Target Centermass

Author: Gunner

  • NATO Sets Training Goals for Iraqi Officers

    Well, it ain’t West Point, but it’s still seems pretty ambitious.

    The Iraqi military academy that NATO plans to set up outside Baghdad should be able to train about 1,000 officers a year, the alliance’s top commander in Europe said Thursday.

    U.S. Gen. James L. Jones said the training mission would likely be smaller than the 3,000 instructors, guards and support troops that his planners have set as a ceiling for the mission in Iraq.

    “Three thousand will be the maximum and it is going to be less than that, I think,” he told reporters at NATO’s military headquarters in southern Belgium. The number of actual instructors is expected to be around 350.

    Jones declined to speculate when the academy would be up and running. Allied military experts presented a detailed operational plan for expanding the training to the 26 allied nations this week but officials said it would likely take at least a couple of weeks before it is approved.

    The United States is pushing for the training center to be operational by the end of this year.

    Jones said at least 16 of the 26 allies had “indicated willingness to contribute troops inside Iraq” for the training mission.

    While the number of instructors may come in well under budget, savings better be allocated towards security, as this would seem a prime target for terrorists. However, an officer academy cannot be delayed from fear, as it is essential for the Iraqi people to continue their progress towards a professional, competent military supporting their pending democracy.

    In a somewhat unrelated aside, how long into the resurrection of the Iraqi government and military expertise do we begin working on the martial aspect needed for eventual success, aviation and air power abilities?

  • Signs Point to Imminent Showdown in Iraq

    The Associated Press thinks a Coalition move on Fallujah is pending.

    An uptick in airstrikes and other military moves point to an imminent showdown between U.S. forces and Sunni Muslim insurgents west of Baghdad — a decisive battle that could determine whether the campaign to bring democracy and stability to Iraq (news – web sites) can succeed.

    American officials have not confirmed a major assault is near against the insurgent bastions of Fallujah and neighboring Ramadi. But Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi has warned Fallujah leaders that force will be used if they do not hand over extremists, including terror mastermind Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

    A similar escalation in U.S. military actions and Iraqi government warnings occurred before a major offensive in Najaf forced militiamen loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr to give up that holy city in late August. And U.S. and Iraqi troops retook Samarra from insurgents early this month.

    Now U.S. airstrikes on purported al-Zarqawi positions in three neighborhoods of eastern and northern Fallujah, 40 miles west of Baghdad, have increased. And residents reported this week that Marines appeared to be reinforcing forward positions near key areas of the city. Other military units are on the move, including 800 British soldiers headed north to the U.S.-controlled zone.

    The goal of an attack would be to restore government control in time for national elections by the end of January. However, an all-out assault on the scale of April’s siege of Fallujah would carry enormous risk — both political and military — for the Americans and their Iraqi allies.

    Does the AP article have the Grey Poupon of negativity? But of course.

    A series of policy mistakes by the U.S. military and the Bush administration have transformed Fallujah from a shabby, dusty backwater known regionally for mosques and tasty kebabs into a symbol of Arab pride and defiance of the United States throughout the Islamic world.

    A videotape obtained Tuesday by Associated Press Television News featured a warning by masked gunmen that if Fallujah is subjected to an all-out assault, they will strike “with weapons and military tactics” that the Americans and their allies “have not experienced before.”

    Regardless of whether the threat was an empty boast, insurgents elsewhere in Iraq could be expected to step up attacks to try to relieve pressure on fighters in the Fallujah and Ramadi areas.

    But the main problem an assault would pose for both the U.S. military and Allawi’s government is political, such as a widespread public backlash. A nationwide association of Sunni clerics also has threatened to urge a boycott of the January elections if U.S. forces storm Fallujah.

    Look, as much as it could be desired that the U.S. cleared Fallujah in April, the interim Iraqi government took a stance and, to avoid robbing Allawi of needed legitimacy, we had to acquiesce. Now, for the sake of future legitimacy of the pending Iraqi elections, we may have to roll. Threats of unprecedented weapons and tactics by terrorists have to be considered but, if the Islamist bastards have the potential for such, an assault on Fallujah would only be an excuse for something they would certainly do unless prevented. Best to press the issue; a bluff can be called and a real threat could possibly be destroyed before developing fully. I’ve previously blogged my thoughts on the possible Sunni clerics’ election boycott.

