Blackwater Newsletter

From The Editor November 27, 2006

BLACKWATER ANNOUNCES PLANS FOR ITS' NEWEST TRAINING FACILITY, "BLACKWATER NORTH" IN MOUNT CARROLL, IL

Moyock, NC, November 27, 2006 - Already known around the globe as the leading provider of law enforcement, military, counterterrorism, and homeland security training, Blackwater today announces it's plans to open it`s second world-class facility, "Blackwater North", located 150 miles west of Chicago, in the rolling countryside of Mount Carroll, IL.

The facility currently has seven flat ranges, one Known Distance (KD) Range, one Unknown Distance Range, one Climbing/Rappelling/Shooting Tower, and many other training areas. All the ranges on this 80-acre facility are now being refurbished and outfitted to meet the same high quality, realistic training that thousands of professionals now receive at Blackwater Training Center, the flagship in Camden County, NC.

Jim Sierawski, Vice President for Training at Blackwater said, "Blackwater North now gives another option to law enforcement and military professionals in the Midwest and surrounding regions that can reduce total training cost but still give them the ultimate Blackwater experience."

Beginning in March 2007, Blackwater North will offer open enrollment courses, law enforcement and military courses, Bushmaster Weapons Courses, Heckler & Koch Weapons Courses, and Blackwater custom courses.

Founded in 1997 by a former U. S. Navy SEAL, Blackwater was created from the belief that both the military and law enforcement communities would require additional capacity to train fully our brave men and women in and out of uniform to the standards required to keep the country secure. The Blackwater family of businesses includes Blackwater Training Center, Blackwater Security Consulting, Blackwater Canine, Blackwater Armor & Targets, Blackwater Logistics, Blackwater Airships, and Raven Development Group. Blackwater also has strategic partnerships with the Terrorism Research Center (www.terrorism.com) and Greystone Limited (www.greystone-ltd.com).

For more information about how you can train at Blackwater North, please contact our sales department at +1 (252) 435-1748 or email David Taft at dtaft@blackwaterusa.com.

Gary Jackson
President
Blackwater

QUOTE OF THE WEEK


	"These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman." Thomas Paine

PROFESSIONAL ARTICLES, EDITORIALS AND OPINIONS

Surrender as 'Realism'

Retreat would win us no friends and lose us no adversaries.

Foreign policy realism is ascendant these days, we are told. This would be encouraging if true, because our foreign policy must indeed be realistic. But what passes for "realism" today has very little to do with reality. Indeed, if you look at some of the "realist" proposals on the table, "realism" has come to be a kind of code word for surrendering American interests and American allies, as well as American principles, in the Middle East.

Thus, the "realists" advise us to seek Syria's help in Iraq even as the Syrian government engages in a concerted campaign of assassinating every Lebanese political leader who opposes the return of Syrian hegemony in Lebanon. Presumably, the "realist" position is that we should give Lebanon back to Syria, or at least turn a blind eye to its murderous efforts to regain control there, as an incentive to Syria to help us in Iraq, where Syria is also engaged in supporting terrorists. "Realism" is letting dictators get away with terror and murder--and, in particular, letting them get away with the murder of our friends.

Full Story

What the Islamists Have Learned

How to defeat the USA in future wars.

If I were an Islamist, a terrorist, a sworn foe of democracy, here is what I think I would have learned from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. This is what I would write down in my hard-earned manual of instruction.

BY THE WILL OF ALLAH, in all wars to come, may it prepare our brave martyrs for combat operations!

Today, the purpose of war is sharply political, not military; psychological, not physical. The main purpose of war is to dominate the way the enemy imagines and thinks about the war. Warfare is not, these days, won on a grand field of battle. Nor is it won by the force that wins series after series of military victories. Nor is triumph assured by killing far higher numbers of the enemy. The physical side of warfare no longer holds precedence.

The primary battlefield today lies in the minds of opposing publics.

The main strategic aim of war today is to dominate the mind of the enemy's public, and then ultimately to dominate the mind of that public's leaders.

Let me offer three examples. At what moment did the war in Vietnam come to an end? At that precise moment when America's leaders decided that they could not resist the unrelenting storyline of the enemy, which had long prevailed in their own press. The press surrendered first, then the leaders of the nation.

