The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc)

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 03 Nov 2015 10:14

CNN.

A U.S. satellite that was over Sinai at the time of the crash detected a heat flash, according to a U.S. official directly familiar with the latest information in the investigation. U.S. intelligence and military officials are analyzing the data to determine whether the flash occurred in midair or on the ground and what that can tell them about what happened to the plane, the official said.

Analysts say heat flashes could be tied to a range of possibilities: a missile firing, a bomb blast, a malfunctioning engine exploding, a structural problem causing a fire on the plane or wreckage hitting the ground.

"The number of heat signatures is crucial," said CNN aviation analyst Miles O'Brien. "If, in fact, only one was detected, that in some respects might steer one away from a missile launch and onto some idea of an explosion onboard the aircraft."

Satya_anveshi · Post by **Satya_anveshi** » 03 Nov 2015 10:26

The U.S. continues its scattered approach to Syria Wapo - Nov 02, 2015

By Editorial Board November 2 at 8:08 PM

WHEN HE was asked why the Obama administration announced the dispatch of a contingent of Special Operations forces to Syria on the same day a multinational conference was discussing diplomatic solutions to the country’s civil war, Secretary of State John F. Kerry responded that it was a “coincidence.” The remark was more revealing than he intended. A flurry of U.S. actions on Syria in recent days not only failed to add up to a coherent strategy, but also did not even support one another.

Mr. Kerry was in Vienna trying to win agreement on a plan for a political transition in Syria that would include the creation of a transition government, the drafting of a constitution and U.N.-supervised free elections. That broad idea won support, but Mr. Kerry’s proposal for a timeline under which Syrian President Bashar al-Assad would be removed in four to six months and elections held in 18 months was flatly rejected by Russia and Iran, according to the Wall Street Journal. That means the cease-fire the diplomats called for is unlikely to happen, since rebels will not accept an end to the war that leaves the blood-drenched dictator in power.

Mr. Kerry rightly insisted that the removal of Mr. Assad is necessary to end the civil war and defeat the Islamic State. But he also acknowledged that the military measures announced Friday by the White House, which will send 50 or fewer Special Operations troops to northern Syria and increase air assets in Turkey, will not advance that aim. “It is not an action or a choice focused on Assad,” he said Saturday. Instead, the measure is aimed at weakening the Islamic State by supporting an alliance of Syrian Kurds and Arabs that intends to capture territory and supply routes near the Islamic State capital of Raqqa.

Any action that increases U.S. military pressure on the terrorist entity is welcome, but the steps Mr. Obama approved are incremental and underpowered. By the account of U.S. officials, they are not consequential enough to lead to the fall of Raqqa anytime soon. And Mr. Obama set aside other plans developed by the Pentagon, such as one to back Iraqi forces with Apache helicopters and front-line advisers to enable advances against the Islamic State from the east as well as the north.

On Saturday, the administration announced $100 million in new nonlethal aid to the Syrian opposition. But the Syrian forces receiving the new U.S. military support not only are not fighting the Assad regime but also do not necessarily share the political goal endorsed by the Vienna conference of reuniting the country while leaving “state institutions . . . intact.” Syrian Kurds, who have a de facto truce with the regime, are attempting to carve out their own autonomous territory.

Russia and Iran are using military forces they have dispatched to Syria to back their political goal, which is to keep the Assad regime in power indefinitely. Because Mr. Obama refuses to endorse steps that would place more pressure on Mr. Assad, Mr. Kerry lacks the leverage to reject that agenda. U.S. military force meanwhile is being applied to a tactical objective that, if achieved, might do as much to help the Russo-Iranian cause as it would to achieve U.S. political aims. Given the disconnect between U.S. military and diplomatic efforts, it will not be surprising if both are failures. { This last para is absolutely the crux of the matter and explains why the so called "coincidence" that Kerry mentions is NOT a coincidence but poor desperado tactic misunderstood and/or misapplied in place of a sound strategy }

Satya_anveshi · Post by **Satya_anveshi** » 03 Nov 2015 11:21

But the question is what could be a sound strategy from US pov?

Sometimes, when you make series of stupid moves, you will render your position so irredeemable that no amount of "strategy" will help. In other words if you decorate a pile of shyte with whipped cream and put a cherry on top of it it does not become edible and certainly not a delicacy.

In 14 years of non-stop military engagements across the world not one objective was achieved that US can show to people and they agree with it.
- There are fewer stable nations in West Asia now than they were before Operation enduring freedom that began in the name of democracy
- there are more terrorists and related deaths now than before the War on Terror began
- forget fighting terrorists (even half halfheartedly), US is now publicly admitting to aiding and abetting terrorism to achieve its goals
- being the founding member of UN and veto holder, it is unable to leverage its position and actually does things that are contrary to UN charter. It is not that US is playing in gray area but is taking actions that are in complete contravention to UN mandate. Russia and China are in same position and yet they are able to use and leverage the UN to advance their interests.
- after 14 years of military/diplomatic engagements and trillions of $s spent, US does not seem to have *one* single ally in the West Asia (or anywhere else) that will speak of US contributions in glowing terms.
-When a powerful nation like Russia joined the fight against terrorists, instead of welcoming it, US declined to work with Russia and till date does not share intelligence thus losing moral high ground in its fight against terrorist.

It has left so many gaping holes in its play that if an independent power responded to stabilize international order (i.e., take advantage of those holes), US will find it challenging to counter it. That is what exactly happened. There is no proper counter for US other than head-on collision or be reluctant partner to work under Russian leadership. By exercising option to respond, Russia has already communicated that it is ready even for head-on collision. So, it has to be the latter.

Satya_anveshi · Post by **Satya_anveshi** » 03 Nov 2015 11:49

Syria and the Forces of Hell - Oct 30, 2015

The mere fact that talks on the Syrian crisis, between the main contending regional and international actors involved, are taking place in Vienna at all constitutes a triumph for Russia’s intervention. They come, indeed, as tacit acknowledgement that the Syrian government will not be toppled or forced from power by military action, and that the inviolability of Syria’s national sovereignty remains non-negotiable after four and a half years during which its government, armed forces, and people have stood alone against an onslaught the like of which no country has endured in modern history and survived.

The chaos and conflict that has engulfed the country cannot be divorced from the regional, geopolitical, or historical context in which it has taken place. Its seeds were contained in the infamous Project for a New American Century (PNAC) strategy that was formulated by US neoconservatives in the wake of the demise of the Soviet Union. At its heart was a grand plan for the projection of US military power in the reshaping and recasting of the post Soviet world in Washington’s image, taking advantage of US unipolarity in order to do so. A key priority in this regard was the solidification of US hegemony across the oil-rich and therefore strategically vital Middle East.

The opportunity to roll out this imperialist strategy arrived in the shape of 9/11.

When he finally emerged from his bunker three days after the destruction of the Twin Towers in New York and the attack on the Pentagon by al-Qaeda, US President George W Bush did so as the modern incarnation of the ancient Roman Emperor Caesar Augustus, proclaiming that you are either with us or against us.

Under the rubric of the ‘War on Terror’ first Afghanistan then Iraq were came under attack by the most powerful and technologically advanced military force the world has ever known. Despite Al-Qaeda and its leader, Osama Bin Laden, being based in Afghanistan, Iraq was considered more of a priority, even though it had absolutely nothing to do with 9/11 and the war unleashed on it was illegal under international law.

Suddenly, international law had become the gift of Washington, its protection bestowed and withdrawn upon its whim and say-so.

Iraq’s neo-colonisation was to be followed by the toppling of the Assad government in Syria, on the way to toppling the main bastion of resistance to US and Israeli hegemony in the region – Iran. However between the objective and its completion lay resistance in the form of the Iraqi people, who despite suffering thirteen years of the most extreme sanctions, followed by a military assault that gave new meaning to the word brutal, still possessed the courage and determination to resist the occupation of their country.

In the process the Project for a New American Century was defeated, though at the cost of the near destruction of the country and the eruption of an internecine sectarian civil conflict, one that continues to this day with the concomitant trauma and deep scars it has left on Iraqi society.