  • World Series: the Curse Continues

    Another MLB World Series complete, and still the Curse reigns.

    No, not that silly Bambino thing. I’m talking about the Curse of Keith.

    49th AD Lone StarI lived in the St. Louis area until 1980 when, at the age of twelve, my family moved to Texas. St. Louis is a baseball-mad city and, as a little league first baseman, my childhood hero was an easy choice — the Cardinals’ all-star and MVP Keith Hernandez. Keith was a very good hitter, but his true strength was in the field. He practically redefined the position, making it no longer the place to park aging sluggers. It was sometimes wondered whether he generated more runs with his bat or saved more with his glove. Though I had moved near Houston, my loyalty remained with Keith and the Redbirds. I went nuts in 1982 when the Cards knocked off the Milwaukee Brewers to take the World Series. Keith had a dinger and eight RBIs in the seven-game series.

    And then the unthinkable happened. June 15, 1983, barely into the defense of their title, the Cardinals traded Keith to the lowly New York Mets. Neil Allen and Rick Ownbey were acquired, but the real issue was an ongoing personality clash between Keith and Cards manager Whitey Herzog. The Curse of Keith had begun.

    Having lost my geographic ties to the Cardinals, my loyalty followed Keith to New York. I watched as the Mets, perennial cellar-dwellers, used the lefty first-bagger as a cornerstone in their rebuilding. They added another key veteran when they acquired catcher Gary Carter from the Montreal Expos, and developed some key young talent in outfielder Darryl Strawberry and pitching ace Dwight Gooden. With this nucleus intact, the Mets were able to dominate the 1986 regular season, win a dramatic playoff series over the Houston Astros, and take the title from the supposedly-cursed Boston Red Sox.

    In the 86 years since the Bambino thing began, the Bosox only lost four World Series. In the 22 seasons since the Curse of Keith began, my boyhood hero won another ring while the Cards have already failed in three trips to the series.

    Keith’s career faded in the late ’80s as his knees slowly succumbed to wear and tear. Never known for his speed, Keith finished two stolen bases short of 100 for his career, a personal goal his legs wouldn’t let him reach.

    Over the years, the Curse of Keith still haunts the Cardinals. My allegiance slowly switched to the Astros, but I still think Keith Hernandez is the greatest defensive first baseman and one of the greatest all-around at his position to ever play the game. To this day, I still believe he should be in the Hall of Fame for his batting but especially for his fielding and eleven consecutive Gold Gloves. Oh yeah, also for his Seinfeld appearance.

  • Teen Runs for Agriculture Post in W.Va.

    Doesn’t look like this will be a battle for the ages, but it certainly is a battle of the ages.

    Andrew Yost is a year and a half out of high school — a teenager who juggles part-time farm work with a full load of college courses. Gus Douglass is old enough to be his grandfather — a gray-haired political veteran who was first elected when Lyndon Johnson was in the White House.

    But the two have one thing in common: They are running for agriculture commissioner of West Virginia. Yost, 19, is the Republican longshot Nov. 2 against Douglass, 77, a Democrat seeking a record 10th term.

    The race is the ultimate study in contrast, pitting youthful idealism and enthusiasm against decades of hands-on experience.

    Yost voted for the first time in May, when he won the Republican primary. Douglass was in the middle of his sixth term when Yost was still in diapers.

    In campaign photos, Yost wears a blue corduroy jacket that proclaims him a Future Farmer of America. Douglass runs a 540-acre farm with his son, and is a past national president of the Future Farmers of America.

    Douglass has raised nearly $18,000 in donations this year and spent about half. By Election Day, Yost will have spent no more than a few thousand dollars on printing and mailing.

    “When I say it’s a grass-roots campaign, I’m not just saying that. It really is,” says Yost, who has pledged to neither solicit nor accept contributions. “When I go into office, I don’t want to owe any favors. I can run the office based on my own integrity and what’s best for the people.”

    Young Yost — no campaign website, miniscule chance, tons of spunk. Youthful energy and idealism, whether I agree with the beliefs or not, are things I’ve always admired. Whether his future is in agriculture or politics, I expect long-term success for Yost. The kid’s got moxie.

  • Zarqawi Aide Killed During U.S. Air Strike

    Scratch one more Islamist bastard.

