Archive for the ‘war’ Category

Two thumbs up for Obama…

Posted: September 15, 2009 by datechguy in opinion/news, war
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The first is for the hit on the Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan.

Navy Seals from US Special Operations Forces conducted a raid in southern Somalia on Monday that killed Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan, one of 4 co-conspirators wanted in the 2002 bombing of an Israel owned hotel in Mombasa, Kenya, two senior U.S. military officials told Fox News.

Ten days ago President Obama signed the Execute Order for Nabhan, who since 2006 was on the FBI’s list of most wanted terrorists. He was also wanted for the attacks on the U.S. Embassy in Kenya in 1998.

Even Dan Riehl is impressed.

The second is his signing an extension to the Cuba embargo:

In a largely symbolic act, on Sept. 11, President Barack Obama signed a one-year extension of the law used to impose the embargo on Cuba in the 1960s. The Act was due to expire on Sept. 15, which was when the signing was announced. The Miami Herald reported that no reason was given for the delay.

In one respect this actually helps Cuba in the sense that it preserves an excuse for their failure as a nation.

And it looks like he will maintain his spine in Afghanistan:

Obama seems to have learned the right lessons from the Iraq surge, which is not necessarily to send more troops, but that failure cannot be a policy.

The Democrats in Congress who declared Iraq lost and the surge sure to fail (including Obama himself at the time) cannot be trusted with national security now anymore so than in the past. The Democrats in Congress still are fighting George Bush. The rest of us are fighting against an ideology of death.

The supporters of the people who flew planes into the World Trade Center would do it again in a heartbeat if given the chance. At least Obama seems determined not to give them that chance, and for that he deserves our support.

I still say the War on Terror is the #1 issue, economy not withstanding. Even if all the nasty stuff he is pushing domestically passes if he continues to fight the wars to victory his presidency can be considered successful.

You can always repeal a law or even a constitutional amendment, you can’t unlose a war.

The most telling video on the net

Posted: September 15, 2009 by datechguy in opinion/news, war
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Via Tim Blair and Legal Insurrection we have this video of troops preparing to strike the bad guys planting an IED.

The importance of it is not what is done in the video but what Isn’t done:

But listen to the video, don’t just watch it. The American soldiers watching the scene unfold repeatedly hold fire as a child carrying supplies to the bombers enters the target area, “My only concern is that child right now” one of the soldiers says (at 2:20 descending).

After the child leaves, the soldiers move towards the firing sequence, but the child reappears: “Is that a kid, damn it.” (at 1:15) Then “go away kid, go away kid.” Not a shot is fired.

This is the reality of the US. It’s why we ARE better than our foes.

The key question for the middle east: “Which Troubridge is Israel?”

Posted: September 9, 2009 by datechguy in opinion/news, war
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As my wife noticed every year I re-read the Guns of August. I think it’s very important to not only remember the lessons of Vietnam and World War 2, but the lessons of wars before that. Particularly World War 1 because it came at the end of a long period of general peace between the great powers , just like we have now.

As I’m a bit of a navel fan one of the most interesting stories to me is the pursuit of the Goeben and Breslau, two German ships in Mediterranean Sea at the very start of the war. British ships were ordered to intercept him including some commanded by Rear Admiral Ernest Troubridge.

Troubridge following a strict interpretation of his rules of engagement considered the ships a superior force and declined to engage. Accused of cowardice and court martialed he was acquitted but his career ended at that moment.

That would have been quite a shock to his ancestor Sir Thomas Troubridge who served with Nelson at St. Vincent, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and Aboukir Bay and was the first Baron of the Troubridge Baronets.

It was likely a big shock to the Germans as well. The Kaiser had a healthy respect for the tradition of the Royal Navy and after a single battle of Jutland kept it pretty much in port.

It wasn’t fear of the reality of the early 20th century Royal Navy of Ernest Troubridge. It was fear of the memory of the early 19th century Royal Navy of his ancestor Thomas Troubridge and Lord Nelson.