Full Story

Weapon Of Mass Destruction

In the grand narrative of World War II, the Battle of Bryansk is a minor conflict, barely deserving of a footnote. But Bryansk has another place in history. It was there that a then-unknown tank commander named Mikhail Kalashnikov decided that his Russian comrades would never again be defeated. In the years following the Great Patriotic War, as Soviet propagandists dubbed it, he was to conceive and fabricate a weapon so simple, and yet so revolutionary, that it would change the way wars were fought and won. It was the AK-47 assault rifle.

The AK-47 has become the world's most prolific and effective combat weapon, a device so cheap and simple that it can be bought in many countries for less than the cost of a live chicken. Depicted on the flag and currency of several countries, waved by guerrillas and rebels everywhere, the AK is responsible for about a quarter-million deaths every year. It is the firearm of choice for at least 50 legitimate standing armies and countless fighting forces from Africa and the Middle East to Central America and Los Angeles. It has become a cultural icon, its signature form -- that banana-shaped magazine -- defining in our consciousness the contours of a deadly weapon.

Full Story

BREAKING NEWS FOR THE PROFESSIONAL

NATO to expand role to include cyber-crime and terrorism: report

NATO should expand its role to include counter-terrorism, fighting cyber-crime, and the security of natural resources, according to a confidential document that will be endorsed at a summit next week, the Financial Times said. The document, which the newspaper obtained prior to its being made public next week, has already been endorsed by defense ministers, ahead of a conference in Riga, Latvia beginning on Tuesday. Presidents and prime ministers at the Riga summit will also endorse it, the newspaper said. According to the FT, however, diplomats' hopes for the conference are being scaled back because of the continuing struggle to quell a violent insurgency in Afghanistan, where more than 30,000 troops are under NATO command.

Full Story

Terrorist attacks spreading in India beyond Kashmir

India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said that terrorist attacks in the country had spread beyond Kashmir, which is in the grip of a 17-year-old Islamic separatist insurgency. "Attempts to take this threat to other parts of the country to create fear in the minds of our people are in evidence," Singh told a gathering of top police and intelligence officials in New Delhi on Thursday. Home Minister Shivraj Patil also told the conference Wednesday that terrorist threats to India's infrastructure including its atomic plants had risen in the wake of a planned civilian nuclear energy deal with the United States.

Full Story

Shadow of terrorism loiters over Asian Games

Qatar is seen as an island of stability in a volatile region, but a suicide car bombing last year sent shockwaves through the nation and it is taking no chances with security at the Asian Games. The gas-rich state, a wealthy port city, is a close US ally and home to two US military bases that served as a coordination centre for the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. The devastating bomb in March last year exploded outside a theatre near a British school in the capital Doha, killing one Briton and wounding 12 people.

Full Story

Somali Islamists say ready for war, accuse Ethiopia of belligerence

A powerful Somali militia has said it was ready to fight Ethiopian invaders, sparking fears of an all-out war in the lawless African nation. Less than an hour after Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said he had finalized preparations for war, the Islamists war council urged Ethiopia to refrain from sabre-rattling, but announced their readiness to defend themselves. "If Ethiopia is ready for war, we are very ready for the defense of our country, but we urge Ethiopia to refrain from its reckless, war-thirsty behaviour," said Abdurahim Ali Muddey, the spokesman for the Supreme Islamic Council of Somalia (SICS) told AFP Thursday.

Full Story

Mexican drug gang runs newspaper ads

A violent Mexican drug gang took out a rare, half-page ad in newspapers in which they claimed to be anti-crime vigilantes who wanted to stop kidnapping, robbery and the sale of methamphetamine in the western state of Michoacan. The Family, a shadowy group believed to be allied to Mexico's Gulf drug cartel, has claimed responsibility in the past for bloody killings, such as a Sept. 6 attack in which gunmen dumped five severed human heads into a bar in the Michoacan city of Uruapan. Those and other heads discovered since have been accompanied by hand-lettered, poorly spelled notes, but it was apparently the first time the group had taken out newspaper ads.

Full Story

JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE PROFESSIONAL

TO FILL OUT AN APPLICATION AND SUBMIT YOUR RESUME AND DD-214 CLICK HERE

Questions regarding Security Consulting or Training at Blackwater (252) 435-2488

SECURITY FOR THE PROFESSIONAL

More Marines may be needed in terror war

The Marine Corps may need to increase in size to sustain deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan without sacrificing needed training or putting undue stress on the corps, the new Marine commandant said Wednesday. At a breakfast meeting with reporters, Gen. James Conway also warned that it could take years to adequately train and equip the Iraqi security forces - longer, perhaps, "than the timeline that we probably feel ... our country will support." "This is tough work, it doesn't happen overnight," and patience by the American people will be needed, he said. On the plus side, he said Marines he's talked to in recent days are encouraged by the progress they are seeing among Iraqi forces.

