Al-Qaeda seizes Yemeni city

 

As many as three hundred Al-Qaeda militants seized control of the southern Yemeni town of Zinjibar late Saturday after a fierce battle with security forces, an eyewitness told Arab News by telephone.

Witness Fadhel Mubarek said law and order broke down in the city after government troops fled for their lives. Armed gangs looted banks and all government facilities.

Hundreds of families are leaving the city despite militant assurances that they mean no harm to the civilian population and their aim is to establish an Islamic state, Mubarek said.

After withdrawing from the city, Yemeni troops shelled it with tanks and heavy guns. The militants responded by firing rocket-propelled grenades.

Al-Qaeda seizes Yemeni city

Lockheed Martin hit by cyber incident, U.S. says | Reuters

 

The Department of Homeland Security said it and the Defense Department had offered to help gauge the scope of a "cyber incident impacting LMCO," as the maker of fighter jets, ships and other major weapons systems is known.

The U.S. government also has offered to help analyze "available data in order to provide recommendations to mitigate further risk," Chris Ortman, a Homeland Security official, said in an e-mailed reply to a query from Reuters.

It was not immediately clear what kind of data, if any, was stolen by the hackers. But military contractors' networks contain sensitive data on arms that are under development as well as technology used by U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Lockheed Martin hit by cyber incident, U.S. says | Reuters

Innovation at the Speed of Bureaucracy

 

The pace of technological innovation in communications is mindboggling; it’s almost impossible to keep up with the proliferation of better handsets, an increasing number of services, the multiplying apps on better networks, and all costing less—a lot less.
But apparently this blinding pace isn’t fast enough for the Federal Communications Commission, which can’t open a door without committee deliberation and concurrence, a memorandum of understanding, and maybe an executive order.
So the revelation that the FCC, with its trove of regulations that are irrelevant, fail to reflect reality or, even worse, slow or stop the pace of innovation, is going to ensure timely broadband deployment is a joke.
Only the joke isn’t funny.
The FCC recently issued its Seventh Broadband Progress Report, the so-called 706 report, the purpose of which is to have the FCC determine periodically whether broadband "is being deployed to all Americans in a reasonable and timely fashion."  If not, then the commission can "take immediate action to accelerate deployment."
And what a shock: regulators detected a need to regulate!  The majority of commissioners found that the data implies that broadband is not being deployed in a "reasonable" or "timely" manner.  Or stated more accurately, their previously held beliefs led them to say that the data did not meet their personal view of reasonable or timely, so they would have to intervene yet again in the vibrant communications market.
How could they possibly reach this conclusion?  Simple, ignore the data that contravenes their fantastical beliefs. 

• Ignore wireless broadband.
• Ignore the rapid proliferation of smart phones.
• Ignore that wireless-only households exceed 25 percent.
• Ignore wireless broadband network deployment and availability, such as 4G mobile broadband networks.

As history suggests, once authority is ceded to government it is rarely returned to the people.  While one might support what one government does with that power, sooner or later the power is in the hands of some who may not “do the right thing.”  And sometimes those who have accumulated the power ignore facts to pursue their bureaucratic dreams.

Innovation at the Speed of Bureaucracy

Unanimous rejection | POLITICO 44

 

The budget proposal released by the White House back in February didn’t win a single vote in the Senate on Wednesday— the final tally was 0-97. Senate Republicans pushed for the vote as a counterpoint to the defeat of Rep. Paul Ryan’s budget plan.

Unanimous rejection | POLITICO 44

BBC News - Ratko Mladic arrested: Bosnia war crimes suspect held

 

Gen Mladic, 69, was found in a village in northern Serbia where had been living under an assumed name.

He faces charges over the massacre of at least 7,500 Bosnian Muslim men and boys at Srebrenica in 1995.

Serbian President Boris Tadic said the process to extradite the former Bosnian Serb army chief to the war crimes tribunal in The Hague was under way.

Following the arrest of Radovan Karadzic in 2008, Gen Mladic became the most prominent Bosnian war crimes suspect at large.

BBC News - Ratko Mladic arrested: Bosnia war crimes suspect held

Tax dollars fund shrimp on treadmills, Jell-O wrestling - Washington Times

 

The Senate’s top watchdog on government waste, in a new report Thursday, said taxpayer money has gone to fund such programs as Jell-O wrestling at the South Pole, testing shrimp’s exercise ability on a treadmill and a laundry-folding robot, all funded by the National Science Foundation.

Sen. Tom Coburn, Oklahoma Republican, said he identified more than $3 billion in mismanagement at NSF, ranging from questionable studies to exorbitant operating costs, and in some cases duplication by the science agency of operations performed by other agencies.

At a time when the federal government is struggling with record deficits and bumping up against its borrowing limit, Mr. Coburn said the agency is a prime example of the kinds of spending taxpayers should no longer tolerate.

Tax dollars fund shrimp on treadmills, Jell-O wrestling - Washington Times

Procurement: Lifesavers Are Late And Over Budget

 

Last year, 98 major American military procurement projects were $402 billion over budget and, on average, 22 months late. Some 40 percent of the cost overruns are the result of suppliers submitting unrealistically low bids for new weapons, and then coming back for more and more money as "unforeseen problems" appear and costs kept escalating and delivery delayed. This has come to be called "lowballing." Currently, procurement of weapons and major equipment make up about a third of the defense budget. While this is expected to decline over the next decade, as defense budgets shrink, the problem also extends to upgrades and refurbishment of existing equipment.

The military goes along with the lowball angle because it makes it easier to get Congress to approve the projects. Once a new project is in the military budget a few years, it is very difficult to get it cancelled. Since Congress has a short memory, the military does not take much heat for this never ending "lowball" planning process.

Actually, it's poor planning in general that causes most of the high costs. It's bad planning by the military, when coming up with the initial design, and bad planning on the part of the few manufacturers that have a monopoly on building certain types of weapons systems. Monopolies do not encourage efficiency. There are many examples of all these bad habits at work. Don't expect any of this to change anytime soon. It's the way things have worked for a long time. Many generals and admirals, members of Congress, and even a few manufacturer executives, have called for reform. But it just doesn't happen, at least not to a large extent.

One encouraging post-Cold War trend has been an increased reluctance to build a lot of a weapon that became extremely expensive. Thus the B-2 bomber, Seawolf submarine, F-22 fighter, Crusader artillery system, Comanche helicopter, and DDG-1000 destroyer all got production cut sharply, or were cancelled, when their budgets went too far out of control. So there's hope yet.

Another problem is that military spending has, over the last 50 years, continually declined as a percentage of GDP. Thus while ten years of war against Islamic terrorism (especially in Iraq and Afghanistan) has cost about $1.2 trillion, that's not as big a chunk of change as it used to be. For example, World War II cost, at the time (in current dollars) over four trillion dollars. That amounted to over 33 percent of U.S. GDP at the time. The current war on terror is costing about one percent of GDP. So while war may appear to be getting more expensive, relative to the amount of money available, it's actually getting cheaper.

Procurement: Lifesavers Are Late And Over Budget

'Chimney' Deflects IEDs - Defense News

 

Called the Structural Blast Chimney, or SBC, the technology vents explosive energy up through the vehicle, working like a pressure relief valve. The blast energy traveling through the chimney also creates an enormous downward pressure that keeps the vehicle from flying into the air.

"We call ourselves the anti-NASA sometimes; our job is to keep everybody on the ground," said George Tunis, Hardwire's chairman and CEO.

The technology could affect upcoming Army and Marine Corps vehicle programs, including the Humvee recap effort, the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle and the Army's Ground Combat Vehicle (GCV) program, according to sources.

For the Humvee effort, AM General, the creator and longtime supplier of Humvees to the military, has teamed up with Hardwire. The chimney technology itself was developed by Hardwire as part of a program with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency 12 months ago.

'Chimney' Deflects IEDs - Defense News

Armor: The French Solution To Anti-Vehicle Mines

 

France is sending its new SOUVIM 2 mine clearing system to Afghanistan, to give it a chance to succeed under combat conditions. This makes it much easier to sell to export customers. More importantly, France has thousands of troops in Afghanistan, and if SOUVIM 2 works as advertised, it will save French lives. It will may also generate some sales to other NATO nations with troops in Afghanistan. To that end, SOUVIM 2 was designed to work with current MRAP vehicles used for mine clearing. SOUVIM 2 can clear 150 kilometers of road a day, at the rate of 10 kilometers an hour. 

SOUVIM 2 consists of a tow vehicle, with a V shaped undercarriage and large, low pressure tires that impart too little pressure on dirt roads to trigger most anti-vehicle mines. The tow vehicle only carries one operator, whose cab is completely armored. This vehicle carries electronic mine detectors in front, and pulls two trailers that carry additional gear for detecting or triggering mines.

SOUVIM 2 is designed to detect or trigger a wide variety of mine designs, including some very old ones. A major source of sales is expected to be peacekeeping operations and civilian relief operations. Because of that, the equipment is designed for ease of use, and capable of being used by civilians after brief training.

