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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: unclewest who wrote (34195)	3/13/2004 12:42:03 PM
From: KLP	Respond to of 793897

Thanks for that, unclewest. Have just bookmarked Don Bendell's website. He certainly raises some good questions to which Mr. Kerry should respond ...Wonder if any of the media will ever insist that he does? Edit: Most interesting websites when one inserts into Google: C. Stewart Forbes John Kerry

To: unclewest who wrote (34195)	3/14/2004 2:56:58 AM
From: LindyBill	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 793897

Good news about the Stryker. The slat armor is working, but a wider stance would have helped the rollover problem. Good training will cut the incidence down. "Military News." ARMORED WARFARE: Stryker in Iraq Status Report March 12, 2004: Some 300 of the U.S. Army's Stryker LAV (wheeled Light Armored Vehicle) were sent to Iraq last Fall as part of the first "Stryker Brigade." The Stryker has proven durable (not wearing out it's tires, as the M-2 Bradley does its tracks, after 1300 kilometers on the road) and able to protect itself. The two times an RPG rocket has hit a Stryker, the damage was minor because of the additional "slat armor." Two Strykers were hit by roadside bombs, but only one soldier was wounded. Moreover, Iraqi attackers have learned to be wary when Strykers are about, because they accelerate faster than armored vehicles, and come at the source of the hostile fire with guns blazing. The army brass are pleased, so far, with Stryker's performance so far and are planning to continue buying them and forming Stryker brigades. The Stryker has had a 90 percent readiness rate (which is higher than tracked vehicles.) The height of the vehicle has caused some stability problems and there have been at least two roll overs. But the height also gives the crews a better view of their surroundings.

To: unclewest who wrote (34195)	3/14/2004 3:04:18 AM
From: LindyBill	Respond to of 793897

Military News - INFANTRY: Task Force 121 and Alexander the Great March 12, 2004: Task Force 121, a temporary organization with over a thousand US Special Forces troops, intelligence experts, special aviation personnel and commandoes (from the U.S., Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Canada), has been sent to Afghanistan to catch Osama bin Laden. Their prey is thought to be hiding somewhere along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border zone. The unit is touted as being a unique hybrid of civilian intelligence and military striking power. It is unique, and it isn't. The concept behind Task Force 121 is not really all that new, but few nations have been able to put together the right ingredients. Historical examples of operations similar to Task Force 121 are numerous. Alexander the Great brought lots of academics and diplomats when he invaded Persia 2500 years ago. He used brains (lots of good intel and diplomacy) and brawn to get the job done. The Spanish conquistadors used a similar approach 500 years ago to bring down the native empires. By enlisting local support with diplomacy (via knowledge of local politics) and using their superior military technology, they repeated Alexander's feats. The 12th century Mongols used the same combination of brains and muscle, as did the Romans at their prime. Napoleon also used extensive networks of spies and diplomats to facilitate his conquests. One critical elements of Task Force 121 is the US Army Special Forces, which are a unique military organization (in the world, and historically). They are multilingual soldiers who can operate as commandoes or diplomats, as needed. But Task Force 121 will have major technical advantages like UAVs (particularly the Predator), which can watch an area round the clock. In addition, there are electronic warfare units that scan for any emissions in the target area, as well as monitoring of local Internet use. But most important is the network of informants the Special Forces established (on both sides of the Pakistani border) in the past two years. Recruiting informers takes time. Information is the key to victory in this campaign. The commander of Task Force 121 is also a major asset. Rear Admiral William H. McRaven began his navy career as a SEAL commando. He is highly respected as a very honest, smart and physically tough SEAL veteran. He is very well thought of in SOCOM. Many were surprised that he got promoted to Admiral, as he has a reputation for being uncompromising (the higher one rises in any organization, the more pressure there is to compromise in order to get everyone moving in the same direction.) But the key to Task Force 121's success will be information. The border area is over a thousand kilometers long and contains hundreds of mountain valleys, thousands of caves and many villages (often built to look, and act, as a small fortress) where bin Laden could be hiding. The commandoes and Special Forces are excellent at patrolling and staking out remote areas. The New Zealand SAS contingent is noted as the most proficient mountain troops in the world. So wherever bin Laden takes refuge, the Task Force 121 operators can get to him. Task Force 121 has the use of special helicopters that can fly in any weather and at night. Teams of commandoes can be put into remote areas to block escape routes, or grab bin Laden if he comes out of his hole. British SAS commandos, in late 2001, successfully assaulted a major Taliban cave complex in a daring operation that benefited from excellent reconnaissance, planning and daring execution. It will take all of that to catch bin Laden.

To: unclewest who wrote (34195)	3/14/2004 11:34:12 AM
From: Ann Corrigan	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 793897

Thanks for the info re Kerry's 4-mo tour of duty in Vietnam. The relevant question is "where are the large numbers of vets who should be protesting his candidacy?" I suspect the current military conditions in Iraq have dampened veterans' protests. Heavy use of National Guard/Reserves as opposed to regular Army is evidently unpopular with the troops. Last wk the former Secy of Navy made remarks to that effect. Kerry could easily upset Bush if the latter cannot count on even the military's political support.