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This Week in the Blackwater Tactical Weekly…
Afghanistan–Pakistan Developments
Homeland Security–First Responder
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| QUOTE OF THE WEEK |
“ I'm not upset that you lied to me, I'm upset that from now on I can't believe you ” – Friedrich Nietzsche |
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| WEEKLY SECURITY DEVELOPMENTS |
United States Military Told to Get Ready in Korea StandoffMSNBCThe White House said Monday that President Barack Obama "fully supports" the South Korean president and his response to the torpedo attack by North Korea that sank a South Korean naval ship. In a statement, the White House said Seoul can continue to count on the full backing of the United States and said U.S. military commanders had been told to work with their South Korean counterparts "to ensure readiness and to deter future aggression." |
US Contractor Killed, 9 Soldiers Wounded in Taliban Attack on Bagram Air BaseWashington PostThe Taliban's brazen assault against the heavily fortified, city-size Bagram air base Wednesday demonstrated again the insurgents' penchant for headline-grabbing strikes at the most potent symbols of foreign power in Afghanistan. The attack before dawn, with gunfire, rockets and grenades, killed one U.S. contractor and wounded nine American soldiers. The U.S. soldiers at the base responded by killing 10 insurgents, including four wearing suicide vests. |
North Korea Warns of War if Punished for Ship SinkingAssociated PressTensions deepened Thursday on the Korean peninsula as South Korea accused North Korea of firing a torpedo that sank a naval warship, killing 46 sailors in the country's worst military disaster since the Korean War. President Lee Myung-bak vowed "stern action" for the provocation following the release of long-awaited results from a multinational investigation into the March 26 sinking near the Koreas' tense maritime border. North Korea, reacting swiftly, called the results a fabrication, and warned that any retaliation would trigger war. It continued to deny involvement in the sinking of the warship Cheonan. |
US Officials Urge Measured Response in Attack on South Korean WarshipWashington PostSeoul's dramatic accusation this week that North Korea torpedoed one of its warships, killing 46 sailors, sets up what could be one of the most combustible situations in the peninsula in years -- one that could force South Korea and its top ally, the United States, to make hard decisions. Analysts say the matter must be carefully managed with a series of steps that would punish North Korea without leading to a new conflict. |
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| U.S. DEFENSE NEWS |
US Rifles Not Suited to Warfare in Afghanistan HillsStars & StripesThe U.S. military's workhorse rifle - used in battle for the last 40 years - is proving less effective in Afghanistan against the Taliban's more primitive but longer range weapons. As a result, the U.S. is reevaluating the performance of its standard M-4 rifle and considering a switch to weapons that fire a larger round largely discarded in the 1960s. The M-4 is an updated version of the M-16, which was designed for close quarters combat in Vietnam. It worked well in Iraq, where much of the fighting was in cities such as Baghdad, Ramadi and Fallujah. Full StoryMarine Corps Prepares For Budget Cuts and Uncertain FutureNational Defense MagazineFor a sneak peek into the Marine Corps’ future needs, one can look at the recent past. As 4,000 marines in January were amassing for a large-scale attack on Marja, Afghanistan, another 4,000 marines were sailing to Haiti to assist in relief operations in the earthquake-devastated nation. Thousands more were carrying out other missions around the globe. Full StoryArmy Lays Out Ambitious Plans to Expand Unmanned Aircraft FleetNational Defense MagazineIn coming decades, unmanned aerial vehicles will expand their role in warfare beyond intelligence gathering to become a vital component of attack, transport and resupply missions, said Army officials. "Unmanned aerial systems must provide the ability not only to see, but to shape, the battlefield,” Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli said in a keynote address at the Army Aviation Association of America conference in Fort Worth, Texas. Full StoryDOD Needs to Determine the Future of Its Horn of Africa Task ForceDefense TalkAFRICOM has been evaluating CJTF-HOA, but it has not yet made decisions on the future of the task force—including whether CJTF-HOA should continue to exist as a joint task force, and if so, whether changes are needed to the task force’s mission, structure, and resources to best support the command’s mission of sustained security engagement in Africa. Full StoryHow The War On IEDs Is FoughtStrategy PageThe U.S. Army is applying the same aggressive approach to IEDs (Improvised Explosive Device, a roadside, or suicide car bombs) in Afghanistan as it did in Iraq, and the Taliban are having a hard time adjusting to it. One of the more disturbing American tactics is to aggressively fight the bombers for control of key roads. This means that the army engineers are out on heavily mined roads every day in their specially equipped MRAPs, looking for IEDs to clear. Full Story |
| INTERNATIONAL MILITARY NEWS |