The cost in treasure, manpower, and credibility to Washington cost the Republicans their hold on the White House, when Barack Obama was elected president in 2008. Entering the White House in January of 2009, the nation’s first black president did so pledging a new era of multilateralism and diplomacy as the fulcrum of US foreign policy.

Obama soon provided proof that though he may have occupied the office of president he did not carry its power – and certainly not as the CEO of a US Empire exercising military, cultural, and economic sway. In turn he was faced down and defeated by the Netanyahu government in Israel and its Saudi equivalent in Riyadh, both of which grew increasingly determined in pursuit their own regional agendas regardless of Obama. They were soon to be joined by Turkey in this regard.

By now the deep contradictions that lay at the heart of the Middle East had begun to rise to the surface. They exploded into prominence in the face of a global economic crisis that fanned the flames of long held resentment and discontent throughout the Arab street.

The result is what came to be know as the Arab Spring, which verily swept through Tunisia and Egypt like a tsunami in a bottom up revolutionary wave, which at the start of 2011 provided hope to millions who’d never known anything other than autocracy and dictatorship in their lives.

Reaching Libya, however, this revolutionary process ran out of steam. Here an uprising rather than a revolution occurred, turned into a counter revolutionary wave by the West using UN Security Council Resolution 1973 as a convenient cover for a strategy of regime change in Tripoli. The beneficiary of this undertaking was not the liberal democracy promised the Libyan people, but rather extremism and reaction on the way to the country being pushed into an abyss of the same sectarian bloodletting and societal collapse that previously engulfed Iraq.

Syria appeared certain to be next in line for regime change. By now the fate of the Assad regime seemed inevitable. Two factors prevented it going the way of Libya – i) Russia’s determination to draw a line in the sand against the crisis, chaos, and imperialist assault unleashed by Western intervention, and ii) the Syrian Arab Army, which despite receiving the kind of battering that no other Arab army in the region could possibly withstand, held the line against the forces of hell ranged against them.

Russia’s decision to move from political and diplomatic support to active military support for the Assad government came at a time when the country was moving perilously close to the same abyss as Libya before it. It has proved a game changer both on the ground in Syria and geopolitically – evidence of the birth of a multipolar world.

As for Washington and its allies, rather than a new golden age of Pax Americana, they merely succeeded in dragging the world into a swamp of unremitting chaos and conflict.

It is a legacy that ensures they will live forever in infamy.

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 03 Nov 2015 12:28

S_A posted another report on this b4, but what is remarkable is that this wonderfully Moderate Democratic Humanitarian Observation of the Geneva Convention by the Moderate Obama-Islamic-~~Terrorists~~ Freedom Fighters is reported on See-Enn-Enn with such politically incorrect language: The Syrian soldiers are referred to as Syrian Soldiers. Civilian women are referred to as Women. Neither category are referred to as Assad Regime Oppressors etc.

What happened? Falling-out over how to share the stolen funds from the American people?

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 03 Nov 2015 12:53

So what would (have) be(en) sound US strategy?
The US was losing the war against ISIS (whoever created ISIS, let's not go there for a moment).

Russia entered the conflict. Everyone knows that Russia has a very strong interest in fighting Islamic terror.

-When a powerful nation like Russia joined the fight against terrorists, instead of welcoming it, US declined to work with Russia and till date does not share intelligence thus losing moral high ground in its fight against terrorist.

Exactly. In that single moment of sh1theadedness, Obama proclaimed to the whole world that
a) His regime is pro-Islamic Terror
b) All those "7000 airstrikes against ISIS" were bogus. Maybe getting rid of old weapons so that the Pentagon can order new stuff from Boeing and Raytheon.
c) His regime does not want to see any end to the conflict in Syria and Iraq
d) The Pakis have every reason to ramp up their Taliban activities in Afghanistan because the US will not fight seriously.

Obama lost it. 5000? 6000? US soldiers dead. Some 60,000 wounded, many maimed. Hundreds of thousands with PTSD. 2 million? 3 million? Afghans, 3million? 4 million? Iraqis killed, tens of millions traumatized. And all to allow the Caliphate to take over the entire Middle East and get a bridgehead in Central Asia. Obama's legacy.

I think the smartest move now would be to disband NATO before anti-US riots explode all over Oirope.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 03 Nov 2015 13:47

Latest on the Russian air disaster.It looks like the event was orchestrated,not an accident.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... -news.html

Russian plane crash: Cockpit recordings reveal 'uncharacteristic sounds' but no distress signal - latest news
"Sudden and unexpected situation" recorded in cockpit in final moments of disaster in Sinai which killed 224 people

Isabelle Fraser
By Isabelle Fraser, with Raf Sanchez in Cairo, Magdy Samaan in Hassana, and Roland Oliphant in St Petersburg
03 Nov 2015

• Crew did not have time to send a distress signal, reports suggest
• Cockpit recordings show "sounds uncharacteristic of routine flight"
• Russian plane crash: Suspicion of terrorism or foul play grows
• Should we believe the Isil affiliate?
• Flight Radar data shows final moments of doomed airliner

09:10
Ten bodies identified so far

Ten bodies have so far been identified by their families. Alexei Smirnov of the Russian emergency situations ministry said that a total of 140 bodies and more than 100 body parts were delivered to St. Petersburg on two government planes on yesterday and today and that a third plane is expected to bring more remains later today.

In Egypt, the U.S. Embassy has instructed its staff not to travel anywhere in the Sinai Peninsula pending the outcome of the investigation into the crash as a "precautionary measure."

08:56
Heat flash over Sinai picked up by US satellite

A US defence official told NBC that an American satellite picked up heat flashes around the time of the plane crash in the Sinai. They added that there was no missile trail - so puts doubt on the theory of the plane being downed by a surface-to-air missile.

But the heat flash could be the sign of a bomb or exploding fuel tank within the plane.

08:47
'Elements that were not part of plane' found at crash site

Our correspondent Roland Oliphant in St Petersburg writes:
Russian news service Tass cites a source saying "elements that were not part of the plane" were found at the crash site.

"They have been sent for analysis," the agency's source said.

If true, such fragments could be something from passenger's or crew's personal effects, unrelated debris already on the ground where the aircraft crashed, or - and this is the million dollar question - fragments of a bomb or the "external impact" that owners Metrojet say brought the aircraft down.

habal · Post by **habal** » 03 Nov 2015 15:10

Hezbollah sniper takes out isis

habal · Post by **habal** » 03 Nov 2015 15:25

Senator Lindsey Graham on middle-east policysea ..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CX9tUiuD5cA

http://www.c-span.org/video/?328955-1/s ... t-strategy

cry me a river baby .. cry me a rivaer

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 03 Nov 2015 17:54

They added that there was no missile trail - so puts doubt on the theory of the plane being downed by a surface-to-air missile.

But lends credence to Dronacharya Blessing Theory (DBT).

sudhan · Post by **sudhan** » 03 Nov 2015 18:11

If one of the Dronacharyas were involved we would also have another heat flare, no?

Shanu · Post by **Shanu** » 03 Nov 2015 20:36

My 2 cent rant about this sad air tragedy..

Lets for a moment start thinking from the perspective of a Russian enemy (no shortage of them currently in the Middle east for obvious reasons). Also lets assume that X is that entity (nation/group).

So X thinks, what is the easiest target X can hit? Ans. Russian tourists. Because hitting Russian population inside Russia will be a Fidayeen exercise. And it can always go wrong.

Q2. Where can X hit them? Possibly in a neutral country, easier to cover X's tracks.

Q3. How do X minimize damage to others? Not that X cares but X would not want to create a messy International situation involving multiple nations. So why not hit a Russian aeroplane..

Q4. So where shall X target this plane? Lets see. Egypt looks like a good target - lots of Russian tourists. Sisi is paying lip service on Yemen fight and he is actually hurting IS in Sinai and Libya,not to mention his support for Assad.

Q5. But what is the fallout? Egypt's tourism will be hit. That will not be good for its budget. But what the heck.. they will come running to us for money and we can make them do what we want.

