Target Centermass

Category: Europe

  • Poland Sets Date for Iraq Pullout

    There’s no real news here, other than a fairly certain timetable for the Poles’ withdrawal from their involvement on the ground in Iraq.

    Ending months of uncertainty over the precise timing, Poland announced Tuesday that it would withdraw all its troops from Iraq once the United Nations mandate for the multinational force expires in December.

    Defense Minister Jerzy Szmajdzinski said the cabinet had decided to bring home the 1,700 troops, but he left open the possibility that the mission could be extended if the United Nations mandate were renewed.

    “At the time of the expiry of the Security Council’s mandate, meaning at the end of 2005, the operations of the Polish stabilization mission should be finished,” Szmajdzinski said after the cabinet meeting. He said that Prime Minister Marek Belka’s government would not in the meantime be committing troops to any new missions.

    This has been expected for some time. When a planned withdrawal was first announced, I expressed my gratitude for the Poles’ strong contribution (and have repeatedly called for them to be rewarded as a true ally). Now I thank them for withholding a timetable until significant progress had been made on the ground and in the Iraqi government.

    Today’s article goes on to show why I admire the Polish commitment and efforts — the motives have been as noble as the service.

    Poland’s decision to support the U.S.-led war in Iraq and then provide military assistance annoyed several of its European Union partners. But similar to other former communist countries, Poland said its own experiences of living under dictatorship influenced its decision to back the ousting of the former Iraqi leader, Saddam Hussein, and later provide military assistance and training.

    Additionally, the central and east European countries, some of which joined the NATO military alliance in 1999 and others last April, were much more Atlanticist than some EU countries, particularly France and Germany, which led opposition in Europe to the war in Iraq.

    What’s more, the Poles aren’t washing their hands of the matter, realizing that success in Iraq has long-term implications for Europe and the globe.

    But Poland said it would continue to be involved in helping NATO train Iraqi officers both inside and outside Iraq. A NATO spokesman said Tuesday that more than 1,000 Iraqi officers would be trained by the alliance inside the country during this year and a further 500 officers trained outside in military academies in several countries, including Germany.

    “All NATO countries in one way or other are involved in the training,” said the spokesman.

  • Thatcher Pops into Lap-Dance Club

    The Iron Lady goes to a stripper club?

    Margaret Thatcher, the former British prime minister, has made a rare public appearance for her beloved Conservative Party — at a glitzy London lap-dancing club.

    Thatcher, 79, toting her trademark handbag, turned up Sunday at Stringfellow’s for a Tory fund-raising event ahead of the May 5 general election, the Daily Telegraph and the Sun newspapers reported Tuesday.

    “Margaret Thatcher has always been a heroine of mine, so I was genuinely humbled to welcome her to the club,” said mulleted clubowner Peter Stringfellow, 64, who is usually surrounded by buxom blonde twentysomethings.

    “I was just in awe of the woman.”

    Thatcher, known as the Iron Lady for her uncompromising right-wing politics when she was prime minister throughout the 1980s, rarely makes public appearances due to her failing health.

    Some 400 Conservative supporters turned up for Sunday’s function, but it was unclear what Stringfellow’s posse of dancers did.

    The Sun quoted the impresario as saying “all the girls kept their clothes on,” while the Daily Telegraph said he gave them the night off — although he added: “I got the distinct feeling she’d have loved to have seen them”.

    I have no idea what to make of this. However, as a longtime supporter of the glory that was the Reagan Revolution, I may have found it strangely erotic to watch Maggie tuck a bill into a grinding g-string.

    Shudder.

    Then again, probably not.

  • NATO Sees U.S. Military Changing Strategy

    This piece is particularly interesting for its inclusion of Africa into plans for restructuring overseas deployment of U.S. forces.

    U.S. forces stationed in Europe will increasingly shift their stance toward Africa and the former communist countries in eastern Europe as they move to counter terror threats in those areas, the top European commander said.

    […]

    “The difference between the EUCOM of the 20th century — which I regard as the Cold War century — and the EUCOM of the 21st century is the family of threats that it faces, ranging from terrorism to radical fundamentalism to narcoterrorism to illegal trafficking of all sorts,” [NATO supreme commander Marine Gen. James. L.] Jones said at EUCOM headquarters in Stuttgart.

    […]

    Many of the changes, like consolidating different Army headquarters under one roof in Wiesbaden, are simply a continuation of post-Cold War cutback that began in the 1990s following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

    But deeper changes are on the way, as the U.S. looks less to large, fixed bases like those it has had for decades in Germany, to smaller, more bare-bones installations where troops could be moved quickly for training or to deal with a crisis.