Armor: The French Solution To Anti-Vehicle Mines

Attrition: One Bill Makes You Larger, One Bill Makes You Small

 

Starting six years ago, the U.S. Army was ordered by Congress to increase its strength. As a result, army strength went from 492,000 to 562,400 in a few years. Now, Congress has ordered strength to be cut back to 513,000 over the next four years. The army would have preferred to have not increased its strength in the first place, so that resources could be concentrated on training and equipment for the troops it had. But the politicians get obsessed with the numbers, and the idea that bigger is better. The troops believe that better is better, but that's a hard sell for the politicians. Meanwhile, the marines were also ordered to increase strength a bit, while the navy and air force had substantial layoffs.

Attrition: One Bill Makes You Larger, One Bill Makes You Small

Information Warfare: Israel Braces For The Big One

 

Israel recently established the National Cybernetic Taskforce, with orders to devise and implement defensive measures to protect the economy and government from Internet based attacks. The taskforce will consist of about 80 people and will be run by a retired general. Apparently, existing Internet security efforts, and military Cyber War organizations have discovered a growing number of vulnerabilities in the national Internet infrastructure. The only solution to this growing vulnerability is a large scale effort to monitor the national network infrastructure for vulnerabilities, and fix them as quickly as possible. You will never catch all the vulnerabilities, but in Cyber War, as in the more conversional kind, victory is not always a matter of who is better, but who is worse (more vulnerable to attack.)

Information Warfare: Israel Braces For The Big One

Sources: Dempsey Picked to Head Joint Chiefs

 

Gen. Martin Dempsey, an accomplished veteran of the Iraq war, would succeed Navy Adm. Mike Mullen as the president's top military adviser when Mullen's term as chairman ends Sept. 30. Dempsey would have to be confirmed by the Senate.

Two people familiar with the choice, who spoke on condition of anonymity because it has not been announced by the White House, said it is scheduled to be made public on Tuesday.

Dempsey is a surprise choice because he just began a four-year term as Army chief of staff on April 11.

Sources: Dempsey Picked to Head Joint Chiefs

Army modernization | News | Network Integration Evaluation designed to test, seek out efficiency

 

The Network Integration Evaluation will be the largest operational test in the history of the U.S. Army Operational Test Command, according to command officials.

"In terms of the number of systems being tested and the number of personnel supporting," said Eloise Lundgren, U.S. Army Operational Test Command public affairs officer, "the (Network Integration Evaluation) is incomparable to any operational test we've conducted before."

The series of Limited User Tests, Lundgren said, will be conducted in June at Fort Bliss. The tests will be followed by a two-week Network Integration Rehearsal.

The Network Integration Evaluation is designed to assess the ability for a host of technologies to work in tandem as part of a larger, integrated, cohesive network, said Col. John Wendel, with Program Executive Office Integration. "The purpose is to seek efficiencies and synergies," he said. "The idea of combining events forces integration, so what we will do is synchronize the technologies into a singular network brigade formation."

A cooperative effort between the Army Test and Evaluation Command, Department of the Army, Program Executive Office Integration and the Brigade Modernization Command, the Network Integration Evaluation will be the baseline from which to compare next year's test, Lundgren said.

"Results of this test will support senior Army leadership in acquisition decisions on whether to produce and buy more systems," she said.

Systems undergoing Limited User Tests, Wendel said, are:

Joint Tactical Radio System, or JTRS Ground Mobile Radio, a multi-channel, vehicle- mounted software-programmable radio able to transmit voice, video, data and images using high-bandwidth waveforms such as Soldier Radio Waveform and Wideband Networking Waveform.

Joint Tactical Radio System Handheld Manpack Small Form Fit, a multi-channel, soldier-mounted software-programmable radio able to transmit voice, video, data and images using high bandwidth waveforms such as Soldier Radio Waveform and Wideband Networking Waveform.

Joint Capabilities Release, next-generation software for Force Battle Command Brigade and Below, featuring Army-Marine Corps interoperability and advanced mapping tool kits.

Mounted Soldier System combat-vehicle soldier ensemble which integrates advanced gear such as a helmet-mounted display.

SPIDER, remote munitions delivery system.

The Limited User Tests will place the program-of-record technologies into operationally relevant scenarios designed to collect data, answer questions and validate requirements, said Lt. Col. Darby McNulty, Program Executive Office Integration trail boss.

"We spend an enormous amount of resources to coordinate single-program tests at multiple locations each year," McNulty said, "so from a funding and resource-management perspective, there are certainly some efficiencies with combining these (Limited User Tests)."

"By beginning to conduct exercises that look at an integrated network, the Army intends to lessen the in-field integration burden on our operational units," said Paul Mehney, Program Executive Office Integration public affairs officer. "This will ensure that the important integration work is done up front, prior to deploying systems to the field."

The Network Integration Evaluation is the first of four major stepping stones on the road to executing a fully integrated Brigade Combat Team Network Evaluation at the end of 2012, McNulty said.

"This is how network operational testing will be conducted in the future," Lundgren said.

Army modernization | News | Network Integration Evaluation designed to test, seek out efficiency

The JTRS Infrastructure The Handheld, Manpack and Small Form Fit (HMS) family of software defined tactical radios are key to delivering legacy interoperability and networking capabilities to the mounted and dismounted warfighters. HMS radios enable cost-ef

 

The Handheld, Manpack and Small Form Fit (HMS) family of software defined tactical radios are key to delivering legacy interoperability and networking capabilities to the mounted and dismounted warfighters. HMS radios enable cost-effective net-centric warfare to the individual soldier at the first tactical mile. (Credit: http://www.public.navy.mil/jpeojtrs/Pages/gallery.aspx)

The JTRS Infrastructure The Handheld, Manpack and Small Form Fit (HMS) family of software defined tactical radios are key to delivering legacy interoperability and networking capabilities to the mounted and dismounted warfighters. HMS radios enable cost-effective net-centric warfare to the individual soldier at the first tactical mile. (Credit: http://www.public.navy.mil/jpeojtrs/Pages/gallery.aspx) – SLDInfo

Boeing: Joint Tactical Radio System, Ground Mobile Radios (JTRS GMR) Home

 

The Joint Tactical Radio System, Ground Mobile Radios, is a software-programmable radio system providing secure, reliable, multi-channel voice, data, imagery and video communications for mobile military users. The system delivers networked communications on-the-move at the tactical edge supporting information sharing and combat readiness between service branches.

JTRS GMR enables commanders to view and understand the battle space, communicate their intent, lead their forces and disseminate real-time information. It puts the full power of the Global Information Grid into the hands of the warfighter.

Boeing: Joint Tactical Radio System, Ground Mobile Radios (JTRS GMR) Home

Next-Generation FBCB2 Joint Capability Release (JCR)

 

After 10 years in service FBCB2 is still useful but the current version of Blue Force Tracker (BFT), the core element of the system takes minutes to refresh friendly force position locations. JCR will solve that by fielding a new transceiver (BFT-2) and network upgrade, capable of updating friendly positions in seconds. Other new JCR features and functions include a commercial joint mapping tool kit; Type 1 encryption for relaying classified information; and an over-the-air "self descriptive situational awareness" (SDSA) capability. SDSA will eliminate inflexible fixed databases - one of the biggest complaints of the old system - and allow FBCB2-equipped units to change task organizations in the field to meet new mission requirements. The new FBCB2 also enables live streaming 'picture in picture' to be integrated on the display; it also provides for color marking of specific elements – a unit formation or vehicles in a convoy, obtaining better situational awareness in complex situations, where multiple friendly forces clutter the screen.

Future JCR releases will provide additional services including open office file transfers, image downloads, chat and instant messaging. Furthermore, the new system architecture is based on modular, reusable, upgradable and interoperable elements of the 'Battle Command Product Line' (BCPL) architecture developed by Northrop Grumman to extend the system through all users – combat command, aviation, dismounted soldiers, logistics and fires.

Next-Generation FBCB2 Joint Capability Release (JCR)

Mounted Soldier System – PEO SOLDIER LIVE

 

vimeo DoDLive

This week’s equipment piece of the week is the Mounted Soldier System (MSS), an evolutionary program with identified increments. Increment I provided the Mounted Warrior Helmet-Mounted Display, and Increment II will augment current capabilities under the MSS program. MSS will provide the combat vehicle crew members increased capabilities to conduct offensive and defensive operations.


The MSS consists of a Heads-up Display, Cordless Communications, Microclimate Cooling, and force protection items. These subsystems will provide platform commanders and vehicle crew members increased effectiveness on the network-centric battlefield in areas of command and control, situational awareness, communications, and force protection. MSS also provides improved integration and systems engineering to enhance capability synergy and allow crewmen to better perform their functions in the confined spaces of combat vehicles.