Win Win anyone? This incident has too many coincidences to be just an accident. Sad for the 220 departed souls.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 03 Nov 2015 20:45

the known drones like eitan and ghawk that can fly at that height are much slower than A321.
even if by some miraculous homing device they hit the cruising A321 from the side the relative velocity would be too low. it has to be a head on collision. only a fighter plane in skilled hands can go that , at a relatively velocity of 1200kmph. same applies to classified drones....

I would go for simplest explanation which is progressive structural failure or a bomb.

Lalmohan · Post by **Lalmohan** » 03 Nov 2015 20:46

are we sure that high speed stall has been ruled out?

Satya_anveshi · Post by **Satya_anveshi** » 03 Nov 2015 20:49

these are comments of doctor examining bodies not the official investigation report:

Crash victims' injuries show midair explosion likely caused A321 crash - investigator - Nov 03, 2015

The nature of passengers’ injuries from the Russian jet that crashed in Egypt’s Sinai on Saturday may indicate that an explosion took place aboard before the plane hit the ground, an Egyptian doctor who examined the bodies said, Sputnik news agency reported.
"A large number of body parts may indicate that a powerful explosion took place aboard the plane before it hit the ground," an Egyptian forensic expert told the agency.

A DNA analysis would be required to identify the victims of the Russian A321 airliner crash in Egypt, the expert added.

Earlier, Russian tabloid LifeNews claimed to have obtained the results of a forensic medical examination that allegedly stated that the passengers “in the tail section of the liner died because of so-called blast injuries.”

According to the broadcaster, they were diagnosed with burns of over 90 percent, with experts noting particles of metal and aircraft covering piercing the bodies of the deceased.

The people in the front part of the plane died from different causes, including blood loss, shock, open head injuries and multiple fractures, it added.

There have been no official announcements made so far on the results of forensic medical examination of the crash victims.

member_29151 · Post by **member_29151** » 03 Nov 2015 21:04

Found it on Net: article On Rbth.

Warplanes from multiple countries are screaming through the skies over Syria. On the ground, terrorist groups are nibbling at Syria’s extremities. It is an environment that India should jump right into. Here are six good reasons why India needs to send its well-trained and ferocious military to defend beleaguered Syria.

India needs to show support for an ally

Currently, Russia is conducting airstrikes against ISIS, al-Qaeda and CIA-backed terror groups all by itself. The Russian Air Force has brought a strong detachment of jet fighters and bombers to Syria, but the fact remains that it is a solo act. Iran has provided shock troops to fight on the ground, but no aircraft. India should send at least a squadron of jets for joint air strikes with the Russian Air Force against terror groups. This is a matter that concerns India’s only strategic partner. When your friend is in a fight, you enter the fray.

India’s counter-terror expertise can be a game changer

India’s experience in counter terrorism could play a decisive role in combating ISIS as well as CIA supported terrorist groups such as the so-called Free Syrian Army. The Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Indian Army have been fighting extremists in Kashmir and eastern India for decades. India also stamped out separatism in Punjab after a take-no-prisoners campaign that lasted nearly 20-years. Such valuable counter terror experience is precisely what Russia would appreciate having on its side in the Syrian war.

India’s armed forces will gain invaluable experience

Significant events are happening over Syrian airspace and beyond. Turkish Air Force F-16s that attempted to come close to the action got a taste of Russian airpower when MiG-29s interceptors – providing top cover – achieved radar lock on the F-16s. Turkey’s military admitted that as many as eight Turkish F-16 jets patrolling the Turkish-Syrian border were “painted” by a MiG-29 as well as surface-to-air missile systems based in Syria in two separate incidents.

This is an eerie replication of the 1999 Kargil War when Indian MiG-29s – which were providing top cover to IAF jets targeting Pakistani intruders – achieved missile locks on Pakistan Air Force F-16s, forcing the latter to disengage from the battle.

The airspace over Syria is an environment that India’s MiG-29 and Sukhoi-30MKI pilots would relish. Not only would they be right at home in the Syrian cauldron, Indian pilots will also gain experience in a 21st century battlefield environment involving western air forces. The IAF can also test its ability to quickly airlift Indian troops into a war zone.

After the bombardment by Russian and Indian aircraft, the Indian Army would savour the prospect of mopping up the remnants of the ISIS as well as CIA-backed rebel groups.

Fight them in Syria, not at home

There will be plenty of naysayers who will argue India should not enter the mess because they fear the country will end up on the ISIS radar. But the point is to fight – and exterminate – ISIS in its home base than in India. ISIS should not be given any breathing space which would allow them to expand out of the Middle East. India – like Russia – faces a serious threat from these media and technology savvy terrorist organisations that are able to radicalise its citizens via the internet. India, therefore, has every right to destroy ISIS in its breeding grounds before it becomes a threat at home.

India’s stock will rise globally

Despite sending spectacular missions to the Moon and Mars and becoming an IT superpower, India is still known as the land of holy men, tigers and Gandhi. What the country needs is an image makeover. If India sends its armed forces to Syria, its stock will rise globally as one of the few countries able to hit the ISIS. We are talking about fighting the world’s most vicious rebel group, whose terror tactics have achieved the impossible task of making al-Qaeda look like a moderate bunch.

There is an ancient Indian saying – the brave shall inherit the earth. India’s leadership needs to bite the bullet.

India’s entry will be a landmark geopolitical event

The Russian airstrikes in Syria could be the beginning of a more assertive BRICS group. Until now it was the West which was enforcing no-fly zones and dictating terms. Now the Russian side is doing it – not against small, defenceless countries but against real terrorists who are a global menace. This is a significant development because Russia is finally taking decisive military action and has received wide support internationally.

Importantly, Russian air strikes against opponents of the secular Bashar al-Assad government have decapitated American foreign policy in the Middle East. People in the Middle East have front row seats to the wilting of American power in the face of a determined Russia.

India has rarely intervened outside the scope of the United Nations. The country is known as the reluctant superpower because it rarely ventures into global hot spots. If India sends its mighty defence forces to support Syria, it would have the weight of over 1.2 billion people saying no to terrorist groups holding a peaceful and secular country to ransom.

This is history in the making – don’t sit it out.

Any Takers?

Link :http://in.rbth.com/blogs/stranger_than_ ... ria_480837

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 03 Nov 2015 21:04

chicago tribune:

One area investigators will look at closely is whether the tail separated from the rest of the plane in-flight as the result of damage caused by a previous incident in which the tail struck the runway during a landing, said aviation safety consultant John Cox. Such "tail strikes" can cause extensive damage to the aircraft's skin in the region located behind the rear lavatories and galley.

The incident occurred in Cairo in 2001. Metrojet said the jet underwent factory repairs and was safe to fly.

Cox said monthly maintenance checks typically can't spot a return of damage from a tail strike because the cracks are inside the plane in an area that's not normally accessible during visual inspections.

Instead, tail strike repairs are examined during heavy maintenance checks that typically take place about every four to five years, he said. Parts of the plane are disassembled so that inspectors can see inside. The plane's skin is checked for cracks using a device that employs low voltage electricity or special dye.

"That's a very complex repair and it requires very special expertise," said Cox, a former airline pilot and accident investigator. Investigators will "look not only at whether the repair done properly, but were the inspections of the repair done on a regular basis during the normal heavy maintenance checks."

If damage from a tail strike returned, it would be in form of small cracks that grow larger with the normal stresses of repeated pressurization and depressurization.

In 2002, China Airlines Flight 611 disintegrated in midair while flying from Taiwan to Hong Kong, killing all 225 people aboard. Accident investigators cited metal fatigue caused by inadequate maintenance after an earlier tail strike as the probable cause of the accident.

Satya_anveshi · Post by **Satya_anveshi** » 03 Nov 2015 21:54

India can do the following (at this point):

- we welcome both parties adopting diplomacy as main lever in finding solution and will be happy to facilitate agenda, meetings, arbitration, settlement services

- we provide our services in protecting (and reconstructing) world heritage sites

- we provide our services in construction and management of rehabilitation camps for the affected people particularly women and children. If asked earnestly we will thrown in our spiritual enlightenment services for free which we believe our strongest offering for the human kind.

- we provide our services to stem refugee crisis and provide temporary relief camps till the war comes to close and all refugees are rehabilitated in respective countries.