Full Story

Iran plotting to groom bin Laden's successor

Iran is trying to form an unholy alliance with al-Qa'eda by grooming a new generation of leaders to take over from Osama bin Laden, The Daily Telegraph can reveal. Western intelligence officials say the Iranians are determined to take advantage of bin Laden's declining health to promote senior officials who are known to be friendly to Teheran.

Full Story

Pentagon wants to build mini-city for terror trials

The Pentagon plans to build a military commissions compound at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, costing up to $125 million, a major undertaking meant to accommodate up to 1,200 people for the first U.S. war crimes trials since World War II, The Miami Herald learned Thursday. If funded by Congress, the compound would be the largest single construction expenditure at Guantanamo since the Bush administration set up the offshore detention center in January 2002. ''The solicitation is unrestricted -- so any number of entities might want to bid on this,'' Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said Thursday. ``We want to start construction as soon as possible, so we can begin multiple trials as early as July of 2007.''

Full Story
This story requires you to sign-up for an account. If you do not want to sign-up for an account at the Miami Herald, I have created one - user e-mail: btw@blackwaterusa.com password:blackwater1.

Israel Looks at the Next Generation of Warfare

After its stalemate in Lebanon last summer, Israel needs new way to fight terrorists. The government has announced a new push into nanotechnology to develop tiny flying robots -- but what would keep guerrilla fighters from using them? More than anything else, the war against Hezbollah in Lebanon last summer convinced Israel of the need to research new ways to fight terrorists. One idea has now received funding: that of building small flying robots that can navigate streets and alleyways. The "bionic hornet," writes Israel's daily Yedioth Ahronoth, could chase, photograph and kill, say, a terrorist hiding with a rocket launcher in a civilian neighborhood -- as an alternative to bombing the neighborhood.

Full Story

Afghan Army to Strike Taliban in Winter

The U.S.-backed Afghan army will step up counter-Taliban offensives this winter, which could see heavy fighting during a period traditionally used by Afghan fighters for rest and resupply, a US general said here Sunday. US Army Brig. Gen. Douglas Pritt, who oversees the U.S.-led effort to train the Afghan military, said Afghan forces have tripled the number of forward bases to more than 60 and plan to spend the winter harassing Taliban and gathering intelligence from combat outposts deep inside rebel strongholds. "They're much better equipped for winter operations than the Taliban. I'm hoping for a lot of snow this winter," Pritt said during a visit to The Associated Press bureau in Dubai.

Full Story

TRAINING FOR THE PROFESSIONAL

Responder Knowledge Base

The administrative details of emergency response are taxing on our nation's law enforcement, firefighter, and EMS personnel. Time is lost mulling over the details of responder equipment, government grants, recommended training, etc...The Responder Knowledge Base (RKB) was created to help relieve this logistical burden. Funded by the Department of Homeland security through the National Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism, the mission of this free service is "To provide Emergency Responders, purchasers, and planners with a trusted, integrated, on-line source of information on products, standards, certifications, grants, and other equipment-related information." In collaboration with the InterAgency Board (IAB) and subject matter experts, the RKB has established an online "first-stop" for responders, collating information from sources once scattered though numerous cumbersome databases. Content includes the DHS Authorized Equipment List, the IAB Standardized Equipment List, nearly 4,000 products, operational suitability testing for hundreds of products, the results of the DHS radiation detector testing, a decontamination efficacy matrix, Lessons Learned and Information Sharing documents, Homeland Security Grant Program information, responder training, and more. The ability to "Ask an Expert" on the RKB provides responders with a reliable resource for all responder-related questions. Additionally, the ability of RKB users to provide offline "User Opinions" helps further increase the utility of the RKB. With its vast content and sophisticated integration scheme, the RKB succeeds in helping responders answer all their equipment related needs.

Please register with the RKB at www.rkb.mipt.org

View the IAB website at www.iab.gov

FRANKS REVIEW

Service Equipment Review

Glock 19: Ten Years On

A little more than ten years ago, I purchased a Glock Model 19 9mm handgun as my off-duty weapon. The PD I was with at the time was issuing Beretta 92Fs and while I don't have (big) issues with the performance of the 9mm cartridge (let's admit it: it's more than 100 years old and we've got it figured out) I don't care for the size of the Beretta 92F when it comes to off-duty carry. Due to responsibilities I had as the agency firearms instructor, I was already a Glock armorer and was familiar with the simplicity of the weapons. That appealed to me. Less to break. So, I went to the local gun dealer and purchased my G19. It's a second generation model and I've since made a few minor modifications to it. This week's review is of the G19 and how it's held up / performed across that ten years. With the exception of recommended parts upgrades, nothing has ever had to be replaced. That is to say that nothing has ever worn out or been broken.

