| From The Editor March 26, 2007 |
Training Schedule Now Available for Blackwater North
Mount Carroll, IL – Blackwater USA’s newest facility, Blackwater North, is announcing its 2007 training schedule and enrollment instructions through its website. Students are now able to access the website and review a full training schedule and enrollment forms.
The website is available through www.blackwaterusanorth.com.
Blackwater North is a full service training center providing safe and realistic training environments on eighty acres consisting of seven flat ranges, a known distance range, an unknown distance range, a combat town range, a climbing/rappelling/shooting tower, a dismounted course, and a confidence course. Staffed by fully vetted and screened instructors with military and/or law enforcement expertise, Blackwater allows for the most comprehensive training for government, military, law enforcement, peace support operations, and qualified civilian customers.
Blackwater USA stands in support of security, peace, freedom, and democracy everywhere.
For more information, please visit www.blackwaterusanorth.com or call (815) 244-2900. Gary Jackson |
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| QUOTE OF THE WEEK |
| "Innovators and men of genius have almost always been regarded as fools at the beginning (and very often at the end) of their careers. " Fyodor Dostoevsky |
| PROFESSIONAL ARTICLES, EDITORIALS AND OPINIONS |
A Non-Credible ThreatWHEN WILL PEACE come to Darfur? After four years of genocide (the killings started in February 2003), that question has lost all but its rhetorical significance.A glimmer of hope was provided recently when New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson helped negotiate a 60-day cease-fire with Sudan's murderous president, Omar al-Bashir. Bashir's promise proved empty, however, when, just days after the agreement was signed, government planes initiated a fresh aerial bombing campaign targeting rebel groups and innocent civilians in Northern Darfur. A Consistent Pattern A consistent pattern has emerged in the world's negotiations with the Sudanese government over Darfur. The West (i.e. the United Nations, with backing from the United States) pressures Sudan to reign in its genocidal militias and allow peacekeepers to enter Darfur, while threatening economic and military repercussions for noncompliance. Bashir dawdles, fearing prosecution for war crimes by the International Criminal Court and spouting derisory theories about "Jewish conspiracies" and Western plots to re-colonize his oil-rich nation. Then, with a deadline looming, the Sudanese government relents and promises to behave. Hope is restored. But Khartoum promptly ignores its promises, instead ramping up attacks against rebel groups and innocent civilians. In response, the West feigns outrage, using stark language to describe deteriorating conditions and the heavy price of continued obstinacy. In the end, however, without the will to follow through on its threats, the West gives in, and the cycle begins anew. Full Story The Weight of 'What If'In the summer of 1971 I stood at the wire ticker and watched as my college boyfriend's lottery draft number came up 365. Only his cousin, born in a leap year, did better. It made it a certainty that neither would have to serve in Vietnam. Every once in a while I've flashed back to that roll of the dice, as the college student morphed into the attorney, the boyfriend into the husband and later the father. It could have been a different future, for him, for me, for the three kids who might never have existed, if he'd wound up in the single digits.From the snug harbor of their settled lives, people like to torture themselves a little with the specter of what-ifs, which is why so many still watch "It's a Wonderful Life" every year at Christmastime. A different school, a different job, a different town, a different choice. One brick out of the wall, and the whole thing tumbles. The randomness of life is disconcerting. But there's nothing quite like a protracted war to shift the landscape of existence wholesale. Stand in front of any war memorial or military cemetery, in a small town, in the capital, in Gettysburg, in France, and the what-ifs are heavy in the air. The marriages precipitously ended or never made. The children orphaned or never born. The families broken, the towns denuded. On a visit to Moscow years ago I was struck by the absence of men of a certain age. Then someone reminded me that some estimates had 13 percent of the Soviet population, mostly male, killed in World War II. Full Story Musharraf at the ExitIn the rapidly unfolding crisis in Pakistan, no matter what happens to President Pervez Musharraf -- whether he survives politically or not -- he is a lame duck. He is unable to rein in Talibanization in Pakistan or guide the country toward a more democratic future.Since March 9, when Musharraf suspended the chief justice of the Supreme Court, Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry, public protests have escalated every day -- as has a violent crackdown by the police and intelligence agencies on the media and the nation's legal fraternity. The legal convolutions about Chaudhry's dismissal boil down to one simple fact: He was not considered sufficiently reliable to deliver pleasing legal judgments in a year when Musharraf is seeking to extend his presidency by five more years, remain as army chief and hold what would undoubtedly be rigged general elections. Musharraf's desire to replace Chaudhry with a more pliable judge has badly backfired. After just 10 days of protests, lawyers around the country have made it clear to the senior judiciary that they will not tolerate further legal validations for continued military rule or tolerate Musharraf remaining as president. At least seven judges and a deputy attorney general have resigned in protest. Across the country, in law offices, in the media, among the opposition parties and other organized sections of civil society, the feeling is growing that Musharraf will have to quit sooner rather than later. After eight years of military rule it appears people have had enough. Full Story |