- and lastly we will be happy to whoop some terrorists ass if affected countries come to us with good value proposition

Suresh S · Post by **Suresh S** » 03 Nov 2015 22:12

satya and ulan batori,
you heard it here.I love BJP and what it represents but I will say this India is making a big mistake by doing business with and collaborating with anglo saxons ( by which I mean USA, and it,s Vassals) and Israel . It will lead to our second destruction . Just look at world,s history.Germany, Soviet Union and next is USA (it does not know it yet ).Who is behind all this . Samajdar ko isara he kafi ha.

If you look at the history of this world India is not the only country where lies are taught to children.A country where Akbar is great. sure. A man responsible for the murder of innocent children, old men and women at Chittorgarh after the fort fell to mugals.Victory stambh were created with ther heads. Shame on my country. These were my people. Akbar surely was great. And many other matters of history.

In USA people who are taught to little children like my own as pilgrims were basically murderers who took advantage of local Indians who in many instances welcomed them by murdering them and taking over their land , the USA of today.

This russian plane accident is an act of terror perpetrated by people helped by USA and Israel. The so called free media in the west is silent today. it does not know how to respond today so almost total news blackout today for what is the most important news in a long time and most relevant to this world. The blood of these innocent children/women is on the hands of America and Israel.

India should do business with Russia and China. Yes China our and my enemy.Chinese people are a lot like us culturally . I would even recommend even if there is a war with china tomorrow that India will be better of doing business with china than with the evil western powers.

Russia and Russians are weeping today. You can not understand their pain. I do, because half of my family is Russian.The pain Russia and it,s people have been through the 20th century (and it continues) has been hidden from the world in plain sight.Almost 30 million people dead in the second world war. Almost every family either has someone dead or injured.I think India and the world can not even comprehend the pain Russia have been through.

The fact that not a word from President Putin since this disaster tells( in the first 2 days ) it,s own story.

If you have time may be you should read the early life of president putin. There is god out there some where. A man that should not have been even born but born to save mother Russia.His father twice was close to certain death and his mother was being taken for burial thought to be dead in the battle for leningrad. But god had other ideas.And a child was born in the ruins of Saint petersberg to save Russia, The greatest Russian leader since Peter the great.

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 03 Nov 2015 22:28

Dronacharya-Airboos convergence would be seen from Space as one flash, hain? No dronacharya after impact.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 03 Nov 2015 22:54

Russian General Staff: Air strikes convince terrorist sponsors their efforts are hopeless

http://tass.ru/en/politics/833870

"Our aviation has disorganized the command systems and supply lines for the terrorist units that were created for quite a long period of time; inflicted tangible losses on the terrorists; undermined their morale and convinced their patrons and supervisors that further financial support to the militants lacked prospect," Kartapolov said.

TSJones · Post by **TSJones** » 03 Nov 2015 22:56

I note in awe, amazement and yes, bafflement at some of the comments and indeed suggestions being bandied about on this thread given the following stats:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_t ... s_of_India

especially concerning this little tidbit:

This list does not include the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which includes two (UAE and Saudi Arabia) of the above states in a single economic entity. As a single economy the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is the largest trading partner of India with almost $160 billion in total trade.[3]

Given the ground realities, I would wager the GOI is far more circumspect than what some are suggesting on this thread.

member_29089 · Post by **member_29089** » 03 Nov 2015 23:17

TSJ now you taking them seriously? Oh an American drone just fired an A2A missile and shot down the passenger plane, the same US that caused all the genocides, holocausts, 9/11, and has created the AIDS, Ebola, and ISIS viruses.

Arabs by themselves are very peaceful and always send bakalavas to their Jewish brothers and sisters in Israel during Eid.

vishvak · Post by **vishvak** » 03 Nov 2015 23:24

GunterH wrote:TSJ now you taking them seriously? Oh an American drone just fired an A2A missile and shot down the passenger plane, the same US that caused all the genocides, holocausts, 9/11, and has created the AIDS, Ebola, and ISIS viruses.

Arabs by themselves are very peaceful and always send bakalavas to their Jewish brothers and sisters in Israel during Eid.

Did anyone say Arabs as very peaceful? In fact, defenses the size of Brigades crumbled against few hundred ISIL tells a lot about Arab majority who quickly switched sides - but not before disarming minorities like Yazid right in face of approaching ISIL. So who bribed them and who gave them orders to disarm minorities before ISIL enslaved and genocided them. Obviously, neither ISIL nor ones who switch sides came from heaven, nor one who bribed them.

Satya_anveshi · Post by **Satya_anveshi** » 03 Nov 2015 23:27

As Kurds advance against ISIS, Turkey intensifies ‘provocative attacks’ on Kurdish headquarters north Syria - Nov 03 2015

URFA – Since the withdrawal of the Syrian regime’s forces from major parts of the Kurdish areas in July 2012, Kurdish forces of the People’s Protection Units (YPG) have seized territories in northern Syrian to fill in the security vacuum.

Forces loyal to the Assad regime only hold some security bases and administrative offices in the Syrian Kurdish region.

Kurds have established three autonomous “cantons” in northern Syria since the civil war broke out in 2011. They deny aiming to establish their own “nation state”.

The YPG forces helped establish an auto-administration in the Kurdish areas near the border with Turkey. This has raised Turkey’s ire against these forces ــwhich were able last June to expel radicals of the Islamic State group (ISIS) from the key city of Tel Abyad (Gire Spi), connecting the YPG-held canton of al-Jazeera (Hasakah) with Kobane and might reach the third Kurdish area of Afrin.

In June, the YPG forces ــbacked by U.S.-led airstrikesــ regained control of the key city of Tel Abyad near the Turkish border. Two weeks ago, a local council in the city declared it part of the Auto-Administration established by the Kurds in northern Syria.

On Sunday, the Turkish military targeted locations of the YPG in the western countryside of Tel Abyad, coinciding with the outbreak of clashes between the Kurdish YPG fighters and ISIS jihadists in the southern countryside of Sirrin town near Kobane.

The YPG’s Media Centre released Monday a statement, of which ARA News received a copy, saying: “The Turkish attacks against our units which started on October 24 are still ongoing on the borderline of Kobane canton.”

“The Turkish army renewed Monday afternoon heavy attacks on the YPG-held western countryside of Tel Abyad with A4 weapons,” the YPG’s leadership said.

“On Sunday, the Turkish army targeted a YPG base west of Tel Abyad, using heavy weapons type A4, from 18:30 to 02:00 O’clock,” the YPG’s statement read, without giving further information.

Earlier in October, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the Kurdish forces of trying to grab control of northern Syria, saying “Ankara would not allow this to happen.”

Ankara accuses the Democratic Union Party (PYD) –largest Syrian Kurdish party– of deep links with the outlawed rebel group of the PKK in Turkey.

Separately, the YPG’s leadership pointed out that their units (YPG) carried out on the first of November a military operation against ISIS militants south of Sirrin town near Kobane.

“We were able to thwart an attack prepared by the terror group and kill several terrorist,” the statement read.

Speaking to ARA News in Sirrin, YPG fighter Habun Osman said that over the past two weeks, tension continued between the Kurdish forces and ISIS in the vicinity of Sirrin town, adding “ISIS has received reinforcements and carried out hit and run attacks on our centers.”

He added that ISIS usually sends small groups of gunmen to carry out suicide attacks “in a bid to cause losses in our ranks and disrupt our fighters”.

Last week, Turkish military forces struck locations of the Kurdish forces of the YPG in Syria, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said in a press statement.

“It seems that the Turkish state is trying to provoke our units (YPG) to respond in a bid to justify its military intervention in our region,” a YPG official told ARA News in Tel Abyad.

“The Turkish authorities are highly concerned about our continuous progress against ISIS terrorists, and they are trying to stop us under the pretext that we are merely fighting for the establishment of an autonomous Kurdish state on their border.”

Also in October, Syria’s Kurdish forces of the YPG and several Arab rebel groups have formed a new alliance under the banner “Syrian Democratic Forces” to combat ISIS extremists.

Washington said earlier that it could provide military support to Arab rebel commanders in northern Syria in case they cooperate with the YPG forces.

The Kurdish YPG has gained Washington’s trust after expelling ISIS from major cities and towns in northern Syria.

