Memorial Day
In Memorium.
posted by Consul-At-Arms at 11:59 AM
0 comments
Sunday, May 25, 2008
S&S - Camp Buehring to hold Memorial Day service
Stars and Stripes
Camp Buehring to hold Memorial Day service
(Note: Camp Buehring was formerly known as Camp Udairi due to its proximity to the Udairi ranges.)
Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Sunday, May 25, 2008
A unit at Camp Buehring, Kuwait, will hold a daylong Memorial Day observance Monday that will include the reading of names of all fallen servicemembers from the war in Iraq, along with a "memorial wall" with their pictures and names.
The observance is being organized by the Base Support Battalion-North, according to Command Sgt. Maj. Roy D. James, Camp Buehring’s command sergeant major.
The ceremony will include a missing-man formation flyover, the playing of taps and a 21-gun salute in addition to the reading of the names, James said in an e-mail. "The event will go all day and well into the night, with the memorial wall remaining open all day," he wrote.
Lt. Gen. James Lovelace, commander of U.S. Army Central and Coalition Forces Land Component Command, is scheduled to be the keynote speaker. Officials from the base and Kuwait area support group are also scheduled to speak.
There will be a barbecue and events sponsored by Morale, Welfare and Recreation and the USO.
----------
(CAA loves us some USO.)
Camp Buehring to hold Memorial Day service
(Note: Camp Buehring was formerly known as Camp Udairi due to its proximity to the Udairi ranges.)
Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Sunday, May 25, 2008
A unit at Camp Buehring, Kuwait, will hold a daylong Memorial Day observance Monday that will include the reading of names of all fallen servicemembers from the war in Iraq, along with a "memorial wall" with their pictures and names.
The observance is being organized by the Base Support Battalion-North, according to Command Sgt. Maj. Roy D. James, Camp Buehring’s command sergeant major.
The ceremony will include a missing-man formation flyover, the playing of taps and a 21-gun salute in addition to the reading of the names, James said in an e-mail. "The event will go all day and well into the night, with the memorial wall remaining open all day," he wrote.
Lt. Gen. James Lovelace, commander of U.S. Army Central and Coalition Forces Land Component Command, is scheduled to be the keynote speaker. Officials from the base and Kuwait area support group are also scheduled to speak.
There will be a barbecue and events sponsored by Morale, Welfare and Recreation and the USO.
----------
(CAA loves us some USO.)
posted by Consul-At-Arms at 7:16 AM
0 comments
McBryde Hall
Taken July 6, 2007 on the Virginia Tech Campus, Blacksburg, Virginia.
posted by Consul-At-Arms at 12:57 AM
0 comments
Y! - Gay Iranian wins deportation battle
Yahoo!News
Gay Iranian wins deportation battle
Wed May 21, 5:26 AM ET
LONDON (AFP) - A gay Iranian who says he faces death if forced to return home has won a deportation battle and been granted asylum in Britain, officials said.
Mehdi Kazemi, 19, came to London to study English in 2005 but later said he had discovered that his boyfriend had been arrested by Iranian police, charged with sodomy and hanged.
Authorities refused his asylum application last year, as did Dutch authorities, but in March Britain agreed to reconsider the case after "new circumstances" came to light.
The UK Border Agency said Tuesday it had decided to grant him asylum.
"We keep cases under review where circumstances have changed and it has been decided that Mr. Kazemi should be granted leave to remain in the UK based on the particular facts of this case," said a spokesman.
"The UK Border Agency considers each case on its individual merits and will continue to provide refuge for those asylum seekers with a genuine need for protection," he added.
Liberal Democrat MP Simon Hughes, who championed the Iranian's case, welcomed the decision.
"Like Mehdi and his family in Britain, I am delighted to hear of the Home Office decision to let him stay in this country. This is great news for a very decent man," he said.
"As I have argued over the last 18 months, the Home Office should not send gay and lesbian people back to countries where they will be at risk of persecution, torture or death."
EU lawmakers at the European Parliament in Strasbourg called on Britain in March to look favourably on Kazemi's attempts to secure asylum, saying he would be executed if he were deported to Iran.
The Iranian authorities "routinely imprison, torture and execute homosexuals," the lawmakers said in a resolution.
Gay Iranian wins deportation battle
Wed May 21, 5:26 AM ET
LONDON (AFP) - A gay Iranian who says he faces death if forced to return home has won a deportation battle and been granted asylum in Britain, officials said.
Mehdi Kazemi, 19, came to London to study English in 2005 but later said he had discovered that his boyfriend had been arrested by Iranian police, charged with sodomy and hanged.
Authorities refused his asylum application last year, as did Dutch authorities, but in March Britain agreed to reconsider the case after "new circumstances" came to light.
The UK Border Agency said Tuesday it had decided to grant him asylum.
"We keep cases under review where circumstances have changed and it has been decided that Mr. Kazemi should be granted leave to remain in the UK based on the particular facts of this case," said a spokesman.
"The UK Border Agency considers each case on its individual merits and will continue to provide refuge for those asylum seekers with a genuine need for protection," he added.
Liberal Democrat MP Simon Hughes, who championed the Iranian's case, welcomed the decision.
"Like Mehdi and his family in Britain, I am delighted to hear of the Home Office decision to let him stay in this country. This is great news for a very decent man," he said.
"As I have argued over the last 18 months, the Home Office should not send gay and lesbian people back to countries where they will be at risk of persecution, torture or death."
EU lawmakers at the European Parliament in Strasbourg called on Britain in March to look favourably on Kazemi's attempts to secure asylum, saying he would be executed if he were deported to Iran.
The Iranian authorities "routinely imprison, torture and execute homosexuals," the lawmakers said in a resolution.
posted by Consul-At-Arms at 12:50 AM
0 comments
Featured Faire: Sparta Butterfest {210}
Featured Faire: Sparta Butterfest.
That's in Sparta, Wisconsin, just a few short miles from Fort McCoy.
"You're invited to the
24TH Annual
SPARTA BUTTERFEST
June 6th-8th, 2008"
{210}
posted by Consul-At-Arms at 12:46 AM
0 comments
WT - The 8/7 families
From my archive of press clippings:
Washington Times
The 8/7 families
By Howard C. Kavaler
January 29, 2008
We all agree that September 11 has now become a word in our daily lexicon that has assumed iconic magnitude. But what images does 8/7 evoke for senior State Department officials?
For all too many, the 7th day of August simply represents another dog day of summer. However, on that date in 1998, Osama bin Laden took the first step in implementing his February 1998 fatwa declaring war on U.S. citizens.
That morning, truck bombs destroyed our embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam in the most devastating attack ever launched against any of our diplomatic facilities. More than 5,000 individuals were seriously wounded and 224 persons lost their lives. One of the casualties was my wife, Prabhi Kavaler, a Foreign Service officer who had served her country for more than 20 years.
Following these bin Laden-directed attacks, the Accountability Review Board chaired by the late Adm. William Crowe concluded that the destruction in East Africa was "the collective failure of several administrations and Congresses over the past decade to invest adequate efforts and resources to reduce the vulnerability of United States diplomatic missions around the world to terrorist attacks."
For nearly a decade, the families of the Americans killed in Nairobi have sought compensation for our losses. While no amount of money could ever make me and my daughters whole again, such compensation would be an acknowledgment that the State Department utterly failed in its obligation to provide those who lost their lives with as safe a workplace as possible. But for more than nine years, the State Department has tenaciously fought legislative efforts to provide us such compensation, even as its leaders have failed to devise its own compensation scheme despite assurance during this time that they have been actively studying the compensation issue.
Sadly, those of us who lost loved ones in Nairobi can only infer from the department's lack of action that no meaningful compensation plan will ever emerge from the current seventh floor. Surely, if the will and institutional interest were there, such a plan would have been implemented long ago.
Meanwhile, the 8/7 families, along with the American Foreign Service Association, carried the administration's water with respect to a matter that promotes the well being of the entire Foreign Service.
As a result of extensive lobbying efforts by the Nairobi families, the House of Representatives on Oct. 2, 2007, passed with 409 aye votes H.R. 2828 ( the Foreign Service Victims of Terrorism Act of 2007), which institutionalizes a comprehensive compensation scheme. After its second reading on the Senate floor, multiple sources advised the families that an anonymous senator placed a hold on the bill at the behest of the Department of State.
continued
Quite frankly, we find the department's action to be duplicitous.It's worth recalling that that Foreign Service Director-General Harry Thomas recently took umbrage during a town hall meeting with the assertion that many members of the Foreign Service do not perceive senior State Department officials to befirm advocates of their interests. At a time when directed assignments to Iraq are being considered, State's opposition to H.R. 2828 only reinforces that perception.
Absent a comprehensive program to compensate Foreign Service victims of international terrorism, is it no small wonder that members of the Foreign Service with familial responsibilities are not beating down the doors to serve in war-torn areas? What moral imperative allows the State Department in good conscience to send defenseless Foreign Service officers to Baghdad, Kabul, Karachi, etc. while working for the bill's defeat?
The department's support for leaving this bill on the Senate's back burner would lead any reasonable person to dismiss the comment by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to Elisabeth Bumiller of the New York Times (A14, November 16, 2007) that "nobody has been more concerned about the security of our people than I have."
Even if H.R. 2828 fails due to the department"s insensitive posture, the 8/7 families will continue their efforts to see the triumph of justice and accountability. Hopefully, in a year's time, the new leaders of the department will be entrusted with a different moral compass, one that that will guide them to treat with compassion those whose loved ones have died in the diplomatic service of their country.
