FROM THE EDITOR

April 17, 2006

Cost-effective warfare?

By Richard W. Rahn
Do you think too much or too little is spent on defense? The U.S. government now spends a half-trillion dollars a year on its military, or about $1,700 for every man, woman and child in America.
I asked the opening question in the way many members of the media and political class pose it. The correct question is: What does America (or any other country) need to do to protect itself, and how can it do that in the most cost-effective way?
http://www.washingtontimes.com/commentary/20060413-090901-9270r.htm

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"In the century and a half between 1650 and 1800 large standing armies fell out of favor because they bacame too expensive for rulers to risk heavy losses. During this period, rulers resorted to professional armies. In these conflicts, armies were largely raised by military contractors, or condottiere."
Bevin Alexander

PROFESSIONAL ARTICLES, EDITORIALS AND OPINIONS

Muslim extremists 'being watched' ahead of Cup

From our friends at the Terrorism Research Center (http://www.terrorism.com)

More than 50 Muslims who have returned to Germany from fighting in Iraq are under observation by German authorities two months ahead of the football World Cup, Focus news magazine reported. Citing security forces in Berlin, Focus, in a report made available ahead of Monday's publication, said those in question had been identified by the German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
http://www.terrorism.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=WarReports&file=index&view=1109

World War IV As Fourth-Generation Warfare

Four years after the September 11 events, while many of the initial assumptions of the global war on terrorism (GWOT) have undergone an agonizing reappraisal, a new Washington consensus about the nature of the challenge facing the West and the moderate Muslim world has yet to emerge. Can the notoriously dysfunctional interagency process ever be fixed by organizational tinkering alone, without the elaboration of a common conceptual ground? However lively it may be at times, the Beltway’s ongoing “Operation Infinite Conversation” is no substitute for strategizing.
Does it make sense to keep framing the issue in terms of “terrorism” when the enemy itself, taking a leaf from the book of the most advanced American strategists, talks about “fourth-generation warfare?” At the working level, federal agency officers from DOD, DOS, DHS, AID and the intelligence community come to the GWOT with heterogeneous concepts, doctrines, lenses, frames of reference, metrics, etc. and talk past one another — when they don’t end up working at cross purposes.
http://www.policyreview.org/000/corn.html

Target: Iran

A MILITARY OPTION AGAINST Iran's nuclear facilities is feasible. A diplomatic solution to the nuclear crisis is preferable, but without a credible military option and the will to implement it, diplomacy will not succeed. The announcement of uranium enrichment last week by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad shows Iran will not bow easily to diplomatic pressure. The existence of a military option may be the only means of persuading Iran--the world's leading sponsor of terrorism--to back down from producing nuclear weapons.
A military option would be all the more credible if backed by a new coalition of the willing and if coupled with intense diplomacy during a specific time frame. The coalition could include Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Turkey, Britain, France, and Germany. Solidarity is important and would surely contribute to potential diplomatic success. But should others decline the invitation, the United States must be prepared to act.
http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/012/101dorxa.asp

BREAKING NEWS FOR THE PROFESSIONAL

U.S. Military Secrets for Sale at Afghan Bazaar

No more than 200 yards from the main gate of the sprawling U.S. base here, stolen computer drives containing classified military assessments of enemy targets, names of corrupt Afghan officials and descriptions of American defenses are on sale in the local bazaar.
Shop owners at the bazaar say Afghan cleaners, garbage collectors and other workers from the base arrive each day offering purloined goods, including knives, watches, refrigerators, packets of Viagra and flash memory drives taken from military laptops. The drives, smaller than a pack of chewing gum, are sold as used equipment.
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/la-fg-disks10apr10,1,3648406.story?ctrack=1&cset=true

Wal-Mart drops gun sales in some stores

Retailer says move due to lack of demand in about one third of locations Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has decided to stop selling guns in about a third of its U.S. stores in what it calls a marketing decision based on lack of demand in some places, a company spokeswoman said Friday. The world's largest retailer decided last month to remove firearms from about 1,000 stores in favor of stocking other sporting goods, in line with a "Store of the Community" strategy for boosting sales by paying closer attention to local differences in demand. "This decision is based on diminished customer relevancy and demand in these markets," said Wal-Mart spokeswoman Jolanda Stewart. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12316692/

Sensing change, migrants rush to the border

Mexicans hurrying to Arizona anticipating passage of guest-worker plan
At a shelter overflowing with migrants airing their blistered feet, Francisco Ramirez nursed muscles sore from trekking through the Arizona desert — a trip that failed when his wife did not have the strength to go on. He said the couple would rest for a few days, then try again, a plan echoed by dozens reclining on rickety bunk beds and carpets tossed on the floor after risking violent bandits and the harsh desert in unsuccessful attempts to get into the United States. The shelter’s manager, Francisco Loureiro, said he has not seen such a rush of migrants since 1986, when the United States allowed 2.6 million illegal residents to get American citizenship.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12291035/

Twenty-Eight Articles

Fundamentals of Company-level Counterinsurgency
by David Kilcullen
This paper reflects the author.s personal judgments and does not represent the views of any department or agency of the U.S. Government or any other government.
Introduction
Your company has just been warned for deployment on counterinsurgency operations in Iraq or Afghanistan. You have read David Galula, T.E. Lawrence and Robert Thompson. You have studied FM 3-24 and now understand the history, philosophy and theory of counterinsurgency. You watched Black Hawk Down and The Battle of Algiers, and you know this will be the most difficult challenge of your life.
But what does all the theory mean, at the company level? How do the principles translate into action . at night, with the GPS down, the media criticizing you, the locals complaining in a language you don.t understand, and an unseen enemy killing your people by ones and twos? How does counterinsurgency actually happen?
http://www.blackwaterusa.com/btw2006/articles/041706company.pdf

