase of proletarian output; a 20-foot Mercedes-Benz symbol glints on the skyline across the Moscow River. |
| AFGHANISTAN–PAKISTAN DEVELOPMENTS |
‘AfPak Hands’ Begin Immersion TrainingDefense TalkThe first class of U.S. military service members and civilians in the new “AfPak Hands” program arrived here last week to continue its training at the Counterinsurgency Training Academy Afghanistan. International Security Assistance Force officials are using the program in an effort to build better long-term relationships with the Afghan and Pakistan people, governments and militaries. North Waziristan: Terrorism's New Hub?Washington PostInformation is still emerging about suspected Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad, a Pakistani-born U.S. citizen who apparently spent time here from July until February. Court documents indicate that Shahzad received bomb-making training in Waziristan, the known haven of numerous groups and extremists. Over the past 18 months, Pakistan's army has conducted major offensives in six of the seven tribal agencies that border Afghanistan. But the seventh agency -- North Waziristan -- has been left alone. Taliban Assault Team Strikes Governor’s Compound in Western AfghanistanLong War JournalAfghan police defeated a Taliban suicide assault team that sought to kill the governor of Nimroz province in western Afghanistan. A Taliban assault team made up of nine heavily armed suicide bombers launched a complex attack today on the government center and other sites in the provincial capital of Zaranj. Suicide bombers fanned out and hit the governor’s compound, the justice department, and the courthouse. Full StoryThreat Rising from Homemade Afghan BombsReutersGeneral George Casey, U.S. Army chief of staff, said more than 60 percent of the roughly 400 attacks last week in Afghanistan were the result of roadside bombs, known as improvised explosive devices, or IEDs. "The (roadside bomb) threat in Afghanistan is increasing. There is no question about that," Casey told reporters. Data released by the Pentagon showed 1,059 IED incidents in April, one of the highest monthly numbers on record and more than double the amount in April 2009. Full StoryThree Weeks in a Hopeless LandForeign PolicySouthwest of the airport, where the Northern Plains slope up into the dramatic massif of the Hindu Kush, a clay road meanders through some farmland until it meets a dried-out freshet. Park here and turn off the engine. Step outside and sit among the earthy tang of the grazing goats. Turn your back on the mountains, and watch gusts of wind drive herds of green wheat horses across the emerald valley; the coffee-colored billow of dust undulate above the low sprawl of Mazar-e-Sharif; and, beyond it, the dun, barely irrigated desert shimmer with diffraction.. Full Story |
| HOMELAND SECURITY–FIRST RESPONDER |
New York City Officer Goes Undercover in Terror FightWall Street JournalAfter the failed attempt to bomb Times Square, New York police are dispatching more officers to be seen on the streets, around landmarks and on subways. But there's one tactic they hope won't go noticed at all: getting inside the bands of terrorists-in-the-making. That's why a young Bangladeshi immigrant working undercover found himself among a dozen men at an Islamic bookstore in Brooklyn one day in 2004 to watch videos of U.S. soldiers being slain. Full StoryLegislation To Revoke United States Citizenship Of Terror SuspectsRTT NewsA group of bipatisan American Congressmen introduced Thursday a legislation--Terrorism Expatriation Act--that would empower the government to revoke the citizenship of persons who attacked the U.S. and/or its allies. The bipartisan legislation, introduced by Senators Joe Lieberman and Scott Brown and supported by House members Jason Altmire and Charlie Dent, would also enable the State Department to revoke the citizenship of individuals who provided support to terrorist groups like Al-Qaida. Identical bills were introduced in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. New York Times Square Bomb: Timeline of Plots on United States SoilTelegraph.co.ukSince the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in September 2001 US authorities have uncovered several attempts to cause death and destruction on American soil. Here is a timeline of some of the major plots. Police Tap Into Camera Feeds Using BlackBerriesNational Defense MagazinePolice chasing suspects on the ground normally use their radios to listen for instructions from helicopter pilots watching from above. Now, some officers will be able to view exactly what the pilot sees — by tapping their smart phones or personal digital assistants into helicopters’ video feeds. Several local law-enforcement agencies, along with the Department of Homeland Security, have purchased the system, called HT 4Sight, which was developed by the California-based company Helinet. Times Square Aftershocks: Close Call Exposes Security GapUSA TodayMore than eight years after the 9/11 plotters slipped through the nation's sloppy airport security, the government still hasn't fixed its system for keeping terrorists off planes. This time the system worked — barely — because redundant protections have been built into it. But its primary component, the no-fly list so often in the news since it was created, failed again. New AR-15s Give State Police Needed FirepowerPress HeraldMaine State Police troopers will be issued 105 new assault weapons that are much more powerful than the rifles they have been using. The Legislature approved the purchase of the AR-15 assault rifles, manufactured by Bushmaster at the company's plant in Windham. The new weapons cost a total of $76,191. |
| FROM OUR FRIENDS AT TOTAL INTELLIGENCE SOLUTIONS |
Rising from the Dead - Hakimullah Mehsud Threatens Attacks Against American CitiesHighlights
On May 3, 2010, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) leader Hakimullah Mehsud released a video threatening attacks against the United States (US). The 9-minute video was released and disseminated by TIS-587613, a jihadist website that commonly carries Afghan Taliban and al-Qaeda messages, along with various other jihadist forums and video-sharing websites, such as YouTube. 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 Evaluation9mm vs .45: Really? Again?Yes, again. Amongst avid handgun fans the debate between “big and slow” versus “small and fast” stretches back over a hundred years now I’d guess. Next year marks the 100 year anniversary of the Government Model 1911 .45ACP having been adopted by the U.S. Military (even though it existed in 1904) and the 9mm is even older than that. What makes the debate relatively new (and hopefully interesting) is the addition of what I call “compromise calibers”. There are a couple in between the maximum ends of the debate and recently that has been thrust into my consideration almost against my will. Recreational Equipment ReviewKelly McCann’s Ground Kem-‘ba-tivz
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| CHAPLAINS CORNER |
COST…Just prior to the War for Independence from England, Patrick Henry is credited with saying, "I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!" Noble thoughts and words… but he did back them up with action and lived a life of proving his intentions to form and help lead a new nation formed from the original thirteen colonies here in North America. |
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