TSJones · Post by **TSJones** » 03 Nov 2015 23:34

TSJ now you taking them seriously?

touche!

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 04 Nov 2015 00:08

UB if the scuba tanks caused the mid air crash, then they would find some bent up tanks in the debris. And also can we do a math calc to see how many are needed to go off at same time to rip open an Airbus?

Satya_anveshi · Post by **Satya_anveshi** » 04 Nov 2015 01:08

Source RT:
Nov 03, 2015

Russia confirms sending 100,000 tons of wheat to Syria as aid
Russia has provided Syria with around 100,000 tons of wheat as aid, RIA Novosti quoted Agriculture Minister Aleksandr Tkachev as saying. “I confirm that Russia has sent Syria 100,000 tons of wheat,” he said. The supplies were earlier reported by Reuters’ sources.

member_29228 · Post by **member_29228** » 04 Nov 2015 01:11

most scuba diving equipment is mad out of Al-Mg alloys like Al80. The usual pressure is max 3000 lbs.
Assuming the altitude is 30,000 feet and thinking that ambient pressure is near vacuum out side surface of the tank.
the first thing to blow will be safety valve which is usually brass or CI or GI,
since Al is ductile, it will distort into a oblong or some elliptical shape and tear not fracture like any MS like material, usually the aircraft would gradually transcend into depressurization so that (the aircraft cabin) the passengers get used to gradual compensatory pressurization ( mechanically) (the kids infants are the first to notice feel and hence the wailing due to pain in the ears)

so a good chance of perforation on the aircraft body has to be due to the brass fitting threaded (coarse plumbing threads with Teflon tape or wimbleys quick fix , Gorilla glue? Araldite?)

this would be like no country for old men "captive bolt pistol ", the chances of this happening if the cylinders were lined on the floor facing the shortest part of the path to the air frame.

Highly unlikely or probability is very very less.

Satya_anveshi · Post by **Satya_anveshi** » 04 Nov 2015 01:16

source RT:
Nov 03, 2015

Turkish police detain 35 supporters of US-based cleric after AKP wins election
Turkish police on Tuesday detained 35 suspects, including high-ranking bureaucrats and police officers, as part of a probe into supporters of a US-based cleric, AFP said. Exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen has been accused of plotting to bring down President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and a strengthened AKP government is expected to speed up efforts against Gulen’s loyalists. Police raided several addresses in the western coastal city of Izmir, Dogan news agency reported.

Bhurishrava · Post by **Bhurishrava** » 04 Nov 2015 01:17

India is doing v well in the foreign policy dept. There is no need for us to get into other people's stuff. Let them fight and kill each oother.
Also I do believe that American foreign policy is plainly stupid and Obama is trying hard to retrieve the country from superhawk fireeater neocons who want the country to go down in flames and glory.. He isn't making much headway.
MODIS visit to UAE at a short notice only proves that india is not interested in moral sermonising at the cost of Realpolitik anymore either.
So india will not join anyone, will not criticise anyone, will continue to focus on its neighbourhood and economy and will continue to rise. Correct policy IMHO.

Satya_anveshi · Post by **Satya_anveshi** » 04 Nov 2015 01:28

Mr. Soft Heart or Brutal Tyrant? Anti-Assad Narrative Falls Apart at Seams - Nov 03, 2015 (source sputnik)

The Western media narrative about brutal "dictator" Bashar al-Assad is falling apart at the seams, Australian academic Tim Anderson underscores, adding that the leader still enjoys high public support in Syria.

There is a huge gap between the Western ugly "caricature" of the Syrian President and the real political figure of Bashar al-Assad, Syria's popular secular leader, Tim Anderson, Senior Lecturer in Political Economy at the University of Sydney, notes.

"When I met President Assad, with a group of Australians, his manner was entirely consistent with the pre-2011 image of the mild-mannered eye doctor. He expressed deep concern with the impact on children of witnessing terrorist atrocities while fanatics shout 'God is Great.' The man is certainly no brute, in the manner of Saddam Hussein or George W. Bush," Anderson underscored in his article for Global Research.

The Pentagon has published its massive book of rules for war, and one of them is that some journalists may be considered unprivileged belligerents, essentially a new euphemism for someone whose rights need not be respected.

If Bashar al-Assad were indeed a brutal tyrant, he and his army would have been abandoned by Syrians and defeated long ago. According to Western media reports, President Assad, the head of an 'Alawi regime,' has launched repeated bombings of civilian areas, gassed children and cracked down on the freedom-loving "moderate" opposition.
"Central to the Bashar myth are two closely related stories: that of the 'moderate rebel' and the story that conjures 'Assad loyalists' or 'regime forces' in place of a large, dedicated national army, with broad popular support," Anderson elaborated.

Contrary to the Western media narrative, the Syrian Arab Army has much popular support. Furthermore, most of Syrians displaced by the conflict have not fled the country but moved to other parts of it under army protection, the Australian academic stressed, adding that numerous stories of the atrocities allegedly committed by the Syrian Arab Army turned out to be false.

Even so-called "moderate" Syrian rebels recognized that the Syrian President and the government forces have about '70 percent' support, as quoted by Western media outlets.

On the other hand, the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood and other sectarian Islamist groups do hate him, according to the academic.

"Quite a number of Syrians have criticized President Assad, but not in the manner of the Western media. Many in Syria regard him as too soft, leading to the name 'Mr. Soft Heart'," the academic remarked.

Meanwhile, the so-called Free Syrian Army brigades, particularly that of Farouk, were spotted blowing up hospitals, conducting ethnic cleansing, killing Alawis and suppressing peaceful civilians. Needless to say, much of these atrocities were ignored by major Western media outlets or the blame was simply shifted onto Assad and the Syrian Arab Army.
"The most highly politicized atrocity was the chemical attack of August 2013, in the Eastern Ghouta region, just outside Damascus," Anderson proceeded with his narrative.

While many Western mainstream media journalists, which relied on FSA sources, jumped to conclusions that Bashar al-Assad was behind the notorious chemical attack, a series of independent reports demolished those claims.

Veteran US journalist Seymour Hersh later revealed that the US intelligence evidence had been fabricated and "cherry picked… to justify a strike against Assad," Anderson remarked, adding that "the Saudi backed FSA group Liwa al-Islam was most likely responsible for the chemical attack on Ghouta."

The Australian academic underscored that during the Syrian presidential elections, held in June 2014, Assad received almost 88 percent of votes, despite the war. The high participation rate — 73 percent — also dealt a severe blow to the positions of Assad's antagonists.

"The size of Bashar's win underlines a stark reality: there never was a popular uprising against this man; and his popularity has grown," the academic stressed.

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 04 Nov 2015 04:02

Wonder if Comrade Rasputin (no relation implied to contemporary entities) ever won an election as well.

Such a nice man! Even the Palace dogs LOVE him because he feeds them such good fresh meat from the residential areas below the Kremlin!

But I see that some ppl here are now accusing the US of sending a Drone to fire an AA missile at a civilian airliner. Absolutely shocking, the paranoia of some postors. First, I don't know any low-speed drones that are equipped to carry AA missiles. A missile to come down and fry a white Toyota, yes, but not a transonic airliner at 30K feet.

But a collision with a drone takes little imagination to imagine, which of course some of our more neoCon postors are blessed not to have. Near-misses happen quite frequently even in controlled airspace, so over a lawless airspace such as the Sinai, (which is heavily spied-on by various entities) this is to be expected. Could be a Russian drone for all you know. Or Israeli. Or Egyptian. Or Saudi. Or Swedish (GreenPeace). Or French. Or British. Or one of the SuperPowers such as Qatar or China. But AMERICAN?

NEVER!