    […]

    The large air bases at Ramstein and Spangdahlem, as well the nearby support community of Kaiserslautern, will remain hubs. The Army will concentrate on existing posts in Wiesbaden and Grafenwoehr. EUCOM headquarters will remain in Stuttgart, while both the Army and Air Force will remain in Aviano, Italy.

    But increasingly the focus is shifting toward Africa, seen as a potential haven for Islamic extremists who have been ousted from places like Afghanistan.

    Already five such agreements exist with countries in Africa, including the predominantly Muslim nations of Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia.

    In Europe, the focus in increasingly turning to the new NATO members of the former Warsaw Pact. A special Eastern Europe Task Force would involve rotating troops on a regular basis for training exercises, including some with local militaries.

    Bases in Bulgaria and Romania, both of which hosted the U.S. military during the Iraq war, have been earmarked to host forces, but would differ from those in Germany in that they would offer only skeletal infrastructure and no families would accompany troops there on their tours of duty.

    Excellent. This shows that we are not just looking one or two steps down the road in the war against the Islamist terrorists. We are already game-planning and laying the groundworks to prepare for a possible theater shift many turns down the road. Just doing so may be sufficient to head off the threat before the proverbial pass.

    However, many dangers have always awaited in the Dark Continent.

  • Tartan Day Link Dump

    Tartan Day

    Why April 6th?

    Gathering of the Blogs — Hosted by Ith at Absinthe & Cookies.

    Sport Kilt — kilts easy on the budget, limited selection but some clans available, as well as desert camo.

    Alexis Malcolm Kilts — kilts moderately priced, with a wide selection including tartans of all the branches of the U.S. military.

    Interactive Weaver — Design your own tartan.

    The Black Watch — the famed Scottish regiment that briefly served along side Americans in Baghdad.

    Save the Scottish Regiments — a campaign to, well, save the Scottish regiments.

    ElectricScotland.com — all things Scottish on the internet, be it history, geneology, clans or travel.

  • For Those of Scottish Roots

    Today is Tartan Day, 2005 edition. And here’s my family tartan:

    I’m still researching to find any clan affiliation, as my surname is a sept to multiple clans.

    The Scots of the blogosphere are celebrating the day with a Gathering of the Blogs, so feel free to peruse those links for a wealth of Scottish-related postings.

  • Anti-Terror Forces Ready for Pope Funeral

    Much like the recent Athens Olympics, one has to feel a tinge of angst at the pending gathering of luminaries and throngs of masses heading to pay their respects and show their love for the late Pope John Paul II. Obviously, the Italians are concerned about security.

    Italian air force jets are ready to scramble. Police are burrowing through the labyrinth of drains and aqueducts under the city looking for bombs. Snipers are staked out on strategic rooftops.

    The millions of people and the 200 foreign delegations expected for Pope John Paul II’s funeral Friday offer a tempting target for any terrorist group hoping to score a spectacular strike. Authorities insist they have taken all possible measures to prevent such an attack.

    “Precautions have been taken for airports, stations and all the other places where people gather,” said an official of the Rome prefect’s office, which is responsible for coordinating the security apparatus.

    Air traffic over central Rome likely will be banned Friday, the official said on condition of anonymity.

    The military-civilian airport of Ciampino may be closed to commercial flights, and traffic to and from the main airport at Fiumicino, 16 miles from Rome, may be curtailed, the official said.

    Radar is scanning the air for any irregular activity, ready to alert pilots on standby. Helicopters have begun regular patrols.

    Italy has not been a direct target of international terrorism in recent years. But in the 1970s and 1980s, the Italian Red Brigades cowed the nation, and Palestinian groups struck with devastating effectiveness.

    Methinks communists fighting the Cold War and Palestinians begging for international attention aren’t really the feared parties that are driving these measures. Could it be … ahem … Islamist terrorists?!!

    But like all European security networks, Italy has heightened its anti-terror efforts following the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States and last year’s train bombings in Madrid.

    The Europeans have strengthened their cross-border cooperation and the sharing of information, though many experts say it has not gone far enough.

    Italian authorities have arrested dozens of suspects, aided by a new international terrorism charge introduced following the New York attacks.

    In Milan, where prosecutors have investigated Muslim extremist cells based in the north of Italy, a judge handed down the first al-Qaida-related guilty verdict since the Sept. 11 attacks, convicting seven Tunisians for helping recruits for al-Qaida get fake documents.

    The suspects included Essid Sami Ben Khemais, the alleged logistics head of Osama bin Laden’s terrorist operations in Europe.

    Hmmm … an al-Quida presence is known in Italy and throughout Europe. However, I’m sure if you ask commie Italian journalist and part-time faux-hostage Giuliana Sgrena, she of the ever-morphing tale of horror (hat tip to the Jawa Report), the real danger is the expected presence of those dastardly Americans.