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SECURITY FOR THE PROFESSIONAL

Intelligence office tackles wide range of threats

Negroponte works to stay up to speed as global challenges ratchet higher
In one year, the Office of the National Intelligence Director has grown from a staff of zero to 1,500, raising concern about whether it is becoming another clumsy bureaucracy as it tries to avoid the intelligence lapses of 9/11 and Iraq. The reports from the field about the impact of the nation’s first intelligence chief, John Negroponte, aren’t flattering. Turf wars. A bloated management structure. Low morale at the CIA. Even Negroponte’s allies concede his organization is still trying to get up to speed as it deals with the hottest spots around the globe. Just this week, Iran announced it had begun enriching uranium.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12307973/

Spending Lags for Iraqi Police Training

The U.S. military has spent just 40 percent of the $7 billion appropriated in 2005 for the training of Iraqi and Afghanistan security forces, a top Pentagon priority that is lynchpin for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. The slow pace of spending was outlined in a congressional report that also raised questions about whether the Pentagon needs the full $5.9 billion it has requested for training this year in an emergency spending bill that is pending in Congress. The report comes as Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and the Bush administration have complained about cuts in the funding for Iraqi forces that is included in the House-passed version of the bill.
http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,94217,00.html

Coalition probes possible Afghan ‘friendly fire’

Military officials are probing two clashes in which Afghan civilians and police may have been killed by U.S.-led coalition forces, authorities said Monday.
The U.S. military has launched an inquiry into Saturday’s deaths of seven Afghan civilians after American forces using aircraft and artillery battled militants in a house and a cave complex in eastern Afghanistan’s Kunar province. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12324551/

Al-Qaida’s No. 2 issues video appeal

Al-Qaida’s deputy leader Ayman al-Zawahri praised insurgents in Iraq — particularly Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi — and called on all Muslims to support them in a video posted Thursday on the Internet.
The video was dated with an Islamic month corresponding to November 2005 — and al-Zawahri mentions an Oct. 23 earthquake that hit Pakistan and Afghanistan. But it appeared to be the first time the 28-minute video has been made public. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12292578/

FRANKS REVIEW

Service Equipment Review:

Springfield Armory 5,000 Round Report

In May of 2005 I did the initial report on the Springfield Armory 1911 "loaded" pistol. In the eleven months since then, I've put just over 5,000 rounds through the same weapon. As has been done repeatedly with Glock handguns, I felt I should document what wear and tear has occurred and any change in performance that results from those 5,000 rounds.

First let me say that the 5,000 rounds have been a conglomeration of ammunition from various manufacturers, various bullet designs, different bullets weights, some frangible, etc. In that 5,000 rounds of firing, the only malfunction I've experienced was tracked back to a cheap magazine from an aftermarket maker. Using the magazines that were provided by Springfield Armory, and using Wilson steel magazines as well, I've had no feeding malfunctions. As with any 1911 (in my experience) the gun will start to cycle slow when it gets dirty enough, but a little added lube (Militec is my preference) will get it running smooth until you have a chance for thorough cleaning.

The rest of the story: http://www.borelliconsulting.com/evals/guns/sa19115k.htm

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Recreational Equipment Review

"Angels & Demons" & "The Da Vinci Code"

This week I decided to do something a bit different. Since we don't always grab gear and head outside to "relax", I thought that perhaps I should give some time to another form of relaxation: reading. Since I view virtually all reading to be potentially educational (unless it involves explicit photographs), even the recreational reading I do can be an exercise for my mind (and it needs all the exercise it can get). Recently I read two books by author Dan Brown that I found entertaining, relaxing and challenging all at the same time. Those two books are "Angels & Demons" and "The Da Vinci Code".

The rest of the story: http://www.borelliconsulting.com/recevals/recreading/relaxbrain.htm

CHAPLAINS CORNER

EVERYONE

has trust and faith. Trust is something that we initially give... then experience

teaches us whether we should have given it or not. Faith is something we all

exercise when we accept that something will work or that something is true before

we have the actual personal experience that the thing accepted works... or that it is

true.

Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward.
-Vernon Law

Did you sit on a chair today?... Maybe drive a car?... Flip a light switch?... Eat the

food set in front of you?... If you did any of these things in any place you have never

been before... If you did any of these things with any anything that you have never

used before... You exercised trust (which is a decision) and you exercised faith

(took an action).

Many people drive cars but have no idea how they function nor what makes them

work. Many people flip or turn switches expecting electricity to be activated and

furnish lights or power to accomplish some task... but they do not understand how

electricity works. These people exercise trust by deciding to make use of the

device (chair, car or electricity) and they exercise faith by taking the action that puts

the device into use. If all things are in order the devices work. If anything is out of

order the devices will not function no matter how much trust and faith you have,

unless you receive a miracle.

Read the rest of the story here:http://www.blackwaterusa.com/btw2006/articles/041706chaplain.html

Be Blessed(a condition to be envied by the world).
Be Successful. Be SAFE.
VSP ALUMNI 757-431-2190
Chaplain D.R.Staton, VBPD (Don, C1)
chpln1@verizon.net

BUMPER STICKER

Even if you are on the right track, you will be run over if you just sit there

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