Mounted Soldier System – PEO SOLDIER LIVE

Along Came A Spider: The XM-7 RED

 

XM-7 Networking
The XM-7 Spider system consists of up to 84 Munition Control Units (MCUs). They are set up by humans, unlike some land mines that are fired into place using artillery, mortars, or rockets. A tripwire container fires out 6 trip-wires when the device is activated by the human operator. As one might expect, each MCU can contain up to 6 reloadable canisters spaced around the device, each of which covers a 60 degree arc to create full 360 degree coverage. Payloads can be anything from Claymore-style steel balls or fragments, to non-lethal gasses or goo; ATK’s XM-7 data sheet even has a photo that shows an M18 Claymore adapter, which lets the Claymore’s wire plug into one of the MCU’s sockets.

The core MCU is powered by a replaceable battery, which can keep the device operational for at least 30 days. When an MCU is active, a GPS chip will report its location over an encrypted link to ensure that it doesn’t get lost. Once that battery fails, however, so does the MCU. This may seem like a poor design feature, but it’s a deliberate decision taken to ensure that XM-7s which are left behind in the fog of war don’t become future threats to human life.

All MCUs are controlled by a human-operated Remote Control Station (RCS), which is a standard rugged laptop computer, equipped with a touchscreen. If necessary, a signal repeater can extend communication range beyond 1 mile/ 1.5 km.

Along Came A Spider: The XM-7 RED

The Muslim Brotherhood is No Friend | The Weekly Standard

The Christian Science Monitor says that HAMAS is not like al Qaeda, principally because HAMAS is an offshoot of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood and al Qaeda and EMB are opposed to each other.  Read on:

First, we must understand that the Brotherhood is not confined to Egypt, but actually operates around the globe, with full-fledged branches throughout the Middle East and influence organizations in the West. Everywhere the Brotherhood has implanted its radical Islamist seed the organization has adapted to its environment. So, for example, in Egypt, where the Brotherhood was ruthlessly oppressed by Mubarak’s regime, it began to advocate open participation in Egypt’s elections. This was a necessity, as violent attempts to overthrow Mubarak were systematically crushed.  Even so, we cannot pretend, as Riedel does, that the Brotherhood has completely eschewed violence.

Barry Rubin argues convincingly in The Muslim Brotherhood, an excellent compendium he edited, that in fact the Brotherhood has no problem with violence.

“Regarding al-Qa’ida,” Rubin writes, “the Brotherhoods [in Egypt, Syria, and Jordan] approve in principle of its militancy, attacks on America, and ideology (or at least respects its ideologues), but views it as a rival.”

Rubin goes on to quote Rajab Hilal Hamida, a member of the Brotherhood in Egypt’s parliament:

From my point of view, bin Ladin, al-Zawahiri and al-Zarqawi are not terrorists in the sense accepted by some. I support all their activities, since they are a thorn in the side of the Americans and the Zionists. … [On the other hand,] he who kills Muslim citizens is neither a jihad fighter nor a terrorist, but a criminal murderer. We must call things by their proper names!

In other words, Hamida is not concerned with al Qaeda’s attacks against Americans or Jews. Their killing of other Muslims is what he finds objectionable. This should offer us small comfort.

The Muslim Brotherhood’s most influential theologian, Sheikh Yousef al Qaradawi, has repeatedly justified suicide bombings, called on Muslims to support the insurgency against American forces in Iraq, and justified the killing of civilians. “The martyrdom operations carried out by the Palestinian factions to resist the Zionist occupation are not in any way included in the framework of prohibited terrorism, even if the victims include some civilians," Qaradawi said in 2003, according to MEMRI. “Those who oppose martyrdom operations and claim that they are suicide are making a great mistake,” Qaradawi added.

The Egyptian branch has asked Qaradawi to be its leader on multiple occasions, but he has turned them down to continue living it Qatar. Qaradawi has flourished in the Persian Gulf nation, where he has hosted one of Al Jazeera’s most popular programs, “Sharia and Life.”

Qaradawi has never “renounced violence” and it says much that the Egyptian Brotherhood looks to him as its de facto spiritual leader.

Perhaps the best example of the Muslim Brotherhood’s continued support for violence is found in its ongoing relationship with Hamas, which Riedel recognizes. Hamas defines itself as a branch of the Muslim Brotherhood in its own charter. Hamas is, of course, one of the premier suicide terrorism organizations on the planet today.

There’s more at the link below.

The Muslim Brotherhood is No Friend | The Weekly Standard

House members side with Netanyahu - TheHill.com

 

Rep. Robert Andrews (D-N.J.) said Tuesday that Obama is "tilting toward Hamas" – a reference to the Palestinian group the United States and Israel consider a terrorist organization. He emphasized that Congress would never base its approach to Israeli aid on such a position.
"A majority of the Congress disagrees with him,” Andrews said of Obama.
Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga.), for one, said the president "absolutely … made a mistake" with his 1967-borders proposal, and suggested it would harm — rather than bolster — the chances of renewed peace talks.
"With all of the political turmoil and unrest in the Middle East, I don’t understand why the president injected himself into that issue right now," he said.
Both Rep. Steny Hoyer (Md.), the House Democratic whip, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) have also rejected Obama's proposal in recent days, telling the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) that preconditions have no place in the negotiations.
"No one should set premature parameters about borders, about building or about anything else," Reid said Monday night to roaring applause.

House members side with Netanyahu - TheHill.com

BBC News - Egyptian pyramids found by infra-red satellite images

 

More than 1,000 tombs and 3,000 ancient settlements were also revealed by looking at infra-red images which show up underground buildings.

Initial excavations have already confirmed some of the findings, including two suspected pyramids.

The work has been pioneered at the University of Alabama at Birmingham by US Egyptologist Dr Sarah Parcak.

An infra-red satellite image shows a buried pyramid, located in the centre of the highlight box.

She says she was amazed at how much she and her team has found.

"We were very intensely doing this research for over a year. I could see the data as it was emerging, but for me the "Aha!" moment was when I could step back and look at everything that we'd found and I couldn't believe we could locate so many sites all over Egypt.

"To excavate a pyramid is the dream of every archaeologist," she said.

The team analysed images from satellites orbiting 700km above the earth, equipped with cameras so powerful they can pin-point objects less than 1m in diameter on the earth's surface.

Infra-red imaging was used to highlight different materials under the surface.

Test excavations

Ancient Egyptians built their houses and structures out of mud brick, which is much denser than the soil that surrounds it, so the shapes of houses, temples and tombs can be seen.

"It just shows us how easy it is to underestimate both the size and scale of past human settlements," says Dr Parcak.

And she believes there are more antiquities to be discovered:

"These are just the sites [close to] the surface. There are many thousands of additional sites that the Nile has covered over with silt. This is just the beginning of this kind of work."

BBC cameras followed Dr Parcak on her "nervous" journey when she travelled to Egypt to see if excavations could back up what her technology could see under the surface.

In the BBC documentary Egypt's Lost Cities, they visit an area of Saqqara (Sakkara) where the authorities were not initially interested in her findings.

But after being told by Dr Parcak that she had seen two potential pyramids, they made test excavations, and they now believe it is one of the most important archaeological sites in Egypt.

BBC News - Egyptian pyramids found by infra-red satellite images

Leadership: The Arab Spring And The Winter of Discontent

 

The Arab Spring rebellions this year have revealed an ancient problem; the many tribal, ethnic, religious and political divisions in Arab countries. The monarchies or dictators being overthrown had gained power by manipulating these divisions, to divide and rule, as it were. But one point that is being missed here is the fact these divisions are the norm, not the exception, in most nations. It's an old problem that the largely homogeneous Western nations tend to ignore or play down.

But for decades, peacekeeping and diplomatic efforts have been running into a wall called multiculturalism, and the wall has been winning. Trying to get an effective government out of these Arab Spring revolutions requires overcoming the curse of multiculturalism. It's dangerous stuff. For the past few thousand years, the majority of little wars have been caused by different ethnic or religious groups not getting along. Today, this is generally dismissed as primitive tribes squabbling over women or livestock. Well, that was often the case, but there are still thousands of tribes out there. And you don't have to belong to a tribe to get agitated about rustling or who's dating your sister. The fact is that nearly all the wars peacekeepers and diplomats are trying to end are ethnic conflicts.

Leadership: The Arab Spring And The Winter of Discontent

US Snipers Capitalize on Insurgents’ Mistake

 

For nearly two weeks, they had endured daily attacks, after which insurgents would melt away.

But those insurgents made a mistake, and U.S. snipers ensured it was fatal.

A sniper team killed two insurgents and wounded a third near a Taliban weapons cache and staging area in the Nalgham region of Kandahar province on Sunday according to U.S. forces and local Afghan nationals. Coalition forces had been tracking the insurgents using surveillance and reconnaissance assets for nearly two weeks before they fired on the site.

Snipers with C Company’s Scout platoon, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, positioned themselves after dark on Saturday in response to an attack from the area earlier that day. Intelligence sources anticipated that insurgents might return to the staging area at some point.