    Dozens of monarchs, presidents and prime ministers will attend John Paul II’s funeral, including President Bush, former Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

    Authorities also are expecting as many as 4 million pilgrims, mourners and tourists. Poland’s Foreign Ministry said 2 million people were expected from that country alone.

    Such an inviting target of massed infidels for the Islamists. The pope’s fading health was no secret and his passing has been but an eventuality for some time, possibly adequate time to have laid groundplans for an action.

    Despite this, I have a good vibe about this, speaking strictly from a security point of view, for several reasons. First, it would have been extremely difficult to plan anything on a concrete basis, as actual timing was unknown. Second, despite all the talk of the American military’s being stretched thin, so too is the effective reach of the terrorists, who are slowly being forced to decide between exporting serious bloodshed or keeping any kind of credible threat in the current theaters of Iraq and Afghanistan. Third, Pope John Paul II was loved by a great many, and his life full of devotion and effort was respected practically across the board. To target this moment could spell the death knell of the radical Islamic movement.

  • Mideast News Link Dump

    Besides the passing of Pope John Paul II, there are several other stories I would like to blog. Unfortunately, I have a prior social engagement to head out to so this will be without any analysis. I reserve the right to look at any or all of these in greater depth later.

    At Least 20 U.S. Troops Wounded in Terrorist Abu Graib Attack

    Using suicide car bombs and an array of weapons, scores of insurgents made the biggest assault yet on the American-controlled Abu Ghraib prison on Saturday evening, American military officials said. At least 20 American soldiers and marines were wounded.

    […]

    The assault appeared to be an attempt to break prisoners out of a part of the center that is controlled by Iraqi security forces, said Lt. Col. Guy Rudisill, a spokesman for the American detainee system in Iraq.

    The assault was so intense that the American troops at the prison called in three Apache attack helicopters and a Marine infantry company, the colonel said. The marines quickly secured the area around the prison. Of the 20 Americans hurt, 18 had only minor wounds, Colonel Rudisill said.

    Analysis: The Honeymoon is Truly Over for Abbas

    Both Abbas and the ousted security chief are aware that the use of drastic measures against the gunmen, most of whom are wanted by Israel, would play into the hands of their rivals, who would depict them as “collaborators.”

    Jaber was not prepared to be seen as doing Israel’s dirty work – a fact that led to his dismissal over the weekend.

    Neither does Abbas want to be in a similar position. That’s why, as of Saturday night, none of the Fatah gunmen who went on the rampage in the city last Wednesday had been arrested, although their identities and addresses were known to the PA security services.

    Related story here.

    Iraqi Sunni Clerics Deny Decree on Police

    Iraq’s Association of Muslim Scholars denied Saturday issuing a religious decree allowing Iraqis to join of the Iraqi police forces and army.

    The country’s only Sunni religious authority said in a statement that reports of 64 clerics issuing a fatwa, or edict, allowing or urging Iraqis to join national security and military forces to protect Iraqis and their property were not linked to the association.

    The statement did not specify the association’s position on the issue, insisting it will do so later.

    Related story here.

    Bombing Jitters Grip Lebanese Capital

    Even for the war-hardened Lebanese, four explosions in two weeks are too much to cope with. Once-vibrant cafes lie empty, shopping malls are virtually deserted and late-night dining has been put on hold. In a movie theater, a woman watching the Will Smith comedy “Hitch” gets a cell phone call about a blast and exclaims “Infijar?!” (“Explosion?!”), whereupon a dozen people quietly head for the door.

    Outside the United Nations offices, workers fill sandbags and erect barriers. At a Beirut mall, newly hired private security guards check vehicles’ trunks and engines and slide a mirror beneath the chassis looking for explosives. Restaurants put up roadblocks to keep cars from parking too close.

    Fear is gripping Lebanon following a recent spate of bombs placed under or near cars that have killed three people and injured 24. The sense of security built up over years of postwar calm has been shattered, with rumors of bombs and suspicion of unclaimed bags feeding the hysteria.

    See Robert Mayer’s examination of the Lebanese bombings at Publius Pundit.

    Now, besides all of the attacks being in Christian neighborhoods, there is one big similarity between all of these attacks, including the Hariri assassination. The economy.

    Now, I’m off to a evening probably filled with inane banter among people I barely know. I anticipate contributing with an occasional distracted sarcasm while sipping beer and watching some Final Four hoops. Should be fun.

  • Wrapping up a Crappy Day

    Death

    The long, sorrowful struggle over Terri Schiavo’s life ended Thursday morning when she died in her hospice bed almost two weeks after the removal of her feeding tube, her parents and siblings absent, the husband they reviled at her side.

    Deaths

    A U.S. military transport plane crashed in central Albania while on a training mission Thursday, and nine American personnel aboard were believed to have been killed, Albanian officials said.