    Coalition forces launched precision strikes on a safe house in Fallujah early this morning, killing an associate of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi’s terrorist organization, military officials in Baghdad reported today.

    Multiple sources confirmed that a “known associate” of the Zarqawi network was present at the time of the strike.

    The strike, which happened at around 3 a.m. in the northwest section of the city, is one of a string of recent strikes and raids targeting the Zarqawi organization that have severely degraded the terrorist leader’s ability to conduct attacks and have effectively reduced his influence.

    Like I said, al-Zarqawi’s noose keeps getting tighter.

  • Kerry Praises Poland’s Help in Iraq

    Having already screwed them over by neglecting their valued contributions to date in Iraq, self-implied diplomat extraodinaire John Kerry has decided to belatedly offer the brave people of Poland a reach-around for their troubles.

    Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry thanked Poland in a newspaper interview published Monday for its military involvement in Iraq and promised Polish businesses a chance for lucrative reconstruction contracts there should he win the Nov. 2 election.

    The comments, published in the Gazeta Wyborcza daily, came after President Aleksander Kwasniewski criticized Kerry for allegedly playing down the Poles’ contribution to the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq.

    “I am grateful to Poland for standing by the Euro-American partnership these last few years and for its courageous contributions to Iraq,” Kerry said in the interview, which was also carried by Nowy Dziennik, a Polish language paper published in the United States. “I will not forget that.”

    ….

    Polish troops took part in the invasion last year, and the country now commands an international security force in central Iraq.

    By “not forget that,” I’ll assume Kerry means “not forget that again.”

    Nice of him to include the promise of a bribe of “a chance for lucrative reconstruction contracts” to a nation he included in his derisive “coalition of the bribed and coerced.” If one ignores such areas as diplomacy, military, history, international affairs, domestic policy and economics, Kerry might not be the total jackass he seems to be.

  • France Accepts Iraqi Conference Rules

    I posted last month on France’s requirements for their participation in an international conference on Iraq. I openly ridiculed their demands for inclusion of representatives of the terrorists at the table and a placement of U.S. withdrawal on the conference agenda. Well, now it seems the French have caved on one of their firm stances.

    In a quiet retreat, France on Monday eased off its call to include Iraqi groups that renounce violence in an international conference next month on ways to pacify their war-ravaged country.

    Foreign Minister Michel Barnier acknowledged that the governments-only meeting in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheik from Nov. 22-23 would not be open to other factions outside Iraq’s interim leadership.

    “It’s an intergovernmental conference. I’m willing to recognize that only governments will participate,” Barnier told reporters after an informal meeting with European and North African counterparts.

    There is no mention in the article of France’s other demand for discussion of an American withdrawal. To their credit, France’s “quiet retreat” is an improvement over their seeming tendency to run away screaming. Maybe there’s a shred of hope for them yet.

  • Reciprocity V (with a bonus for Tolkien fans)

    Taking a pause to thank the Llama Butchers for linking to two of my posts today.

    Also, an extra thanks for their turning me on to this quiz about J.R.R. Tolkien and his works, both interesting in its format and challenging in the latter stages’ content. It has six levels and, if you successfully complete them, you’ll get the following message:

    “Victory! Victory! Victory! Sauron has been defeated, Middle-Earth has been saved. Your quest is over and you have won! You have proven your excellent knowledge of Tolkien’s Middle-Earth…”

    Damn, I’m a Tolkien geek. I’ll admit I was rusty, getting only 88 of 111 correct. Stages 4-6 are tough. The questions span The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion and Tolkien himself. Don’t bother if you’ve only seen the movies.

    Also, if you’ve linked or blogrolled Target Centermass and I haven’t found you, please send an email or post a comment. No good deed should go unrewarded.

  • Iraqis Protest Over Hostage

    The terrorists in Iraq, with the kidnapping and released videos of a key humanitarian aid worker, may be on the verge of overplaying their hand with the citizens of Baghdad.

    Hundreds of disabled Iraqis demonstrated in Baghdad yesterday to demand the release of Margaret Hassan, calling her abductors “neanderthals” and insisting that their collapsed health system needs the British aid worker, kidnapped by insurgents last week.