| BREAKING NEWS FOR THE PROFESSIONAL |
Exclusive: Iranians Had Showdown With U.S. ForcesAs the British government demanded the immediate release of 15 of its sailors whose boats were seized by Iranian naval vessels in the Persian Gulf on Friday, U.S. News has learned that this is not the first showdown that coalition forces have had with the Iranian military. According to a U.S. Army report out of Iraq obtained by U.S. News, American troops, acting as advisers for Iraqi border guards, were recently surrounded and attacked by a larger unit of Iranian soldiers, well within the border of Iraq. The report highlights the details: A platoon of Iranian soldiers on the Iraqi side of the border fired rocket-propelled grenades and used small arms against a joint patrol of U.S. and Iraqi soldiers east of Balad Ruz. Four Iraqi Army soldiers, one interpreter, and one Iraqi border policeman remain unaccounted for after the September incident in eastern Diyala, 75 miles east of Baghdad.Full Story Retreat and ButterTODAY THE House of Representatives is due to vote on a bill that would grant $25 million to spinach farmers in California. The legislation would also appropriate $75 million for peanut storage in Georgia and $15 million to protect Louisiana rice fields from saltwater. More substantially, there is $120 million for shrimp and menhaden fishermen, $250 million for milk subsidies, $500 million for wildfire suppression and $1.3 billion to build levees in New Orleans. Altogether the House Democratic leadership has come up with more than $20 billion in new spending, much of it wasteful subsidies to agriculture or pork barrel projects aimed at individual members of Congress. At the tail of all of this logrolling and political bribery lies this stinger: Representatives who support the bill -- for whatever reason -- will be voting to require that all U.S. combat troops leave Iraq by August 2008, regardless of what happens during the next 17 months or whether U.S. commanders believe a pullout at that moment protects or endangers U.S. national security, not to mention the thousands of American trainers and Special Forces troops who would remain behind.Full Story U.S.: Use Of Deadly Roadside Bomb PlungesAfter warning that the threat of deadly EFPs, or Explosively Formed Penetrators, was growing at an alarming rate, the U.S. military now says there's been a "dramatic" decrease in the use of the powerful roadside bombs. EFPs "can punch through most of the armor out on the battlefield today," Army Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, a U.S. military spokesman said of the devices, which U.S. officials have said come from Iran. They are blamed for more than 170 American deaths since 2004, when they first appeared on the battlefield. More than 600 American troops have been wounded by the bombs. EFPs account for a small percentage of the roadside bombs in Iraq, but they are responsible for a disproportionately high number of casualties. Garver says EFP attacks have dropped significantly since December.Full Story THE IRAQ SURGE: WHY IT'S WORKINGI WALKED down the streets of Ramadi a few days ago, in a soft cap eating an ice cream with the mayor on one side of me and the police chief on the other, having a conversation." This simple act, Gen. David Petraeus told me, would have been "unthinkable" just a few months ago. "And nobody shot at us," he added. Petraeus, the new commander managing the "surge" of troops in Iraq, will be the first to caution realism. "Sure we see improvements - major improvements," he said in our interview, "but we still have a long way to go." What tactics are working? "We got down at the people level and are staying," he said flatly. "Once the people know we are going to be around, then all kinds of things start to happen."Full Story Red-on-red in WaziristanA rare case of internecine fighting between the Taliban and 'foreign fighters' has broken out in South Waziristan. On March 6, it was reported that "Uzbeks of Tahir Yuldashev's Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and some local supporters " attacked a pro-government tribal leader in a bazaar in South Waziristan. Seventeen Uzbeks were said to have been killed in the fight. This initial skirmish has morphed into a full scale battle between the Taliban and the Uzbeks, backed by some local Taliban supporters. Over the past 2 days, 58 have been reported killed during fighting, including 42 Uzbek fighters. Another 27 Uzbeks have been captured. The latest report indicates 78 Uzbeks and 28 'locals' have been killed in the fighting. Dawn provides a comprehensive look at the fighting and the players involved. According to Dawn, the fighting began after "the killing of an Al Qaeda-linked Arab identified as Saiful Adil last week." Adil's body was "found abandoned in the outskirts of Wana." The Uzbeks have been blamed for the murder by the Taliban run by Maulavi Nazir (aka Mullah Nazir.)Full Story |
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TO FILL OUT AN APPLICATION AND SUBMIT YOUR RESUME CLICK HERE Questions regarding Security Consulting or Training at Blackwater (252) 435-2488 or email dcarter@blackwaterusa.com. |