Howard C. Kavaler, a retired Foreign Service officer, is a representative of the families of the U.S. diplomats murdered by al Qaeda terrorists at the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, on Aug. 7, 1998.
Washington Times
The 8/7 families
By Howard C. Kavaler
January 29, 2008
We all agree that September 11 has now become a word in our daily lexicon that has assumed iconic magnitude. But what images does 8/7 evoke for senior State Department officials?
For all too many, the 7th day of August simply represents another dog day of summer. However, on that date in 1998, Osama bin Laden took the first step in implementing his February 1998 fatwa declaring war on U.S. citizens.
That morning, truck bombs destroyed our embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam in the most devastating attack ever launched against any of our diplomatic facilities. More than 5,000 individuals were seriously wounded and 224 persons lost their lives. One of the casualties was my wife, Prabhi Kavaler, a Foreign Service officer who had served her country for more than 20 years.
Following these bin Laden-directed attacks, the Accountability Review Board chaired by the late Adm. William Crowe concluded that the destruction in East Africa was "the collective failure of several administrations and Congresses over the past decade to invest adequate efforts and resources to reduce the vulnerability of United States diplomatic missions around the world to terrorist attacks."
For nearly a decade, the families of the Americans killed in Nairobi have sought compensation for our losses. While no amount of money could ever make me and my daughters whole again, such compensation would be an acknowledgment that the State Department utterly failed in its obligation to provide those who lost their lives with as safe a workplace as possible. But for more than nine years, the State Department has tenaciously fought legislative efforts to provide us such compensation, even as its leaders have failed to devise its own compensation scheme despite assurance during this time that they have been actively studying the compensation issue.
Sadly, those of us who lost loved ones in Nairobi can only infer from the department's lack of action that no meaningful compensation plan will ever emerge from the current seventh floor. Surely, if the will and institutional interest were there, such a plan would have been implemented long ago.
Meanwhile, the 8/7 families, along with the American Foreign Service Association, carried the administration's water with respect to a matter that promotes the well being of the entire Foreign Service.
As a result of extensive lobbying efforts by the Nairobi families, the House of Representatives on Oct. 2, 2007, passed with 409 aye votes H.R. 2828 ( the Foreign Service Victims of Terrorism Act of 2007), which institutionalizes a comprehensive compensation scheme. After its second reading on the Senate floor, multiple sources advised the families that an anonymous senator placed a hold on the bill at the behest of the Department of State.
continued
Quite frankly, we find the department's action to be duplicitous.It's worth recalling that that Foreign Service Director-General Harry Thomas recently took umbrage during a town hall meeting with the assertion that many members of the Foreign Service do not perceive senior State Department officials to befirm advocates of their interests. At a time when directed assignments to Iraq are being considered, State's opposition to H.R. 2828 only reinforces that perception.
Absent a comprehensive program to compensate Foreign Service victims of international terrorism, is it no small wonder that members of the Foreign Service with familial responsibilities are not beating down the doors to serve in war-torn areas? What moral imperative allows the State Department in good conscience to send defenseless Foreign Service officers to Baghdad, Kabul, Karachi, etc. while working for the bill's defeat?
The department's support for leaving this bill on the Senate's back burner would lead any reasonable person to dismiss the comment by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to Elisabeth Bumiller of the New York Times (A14, November 16, 2007) that "nobody has been more concerned about the security of our people than I have."
Even if H.R. 2828 fails due to the department"s insensitive posture, the 8/7 families will continue their efforts to see the triumph of justice and accountability. Hopefully, in a year's time, the new leaders of the department will be entrusted with a different moral compass, one that that will guide them to treat with compassion those whose loved ones have died in the diplomatic service of their country.
Howard C. Kavaler, a retired Foreign Service officer, is a representative of the families of the U.S. diplomats murdered by al Qaeda terrorists at the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, on Aug. 7, 1998.
posted by Consul-At-Arms at 12:32 AM
0 comments
CNN - Mexico issues warrant for Laurean a week after sighting
From my archive of press clippings:
CNN
Mexico issues warrant for Laurean a week after sighting
January 29, 2008 -- Updated 1517 GMT (2317 HKT)
Story Highlights
Six days after alleged killer tracked to Mexican town, Mexico issues arrest warrant
U.S. asks Interpol to post formal wanted notice for fugitive Cpl. Cesar Laurean
Police say Laurean killed Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach, who was pregnant
Mexico traditionally refuses to extradite U.S. suspects facing death penalty
MEXICO CITY, Mexico (CNN) -- Six days after Marine Cpl. Cesar Laurean was tracked to a town in Mexico, a Mexican court issued an arrest warrant Monday for the alleged killer, the U.S. Embassy said.
The FBI has released this picture of fugitive Marine Cpl. Cesar Laurean with a tattoo on his left arm.
The provisional warrant authorizes Mexican police to follow leads and to arrest the 21-year-old Laurean -- who's accused of killing pregnant Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach and burying her in the back yard of his North Carolina home.
Authorities believe Laurean fled to his native Mexico to avoid prosecution in the case and on Monday the United States asked for help in finding him from Interpol, the international police organization.
CNN correspondent Harris Whitbeck tracked Laurean last Tuesday to the Mexican town of Zapopan, where liquor store owner Juan Antonio Ramos Ramirez identified himself as Laurean's cousin.
Ramos said he had seen Laurean a week earlier and the Marine told him he was traveling "with some buddies for a few days." Watch more from Zapopan »
The Interpol-United States National Central Bureau, a component of the U.S. Department of Justice, said Monday it had requested that Interpol publish a "Red Notice" -- Interpol's formal wanted notice -- on Laurean.
Once published, data on Laurean will be accessible by Interpol's 186 member countries, and published in four official languages -- English, Spanish, Arabic and French. Interpol had not published the Red Notice on Laurean by Monday night.
Don't Miss
Grand jury indicts fugitive Marine
Fugitive Marine in Mexico, cousin says
D.A.: Death penalty out if Mexico nabs Marine
Onslow County, North Carolina, District Attorney Dewey Hudson confirmed information from a law enforcement source that Laurean had traveled by bus to Mexico. The source said he boarded a bus for Houston, Texas, on January 11, arriving the following afternoon. See timeline of the case »
In Houston, the source said, the Marine bought a bus ticket to San Luis Potosi, Mexico, probably arriving January 13 in Guadalajara -- not far from Zapopan.
Hudson started the process on Friday that led to Monday's provisional arrest warrant in Mexico.
Laurean was indicted in North Carolina last week on charges of murder, ATM card theft, attempted card theft, fraud and robbery with a dangerous weapon.
The indictments allege that Laurean forcibly stole money from Lauterbach's bank account, killed her on December 14 and then used her card on December 24 in Onslow County.
Lauterbach was reported missing on December 19, and the charred remains of her body were found in Laurean's back yard on January 11. Police found the remains after Laurean's wife produced a note her husband had written. In the note, Laurean said Lauterbach slit her own throat during an argument.
An autopsy, however, indicated she died from a blow to the head.
Mexico does not allow capital punishment and has a long-standing record of refusing to extradite to the United States suspected murderers who face possible death penalties after conviction.
Hudson has said he has "no other option" but to take the death penalty off the table if Laurean is found in Mexico. E-mail to a friend
CNN's Harris Whitbeck and Susan Candiotti contributed to this report.
CNN
Mexico issues warrant for Laurean a week after sighting
January 29, 2008 -- Updated 1517 GMT (2317 HKT)
Story Highlights
Six days after alleged killer tracked to Mexican town, Mexico issues arrest warrant
U.S. asks Interpol to post formal wanted notice for fugitive Cpl. Cesar Laurean
Police say Laurean killed Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach, who was pregnant
Mexico traditionally refuses to extradite U.S. suspects facing death penalty
MEXICO CITY, Mexico (CNN) -- Six days after Marine Cpl. Cesar Laurean was tracked to a town in Mexico, a Mexican court issued an arrest warrant Monday for the alleged killer, the U.S. Embassy said.
The FBI has released this picture of fugitive Marine Cpl. Cesar Laurean with a tattoo on his left arm.
The provisional warrant authorizes Mexican police to follow leads and to arrest the 21-year-old Laurean -- who's accused of killing pregnant Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach and burying her in the back yard of his North Carolina home.
Authorities believe Laurean fled to his native Mexico to avoid prosecution in the case and on Monday the United States asked for help in finding him from Interpol, the international police organization.
CNN correspondent Harris Whitbeck tracked Laurean last Tuesday to the Mexican town of Zapopan, where liquor store owner Juan Antonio Ramos Ramirez identified himself as Laurean's cousin.
Ramos said he had seen Laurean a week earlier and the Marine told him he was traveling "with some buddies for a few days." Watch more from Zapopan »
The Interpol-United States National Central Bureau, a component of the U.S. Department of Justice, said Monday it had requested that Interpol publish a "Red Notice" -- Interpol's formal wanted notice -- on Laurean.
Once published, data on Laurean will be accessible by Interpol's 186 member countries, and published in four official languages -- English, Spanish, Arabic and French. Interpol had not published the Red Notice on Laurean by Monday night.
Don't Miss
Grand jury indicts fugitive Marine
Fugitive Marine in Mexico, cousin says
D.A.: Death penalty out if Mexico nabs Marine
Onslow County, North Carolina, District Attorney Dewey Hudson confirmed information from a law enforcement source that Laurean had traveled by bus to Mexico. The source said he boarded a bus for Houston, Texas, on January 11, arriving the following afternoon. See timeline of the case »
In Houston, the source said, the Marine bought a bus ticket to San Luis Potosi, Mexico, probably arriving January 13 in Guadalajara -- not far from Zapopan.