“They usually don’t repeat themselves like that. Actually, we were all surprised. They’re very good at not repeating themselves,” Sgt. Paul Gorse, a sniper with Scout platoon said.

“Anytime you have a sniper kill, it's such a devastating psychological blow to the enemy. It denies the enemy freedom of movement, it creates stress,” Gorse said.

“Every time we walk out there, we’re stressed out about IEDs. Now when they step out, they’re going to be worried about snipers.”

Combat Outpost Nalgham and its outerlying strongpoint have been attacked daily for the last week with indirect and small-arms fire. Spc. Victor Bardales was evacuated from the strongpoint on Saturday after receiving shrapnel wounds from a rocket-propelled grenade attack.

US Snipers Capitalize on Insurgents’ Mistake

Pakistan Terrorist Group Targets US Troops

 

Add to the mix of al-Qaida and Taliban fighters operating against U.S. forces in Afghanistan another Pakistan-based terrorist organization.

The Lashkar-e-Taiba, the organization linked to the November 2008 attacks in Mumbai, India, that left dozens dead, is sending increasing numbers of fighters into Afghanistan, according to a senior State Department official.

"The LeT is a group whose ambitions are expanding," Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Robert O. Blake said today during a morning meeting with reporters. "It is increasingly targeting the United States, particularly our troops in Afghanistan."

The Lashkar-e-Taiba -- loosely translated as "Army of the Good" -- operates throughout South Asia but is based in Pakistan. Historically, India has been the primary focus of its attacks.

Pakistan Terrorist Group Targets US Troops

Over 1,900 Guardsmen Activated for Weather Emergencies

 

The half-mile-wide tornado that ripped through Joplin, Mo., Monday morning has claimed the lives of 117 people so far, and it's prompted the mobilization of the state's National Guard troops, a common occurrence lately as violent weather has pummeled parts of the South and Midwest this spring.

So far, more than 1,900 guardsmen are responding to disasters in 10 states. In Missouri, 270 had been mobilized as of Tuesday morning and members of the the 117th Engineer Team were sifting through the rubble, carrying out search-and-rescue missions. They're also conducting emergency route clearance, communications support and security efforts, according to a National Guard statement.

Over 1,900 Guardsmen Activated for Weather Emergencies

Despite advances in science, tornadoes take deadly toll | Reuters

Advances in science are not the answer here.  Real infrastructure to teach people how to react to a tornado and to communicate the danger are the answer.

Engineers know how to build shelters that provide extensive protection from tornadoes, and weather forecasting advances make it easier than ever for experts to predict, spot and track twisters.

Yet 2011 is on pace to be one of the deadliest tornado seasons in history. Why?

In the average year, 62 Americans are killed by twisters, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. So far this year, more than 480 have died -- and the tornado season, which runs from April through July, is only half over.

Experts say a number of factors are contributing to the extraordinary death toll, including that some people are simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

AND they aren’t taught what to do.  While I’ve been in Mississippi on training, there have been a couple of severe weather threats.  The local authorities told us that in the event of a tornado, the best thing we could do would be to stay in a vehicle if we couldn’t get to a shelter.  That’s WRONG!  Don’t worry, we Okies corrected him.  But really, should we have had to?

"When a killer wind directly hits a population, people are likely going to die," said Brian Ancell, a researcher with the atmospheric science group at Texas Tech University.

This guy should know better, but Texas’ preparedness falls far short of the Oklahoma standard, so maybe I shouldn’t be surprised that he thinks this is true.

Nineteen states are in what officials term "Wind Zone IV," an area that has experienced the most consistent and strongest tornado activity. Among the 19 are several with large populations including Texas, Illinois, Ohio and Michigan.

People who live in these states have put themselves in harm's way because there is a rare but real possibility of wind storms of incredible destructive power, so-called EF4 and EF5 tornadoes on the Enhanced Fujita Scale.

…

"When you have a tornado that hits the heart of a city … it's almost next to impossible to not have as many fatalities as we had," said Yasamie August, spokeswoman for the Alabama Emergency Management Agency.

And that’s just garbage.  Granted, an EF4 or EF5 will do what it wants.  The best technology is unlikely to save someone from a direct hit.  The goal, therefore is not to be in the path of the tornado.

That only happens when people are taught to react appropriately.  And that requires early warning.  Doesn’t matter how good the weather guys are at predicing and tracking the things, if Joe Public doesn’t know about it, he can’t, and won’t, do anything about it.

Communities must have sirens, they mut be audible from every point in their area, and from indoors.  They must also be tested on a regular schedule.  Many communites have no emergency warning,a nd even those that do, haven’t tried them out since the last time they were needed.  The sirens on Camp Shelby are a joke—completely inaudible indoors and only slightly better outdoors.

Despite advances in science, tornadoes take deadly toll | Reuters

Red tape in California: Beware of the yogurt | The Economist

 

Her business, while it lasted, consisted of herself, making yogurt on the instructions of her father. Ms Dashtaki was renting space in the kitchen of an Egyptian restaurant where she and her father, “like elves before and after their working hours”, lovingly cultured their yogurt under a blanket, then drained it through a certain kind of cheese cloth, then stirred it for hours, and so forth. For the taste to be divine, everything has to be just so. And, being artisans, they kept the volume tiny, about 20 gallons (76 litres) a week, for sale only at local farmers’ markets.

Ms Dashtaki and her father say their yogurt is safe. It always has been, both in Iran and in America. Nonetheless, she was eager to demonstrate the safety of her process and to comply with all regulations. Hence her surprise when she researched just what those regulations said.

For a start, they date back to 1947. When she pointed out to Stephen Beam, the head of the CDFA’s Milk and Dairy Food Safety Branch, that the rules might be somewhat out of date, Mr Beam replied that the rules have been “amended many times in multiple areas during the past 60-plus years”. But when Ms Dashtaki researched those modifications, they turned out to concern only frozen or “soft-serve” yogurt, not the regular sort, and they still made no allowance at all for yogurt made from pasteurised milk.

The core assumption behind the CDFA’s rules, however, is that all dairy products are made from raw milk, thus requiring elaborate processes that involve proper pasteurisation. The White Moustache, however, was making yogurt from milk that was already pasteurised—Ms Dashtaki bought her inputs from a fancy (and regulated) grocery store in half-gallon glass jugs. Ms Dashtaki thus hoped for a waiver. Absolutely not, replied the CDFA in a communication full of legalese that Ms Dashtaki calls “Kafkaesque”.

The regulator demanded instead that Ms Dashtaki set up a “Grade A” dairy plant, just as a large factory processing raw milk would be required to do. She was told to install, among other things, a “pasteuriser with a recorder”, a “culture tank”, and a “filler”, which apparently also required a “mechanical capper” to screw lids on jars. When Ms Dashtaki pointed out to the CDFA inspector that all this would alter—meaning ruin—the taste of her father’s artisanal yogurt, the inspector agreed. But that does not fall within the remit of the state of California’s dairy regulations.

Ms Dashtaki soldiered on. Then a licensing officer told her that the code does not permit milk to be pasteurised a second time. So “in order to comply with the order to re-pasteurise my already pasteurised milk, I would need to get exemption from the head of the CDFA,” she explains. The tale thus went from Kafka to Catch-22.

Ms Dashtaki would have been happy to label her yogurt—“This product does not meet CDFA codes”, or perhaps “The Moustache kills”, as she suggests. Not allowed. The argument that her target audience consists of sophisticated gourmets at farmers’ markets fell flat, too.

So The White Moustache remains just a wispy little thing. Ms Dashtaki is pondering whether to move to another state, one whose rules allow for artisanal products. She would not be the first entrepreneur to flee the Golden State. Or she might just give up. After all, one has to make a living. It looks like California’s regulators have triumphantly saved their population from the threat of mass poisoning once again.

Red tape in California: Beware of the yogurt | The Economist

News from The Associated Press

 

An explosion blamed on a gas leak rocked Iran's largest refinery on Tuesday around the time of a visit to the plant by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Iranian media reported that up to two people were killed.

The blast occurred just before Ahmadinejad was to inaugurate and expansion project at the 400,000 barrel per day refinery in the southwestern city of Abadan, and injured 20 people, the semi-official Fars news agency said. The explosion was blamed on a "gas leakage," but no other details were provided. Ahmadinejad himself was not injured.

News from The Associated Press

Payne: SUVs saved Chrysler | themichiganview.com | The Michigan View

 

But there is one inconvenient truth you won't hear at the Sterling Heights, Mich. ceremony: Chrysler wouldn't be here had it not defied its green White House masters. Chrysler's return to profitability is a direct result of the fabulous success of its SUVs.

The White House hand-picked Fiat to shepherd Chrysler out of bankruptcy in June, 2009 because of Barack Obama's obsession with remaking Detroit's automakers in the image of their European peers. Convinced that Americans craved small cars to fight the warming scourge, the president demanded Fiat bring its best-selling 500 Eurobox to the States as part of the acquisition deal. Obama was convinced that Fiat could reform the immoral, gas-swigging, SUV-dependent Chrysler.