| SECURITY FOR THE PROFESSIONAL |
Dave Thul: In Iraq as in football, defense is crucialAs the debate over the war in Iraq rages, it is easy for many to forget what a big stake Minnesota has in the war right now. As we close out the fourth year since the invasion, another milestone is here that hits very close to home. March is the month that many of the almost 3,000 Minnesota National Guardsmen were scheduled to come home. But after 12 months in Iraq, and a year and a half since we left home, our deployment has been extended by up to another four months. This also puts us right in the middle of the debate of the day, the surge plan to secure Baghdad. As Congress consumes itself with nonbinding resolutions and appropriations bills with just the right mix of carrots and sticks, one of the most important opinions is being overlooked -- that of the soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines serving here in Iraq. I won't pretend to speak for everyone in uniform over here, and in fact no one ever could. There are as many opinions in the military as there are in the civilian world. But I can tell you that a majority of U.S. troops want to stay in Iraq and finish the mission. How do I know this? Two ways.Full Story Iran 'to try Britons for espionage'FIFTEEN British sailors and marines arrested by Iran's Revolutionary Guards off the coast of Iraq may be charged with spying. A website run by associates of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president, reported last night that the Britons would be put before a court and indicted. Referring to them as "insurgents", the site concluded: "If it is proven that they deliberately entered Iranian territory, they will be charged with espionage. If that is proven, they can expect a very serious penalty since according to Iranian law, espionage is one of the most serious offences." The warning followed claims by Iranian officials that the British navy personnel had been taken to Tehran, the capital, to explain their "aggressive action" in entering Iranian waters. British officials insist the servicemen were in Iraqi waters when they were held.Full Story FBI: Extremists seek school bus workSuspected members of extremist groups have signed up as school bus drivers in the United States, counterterror officials said Friday, in a cautionary bulletin to police. An FBI spokesman said, "Parents and children have nothing to fear." Asked about the alert notice, the FBI's Rich Kolko said, "There are no threats, no plots and no history leading us to believe there is any reason for concern," although law enforcement agencies around the country were asked to watch out for kids' safety. The bulletin, parts of which were read to The Associated Press, did not say how often foreign extremists have sought to acquire licenses to drive school buses, or where. It was sent Friday as part of what officials said was a routine FBI and Homeland Security Department advisory to local law enforcement.Full Story Could a Missing Iranian Spark a War?I've tried my best to find out what happened to the man who could spark a war with Iran, but he seems to have disappeared like a diamond in an inkwell. And it makes me nervous. General Ali Reza Asgari, a former intelligence officer in Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and deputy defense minister until 2005, was last seen in public around December 7 in Istanbul. Iran says Israel and the United States kidnapped him, presumably to coerce him into telling lies about Iran. The Washington Post has reported he is in U.S. custody, spilling his guts, and more recently the New York Times reported that the German defense minister, when asked about Asgari's whereabouts, said "I cannot say anything on this issue." But both the U.S. and Israel deny having him, let alone kidnapping him.Full Story The Truth About TalibanistanThe residents of Dara Adam Khel, a gunsmiths' village 30 miles south of Peshawar, Pakistan, awoke one morning last month to find their streets littered with pamphlets demanding that they observe Islamic law. Women were instructed to wear all-enveloping burqas and men to grow their beards. Music and television were banned. Then the jihadists really got serious. These days, dawn is often accompanied by the wailing of women as another beheaded corpse is found by the side of the road, a note pinned to the chest claiming that the victim was a spy for either the Americans or the Pakistani government. Beheadings are recorded and sold on DVD in the area's bazaars. "It's the knife that terrifies me," says Hafizullah, 40, a local arms smith. "Before they kill you, they sharpen the knife in front of you. They are worse than butchers." Stories like these are being repeated across the tribal region of Pakistan, a rugged no-man's-land that forms the country's border with Afghanistan--and that is rapidly becoming home base for a new generation of potential terrorists.Full Story |
| TACTICAL TRAINING & INTELLIGENCE RESOURCES FOR THE PROFESSIONAL |