Hudson started the process on Friday that led to Monday's provisional arrest warrant in Mexico.
Laurean was indicted in North Carolina last week on charges of murder, ATM card theft, attempted card theft, fraud and robbery with a dangerous weapon.
The indictments allege that Laurean forcibly stole money from Lauterbach's bank account, killed her on December 14 and then used her card on December 24 in Onslow County.
Lauterbach was reported missing on December 19, and the charred remains of her body were found in Laurean's back yard on January 11. Police found the remains after Laurean's wife produced a note her husband had written. In the note, Laurean said Lauterbach slit her own throat during an argument.
An autopsy, however, indicated she died from a blow to the head.
Mexico does not allow capital punishment and has a long-standing record of refusing to extradite to the United States suspected murderers who face possible death penalties after conviction.
Hudson has said he has "no other option" but to take the death penalty off the table if Laurean is found in Mexico. E-mail to a friend
CNN's Harris Whitbeck and Susan Candiotti contributed to this report.
posted by Consul-At-Arms at 12:28 AM
0 comments
CW - The drive-thru passport
From my archive of press clippings:
ComputerWorld
The drive-thru passport
January 28, 2008 - 4:17 P.M.
A new breed of RFID-based passport cards might be getting through border crossings a bit easier - for a price. Starting this Friday, the Department of State will begin accepting applications for passport cards, an alternative to the traditional paper-based passport booklet, that includes a radio frequency ID chip that can be scanned at airports and border crossings.
The cards will only be usable on land- and sea-based checkpoints, so you'll still need a traditional passport. They could, however, speed up those trips to Montreal or Tijuana.
But the technology behind the cards has privacy advocates outraged - and for good reason. While the RFID-based credit and debit cards trickling out from Visa and Mastercard must be held within a few inches of a reader, the government's new passpord cards can be read by scanning devices located up to 20 feet away. Critics say that information on the cards isn't adequately protected, since hackers, businesses or other organizations outside of government could skim data from the cards. Indeed, even bank cards that encrypt RFID data have vulnerabilities, and these cards won't offer anywhere near that level of protection.
The State Department counters that the chip will contain no personally identifying information: Only a unique identifier that maps back to information about you in back-end government databases. But that's enough to cause trouble.
By the very act of creating a unique identifier for every individual, the Department of State is in effect creating personally identifiable information that would be very useful to others outside of government.
Architecturally, the passport card is similar in some ways to the dual-use magnetic stripe card used by some resorts as a combination room key and hospitality card that opens your door and allows you to charge purchases at the resort. To enable this the system creates a unqiue identifier for your card. That maps to a back-end point of sale database containing your personal information. But while that card - and the number on it - are terminated at the end of your stay, the passpord card number persists forever. It becomes another permanent identifier that uniquely identifies you. It is a whole new incarnation of the digital you, used to prove that you are who you say you are.
And that digital identity is ready for the taking, so long as the subject walks within 20 feet of a reader.
It is true that the identifier by itself isn't useful. But if data were skimmed from the card in certain contexts, it's possible that the data on the passport card could be matched up with other information about you. For example, if it was scanned while you were applying for a payday loan or credit card.
Don't think that would happen? Pehaps not. But consider this: The last identification card issued by the federal government to every American also had an easily readable identifier on it. It was called the Social Security card.
The passport card holder's one defense against unauthorized reading is a protective sleeve that prevents the number from being read surrepticiously. Or you can wait for the e-passport. That also contains an RFID chip, but a reader must be within three inches of the card to download data from it.
Better yet, you can do what I did. My new passport just arrived last week. It's good old fashioned paper.
ComputerWorld
The drive-thru passport
January 28, 2008 - 4:17 P.M.
A new breed of RFID-based passport cards might be getting through border crossings a bit easier - for a price. Starting this Friday, the Department of State will begin accepting applications for passport cards, an alternative to the traditional paper-based passport booklet, that includes a radio frequency ID chip that can be scanned at airports and border crossings.
The cards will only be usable on land- and sea-based checkpoints, so you'll still need a traditional passport. They could, however, speed up those trips to Montreal or Tijuana.
But the technology behind the cards has privacy advocates outraged - and for good reason. While the RFID-based credit and debit cards trickling out from Visa and Mastercard must be held within a few inches of a reader, the government's new passpord cards can be read by scanning devices located up to 20 feet away. Critics say that information on the cards isn't adequately protected, since hackers, businesses or other organizations outside of government could skim data from the cards. Indeed, even bank cards that encrypt RFID data have vulnerabilities, and these cards won't offer anywhere near that level of protection.
The State Department counters that the chip will contain no personally identifying information: Only a unique identifier that maps back to information about you in back-end government databases. But that's enough to cause trouble.
By the very act of creating a unique identifier for every individual, the Department of State is in effect creating personally identifiable information that would be very useful to others outside of government.
Architecturally, the passport card is similar in some ways to the dual-use magnetic stripe card used by some resorts as a combination room key and hospitality card that opens your door and allows you to charge purchases at the resort. To enable this the system creates a unqiue identifier for your card. That maps to a back-end point of sale database containing your personal information. But while that card - and the number on it - are terminated at the end of your stay, the passpord card number persists forever. It becomes another permanent identifier that uniquely identifies you. It is a whole new incarnation of the digital you, used to prove that you are who you say you are.
And that digital identity is ready for the taking, so long as the subject walks within 20 feet of a reader.
It is true that the identifier by itself isn't useful. But if data were skimmed from the card in certain contexts, it's possible that the data on the passport card could be matched up with other information about you. For example, if it was scanned while you were applying for a payday loan or credit card.
Don't think that would happen? Pehaps not. But consider this: The last identification card issued by the federal government to every American also had an easily readable identifier on it. It was called the Social Security card.
The passport card holder's one defense against unauthorized reading is a protective sleeve that prevents the number from being read surrepticiously. Or you can wait for the e-passport. That also contains an RFID chip, but a reader must be within three inches of the card to download data from it.
Better yet, you can do what I did. My new passport just arrived last week. It's good old fashioned paper.
posted by Consul-At-Arms at 12:18 AM
0 comments
JO - In defence of the Diaspora
From my archive of press clippings:
Jamaica Observer
In defence of the Diaspora
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Dear Editor,
I find the esteemed Mr Mark Wignall's commentary to Forumites not merely unfortunate but quite shocking. Further, if it is true that the political directorates are impermeable to views emanating out of the Diaspora, even solid ones that probably, just probably, could make a difference in the lives of our countrymen and women, then Jamaica has truly hit rock bottom!
In addition to the foregoing, arising out of all these "oral verbiage" on Jamaicans abroad who maintain contact and "lend" pecuniary and other support to our country, there lies a perception that we have been unpatriotic not to be living in Jamaica today. Such an argument is at best, quite unfair.
Our apparent critics - politicians and others, including a pocket of journalists - do not know the circumstances under which the particular member of the Diaspora who writes letters to Jamaica either leaves Jamaica, whether he/she had in fact emigrated or whether the member was born overseas of Jamaican parents or worse, "forced" beyond his/her wishes to emigrate with one's guardians or parents as children.
It is being assumed that a member of the Diaspora, by means of living abroad, has reneged on his/her Jamaican citizenship.
There are many Jamaicans who, for one reason or the other, live abroad but are wholly Jamaican citizens (not dual) and cannot and will not partake in the political and other aspects of their alien home. But moreso, the point must be made that such a Jamaican and all Jamaicans abroad, by the instrument of the Jamaican Constitution, have a right, just like our local Jamaican brothers and sisters, to publish our views equally as anyone else in Jamaica.
Many Jamaicans, like myself, have siblings and offspring who still reside in Jamaica and therefore have as much interest in the affairs of Jamaica as its local residents and sometimes even more so than local residents. In writing our letters to the various Jamaica media and calling in to local talkshows, why should we have to declare the frequency of travel to Jamaica and our private activities when effecting our contributions as seems to be Mr Burke's requirement?
Do we know when these journalists and other critics are travelling abroad and when they are engaged in their numerous activities?!
In addition, I find it quite impertinent when the esteemed Mr Wignall speaks to the length of Mr Whittaker's contribution and ideas to the local media houses and the less than amicable reference to the media not awaiting his verbiage (my words). As far as I know, Mr Whittaker is offering his ideas as a proud, patriotic Jamaican who happens to live in the USA.
He offers his intellectual prowess and professional expertise to Jamaica for free. The journalists and columnists are paid, as far as I know, and the 20 per cent of the Jamaican population who read their articles must put up with their mostly "creative, entertaining, yet superficial fictions" on a regular basis, if not day to day!
The important fact that seems to have arisen out of this discussion involving Mr Burke and Mr Wignall, but particularly with respect to the latter, is that if these two are to be believed and embraced as a greater yardstick to measure the realities, then the powers-that-be and local leaders in Jamaica are really not interested in changing the status quo or moving for any meaningful amelioration of Jamaica's current dilemma!
If what is emanating from Mr Wignall and Mr Burke is the general trend among our local Jamaicans and politicians, it must be concluded that our Jamaican residents are shrouded in a cloak of great hypocrisy! When our dear Miss Lou emigrated to Canada and resided there for many years, I can't recall anyone publicly saying that she was unpatriotic! As a matter of fact, her body was received by all the great dignitaries of the land, then given an official funeral in Jamaica, if my memory serves me correctly.
The day the Diaspora should begin to listen to your calls to stay away is the day Jamaica will certainly be lost, and then the question will be, "Are you happy now?"