The exact opposite occurred.

Two years later, the little 500 is about to go on sale in dealer "boutiques" - but it is the resurgence of America's appetite for trucks that has brought Chrysler back from the dead. Chrysler Group reported sales were up 17 percent to 1.1 million vehicles in 2010 on the strength of its wildly popular, redesigned Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango SUVs. For CEO Marchionne, the SUVs success in the U.S. market has been a revelation and he is planning to expand the SUV lineup into Europe with Alfa Romeo and Maserati-badged trucks. Marchionne is no starry-eyed green - he has realized that trucks like the Cherokee typically rake in twice the per-vehicle profit of cars (thus the beleaguered company's speedy repayment of U.S. loans).

Payne: SUVs saved Chrysler | themichiganview.com | The Michigan View

Afghanistan: It's The Way We Do Things Out Here

 

Despite the high profile terror attacks, Taliban losses are up and NATO losses are down (about a third) compared to May last year. Vows to avenge the death of Osama bin Laden proved to be hot air. Besides, there are believed to be only a hundred or so al Qaeda members in Afghanistan, hiring themselves out to Taliban death squads. NATO military operations continue to tear apart drug and Taliban organizations and facilities. Most of the fighting continues to be in the key drug production areas (Helmand and Kandahar provinces). Most of those killed by the Taliban continue to be civilians. That does not build popular support for the Taliban, and that is no longer an issue. The Taliban seek supporters wherever they can find them, as it doesn't take many fanatics to stage terror attacks. Out in the countryside, the Taliban is basically a crime gang, gaining most of their income from extortion, robbery and providing security for drug gangs.

A suicide bomber was intercepted as he sought to kill a senior Afghan intelligence official in Kabul. It's intelligence that poses the biggest threat to the Taliban. The government intelligence services are becoming more effective, which makes the intel officials and operatives more frequent targets of Taliban death squads.

Afghanistan: It's The Way We Do Things Out Here

Gates Charts Path to Steeper Defense Cuts

 

Some in Congress are pushing to cut defense even more deeply as part of a broader effort to shrink the government's deepening budget deficits; the shortfall in the current budget year alone is expected to reach $1.5 trillion.

That political momentum is reinforced by a perception that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are coming to an end, and that the killing of Osama bin Laden means the war on terror is winding down. Gates, however, is quick to point out that Afghanistan remains unstable and military crises tend to erupt without long lead times.

"Since Vietnam, we have had a perfect record in predicting where and when we would use military force. We have never once gotten it right," he told a group of Marines at Camp Lejeune, N.C., two weeks ago. "If you'd asked me four months ago if we'd be in Libya today, I would have asked you what you were smoking."

More worrisome are potential future conflicts in Iran or Korea or setbacks in Afghanistan, Pakistan or Iraq.

The central question in the budget debate, Gates says, is what pieces of military might is the country willing to give up?

What among the many things the military is doing today in all corners of the world should it stop doing?

What can be curtailed or eliminated, and at what risk to U.S. security?

Gates Charts Path to Steeper Defense Cuts

Military Report - Plan to Freeze GI Bill Stipends Dropped

The whole thing should be scrapped and re-thought. 

The House Veterans' Affairs Committee's plan to freeze Post-9/11 GI Bill housing stipend rates for two years has been dropped from the Restoring GI Bill Fairness Act of 2011 (HR 1383). The proposed housing rate freeze was seen as a means of covering the $50 million cost of HR 1383, a law that would correct one of the many unintended consequences of the Post-9/11 Veterans Education Assistance Improvements Act of 2010, the law commonly known as GI Bill 2.0 (the fix to the Post-9/11 GI Bill). Most of the provisions of GI Bill 2.0 are set to go into effect this fall. The specific issue HR 1383 will address is the impact on student veterans in seven states who will face increased out-of-pocket tuition expenses due to the $17,500 a year private school tuition and fees cap. Rep. Jeff Miller (R-FL), the bill's author, has offered a change to the bill that would adjust VA Home Loan origination fees for veterans who use the home loan program more than once.

Military Report - Plan to Freeze GI Bill Stipends Dropped

World record in ultra-rapid data transmission

 

Scientists at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have succeeded in encoding data at a rate of 26 terabits per second on a single laser beam, transmitting the data over a distance of 50 kilometers, and decoding the information successfully. This is the largest data volume ever transported on a laser beam. The process developed by KIT enables the transmission of 700 DVDs' worth of content in just one second.

World record in ultra-rapid data transmission

Mythbusters' Adam Savage Dances in a Cage Between Two Tesla Coils Playing the Doctor Who Theme: Topless Robot

Mythbusters' Adam Savage Dances in a Cage Between Two Tesla Coils Playing the Doctor Who Theme

Green With Envy—Trailer

California inmates: Supreme Court orders California to release inmates - latimes.com

 

The Supreme Court ordered California on Monday to release tens of thousands of its prisoners to relieve overcrowding, saying that "needless suffering and death" had resulted from putting too many inmates into facilities that cannot hold them in decent conditions.
It is one of the largest prison release orders in the nation's history, and it sharply split the high court.

Justices upheld an order from a three-judge panel in California that called for releasing 38,000 to 46,000 prisoners. Since then, the state has transferred about 9,000 state inmates to county jails. As a result, the total prison population is now about 32,000 more than the capacity limit set by the panel.
Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, speaking for the majority, said California's prisons had "fallen short of minimum constitutional requirements" because of overcrowding. As many as 200 prisoners may live in gymnasium, he said, and as many as 54 prisoners share a single toilet.
Kennedy insisted that the state had no choice but to release more prisoners. The justices, however, agreed that California officials should be given more time to make the needed reductions.
In dissent, Justice Antonin Scalia called the ruling "staggering" and "absurd."
He said the high court had repeatedly overruled the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals for ordering the release of individual prisoners. Now, he said, the majority were ordering the release of "46,000 happy-go-lucky felons." He added that "terrible things are sure to happen as a consequence of this outrageous order." Justice Clarence Thomas agreed with him.
In a separate dissent, Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. and Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. said the ruling conflicted with a federal law intended to limit the power of federal judges to order a release of prisoners.

California inmates: Supreme Court orders California to release inmates - latimes.com

Taliban chief disappeared, says Afghan intel - CBS News

 

The Afghan intelligence agency said Monday that the reclusive leader of the Taliban has disappeared from a suspected hideout in Pakistan and has been out of contact with his commanders for days — adding further questions about Mullah Mohammad Omar after a media report said he was killed.

The Taliban denied the claim on the Afghan news channel Tolo that Omar was shot dead while being moved inside Pakistan with the help of a former Pakistani intelligence official. The Taliban spokesman countered that Omar was alive and was somewhere inside Afghanistan.

The conflicting reports, however, underscore the complicated disputes and suspicions between Afghanistan and Pakistan as the U.S. intensifies pressure on both sides: urging Afghan forces to step up efforts against militants and pushing Pakistani authorities to help unravel the networks that aided Osama bin Laden.

Taliban chief disappeared, says Afghan intel - CBS News

Israel: The Elephant In The Room

 

Israel is trying to get the U.S. to recognize that the main Israeli-Palestinian problem is the corruption and radicalism among the Palestinians that makes them a divided and virtually ungovernable group. That sort of thing tends to get ignored, largely because it is politically explosive and very difficult to deal with. It's much easier to talk about a "peace deal" or a "two state solution" without confronting the fact that the Arabs in general, and the Palestinians in particular make no secret (at least in Arab language media) that their main objective is not peace with Israel, but the destruction of Israel. This is the elephant in the room that too many will not even  recognize, much less discuss.

The latest Palestinian plan is to ask the UN to declare the Palestinian state this September, preferably with the 1967 borders (meaning no Jewish control of all of Jerusalem). That would set the stage for a Palestinian call for sanctions on Israel for not complying with the UN resolution and, eventually, that the UN use military force to make Israel comply. To help the world decide, the Palestinians have begun using unarmed mobs, which try to enter Israeli territory. This gets members of the mobs, preferably women and children, killed and turned into martyrs. This is used to further demonize the Israelis and encourage Western military intervention. The Palestinians accept the fact that no Arab states is going to try and take on the Israelis militarily. But some European states might be goaded into at least making threatening gestures. What the Palestinians really want here are economic sanctions. While the Palestinian terrorism campaign, begun in 2000, wrecked the Palestinian economy, the Israelis continued to thrive. Thus any damage to the Israeli economy might make gain more concessions, and would be a big boost for Arab morale.

The Palestinians are particularly encouraged by the success of their efforts to make it acceptable for Palestinian women and children to die for the cause. Palestinian has been running media campaigns encouraging this for over a decade. The message has become more and more blunt in the last few years. None of this stuff appears in English, but there's plenty of it in Arabic. While the "hooray for death" propaganda was largely about being a suicide bomber, those who die, unarmed, while trying to occupy Israeli territory are also declared martyrs and praised copiously in the Palestinian media (along with cash payments to the families, making the deaths an economic, as well as political, transaction.)