    Mrs Hassan, 59, the Iraq director for the charity Care International, was last seen on a hostage video on Friday, tearfully relaying her kidnappers’ demands that Britain did not deploy troops close to Baghdad. Her plight has moved many Iraqis to anger, unlike the abductions of Western contractors and foreign lorry drivers before her.

    “We love her. She built us a hospital,” said Ahmed Jabir, a wheelchair-bound boy at the protest rally near Care’s Baghdad offices. “If it wasn’t for her, we would probably have died.”

    ….

    Mrs Hassan’s Iraqi husband, Tahsin Ali Hassan, attended the rally. Pointing at the crowd of patients, he said: “This says it all.”

    Never mistake my condemnations of the Islamist bastards we are fighting for a blanket statement on Islam or the Iraqi people in general. Much of the muslim world is at a crossroads — to careen wildly towards a loss of any vestige of a humane society or to pull back from the edge and again become a truly civilized people. This protest shows which direction at least some (and I’d wager most) in Iraq want to go. The terrorist “neanderthals” have much to lose with the Iraqi populace in the case of Mrs. Hassan.

  • North Korea Times Four

    Just as Sept. 2 was Syria’s big news day on Target Centermass, so too is today a big day for North Korea, as news swarmed all around the dictatorship.

    First, its sister to the south is ratcheting up security on its border.

    South Korea is stepping up security along the Demilitarized Zone frontier with North Korea after a hole was found cut in a border fence, the South Korean Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.

    A ministry spokesman told a televised briefing the military could, if necessary, also mobilize reserve forces along the border, which is the most fortified frontier in the world. Any gap in the fence could mean North Korea agents have been infiltrated into the South.

    Because of this border breach, South Korea is also on the hunt for possible infiltrators from North Korea.

    South Korea imposed “Jindogye-1” around Yeoncheon, the highest level of vigilance the military can issue before an actual sighting of a communist infiltrator, said another ministry spokesman, who also refused to be named.

    Domestic media carried similar reports. Jindogye-1 reportedly requires military units to move troops for patrol and combat readiness. Soldiers also join police at checkpoints.

    Ministry officials refused to discuss details of the measures taken Tuesday.

    Police and soldiers tightened inspections in 54 checkpoints on the roads north of Seoul and established 16 temporary checkpoints, South Korea’s national news agency Yonhap reported.

    Meanwhile, the U.S. is working on a resumption of talks concerning North Korea’s nuclear weapons program.

    US Secretary of State Colin Powell has wrapped up a three-nation Asia tour after having won vows from China and Japan to press North Korea to resume stalled talks on its nuclear weapons programs.

    Powell met President Roh Moo-Hyun and other top officials on the last leg of a three-nation Asian tour aimed at forging a joint strategy with Tokyo, Beijing and Seoul to get Pyongyang to return to the table unconditionally.

    Despite success on his first two stops, North Korea shows no sign of dropping its boycott of the talks and is threatening to bolster its military deterrent to counter “hostile” US acts.

    As a show of force for North Korea’s sake, the U.S. and others are conducting a saber rattling by sea.

    Ships from Japan, the United States, Australia and France steamed out to sea under cloudy skies on Tuesday for Asia’s first naval exercise to clamp down on weapons of mass destruction, a drill that communist North Korea has called hostile and provocative.

    The Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) drill in waters off Tokyo is the 12th of its kind in the U.S.-led initiative but the first to be held in the backyard of North Korea, a clear focus of the exercise.

    ….

    “What we’re trying to do is safeguard our innocent civilians from rogue states and terrorist groups trying to acquire WMD (weapons of mass destruction),” [Washington’s main anti-proliferation point-man John] Bolton said as the ship headed for Sagami Bay southwest of Tokyo.

    “We’re sending a signal to everybody who wants to traffic in WMD that we have zero tolerance for that,” he added.

    The anti-proliferation initiative, under which ships and aircraft suspected of carrying weapons of mass destruction can be intercepted, has the support of more than 60 countries, although some legal experts say it could contravene international law.

    Regarding the talks, do not expect any budging on North Korea’s part until the U.S. presidential election is resolved and the commies see what they will be facing over the next four years. Will it be continued international pressure under Bush or bilateral talks (and probably another round of gifts and promises) with Kerry? Powell is playing the game he has to, but certainly he holds no hopes of progress before the electoral cloud has settled.