Full Story Can Be Viewed At: http://www.borelliconsulting.com/evals/guns/g1910yr.htm

Recreational Equipment Review

Clive & Dirk Cussler's "Black Wind"

"The only constant in life is change." I wish I knew who to credit with that quote because it is so true! I've been a fan of Clive Cussler for a number of years now but I knew that inevitably something would change and I'd have to decide whether or not to remain a fan. In his line of books about the daring Dirk Pitt, Dirk's buddy Al Giordino and the stern - but always fair - Admiral Sandecker, the National Underwater Marine Agency (NUMA) battled bad guys on waterways (and in deserts) all around the world. With Black Wind, two evolutions have occurred: 1) Clive has his son, Dirk, helping him write (so we know who's going to continue the books), and 2) Sandecker is Vice-President, Dirk Pitt is NUMA Director, and Dirk's son (Dirk Jr.) becomes the Special Projects Director. Aside from those changes, this is a classic story from Cussler about historical events that affect our future.

Full Story Can Be Viewed At: http://www.borelliconsulting.com/recevals/recreading/blackwind.htm

CHAPLAINS CORNER

MESSAGE TO A SON IN BASIC TRAINING...

Hello Son...

How is it going? Are you having fun yet? How much weight have you lost (or gained)? Do you have any leisure time? How about your D.I.?

By now you have answers to all of the above questions... but to you they probably do not mean much. I am sure that you have your mind on other more pressing things.

Son, what you learn there will determine how well you do when it counts for life and victory. You have decided to become one of the people who stand out and stand up for the rights of all the rest of us and I am naturally concerned about how well you are doing. I know that sometimes the idea will enter your thoughts... "What am I doing here?" I know that sometimes it is very difficult just to keep moving and get to where the Instructor says you must arrive and be in the condition that you are told that you must present when you arrive there. I know that they must push you to see how well you can take it and how well you survive and perform under pressure. They do all of this for a very valuable reason... They do it because if you cannot survive the rigors of training you will never survive the hell of life threatening battle against an enemy that wants to spill your blood, take your life and grind your remains into the dirt.

Full Story Can Be Viewed At:
../../btw2006/article/112706chaplain.htm

BUMPER STICKER


	Shhh... that's the sound of nobody caring what you think

CONTACT INFORMATION

The Blackwater Tactical Weekly is a free weekly e-publication.

The BTW provides readers valuable information from diverse sources regarding tactical and strategic security issues.

Editor-in-Chief – Gary Jackson (btw@blackwaterusa.com)
Managing Editor – Brent Heminger (btw@blackwaterusa.com)
IT Manager– J Harrison (jharrison@blackwaterusa.com)
Frank’s Review – Frank Borelli (frank@borelliconsulting.com)
Chaplain’s Corner - Chaplain D. R. Staton(chpln1@verizon.net)
Advertising – David Niccolini (niccolini@terrorism.com)

Questions regarding Security Consulting or Training at Blackwater (252) 435-2488

Editorial Calendar:
Each week, the BTW will be geared toward a distinct market sector.

1st Monday of Month First Responder
2nd Monday of Month Military
3rd Monday of Month Homeland Security
4th Monday of Month Corporate Security
5th Monday of Month (if applicable) Editor’s Choice

The weekly theme may change at the discretion of the Editor based on current events.

To subscribe to the BTW, Click Here

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LEGAL NOTICE

Blackwater USA (the "Company"), provides this Newsletter as a source of diverse information to its readers. The Company does not warrant or endorse the products or services advertised in or reviewed in the Newsletter. The views and statements of the reviewers and commentators presented in the Newsletter are entirely their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Company or its affiliates. The Company does not monitor or warrant the accuracy or reliability of the material provided in this Newsletter or presented at any of the third-party websites to which links are provided in this Newsletter. WARNING: Use of certain of the products and services discussed or reviewed in this Newsletter can lead to personal injury or death. It is critical to follow manufacturers' instructions in using such products or services. The Company will not accept any liability for damages, injuries, or death resulting from the use or misuse of any such products or services.