New Chinese Fighter Jet Expected by 2018ReutersChina is building an advanced combat jet that may rival within eight years Lockheed Martin Corp's F-22 Raptor, the premier U.S. fighter, a U.S. intelligence official said. The date cited for the expected deployment is years ahead of previous Pentagon public forecasts and may be a sign that China's rapid military buildup is topping many experts' expectations. "We're anticipating China to have a fifth-generation fighter .. operational right around 2018," Wayne Ulman of the National Air and Space Intelligence Center testified on Thursday to a congressionally mandated group that studies national security implications of U.S.-China economic ties. Full StoryIndia Orders 124 More Arjun TanksDefense TalkThe Army has decided to place fresh order for an additional home-built 124 Main Battle Tank (MBT) Arjun. This is over and above the existing order of 124 tanks. The development follows the success of the indigenous MBT Arjun in the recent grueling desert trials. The project for the design and development of the MBT Arjun was approved by the Government in 1974 with an aim to give the required indigenous cutting edge to our Mechanized Forces. After many years of trial and tribulation it has now proved its worth by its superb performance under various circumstances, such as driving cross-country over rugged sand dunes, detecting, observing and quickly engaging targets, accurately hitting targets – both stationary and moving, with pin pointed accuracy. United States Delivers New Helicopters to Pakistan ArmyDefense TalkThe United States government delivered two Bell 412 EP helicopters to the Government of Pakistan today to assist the Pakistan military in its counterinsurgency efforts. U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Michael Nagata handed over the helicopters to Brig. Gen. Tippu Karim, 101 Army Aviation commander, during a signing ceremony at Qasim Army Air Base near Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Taiwan Inaugurates 'Stealth' Missile Boat SquadronUS Defense NewsTaiwan on May 18 put into service its first missile boats featuring what the navy described as "stealth" technologies, aimed at boosting defense capabilities against rival China. The squadron of 10 guided-missile boats, seen by top brass as a major improvement on Seagull vessels that have been in service for the past 20 years, joined the navy at the Tsuoying naval base in the south of the island. Russia to Sell Iran Missiles Despite UN SanctionsVoice of AmericaA senior Russian lawmaker says proposed United Nations sanctions against Iran will not affect Russia's plans to sell Tehran surface-to-air missiles. Mikhail Margelov - head of the Federation Council's foreign affairs committee - says Russia's contract to sell Iran S-300 missiles was completed before the proposed sanctions. He also said Friday that Russia is a "responsible seller" of products on foreign markets and is "not interested in the militarization" of the Middle East. |
| AFGHANISTAN–PAKISTAN DEVELOPMENTS |
Taliban Car Bomb Strikes US Convoy in Kabul; 5 American Troops DeadNew York TimesThe Taliban struck here at the heart of the Afghan capital Tuesday, with a suicide bomber steering his explosives-laden Toyota minibus into an American convoy as it moved through the thick of rush-hour traffic. The attack killed 18 people, including 5 American soldiers and an officer from Canada, and wounded at least 47 civilians. The assault, which brought mayhem and carnage to one of the capital’s main thoroughfares, comes as Afghan leaders and NATO commanders are preparing to launch a major offensive in the southern city of Kandahar, the Taliban’s spiritual home. If nothing else, the attack seemed intended to remind American and Afghan leaders of what the next several months might hold in store as the offensive unfolds. Taliban Suicide Assault Squad Attacks Police Outpost in Eastern AfghanistanLong War JournalA Taliban suicide assault squad was repelled as it tried to overrun a Afghan police outpost in in the Urgun district in Paktika province. Four Taliban fighters and one policeman were reported killed in the fighting along the border with Pakistan. At least four Taliban fighters were involved in the attack, according to reports from the region. The attack began when a Taliban suicide bomber rammed a truck packed with explosives into the main gate of the police outpost, killing a policemen. How About Those Other Private Military Contractors?Huffington PostMost media coverage or private military and security contractors focused on Western companies. There are understandable reasons for this, given their size, capitalization, monetary value of the contracts they hold, their connections, and, their clients. But there are far more non-Western companies, especially on the security side, who are essentially off the radar. Full StoryFighting Heats up Again Around Marjah in AfghanistanDallas Morning HeraldMinutes after surviving the first ambush, Cpl. John Boone, a Marine sniper, called over his radio. "We've got a civilian here who got shot in his gut," he said. The civilian, Mohammed, an elderly Afghan farmer, had been shot through his large intestine when the Taliban fired on a patrol from 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines. The Marines had just found him curled on the ground. Already time was pressing. Full StoryIn Ambush, a Glimpse of a Long Afghan SummerNew York TimesMinutes after surviving the first ambush, Cpl. John M. Boone, a Marine sniper, called over his radio. "We’ve got a civilian here who got shot in his gut,” he said. The civilian, Mohammed, an elderly Afghan farmer, had been shot through his large intestine when the Taliban fired on a patrol from Third Battalion, Sixth Marines. The Marines had just found him curled on the ground. Already time was pressing. "Hey, this guy is going to die if we don’t medevac him,” the corporal said. "His guts are hanging out.” Full StoryRAF’s Reaper Logs 10,000 Hours Over AfghanistanDefense TalkThe RAF's Reaper program has achieved the milestone of providing more than 10,000 hours of armed overwatch in support of UK and coalition forces in Afghanistan. The UK Reaper Remotely Piloted Air System (RPAS) has been deployed to Afghanistan since October 2007 and provides a persistent, armed intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capability. Since November 2009, Reaper has been supporting operations 24-hours-a-day and more Reaper Remotely Piloted Aircraft are planned to be delivered later this year. Full Story |