Israelis recognize all this, and are appalled at how so many in the West are either ignorant of these realities, or simply refuse to believe it. There's a comprehension gap here that the Israelis fear will lead to serious attempts to destroy Israel and kill lots of Jews. After World War II, most Jews said "never again" (to mass murder like the Nazis engaged in against the Jews.) But here it is, all over again, except this time the Nazis are speaking Arabic, and aren't nearly as well organized.

Israel: The Elephant In The Room

National Guard News - Missouri Guard activates after weekend storms; several states see damage

 

National Guard Soldiers with the 294th Engineer Company work search and rescue missions in Joplin, Mo., just hours after a deadly tornado passed through on May 22, 2011. (Missouri National Guard photo by Ann Keyes) (Released)
download hi-res photo

ARLINGTON, Va. (5/23/11) – About 140 Missouri National Guard troops are working under the orders of Gov. Jay Nixon to assist local authorities after a tornado ripped through the city of Joplin, Mo., on Sunday.

Immediate missions include search and rescue, communication support, debris clearance along emergency routes, security and door-to-door visits to ensure the continued safety of residents.

Nixon activated the Missouri Guard and declared a state of emergency and said, “These storms have caused extensive damage across Missouri, and they continue to pose significant risk to lives and property,” said a News Tribune report.

“As soon as we heard the news of the tornadoes, the Missouri National Guard began mobilization activities,” said Army Maj. Gen. Stephen L. Danner, adjutant general of the Missouri National Guard.

Soldiers that are responding include those from the 117th Engineer Team and the 294th Engineer Company, as well as a Joint Task force kit en route to assist local authorities in Joplin, Missouri Guard officials said.

The Soldiers are all part of a task force organized under the 203rd Engineer Battalion, which is using an armory in Carthage, Mo. as a staging area for troops deploying to Joplin, officials said.

Missouri Guard members went to work immediately assisting local emergency first responders throughout the night.

Army Spc. Daniel Brown, 117th Engineer Team, said his unit was the first to respond, and that they have worked throughout the night searching through the rubble for victims of the storm.

Brown said of the scene, “This is something nobody wants to see and, thankfully, we haven’t needed to save anyone yet, but we’ve got a lot of good knowledge and training to help.

“This is our job, and Joplin is our backyard.”

Currently, the Missouri Guard has about 140 Guard members working on the ground in Joplin, said Guard officials.

“Your Missouri National Guard is bringing experienced Citizen-Soldiers and leaders to provide the best support we have to our neighbors in Joplin,” said Danner.

In addition to the National Guard, the governor also activated the State Emergency Operations Center.

The tornado destroyed homes and badly damaged a hospital, left vehicles damaged and flipped and also left behind piles of burning debris, Reuters reported.

According to a CNN report, at least 116 people lost their lives.

Guard officials said missions would continue until the governor releases the Missouri National Guard.

Meanwhile, in LaCrosse County, Wis., officials said they are continuing to assess the damage after a tornado swept through the county this weekend.

LaCrosse County Emergency Management said about 200 homes and businesses were damaged.

The mayor declared a state of emergency, but no requests for assistance by the Guard had been made at the time of this report.

Parts of Minnesota also saw damage after storms over the weekend, resulting in least one death and injuries to about two-dozen others, said a National Guard report.

National Guard News - Missouri Guard activates after weekend storms; several states see damage

Pawlenty In Iowa: Phase Out Ethanol Subsidies | TPMDC

 

America is facing a crushing debt crisis the likes of which we've never seen before. We need to cut spending, and we need to cut it...big time. The hard truth is that there are no longer any sacred programs.
The truth about federal energy subsidies, including federal subsidies for ethanol, is that they have to be phased out. We need to do it gradually. We need to do it fairly. But we need to do it.
Now, I'm not some out-of-touch politician. I served two terms as Governor of an ag state. I fully understand and respect the critical role farming plays in our economy and our society. I've strongly supported ethanol in various ways over the years, and I still believe in the promise of renewable fuels - both for our economy and our national security.
But even in Minnesota, when faced with fiscal challenges, we reduced ethanol subsidies. That's where we are now in Washington, but on a much, much larger scale.
It's not only ethanol. We need to change our approach to subsidies in all industries.
It can't be done overnight. The industry has made large investments, and it wouldn't be fair to pull the rug out from under it immediately. But we must face the truth that if we want to invite more competition, more investment, and more innovation into an industry - we need to get government out. We also need the government out of the business of handing out favors and special deals. The free market, not freebies from politicians, should decide a company's success. So, as part of a larger reform, we need to phase out subsidies across all sources of energy and all industries, including ethanol. We simply can't afford them anymore.
Some people will be upset by what I'm saying.
Conventional wisdom says you can't talk about ethanol in Iowa or Social Security in Florida or financial reform on Wall Street.
But someone has to say it. Someone has to finally stand up and level with the American people. Someone has to lead.

Pawlenty In Iowa: Phase Out Ethanol Subsidies | TPMDC

Ryan Schools Gregory: 'I Don't Consult Polls to Tell Me What My Principles Are or Policies Should Be - Leaders Change Polls' | NewsBusters.org

 

NBC's David Gregory must have thought he had performed another gotcha on a prominent Republican Sunday when he cited a poll to his "Meet the Press" guest Congressman Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) finding people aren't interested in reducing Medicare spending in order to balance the budget.

Without skipping a beat, Ryan marvelously educated his host saying, "I don't consult polls to tell me what my principles are or what our policies should be. Leaders change the polls" (video follows with transcript and commentary):

DAVID GREGORY, HOST: According to our polling, nearly eight in ten Americans do not want to cut spending for Medicare, even in the name of cutting the debt. You, I assume, are not doing all this as an intellectual exercise. You would actually like to get reform accomplished. […]

GREGORY: But wait a second, but that really is a dodge. You are the chairman of the committee, yes, you're serious about entitlement reform, yes. You're also a politician. You say you want to do it on your terms. Law does not become law without building political consensus, and you don't have that, and now you had a major figure in the Republican Party say this was right-wing social engineering. So, I'm wondering how much you do feel undercut in actually getting this passed, which I assume is your goal?

CONGRESSMAN PAUL RYAN (R-WISCONSIN): First of all, if people are describing this accurately in polls, it's far more popular than the poll you referenced. Second of all, leaders are elected to lead. I don't consult polls to tell me what my principles are or what our policies should be. Leaders change the polls, and we are leading in the House. We are not seeing this kind of leadership from the President of the United States. The Senate Democrats haven't even proposed or passed a budget for 753 days and we have a budget crisis. So, yes, we are going to lead and we are going to try and move these polls and change these polls, because that's what the country wants.

I just did 19 town hall meetings, David, in a district that I work for that went for Obama, Dukakis, Clinton and Gore. People are hungry for solutions, and I really fundamentally believe that the people are way ahead of the political class and I think they're going to reward the leader who steps up to the plate and actually fixes these problems, no matter how much demagoguery, no matter how much distortion, no matter how much political parties try to scare seniors in the next election. I just don't think they're going to buy it this year and they're hungry for leaders to fix this problem before it gets out of our control.

Later in the program during the roundtable discussion, NBC’s Andrea Mitchell agreed:

ANDREA MITCHELL, NBC: When he said to you that leaders change polls…

GREGORY: Yeah.

MITCHELL: …that’s leadership that people are hungry for.

Ryan Schools Gregory: 'I Don't Consult Polls to Tell Me What My Principles Are or Policies Should Be - Leaders Change Polls' | NewsBusters.org

Scientists cure cancer, but no one takes notice

 

Researchers at the University of Alberta, in Edmonton, Canada have cured cancer last week, yet there is a little ripple in the news or in TV. It is a simple technique using very basic drug. The method employs dichloroacetate, which is currently used to treat metabolic disorders. So, there is no concern of side effects or about their long term effects.

This drug doesn’t require a patent, so anyone can employ it widely and cheaply compared to the costly cancer drugs produced by major pharmaceutical companies.

Canadian scientists tested this dichloroacetate (DCA) on human’s cells; it killed lung, breast and brain cancer cells and left the healthy cells alone. It was tested on Rats inflicted with severe tumors; their cells shrank when they were fed with water supplemented with DCA. The drug is widely available and the technique is easy to use, why the major drug companies are not involved? Or the Media interested in this find?

Scientists cure cancer, but no one takes notice

Utah making gold and silver coins legal currency, pushing debate about national gold standard | StarTribune.com

 

Utah legislators want to see the dollar regain its former glory, back to the days when one could literally bank on it being "as good as gold."

To make that point, they've turned it around, and made gold as good as cash. Utah became the first state in the country this month to legalize gold and silver coins as currency. The law also will exempt the sale of the coins from state capital gains taxes.

Craig Franco hopes to cash in on it with his Utah Gold and Silver Depository, and he thinks others will soon follow.