And that’s how we get to Israel and the Middle east today. It hasn’t just been the fear of Israel’s nuclear power it has been the memory of each Israeli Victory in 1948 , 1956, 1967, 1973 and the willingness of Israel to do what had to be done to win.

The question on Iranian nukes really comes down to one thing: When the UN and the US under president Obama “fail” (assuming they are actually trying) to restrain Iran will today’s Israel act differently than the Israel of 40 years ago. Will it be Thomas Troubridge or will it be Ernest Troubridge? Iran, Europe and President Obama are betting on Ernest. I think it will be Thomas.

Zulu is my favorite movie ever…

Posted: September 3, 2009 by datechguy in hobbies, war
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…and Kurt Schlichter gives it the credit that it is due:

Understand that Zulu is a true story. In January 1879, a column of about 1500 poorly-deployed British troops was overrun at Isandhlwana by the 20,000-man Zulu army of King Catshweyo. After that slaughter – the Zulus did not bother with niceties like taking prisoners – the Zulus turned their attention to the nearby mission station at Rourke’s Drift, defended by about 100 Welsh infantrymen and their English officers. The desperate battle against overwhelming odds that followed became a legend.

Zulu is one of those films that just clicks. The story, of course, is compelling, but at the center are the characters. Stanley Baker, who also directed, plays Lieutenant Chard, the engineer who happened to be at Rourke’s Drift building a bridge when the Zulus arrived and who took charge of the defense. Baker’s subtle portrayal counterpoints the character’s tactical skill in planning the battle with his evident fear of failing his men.

He brings up an interesting point, one of the reasons why I have a soft spot for the men of the Edwardian and Victorian ages:

Caine, a Korean War veteran, is fantastic – a nobleman at first more concerned with hunting and horsemanship than leading his men, but who also demonstrates bravery and aplomb under fire. And there’s a larger truth there about such men even today – for example, Prince Harry is a London party boy yet he pulled every one of his many strings to get himself sent into combat in Afghanistan.

It didn’t hurt that actual Zulus played the Zulus either.

Here is my choice for a clip form the movie:

It is very much worth your time and even more so is to look up some of the actual men who fought. My favorite is Color Sgt. Frank Bourne who also was the last survivor of the battle, dying on VE day May 8th 1945. A transcript of his account of the battle from 1936 is here.

Where are men like that today in the British Isles? They still fight for England and still use cold steel in the 21st century:

Prepared by the U.S. Urban Warfare Analysis Center:

Executive Summary:

In May 2004, approximately 20 British troops in Basra were ambushed and forced out of their vehicles by about 100 Shiite militia fighters. When ammunition ran low, the British troops fixed bayonets and charged the enemy. About 20 militiamen were killed in the assault without any British deaths.

The bayonet charge appea More..red to succeed for three main reasons. First, the attack was the first of its kind in that region and captured the element of surprise. Second, enemy fighters probably believed jihadist propaganda stating that coalition troops were cowards unwilling to fight in close combat, further enhancing the element of surprise. Third, the strict discipline of the British troops overwhelmed the ability of the militia fighters to organize a cohesive counteraction.

The effects of this tactical action in Basra are not immediately applicable elsewhere, but an important dominant theme emerges regarding the need to avoid predictable patterns of behavior within restrictive rules of engagement. Commanders should keep adversaries off balance with creative feints and occasional shows of force lest they surrender the initiative to the enemy.

What? You never heard of it? Mark Steyn wasn’t surprised you didn’t:

Here’s a story no American news organization thought worth covering last week, so you’ll just have to take it from me. In the southern Iraqi town of Amara, 20 men from Scotland’s Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders came under attack from 100 or so of Muqtada al-Sadr’s ”insurgents.” So they fixed bayonets and charged.

It was the first British bayonet charge since the Falklands War 20 years ago. And at the end of it some 35 of the enemy were dead in return for three minor wounds on the Argylls’ side.

The army report above analyzes why a bayonet charge by troops out of Ammo can work against men with 21st century weapons but Steyn puts it plainly:

When a chap’s charging at you with a bayonet, he’s telling you he’s personally willing to run you through with cold steel.

That speaks volumes.

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