Joshua Spencer
Toronto, Canada
Jamaica Observer
In defence of the Diaspora
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Dear Editor,
I find the esteemed Mr Mark Wignall's commentary to Forumites not merely unfortunate but quite shocking. Further, if it is true that the political directorates are impermeable to views emanating out of the Diaspora, even solid ones that probably, just probably, could make a difference in the lives of our countrymen and women, then Jamaica has truly hit rock bottom!
In addition to the foregoing, arising out of all these "oral verbiage" on Jamaicans abroad who maintain contact and "lend" pecuniary and other support to our country, there lies a perception that we have been unpatriotic not to be living in Jamaica today. Such an argument is at best, quite unfair.
Our apparent critics - politicians and others, including a pocket of journalists - do not know the circumstances under which the particular member of the Diaspora who writes letters to Jamaica either leaves Jamaica, whether he/she had in fact emigrated or whether the member was born overseas of Jamaican parents or worse, "forced" beyond his/her wishes to emigrate with one's guardians or parents as children.
It is being assumed that a member of the Diaspora, by means of living abroad, has reneged on his/her Jamaican citizenship.
There are many Jamaicans who, for one reason or the other, live abroad but are wholly Jamaican citizens (not dual) and cannot and will not partake in the political and other aspects of their alien home. But moreso, the point must be made that such a Jamaican and all Jamaicans abroad, by the instrument of the Jamaican Constitution, have a right, just like our local Jamaican brothers and sisters, to publish our views equally as anyone else in Jamaica.
Many Jamaicans, like myself, have siblings and offspring who still reside in Jamaica and therefore have as much interest in the affairs of Jamaica as its local residents and sometimes even more so than local residents. In writing our letters to the various Jamaica media and calling in to local talkshows, why should we have to declare the frequency of travel to Jamaica and our private activities when effecting our contributions as seems to be Mr Burke's requirement?
Do we know when these journalists and other critics are travelling abroad and when they are engaged in their numerous activities?!
In addition, I find it quite impertinent when the esteemed Mr Wignall speaks to the length of Mr Whittaker's contribution and ideas to the local media houses and the less than amicable reference to the media not awaiting his verbiage (my words). As far as I know, Mr Whittaker is offering his ideas as a proud, patriotic Jamaican who happens to live in the USA.
He offers his intellectual prowess and professional expertise to Jamaica for free. The journalists and columnists are paid, as far as I know, and the 20 per cent of the Jamaican population who read their articles must put up with their mostly "creative, entertaining, yet superficial fictions" on a regular basis, if not day to day!
The important fact that seems to have arisen out of this discussion involving Mr Burke and Mr Wignall, but particularly with respect to the latter, is that if these two are to be believed and embraced as a greater yardstick to measure the realities, then the powers-that-be and local leaders in Jamaica are really not interested in changing the status quo or moving for any meaningful amelioration of Jamaica's current dilemma!
If what is emanating from Mr Wignall and Mr Burke is the general trend among our local Jamaicans and politicians, it must be concluded that our Jamaican residents are shrouded in a cloak of great hypocrisy! When our dear Miss Lou emigrated to Canada and resided there for many years, I can't recall anyone publicly saying that she was unpatriotic! As a matter of fact, her body was received by all the great dignitaries of the land, then given an official funeral in Jamaica, if my memory serves me correctly.
The day the Diaspora should begin to listen to your calls to stay away is the day Jamaica will certainly be lost, and then the question will be, "Are you happy now?"
Joshua Spencer
Toronto, Canada
posted by Consul-At-Arms at 12:11 AM
0 comments
Saturday, May 24, 2008
re: "Free For Military This Weekend!"
Just in case you didn't see my earlier reminder, airforcewife at SpouseBuzz ("where military spouses connect") says:
"It's Memorial Day Weekend, and the wonderful people at the Virginia Renaissance Fair are offering FREE ADMISSION to all active duty, reserve, and retired military ID holders!
A good Ren Faire is tons of fun! Air Force Family will be going on Saturday - maybe we'll see you there! I will most definitely have pictures for you next week!"
Just in case you don't know, VARF will be open all three days of the Memorial Day weekend. I particularly commend to you the free pike drill lessons.
Also, be sure to pick up a case or two of the good stuff from the Lake Anna Winery.
posted by Consul-At-Arms at 4:21 PM
0 comments
TWS - SOCOM Leads the Way? A special operations transformation.
Stuart Koehl at The Weekly Standard ("Edited by William Kristol and Fred Barnes") has written an article you should read.
Money quote(s):
"Throughout the history of the U.S. military, special operations troops have been viewed with a mixture of suspicion and resentment by "regular" military leaders, who frequently fail to understand the special operations mentality, the proper employment of special operations forces, and their limitations in conventional combat roles. Typically, the United States has raised special operations units in an ad hoc manner for a particular conflict, then rapidly decommissioned them as soon as the war was over. Thus, in World War II, we raised Army Ranger battalions, a Special Services Brigade, Marine Raider battalions, combat swimmers and Underwater Demolition Teams (UDTs), only to abolish most of them after VJ-Day. "
"Beginning with Kennedy, and continuing under Lyndon Johnson, the Special Forces were enlarged several-fold. Not to be outdone, the Navy then formed its Sea-Air-Land (SEAL) Teams from the old UDTs, but adding infiltration, reconnaissance, and ambush tactics to beach clearing. The Air Force and Marines likewise created their own small commando-style units in response to the needs of the Vietnam War. Some of these units were very good indeed, others not so much. Many pioneered the kinds of counter-insurgency tactics being employed today in Iraq and Afghanistan. But again, once Vietnam was over, the United States cut back on special operations forces in order to concentrate on "real war"--the head-to-head conflict with the USSR on the plains of central Germany.
Lacking any sort of proponent in the military, special operators became orphan children: they had to scrounge for the equipment and training they needed, and its members, officers in particular, faced career dead ends if they stayed in their chosen professions (it used to be said that in the U.S. Army, commando types retired at lieutenant colonel, while in Israel they were made chiefs of staff). Fragmented across the services, they lacked a common doctrine and interoperability. They were, to be blunt, looked on as prima donnas, even circus freaks, by conventional force commanders, who did not want them in their commands, and would not have known how to use them if they did."
"(T)he Munich Olympic massacre pointed out the need for highly trained hostage rescue forces. This led to the formation of Special Operations Detachment-Delta, better known as "Delta Force" (AKA "The Unit," the "D-Boys," and "The D"). Selected from among the best of all other Army special operations units, they were mostly sergeants or higher, older than most soldiers, trained to operate independently and undercover, and highly skilled in the use of all sorts of weapons and tactics. They were ideally suited for taking down terrorists--except that the U.S. military was highly reluctant to use them, and so threw up all sorts of obstacles to their deployment when hostage situations emerged. They were finally set loose as part of Operation Eagle Claw, the botched Iranian hostage rescue mission of April 24, 1980, in which a U.S. C-130 transport and MH-53 Sea Stallion helicopter collided on the ground, killing eight U.S. soldiers and airmen, and causing the failure of the mission.
It is axiomatic that one learns more from defeat than victory, and this was no exception. Out of the tragedy of Operation Eagle Claw came a whole series of lessons learned, the most important of which was that special operations cannot be organized and planned in an ad hoc manner like a pickup game of basketball. Failure of the mission was traced to the lack of unified command, coherent common doctrine and training, and inappropriate equipment."
"Norman Schwarzkopf famously did not even want a SOCOM liaison at his headquarters, and refused at first to use the SOCOM assets put at his disposal--they would only "get in the way" of the "real war." In the event, the need to track down and destroy Saddam Hussein's Scud launchers gave the special operators a chance to shine--and they came out of Operation Desert Storm with a vastly enhanced reputation, at least among the political leadership of the Pentagon. In the years that followed, special operations forces were at the forefront of a host of U.S. military expeditions, including the Black Hawk Down incident in Somalia, the U.S. intervention in Haiti, operations against drug lords in Columbia, and a host of classified missions of which we have no need to know.
After September 11, U.S. special operations forces, including Green Berets, Rangers, SEALs, the Delta Force, and others, were at the forefront of the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, and remain both the cutting edge and a key force multiplier in our fight against the remnants of al Qaeda, the Taliban, and various other extremist forces around the world."
"Because the capabilities and skills of the special operations forces are in such high demand, the operational tempo in these units is ferocious. Most of these troops spend an average of 270 days per year on deployment, with concomitant strains on personnel and their families. I know of many special operators who are on their fifth and sixth tours of duty in Iraq and/or Afghanistan. It's a high-stress job, and there is a limit to how many times we can go to the well with the same troops, before they simply say enough."
"(A)s demand for special operators by theater commanders (finally won over to the cause!) increases, it is clear that something has to give."
"The type of men who make good special operations troops do not grow on trees. They are a special breed, and this is reflected in a selection process that tests mind, body, and will to the breaking point. In the most elite units, upwards of 90 percent of recruits flunk out; even in less demanding units such as the Rangers, the washout rate exceeds 80 percent. It is not unreasonable to say that the typical special operations soldier is the equivalent of an Olympic-caliber athlete with two Masters Degrees combined with the spirit of a Spartan warrior. The selection process deliberately seeks out this type of man, and as a result, only a few qualify. To enlarge the force quickly, there are really only two options: reduce standards, or increase the size of the selection pool. The former was tried in the Vietnam buildup of the Green Berets, and explains in part why the Army soured on the notion of special warfare in its aftermath."