| HOMELAND SECURITY–FIRST RESPONDER |
Times Square Bomb Suspect Had Multiple Targets, Source SaysFox NewsAlleged Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad had multiple targets in the New York area, and was planning to wreak havoc in four other locations if his first, botched attack had been successful, a source told MyFoxNY.com. Shahzad, who authorities say left a car bomb in Times Square on May 1, had also hatched plots against other high-profile targets in and around New York City: Rockefeller Center, Grand Central Terminal, the World Financial Center — just across from Ground Zero — and the Connecticut-based defense contractor Sikorsky. Full StoryNew US Interrogation Unit Questioned Times Square SuspectLos Angeles TimesThe Pakistani-American accused of trying to bomb Times Square has been questioned with the help of a new interrogation unit, created to replace a controversial CIA program dismantled by President Obama, U.S. officials said Tuesday. The suspect, Faisal Shahzad, appeared in court for the first time Tuesday, two weeks after his May 3 arrest. Wearing gray pants and shirt, he was formally advised of the five felony charges against him, including the attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction. In all, he was told, he faces a maximum punishment of two life sentences plus 60 years. Al-Qaeda in Yemen Threatens Attacks on US over ClericReutersU.S. officials said in April President Barack Obama's administration had authorized operations to capture or kill Anwar al-Awlaki -- a leading figure linked to al Qaeda's Yemen wing, which claimed responsibility for a failed bombing of a Detroit-bound plane in December. "That was a failure but tell me, what will success be like," the wing's leader Nasser al-Wahayshi said in an audiotape which appeared on a website often used by Islamic militants. US Airport Behavior Watchers Missed at Least 16 People Later Linked to TerrorismAssociated PressAt least 16 people later linked to terror plots passed through U.S. airports undetected by federal officials who were on duty to spot suspicious behavior, according to a government report. The airport-based officials were part of a federal behavior detection program designed to spot potential terrorists and others who pose a threat to aviation. The program, started in 2003, is one of 20 layers built into the nation's aviation security system. U.S.-Born Cleric Justifies the Killing of American CiviliansCBS NewsIn a newly released video, Anwar al-Awlaki, the Muslim cleric believed to be an inspiration for a series of recent terrorism plots, justifies the mass killing of American civilians and taunts the authorities to come find him in Yemen. Terrorism experts said on Sunday that the full video interview, excerpts of which had previously been released, shows an increasing radicalization by Mr. Awlaki, an American-born imam who this year became the first United States citizen to be placed on a Central Intelligence Agency list of terrorists approved as a target for killing. |
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| FRANKS REVIEW |
Tactical Equipment EvaluationSureFire Quad-Rail & M900A Vertical Foregrip LightWhen it comes to contemporary illumination tools for high risk environments, SureFire is probably the best known name in the industry today. Yes, there are other manufacturers making excellent products, but for variety and availability, especially when it comes to weapon-mounted systems, SureFire currently tops the list. Not that long ago I found myself engaging in another weapon-building project that involved an AR-15 carbine size rifle. I knew up front that I wanted it to have a weapon light but I wasn't sure what kind. After talking to various industry representatives, I acquired a SureFire M900A Vertical Foregrip light. I had previous experience with the SureFire M500 dedicated forend light, but I'd never worked with a vertical foregrip before. The rest of the review http://www.newamericantruth.com/reviews/lights/sfqrm900a.htmRecreational Equipment ReviewMaxpedition’s VersipakFor the past couple of SHOT Shows, and other trade shows, I've visited the Maxpedition booth and spoken with representatives of the company. All of their products LOOKED interesting and well made, but we here at New American Truth have this nasty habit: we won't write up something unless we can actually test it in the field. We use it the way it was designed to be used, and then the way all cops and soldiers are going to use it anyway. If it breaks, we send it back with a report on what we did to break it. If it's good to go, we give it a realistic write up. We finally got our hands on a Maxpedition Versipak and testing has proven it to be as capable as the propaganda and hype said it was. The rest of the review: http://www.newamericantruth.com/reviews/campback/maxpedversipak.htm |
| CHAPLAINS CORNER |
INESTIMABLE VALUE…(An effort to provoke thought...)
"It sure was nice before everything changed… Why didn't they leave us alone?"… comment from a TV program, last lines spoken after the full episode was about the changes forced upon an old man and his very young daughter. Their experience involved pressure, law, dictated terms and force. I contemplated this statement in relation to my life experience. I learned that change is one of the constants that must be dealt with continually. Change has also been a constant in the history of our Nation. Liberty and freedom have been expensive in the greatest cost that can ever be paid… Some things are arbitrary and simply must be dealt with as well as possible if one wants to go on living and having the things and people that they love… Thus I thought on the cost of keeping the peace and keeping life together. |
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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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