Satya_anveshi · Post by **Satya_anveshi** » 04 Nov 2015 04:11

Inside the Pentagon’s Fight Over Russia Nov 02, 2015

For those villagers eagerly snapping pictures on the side of a road in the Czech Republic in late September, the appearance of the line of U.S. “Stryker” armored fighting vehicles must have seemed more like a parade than a large-scale military operation. The movement of some 500-plus soldiers of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment from Vilsack in Bavaria to a Hungarian military base was intended to strengthen U.S. ties with the Czech, Slovak and Hungarian militaries and put Russia’s Vladimir Putin on notice. Dubbed “Dragoon Crossing,” the tour traced a winding 846- kilometer tour that featured airdrops and simulated bridge seizures to show America’s Eastern European allies that the U.S. military could respond quickly to any threat. “We are demonstrating operational freedom of maneuver across Eastern Europe,” Col. John V. Meyer III told a reporter for the Army’s website, “and that is having the strategic effect of enabling our alliance, assuring our allies, and deterring the Russians.”
But not everyone is convinced. “This Stryker parade won’t fool anyone in Moscow,” says retired Army Colonel Douglas Macgregor. “The Russians don’t do many things well, but they have been subverting, destabilizing, invading and conquering their neighbors since Peter the Great. And what’s our response: a small unit of light armored trucks.”
Story Continued Below

Vladimir Putin has done more than make headlines with his aggressive military moves from Ukraine to Syria, along with displays of force on the high seas and in the air. The Russian leader has also escalated an intense debate inside the Pentagon over the appropriate response to the Kremlin’s new, not-so-friendly global profile—and over the future of the U.S. Army. And now the debate has spread to Capitol Hill: later this week the Senate Armed Services Committee will hold a hearing addressing the same issue.
Ironically, this Washington war of ideas has pitted against each other two brainy career Army officers who fought together in one of the most famous battles of modern times.

On one side is Macgregor, an outspoken and controversial advocate for reform of the Army– whose weapons he describes as “obsolescent,” its senior leaders as “self-interested,” and its spending as “wasteful.” Viewed by many of his colleagues as one of the most innovative Army officers of his generation, Macgregor, a West Point graduate with a Ph.D. in international relations (“he can be pretty gruff,” a fellow West Point graduate says, “but he’s brilliant”), led the 2nd Cav’s “Cougar Squadron” in the best-known battle of Operation Desert Storm in February 1991. In 23 minutes, Macgregor’s force destroyed an entire Iraqi Armored Brigade (including nearly 70 Iraqi armored vehicles), while suffering a single American casualty. Speaking at a military “lessons learned” conference one year later, Air Force General Jack Welsh described the Battle of 73 Easting (named for a map coordinate) as “a stunning, overwhelming victory.”
In the wake of the battle, however, Macgregor calculated that if his unit had fought a highly trained and better armed enemy, like the Russians, the outcome would have been different. So, four years later, he published a book called Breaking The Phalanx, recommending that his service “restructure itself into modularly organized, highly mobile, self-contained combined arms teams.” The advice received the endorsement of then-Army Chief of Staff Dennis Reimer, who ordered that copies of Macgregor’s book be provided to every Army general.
But Macgregor is still fighting that battle. In early September he circulated a PowerPoint presentation showing that in a head-to-head confrontation pitting the equivalent of a U.S. armored division against a likely Russian adversary, the U.S. division would be defeated. “Defeated isn’t the right word,” Macgregor told me last week. “The right word is annihilated.” The 21-slide presentation features four battle scenarios, all of them against a Russian adversary in the Baltics – what one currently serving war planner on the Joint Chiefs staff calls “the most likely warfighting scenario we will face outside of the Middle East.”
In two of the scenarios, where the U.S. deploys its current basic formation, called brigade combat teams (BCTs), the U.S. is defeated. In two other scenarios, where Macgregor deploys what he calls Reconnaissance Strike Groups, the U.S. wins. And that’s the crux of Macgregor’s argument: Today the U.S. Army is comprised of BCTs rather than Reconnaissance Strike Groups, or RSGs, which is Macgregor’s innovation. Macgregor’s RSG shears away what he describes as “the top-heavy Army command structure” that would come with any deployment in favor of units that generate more combat power. “Every time we deploy a division we deploy a division headquarters of 1,000 soldiers and officers,” Macgregor explains. “What a waste; those guys will be dead within 72 hours.” Macgregor’s RSG, what he calls “an alternative force design,” does away with this Army command echelon, reporting to a joint force commander–who might or might not be an Army officer. An RSG, Macgregor says, does not need the long supply tail that is required of Brigade Combat Teams – it can be sustained with what it carries from ten days to two weeks without having to be resupplied.

Macgregor’s views line him up against Lt. General H.R. McMaster, an officer widely thought of as one of the Army’s best thinkers. McMaster fought under Macgregor at “73 Easting,” where he commanded Eagle Troop in Macgregor’s Cougar Squadron. McMaster, however, had more success in the Army than Macgregor, is a celebrated author (of Dereliction of Duty, a classic in military history), and is credited with seeding the Anbar Awakening during the Iraq War. Even so, McMaster was twice passed over for higher command until David Petraeus, who headed his promotion board, insisted his success be recognized. McMaster is now a lieutenant general and commands the high-profile Army Capabilities Integration Center (called “ARCINC”), whose mandate is to “design the Army of the future.” David Barno, a retired Lt. General who headed up the US command in Afghanistan, describes McMaster as an officer “who has repeatedly bucked the system and survived to join its senior ranks.”
For many, McMaster is as controversial as Macgregor, with comments about him spanning the spectrum from condemnation to praise. “H.R. is an excellent officer and a good friend,” a senior JCS officer says, “but you don’t get to three stars by being an outsider, and you don’t get to head ARCINC by bucking the system.” Retired Brigadier General Kimmitt waves away claims that McMaster has traded his ideals for promotion (“clichéd nonsense,” he says) and describes McMaster as “a giant in a land of midgets. He’s the one true intellectual in the Army’s corporate culture. He’s smarter than almost any of them.”

In effect, the debate between Macgregor and McMaster is a battle over whether the Army’s BCT structure is capable of matching up against what Army thinkers call a “near peer” competitor, like Russia. Though it may sound to outsiders like a disagreement over crossed t’s and dotted i’s, the dispute is fundamental–focusing on whether, in a future conflict, the U.S. military can actually win. Even inside the Pentagon, that is very much in doubt. A recent article by defense writer Julia Ioffe reported the “dispiriting” results of a Pentagon “thought exercise” between a red team (Russia) and a blue team, NATO. The “table top” exercise stipulated a Russian invasion of the Baltics, the same scenario proposed by Macgregor. “After eight hours of gaming out various scenarios,” Ioffe wrote, a blue team member concluded that NATO “would lose.”