&
"The Marines may have hit on the solution: rather than lowering the quality of special operations troops in order to increase the size of the force, they are raising the quality of their line troops to take on some of the missions currently performed by special operations forces. This has been done by training certain Marine Expeditionary Units (MEUs) to be "Special Operations Capable"; such units are now designated as "MEU(SOC)s." A typical MEU(SOC) is built around a Marine rifle battalion reinforced with an artillery battery, an amphibious assault vehicle company, a reconnaissance platoon, and other support elements, with a total of 1,200 men. The MEU(SOC) also has an aviation element with transport and attack helicopters, and its own logistic support element. Members of the ground combat element--specifically the rifle battalion and the reconnaissance platoon--receive training in infiltration and assault tactics, urban warfare, and basic special operations tasks (hostage rescue, raiding, indigenous force training, etc.). They obviously do not have the same level of training in each of these disciplines as dedicated special operations forces, but they may be "good enough" for lower-end tasks, which are thus off-loaded from the over-committed special operations troops. If MEU(SOCs) can take up perhaps 15 percent of the burden, that would be the equivalent of some 7,500 men to SOCOM. The Army could and should follow the lead of the USMC by training some of its light infantry battalions in the 82nd Airborne and 10th Mountain Division to be "special operations capable" as well, further reducing the stress on high-end special operators."
Money quote(s):
"Throughout the history of the U.S. military, special operations troops have been viewed with a mixture of suspicion and resentment by "regular" military leaders, who frequently fail to understand the special operations mentality, the proper employment of special operations forces, and their limitations in conventional combat roles. Typically, the United States has raised special operations units in an ad hoc manner for a particular conflict, then rapidly decommissioned them as soon as the war was over. Thus, in World War II, we raised Army Ranger battalions, a Special Services Brigade, Marine Raider battalions, combat swimmers and Underwater Demolition Teams (UDTs), only to abolish most of them after VJ-Day. "
"Beginning with Kennedy, and continuing under Lyndon Johnson, the Special Forces were enlarged several-fold. Not to be outdone, the Navy then formed its Sea-Air-Land (SEAL) Teams from the old UDTs, but adding infiltration, reconnaissance, and ambush tactics to beach clearing. The Air Force and Marines likewise created their own small commando-style units in response to the needs of the Vietnam War. Some of these units were very good indeed, others not so much. Many pioneered the kinds of counter-insurgency tactics being employed today in Iraq and Afghanistan. But again, once Vietnam was over, the United States cut back on special operations forces in order to concentrate on "real war"--the head-to-head conflict with the USSR on the plains of central Germany.
Lacking any sort of proponent in the military, special operators became orphan children: they had to scrounge for the equipment and training they needed, and its members, officers in particular, faced career dead ends if they stayed in their chosen professions (it used to be said that in the U.S. Army, commando types retired at lieutenant colonel, while in Israel they were made chiefs of staff). Fragmented across the services, they lacked a common doctrine and interoperability. They were, to be blunt, looked on as prima donnas, even circus freaks, by conventional force commanders, who did not want them in their commands, and would not have known how to use them if they did."
"(T)he Munich Olympic massacre pointed out the need for highly trained hostage rescue forces. This led to the formation of Special Operations Detachment-Delta, better known as "Delta Force" (AKA "The Unit," the "D-Boys," and "The D"). Selected from among the best of all other Army special operations units, they were mostly sergeants or higher, older than most soldiers, trained to operate independently and undercover, and highly skilled in the use of all sorts of weapons and tactics. They were ideally suited for taking down terrorists--except that the U.S. military was highly reluctant to use them, and so threw up all sorts of obstacles to their deployment when hostage situations emerged. They were finally set loose as part of Operation Eagle Claw, the botched Iranian hostage rescue mission of April 24, 1980, in which a U.S. C-130 transport and MH-53 Sea Stallion helicopter collided on the ground, killing eight U.S. soldiers and airmen, and causing the failure of the mission.
It is axiomatic that one learns more from defeat than victory, and this was no exception. Out of the tragedy of Operation Eagle Claw came a whole series of lessons learned, the most important of which was that special operations cannot be organized and planned in an ad hoc manner like a pickup game of basketball. Failure of the mission was traced to the lack of unified command, coherent common doctrine and training, and inappropriate equipment."
"Norman Schwarzkopf famously did not even want a SOCOM liaison at his headquarters, and refused at first to use the SOCOM assets put at his disposal--they would only "get in the way" of the "real war." In the event, the need to track down and destroy Saddam Hussein's Scud launchers gave the special operators a chance to shine--and they came out of Operation Desert Storm with a vastly enhanced reputation, at least among the political leadership of the Pentagon. In the years that followed, special operations forces were at the forefront of a host of U.S. military expeditions, including the Black Hawk Down incident in Somalia, the U.S. intervention in Haiti, operations against drug lords in Columbia, and a host of classified missions of which we have no need to know.
After September 11, U.S. special operations forces, including Green Berets, Rangers, SEALs, the Delta Force, and others, were at the forefront of the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, and remain both the cutting edge and a key force multiplier in our fight against the remnants of al Qaeda, the Taliban, and various other extremist forces around the world."
"Because the capabilities and skills of the special operations forces are in such high demand, the operational tempo in these units is ferocious. Most of these troops spend an average of 270 days per year on deployment, with concomitant strains on personnel and their families. I know of many special operators who are on their fifth and sixth tours of duty in Iraq and/or Afghanistan. It's a high-stress job, and there is a limit to how many times we can go to the well with the same troops, before they simply say enough."
"(A)s demand for special operators by theater commanders (finally won over to the cause!) increases, it is clear that something has to give."
"The type of men who make good special operations troops do not grow on trees. They are a special breed, and this is reflected in a selection process that tests mind, body, and will to the breaking point. In the most elite units, upwards of 90 percent of recruits flunk out; even in less demanding units such as the Rangers, the washout rate exceeds 80 percent. It is not unreasonable to say that the typical special operations soldier is the equivalent of an Olympic-caliber athlete with two Masters Degrees combined with the spirit of a Spartan warrior. The selection process deliberately seeks out this type of man, and as a result, only a few qualify. To enlarge the force quickly, there are really only two options: reduce standards, or increase the size of the selection pool. The former was tried in the Vietnam buildup of the Green Berets, and explains in part why the Army soured on the notion of special warfare in its aftermath."
&
"The Marines may have hit on the solution: rather than lowering the quality of special operations troops in order to increase the size of the force, they are raising the quality of their line troops to take on some of the missions currently performed by special operations forces. This has been done by training certain Marine Expeditionary Units (MEUs) to be "Special Operations Capable"; such units are now designated as "MEU(SOC)s." A typical MEU(SOC) is built around a Marine rifle battalion reinforced with an artillery battery, an amphibious assault vehicle company, a reconnaissance platoon, and other support elements, with a total of 1,200 men. The MEU(SOC) also has an aviation element with transport and attack helicopters, and its own logistic support element. Members of the ground combat element--specifically the rifle battalion and the reconnaissance platoon--receive training in infiltration and assault tactics, urban warfare, and basic special operations tasks (hostage rescue, raiding, indigenous force training, etc.). They obviously do not have the same level of training in each of these disciplines as dedicated special operations forces, but they may be "good enough" for lower-end tasks, which are thus off-loaded from the over-committed special operations troops. If MEU(SOCs) can take up perhaps 15 percent of the burden, that would be the equivalent of some 7,500 men to SOCOM. The Army could and should follow the lead of the USMC by training some of its light infantry battalions in the 82nd Airborne and 10th Mountain Division to be "special operations capable" as well, further reducing the stress on high-end special operators."
posted by Consul-At-Arms at 7:07 AM
0 comments
re: "Illegal Aliens and Identity Theft [Dan Collins]"
Dan at Protein Wisdom ("because not just anybody can summarize the news") has some more on the illegal alien partial amnesty (attached to the war funding supplemental bill).
Money quote(s):
"It comes with tax-fraud amnesty, too . . . unless you’ve held your job legally."
"A little felony fraud? No big deal. It’s not as though they were citizens when they committed it.
It costs $250 bucks. Not quite as hard as putting in several years of service in the US military, mind you. But there you have it."
&
"UPDATE: Per Malkin, the bill has been stripped due to pressure brought to bear on Reid. Here’s more about the proposed legislation, which isn’t going away until we start throwing the bums out."
----------
Hat tip to Jules Crittenden at forward movement.
Money quote(s):
"It comes with tax-fraud amnesty, too . . . unless you’ve held your job legally."
"A little felony fraud? No big deal. It’s not as though they were citizens when they committed it.
It costs $250 bucks. Not quite as hard as putting in several years of service in the US military, mind you. But there you have it."
&
"UPDATE: Per Malkin, the bill has been stripped due to pressure brought to bear on Reid. Here’s more about the proposed legislation, which isn’t going away until we start throwing the bums out."
----------
Hat tip to Jules Crittenden at forward movement.
posted by Consul-At-Arms at 6:51 AM
0 comments
re: "Amnesty Amendment Included in Iraq Funding Bill"
Ace at Ace of Spades HQ has information on some immigration-related legislation.
He comments:
"I've never been particularly incensed about temporary guest worker measures. I suppose it's a "reward for law-breaking," but it's not granting citizenship for lawbreaking."
&
"Their relatives come -- we can't separate families! -- and then, five years later, we can't ask them to leave because they've now had kids on US soil and, once again, we can't separate families!"
He comments:
"I've never been particularly incensed about temporary guest worker measures. I suppose it's a "reward for law-breaking," but it's not granting citizenship for lawbreaking."