The idea is simple: Store your gold and silver coins in a vault, and Franco issues a debit-like card to make purchases backed by your holdings.

He plans to open for business June 1, likely the first of its kind in the country.

"Because we're dealing with something so forward thinking, I expect a wait-and-see attitude," Franco said. "Once the depository is executed and transactions can occur, then I think people will move into the marketplace."

The idea was spawned by Republican state Rep. Brad Galvez, who sponsored the bill largely to serve as a protest against Federal Reserve monetary policy. Galvez says Americans are losing faith in the dollar. If you're mad about government debt, ditch the cash. Spend your gold and silver, he says.

His idea isn't to return to the gold standard, when the dollar was backed by gold instead of government goodwill. Instead, he just wanted to create options for consumers.

Utah making gold and silver coins legal currency, pushing debate about national gold standard | StarTribune.com

Review & Outlook: Republicans and Mediscare - WSJ.com

 

As a matter of simple arithmetic, this problem can't be solved with tax increases, because health costs and thus government spending on health care are rising so much faster than the economy as a whole is growing. The U.S. capacity to pay for Medicare on present trend diminishes every year.

With ObamaCare, Democrats offered their vision for Medicare cost control: A 15-member unelected board with vast powers to set prices for doctors, hospitals and other providers, and to regulate how they should be organized and what government will pay for. The liberal conceit is that their technocratic wizardry will make health care more rational, but this is faith-based government. The liberal fallback is political rationing of care, which is why Mr. Obama made it so difficult for Congress to change that 15-member board's decisions.

Republicans have staunchly opposed this agenda, but until Mr. Ryan's budget they hadn't answered the White House with a competing idea. Mr. Ryan's proposal is the most important free-market reform in years because it expands the policy options for rethinking the entitlement state.

Review & Outlook: Republicans and Mediscare - WSJ.com

Deployments announced for Oklahoma Army National Guard troops | NewsOK.com

Okies goin’ global.

Five Oklahoma Army National Guard units have been told to prepare for deployment to Afghanistan, Iraq and the Horn of Africa. The deployment affects 448 soldiers.

Most of the troops notified this week are expected to deploy to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

“These notifications aren’t really a surprise to those serving in the Oklahoma National Guard,” said Lt. Col. Max Moss, National Guard spokesman. “No one knows better than a guardsman or a guard family that deployments are a reality. The notification marks the beginning of training and equipping phases that will ensure our men and women are prepared to accomplish their mission, wherever that might be.”

There are about 3,200 soldiers from Oklahoma’s 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team preparing to deploy to Afghanistan this later spring. They are training in Fort Polk, La., and at Camp Shelby in Mississippi.

The 1220th Engineer Company, based in Muskogee and consisting of 164 soldiers, may deploy to Afghanistan in the spring of 2013. About 40 troops from the 1120th Engineer Team from Muskogee have been directed to prepare for deployment to Kuwait in early 2013.

About 62 soldiers from Detachment 1, Company C, in Lexington may deploy to Iraq in 2012 in support of Operation New Dawn. Also, eight soldiers from Oklahoma City’s Detachment 46 Operational Support Airlift were advised they may head to the Horn of Africa next summer.

Deployments announced for Oklahoma Army National Guard troops | NewsOK.com

The Case for Herman Cain for President -- Solving for X - FoxNews.com

 

But, we remain undaunted. Americans know that “solving for x” simply means using the right formula. What’s that formula, you might ask? Working on the right problems. Asking the right questions. Removing barriers to success. Surrounding yourself with the right people.

This is my “common sense” approach to real leadership. This approach is coupled with a steadfast belief that politics should never compromise principles. And my principles are rooted in the Constitutional guarantees of limited government and individual freedom.

I believe in a strong military and clear foreign policy that ensures the safety of our country. I believe in lower taxes, less regulation and private sector job creation that ensures the economic stability of our country. And I believe in the moral foundation upon which this nation was based and continues to make Her strong, independent and free.

The Case for Herman Cain for President -- Solving for X - FoxNews.com

A 'Military Covenant' for America - NYTimes.com

I remain unconvinced that there is a civilian-military divide, at least not any more than there is a divide between any group of professionals and the rest of society. Even if this article were not the work of an IAVA spokesperson, with my aversion to that organization, I’d still disagree, especially inasmuch as the author (grudgingly?) advocates making a “Covenant” law.  I would oppose any attempt to codify such a thing as law.

The civilian-military divide is not a new idea. It has been written and talked about extensively, and top military and political leaders have sounded the alarm that the growing rift is harming our nation. Yet very few solutions have been offered to address the problem. Instituting the draft wouldn’t help, since the size of the military is still small proportionate to the population. Yes, a part of the populace more representative of the nation would serve, but they would still make up less than 1 percent of the country. The recent White House initiative, Joining Forces, shows promise, and I’m hopeful that through it the civilian-military divide can be somewhat bridged.

But what about a military covenant here in the United States? I think an argument can be made that one already exists, although in an unofficial capacity and without a title. Politicians speak at length about the need to take care of veterans, but that argument needs to be made and remade daily, and advocacy groups are forced to poke and prod in order to utilize benefits already earned and remind the public that we’re still fighting two (three?) wars. When British politicians speak about veterans’ issues, they invoke the military covenant, which conveys a stronger message than a lengthy argument as to why a specific veterans’ bill should be passed or an explanation of why it is good business to hire a veteran. The word “covenant” invokes images of a sacred trust, not just a simple contract. It also suggests that everyone is involved, since a covenant requires agreement between multiple parties. Members of the military are required to serve their nation honorably, and in return, the nation and public are required to ensure that those service members and veterans are treated fairly and with respect.

Trying to legislate that would be a nightmare—let Britain do it—they specialize in that kind of massive legislation.  Here, people have, and should have, the right to be mean, unfair, unjust, stingy, or uncaring.  Having that right only makes the cases of compassion, fair dealing, justice, generosity, and respect the brighter.  Charity mandated, is no longer charity.

A 'Military Covenant' for America - NYTimes.com

Information Warfare: JTRS Catches Up With The USMC

 

It's a sad story, about how the high-priced, government approved stuff got smoked by some cheap commercial gear that got quickly cobbled together. The latest news is that the new U.S. Army JTRS (Joint Tactical Radio System) radios are starting to get to the troops, and do things the U.S. Marine Corps has been doing for seven years, with cheaper, off-the-shelf gear. It's all about battlefield Internet and more useful battlefield radios. For nearly two decades, the army has been seeking solutions to distance and communications problem, as well as the need for battlefield Internet. They thought they had a solution in a new family of radios (JTRS) that were developed to deal with it all. But JTRS underwent one delay after another, and wasn't available to the troops until this year. Meanwhile, for the last seven years, the marines have been using its own battlefield Internet, based on off-the-shelf equipment. Three years ago, the army tried out the marine approach, and found that it worked.

The marines came up with their solution in 2003, when they sent lots of troops into Iraq. There they quickly discovered that their radio equipment was not up to the needs of fast moving mechanized warfare. That's understandable, as Iraq was the first time the marines ever had to advance so quickly, and so far inland, during combat. Taking this as the wave of the future, and lacking the money for a lot of expensive new communications gear, the marines came up with CONDOR (Command and Control on the Move Network, Digital Over the Horizon Relay). Basically, CONDOR equipped each marine battalion with satellite telephone and encrypted wi-fi gear, as well as networking hardware for all sorts of marine radios. The satellite link means that no battalion is ever out of range of radio or Internet communication. Most marine radios are "line of sight" (FM) and are of limited range. When units spread out too far, they lose radio contact unless they have satellite phones. The marines got satellite phones and satellite based communications gear from the army during the Iraq campaign. This proved a lifesaver.

But CONDOR went one step further by establishing wi-fi nodes throughout the battalion area, and also collects and transmits data from the EPLRS (locator transmitters) that every vehicle carries. The problem with EPLRS was that it used a line of sight signal (unlike the army Blue Force Tracker, which used satellite communications). CONDOR transmits EPLRS data to all marine units in the area, thus allowing a division commander to see where all his vehicles and troops are, even if they are hundreds of kilometers apart. CONDOR also allows any radio in the battalion to use the satellite link to call anywhere in the worldwide marine communications network.

But what really got the army's attention was how CONDOR provided Internet connections for everyone in the battalion. EPLRS has Internet capability built into it, but troops don't always turn it on. During the army test, the EPLRS Internet feature was heavily used, along with troposcatter radio (signals are sent straight up, and they bounce off the troposphere back to other radios) to connect EPLRS units that are not within line-of-sight of each other. As the marines discovered, this works quite well.

So EPLRS filled in until JTRS arrived. CONDOR and EPLRS are more examples of how new technology is being developed so quickly that the usual Department of Defense way of developing new gear is often overtaken by faster evolving civilian equipment. No one expected satellite phones and wi-fi to come to market as quickly as they did. But here they are, and they will fill in until the official solution, JTRS, catches up.