The military is taking Macgregor’s challenge seriously, in part because the retired colonel has spurred interest in his reform ideas from one of the most important players in the defense community, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain. McCain was said to be impressed after Macgregor and Admiral Mark Fitzgerald briefed him on the new force design last January 17, telling his staff to set up briefings for Macgregor with other senators. Then, in September, after Macgregor’s simulations were completed, he briefed senior Senate Armed Services staffers, arguing that replacing BCTs with RSGs would make Army formations more lethal and eliminate the budget redundancies in the current system, with potential savings of tens of billions of dollars.
“Macgregor scares the hell out of the Army,” says a senior Joint Chiefs war planner. “What he has proposed is nothing less than the dismantling of the Big Green Machine, getting the Army to embrace a future of lighter, more agile forces than the big lumbering behemoth which takes forever to spool up and deploy. I’ll bet the armor and airborne guys are furious. Reform my ass: Macgregor has walked into the zoo and slapped the gorilla.”
Indeed, one of the pitfalls of Macgregor’s Army career was that he slapped a few too many gorillas along the way. He has long been known for his ability to alienate senior officers, not least because he suggested they spent their time sucking up to their superiors, instead of figuring out how to wage war.
In January of 2001, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld insisted that U.S. Central Command General Tommy Franks and his Iraq war planning staff meet with Macgregor, who argued that the U.S. should scale back its Iraq fighting force, racing to Baghdad with a mobile blitz using just 50,000 troops. Franks, and senior Army leaders, rejected Macgregor’s advice, resented his intervention (one commander walked out of the room in disgust, while Macgregor was talking) and after the end of the war, sidelined him in a series of meaningless staff jobs. After being passed over for promotion, Macgregor retired in 2004. Despite this, he retains his outsized influence in Army circles, where his ideas are circulated–and quietly supported. “Doug Macgregor is a pain in the ass,” retired Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt notes, “but that doesn’t make him wrong. Serious people take him seriously.”
In his campaign for reform, Macgregor has recruited a number of high-profile retired military officers to what is known in the military as “the Macgregor Transformation Model.” Macgregor and his supporters presented his model to a packed house on Capitol Hill in November of 2013 and the next year, in these pages, he compared the Army to a nine passenger rowboat–where “four would steer, three would call cadence and two would man the oars.”[1]
Who is right in the great debate? Macgregor was reluctant to provide detailed, proprietary information on how his warfighting scenarios were actually designed, but he agreed to allow me to talk to one of his key simulators, who confirmed that Macgregor’s team comprised officers from every service, who spent months designing the simulation and reviewing the data. “The design of the RSG took eight years,” this former senior military commander told me, “but the actual simulation, based on highly complex mathematical models that are used by the military, started in June and ran for seven weeks. Getting the data right was hell on earth. What we did had to be empirical, provable, convincing.”
Some skeptics suggest that the Macgregor-McMaster debate is less about the Army’s structure than its budget, which has been pared down by sequestration and is therefore being more fiercely fought over. “The Russians have made improvements in their military, but in my opinion the Army exaggerates their capabilities. Hell, they can’t even get their draftees to show up,” says David Majumdar, a defense analyst and Russian military expert at the Center for the National Interest. “The bottom line here is that increasing the Russian threat is a good strategy to increase the Army budget. This isn’t about fighting the Russians, this is about fighting the Congress. This is about getting past sequestration.”
Retired Army Colonel David Johnson, a regular adviser to the military at the Rand Corp., disputes this and says the debate on Army capabilities is as much about weapons as anything else. “We might or might not be fighting the Russians,” he says, “but we’re almost certainly going to be fighting Russian weapons.” On the day that I spoke with him about the Macgregor-McMaster debate, in mid-September, Johnson had just returned from briefing McMaster and his team about the issue, concluding that the U.S. has “important capability gaps” that “put our ground forces and future strategies at high risk.” For Johnson, “fighting their weapons” means countering not just military formations, but sophisticated air defenses, ballistic missiles, and special operations forces”–things the Russians are good at. “It’s a new battlefield,” he concludes, “in which nothing survives that flies under 25,000 feet.”
McMaster also says the debate “has nothing to do with trying to break sequestration,” Instead, he told me during a wide ranging telephone interview, “it has to do with carrying out the mission that we have. … The real question here is not about the budget, it’s about the strength and capabilities of our forces. We have to be prepared for every contingency.” And that includes fighting on for far longer than Macgregor thinks might be necessary, as happened in Iraq and Afghanistan. For McMaster, the current Army structure is the best way to do that. “We’re not going to abandon the Brigade Combat Team,” he says. “It’s a building block and it’s a good one. It works.”

Even so, McMaster dismisses suggestions that he is embroiled in a face-off with his former commander. “I think Doug and I are in much closer agreement than you think,” he argues. “He says that the Army needs a greater concentration of lethality and mobility. I agree. He says our formations need greater access to joint capabilities. I agree. He says ‘cut the overhead,’ and I agree with that too. What I want and what Doug wants is a greater integration of lethality at lower levels, at the battalion level for instance, and much better and more robust ISR [intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance] capabilities. That said, I think there is probably one place where we diverge. Doug underestimates our sustainability requirements – and that’s key.”
For McMaster, the question isn’t simply whether the U.S. (and the Army) can fight and win (he believes it can); it’s whether having won it’s possible to manage the victory; in Colin Powell’s phrase, to “own the china” once it’s been broken. Macgregor says his RSGs are self- contained and can fight and win without resupply for seven days to two weeks. McMaster scoffs at this, saying it might take a lot longer and the Army is not simply asked to deploy, fight and win, but to then manage the post-conflict environment and “prepare for every contingency." And that, in turn, takes a lot more troops. Macgregor’s response? If you focus on fighting and winning instead of nation building you won't need 630,000 troops.
This is precisely the problem that has dogged the U.S. military in Afghanistan and Iraq, where insufficient forces were required to endure multiple deployments. More simply, the U.S. military proved it could defeat Saddam’s vastly superior numbers with just 148,000 U.S. troops – but running the country after Saddam’s defeat strained American resources, led to multiple unit deployments and resulted in the adoption of a last-gasp surge.
An Army that cannot be sustained dampens recruiting, erodes readiness, undermines officer retention and increases desertions. Put another way, McMaster implies, an Army of 420,000 (a number that slashing the Army budget will yield), can fight and win a war–but, as in Afghanistan and Iraq, it’s not enough to maintain the peace.
“People think of the Army as simply a combat force, but if Afghanistan and Iraq have shown anything it’s that after you have conquered the space you still have to manage it,” McMaster argues. “I want to make it clear here: we will operate within the budget. The Army has always made do with what the Congress believes is appropriate–and we’ll do that now. But the American people must understand that we are being asked to shape political outcomes, and that requires resources. It’s not just a matter of building combat capable units, you have to supplement those units and train those units to provide governance. Korea is a good example of this. I know it’s sixty years ago, but it’s still a good model. We protected South Korea, but then we had to stay there and provide stability so that the Koreans could build that society. And it worked, we were successful – they’re now one of the great economic success stories in the world. And it wasn’t just staving off the North Koreans that did that.”
Macgregor responds by pointing out that ultimate victory is not a matter of size. “The problem with the U.S. Army is much bigger than numbers,” he says. “It’s not organized, equipped, or trained for a high end, conventional, integrated joint battle with a numerically and at least in some ways qualitatively superior enemy on the enemy’s chosen turf. In the simulation, it’s Russia. But it could just as easily be China. Even if you increased the Army to 600,000 in its current form … it would still fail. That’s the problem and, by the way, the Army knows it.”
McMaster disagrees. “We’ve built an Army that knows how to fight and win,” he says, “and it’s proven that. Can we get better? Sure, we can get better. And we’re working to get better every day. But our military has been successful in protecting this country, in deterring aggression. But for deterrence to be effective you need a brute force option. That’s what the Army is – our brute force option. It’s a pretty good one.”
R. Jordan Prescott, a defense analyst who has followed the debate over the Army for the last decade, admits that the change that Macgregor and his supporters propose will be hard to enact. But he points out two factors may change that equation. “The defense establishment is facing serious budget constraints, and that’s not going to change,” he says. “Which means the Army will have to make do with a lot less. But why wouldn’t you do both? Why not spend less and get stronger. But more crucially, all of Washington is now getting caught up in this debate. There are at least a dozen commissions and study groups focusing on this.”

Which is to say that the simmering debate over the future of the Army will not be left to the generals to decide. One hopes, too, that it will not be left to Vladimir Putin to decide either.

Satya_anveshi · Post by **Satya_anveshi** » 04 Nov 2015 04:15

US DoD: No US-Russia Joint Exercise; Russia Opens New Syrian Base Nov 03, 2015

a U.S. military official reports that Russia has opened a new base in Tiyas, Syria near Palmyra - bringing the number of Russian bases in Syria to four.

The first base in Latakia remains the main hub for Russian operations in Syria. The second, a forward staging base, opened in Hama. The third base opened just south of Homs in Shairat.

The Russians have moved five attack helicopters to the new base in Tiyas.

This new location is very significant, the U.S. military official explains, because, given the location, the Russians are likely to actually strike ISIS targets from there

TSJones · Post by **TSJones** » 04 Nov 2015 05:24

UlanBatori wrote:Wonder if Comrade Rasputin (no relation implied to contemporary entities) ever won an election as well.
Such a nice man! Even the Palace dogs LOVE him because he feeds them such good fresh meat from the residential areas below the Kremlin!
But I see that some ppl here are now accusing the US of sending a Drone to fire an AA missile at a civilian airliner. Absolutely shocking, the paranoia of some postors. First, I don't know any low-speed drones that are equipped to carry AA missiles. A missile to come down and fry a white Toyota, yes, but not a transonic airliner at 30K feet.