&
"Their relatives come -- we can't separate families! -- and then, five years later, we can't ask them to leave because they've now had kids on US soil and, once again, we can't separate families!"
posted by Consul-At-Arms at 6:47 AM
0 comments
re: "In Praise of James McGee"
James Kirchick at The New Republic ("A Journal of Politics and the Arts") also noted Amb. McGee in the news.
Money quote(s):
"You probably haven't heard of James McGee. He's our Ambassador in Harare, Zimbabwe. He's also a black man, which frustrates the sick worldview of Robert Mugabe."
"The men and women of the foreign service put themselves through great sacrifice, but rarely do we hear of stories like this in which an actual Ambassador would put his own life on the line to send a message to a totalitarian, murderous regime: America is watching you."
&
"(T)he cargo from that infamous Chinese ship -- 3-million rounds of assault rifle ammunition, 3000 mortar rounds and 1500 rocket-propelled grenades -- has finally made it to Harare, having docked either in Angola or the Democratic Republic of the Congo. One shudders to think how these instruments of violence will be used, given what's occurred over the past 2 months. Seeing that the region's major naval power, South Africa, was never going to do anything to prevent this ship from reaching Mugabe, how could American or British naval interception -- or, barring that, blowing the ship out of the water -- not have been morally justified? Time to put AFRICOM to use. "
----------
Hat tip to Charlie at Abu Muquwama ("a blog dedicated to following issues related to contemporary insurgencies as well as counterinsurgency tactics and strategy.") who added:
"There's a pretty standard line offered by foreign service officers recounting the number of ambassadors killed in the line of duty vs. the number of general officers. (Charlie can't remember the former, but the latter is something approximating "zero since WWII.") Not all ambassadors spend their time at cocktail parties, and not all of America's influence comes from the barrel of a gun (but check out Jamie's novel suggestion for an Africom mission at the end of his post)."
(Note: The suggestion for an Africom mission is in one the snippeted passages above.)
Money quote(s):
"You probably haven't heard of James McGee. He's our Ambassador in Harare, Zimbabwe. He's also a black man, which frustrates the sick worldview of Robert Mugabe."
"The men and women of the foreign service put themselves through great sacrifice, but rarely do we hear of stories like this in which an actual Ambassador would put his own life on the line to send a message to a totalitarian, murderous regime: America is watching you."
&
"(T)he cargo from that infamous Chinese ship -- 3-million rounds of assault rifle ammunition, 3000 mortar rounds and 1500 rocket-propelled grenades -- has finally made it to Harare, having docked either in Angola or the Democratic Republic of the Congo. One shudders to think how these instruments of violence will be used, given what's occurred over the past 2 months. Seeing that the region's major naval power, South Africa, was never going to do anything to prevent this ship from reaching Mugabe, how could American or British naval interception -- or, barring that, blowing the ship out of the water -- not have been morally justified? Time to put AFRICOM to use. "
----------
Hat tip to Charlie at Abu Muquwama ("a blog dedicated to following issues related to contemporary insurgencies as well as counterinsurgency tactics and strategy.") who added:
"There's a pretty standard line offered by foreign service officers recounting the number of ambassadors killed in the line of duty vs. the number of general officers. (Charlie can't remember the former, but the latter is something approximating "zero since WWII.") Not all ambassadors spend their time at cocktail parties, and not all of America's influence comes from the barrel of a gun (but check out Jamie's novel suggestion for an Africom mission at the end of his post)."
(Note: The suggestion for an Africom mission is in one the snippeted passages above.)
posted by Consul-At-Arms at 6:35 AM
0 comments
re: "Remembering a Hero"
Spook86 at In From the Cold ("Musings on Life, Love, Politics, Military Affairs, the Media, the Intelligence Community and Just About Anything Else that Captures Our Interest") reminds us of the 100th birthday of a great American.
Money quote(s):
"(O)n the centennial of his birth, Jimmy Stewart should also be remembered for his “other” career, the one he was reportedly most proud of. Stewart served as a bomber pilot during World War II, and remained in the Air Force Reserve until 1968, retiring as a brigadier general. While Stewart’s military career is certainly well-known, few understand the effort he made to serve his country in uniform."
"With his enlistment in March 1941, Stewart became the first American movie star to enter the U.S. military during World War II, though the attack on Pearl Harbor was still nine months away."
&
"Jimmy Stewart’s combat service coincided with some of the most vicious air battles of World War II. His early missions were part of a campaign called The Big Week, aimed at breaking the back of the German Luftwaffe. The Big Week produced some of the heaviest casualties (among bomber crews) since the disasters at Schweinfurt and Ploesti in mid-1943.
It was a brutal introduction to combat, but Stewart and his fellow crew members met the challenge. The 445th won a unit citation for its efforts during a “Big Week” raid, with Stewart receiving the first of two Distinguished Flying Crosses that he would win as a combat pilot. ... ... When the war ended, Stewart was a full Colonel, making him the highest-ranking actor to serve in World War II.
While he would remain active in the reserves for another 20 years, Stewart (with typical modesty) rarely spoke of his wartime exploits, in public or in private."
I remember seeing him on television a few times during the Reagan administration, attending various formal occasions and wearing his decorations on his lapel. It made for quite a contrast with most of the other Hollywood "elite."
Money quote(s):
"(O)n the centennial of his birth, Jimmy Stewart should also be remembered for his “other” career, the one he was reportedly most proud of. Stewart served as a bomber pilot during World War II, and remained in the Air Force Reserve until 1968, retiring as a brigadier general. While Stewart’s military career is certainly well-known, few understand the effort he made to serve his country in uniform."
"With his enlistment in March 1941, Stewart became the first American movie star to enter the U.S. military during World War II, though the attack on Pearl Harbor was still nine months away."
&
"Jimmy Stewart’s combat service coincided with some of the most vicious air battles of World War II. His early missions were part of a campaign called The Big Week, aimed at breaking the back of the German Luftwaffe. The Big Week produced some of the heaviest casualties (among bomber crews) since the disasters at Schweinfurt and Ploesti in mid-1943.
It was a brutal introduction to combat, but Stewart and his fellow crew members met the challenge. The 445th won a unit citation for its efforts during a “Big Week” raid, with Stewart receiving the first of two Distinguished Flying Crosses that he would win as a combat pilot. ... ... When the war ended, Stewart was a full Colonel, making him the highest-ranking actor to serve in World War II.
While he would remain active in the reserves for another 20 years, Stewart (with typical modesty) rarely spoke of his wartime exploits, in public or in private."
I remember seeing him on television a few times during the Reagan administration, attending various formal occasions and wearing his decorations on his lapel. It made for quite a contrast with most of the other Hollywood "elite."
posted by Consul-At-Arms at 6:21 AM
0 comments
re: "The William Ayers plan to turn America's schoolchildren into Maoists and how Barack Obama helped him"
Pundita ("US foreign policy for the 21st Century") has some more about unrecanted domestic terrorist William Ayers.
Money quote(s):
"(H)ere I pause to recount the intellectual establishment's immediate reaction, which to quote Mark Steyn in a somewhat different context was sprayed coffee, steaming pants and scalded crotches.
Yes, all over Manhattan's Upper West Side cheerful Starbucks assistants ran around mopping latte sprays from laptop screens and handing out wads of paper napkins to customers howling in pain.It's not as if the intelligentsia didn't already know that William Ayers was bent on transforming American schoolchildren into Manchurian Candidates. That was old news because in 2006 Sol Stern had publicized Ayers's education work.(4)
The stunner was that Stern was not going to keep his mouth shut about Ayers during Senator Barack Obama's presidential campaign."
"I pause to clarify a smoggy term. Just what is "social justice?"For the tourists, social justice means finding ways to make society more just for all. For William Ayers and other American pedagogical versions of the Weather Underground, social justice 'education' means using every subject taught in public school, including math and science, as a means to teach children that capitalism is evil and that anyone who supports the American way of life is going straight to hell."
&
"America's parents need to know about Ayers's education ideas and true relationship with a man in sight of the White House. Ditto for American captains of industry and capitalist financiers who are throwing money at Barack Obama's presidential campaign."
Money quote(s):
"(H)ere I pause to recount the intellectual establishment's immediate reaction, which to quote Mark Steyn in a somewhat different context was sprayed coffee, steaming pants and scalded crotches.
Yes, all over Manhattan's Upper West Side cheerful Starbucks assistants ran around mopping latte sprays from laptop screens and handing out wads of paper napkins to customers howling in pain.It's not as if the intelligentsia didn't already know that William Ayers was bent on transforming American schoolchildren into Manchurian Candidates. That was old news because in 2006 Sol Stern had publicized Ayers's education work.(4)
The stunner was that Stern was not going to keep his mouth shut about Ayers during Senator Barack Obama's presidential campaign."
"I pause to clarify a smoggy term. Just what is "social justice?"For the tourists, social justice means finding ways to make society more just for all. For William Ayers and other American pedagogical versions of the Weather Underground, social justice 'education' means using every subject taught in public school, including math and science, as a means to teach children that capitalism is evil and that anyone who supports the American way of life is going straight to hell."
&
"America's parents need to know about Ayers's education ideas and true relationship with a man in sight of the White House. Ditto for American captains of industry and capitalist financiers who are throwing money at Barack Obama's presidential campaign."
posted by Consul-At-Arms at 6:18 AM
0 comments
re: "In Praise of Our Ambassador to Zimbabwe"
Digger at Life After Jerusalem ("The adventures and musings of an American Indian, Public Diplomacy-coned Foreign Service Officer") links to a good story about a U.S. diplomat of whom we can be proud.
posted by Consul-At-Arms at 6:04 AM
0 comments
S&S - European briefs: Army Corps of Engineers marks four years in Iraq
From my archive of press clippings:
Stars and Stripes
European briefs: Army Corps of Engineers marks four years in Iraq
Stars and Stripes
European edition, Saturday, January 26, 2008
The Army Corps of Engineers marked its fourth year in Iraq on Friday with a ceremony celebrating the activation of the Gulf Region Division in 2004.