    Pushing Death

    A frail and pained Pope John Paulwas battling on Friday to overcome a fever and urinaryinfection after his health took a dramatic turn for the worse,sending waves of anxiety around the Roman Catholic world.

    A Vatican official said the condition of the 84-year-oldPontiff had stabilized during the night thanks to antibiotics,but medical sources said the next 24 hours would prove crucial.

    Italian media reported that John Paul received on Thursdayevening the sacrament for the sick and dying commonly known asthe Last Rites. It is given to the very seriously ill but doesnot necessarily mean death is imminent.

    And the one that hit me closest, my favorite comedian.

    Death

    Thanks again for the laughs, Mitch.

    Tomorrow should be a better day, with an expected milestone for Target Centermass and the season finale for SciFi Channel’s Battlestar Galactica (hint: expect cliffhangers). Goodness knows, the day couldn’t be much worse. At least I hope not.

    This is Gunner. Out.

  • Egyptian Stabs Kissing Tourists

    Methinks here is a person that needs to be locked away and fast.

    An Egyptian stabbed a Hungarian man and woman, slightly wounding them, after the couple kissed while pausing for a photograph near a mosque at Cairo’s popular tourist bazaar, police said Tuesday.

    Hesham Mohammed, 36, apparently was upset by the kiss Monday in front of Al-Hussein Mosque, a security official said on customary condition of anonymity. The mosque is adjacent to the Khan el-Khalili market where foreign tourists flock to buy souvenirs and locally made crafts.

    The Hungarians, who were not identified, were treated at a nearby hospital for minor wounds, the official said, and Mohammed was being questioned. He was described as unemployed and suffering from severe depression.

    Tourism is Egypt’s top foreign-currency earner, bringing in more than $7 billion Cdn last year and providing an estimated 2.2 million jobs.

    First off, knifing foreign smoochers is not an economically sound practice for the Egyptians to adopt as a regular practice. Second, it would be quite safe to say the unemployed Mohammed is severely depressed. I would also guess that he’s either a freakin’ loon, bitterly single, or both.

  • More on EU’s Chinese Arms Ban

    In my previous post, I blogged against the push by France to lift the European Union’s current ban on weapons sales to China. I also blogged against France in general and Jacques Chirac in particular, but that was for fun.

    Today, my stance finds unexpected support — a Los Angeles Times editorial (courtesy of the Decatur Daily Democrat). I’ll omit the initial and closing paragraphs, which consist of the expected qualifications against the U.S. and the Bush administration.

    China’s adoption of an anti-secession law aimed at Taiwan that reserves the right to use military force plays into the hands of the Bush administration and Congress, which adamantly oppose the sale of European weapons to China. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice increased the pressure Monday when she declared in Beijing that if the EU lifted the ban, it “would not send the right signal.”

    European weapons sales would stoke the Asian arms race, even if they would be unlikely to radically change the region’s balance of power. If the Europeans sold advanced fighter jets to China, Taiwan would turn to the United States for increased sales, which Congress would almost surely approve. But for China, which nurses memories of being carved up by Western imperial powers in the 19th century, the issue is primarily about pride; it’s livid at still being treated as a pariah nearly 16 years after the brutal suppression of Tiananmen Square demonstrators.

    France, the world’s third-biggest weapons seller, has never hesitated to provide African and Middle East dictators with arms, and is chafing to treat China like a normal country that poses no threat to peace. What’s more, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana says the embargo is “unfair” and wants to increase the organization’s clout by wooing Beijing.

    China has been counting on these two allies to prevail, but it overlooked the unwieldy, democratic nature of the EU. No matter how powerful France is inside the union, it can’t, like the Chinese Politburo, carry out its will by fiat. For one thing, Germany doesn’t want to risk another quarrel with the United States. And China’s peremptory anti-Taiwan move has emboldened Britain and other countries to point to Beijing’s abysmal human rights record. Without a consensus, the EU cannot terminate the weapons ban.

    Also coming out with similarly ominous warnings was a think tank with affiliations with the Japanese Defence Ministry.

    The [National Institute for Defence Studies’] report said the future of the military balance between China and Taiwan was becoming unclear as China moves ahead with the modernisation of its military.

    It warned that lifting Europe’s embargo on arms exports to China could help Beijing vastly improve its weaponry and military technology.

    Russia, a long-time supplier of arms to China, would likely see Europe as its rival and launch an aggressive campaign to sell more arms to Beijing, the report said.

    “We believe Russia would try aggressively to sell arms to China if the European Union lifts its embargo on arms exports,” said Tomio Kougami, one of the experts who wrote the report.

    An interesting twist there, that a lifting of the EU ban could actually spur greater arms dealings from Russia to China. All the more reason the push back against Chirac’s efforts in this matter.