Humanitarian Conduct & Enhanced Operations: Specialized Training for Field Managers and Independent Contractors.The goal of this 2-Day certificate training program is to serve as a mechanism by which the IPOA Code of Conduct and other standards can be "operationalized" by contractors active in conflict and post-conflict environments around the world. Through interactive sessions and simulations, participants will be trained in essential areas such as international humanitarian law, NGO/IO interaction, cultural, gender & religious sensitivities and learn how to operationalize field guidelines, increase productivity levels and improve interaction with other actors in the field. For more information, please contact Derek Wright at dwright@ipoaonline.org or visit http://www.american.edu/sis/peacebuilding/security/traininginfo.htm."SWOTT" 2007 WorkshopWe developed the Summer Workshop On Teaching Terrorism (SWOTT) to: 1) offer an intensive short-course on the fundamentals of terrorism; 2) introduce academics to new and innovative techniques utilized to teach terrorism; and 3) provide access to high-level officials working in the intelligence and counter-terrorism fields. The workshop seeks to not only acquaint participants with the current issues that dominate US foreign policy and much of the world's attention (e.g. weapons of mass destruction and state sponsorship of terrorism), but also promises exploration into the classic works on the subject, many of which were written long before 9/11. Futher information can be found at http://www.swott.com/about.htm#purpose | |
| FRANKS REVIEW |
Service Equipment ReviewTwo New Knives From BenchmadeA few weeks back I received a box from Benchmade. Inside were two folding knives. One was a Benchmade, but the other box was marked "Heckler & Koch". For those of you who didn't know, Benchmade is making the H&K knives. The H&K Knife I received was the H&K Ally, Model #14440SB (for anyone who wants to look it up on the Benchmade site). I REALLY like the simplistic design and efficient functionality of this knife. The second knife was the Benchmade VEX, Model #10750BP. Both incorporate a thumb hole, but the Vex's is perfectly round while the Ally's is shaped to fit the blade and overall design. For this week's review I'm going to take a look at the specifications of each, comfort of carry, and general cutting performance. Let me get this out of the way up front: I put the Ally in my pocket every day now before leaving my house. It's my newest Every Day Carry (EDC) blade.Full Story Can Be Viewed At: http://www.borelliconsulting.com/evals/knives/benchmade0307.htm Recreational Equipment ReviewTTwo Books by Vince FlynnI've long been a fan of Dean Koontz. For awhile I enjoyed reading Tom Clancy (after 9-11 I've had a harder time enjoying his writing). Clive Cussler has always proven enjoyable for me as well. But one of my biggest problems is this: if none of my favorite authors are coming out with anything new, what the heck do I read? Given that it takes me about three to four days to read the average "novel" I was recently faced with this challenge. Luckily I ran into a gentleman in Virginia Beach who turned me on to Vince Flynn. Since that time I've read two of Mr. Flynn's books and am aggressively reading my way through the third. For the sake of this recreational reading review, I'm going to look at two of his books: "Term Limits" and "Executive Power".
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| CHAPLAINS CORNER |
THE WORLD WE LIVE INis populated with many varieties of people. We use many descriptive terms from the animal world to describe some of them... Doves and Hawks... Sheep, Sheepdog and Wolf... Rat, Weasel, 'Possum, Fox... Bulls and Bears... Lions and Lambs... Plus some other terms that seem to raise difficulties for some... Straight, Bi-sexual, Homosexual, Heterosexual... Prejudiced... Conservative... Liberal... Democrat... Republican... Independent... These are just a few of language terms that cause difficulties for some people. In the vocabulary there are many more.We use other terms to describe people who want to avoid certain things... or certain people who have been labeled... We call them Phobic... The most amazing thing that I have found is that almost every group thinks everyone else should be like them and if they are not like them they are simply wrong... And most groups think that no one else should be critical of what they think and how they live. The Congress is fighting hard... Some want us out of Iraq at any cost... and they want it now! Some want us out of Iraq but by an orderly means... The thing that I miss hearing any reports on is that no one is reporting that there are any Congressional Representatives that want us to have all that it takes to win and stay until the enemy is defeated. It seems that they all are of the opinion that words will conquer the insurgency and then allow Iraqis to determine their own method of government. Anyone who has been on the field there knows that will not work. If you had been taught all of your life from birth forward that a mule was a cow... then if someone tried to tell you differently you would not believe it. If you were intelligent and wanted to learn you would look around, listen to others use of language and descriptive terms, do research of any kind that might be available to you... and in the process find that according to accepted usage that you had been instructed incorrectly. Then for conversations with others you would make the proper adjustments in the use of the descriptive terms... but if you were back home with those who taught you in the beginning you might have to revert to the old usage of language in order to be understood. That is a crude example but think about the point. The military has their own language that others do not comprehend. Law enforcement had their own language that others did not understand... even between public safety departments in the same region... Now we are moving to plain language by radio and electronic communications. Full Story Can Be Viewed At: http://www.blackwaterusa.com/btw2007/article/032607chaplain.htm
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