But a collision with a drone takes little imagination to imagine, which of course some of our more neoCon postors are blessed not to have. Near-misses happen quite frequently even in controlled airspace, so over a lawless airspace such as the Sinai, (which is heavily spied-on by various entities) this is to be expected. Could be a Russian drone for all you know. Or Israeli. Or Egyptian. Or Saudi. Or Swedish (GreenPeace). Or French. Or British. Or one of the SuperPowers such as Qatar or China. But AMERICAN? NEVER!

Not only that, but a stealth enabled drone capable of evading radar while flying at 30,000 feet in broad daylight over helpless foreign countries.

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 04 Nov 2015 05:40

May 9, 2014: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/drone-has ... enger-jet/

May 10, 2014: http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/09/travel/un ... index.html

August 27, 2011: http://defensetech.org/2011/08/17/midai ... and-a-uav/

October 29, 2015: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/bri ... -1.2417037

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/sp ... aa-drones/

November 19 Pottsville, Pa. A Life Flight V helicopter is descending to the Schuylkill County airport at 2,400 feet when a flight nurse sees a drone flying toward the aircraft “at a high rate of closure.” Pilot made an evasive right bank turn, missing drone by 50 to 100 feet.
November 18 New York Jet Blue Flight 1572, an Airbus 319 inbound to LaGuardia Airport, reports that a suspected small drone flew “under the nose of the aircraft” while between 1,500 and 2,000 feet.
November 16 New York Delta Airlines Flight 838, a Boeing 737 arriving from San Diego, and Virgin Atlantic Flight 9, a Boeing 747 from London, report a drone or possible large balloon with anti-collision white lights while descending toward John F. Kennedy International Airport. The Delta pilot reports that the drone came within 10 feet of his left wing.
November 13 Phoenix Air Canada Rouge Flight 1837, an Airbus 319 arriving from Toronto, reports a “disk-like” drone passing within 20 to 40 feet of the aircraft while at 3,000 feet, 10 miles northwest of Phoenix.
November 2 Orlando A Cessna 172 reports a drone passing 100 feet below the aircraft at an altitude of 1,000 feet near Orlando-Sanford International Airport.
October 17 Norfolk US Airways Flight 5180, operated by PSA Airlines, a regional carrier, reports a drone passing 200 feet below the aircraft while three miles southeast of Norfolk International Airport. The incident occurred while the Bombardier CRJ 200 was at an altitude of 3,000 feet.
October 12 Tinker Air Force Base, Okla. Oklahoma City air traffic control tower reports an unspecified aircraft “taking evasive action” to avoid a small drone at 4,800 feet. The pilot said the two-foot-wide black drone, with a camera attached to the bottom, passed within 10 to 20 feet of the aircraft.
September 30 New York Air traffic controllers report that a red, black and yellow drone “almost hit” Republic Airlines Flight 6230 while inbound to LaGuardia Airport at an altitude of 4,000 feet, about two miles north of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge.
September 22 Medford, Ore. Cirrus SR-22 pilot reports a small drone passing about 100 feet underneath while at an altitude of 4,000 feet. “Some idiot out there with a drone,” the pilot, Kyle Fortune, said in an interview.
September 21 New Orleans United Airlines Flight 315, an Airbus 319 bound for Houston, reports a helicopter drone about 100 feet off the right side of the aircraft during takeoff.
September 20 Portland, Ore. Piper Archer II reports a small red drone passing 50 to 100 feet away at an altitude of 3,000 feet while on descent to Portland International Airport. “The thing flashed by, just off my left wingtip,” said the pilot, Gary Dawson.
September 17 Leesburg, Va. Pilot of a Cessna 172 reports a drone with two red lights passing 200 feet overhead while at an altitude of 1,800 feet. “It came out of seemingly nowhere,” the pilot, Mike Gilbert, a flight instructor, said in an interview. For general-aviation aircraft, “if one of those things hits us, we’re coming down,” he added.
September 17 New York Police helicopter reports a drone at an altitude of 800 feet, flying circles around the police aircraft and coming as close as 50 feet. Police officers on the ground apprehend the suspected drone operator.
September 14 Portsmouth, N.H. Pilot of a Piper PA-31 Navajo reports a lime-green, four-rotor drone coming within 200 feet of his aircraft while at an altitude of about 2,000 feet. “I did a double take,” the pilot, Danny Hughes, said in an interview. “There’s a lot of bad things that could happen if it hits you.”
September 8 New York Three regional airliners -- Express Jet Flight 5346, Pinnacle Airlines Flight 4166 and Chautauqua Airlines Flight 6119 – consecutively report “a very close call” with a drone while approaching LaGuardia Airport at an altitude of about 2,000 feet.
August 25 Purcellville, Va. Pilot of a Cessna 172 reports that a small drone came within 20 feet of the aircraft while at 1,500 feet near Dulles International Airport. Drone described as three feet tall and with a two-foot-wide rotor on top.
July 29 New York US Airways Flight 2192, arriving from Washington, reports a yellow drone with a four-foot wingspan passing within 50 feet of the aircraft at an altitude of 4,000 feet while descending toward LaGuardia Airport.
July 20 Newark Express Jet Flight 4388, arriving at Newark International Airport from Jacksonville, Fla., reported a traffic-collision alert system warning after coming within 500 to 1,000 feet of a drone while on final approach for landing.
July 18 Charlotte Pilot of US Airways Flight 4797, arriving from Greenville, N.C., reports “we were nearly hit by a drone” while approaching Charlotte-Douglas International Airport at 3,100 feet. Pilot estimates that the drone passed 100 feet underneath.
July 11 Cleveland Pilot of a Schweizer helicopter reports that a red quadcopter drone passes about 50 yards off his left side at an altitude of 1,700 feet.
July 11 New Orleans Medical-transport helicopter reports a drone with red-and-white lights passing within 100 feet while en route from Baton Rouge to New Orleans at an altitude of 2,800 feet.
June 29 Dulles International Airport Pilot of Porter Airlines Flight 725, arriving from Toronto, reports that a black-and-silver drone passes within 50 feet while on descent to Dulles at an altitude of 2,800 feet.
June 26 Scottsdale, Ariz. Cessna 510 pilot reports a quadcopter passing 50 feet off his wing at an altitude of 1,000 feet while descending to land at Scottsdale.
June 25 Teterboro, N.J. Pilot of a Dassault Falcon corporate jet belonging to Duke Energy reports a silver helicopter drone passing 50 feet beneath his right wing while on final approach to the Teterboro airport at an altitude of 800 feet.
June 1 Dulles International Airport United Airlines Flight 967 reports a gold-bronze helicopter drone with four rotors passing 100 feet below the Boeing 767 at an altitude of 1,800 feet, about five miles north of Dulles.

SOURCE: FAA incident reports, pilot interviews, Aviation Safety Reporting System database, air-traffic controller reports. Published Nov 26, 2014.

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Which proves that radar does not exist in the United States of America. :roll:Not even around major airports, let alone in uncontrolled airspace.

Best report was by the pilots on approach to SFO at 5000 feet:

A guy in a lawn-chair suspended below a balloon, off the port wing

OT I know, but only military radar operators know if there were drones over the Sinai that day. Another report said that it was impossible for the ISIS to have brought in a SAM because "the Sinai is monitored very closely and anything of that sort would have been spotted immediately" How else than by drones?

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 04 Nov 2015 06:13

Obama to support ISIS with Air Superiority
Wow! The ISIS will be the only terrorist movement to have F-16s (Turkey), F-15s (KSA), and F-22s (ObamaAF) on their side.

TSJones · Post by **TSJones** » 04 Nov 2015 06:29

...and all of those drone incidents were at 30,000 feet, no doubt......and very remote areas......

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 04 Nov 2015 06:57

all these drones were lying in wait along known predictable arrival or departure airlanes with planes flying at least possible speed.
could be errant photographers or planespotters trying to capture bragworthy air to air footage.

none of these prosumer drones can even hope to match a A321 in full stride ie 30,000feet and 750 kmph...even the monstrous global hawk has barely half that speed, albeit it has twice the ceiling. unless the drone collider had a reception party waiting on ground to remove every piece of it before any egyptians arrived, its not on. anyone going to such a complicated play might as well fire a AAM and get it over it.

Ulan, please go easy on the CT