Since then, the corps has completed more than 4,400 reconstruction projects throughout Iraq, but it has also been dogged by instances of fraud, waste and failed projects.
“This isn’t so much the celebration of a birthday as it is the celebration of an anniversary and a relationship,” Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Dorko, the GRD commander, said in a news release issued by the command. “We wouldn’t exist if we didn’t have someone to serve; if we didn’t have deployed coalition forces to serve on the military construction side. We wouldn’t have a reason to exist if we did not have a role serving the Iraqi people and the leadership of Iraq to set conditions for them to go forward. … We are first and foremost a service organization.”
The Gulf Region Division has spent more than $8.4 billion in a building program the size of which they say has not been seen since the Marshall Plan after World War II. Officials said work continues on more than 500 projects, costing more than $2.1 billion. The projects range from transportation and water facilities to work on electricity, health care and schools.
Stars and Stripes
European briefs: Army Corps of Engineers marks four years in Iraq
Stars and Stripes
European edition, Saturday, January 26, 2008
The Army Corps of Engineers marked its fourth year in Iraq on Friday with a ceremony celebrating the activation of the Gulf Region Division in 2004.
Since then, the corps has completed more than 4,400 reconstruction projects throughout Iraq, but it has also been dogged by instances of fraud, waste and failed projects.
“This isn’t so much the celebration of a birthday as it is the celebration of an anniversary and a relationship,” Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Dorko, the GRD commander, said in a news release issued by the command. “We wouldn’t exist if we didn’t have someone to serve; if we didn’t have deployed coalition forces to serve on the military construction side. We wouldn’t have a reason to exist if we did not have a role serving the Iraqi people and the leadership of Iraq to set conditions for them to go forward. … We are first and foremost a service organization.”
The Gulf Region Division has spent more than $8.4 billion in a building program the size of which they say has not been seen since the Marshall Plan after World War II. Officials said work continues on more than 500 projects, costing more than $2.1 billion. The projects range from transportation and water facilities to work on electricity, health care and schools.
posted by Consul-At-Arms at 12:18 AM
0 comments
JO - Bring back the trains
From my archive of press clippings:
Jamaica Observer
Bring back the trains
Diane Abbott
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Transport Minister Mike Henry is reported to be meeting with the Chinese to discuss privatising and renewing Jamaica's railways. If he is successful in this project, he will deserve the thanks of a grateful nation.
Diane Abbott
Jamaica has long been heavily influenced culturally by America. Perhaps this is why ordinary Jamaicans rather look down on railway travel. Their dream is the American dream. Each man in his massive air-conditioned 4 x 4 speeding down a six-lane highway.
But railway travel is the travel of the 21st century. It minimises carbon emissions and so contributes to the fight against global warming. But it is also the nicest way to see Jamaica.
I remember, as an intrepid teenager visiting Jamaica from Britain, taking the train from Kingston to Montego Bay. Because I had no money for expensive hotels, when I got to Montego Bay, I simply wandered around the town for a few hours and then took the train all the way back to Kingston. It was years ago, but it remains my favourite ever Jamaican journey.
As the train chugged through little towns like Wait-A-Bit, you got a superb view of the Jamaican countryside. You went through one pretty village after another which you would never have seen taking the same journey by road. And the catering was delicious. Of course, the train itself did not serve food, but at many stops, ladies would step on board carrying baskets regally on their heads, which were full of fried fish and bammies for sale.
Despite criminal neglect in recent years, Jamaica's railways have a proud history. Jamaica was the first British colony to build a railway in 1845, as befits what was then Britain 's wealthiest colony.
The railway went on to play a crucial role in Jamaica's economy. By providing a safe and speedy way to transport agricultural produce around the country, the railway contributed to the growth of sugar, banana, and citrus. Small farmers in deep rural Jamaica could also use the railway to get their produce to market. And as the century wore on, by 1896 the railway stretched all the way from Kingston to Montego Bay, with a branch going northeast to Port Antonio.
In the 20th century, railway transportation was vital for the bauxite industry. And the railway was the scene of Jamaica's greatest tragedy - the 1957 Kendal rail crash in which 254 died. (The subject of a brilliant book by Beverley East, Reaper of Souls. But by the 1990s passenger transportation by railway in Jamaica ceased.
Some people argue that the railways in Jamaica could only be reopened at the cost of massive public subsidy, and this is a luxury Jamaica cannot afford. But I believe a properly managed and imaginatively marketed railway could be an important addition to Jamaica's transport mix.
It could help to regenerate the countryside (and contribute to the fight against global warming). And it would be a big tourist attraction for the type of tourist who wants to do something other than sit in all-inclusive all day.
I wish Mr Henry every success in his attempt to reopen the Jamaican railway. Maybe one day soon, I will be able to eat fried fish and bammy on the train from Kingston to Montego Bay once more.
Jamaica Observer
Bring back the trains
Diane Abbott
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Transport Minister Mike Henry is reported to be meeting with the Chinese to discuss privatising and renewing Jamaica's railways. If he is successful in this project, he will deserve the thanks of a grateful nation.
Diane Abbott
Jamaica has long been heavily influenced culturally by America. Perhaps this is why ordinary Jamaicans rather look down on railway travel. Their dream is the American dream. Each man in his massive air-conditioned 4 x 4 speeding down a six-lane highway.
But railway travel is the travel of the 21st century. It minimises carbon emissions and so contributes to the fight against global warming. But it is also the nicest way to see Jamaica.
I remember, as an intrepid teenager visiting Jamaica from Britain, taking the train from Kingston to Montego Bay. Because I had no money for expensive hotels, when I got to Montego Bay, I simply wandered around the town for a few hours and then took the train all the way back to Kingston. It was years ago, but it remains my favourite ever Jamaican journey.
As the train chugged through little towns like Wait-A-Bit, you got a superb view of the Jamaican countryside. You went through one pretty village after another which you would never have seen taking the same journey by road. And the catering was delicious. Of course, the train itself did not serve food, but at many stops, ladies would step on board carrying baskets regally on their heads, which were full of fried fish and bammies for sale.
Despite criminal neglect in recent years, Jamaica's railways have a proud history. Jamaica was the first British colony to build a railway in 1845, as befits what was then Britain 's wealthiest colony.
The railway went on to play a crucial role in Jamaica's economy. By providing a safe and speedy way to transport agricultural produce around the country, the railway contributed to the growth of sugar, banana, and citrus. Small farmers in deep rural Jamaica could also use the railway to get their produce to market. And as the century wore on, by 1896 the railway stretched all the way from Kingston to Montego Bay, with a branch going northeast to Port Antonio.
In the 20th century, railway transportation was vital for the bauxite industry. And the railway was the scene of Jamaica's greatest tragedy - the 1957 Kendal rail crash in which 254 died. (The subject of a brilliant book by Beverley East, Reaper of Souls. But by the 1990s passenger transportation by railway in Jamaica ceased.
Some people argue that the railways in Jamaica could only be reopened at the cost of massive public subsidy, and this is a luxury Jamaica cannot afford. But I believe a properly managed and imaginatively marketed railway could be an important addition to Jamaica's transport mix.
It could help to regenerate the countryside (and contribute to the fight against global warming). And it would be a big tourist attraction for the type of tourist who wants to do something other than sit in all-inclusive all day.
I wish Mr Henry every success in his attempt to reopen the Jamaican railway. Maybe one day soon, I will be able to eat fried fish and bammy on the train from Kingston to Montego Bay once more.
posted by Consul-At-Arms at 12:09 AM
0 comments
Friday, May 23, 2008
re: "Officer Rot in the Unites States Air Force"
A U.S. Air Force Officer guest-posts at Seraphic Secret ("Time grinds away doing its terrible work.").
Money quote(s):
"(I)t wasn't Patton's tanks or Hap Arnold's bombers or Nimitz's Navy that won World War II. It was a commandant at the Fort Benning Infantry school in the 1930s, then Lt. Col. Marshall, who won the war before it even started.
The US Army in the 1930s was in a sad state of affairs (though the depression was raging, and everything was in a sad state of affairs). But the Army's plague transcended supply issues. After World War I, careerism started to take its heavy toll on the force. Generals advanced cronies who walked like them, talked like them, and thought like them. Those men in turn advanced subordinates who fit their image and likeness, and so the process went.
Think of it as a sort of incestuous breeding process for military leadership."
"Bureaucracies are marked by men who stake out chunks of territory and guard their acquisitions ferociously."
"(F)irst order of business was purifying the War Department. Generals were fired. Over 100 colonels retired. The black book materialized, and men—Marshall's Men—were appointed in their steads. Marshall was criticized by Congress for bankrupting the Army of it's "brains." Six years later, there were no complaints. Some of the men promoted under George C. Marshall included Joseph Stillwell, Omar Bradley, Hap Arnold, George Patton, and Dwight Eisenhower—a colonel on Marshall's staff a scant three years before taking his post as Supreme Allied Commander."
"Marshall's little black book won the war. And it etched in history a lesson that should never be forgotten...
Peacetime leaders make horrible wartime leaders.
It's a generalization, but a generalization that's generally true."