Information Warfare: JTRS Catches Up With The USMC

Senators Seek Answers from President Obama on War Authority | Rand Paul 2010 | U.S. Senate

 

Today, Sen. Rand Paul and five Senate colleagues issued a letter to President Barack Obama regarding the use of U.S. armed forces in Libya.

The letter, signed by Sens. Paul, Mike Lee (R-Utah), Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas), outlines the actions taken by the President pursuant to the War Powers Act and questions whether he will comply with the requirements to terminate use of U.S. armed forces in Libya within the statutory 60-day period, which expires Friday, May 20.

Below is the text of that letter:

May 18, 2011

The Honorable Barack Obama
President of the United States
The White House
Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear Mr. President:

On March 19, 2011, you introduced the United States Armed Forces into hostilities in Libya. That action was taken without regard to or compliance with the requirement of section 2(c) of the War Powers Resolution that the United States Armed Forces only be introduced into hostilities or situations where imminent involvement in hostilities is clearly indicated by the circumstances “pursuant to (1) a declaration of war, (2) specific statutory authorization, or (3) a national emergency created by attack upon the United States, its territories or possessions, or its armed forces.”.

Since that time, numerous aircraft and ships have been deployed and engaged in hostilities and remain in situations where imminent involvement in hostilities is clearly indicated by the circumstances. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates reports that operations in Libya have cost the Pentagon at least $750 million.

Section 5(b) of the War Powers Resolution (50 U.S.C. § 1544(b)) mandates that:

Within sixty calendar days after a report is submitted or is required to be submitted pursuant to section 4(a)(1), whichever is earlier, the President shall terminate any use of United States Armed Forces with respect to which such report was submitted (or required to be submitted), unless the Congress (1) has declared war or has enacted a specific authorization for such use of United States Armed Forces, (2) has extended by law such sixty-day period, or (3) is physically unable to meet as a result of an armed attack upon the United States. Such sixty-day period shall be extended for not more than an additional thirty days if the President determines and certifies to the Congress in writing that unavoidable military necessity respecting the safety of United States Armed Forces requires the continued use of such armed forces in the course of bringing about a prompt removal of such forces.

Congress received your report pursuant to section 4(a)(1) of the War Powers Resolution on March 21, 2011. Friday is the final day of the statutory sixty-day period for you to terminate the use of the United States Armed Forces in Libya under the War Powers Resolution. As recently as last week your Administration indicated use of the United States Armed Forces will continue indefinitely. Therefore, we are writing to ask whether you intend to comply with the requirements of the War Powers Resolution. We await your response.

Senators Seek Answers from President Obama on War Authority | Rand Paul 2010 | U.S. Senate

Korea: Northern Rebels Have A Theme Song To Die For

 

The rulers of North Korea are scared, very scared, and are not afraid to show it. For example, there are suddenly a lot more things people can be arrested for. The prison camps are filled with a record number of prisoners (over 200,000), because a lot more of those arrested are deemed a danger to the government and locked up or executed. The extent of this paranoia can be seen in the growing effort to stop people from singing, or just whistling the theme song from a 1980s "Robin Hood" type movie. The ban dates back to the late 1990s, but now a lot more people are violating the ban and getting arrested for it. It's all about growing resistance to the communist government. This is taking many forms. More people are openly telling jokes mocking the government and its leaders. Women are not only whistling forbidden tunes, they are also wearing jewelry (earrings, long condemned as capitalist decadence). Religion is showing up more in the north (where it is forbidden). Clergy are being executed and unrepentant believers are shipped off to prison camps. An even scarier media development is the use of official slogans (to defend the state or obey the ruling Kim family) in slightly twisted ways to justify taking bribes and stealing. Communism is, after all, a big user of , "the ends justify the means."

Korea: Northern Rebels Have A Theme Song To Die For

Iran Could Play Role in Al-Qaida, Post-Bin Laden

 

The death of Osama bin Laden has put a new focus on what role Iran might play in al-Qaida's future, as intelligence officials around the world analyzed reports that Saif al-Adel had taken over as al-Qaida's interim leader. Al-Adel was last known to be under house arrest outside Tehran.

The terrorist resume of al-Adel, one of al-Qaida's founders, includes helping orchestrate the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in Africa. But he had sharp disagreements with bin Laden's leadership and opposed the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. He accurately predicted that inciting the wrath of the U.S. would hurt al-Qaida's worldwide efforts.

Al-Adel is among the many senior al-Qaida figures who fled into Iran after the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan. They were arrested there in 2003 and were placed under what has been loosely called "house arrest" in a compound outside Tehran. Over the years, some have been able to come and go, and the U.S. has worried that Iran would someday free them to restore al-Qaida's ranks.

This week, Noman Benotman, a former jihadist with links to al-Qaida in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Sudan who is now a security analyst in London, said al-Adel will serve as al-Qaida's interim leader until bin Laden's permanent successor is named.

"They need someone to take care of the organization on a daily basis till they come up with a new leader," Benotman said Wednesday. "That's the role of Saif."

Iran Could Play Role in Al-Qaida, Post-Bin Laden

DoD Buzz | Gates: We must think before we cut

 

Gates said he wants Congress, the White House and the public to think through what they want the Pentagon to do — and not to do — and then redraw budgets accordingly. He acknowledged that this could still have big consequences for the United States and the military-industrial complex: If DoD gave up the notion that it must be able to fight two wars simultaneously, for example, that could have an effect all down the line on spending and force structure, including on big programs such as the F-35. The bottom line, Gates said, is that Washington can reshape its defense structure however it wants, but it must begin with a goal in mind, not just start hacking away.

“I want to force people to have that discussion,” Gates said, which is what he hopes to accomplish with the forthcoming Mother of All Reviews.

There are some things, however, the Pentagon absolutely has to buy, he said: The Air Force’s new KC-46A tanker; the F-35; the Navy’s new ballistic missile submarine, known as SSBN(X). The Army must reset after Iraq and Afghanistan, Gates said, as must the Marines. DoD needs all that stuff to keep its ability to take basic missions, irrespective of the other potential changes that might come out of the mega-review.

But Gates has one foot out the Pentagon door. His successor, Leon Panetta, has yet to weigh in on what he thinks about all of this, and there are 535 other important voices in Washington that are going to chime in when the time comes to decide what Pentagon should and shouldn’t do.

UPDATE: So when is this mega-review going to be done? Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell says there’s no fixed date, but that it probably won’t be finished in time to impact the 2012 budget. The outcome of the review “will be felt in the ’13 proposals,” he said.

DoD Buzz | Gates: We must think before we cut

'Black Panther' movie in development: Could Marvel's first black superhero finally make it to the big screen? | PopWatch | EW.com

 

Image Credit: Marvel

The Black Panther doesn’t have the same name recognition as fellow Marvel superheroes Spider-Man and Wolverine, but he’s one of the most interesting characters in comic book history. Debuting in the mid-’60s, the Panther is generally credited as the first African-American superhero in mainstream comic books. (He actually predated the founding of far-left-wing ’60s group of the same name.) There’s been talk of a Black Panther movie for decades now, without any success, but it looks like Marvel is willing to try again: According to The Hollywood Reporter, Marvel Studios has hired documentarian Mark Bailey to draft a Black Panther screenplay.

The Panther’s superpowers aren’t very interesting. He’s super-strong and super-agile, he occasionally sprouts claws, and his senses are all enhanced, which makes him a grab-bag mix of Daredevil, Wolverine, and BraveStarr. But the mythology around the character is fascinating. King of the (fictional) African nation Wakanda, the Panther’s long comic history is dotted with intriguingly political story arcs. The Panther’s status as an actual political force gives him a unique topical resonance lacking in, say, Ghost Rider. So even though Bailey has primarily worked on documentaries with titles like Pandemic: Facing AIDS and Ghosts of Abu Ghraib, he might be the right choice for the material.

'Black Panther' movie in development: Could Marvel's first black superhero finally make it to the big screen? | PopWatch | EW.com

Soldiers Try New PT Test at Benning

 

The Army's new physical fitness test was administered to a group of Fort Benning Soldiers this week as part of the service's pilot program.

The Army Physical Fitness School's goal is to test 15,000 to 20,000 Soldiers by September in order to establish standards for the new test, officials said.

The Army Physical Readiness Test has been administered so far to groups of Soldiers at Fort Jackson, S.C.; Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.; and Fort Sill, Okla.

About 30 National Guard Soldiers took the APRT Tuesday at Fort Benning. The test has also been administered to basic trainees at Benning, said Frank Palkoska, director of the U.S. Army Physical Fitness School.

Testing for Fort Stewart, Ga.; Fort Bragg, N.C.; and Fort Bliss, Texas is planned for July.

The new APRT includes five events: a 60-yard shuttle run, one minute of the rower (a modified crunch), the standing long jump, one minute of push-ups and a 1.5-mile run.

Soldiers Try New PT Test at Benning