"The plague of peacetime bureaucracy has set in, and it's set in hard. “Officer rot” is what Robert dubbed it, and I can't think of a better term to describe the disease. Officers are advanced in a system that awards those who clog the service's pipes with new and excessive regulations. Simplicity and speed are downplayed in favor of safer methodologies."
"Risk aversion, as many thinking types know, is a horrible trait in an officer and a leader. World War II was marked by an innovation in military thinking never seen before in the US Military—except when Confederates Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson were engineering innovative ways to kill Union soldiers."
"When I think of officer rot, I think about Air Force careerists trying to get rid of the A-10 Warthog—arguably the greatest close air support platform ever—in favor of a fast-moving Joint Strike Fighter."
"(M)ay God help us if the Chinese make good on their threats to reunify with Taiwan, or if Putin brings back the Russian Empire, or if Kim Jong Il decides he wants a bungalow in Seoul."
&
"The Air Force needs a George C. Marshall. Oh, do they need a Marshall. Someone who gets it. Someone who has the stones to tank a generation of officers who just aren't helping. Someone who understands how to communicate the service's needs, what it can bring to the fight—the Air Force's abilities are unmatched—and someone who will rediscover the service's purpose: to support the infantry.
And I suppose to deter peer/near peer adversaries as well.
But as Marshall said, “The chariot, the longbow, the airplane... all wars in history have been decided by the man standing on the smoking battlefield with a sword in hand.”
Just so. The Air Force exists to support the infantry.
Careerist Air Force officers have it in their head that the infantry supports the Air Force. If you can think of a better way to describe that than rot, I'm all ears."
Hat tip to John at OPFOR ("a blog dedicated towards expanding milblogging topics to include foreign policy, wargaming, grand strategy, and hippy bashing").
Money quote(s):
"(I)t wasn't Patton's tanks or Hap Arnold's bombers or Nimitz's Navy that won World War II. It was a commandant at the Fort Benning Infantry school in the 1930s, then Lt. Col. Marshall, who won the war before it even started.
The US Army in the 1930s was in a sad state of affairs (though the depression was raging, and everything was in a sad state of affairs). But the Army's plague transcended supply issues. After World War I, careerism started to take its heavy toll on the force. Generals advanced cronies who walked like them, talked like them, and thought like them. Those men in turn advanced subordinates who fit their image and likeness, and so the process went.
Think of it as a sort of incestuous breeding process for military leadership."
"Bureaucracies are marked by men who stake out chunks of territory and guard their acquisitions ferociously."
"(F)irst order of business was purifying the War Department. Generals were fired. Over 100 colonels retired. The black book materialized, and men—Marshall's Men—were appointed in their steads. Marshall was criticized by Congress for bankrupting the Army of it's "brains." Six years later, there were no complaints. Some of the men promoted under George C. Marshall included Joseph Stillwell, Omar Bradley, Hap Arnold, George Patton, and Dwight Eisenhower—a colonel on Marshall's staff a scant three years before taking his post as Supreme Allied Commander."
"Marshall's little black book won the war. And it etched in history a lesson that should never be forgotten...
Peacetime leaders make horrible wartime leaders.
It's a generalization, but a generalization that's generally true."
"The plague of peacetime bureaucracy has set in, and it's set in hard. “Officer rot” is what Robert dubbed it, and I can't think of a better term to describe the disease. Officers are advanced in a system that awards those who clog the service's pipes with new and excessive regulations. Simplicity and speed are downplayed in favor of safer methodologies."
"Risk aversion, as many thinking types know, is a horrible trait in an officer and a leader. World War II was marked by an innovation in military thinking never seen before in the US Military—except when Confederates Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson were engineering innovative ways to kill Union soldiers."
"When I think of officer rot, I think about Air Force careerists trying to get rid of the A-10 Warthog—arguably the greatest close air support platform ever—in favor of a fast-moving Joint Strike Fighter."
"(M)ay God help us if the Chinese make good on their threats to reunify with Taiwan, or if Putin brings back the Russian Empire, or if Kim Jong Il decides he wants a bungalow in Seoul."
&
"The Air Force needs a George C. Marshall. Oh, do they need a Marshall. Someone who gets it. Someone who has the stones to tank a generation of officers who just aren't helping. Someone who understands how to communicate the service's needs, what it can bring to the fight—the Air Force's abilities are unmatched—and someone who will rediscover the service's purpose: to support the infantry.
And I suppose to deter peer/near peer adversaries as well.
But as Marshall said, “The chariot, the longbow, the airplane... all wars in history have been decided by the man standing on the smoking battlefield with a sword in hand.”
Just so. The Air Force exists to support the infantry.
Careerist Air Force officers have it in their head that the infantry supports the Air Force. If you can think of a better way to describe that than rot, I'm all ears."
Hat tip to John at OPFOR ("a blog dedicated towards expanding milblogging topics to include foreign policy, wargaming, grand strategy, and hippy bashing").
posted by Consul-At-Arms at 6:03 AM
2 comments
Featured Merchant: Unicorn Clothing Company {209}
posted by Consul-At-Arms at 12:45 AM
0 comments
VARF again this weekend!
Virginia Renaissance Faire (VARF) again this weekend.
May 24, 25, 26
Military History Weekend
All Active, Reserve and Retired Military admitted free this weekend with Military ID, in appreciation for their service.
Special Guest: Black Powder Demonstrations, Archery Through the Ages and Historical Miniatures Gaming Society
posted by Consul-At-Arms at 12:38 AM
0 comments
TST - Ten-finger scan to get into USA. More security at US airports but The Sunday Times discovers flaws in the system.
From my archive of press clippings:
The Sunday Times
January 27, 2008
Ten-finger scan to get into USA
More security at US airports but The Sunday Times discovers flaws in the system
Security screening for arriving passengers has been stepped up yet again at American airports, but The Sunday Times has learnt of worrying flaws in new fingerprint-scanning technology.
Last week, Logan airport, in Boston, became the third US airport to install the 10-finger scanners. Dulles airport, which serves Washington, DC, began using the devices in November and Atlanta airport began this month. By the end of the year, the devices will be installed at every international airport in the USA, as well as at seaports and border crossings.
NonUS residents have had two fingers scanned on entry since 2004, but the Department of Homeland Security believes the 10-finger standard will allow easier identification of undesirables, based on full or partial prints left at the scene of a crime or collected from terrorist safe houses or battlefields.
It’s already a nightmare, but now they want to make entry into the USA tougher. So let’s not go says Matt Rudd
Described by Identix, their manufacturer as “slap and roll” technology, the scanners require four scans to capture a full set of prints. These are then compared with more than 3.2m fingerprints held in the FBI and Department of Defense databases.
Identix claims that the scanner can perform its duties in “less than 15 seconds”. It says “you do need to be a trained fingerprint expert” to use the machines, and while operators at Atlanta have reported only “teething troubles” with the new equipment, the system has caused problems in the past.
In 2003, Californian Roger Benson filed a lawsuit after he was stopped by police for a traffic violation and fingerprinted using the same scanner. His prints were incorrectly matched with a convicted felon and he served 43 days in prison.
Miguel Espinoza brought a lawsuit against Identix in 2004 after his prints were wrongly assigned to a convicted murderer. The case was dismissed after the judge ruled that human error, and not the scanner, had caused the mix-up, but human-rights groups say overdependence on technology will continue to put travellers at risk.
Last July, a US government report found that “systems supporting the US-VISIT program have significant information security control weaknesses”, but homeland security chief Michael Chertoff is an enthusiast. “Moving to 10 fingerprints is completely consistent with, and in fact enhances, our ability to protect,” he said.
The Sunday Times
January 27, 2008
Ten-finger scan to get into USA
More security at US airports but The Sunday Times discovers flaws in the system
Security screening for arriving passengers has been stepped up yet again at American airports, but The Sunday Times has learnt of worrying flaws in new fingerprint-scanning technology.
Last week, Logan airport, in Boston, became the third US airport to install the 10-finger scanners. Dulles airport, which serves Washington, DC, began using the devices in November and Atlanta airport began this month. By the end of the year, the devices will be installed at every international airport in the USA, as well as at seaports and border crossings.
NonUS residents have had two fingers scanned on entry since 2004, but the Department of Homeland Security believes the 10-finger standard will allow easier identification of undesirables, based on full or partial prints left at the scene of a crime or collected from terrorist safe houses or battlefields.
It’s already a nightmare, but now they want to make entry into the USA tougher. So let’s not go says Matt Rudd
Described by Identix, their manufacturer as “slap and roll” technology, the scanners require four scans to capture a full set of prints. These are then compared with more than 3.2m fingerprints held in the FBI and Department of Defense databases.
Identix claims that the scanner can perform its duties in “less than 15 seconds”. It says “you do need to be a trained fingerprint expert” to use the machines, and while operators at Atlanta have reported only “teething troubles” with the new equipment, the system has caused problems in the past.
In 2003, Californian Roger Benson filed a lawsuit after he was stopped by police for a traffic violation and fingerprinted using the same scanner. His prints were incorrectly matched with a convicted felon and he served 43 days in prison.
Miguel Espinoza brought a lawsuit against Identix in 2004 after his prints were wrongly assigned to a convicted murderer. The case was dismissed after the judge ruled that human error, and not the scanner, had caused the mix-up, but human-rights groups say overdependence on technology will continue to put travellers at risk.
Last July, a US government report found that “systems supporting the US-VISIT program have significant information security control weaknesses”, but homeland security chief Michael Chertoff is an enthusiast. “Moving to 10 fingerprints is completely consistent with, and in fact enhances, our ability to protect,” he said.
posted by Consul-At-Arms at 12:34 AM
0 comments